County Fair Fried Dough Funnel Cakes

The old wild hair got ahold of me Wednesday a week ago, in part because I had a skillet of oil from the previous evening's Navajo frybread, and I needed something quick for dessert. That led me to my third trial of funnel cakes, appropos at that moment while the North Carolina State Fair was going on over in Raleigh. Heavy shakes of powdered sugar and dusted with cinnamon, these devilish delights put all four of us over the top that evening.

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"Classic Funnel Cakes," from Chris Elizondo on JustAPinch.com.

Meal No. 3966: Rotisserie-Style Whole Chicken

Following their fantastic excursion out to the west coast for a well-planned vacation, Amy and Gern were willing to be enticed back over to the house Wednesday a week ago to tell all the good stories of their adventures. We needed a decent dinner to serve as our repast, of course. On that occasion, it was the Instant Pot that helped quicken the cooking of an herbed whole chicken. (That called for a side of Alabama great white sauce, no doubt.) We also had spiced roasted potatoes and onions and a side salad with choice of homemade dressings. It all proved good enough for second samplings, but the best part is getting to hang out with those two fine folks.

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Guidance from "How to Cook Instant Pot Whole Chicken - Rotisserie Style," by Sheena Strain from noshtastic.com (formerly glutenfreepressurecooker.com). [Printed 08 January 2018 / Updated Online 21 January 2023]

"Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning," by Judith Hanneman, The Midnight Baker.

"Alabama Great White Sauce" (p. 362), in Smoke & Spice, by Cheryl and Bill Jamison. Boston: The Harvard Common Press, 2003.

"Thousand Island Dressing," which was based on a version from Graybert on GeniusKitchen.com.

Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com.

Meal No. 3965: Tahlequah Tacos on Navajo Frybread

With a surprisingly long break in between (five years!), Tuesday of last week was the right time to bring back what we call Tahlequah tacos, served on the extra special touch of Navajo frybread. I prep the beef myself using a homemade taco seasoning. I'd grabbed tomatoes and onions from the IGA in Boonville after wrapping up a day of administrative observations training. I took the extraordinary step of setting up the skillet as a deep fryer because that's the only way you're gonna get true frybread. Throw in some sour cream and cheese in the final assembly, according to the tastes of each diner, and you've got a table party happening on each individual platter.

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"Indian Frybread and Indian Tacos" and "Crispy Beef Tacos," by Hilah Johnson. From HilahCooking.com.

"Homemade Chili and Taco Seasoning," from Jamie Lothridge of MyBakingAddiction.com. [Published 03 February 2011]

Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding

The start of last week brought me back to a long-time favorite dessert: old-fashioned banana pudding. While the whole dish is a combo of goodness, a nice orchestration of tastes and textures, it usually pleases me more when I make a bonus pot of vanilla pudding, which is the absolute best part of it. This time, I felt shorted in that department! But taking the extra step of making a true meringue topping, and browning it a bit, when this served as last Monday's dessert? That's a partial compensation.

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"Murray's Old Fashioned Nana Puddin'," from the Murray Vanilla Wafers [now discontinued] package. Also found online at http://melissaannbrook.blogspot.com/2011/04/banana-and-vanilla-wafer-with-pudding.html.

Meal No. 3964: Cheddar Potato Soup

Last Monday took a turn toward the cool, with an autumn feel and strong breezes, and leaves were abundant on the driveway and around the yard. The latter half of October was at last sending up the warning flares of the colder days coming, and which put me on the trail of a fine pot of soup. Without making a grocery run, I knew I could pull it off with pantry staples, and into our three bowls for the latest boys' night was cheddar potato soup. We all went back for seconds of that tasty grub, leaving just the right amount for a single to-go container when Mookie headed out for the night.

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"Cheddar Potato Soup," from the Roediger House. Adapted from "Potato and Cheese Soup," from KitchenArt: The Store for Cooks [now closed] in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Meal No. 3963: Simple Beef Chili with Beans

Last Sunday was a fine afternoon with various friends, centered around a mid-afternoon meal appropriate for the shifting weather and the passing cold front and rains. That's right: a big pot of beef chili with kidney beans, with cheese and sour cream as the standard topping options...plus a pan of sweet Southern cornbread for the bonus conversion. This was one of those occasions when the pot offered up all it had, in perfect amount, and with none left over to package and pass on.

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"Simple Beef Chili with Kidney Beans," from Cook's Illustrated, Number Sixty-One [March-April 2003], p. 10-11.

Sweet Southern Cornbread adapted from "Golden Sweet Cornbread," from bluegirl on AllRecipes.com.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake

With its last appearance here going all the way back to a Halloween slumber party in 2016, Cinnabon cinnamon roll cake was the planned dessert when my UNC chum Kelly was here last Saturday morning. Alas, we were all too full from that breakfast grub so I saved it to snack on later. Ah, but it still proved a useful dessert the following afternoon when another dear UNC friend was here for a meal and hanging out. I botched the cake just a bit but it was still incredibly tempting and good.

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"Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake," by Alyssa Rivers and first found at The Recipe Critic in July 2012. [Recipe Updated 16 August 2023]

Spotted Lanternfly Spotted Right Here

We've been on the lookout for this invasion, especially since the first big infestation in North Carolina was in the neighboring city of Kernersville, in eastern Forsyth County. Last Saturday afternoon, I looked in front of me as I sat in the good weather under the Bradford pear tree, and there it was on the bark at perfect height for me to knock it down, see its markings, and crush its head and belly. We're pretty sure this is a losing battle but that will not be the moth that does me in.

Meal No. 3962: Breakfast for Brother Clark

Last Saturday saw the return of the great Kelly Clark to the Roediger House. A true chum when we were fellow undergraduates and Journalism majors at the University of North Carolina, Kelly makes regularly trips to the area to look in on his folks and, when possible, he generously builds in a visit over here to Winston-Salem. We had to make it a morning meet-up so it had to be breakfast: sous vide bacon, Swiss, and chive egg bites; creamy Southern stone-ground grits; blueberry muffins; and plenty of fresh fruit. We were too full for the dessert I also put together so that will be blogged about later. It's always a pleasure to get time with Kelly.

I made sure departed with the two specimens I'd snagged for him to go with an exhibit he's preparing back home in Maine: the cicada killer wasp and also this healthy praying mantis that almost fell into my lap. Kelly had mentioned both of these from his wish list for display but hadn't gotten ahold of any yet, so I'd been on the look-out.

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Based on "How to Sous Vide Egg Bites at Home," from Jenna Passaro of SipBiteGo.com. [Published 08 July 2021 / Modified 31 August 2021]

"Perfect Blueberry Muffins," from Sue Moran of The View from Great Island. [Published 13 July 2021]

Guidance for making the creamy grits: Luquire Family Stone Ground Grits, milled in Greenwood, SC.

Meal No. 3961: Roasted Salmon on Salad

After a week on the road to a conference in St. Louis, it was great to return home and to find myself again in the kitchen. But it was also a busy enough day taking care of postponed tasks that a supper of limited and uninvolved prep was needed. That's how I came to roast spiced salmon to go atop some fresh leafy greens, all adorned with creamy Caesar dressing I had on hand, and glorified as is necessary with a few good shakes of roasted sunflower seeds.

We were back to stunning weather even though it was past the middle of October, and after the meal it seems Sumner had no interest in being anywhere except for outside.

Alas, there is a sad note to append here: Scarlett got ahold of one of the young rabbits from the fluffle that's apparently created a warren in the lost back slope of overgrown shrubbery and ornamental grass. She is not yet as skilled as Sumner and so the job was an incomplete one; the colony's census has decreased by one and I'm unhappy about it. Still, this is in fact nature and instinct at work, isn't it?

Meal No. 3960: Cuban Lechon Pork Sheet Pan Nachos

When a healthy portion of Cuban lechon pulled pork has been secreted away in a foodsaver bag in the freezer, and if time is running out, it sure makes for an easy prep to put together sheet pan nachos. That's what I did Sunday a week ago, to great acclaim of the household...especially because there was some super garlicky lime crema to go with it.

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Sheet Pan Nachos based on "Loaded Sweet Pork Sheet Pan Nachos," from Elyse of Six Sisters Stuff. [Published 14 March 2018 / Updated 20 September 2024]

"Easy Lime Crema," from Lisa Bryan of DownShiftology.com. [Published 22 April 2020 / Updated 07 May 2020]

Apple Turnovers & Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ice Cream

When Kristen and Mookie came for dinner and a movie Saturday a week ago, I figured we'd better have a dessert that could be orchestrated in a way that left me free to partake of that evening's streaming cinema. Ice cream is an easy way to prepare in advance, and I reached for the amazing brown sugar cinnamon version that is widely admired in these parts. But I also wanted something befitting of the season to go with it. That could have been apple pie, but an Instagram post caught my eye and got me excited about a small burst of possible culinary styling. What was produced instead were woven puff pastry apple turnovers, silly little creations to give us something stacked alongside that amazing ice cream. Into these delectables we dove, once the pastries came out of the oven, and it all masqueraded as a more special dessert than the labors warranted.

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"Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ice Cream," from Heather Tullos of SugarDishMe.com. [Published 11 September 2015]

Braided Apple Pie Turnovers inspired by:

• "Basket Pastries," by Sema Cenik, who posts as pastalimpus on Instagram. [Published 23 July 2025]
• "Easy Apple Turnovers," by Natasha Kravchuk from Natasha's Kitchen. [Updated 16 September 2024]

Meal No. 3959: National Sausage Pizza Day

Making only its fourth appearance at the Roediger House on Saturday night a week ago: Detroit-style pizza.

This time, it was in recognition of National Sausage Pizza Day, so I subbed sweet Italian sausage for the more traditional pepperoni. That's not the only ingredient that requires an alternative, because I cannot easily obtain true Wisconsin-style cheddar and have to make do with what is available here. On these limited trials of this marvelous rectangular pie, though, I've not yet been faulted for these alterations.

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"King Arthur's Detroit-Style Pizza," from King Arthur Baking and inspired by SeriousEats.com. See also the accompanying blog post, "A Pair of Pan Pizza Recipes," by PJ Hamel. [Published 18 June 2019]

Meal No. 3958: Roasted Salmon and Broccoli

Friday a week ago was a chilly autumn day, not enough sunshine, strong breezes, and I was not ready to adjust to that kind of chill after having enjoyed all the good weeks of late summer and early fall. The only major event of the day was the 30,000-mile servicing on the still-new-to-me Toyota Camry, and returning home with it took me first by the cleaners to pick up my dress shirts, and then I was almost at the Trader Joe's. Why not roasted spiced salmon to go with all those broccoli crowns waiting in the fridge? 'Twas a fine supper with much-loved features, before I settled in to finish a book that I did not love.

Meal No. 3957: Biscuits 'N Gravy

When Thursday rolled around last week, it was time for dear friend Amy to return for an evening of hanging out. She's like us when it comes to giving breakfast-for-dinner an upvote, so it was an easy call to serve biscuits and sausage gravy in well-filled bowls. Oh, a bit salty, as I seem prone to do...but still luscious and comforting on a fall-like but gorgeous night.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

With the joy of time at home last week, the evenings were devoted to catching up with compatriots whose company I'm missing so much while my travel has been quite heavy. A seasonably appropriate dessert came to mind to cover us for last Wednesday and Thursday: pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting. First stumbled on when a former neighbor wanted a special birthday cake for his October-born wife a few years ago, this rascal has consistently delighted its consumers each time I've made it. That includes me, and I gladly exercise executive decision-making for bringing it back whenever possible.

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"The Best Pumpkin Cake I've Ever Had," from Sally McKenney of Sally's Baking Addiction. [Published 11 October 2017 / Updated 04 August 2022]

Meal No. 3956: Kung Pao Chicken

Last Wednesday night's meal for three was a resurrection of the Holly Avenue neighborhood collective, after a month's interval with no opportunities to get all of us together. It's the mixed blessing of a very busy work and travel schedule, of course! Our menu included my own spin on kung pao chicken stirfry, served over brown rice, all richly sauced and with a terrific combination of flavors and a little heat. Our dinner portions were approrpiately sized, and there was enough left over to send in a to-go bag.

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Very loosely based on ideas from "Kung Pao [Chicken]" (p. 80) with Szechwan Marinade (p. 28) and Spicy Peanut Stir-Fry Sauce (p. 27). In Wok Fast, by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison. Ten Speed Press (Berkeley/Toronto), 2002.

Best of Breed Dog Biscuits

Back in 2021, I enjoyed a few successful experiments with making homemade dog biscuits...even going so far as to personalize them with a Roediger House stamp. As we headed into this autumn season, it seemed long overdue to whip up a batch for the marvelous pooches of this household, plus one or two others in the neighborhood.

That happened Wednesday of last week, as I started my day, and they were ready to be sampled by Sumner and Scarlett following their breakfast. Take it on good authority: they loved 'em.

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"Best of Breed Dog Biscuits," courtesy of Elaine Aukstikalnis and published on KingArthurBaking.com. See also: "How to Bake for Your Dog, from Biscuits to Pupcakes," by PJ Hamel. [Published 07 June 2022]

Meal No. 3955: Mushroom Swiss Burgers

Boy howdy, have I had trouble shaking the compulsion to whip up mushroom and Swiss burgers these last few months. The burger part is old hat—the standard juicy recipe gets minor variations in spices and adornments as the mood of the moment dictates. But a loving preparation of Madeira mushrooms is key to this fine, and sometimes I am dedicated enough also to butter and griddle the brioche buns. All that remains is a gracious slather of Duke’s mayonnaise and enough good sense to patiently taste the dripping bites while speedily chomping down on this grand affair.

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Adapted from "Grilled Juicy Burgers," originally from Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks recipe magazine, July 2003, p. 52-53.

White Chocolate Macadamia Toffee Cookies

The ease of a small batch of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, with a healthy addition of toffee pieces, brought a sweet end to last Monday's boys' night at the Roediger House. We'd feasted on Boogaloo Wonderland Sandwiches and the dessert couldn't be too much after all that...and these cookies are always just the best (as the recipe developer claimed when she published it!).

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Adapted from "THE BEST White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies," from Christina Marsigliese of ScientificallySweet.com. [Published 19 February 2025]

Meal No. 3954: Boogaloo Wonderland Open-Faced Sandwiches

It's not exactly what the famous Detroit-style sloppy joe sandwiches might look like, were one to be authentic about it, but the Roediger House versions still manage to satisfy the diners once they land on our plates and are greedily tackled. Mookie was here for a Monday boys' night last week and that's what I felt called to serve up, with a choice of chips and lots of spirited banter as the evening proceeded.

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Adapted from "Boogaloo Wonderland Sandwiches," by Bryan Roof. In Cook's Country, April/May 2018, p. 4-5.

Meal No. 3953: Smothered Pork Chops with Onion-Thyme Gravy

The supper time gets more special when Kristen and Mookie come over, as happened Sunday evening. An old favorite (there are plenty to choose from!) was resurrected: smothered braised pork chops in onion-thyme gravy. I also made Brussels sprouts gratin and roasted spiced potato cubes. It was a super spread that seemed to please all participants. We still left a little room for the last of the perfectly pillowy cinnamon rolls from the previous evening.

In the in-between hangtime up on the third floor, there was this very sweet moment when Kristen was flanked by two very sleepy and very contented pups.

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"Smothered Pork Chops," by Erika Bruce. In Cook's Country, April/May 2011, p. 22-23.

"Brussels Sprouts Gratin," by Alison Roman. From Cooking on newyorktimes.com.

National Cinnamon Buns Day

My first full day at home after quite a stretch of "travel weeks" coincided with National Cinnamon Buns Day, and I was fully committed to its celebration. Well, not committed enough to make one of my better and more involved recipes, which is how I fell back onto what still proved to be an excellent choice: Perfectly Pillowy Cinnamon Rolls, the 2021 Recipe of the Year from King Arthur Baking. With a truly incredible soft dough and just the right amount of filling, adorned with my own cream cheese frosting (extra thick for oozing on a hot bun), these were a welcome return to these marvelous confections...the first version I've made since February 2024!

In the ongoing chronicle of all kinds of things here at the Roediger House, this was the 24th batch of something from the realm of actual cinnamon buns or cinnamon rolls or cinnamon roll sticky buns.

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"Perfectly Pillowy Cinnamon Rolls," from PJ Hamel and the Test Kitchen Team at King Arthur Baking.

Meal No. 3952: Salmon Caesar Salad

I'd spent another week on the road, putting about 2,000 miles on the Camry, and once I was back home again last Saturday, it was a joy to sit down at suppertime to roasted spiced salmon fillet atop Caesar-dressed salad greens. The fresh-made dressing is based on a most dependable recipe, although I have a heavy hand where the garlic is concerned. Does it taste good? Heck yeah...and that taste endures right on through till morning.

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Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com.

Meal No. 3951: Fettuccine Alfredo

Last Monday evening, on my last evening at home before an extended set of travel days, I was drawn to a simple but rare pasta treat: fettuccine alfredo. It's a dish I have long liked but a certain mood is called for in order to select it for an evening's menu. A history of Italian restaurant experiences conditions me to also desire breadsticks with something like this, but I managed to resist that added indulgence.

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"The Best Homemade Alfredo Sauce Ever!" by Alyssa Rivers of The Recipe Critic. [Published 18 February 2016 / Updated 02 May 2023]

Key Lime Pie Bars

The happy occasion of a full dinner table Sunday a week ago ended on a pleasant sweet note with squares of key lime pie bars. This is a newer addition to the dessert stable, but a welcome find. I prefer a Biscoff cookie crust instead of graham crackers, and the filling has an enticing lime punch. A decent top layer of stabilized sweetened whipped cream tames the tang. Those squares were not spared from the ferocious forks that attacked them.

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Adapted from "Key Lime Pie Bars," from Christina Marsigliese of ScientificallySweet.com. [Published 17 July 2023 / Modified 28 May 2024]

Meal No. 3950: Beef Bourguignon

Last Sunday night was a long-overdue reunion of the Roediger House regulars, and the shift into fall and the bit of rainy drear we'd had leading up to it made beef bourguignon seem like just the right bowl-filler for our evening together. Rich and silky, all hearty and hale, this is a winning recipe for just about any occasion. And it's just better if I serve up a cast iron skillet of cheddar bay biscuits to go with it, y'know.

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"Beef Bourguignon (Julia Child Recipe)," from Karina Carrel of CafeDelites.com. [Published 18 February 2018]

"Easy Cheddar Bay Biscuits (Red Lobster Copycat)," from Amy Nash of House of Nash Eats. [Published 11 August 2023]

Hot Fudge Chocolate Pudding Cake

While dear UNC friends Margaret and Tathy were here for the Bookmarks Festival, and we had dinner together on Saturday night, I also scrambled to throw together a dessert. Quick enough and certainly up to the taste expectations was a hot fudge chocolate putting cake, with plenty of tempting goop and a siren call for more of it once we'd planted spoons deep into the devilish goodness.

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"Hot Fudge Chocolate Pudding Cake," from Zoha Malik of Baking with Zoha. [Published 13 September 2023]

Meal No. 3949: Vierling Saloon Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

On the final weekend of September, it was time for the terrific Bookmarks Festival of the Book, and that's the draw that brings dear UNC friends Margaret and Tathy to the house for a few days. They are pretty busy with the daytime events but then we get to enjoy visiting with one another in the front parlour once they've come in for the night. We also set aside time last Saturday night to have supper together, and the rain and drear of that early morning set me on a course for Vierling Saloon chicken and wild rice soup. Always a crowd pleaser, this hearty dish signals the advancing autumn season and has been a long-time favorite of the household.

I also had some fresh-baked rosemary-garlic focaccia to go with it, and it too fit the bill well. And while we did have our periods of rain, by that evening it was pretty nice for a good sit and visit on the front porch.

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"Vierling Saloon Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup," formerly offered at the Vierling Saloon in Marquette, Michigan. Another online version of the recipe can be found at Miss Mary's Blog.

"Easy Rosemary Garlic Focaccia," from Adam and Joanne Gallagher of InspiredTaste.net.

Giant Sugar Cookies

Last Friday left me needing a sweet treat, and I thought I might just be ready for a standard (and most exceptional) sugar cookie. With a large scoop and an abundance of sugar within, these rascals spread far and wide into a chewy thinness with a slightly crisp outer edge. This recipe is hard to beat, but so too is it hard to track down its originator. The website from which I printed it back in 2012 disappeared and its owner evaporated into the ether!

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Based on "Mardi Gras Sugar Cookies," from Kelly who once blogged at the now-defunct website AmericanCupcakeAbroad.com. [Published 20 February 2012]

Meal No. 3948: Soy Sauce Ramen Noodles

A new recipe for the household is proving to be compelling not just because of how good it is, but also because of how easy it is. That's what happened last Friday, once I was back home from a whirlwind trip to Georgia, then to Miami, and back up to Georgia for several days of work.

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Based on "Viral Ramen Noodles," from Brian Gerwig [NC]. Instagram Profile: g_bque. [Posted 15 May 2024]