Meal No. 2161: Juicy Burgers on the Grill

By special request last night, I made juicy burgers on the grill, covered amply with cheese. I served them on toasted brioche buns, to boot! But for myself, I just had a salad:

It was a gorgeous night for another installment of a Roediger House reading party, held in the light summer evening breezes to be found on the second story porch:

As the evening wore into night, I can tell you that Sumner found it quite relaxing:

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

Meal No. 2032: Slow-Roasted Beef Tenderloin

If there's a special on beef tenderloin at the Harris Teeter, I'm likely to scoop one up and to plan a big gathering at which we might enjoy it. Hence, this past Wednesday evening's dinner for six together with another edition of the Roediger House reading party. On our plates at about 8 o'clock: slow-roasted beef tenderloin with creamy horseradish sauce, layered green bean casserole, and slow-cooker scalloped potatoes.  Goodness gracious, what a feast, and it was pretty delicious!

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"Slow-Roasted Beef Tenderloin," from J. Kenji López-Alt, Managing Culinary Director of SeriousEats.com.

"Spicy Horseradish Sauce" from "Beef Tenderloin in Wine Sauce," from The All-New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook. Compiled and Edited by Julie Fisher Gunter. Oxmoor Press (2006), p. 295, 296.

"Layered Green Bean Casserole," a long-time Jones family favorite.

"Slow-Cooker Scalloped Potatoes," by Kelly Price. In Cook's Country, January 2011, p. 6.

Meal No. 2012: Baby Back Ribs

Saturday a week ago was a Mookie-and-Kristen evening at the Roediger House, with the focus being another edition of our reading party routine. We spent a good bit of time up on the third floor with our books, while downstairs the dinner was a-cooking.

When I called the crew down to supper at around 8 that night, it was to plates of baby back ribs and our own tempting piles of macaroni and cheese casserole alongside.

When the Arctic blast of cold returned to Winston-Salem back on January 13, it sure sparked a fire desire on that chilly Saturday morning that turned out to be ill-advised: it was so windy and gusty that I kept getting smoke blow-back into the kitchen area. By late morning, I'd had to let the fire just die down. But I enjoyed it in the beginning!

Fire No. 40

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"How to Make Great Ribs in the Oven," by Emma Christensen. From The Kitchn. [Published 01 July 2017]

"Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce" from recipe for "Indoor Pulled Pork," by Bryan Roof. In Cook's Illustrated, January & February 2010 (No. 102), p. 6-7.

"Macaroni and Cheese Casserole," by Sarah Gabriel. In Cook's Country, June/July 2012, p. 17.

Meal No. 1923: Meatloaf on a Reading Night

Last Friday was the third round of a Roediger House Reading Night, and with it also being the first official day of autumn, the page-turning occurred in the departing breezes of summer up on the second story balcony, looking out at the skyline of Winston-Salem. On the dinner menu: bacon-wrapped meatloaf, company mashed potatoes, seasoned green beans, and homemade applesauce.

And then more reading!

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"My Favorite Meatloaf," from Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman. Posted 20 September 2010.

"Company Mashed Potatoes," a Jones family favorite.

Friday Night Boston Cream Pie

To go with Friday night's latest Roediger House Reading Party, I also wanted to have some dessert that could be prepared in advance. I'd also wanted to try out a new recipe for Boston cream pie, and that's what happened.

There's no doubt that it was pretty, and pretty good. It's hard to serve up a neat slice with that pastry cream clogging up the middle, though! I'd like to do some tinkering with this recipe but it was well-received by the gathered six that night.

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"Boston Cream Pie," by Michelle, who blogs at the BrownEyedBaker.com. [Published 19 April 2017]

Meal No. 1903: New Year's Day Meatballs

Friday night was the latest gathering for a Roediger House reading party, up in the comfy confines of the third floor entertainment space. To have a decent dinner that mostly cooked without me, I went with New Year's Day meatballs, company mashed potatoes, and layered green bean casserole. All those recipes are from the Jones family archives. Any shortcomings with the final products, though, are my own to own.

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"New Year's Day Meatballs," from Carol Fultz of Indiana (2001).

"Company Mashed Potatoes," a Jones family favorite.

"Layered Green Bean Casserole," a long-time Jones family favorite (received December 2001).

Meal No. 1893: One-Pan Pork Tenderloin

With a full work week including some on-the-road time, and late afternoons both Thursday and Friday, and guests at the table this evening, it seemed my best choice was a rapid return to a recently-fixed meal: one-pan pork tenderloin with green beans and potatoes. It turned out pretty well. And since it's prepared and cooked all together, it meant I was a more present participant in the first-ever Roediger House Reading Party up on the third floor. Yes: a bunch of us sat around reading on a Friday night. Don't be jealous.

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"One-Pan Pork Tenderloin with Green Beans and Potatoes," by Christie Morrison. In Cook's Country, October/November 2015, p. 27.

Meal No. 881: 2 x 2 Soup

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"2 x 2 Soup," from various sources.