Meal No. 4193: Chicken Shawarma on Caesar-Topped Greens

Dateline: Wed 02 Sept. The bigger better idea I had for dinner on the first Wednesday of the new month was too much prep and too much food once I could find my way to the kitchen that afternoon. An easy fallback revealed itself in the tucked-away leftovers of the previous evening: chicken shawarma. A fresh batch of homemade creamy Caesar dressing and a new tub of crunchy greens were the waiting bed bowl for those baked and spiced thighs. This alternative was not a runner up nor second best.

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Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com. [Published 05 January 2016]

Sweet Treats for the Chi Psi Meet

Dateline: Mon 31 Aug. I’ve gotten myself elected to the alumni advisory board for my college fraternity, and on the final day of August there was a gathering of board members together with a huge crew of the current active brotherhood. Another alum lives near The Lodge and was the exceptionally generous host for the affair. I figured I might as well show up with some goodies to go along with the other foodstuffs, so I made Ina Garten’s lemon bars on shortbread crust.

But wait: there’s more! As long as I was in the mode, I also baked a heaping pile of DoubleTree-style chocolate chip cookies, full of semisweet morsels and chopped walnuts. I had to have a hot one as they came out of the oven, of course, and the rest went with me to Chapel Hill.

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"Lemon Bars," by Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. Published in Barefoot Contessa Parties!, Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2001.

"DoubleTree Hotel's Chocolate Chip Cookies," by Ayşegül Sanford and her blog, Foolproof Living. [Published December 29, 2013 / Updated 07 December 2020] Official DoubleTree recipe from Hilton.com was released to the public on 09 April 2020.

Meal No. 4188: Skillet Beef Stroganoff

Dateline: Fri 28 Aug. After a brief excursion out of town for professional endeavors, ’twas a joyful return to my kitchen as we approached the end of August. Without having to make a grocery run, I realized I could bring out one of the house staples for supper: Emeril’s skillet beef stroganoff. Its advantage lies not only in the ease with which it can be assembled; it is also a most rewarding bowl of vittles when the late afternoon hunger comes a-knocking. (Also: I’m too ignorant to have known that “vittles” emerges from “victuals,” but that’s the price of taking French in high school instead of Latin.)

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Based on "Beef Stroganoff Hamburger Dinner in a Skillet," by Emeril Lagasse. Found online at The Food Network and also on Emerils.com.

Meal No. 4187: Soy Sauce Ramen Noodles

Dateline: Thu 27 Aug. While I won’t call my summer vacation completely over, the schedule of work is beginning to slowly kick into gear. That had me on a wild ride down to Georgia for a day, and then immediately back up to Northern Virginia for two days. Once I returned home late on the final Thursday of August, a quick dinner was needed. Now that I’ve found Brian Gerwig’s viral ramen recipe, I’m happy if the occasion calls for its reappearance.

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

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Dateline: Sat 22 Aug. It was a Saturday night special a couple of weeks ago to have Amy on hand, and I was ready to celebrate her return with a tempting dessert offering. This time around, I was nudged into nostalgia and reached for one of my Hershey’s cookbooks, wherein might be found a recipe for a hot fudge pudding cake. We’re pretty fond of pudding cakes around here, mind you. And it was all the better and a bit on the overwhelming side that I had homemade vanilla ice cream to go with it.

That probably spurred the delightful 4-mile stroll that night, around a very lively and happening downtown, outdoor music at a number of venues, and tons of people enjoying these last days of summer. And as if it sensed the need to let it all ride long enough, but then send people home to bed at a decent hour, in rolled a storm system of tight-packed intensity with quite a lightning show and a moderate amount of rain, in and out in a flash (or two or twelve), we might say.

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Hershey's Hot Fudge Pudding Cake," from 100 Years of Hershey's Favorites. Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International, Ltd (1994), p. 8.

Skillet Peach Cobbler and Sweet Milk Vanilla Ice Cream

Dateline: Tue 18 Aug. A terrific gathering of fellow Tar Heels back on August 18th was a fine evening all to itself, although I’d like to hope that the dessert contributed to the ambiance and good vibes of our fellowship. It seemed fitting to serve up skillet peach cobbler, since I had a nice batch of sweet milk vanilla ice cream to go with it. They might have thought the cobbler was passable but that ice cream was a definite hit.

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"Old-Fashioned Peach Cobbler in an Iron Skillet," from Laura Scalone, who blogs at Elle Jay at Home. [Published 04 May 2020]

Based on "Sweet Milk Ice Cream," published in the King Arthur Flour catalogue some years ago, but the recipe is no longer available on their website.

Meal No. 4182: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken on Ramen

Dateline: Tue 18 Aug. The latest UNC confab for dinner happened a couple of Tuesdays ago, when fellow Tar Heel Chris was back for dinner. The occasion was particularly fortuitous, as joining us as well were fellow Golden Fleece Argonauts Camille and Samuel. We had great conversation long into the night as we lingered around the dinner table. As for our menu that night, the crew was willing for me to experiment with a different take on teriyaki chicken, marinated overnight and glazed with sauce while it grilled. This was served over soy sauce garlic ramen noodles, with roasted spiced broccoli. I didn’t think the chicken was stellar, but the rest of the plate was pretty satisfactory. The good news? They’ve agreed to return in early September!

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Based on "Teriyaki on a Stick," from Jose Xiloj. Instagram Profile: jose.elcook. [Posted 16 August 2026]

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

Meal No. 4181: Arroz con Pollo

Dateline: Mon 17 Aug. My longtime friend and fellow Wake Forest University compatriot Matt came through town a couple of weeks ago and was a delightful overnight guest. With his arrival timed in consideration of the old men’s dinner hour, we were able to gather at the table for nice-and-spicy arroz con pollo. It’s been just barely over a year since I made this dish, and it always proves pleasing. The addition of Mexican white cheese dip feels indispensable, and it was the dairy, not the cherry, on top.

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"Mexican Chicken & Rice," in Cuisine at Home, Issue No. 115 (January/February 2016), p. 10-11.

"The Best Mexican White Cheese Dip," from Carrie Barnard of eatingonadime.com. [Updated 10 January 2025]

Much-Loved Butter Toffee Cookies

Dateline: Sun 16 Aug. A favorite cookie of mine that is not universally loved (unfortunately) is called butter toffee cookies. After our mini meatloafs dinner a couple of Sundays ago, it’s what sounded just right to me for our sweet evening treat. And this seemed like the night to make ‘em grander-sized, so I pulled out the red scoop and tried to space them properly on the cookie sheets. With a splash of butter toffee flavoring, an abundance of dark brown sugar, and the full slate of mix-ins including cappuccino morsels, chocolate toffee pieces, and chopped pecans, these cookies manage their weighty lift with aplomb. I ate three.

Which is why I really needed to get in a hardcore walk that night, thinking all was clear...and then getting caught in a most unexpected pop-up storm that seemed designed specifically for the expanse of city we call Winston-Salem.

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"Butter Toffee Cookies," originally from King Arthur Flour. The catalog that comes periodically from KAF has recipes in it, which is where I first snagged it. But, as sometimes happens, it is no longer available on their website. I'm glad someone posted it to Food.com.

Meal No. 4180: Mini Meatloafs

Dateline: Sun 16 Aug. As we hit Sunday night a couple of weeks ago, the original guest list for dinner was a gathering of the six who constitute the core of Roediger House gatherings. Alas: dear Amy had been struck with a premature bout of shingles…and I’ve never had chicken pox. So in an abundance of caution, we slimmed down and Kristen and Mookie still came. On our plates was a fitting Sunday night meal: mini meatloafs, which always seem to be just right, along with the sweet topping sauce; there were also roasted well-spiced potatoes and simple green beans. It all turned out pretty darned good, even if I forgot to take a picture and am reposting another one from June 2023 above.

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"Mini Meatloaf," from Lauren Allen of Tastes Better from Scratch. [Published 20 February 2023 / Updated 24 January 2025]

Meal No. 4179: Sausage Pimento Cheese Quiche

Dateline: Fri 14 Aug. When dear friend Amy sends me a recipe suggestion, we often realize Instagram aligns its algorithm for folks like us. That latest example was for sausage pimento cheese quiche, and that was the Friday meal a couple weeks ago. An expiring pound of hot breakfast sausage and the last of a recent batch of homemade pimento cheese were helpful assistants in the endeavor. While I probably overstuffed it and left too little room for the egg-and-cream filling, it still baked up pretty terrific, and was all on its own more than enough for that night’s supper.

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"Sausage and Pimento Cheese Quiche," from Anne Walkup of The Southern Lady Cooks. [Published 08 January 2026]

Homemade Vanilla Almond Granola

Dateline: Thu 13 Aug. Ever since my big effort at weight loss back in 2018, I've undertaken a variety of habits and routines to try to maintain. For quite a few months or over the last year or so, my morning snack has been yogurt and granola. As long as I could find it reasonably priced, I didn't mind the storebought granola but I thought it was time to make my own. That's what happened near mid-August, while I was still home on summer break. What resulted was a terrific sheetpan of sweetened oat goodness with a healthy mix of sliced almonds. It's not quite the same, mind you, but it also has ingredients that I know about and can pronounce.

This experiment reminded me I'd tried making granola in bar form when I was in the first year of this weight management effort, and on that singular occasion, I thought I did all right, according to that blog post.

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"Vanilla Almond Granola," from Alyssa Adams of The Floral Apron. [Published 30 August 2023]

Meal No. 4177: Salmon Croquettes

Dateline: Wed 12 Aug. A fine foursome sat down to dinner a couple of Wednesdays ago, on a mid-week movie night, with the main feature being salmon croquettes (i.e., cakes, patties, or burgers: call ‘em what you will.) A chili-garlic-lime aioli is always the right choice for dipping bites into, and I also spiced and roasted whole green beans. I sure didn’t grow up eating dishes like this but boy howdy have I come to like ‘em a lot.

It would have seemed like a missed opportunity not to have dessert, so I’d grabbed blackberries and raspberries on a recent grocery run and had a multi-berry version of Gerry’s cobbler in the oven while we ate our dinner. It really came out awfully sweet this time, and I wouldn’t have minded the filling setting up a little better. But I absolutely ate every bit and crumb and sent my bowl to the sink well-scraped of all its residual goodness.

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Adapted from “Salmon Burgers,” from Denise Austin, Shrink Your Female Fat Zones, Rodale Books (2003), p. 396.

"Chili-Lime Aïoli," from David Wald of Princeton, NJ, May 2009.

Adapted from "Gerry's Blackberry Cobbler," by Baritone Bob. In allrecipes, Summer 2024, p. 43. Also found online at AllRecipes.com. [Updated 14 January 2022]

Meal No. 4174: Chicken Caesar Wraps

Dateline: Sat 08 Aug. With August well underway by the time we rolled up onto its second weekend, I found myself thinking some spiced grilled chicken was still what the season called for, especially when it could be used for another round of massive chicken Caesar wraps. Freshly homemade creamy Caesar dressing, chopped Romaine, diced tomatoes, and shaved parmesan and Asiago, all rolled up in a flour shell and lightly toasted in the skillet in melted ghee. As long as I still had tzatiki, why not use it as a dipping option?

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Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com. [Published 05 January 2016]

Meal No. 4173: Chicken Souvlaki on Yogurt Flatbreads

Dateline: Thu 06 Aug. Well, lordy, I went and did it again. Marinated chicken, eased onto skewers, and grilled. Yogurt flatbreads, prepped and ghee’d with reckless abandon. A Greek salad with fresh tomato and red onion. And tzatziki: check!! It was a bit overwhelming to eat two complete versions of these, which I could only manage in open-face fashion.

I might, with enough practice, just come around to the idea that I could become comfortable with the basic challenges of yogurt flatbreads. I’m not pretending they are all that difficult but it is a time-sensitive process that I’d love to perfect so that I can make these for company sometime.

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"Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe with Tzatziki" [Published 11 June 2018 / Updated 16 October 2020] and "Authentic (Easy) Tzatziki Sauce" [Published 03 June 2016 / Updated 27 September 2023] from Suzy Karedsheh of The Mediterranean Dish.

"Layered Yogurt Flatbreads," from Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen. [Published 30 April 2020]

Based on "Greek Salad Dressing," from Jeanine Donofrio and Phoebe Moore of Love and Lemons. [Updated 13 May 2024]

Vanilla Ice Cream with Sweet Apples Compote

Dateline: Wed 05 Aug. Was it only two weeks ago that on Amy’s regular dinner visit we indulged in a strange concoction for dessert? Why yes: homemade vanilla ice cream topped with a sweet apples compote, which was really an over-sauced stewed diced apples filling like one might use to stuff handpies with. But I overdid its runniness and had also just made ice cream and I thought: Why the heck not?

Dateline: Fri 07 Aug. A couple of days passed with that delicious runny apple filling in a storage container, and in the meantime, I’d also made pastry for a double-crust pie but only used the bottom crust. What remained in the fridge was the perfect amount of dough to create four well-filled apple hand pies, brushed with egg yolk and cream and coated with cinnamon sugar, baked to a toasty doneness, and consumed with another big scoop of that vanilla sweet milk ice cream.

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Based on "Sweet Milk Ice Cream," published in the King Arthur Flour catalogue some years ago, but the recipe is no longer available on their website.

Adapted from "Hand-Held Apple Pies," by Diana Rattray of TheSpruceEats.com. [Updated 10 September 2019]

Meal No. 4172: Pimento Cheese Tomato Pie

Dateline: Wed 05 Aug. It was starting to feel like summer menus were about to get away from me and I’d not made a good tomato pie in a while. So that became my mission, after stocking up on tomatoes on a recent run to the market. And what better occasion to serve this than when Amy was here for her mid-week drop-in? We decided that the crust was awesome, the tomatoes were terrific, the pimento cheese portion was inspired, and the mix of parmesan and panko on top was better than more crust. The extra basil and diced scallions weren’t bit players, either. The simplicity of canned green beans beside it all made it feel like a complete plate, even though it was clear what the star of the meal was.

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Pulled together and based partially on “Tomato Pie,” by Lauren Allen of Tastes Better from Scratch. [Updated 05 July 2022 ]

Based loosely on ”Quick Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic and Thyme," from Suzy Karadsheh of The Mediterranean Dish. [First Published in 2015 / Updated 11 September 2020]

"South Carolina-Style Pimento Cheese." Recipe worked out by me, based on Sharon's Palmetto Pimento Cheese. [Published 23 October 2009]

”Cream Cheese Pie Crust," from Dan Langan of Baked by Dan. Originally found on Instagram. [Published 28 August 2024]

Meal No. 4169: Chicken Thighs and Two Sides

Dateline: Sun 02 Aug. Another day of drear and drizzles was upon us on the first Sunday of August (which also marked 45 years since my father passed away), and I was in the mood for a Sunday dinner feast. That proved prime for baking to juicy perfection a set of herbed chicken thighs, and then adding in lima beans and stovetop stuffing. 'Twas a wondrously simple and soothing meal and a gracious reward for small kitchen labors.

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Based on "Oven Baked Chicken Thighs," from Joanna Cismaru of JoCooks.com.

Meal No. 4168: Chick-Fil-A Dupe Sandwiches

Dateline: Sat 01 Aug. We welcomed August two Saturdays ago, with downtown busy and alive with patrons and supporters of the National Black Theatre Festival, albeit tempered by rain showers and overcast skies. Our municipal water crisis had mostly passed, and we were no longer under a “boil water” advisory. At dinnertime, I gave easily into the temptation of fried chicken fillet sandwiches, of which it was necessary to put away two all on my own.

I did have some delicious snacking opportunities earlier that day, by the way, which included homemade bread from neighbor Ashley, which I adorned with some wonderful quince jam brought all the way from Maine by my UNC buddy Kelly. What a treat!

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"Chick-Fil-A Dupe Sandwiches," from Drew Reilly of Dish with Drew. First spotted on Instagram. [Published 25 June 2026]

Meal No. 4167: Chicken Fried Rice

Dateline: Fri 31 July. July concluded its 2026 run on a Friday, where the temps had begun to creep back up but so had the humidity. Still, the events of the afternoon played out nicely enough that I had both time and inclination to dive into an indulgent dinner that feels like a treat: chicken fried rice. Not that it’s all that difficult to put together, but I guess sometimes I’m reminded how cool it is to make something in your kitchen that tastes like something you have to go to somebody else’s kitchen for.

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Based on "Classic Chicken Fried Rice" [Published 26 October 2015 / Updated 04 May 2023] and "How to Velvet Chicken for Stir-Fry" [Published 24 March 2020 / Updated 27 June 2022], from Bill Leung of TheWoksofLife.com.

Supplemental Stir-Fry Sauce inspired by "5 Easy Sauce Recipes that Will Make Everything You Eat Taste Way Better," by Sophia Roe on Well + Good. [Published 09 January 2019]