The on-going chronicle of all things related to the George and Laura Roediger House (c. 1905) in the historic Holly Avenue Neighborhood of downtown Winston-Salem, NC. More info and pictures can be found at RoedigerHouse.com. [Mobile users: CLICK TO SEARCH the blog.]
Dateline: Fri 25 Sept. It only took a small sale price to entice: then into my shopping cart went the value-pak of chicken thigh fillets. When it came time to decide on supper for the final Friday of September, I got a hankering to herb and spice those rascals and pan-fry them in grapeseed oil. They turned out great! Once the salads were dressed with homemade creamy Caesar, these tender morsels brought a satisfying flavor punch that suited all comers.
Dateline: Fri 18 Sept. Once again a couple of Fridays ago did the afternoon bring about the much-anticipated return of my UNC college buddy Kelly, back in our neck of the woods and willing to venture over to Winston-Salem in the midst of terrible thunderstorms and downpours...and in spite of a hatred of driving. We made the most of his brief visit, centered on a simple meal of chicken Caesar wraps and broccoli-and-bacon salad. There was almost enough discussion time but I’ll be happy when we can connect up again before long. Also: while I don’t think I came close to nailing it, I should note that the broccoli-and-bacon salad hadn’t been on a menu here in almost 10 years. Crazy.
Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com. [Published 05 January 2016]
Adapted from "Broccoli Salad," by Carolyn Purpura Mackay. In Cook's Country, August/September 2012, p. 7.
Dateline: Sat 12 Sept. Long ago I left behind pretense about what constitutes a true Caesar salad, and for me it’s enough to know that I made a delicious creamy Caesar dressing and I’ll let it adorn whatever lettuce or spring mix or greens I have put in a bowl and ordained as “salad.” A couple of Saturdays ago, my Caesar-dressed spring mix was heavily laden with wonderful grilled souvlaki-style chicken kebabs (well, I de-skewered the morsels of chicken to put atop the salad). All that good marinade boosted that nicely-grilled chicken breast, and to me salad is always pleasing.
Pulled from “Greek Chicken Souvlaki Recipe with Tzatziki,” from Suzy Karedsheh of The Mediterranean Dish. [Published 11 June 2018 / Updated 16 October 2020]
Dateline: Tue 08 Sept. September in general is a rewarding time of year to reach, with its gradual easing back into the routines of work and travel, while the weather often serves up gorgeous days and a release from the oppressive heat and humidity of summertime. Mind you: I still note with dismay that it signals the approach of winter, and I do not like that. While the front end of the month still found me at home, rather than on the road, I was focused on mostly healthy meals. The Tuesday following Labor Day gives us one of those examples: a handful of spiced chicken tenders, pan-seared and then diced, to adorn a spring mix of greens, topped generously with homemade creamy Caesar dressing.
That morning brought me face-to-face with another spotted lantern fly, perched on the Toyota badge on my trunk. We have not yet been inundated with these invasive hellions—at that point I was probably spotting one about every 3 or 4 weeks. And killing every one of ‘em that I can. This one met a speedy demise. (Since that day, there's been an uptick in finding smaller ones already dead out on the driveway near the tree line.)
That evening was lovely for another intense downtown stroll, this time clocking in at 5.7 miles in a wide southside circuit that took advantage, in part, of the Salem Creek Greenway.
Dateline: Sun 06 Sept. As our early September heatwave broke at last by Sunday of Labor Day weekend, it felt like a good night for a light supper. I made some fresh creamy Caesar dressing and spiced and pan-seared chicken tenders. They were especially perfect on the salad once the bowls were filled and set before us.
That evening was another good one for a fast-paced extended downtown stroll! But boy howdy was I pretty sweat-soaked by the end.
Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com. [Published 05 January 2016]
Dateline: Fri 04 Sept. The very last of the sheet pan chicken shawarma I’d made at the start of September was just what I needed once we reached the first Friday night of the month: with chopped Romaine, shaved parmesan, homemade creamy Caesar dressing, and a couple of burrito-sized flour tortilla wraps, it sure made for a delicious dinner.
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.
Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com. [Published 05 January 2016]
Dateline: Sun 23 Aug. Once the stationary system finally moved out and took its storms with it, we were left with an amazing perfect late summer Sunday a couple of weeks ago. It was ideal for me to walk across town to grab a prescription at the CVS, which led to a hearty appetite best remedied by a hunk of beef that was carved into morsels for crowning Caesar-dressed Romaine. I’m not the one to ever believe there can be too much meat but this may have approached an outer limit.
Dateline: Thu 20 Aug. As local schools were heading back into their new academic year, with the different school systems cranking up at different times, I found myself in the delightful position of getting to talk with the faculty of Western Alamance High School a couple of weeks ago. I reckon that affair signals the true end of my summer, and it was a nice way to head back into work mode, because they were great to work with that morning. Since it’s only an hour away, I was home again just after 1 pm and that meant I could toss some frozen prepped chicken breasts into the sous vide and be ready for a healthy salad supper late afternoon. Homemade Caesar dressing and a bounteous pile of spring mix was all I needed that night.
Dateline: Mon 10 Aug. As is often my prologued lament once I finally get around to having salmon: it had been too long. But after my annual physical out in Mocksville, I found good-looking fillets on a special at the Tanglewood Harris Teeter, brought home a 3-pounder, and spiced and roasted it. Another fresh batch of creamy Caesar dressing went on that spring-and-spinach mix to give the supper bowls a bounteous evening repast. You might still hear the rebounding echo of my satisfied lip-smacking.
Dateline: Sun 09 Aug. Enough spiced and herbed grilled chicken breast was left from the previous evening’s meal that it proved just right for topping a simple salad of chopped Romaine with creamy Caesar dressing. The protein piled abundantly and the Romaine had a healthy crunch and the garlic’d dressing brought it all together.
Not long after dinner we had an inundating downpour that seemed to come out of nowhere. Turns out that the 15% probability landed us smack dab in the tiny portion of the area that got the rain that was certain to come.
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?
Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com. [Published 05 January 2016]
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.
"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]
Dateline: Mon 03 Aug. When we welcomed August with copycat friend chicken sandwiches, I ended up with two fillets extra. They were perfect for dicing up and putting on a spring mix salad along with homemade souped-up Thousand Island dressing.
Dateline: Thu 30 July. A couple of Thursdays ago brought the delightful occasion of a long afternoon visit from the current leader of an honorary society I was a part of in my UNC days. (Well: and with which I remain involved, because its key occasions each year are deliberately designed to bring together all living members, both actives and alumni.) The later conclusion to our meet-up made my dinner call easy: to spice and pan sear fresh chicken tenders to go atop a Romaine salad dressed with homemade Thousand Island. It was ready and on the table in about 15 minutes.
Dateline: Sat 11 July. With more time at home and the feeling of a more leisurely pace in the summer, it’s always a good night if the gang can be brought together for happily hanging out and also hushing up our hunger. As I sorted through the fridge knowing I was about to leave town for a few days for work, I thought it could be a reason to deviate from the norm and offer up something unexpected to the bunch.
That’s how we came to have Mediterranean-style chicken kabobs with more tzatziki sauce but also baby back pork ribs.
I’d gotten the ribs prepped the night before with a good spice coating, and the usual approach here for oven-roasting usually results in something more tender. It was a challenge for the group to harvest as much of the meat as might have been desired, but they were good sports about it.
To bridge the gustatory gap between those offerings, I had chopped romaine with a Greek-style balsamic dressing, plus plenty of chopped Roma tomatoes and diced onion...
...and the ribs seems to require something along the lines of my mother’s stylings for coleslaw, which I’m always happy to chow down on.
And when you get to enjoy the company of such a fine cadre of friends, it’s best not to overlook the simple joys of a terrific dessert like a pan of Ina Garten’s lemon bars, well-dusted with powdered sugar and boosted with an extra punch of lemon tang.
"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.
"How to Make Great Ribs in the Oven," by Emma Christensen. From The Kitchn. [Published 01 July 2017]
Based on "Greek Salad Dressing," from Jeanine Donofrio and Phoebe Moore of Love and Lemons. [Updated 13 May 2024]
"Lemon Bars," by Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. Published in Barefoot Contessa Parties!, Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2001.
Dateline: Thu 09 July. Not a common dish here but I’ve happily made it for the third time in the last several weeks: copycat Chick-Fil-A sandwiches. Always better than the mushed mess that I only encounter if it gets ordered when I am working or presenting (otherwise, I avoid Chick-Fil-A because of the social stances of the company), this latest occasion was based on an alternative recipe that popped up on my Instagram feed.
After clean-up, with a hankering for something sweet to wrap up the night, I threw together a batch of lemon sugar cookies. They were awesome.
Dateline: Fri 10 July. There were three substantial fried chicken breasts remaining from that copycat endeavor from the evening before. A recent Costco run offered the bounty of glorious green hearts of Romaine ready to be chopped up, and I’d also prepped a fresh batch of creamy Caesar dressing. That’s how we came to make Meal No. 4152: Caesar Salads with Chick-Fil-A-Style Chicken Breasts diced and laid atop.
As I recently noted, I’ve got quite a backlog of blog entries in the queue, which is what led me to start adding “Dateline” notices at the start of each post. On the day we had these chicken Caesar salads, that morning’s check of the RoHo blog was the documentation of what we had 12 meals ago. Come August, I’ll be hitting the road again for work and my obsessive tendency to post something daily will be backfilled with these saved musings whilst I’m away.
"Chick-Fil-A Dupe Sandwiches," from Drew Reilly of Dish with Drew. First spotted on Instagram. [Published 25 June 2026]
"Lemon Sugar Cookies," from Melissa Stadler of ModernHoney.com. [Published 21 March 2016 / Updated 06 September 2018]
Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com.
Dateline: Sun 05 July. A couple of wonderful fried Nashville hot chicken thighs were left over from the Fourth of July gathering, and they were pretty perfect to dice up and add atop salads dressed with homemade Thousand Island dressing on the first Sunday of July. With all the good food that's been coming out of my kitchen lately, I needed a meal of moderate intake.
Dateline: Sat 27 June. How'd we play it at the Roediger House on the final Saturday night of June? With a fresh spring mix dressed with homemade creamy Caesar dressing and topped with herbed chicken breasts brought up to perfect temp in the sous vide immersion circulator.
Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com.
Dateline: Mon 22 June. Just before storms hit on the second evening of summer, the Roediger House dinner fare centered on Caesar salads with filet mignon, a wonderfully hearty treat made easier by the sous vide immersion circulator and a good finishing pan sear.
That Monday was also the occasion of Sumner’s 10th birthday, sweet and precious pup that he is. Words cannot capture how fortunate it is to have found him, or to have had him find the Roediger House. Adopted from our local Animal Adoption and Rescue Foundation when he was about 9 months old, he has been a genuine joy and the absolute best boy in the world.
When a fast-moving storm rolled over us right after dinner clean-up was completed, we lost power in an instant.
Most of the Holly Avenue Neighborhood, plus the east side of the West End Neighborhood (here on our side of Broad Street), as well as First Baptist and Centenary Methodist and Calvary Moravian Churches, were all dark. Power was restored around 9:45 pm.
I strolled that evening through our powerless section of downtown, clocking in at about 2.5 miles, because old men survey the “damage” like that. When I got back to the house at 9:30 pm, I tried to snag a photo of this uncharacteristic dark, but my iPhone camera did quite a bit to compensate. Still, it’s an eerie shot that I kind of dig.
Based on "Easy Lemon Caesar Salad Dressing," by Kim Hardesty of lowcarbmaven.com.
