Monday was that strange normal weekday nestled between the weekend and Tuesday's Fourth of July holiday. It was quiet at the Roediger House for me and its two guests, a leisurely afternoon spent mostly up on the third floor, each up to his own particular shenanigans. It was just too hot and humid outside, and the promised storms for late afternoon never materialized. For the final meal on the last night of the weekend’s guests, we had piled-high pasta with basil, mustard, and Italian sausage. It’s one of Nigel Slater’s minimalist recipes, designed to be simple and no-fuss while still delivering a delicious and filling dish. It also struck me that it could be well accompanied by a copycat version of garlic breadsticks from a famous chain known for its endless supply of them. While I still don’t portion or shape them all that expertly, I certainly can consume them like a champ.
Our daily pattern during their visit was to enjoy coffee and snacks to start the day, pursue our own interests on laptops and phones and gaming consoles in the afternoon, and then gather for that evening meal. Sumner, as shown above, was always close by.
Then we would follow dinner with a game, take a break for dessert, and ultimately retreat to the attic man cave to work our way through episodes of Black Mirror. I was not familiar with this show but loved it. Sumner would snooze and dream nearby and, if I would lie next to him, might even be persuaded to finish his dinner before bedtime.
"Pasta with Sausage, Basil, and Mustard," by Nigel Slater and published in Food & Wine, September 2002. [Online recipe updated 18 May 2023]
"Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks," from Tessa Arias of HandletheHeat.com. [Published 13 December 2013 / Updated 18 January 2023]
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