A Grand Hawk at the Grand New Year

I was sitting by the fireside in my old man's chair in the kitchen when I was startled out of my work by the commotion of a hawk attack. Although it was more in my periphery, I knew that this seemed like a larger-than-normal hawk. I first spotted him down in the drain lane just outside the kitchen bay windows, and he had a mourning dove pinned down in his claws. But when he tried to fly away with it, he lost his grip. By then, I'd grabbed my camera and zoom lens and was ready to try to see what might transpire.

He'd flown around towards the front of the house so I hoped I could follow the action from there.  I first spotted him on the utility lines in front of the house, and so I was able to start snapping shots of him:

Suddenly he swooped down to the planting bed in front of the porch, and then jumped up beside the front steps...with me standing right there!

From the porch steps he flew up to the power lines across the street from the house:

Then he flew up to the light pole at the bottom of the driveway:

Then he flew into the cherry tree closest to the house:

Then he zipped up to the peak of the roof over the kitchen:

And the last I saw of him, he was hiding on the cover on top of the taller chimney of the house:

He's definitely the largest and most mature hawk I've seen in and around the yard. It was fun tracking him that afternoon.

Another Batch of Delicious DoubleTree-Style Cookies

I'm pretty good sometimes when I am given orders, and by that I mean kind-sounding but firm directives. On my second day reporting for duty with the administrative team at a Guilford County middle school on a Friday in late January, I followed through on just such a mandate by bringing in a plate of DoubleTree-style chocolate chip cookies. It's only fair to note, though, that I actually made them in time to serve samples to my dinner guests along with a delicious scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream at the end of the previous evening's lasagna meal. (That was wordy, but I hope it made sense.)

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"Doubletree Hotel's Chocolate Chip Cookies," by Ayşegül Sanford and her blog, Foolproof Living. Published December 29, 2013.

Tying the Record High Temperature for February

This past Sunday, I headed out of Winston-Salem for a few days of work up in Virginia, and I really, really hated to leave behind that phenomenally gorgeous day, with my daffodils fully blooming and four or five crocuses having opened up (as shown above).

I must also fret at having to head up into cooler climes when we managed to bust the old record high temp for that date (by EIGHT DEGREES!) and also to tie the all-time record high for any day in February.

Note: The official temp out at Smith Reynolds Airport [KINT] was 79°F...but that was still a record for the date.

Meal No. 1757: Grilled Filet Mignon Steaks

More unbelievable weather for February this past Saturday:

So I felt like I was compelled to grill steaks and make french fries when Amy was over for Saturday night supper. We feasted quite well.

Meal No. 1756: Slow-Roasted Boston Butt Pork Shoulder

Oh, what a Friday night, with most of the core regulars on hand (but one who was working and another who was sick!). I'd spice-rubbed and wrapped up a Boston butt that morning and put it in the oven for an all-day low-and-slow roast. The house smelled great when I came in from work. I made the quick and tasty Virginia Pruitt's Perfect Barbecue Sauce as well as eggy potato salad and Barbara Huneycutt's recipe for creamy stuffed eggs.

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"Low and Slow Boston Butt Pork BBQ," by Chef Shapeweaver on Food.com.

Pork Shoulder Rub: "Southern Succor Pork Rub." In Smoke & Spice, by Cheryl and Bill Jamison. Boston: The Harvard Common Press (2003), p. 27.

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

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

"Eggy Potato Salad with Pickles," by Jenny Rosenstratch and Andy Ward. In Bon Appétit, May 2012, p. 36.

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. 1755: Hamburger Supreme

All the nice weather of late got interrupted by a particularly rude and menacing cold front, with 25 mph gusts and biting temps that dipped into the 30s by late this past Thursday afternoon. It pretty much compelled me to reach for a warming casserole when neighbor Alaina returned for dinner, so I introduced her to the Jones Family Favorite of hamburger supreme. It is pretty much always served at the RoHo with hot buttered corn and, occasionally, as was the case that night, some homemade applesauce.

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"Hamburger Supreme," from the late Mrs. John T. (Glynn) Johnson of Buies Creek, North Carolina.

Meal No. 1754: Deviled Chicken Thighs

When long-time WFU friend Chris Burris was back at the house on Wednesday to join in on dinner, I might have been anticipating the precipitous drop in the daytime temps that was to occur the following day...because I sure did go heavy on a comfort food menu. Deviled chicken thighs, company mashed potatoes, southern creamed corn, and even still-warm homemade applesauce adorned our heaping plates. Enough was left over that I was able to take care of my lunch on Thursday when I was with the admin team at Northwest Middle School.

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

"Company Mashed Potatoes," a Jones family favorite.

"Southern Creamed Corn," by Patrick and Gina Neely of the Food Network.

Inspiration for Homemade Applesauce came from the late Evelyn Coulson of Cana, VA. Guidance for Homemade Applesauce came from:

• "Spiced Country Applesauce," from Finding Joy in My Kitchen. Published 11 September 2009.
• "Homemade Applesauce," from Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. Published 16 October 2013.
• "Sarah's Applesauce," from PHATCAT on AllRecipes.com.

Meal No. 1753: Skillet Beef Stroganoff

On a continuing quest to proceed through Season 6 of Game of Thrones, the GOT crew gathered at the Roediger House again Tuesday night to plow through two more episodes. To get that to work, and to honor everybody's work schedules, I went with the quick and easy one-bowl goodness of beef stroganoff. I was able to take the skillet and bowls right up to the third floor so we could eat while watching, and it seemed to turn out great.

It's also been a couple of beautiful incredibly warm days this week...and generally rather mild temps for this being the depths of winter. We broke a record today, and while I only had a little time outside after I got home this afternoon, I enjoyed every single minute of it.

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

Meal No. 1752: Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry

Another gorgeous sunrise appeared behind the city skyline this past Monday morning, and then yielded to a remarkably beautiful day:

I found myself outside pulling weeds and marveling at the tiny blossoms on the new daffodils and the new shoots of the new crocuses planted along the front retaining wall. It brought to mind, with bittersweet aromas, another lovely February day when the weather brought Cyprus and me outside to sit a spell in the sun...

On tap for dinner that night: chicken and broccoli stir fry, using yet another new recipe as my guide. It was quite good and will likely make future appearances on the menu.

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Based on "Chicken Broccoli and Mushroom Stir Fry," from Natasha's Kitchen. Published 21 October 2014.

Meal No. 1751: Mini Beef Wellingtons with Gorgonzola

When Sunday night rolled around, and I was deep into mostly enjoying a four-day weekend, I committed to piloting another new recipe. This one perhaps implies that I was operating with some ambition, although any distinction in this meal is because of the general reputation of a dish like this. With Amy on hand, it was a night for mini Beef Wellingtons with gorgonzola, along with roasted new potatoes and asparagus. The sauce poivrade alla Madeira and demi-glace was a fitting compliment. Somehow, we still had room for dessert (to be blogged about later).

An additional note: while it is good to now be into the month of February, which brings us so much closer to the spring and summer that I love, I confess to being shocked at seeing the emergence of my new daffodils already:

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"Beef Wellingtons with Gorgonzola," from Gourmet Magazine, January 1998. Also found on FoodNetwork.com.

"Sauce Poivrade alla Marsala or Madeira," from More Than Gourmet.

Meal No. 1750: Cheesy Chicken Rice & Broccoli Casserole

On Saturday night, with time set aside to continue catching up on Season 6 of Game of Thrones, I ventured into new territory with my first attempt (that I can recall) of making chicken, rice, and broccoli casserole. (The closest to this was probably Meal No. 257: Almond Chicken & Broccoli with Cream Sauce, back in 2011.) It's the sort of thing that gets gone fast at a church potluck and reminded me of something I might find on the menu at Cracker Barrel, if I could ever remember going to a Cracker Barrel. It was perfect because I put it together before we got started that night, then came downstairs to put it in the oven, and then took it back to the third floor so that we all could eat and make it through a couple more episodes. It was pretty fantastic, if I do say so myself.

Also, I put aside the rice cooker for a change and went back to a stovetop pot to make the rice, which ended up looking rather cool in the late afternoon sun:

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While I pretty much made it my own recipe, I still got inspiration and ideas from:

• "Chicken Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole," by LifeAfter40 on food.com. Posted 18 March 2013.
• "Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole," by Sabrina from Dinner, Then Dessert. Posted 14 December 2016.

[Very little of each recipe actually made it into my version of that evening's dish, so I think my tinkering went beyond merely adapting.]

Meal No. 1749: Chicken Philly Cheesesteaks

On Friday night, with the colder temps of winter and an icy wind blowing about, I was at a low point on meal-prep motivation while also feeling high resistance to having to go outside for any reason. Then, a small idea inserted itself into my noggin and set off all the right sparks, and I tackled it so enthusiastically that dinner was ready over an hour earlier than usual. And what a great new meal it turned out to be: chicken Philly cheesesteaks with a goofy and amazing simple cheese sauce. It was messy to eat but a blessing in my belly.

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Based on a combination of ideas from:

• "Chicken Philly Cheese Steak," by Brandi Burgess of Aunt Bee's Recipes. Posted 11 September 2014.
• "Philly Chicken Cheesesteak Sandwich," from the Creole Contessa. Posted 30 July 2013.
• "Homemade Chicken Cheesesteaks," by Jessica Merchant of How Sweet It Is. Posted 05 September 2012.

Meal No. 1748: BBQ Shrimp Risotto

Thursday night was an opportunity to celebrate the birthday of long-time friend and fellow Wake Forest alum Chris Burris. His meal request: risotto. I prepped up some BBQ shrimp and tried a new take on remoulade sauce to round it out, and the meal kicked off with heaping bowls of Caesar salad (but I just put my salad on my plate). It was one of those terrific gatherings of a crew of good friends where we lingered extensively after the plates were cleared.

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"BBQ Shrimp," by Chef Brian D. Smith of Randol's Restaurant and Cajun Dancehall in Lafayette, LA.

Thyme, Marjoram, and Parmesan Risotto based on Emeril Lagasse's directions found in "Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto Casserole."

Remoulade Sauce adapted from "Remoulade Sauce à la New Orleans," by cookincowgirls on AllRecipes.com.

Meal No. 1747: Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas

After a great day of post-observation conferencing practice with the instructional leadership team at North Forsyth High School, followed by nice sunny warm weather to work outside just a bit, and then another episode of Game of Thrones, I threw together some chicken quesadillas with homemade fajita seasoning for dinner. It was spot on.

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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.

Meal No. 1746: Bodacious Burger Bar

Last Saturday night, I got a creative hankering that resulted in three different kinds of burger choices for the three of us coming to the table:

Blackened Blue Cheese Bacon Burgers

Balsamic-Soy Caramelized Onions & Kimchee Aioli

Mushroom and Swiss Burgers

I still went with fresh-ground homemade burger patties, this time using Angus top sirloin filet, and following my usual process that I employ when making peanut butter bacon burgers. For an additional twist, all burgers were served on buttered-and-toasted English muffins.

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"Bite-Size Bulgogi Burgers," by Debbie Lee. Printed in Seoultown Kitchen. Found online at FoodRepublic.com.

Original bacon braid guidance from "Bacon Sheets," from MyFridgeFood.com. See also: "How to Make a Bacon Weave for the World's Best BLT," a nice video demonstration, from Justin Chapple's Mad Genius Tips on the Food & Wine website [published 02 March 2015].

Meal No. 1745: Chicken with Coronation Sauce

Simple goodness in a single bowl last Friday night: sautéed chicken breast cuts in creamy coronation sauce over Basmati rice. Yum.

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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. 1744: Chicken Cordon Bleu

Last Thursday night, the Roediger House meal for four featured chicken cordon bleu topped with a delicious (but thick!) Gruyère cream sauce, along with southern creamed corn and stuffing. We were well-satisfied by meal's end, but also a tad uncomfortable. It was more than ample, providing lunch leftovers for the following day.

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"Chicken Cordon Bleu," by Tyler Florence from the Food Network.

Gruyère Sauce based on "Le Chicken Cordon Bleu with Parmesan Dijon Sauce," by Ben Rayl from ComfortableFood.com.

"Southern Creamed Corn," by Patrick and Gina Neely of the Food Network.

Meal No. 1743: Creamy Four Cheese Garlic Sauce over Spaghetti

It was another new recipe experiment at the Roediger House last Wednesday, and it was a bowl of tasty cheesiness that was a bit beyond the pale: creamy four cheese garlic sauce over spaghetti. Can it be simultaneously tasty but ultimately undesirable? That was my verdict by meal's end.

You want to know what was desirable? The gorgeous warm sunny day that we enjoyed in Winston-Salem that day. I did a downtown walk in the sunshine after work and then also enjoyed sitting outside in the driveway, reading in the late afternoon warmth.

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"Creamy Four Cheese Garlic Sauce," from JuliasAlbum.com. Published 01 June 2015.

Meal No. 1742: Baked Pork Chops

It's been a good long while since I reached for my friend Cindy's recommended approach to baking pork chops, so Tuesday night I brought it back out to solid acclaim and a welcoming crew at the dinner table. I also tried out a new recipe for skillet macaroni and cheese that was cheesiness galore. Seasoned lima beans completed the menu that night.

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"The Food Lab's Ultra-Gooey Stovetop Mac and Cheese Recipe," from J. Kenji López-Alt, Managing Culinary Director of SeriousEats.com.

A few helpful reminders about baking boneless pork chops came from "Easy Baked Boneless Pork Chops," from Tina McWoolcott on Delishably.com.

Meal No. 1741: Filet Mignon with Shiitake Madeira Cream Sauce

With beef tenderloin on a special at $8.99/lb at the Harris Teeter this week, I could hardly turn up my nose at a couple of filet mignons for a special Monday night dinner at the Roediger House. To go with it, I reached deep into my archives for a recipe that I might have first made when I was still in my faculty apartment at Wake Forest University: filet mignon with shiitake madeira sauce. It's very similar to the steak au poivre that I've made a number of times, but it had its own distinct favorable flavors. A simple buttered baked potato was all I needed to go with it.

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"Filet Mignon with Shiitake Madeira Sauce," in The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook, compiled and edited by Julie Fisher Gunter. Birmingham, AL: Oxmoor House (1999), p. 237.

Meal No. 1740: Chicken Paprikash

This past Sunday night, with rains and a bit of storming, our cozy crew of four was nicely settled into the warmth of the Roediger House for an evening of hanging out...and, of course, some grub. I reached deep, deep into the archives to resurrect a meal I'd only made once before, all the way back in June 2010 when it was Meal No. 105: chicken paprikash.

Together with fresh steamed rice, roasted Brussels sprouts, and the special treat of cat head biscuits, we feasted nicely as part of a delightful dinner. Fortunately for our happiness but not for our waistlines, some lemon velvet cake from the previous evening still remained.

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"Chicken Paprikash," by Kris Widican. In Cook's Country, October/November 2009, p. 23.

"Cat Head Biscuits," by Cali Rich. In Cook's Country, April/May 2010, p. 12-13.

Meal No. 1739: Pork Medallions with Ginger-Shiitake-Soy Cream Sauce

Last Saturday night was the occasion for the Mookie birthday dinner, and his menu choice was pork medallions in the famous ginger-shiitake-soy cream sauce that's been making folks happy here for quite a few years now. With it, I also prepared layered green bean casserole and company mashed potatoes. The crew was generous in its praise of the fixins.

There was also dessert: a return to the amazing lemon velvet cake that I first tried out last August. And it was yet again a pretty remarkable slice of heaven on our little black plastic plates.

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

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

"Company Mashed Potatoes," a Jones family favorite.

"Lemon Velvet Cake," from Barry C. Parsons of RockRecipes.com.

Meal No. 1738: Breakfast for Dinner

A week ago Friday night, after a late late day of work, it seemed a fitting end to the week to enjoy the comfort of breakfast for dinner. With tasty hot grits, sunny-side-up fried eggs, sausage patties, and buttered toast and jelly, it was a filling treat.

Meal No. 1737: World's Best Lasagna

Last Thursday night, with five around the table, I decided it wasn't too soon to bring back John Chandler's World's Best Lasagna, a notoriously popular dish both here at the Roediger House and also on the AllRecipes.com website where it first appeared. With Caesar salad and toasted garlic bread, we all had nearly our fill.

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"World's Best Lasagna," by John Chandler (Dallas, TX). Found online at AllRecipes.com.

Meal No. 1736: Grilled Ribeyes and French Fries

Last Wednesday, when the afternoon temps broke a record and also approached nearly 70°F, I still had a couple of hours of daylight when I returned from work to get out and do a bit of yardwork. I got as far as cutting down all the lariope and pulling up the dead mums from the fall. But the nice weather also put me in a mind and a mood to grill out, so I'm glad I had steaks on hand. Grilled bone-in ribeyes and a batch of french fries? Thank you very much.

Meal No. 1735: Slow-Roasted Beef Tenderloin

On what ought to have been a typical Tuesday night at the Roediger House proved to actually be an occasion for a pretty special meal: slow-roasted beef tenderloin. Normally, I'd like to prepare this either for special occasions or for special gatherings. Alas, I'd bought the tenderloin without a clear enough plan on when I was going to put it on the menu...and as its expiration date got nearer, I had to go ahead and pull the trigger. This did give me a chance to pilot a novel approach to roasting it in hopes that I could better guarantee a thoroughly well-cooked (meaning: medium rare!) result with a terrific seared crust.

Followers of the Roediger House blog know that one of the favorite and unique meals served here is peanut butter bacon burgers. One definite key to their success is the guidance on grinding, shaping, and cooking the burgers themselves, which came from an article some years ago in Cook's Illustrated, back when J. Kenji López-Alt was an editor there. His subsequent venture, SeriousEats.com, is an incredible site for better understanding the science and chemistry of cooking...and a great source of recipes, too. To Kenji goes the credit for tonight's great roast, and his article on the technique is a good read as well.

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

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

"Oven-Roasted Green Beans," helped along by the simple approach offered by Emeril Lagasse via FoodNetwork.com.

Meal No. 1734: Glorious Beef & Mushroom Stir Fry

Last Monday, with plans for a beef tenderloin roast on tap for the following night, I needed to trim a whole roast down to the Chateaubriand cut. With the extra delicious meat awaiting some other purpose, I figured I might as well turn it into a stir-fry dinner. Hence, the one-bowl goodness of glorious beef with mushrooms and onions...

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"Glorious Beef with Mushrooms," in Wok Fast by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison. Ten Speed Press, 2002, p. 87 (recipe) and p. 26-27 (marinade and sauce).