Meal No. 1083: Tomato Pie for Who S8E3

This past Sunday marked the next gathering of the Who Crew for the third episode in the new season of Doctor Who from the BBC. So I returned to the new discovery of Tomato Pie from the Tupelo Honey Cafe cookbook. It was rich and good, and it was better because of the fresh garden-grown tomatoes and basil kindly given by Philip Lamachio of Estate Plaster.

It was a bit soft in the center but that didn't affect the taste one bit.

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"Tomato Pie" (p. 190-191), in Tupelo Honey Cafe: Spirited Recipes from Asheville's New South Kitchen, by Elizabeth Sims with Chef Brian Sonoskus. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, 2011.

Meal No. 1082: Fragrant Chicken Curry

Saturday night, I reached for a recipe clipping that (I think) was published in Parade somewhere along the way, with ideas for using rotisserie chickens for simple meals. This might be only the second or third time I've made it.

The problem this go-round, though, was the level of spice: it was too darned hot for me to eat much of it. Not sure how I managed to overdo it to such an extreme extent, but I found that an ice cream sandwich did a great job of cooling my mouth.

Meal No. 1081: Indoor Pulled Pork Barbecue

Last Friday, I delivered on my promise to the two crews here working on the house to provide them with some lunch. I got up around 5 am and got busy making indoor pulled pork barbecue, which is typically pretty well-received by folks here at the Roediger House. The guys from Clemmons Flooring LLC and Estate Plaster have been working mighty hard here and have done such a great job, so I wanted to try to offer this gesture of my appreciation to them. The potato salad was very generously contributed by Nubee Sneed of Clemmons Flooring, and we all agreed it was pretty fantastic.

Since it was the first Friday of the month, it was also time for another Downtown Arts District Gallery Hop, and I regularly try to make cookies for the Delurk Gallery to have on hand. The cookies of choice this go 'round were white chocolate macadamia nut and they were too good not to eat three of them when them came hot out of the oven.

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"Indoor Pulled Pork," by Bryan Roof. In Cook's Illustrated, January & February 2010 (No. 102), p. 6-7.

"Premier White Chocolate and Macadamia Pieces Cookies," from Hershey's Mauna Loa. Found online at http://www.maunaloa.com/recipes/cookies.asp.

Meal No. 1080: Grilled Porterhouse Steak

This past Thursday night, in spite of the rain, I had to have a grilled porterhouse steak. And a baked potato, which I really don't do all that often. I think sweet potatoes or french fries are the better call.

Meal No. 1079: Not So Cajun Chicken

At mid-day on Thursday, I'd promised to make some grub for the guys who are here from Estate Plaster, tackling the extensive restoration and repair that is needed in the original part of the house. I went with one of the core favorites of the Roediger House: Not So Cajun Chicken, a dish I used to enjoy when I'd sup at Crowley's on Medlin Drive in Raleigh with teaching colleagues and Raleigh Little Theatre chums. (My college roommate Jimmy Randolph managed to track down a recipe for it, and I've enjoyed making it semi-regularly ever since.) Not So Cajun Chicken's specialness here might be evidenced by the fact it was the first choice for a meal once the new kitchen was completed back in late spring 2009.

Brothers David and Richie Mearns were on hand when the meal was served up, and Estate Plaster's main guru Philip Lamachio arrived later in the day and had it as leftovers. I liked the clean plates when all was said and done.

I am overdue for posting more pictures of the very fine work the guys are doing with the walls and ceilings. The rooms are looking fantastic!

Also, here's a shot of last night's double rainbow over downtown Winston-Salem, as seen from the front porch of the house:

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Links To Recipe [in PDF]:

Not So Cajun Chicken, a dish I regularly enjoyed at Crowley's Old Time Favorites restaurant and bar on Medlin Drive in Raleigh, NC.  (Another version of the recipe can be found here.)

Meal No. 1078: Grilled Niçoise Tuna Steaks

Wednesday night's meal occurred because the tuna steaks at the Harris Teeter were too tempting to walk away from. So I did a simple prep on this slab-o-fish and then grilled it up. Alongside were seasoned Israeli couscous and baby Brussels sprouts. It was another good night to be supping at the Roediger House.

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"Grilled Niçoise Tuna Steaks," by Melissa Rubel. In Food & Wine, August 2009, recipe clipping.

Meal No. 1077: Linguine Alfredo

On Tuesday, after a long day with lots of work going on throughout the house, and some early pangs of hunger, I went with the ease of alfredo sauce over linguine for the evening meal:

Earlier in the day, though, I managed to make a batch of cinnamon chip oatmeal cookies to share with the two crews who were here:

By day's end, only two cookies remained. I guess that's a good sign.

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"Fettucine Alfredo," from The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker. New York: Scribner (2006), p. 327.

"Cinnamon Chip Oatmeal Cookies," from Hershey's Kitchens.

• On the Hershey's website: http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipe-details.aspx?id=6197&name=Oatmeal7Cinnamon7Chips7Cookies

• PDF of the Roediger House Version can be found by clicking here.

Meal No. 1076: Beef Tacos

This past Monday night, the meal was homemade taco beef served with fresh tomatoes (thanks to Philip Lamachio's garden) and made with fresh peppers (thanks to David Mearns's garden). Delicious and filling!

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

Meal No. 1075: Sausage & Swiss Quiche for Who No. 2

Sunday morning was a chance for the regular Who Crew to gather again and watch the second episode of the 8th series of Doctor Who. (I was much happier with this episode, by the way.) For our late-morning meal, I made this sausage and Swiss quiche, using a recipe from the Bob Evans website. Tasted a lot like a typical sausage strata (or what we always called "The Breakfast Dish"), but without the bread and cheddar cheese. The roasted red peppers are a nice touch, and I also added in goat cheese for a nicely nuanced flavor boost.

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"Deep Dish Sausage Quiche," from Bob Evans.

Meal No. 1074: Pork Medallions with Ginger Shiitake Soy Cream Sauce

Still behind on blogging recent meals, so even though this is a September 1st entry (and officially it's Labor Day), this meal occurred this past Saturday night. On the strength of this, I was then able to do a lot of moving of stuff, because almost the entire upstairs is going to undergo floor refininshing and the bedroom is going to begin its plaster restoration and repair. That's why the master bedroom is now in the front parlour:

But first I had to take down the 2013 Christmas tree:

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"Pan-Seared Tuna with Ginger-Shiitake Cream Sauce," from The Bon Appétit Cookbook by Barbara Fairchild, 2006, p. 398-399.

"Company Mashed Potatoes," a Jones family favorite.

Meal No. 1073: Chicken Marsala with Gorgonzola

I suppose it's a bit obvious that I'm behind in blogging. What's pictured here is last Thursday evening's dinner: chicken marsala with gorgonzola, over mashed potatoes, and accompanied by fresh tomato slices with Hawaiian red salt. Pretty darned good, and nothing remained for leftovers!

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"Chicken Marsala with Gorgonzola," by Jill Anderson (Sleepy Eye, MN). In Taste of Home, February/March 2012, p. 34-35.

Meal No. 1072: Tomato Pie

It's not all that often that I fix a meal that would qualify as "vegetarian," but that was the case with the lighter supper I put together this past Wednesday night, which consisted of Caesar salad and tomato pie. I'd had an amazing tomato pie on a visit to friends and colleagues John and Donna Whitley-Smith but I couldn't put my hands on the recipe Donna shared with me.

So instead, using the wonderful cookbook from Asheville's Tupelo Honey Cafe, I ventured into this previously-untried dish, using fresh garden tomatoes brought by Philip Lamachio, who's restoring the plaster in the house.

In a word: fantastic. This is a keeper and a repeater.

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"Tomato Pie" (p. 190-191), in Tupelo Honey Cafe: Spirited Recipes from Asheville's New South Kitchen, by Elizabeth Sims with Chef Brian Sonoskus. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, 2011.

Meal No. 1071: Juicy Burgers on the Grill

At mid-day this past Wednesday, I fired up the grill and sliced up some onions and tomatoes, because I wanted to serve up some fresh hot burgers to the guys who are here working on the house. Philip Lamachio and David Mearns of Estate Plaster, Inc., and Ricky Sneed and his nephew Nubi from Clemmons Flooring, joined me for a pleasantly breezy lunch break out on the front porch, and I think it was pretty decent grub. These guys are all doing such a great job on bringing the original part of the house back up to a decent standard of livability and a gorgeous new level of beauty.

I should've snagged a picture of us all out on the porch but I was too focused on this here burger.

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"Grilled Juicy Burgers," from Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks recipe magazine.

Meal No. 1070: Bang Bang Shrimp

On Tuesday night, I made another copycat recipe. This time, it was one that attempts to mimic the Bang! Bang! shrimp found at the Bonefish Grill. It's been so long since I've eaten out there that I don't have a frame of reference for it anymore, but I do know that this was a fine meal that successfully stunk up the house from the cooking grease smell.

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"Bang Bang Shrimp," a video found on YouTube.com.

Meal No. 1069: Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sandwiches

Monday night at the Roediger House was a chance to return to this delicious concoction, which I'd not made in over a year: copycat Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwiches. Probably not very good for me, but they are mighty good to me.

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"Chick-Fil-A Copycat Sandwich," by Hilah Johnson. From Hilah Cooking.

Meal No. 1068: Ultimate Cream of Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Somehow, Sunday night, I managed to make this very same meal again. It's been a go-to these last several weeks. And it keeps being mighty good.

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"Ultimate Cream of Tomato Soup," from Cook's Illustrated, November 1999. Recipe can also be found online at Cookography.com.

Meal No. 1067: Who 8 Brunch

This is a Doctor Who household, although I know that I am a latecomer to this terrific 50-year BBC phenomenon. Count me as a huge fan, though, so the premier of Series 8 (in the reboot of the program) with Peter Capaldi now assuming the title role had to be marked and celebrated in style. As soon as it is available for download from Amazon.com, the morning after its British broadcast, I'm ready to watch it.

On this occasion, the Who Crew 'round here decided to make it an event, starting with a 9 am Sunday brunch before adjourning upstairs to watch the new Doctor in action. Here's what was on the menu yesterday morning:

Fresh Strawberries

Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries

...with a sweet fruit cream for dipping and dousing

Pecan Praline French Toast Casserole

Slow-Cooker Make-Ahead Scrambled Eggs

Creamy Cheese Grits

Zucchini Bread

That sour cream sauce for the fruit was a
fantastic topper for the French toast.

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"Sour Cream Sauce," from Southern Living, February 2010. Recipe clipping.

"Pecan Praline French Toast Casserole," from Brewster House Bed & Breakfast in Freeport, Maine.

"Slow Cooker Make-Ahead Scrambled Eggs," from Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks, April 2001, No. 242, p. 18-19.

Cheese Grits made using recipe for Creamy Grits, from Luquire Family Stone Ground Grits, milled in Greenwood, SC.

"Zucchini Bread," a recipe shared with me by Laura Thomas on August 23, 2000, in Woodstock, Virginia.

Meal No. 1066: New Year's Day Meatballs

Last night's dinner at the RoHo, featuring a dish we call "New Year's Day Meatballs" in honor of the holiday when our family first tried them. Alongside: company mashed potatoes and baby lima beans.

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

"Company Mashed Potatoes," a Jones family favorite.

Meal No. 1065: Biscuits -N- Gravy

It's Saturday and the Roediger House has company this weekend, and that presents itself as a fine opportunity to break out the great Southern classic of biscuits and sausage gravy for a mid-day repast. Yep. Good stuff, that.

Meal No. 1064: Easy Baked Swiss Chicken Breasts

One of my older recipes was the feature this evening: easy baked Swiss chicken breasts. It's something my dear friend Cindy Coulson would sometimes make when I'd visit her and Harley back when they still lived in Winchester. I've been making this for folks myself for a long time, but I wish I'd quit cooking the chicken until it becomes tough!

Meal No. 1063: Tuna Medallions with Agrodolce Sauce

I was reminded of a recipe that I'd not made since the earliest days of the new Roediger House kitchen, within that first year following the kitchen addition project (and which started the count of meals that I have remained awfully obsessive about). But this is what came to me when I picked up tuna on my way back into town from Virginia Beach. I'm at the front end of a five-week run at home with no travel called for, which is quite welcome after traveling four out of the last five weeks!

And the dinner was really good. Not spectacular, but still quite worthy. Red quinoa and sugar snap peas rounded out the plate.

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"Salmon with Agrodolce Sauce," from Gourmet, April 2008. Saved recipe clipping. Recipe can also be found on the Je Mange le Ville blog.

August Update: 751 W Fourth Building

With an anticipated completion target of next month, things are looking a bit frantic across the street at 751 W Fourth Street. Crews are working seven days a week, the fences are down, the back parking lot has been curbed and paved, and it's much closer to a finished look:

And the construction staging area has now relocated to the gravel lot right outside the kitchen bay/eating nook windows:

My Own Golden Finch

Over the weekend, when I took advantage of the most gorgeous August day ever to cut the grass and to work in the yard a bit, I spied my beautiful summer goldfinch. He flitted from the fence at the back of the house, along the north property line, and made a beeline for the just-refilled bird feeders hanging from the fruit trees in the grove. He perched there for so long, eating his little heart out, that I had time to grab the long lens...and then he flew away.

But I rediscovered some shots I'd captured at the end of July when he was spotted in the back yard:

Bugs Stink!

It's been going on four years since I was up in Nelson County, VA, to do some training, and the bed and breakfast I stayed in was completely swamped with stinkbugs. We'd seen scant evidence of them down here but the trend and pattern suggested that North Carolina would suffer through their expanding territory of invasion in short order. I called the invasion "imminent" in a 2010 blog post.

That hasn't really come to pass, though, at least not yet. I've found some dead ones in the fireplace and found a few here and there around the baseboards, apparent victims of my pest control efforts. I will see one clinging to a window screen from time to time. It feels more like a few have lost their way, as opposed to a legion of invaders.

So I certainly did not like the reason I wasn't able to finish my cup of coffee recently:

Sodas of Summer 2014

While it hasn't been the soda extravaganza of summers past, the Roediger House has still played home to a limited selection this summer of special and seasonal and hard-to-find sodas:

Meal No. 1062: Chicken with Coronation Sauce

On the road to Virginia Beach for four out of five weeks, with only a couple of days at home in between, has proven to be a real drain on my creativity at dinner time. Hence, this evening turned out to be a rapid repeat of something recently had: chicken with coronation sauce, over fragrant basmati rice.

The work in Virginia Beach has been almost all good, though. I figure between the expense of oceanfront hotel rooms and the craziness of vacationers and partiers, my lodging choices have kept me further inland, mostly in the Pembroke/Town Center area. And that gave me this lovely view one summer evening sunset, as I looked out from the top floor of the Crowne Plaza:

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"Coronation Sauce for Chicken," from 400 Sauces, by Catherine Atkinson, Christine France, and Maggie Mayhew. Hermes House (2006, 2008), p. 155.