Meal No. 1843: Deviled Chicken Thighs

Monday night's dinner included delicious deviled chicken thighs and, on the side, a bit of Caesar salad. Also, using some of the leftover creamy mashed potatoes from the other night, I turned them into company mashed potatoes.

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"Deviled Chicken Drumsticks," by Ian Knauer. In Gourmet, August 2008.

"Company Mashed Potatoes," a Jones family favorite.

Meal No. 1842: Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

If you'd bellied up to the table at the Roediger House on Saturday night, a pseudo-healthy meal would have greeted you: grilled seasoned boneless chicken breast over a Caesar salad. I'm feeling much, much better about grilling those chicken breasts, thanks to the suggestions found on the SeriousEats.com website. It was pretty delicious and had the advantage of leaving just enough room for some more vanilla cake and cake batter ice cream.

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Helpful guidance for grilling chicken breasts came from: "How to Grill the Juiciest Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts," by Joshua Bousel of SeriousEats.com.

Vanilla Birthday Cake and Cake Batter Ice Cream

Friday night's meal ended with a well-received dessert pairing: vanilla birthday cake with old-fashioned vanilla buttercream frosting, along with a fresh batch of cake batter ice cream. This was the second appearance of both of those desserts, and I'm pretty sure there will be many more appearances yet to come.

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"Vanilla Birthday Cake with Old-Fashioned Vanilla Buttercream," by Jenn Segal of OnceUponAChef.com.

"Cake Batter Ice Cream," by smstemp on food.com.

Meal No. 1841: Grilled Pork Kebabs with Barbecue Glaze

It was back to the grill on Friday night on the second full day of overnight guests: pork kebabs with a barbecue glaze, along with creamy mashed potatoes, corn, and creamy stuffed eggs.

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"Grilled Pork Kebabs with Barbecue Glaze," an online extra from Cook's Illustrated and based on "The Best Way to Grill Pork Tenderloin," Issue No. 134, May & June 2015, p. 6.

"Creamy Mashed Potatoes," from Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman. Published online 03 November 2007.

"Creamy Stuffed Eggs," a recipe shared with me by Barbara Huneycutt of Crozet, VA.

Guidance on Hard-Boiled Eggs: "The Hard Truth about Hard-Boiled Eggs," by J. Kenji López-Alt, Managing Culinary Director of SeriousEats.com.

Meal No. 1840: Juicy Burgers on the Grill

For dinner Thursday night, I grilled juicy burgers and had a mess of smokin' sweet kettle chips on the side.

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

Meal No. 1839: BBQ Chicken Soup

When I made beer can chickens on the kamado grill this past Saturday, it was not only for dinner that night. I also looked forward to using the rest of the deboned smoked chicken in a huge batch of barbecue chicken soup, which is simply amazing. That's what I served up on Memorial Day, and that was the first opportunity for regular houseguest Jeremy to partake of that concoction. It seems he liked it well enough to take a couple of containers back up to Virginia at the end of his visit to the Roediger House.

Kamado Meal #35B

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"Chicken on a Throne," from Smoke & Spice by Cheryl and Bill Jamison. Boston: The Harvard Common Press (2003), p. 171-173.

"BBQ Chicken Soup," from the folks at the Big Green Egg website.

Meal No. 1838: Thanksgiving on the Half-Year 2017

We've got some traditions here at the Roediger House, and one of my absolute favorites is how we celebrate with friends with the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Beginning in 2010, we added a regular Memorial Day weekend version of it and called it "Thanksgiving on the Half-Year." The 2017 event happened this past Sunday night, with eleven delightful anticipatory bellies at the dining room table, along with fun conversation and laughter.

All the usual dishes were on the menu, but not all are pictured separately:

Beef Tenderloin

Layered Green Bean Casserole

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast

The complete plate:

Clockwise, from bottom:
beef tenderloin, apple/bacon stuffing, turkey with gravy, sweet potato casserole, horseradish sauce,
green bean casserole [center]

And dessert to boot...blue ribbon carrot cake that was just delicious and a bit overwhelming:

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"Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast," Betty Crocker: Holiday Entrées, Sides, Brunches, & More, November 2001, p. 22-23.

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

"Layered Green Bean Casserole," a Jones family favorite.

"Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping," from Southern Living Slow-Cooker Cookbook,  (Oxmoor House, 2006), p. 234-235.

"Cornbread Stuffing with Apples and Bacon," from David Venable. From "In The Kitchen with David," on QVC.com.

"Blue Ribbon Carrot Cake (1981)," also known as "Best Carrot Cake (October, 1997)," from Southern Living. Compiled in the Southern Living 1981 Annual Recipes, Birmingham: Oxmoor Press. Also found online. The recipe I follow was recommended to and shared with me by John & Ebbie Linaburg of Woodstock, Virginia.

Meal No. 1837: Chickens on a Throne

Saturday was gorgeous, and it proved to be just the right day for a bit of kamado grill action. I'd bought two organic young chickens with a plan to put them on the kamado grill sometime during the week, and although I had to finish them in the oven, they still turned out fantastic. Dipped in some Alabama great white sauce and accompanied by lima beans and buttered corn, it was a glorious early-summer weekend repast.

Kamado Meal #35A

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"Chicken on a Throne" (p. 171-173) and "Alabama Great White Sauce" (p. 362). In Smoke & Spice, by Cheryl and Bill Jamison. Boston: The Harvard Common Press, 2003.

Meal No. 1836: Seasoned Crusted Pork Chops

My May to-do list is pretty extensive but last week I managed to tackle quite a few items on it. Friday ended up being a bit busy with a lot of appointments and running around, so when dinnertime rolled around, I was rolling easy: my friend Cindy's seasoning crust approach to pork chops, along with baked potatoes. That was it. That was all. That was the deal. That was good.

Meal No. 1835: Indiana Chicken & Corn Chowder

A lot of rain has come down here in Winston-Salem over the last few days, and we were briefly under a tornado watch this past Wednesday afternoon (with the emergency horn going off from downtown and everything!). It seemed like a good night for Indiana chicken and corn chowder, which was served up to the four of us at the table that night.

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"Indiana Corn and Potato Chowder," by Brannon Soileau from his restaurant Maize, An American Grill (formerly of Lafayette, IN). In Indiana Cooks!, by Christine Barbour and Scott Feickert with photographs by Tom Stio. Bloomington, IN: Quarry Books (2005), p. 64-65. You can find this, and quite a few other Indiana recipes, if you scroll to the bottom of this article: "Indiana Can Cook."

Meal No. 1834: Not So Cajun Chicken

The fourth time in 2017 that I've made this meal, so I might be stuck in a rut. But what a good rut: not so cajun chicken over rice, with Caesar salad to boot.

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

Meal No. 1833: Ribeyes and French Fries

On a Monday evening, after a day of short bursts of can-do energy interspersed with indulgent downtimes, I went outside and grilled ribeyes and fried fries. The belly said it's all right.

Classic Yellow Cake with Rich Chocolate Frosting (and Double Chocolate Liqueur Ice Cream!)

Last Sunday night, dessert happened: classic yellow cake with a delicious chocolate frosting. On the one other occasion I made this, I prepared it as a two-layer cake...and while it was good, the layers were a bit on the tall side. This time I made three separate layers and tried to watch out for the adjusted cooking time. In the end, it was made all the better because, well, frosting!

But what's cake without ice cream, I ask you?! So I also whipped up a batch of double chocolate liqueur ice cream to boot, and it's always so darned tasty.

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"Classic Yellow Cake," by Robyn Stone. Found online at addapinch.com.

"Super-Simple Chocolate Frosting," from King Arthur Flour. Posted 01/01/2010.

"Double Chocolate Liqueur Ice Cream," by Kita Roberts. From her Pass the Sushi blog.

Meal No. 1832: Frisco Patty Melts

After spending the afternoon in Greensboro for the Fisher Park Home Tour, with some of the crew from the Guilford County Schools Mission Possible Team, I settled on a simple filling supper once I was back at home: frisco patty melts, with buttered toasted bread, classic burger sauce, and two kinds of cheese.

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Classic Burger Sauce

from Cook's Illustrated, July-August 2008, p. 11.

4 T mayonnaise
2 T ketchup
1 tsp sweet pickle relish
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.

Meal No. 1831: Kung Pao Chicken

Saturday night at the Roediger House: a delicious bowl of stirfry goodness, in the guise of kung pao chicken with sweet red bell peppers and asparagus cuts...all made in a brand-new wok.

On a side note: May has flown by, no doubt, and I'm mindful of the fact that my yard efforts have been pretty slim so far this spring. Other than trying to keep the bird feeders filled (a definite challenge of late!), weeding is the only substantive thing I've really done, although with Sumner's trips out for doggie business in the yard, I'm definitely trying to do a thoughtful survey and make rough plans for what needs to be tackled.

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"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.

Meal No. 1830: Texas Thick-Cut Smoked Pork Chops

Friday night was festive at the Roediger House, with Amy and Gern and Kristen and Mookie over for hanging out and for dinner. The late afternoon storms passed on and it was perfect for grilling (with Mesquite smoke added in for good measure!). Our plates were laden with Texas thick-cut smoked pork chops, topped with Virginia Pruitt's perfect barbecue sauce; sweet onion corn bake; and Brussels sprouts gratin. It was a delightful night, as always.

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"Texas Thick-Cut Smoked Pork Chops," by Ashley Moore. In Cook's Country, June/July 2016, p. 4-5.

"Virginia Pruitt's Perfect Barbecue Sauce," by Fred Thompson of Grillin' with Gas. Recipe found on epicurious.com.

"Sweet Onion Corn Bake," by Jeanette Travis of Fort Worth, TX. Published in Taste of Home, April/May 2003, p. 37-38.

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

Meal No. 1829: Bourbon Chicken

Thursday was my last day of work for the academic school year, and it was spent with instructional leaders at two different schools in Mount Airy City. Greeted exceptionally excitedly by Sumner when I got back to the house late afternoon, on an unseasonably warm May day, it was nice to chill, do a bit of weeding, tackle a small amount of paperwork, and then surrender to the seduction of an easy dinner: bourbon chicken. Filling and tasty, and there was still room for the last of the cake batter ice cream.

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"Bourbon Chicken," by LinMarie. From Food.com.

Meal No. 1828: Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Thighs

It's been about six months since I last made this easy house favorite, which I've tended to refer to in honor of a former student who shared his recipe for it: Brendan's Moroccan Bistro Chicken. In the steamy remains of last Wednesday's hot day, this is what I served up for delightful neighbors Alaina and Deborah. Served over rice and with fresh steamed broccoli on the side, we made a great evening of it.

Kentucky Butter Cake and Cake Batter Ice Cream

With some whiskey sauce left over from the New Orleans Pecan Pie Bread Pudding I made over the weekend, and in search of a purpose, I figured I'd try out a new Bundt cake recipe: Kentucky Butter Cake.

And, to go with it: you won't be able to accuse me of getting all fancy with this latest new ice cream I made: it's a simplified copycat of Carvel's and Cold Stone Creamery's cake batter ice cream, and it's good enough as a quick and easy ice cream on a sunny day in May.

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"Kentucky Butter Cake," from Laura Davis on JustAPinch.com.

"Cake Batter Ice Cream," by smstemp on food.com.

Meal No. 1827: Chicken with Coronation Sauce

By special request this past Monday night: chicken with coronation sauce over rice.

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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.

Meal No. 1826: Miso-Glazed Salmon Filets

With downtown just a bit a-buzz with it being Mother's Day and graduation weekend for Wake Forest University, it was nice to have a quiet meal inside the comforting abode known as the Roediger House. I served up wonderfully thick (and perfectly cooked!) salmon filets with a miso-mirin glaze and chilled rosemary-dijon cream sauce; garlic-spiced pearl couscous; and Caesar salad. No dessert needed on this night of such good food.

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Miso Glaze from "Miso-Glazed Salmon Steaks," in Bon Appétit, May 2011, p. 58.

"Chilled Rosemary-Dijon Cream Sauce," in The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook, compiled and edited by Julie Fisher Gunter. Birmingham, AL: Oxmoor House (1999), p. 216.

Couscous recipe based partially on "Toasted Israeli Couscous with Pine Nuts and Parsley, from Bon Appétit, December 2004.

Meal No. 1825: Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas

When the time for the Saturday evening meal rolled around, I had both giant tortillas and rotisserie chicken on hand, and that made chicken and cheese quesadillas a natural choice for dinner while watching a couple more episodes of the original Batman series.

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Preparation and cooking based on "Quesadillas for a Crowd," by Morgan Bolling. In Cook's Country, August/September 2015, p. 18.

"Fajita Seasoning Mix," from ForTheMommas.com. Adapted from "Fajita Seasoning Mix Recipe" on Food.com.

New Orleans Pecan Pie Bread Pudding

Last Friday night, in addition to a scrumptious meal for the four of us, I also managed to put together a delicious dessert: New Orleans pecan pie bread pudding with whiskey sauce. Lord have mercy.

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"New Orleans Pecan Pie Bread Pudding," from King Arthur Flour online.

"Whiskey Sauce," based on a recipe from Mimi's Cafe (found online).

Meal No. 1824: Braised Chicken over Brussels Sprouts

It was a delightful evening with four at the table this past Friday night, and in order to preserve time for playing pool, I decided I'd go with braised chicken over Brussels sprouts and shallots, along with rosemary roasted baby Dutch potatoes.

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"Braised Chicken and Brussels Sprouts," in Everyday Food, Issue 97, November 2012, p. 22.

Meal No. 1823: Breakfast for Dinner

After a good but full day spent split between two different schools in Mount Airy on Thursday, I decided to make dinner from whatever was on hand in the cupboard. Since it included Neese's hot country sausage, I settled on breakfast for dinner, with fried eggs, creamy grits, and toast with mixed fruit jelly. Heck, yeah.

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"Creamy Grits," from Luquire Family Stone Ground Grits, milled in Greenwood, SC.

Meal No. 1822: Shrimp Po'Boys

This past Wednesday night represented a return to an easy favorite that's the best version I've found for shrimp po'boys. It was a stripped-down take that night, with wonderful creole-spiced fried shrimp on baguettes with a zingy remoulade sauce.

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"Shrimp Po'Boy," in Bon Appétit, June 2011, p. 118-119.

"Cajun Remoulade Sauce," by Remoulader. Found online at Food.com.

Meal No. 1821: Chicken Tenders on Caesar Salad

This past Monday night, with three at the table, I had planned a bit of lighter fare: Caesar salad topped with fresh buttermilk fried chicken tenders. And I'm so glad there was still some wonderful chocolate meringue pie to keep it all from seeming too skimpy and healthy.

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"Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders," by Jenn Segal of OnceUponAChef.com.

Guidance on Hard-Boiled Eggs: "The Hard Truth about Hard-Boiled Eggs," by J. Kenji López-Alt, Managing Culinary Director of SeriousEats.com.

Chocolate Meringue Pie

When former Wake Forest grad student Bradley Phillis passed through last Sunday night and stopped in for supper, I knew I had to choose carefully the dessert. Why? He hates cake. The solution? Chocolate meringue pie. The result? Amazing. Glad he was here to inspire me to make it.

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"Chocolate Meringue Pie," based on a classic and common recipe.

Butter Toffee Cookies for Northern Guilford Middle

As is often the case, I'd made a promise to come bearing cookies with one of the schools I've been working with this spring. On a recent Wednesday, the recipients were the instructional leadership team at Northern Guilford Middle School. I didn't think they (meaning: the cookies) were quite up to par, but they were reasonably acceptable.

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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 originally got this. But, as sometimes happens, it is not available on their website. I'm glad someone posted it to Food.com.

Meal No. 1820: Lamb Köfte with Yogurt Sauce and Muhammara

It's been just shy of two years since I last made the dish that was served up Sunday night, on the special occasion of a pass-through visit by Bradley Phillips. On the menu: lamb köfte with yogurt tahini sauce and muhammara (a roasted red pepper sauce). All of that sat with caramelized onions on some middle eastern flatbread. It was darned good, if I may say so. I'm a softe for kofte.

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"Lamb Köfte with Yogurt Sauce and Muhammara," from Bon Appétit, January 2010. [clipping]