Atlantic Beach Pie

After coming across a link to the article in Our State magazine, I found myself reacquainted with the famous lemon pie that seemed to be a staple of all the great seafood restaurants down on the North Carolina coast. Given national prominence and reputation (and the name "Atlantic Beach pie") by Chef Bill Smith of Chapel Hill's Crook's Corner, it's very much like the key lime pie recipe I'd been making for years...albeit, with the notable exception of its crust, which I made using crushed Ritz crackers (although you can also use saltines, for a similar effect). No need to slather it with meringue, and I even did without the whipped cream and sea salt: still, this was one major heavy duty hit with the dinner crowd at the Roediger House recently.

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"One Phenomenal Pie: Atlantic Beach Pie," from Chef Bill Smith. Published in Our State Magazine, May 2014. Also featured in "Found Recipes" on All Things Considered from National Public Radio, broadcast April 13, 2013.

Meal No. 1044: Indiana Corn and Chicken Chowder

It took a heck of a lot longer to prepare than I was anticipating, so dinner this past evening didn't occur until after 10 pm. But it was yet again quite worth it. This Indiana Corn Chowder is some good stuff. I like to add rotisserie chicken to it to bulk it up a bit.

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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. 1043: Biscuits 'N Gravy

Nothing like a little BnG for a Saturday mid-day meal:

Meal No. 1042: Emeril's Skillet Beef Stroganoff

I've spent the last two days up in Mount Airy, North Carolina, home of Andy Griffith and town on which the fictional Mayberry is based. The Mount Airy City Schools' leadership retreat was the last two days and I got to claim just about the entire time with them to look at issues of instructional leadership. It was a fantastic time with a great group of people.

I was a bit tuckered by the time I got done Friday afternoon, and I kept it simple for the evening meal: Emeril's skillet beef stroganoff. I usually make it with egg noodles, but the elbow macaroni was every bit as good.

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

Meal No. 1041: Not So Cajun Chicken

Last night was a return to a true favorite of the Roediger House, which was also the feature of the very first meal ever made once the new kitchen was completed: Not So Cajun Chicken.

This was my go-to item on the menu at Crowley's in Raleigh, the regular stomping ground for the crew of us who volunteered at Raleigh Little Theatre back in the early and mid-1990s. My dear friend and college roommate Jimmy Randolph managed to find a recipe for it that was a near-perfect match, and I've happily enjoyed serving it up here ever since.

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Links To Recipe [in PDF]:

Not So Cajun Chicken (another version can be found here)

Tuesday Night Oatmeal

It's been such a crazy, hectic time around the Roediger House for the last week in particular, with plenty of things going on. Suffice it to say that I'll be using some of the recent happenings to fill in upcoming blog entries once I hit the road again for work.

The implication for last night was that I just didn't make any real dinner, and instead I contented myself with a nice pot of oatmeal and a couple of slices of buttered toast, with a tall glass of cold milk to wash it all down.

Meal No. 1040: Butterflied Leg of Lamb

Last night, with a small gathering of folks who came early before the movie night, we enjoyed a feast of roasted leg of lamb, along with corn casserole, the traditional green bean casserole, and a demi glace sauce that I concocted. It was all mighty fine.

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"Butterflied Leg of Lamb," by Sydney Oland.

"Campbell's Classic Green Bean Casserole," from Campbell's Kitchen. Recipe available online.

"Jiffy Corn Casserole," found on Facebook. Download a pdf version of it by clicking here.

2014 Movie Night No. 2: Austin Powers

Although it was an unbelievably hectic day around the Roediger House, the evening found me prepping a pretty delicious meal (more on that in tomorrow's blog post) but also getting to enjoy the second Roediger Theatre movie night selection of the summer season:

Meal No. 1039: Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Gorgonzola-Chive Butter

It was indeed a pleasure this evening to so quickly have a return visit from friend, colleague, and former Wake Forest grad student Bradley Phillis. He got his first sampling of grilled flat iron steak at the RoHo. It's only the second time I've ever made it. The mashed potatoes were weak but the lima beans were spot on.

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"Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Blue Cheese-Chive Butter," by Kristin of Norfolk, VA, and posted to AllRecipes.com.

Meal No. 1038: Grilled Pork Shoulder Steaks

I didn't track down the Korean hot pepper paste, called gochujang, in time for this recipe. I substituted Asian chili garlic sauce in the marinade instead, which didn't bring as much heat as I was expecting. The flavors of this grilled pork steak were still good, though, and the table-full at dinner seemed to have little trouble knocking this grub back. Some Israeli couscous with pine nuts and the very special summer treat of broccoli salad brought it all together.

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"Gochujang Pork Shoulder Steaks," by Rachel Yang. In Bon Appétit, July 2014, p. 88.

"Broccoli Salad," by Carolyn Purpura Mackay. In Cook's Country, August/September 2012, p. 7.

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

Meal No. 1037: Hoisin Beef Kabobs

Fourth of July: grilling some beef, enjoying the fireworks at the BB&T Ballpark as viewed from the backyard, and good friends hanging out at the Roediger House. Nice stuff, that.

BUT: I think I may be needing to get a new rice cooker. This is two meals in a row where I've used it, and it has not fully cooked the brown rice. That's disappointing and annoying.

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"Hoisin Beef Kabobs," in Weber's Big Book of Grilling by Jamie Purviance and Sandra S. McRae. San Francisco: Chronicle Books (2001), p. 141.

I've Been Making Cookies...

Cap'n Crunch Cookies:

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies:

And not just cookies, because I also tried out these simple key lime tarts, with very handy shortbread tartlets to put the filling in:

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"Cap'n Crunch Cookies," found online at The Capitol Baker, with credit going to The Sugar Plum Blog for inspiration and the source of the adapted recipe.

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

"Mini Key Lime Tarts," from the Athens Mini Fillo Shells package.

Meal No. 1036: Shrimp with Fresh Corn Grits

While my companions for dinner this evening probably would have appreciated me remembering to shell the shrimp before serving it to them over fresh corn grits, the extra labors were repaid with a delicious combination of flavors and textures.

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"Shrimp with Fresh Corn Grits," from Dawn Perry in Bon Appétit, July 2014, p. 34.

Meal No. 1035: Linguine with Smoked Gouda and Wine Sauce

This evening's fare came from The Grit Restaurant Vegetarian Cookbook, which may be a bit of a shocker for Roediger House regular Michelle. But I substituted andouille sausage for the vegetarian "sausage" links called for in the recipe, so it was still true to meat-eating form. And it was quite good.

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"Linguine with Smoked Gouda and Wine Sauce," from The Grit Restaurant Vegetarian Cookbook, by Jessica Greene and Ted Hafer. Athens, GA: Hill Street Press (2001), p. 64.

Meal No. 1034: Herb-Roasted Salmon

I'd better watch out, because I seem to be making this same meal a bit much and I'm going to get worn out with it. It's awfully good, and I like that it's a bit more healthy and it's dependably quick.

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Salmon based on "Herb-Roasted Salmon Fillets," by Luanne Asta of New York, NY. In Taste of Home, December 2013, p. 28.

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

Alspaugh Conclusion, Meal No. 1033, and a Movie Night

The last day of June was reasonably busy at the Roediger House. In the morning, Jake Alspaugh returned to put stain down on the center part of the porch that he replaced.

Here's a shot of the rubber roof repair above that, along the upstairs porch railing. This ought to remediate the water issue that led to the rot on the porch decking below.

A crew came for grilling of burgers tonight, which was Meal No. 1033:

And I got some cinnamon chip oatmeal cookies made this afternoon:

...which were then passed around for the first movie night of Season 7 of the Roediger Theatre:

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

"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. 1032: Barbecued Chicken Thighs

A small crew here for dinner and I headed back out to the grill to produce barbecued spice-rubbed chicken thighs, which is not a common grilling item for me:

I also tried out a corn casserole recipe that's been floating around Facebook for a spell, and it was mighty well-received.

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From Bon Appétit, July 2013:

• "The Definitive Guide to Grilling Crisp, Juicy Chicken," by Meryl Rothstein, p. 64ff.
• "Barbecued Chicken," by Alison Roman, p. 70.
• "4-3-2-1 Rub," by Alison Roman, p. 68.

"Jiffy Corn Casserole," found on Facebook. Download a pdf version of it by clicking here.

Meal No. 1031: Beef Tacos on Indian (Navajo) Frybread

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

Meal No. 1030: Molasses-Mustard Glazed Grilled Pork Chops

It's always a good night at the Roediger House when the three Phillis siblings come to visit, and even more so when they also bring along their significant others. That's the grand feature of this Friday night, and we had ourselves a fine time going the fancy route of eating in the dining room and managing to find much to laugh about.

Dinner wasn't anything grand but I think it satisfied: grilled molasses-mustard glazed pork chops, pot luck macaroni and cheese, and seasoned green beans. The crew had to depart in time to get to an orchestra concert down at the Governor's School summer program on the campus of Salem College, so it felt like too short of a night.

But since all three are on staff at the Governor's School, I have high hopes I'll see them again soon.

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"Molasses-Mustard Glazed Pork Chops," adapted by Nick Kindelsperger from Bobby Flay's Grill It! Found online at SeriousEats.com.

Meal No. 1029: Slow-Roasted Salmon

Slow-roasted wild-caught Alaskan salmon with Brussels sprouts and herbed freekah, topped with a chilled rosemary dijon cream sauce.

Thank you, sir. May I have another?

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Preparation based partially on "Slow-Roasted Salmon with Tamarind, Ginger, and Chipotle," from Food & Wine, December 2011, p. 72, 74.

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

Meal No. 1028: Peanut Butter Bacon Burgers

Amy Williamson doesn't care for peanut butter, so she got
a blue cheese bacon burger on her plate.

The rest of us enjoyed the heck out of this monstrosity.
Well, we each had our own, that is.

A review of key points about peanut butter bacon burgers:

• Inspired by Yo Mama's in the French Quarter of New Orleans
• First Made: Meal No. 180
• Last Made: Meal No. 976
• Homemade Peanut Butter
• Fresh-Ground Beef from boneless beef short ribs and top sirloin
• Homemade Classic Burger Sauce (recipe below)
• Labeled Finished Burger: Guide to Meal No. 234
• Some guidance, inspiration, and tips are based on Cook's Illustrated, No. 93 (July/August 2008), p. 10.

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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.

Porch Repairs, At Last!

It was just over a year ago that porch rot at the front steps finally manifested itself with a hole in the decking. After a second hole was punched by foot traffic, I simply moved the planters from my mother's house into strategic position over them in hopes that I'd soon get these things fixed. A little over a year later, I finally have.

Jake Alspaugh has now replaced that whole section of flooring in front of the front door, and it's been primed. He'll paint it in another week or so.

He's already put additional rubber and seal so that the run-off from the upstairs porch will now channel into the gutter, instead of between the gutter and the fascia board. It's really cost me dearly between the failure of my general contractor Peter R. "Pete" LaRoque to correctly install this, and with my own lethargic attention to it in a timely fashion.

Jake has also replaced a few rotted clapboard pieces along the porch on the south side of the house:

And he's remade the coal chute window well cover that's on the north side of the house, and covered it anew with a rubber topping:

Meal No. 1027: Moravian Chicken Pie

I can't believe it's been over two years since I last made this Winston-Salem classic. But that's the truth of the matter. I've lost some of my touch with it, but it was still delicious when I made it last night for dinner.

Meal No. 1026: Sunday Morning Breakfast

It's rare that I make breakfast, but on this Sunday morning I was hankering for fried eggs and grits and bacon. And there it is:

Meal No. 1025: Grilled Shoulder Lamb Chops

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"Basil Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops," from the Sprouts Farmers Market website.

Meal No. 1024: Stuffed Grilled Pork Chops

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"Stuffed Pork Rib Chops with Plum-Pecan Relish," from Cuisine at Home, Issue 93 (May/June 2012), p. 26-27.

Meal No. 1023: Patty Melts

This was going to be the Tuesday evening meal, except there was that little HVAC crisis. Then, I left town to speak at a conference at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, and this was the evening meal when I drove back into town tonight:

I'm not traditional with these, especially since I do not care for rye bread. But on buttered and toasted sourdough with a classic burger sauce and caramelized onions, plus whatever combination of cheese slices I have, it doesn't take much to feel mighty satisfied.

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.

Christmas in June

Yes...it is still up. And it's very nearly July.

I definitely have trouble getting around to things sometimes. This is a prime example. Even the public shaming of overhearing passersby comment on it has been an insufficient incentive to put this away.

'Sup with the Sump Pump?

The visiting Tim Schwarz and I caught an afternoon movie today, The Edge of Tomorrow, but when we returned to the house, it was noticeably stuffy and warm in the kitchen. The thermostat showed it was about 84 degrees, well above the temp set for the AC, and it purported to be in a cooling cycle of the system. The outside unit wasn't running, however, and all my attempts to diagnose the problem (check the fuses, reset the system, check the power to the sump pump) all resulted in no change.

That meant an after-hours high-dollar call to Webb Heating and Air, who have faithfully and excellently taken over my HVAC service after Barnette Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc., of Mocksville botched so many aspects of my system. Turns out I had the same technician who came out previously to fix something Barnette had royally screwed up, and he worked quickly and smartly to get the problem figured out and remediated.

Since the Barnette crew left an ineffective filter in the cellar air handler/furnace and also didn't seal that unit, there was a build-up of dust and trash that had clogged the condensate drain pump. Once that was cleared, everything was back up and running.

In the meantime, this kept me from whipping up any supper so Tim and I enjoyed more of that leftover chicken from the kamado grill.

Meal No. 1022: Chicken on a Throne

The Roediger House is in the middle of its annual summer visit by friend, colleague, and former student Tim Schwarz, who teaches down in New Orleans. This evening, the meal was also a chance to bring in one of his fellow Wake Forest graduate students, Bradley Phillis, who's back in town for the summer to teach at the Governor's School.

I figured a special kamado grill meal was in order, and set to work on chicken on a throne. Which is supposed to cook in only about four hours.

And which didn't finish cooking until after about seven hours. So we ate in two shifts: first, the macaroni and cheese and lima beans at the intended dinner time:

Then, around 10:30, when the chicken was finally cooked properly, we also served ourselves a sampling of it, with Alabama Great White Sauce to bolster its goodness.

Then, Tim and I enjoyed several meals off the leftovers. It's hard to beat a chicken sandwich slathered with more of that white sauce, when lunchtime rolls around.

Kamado Meal #29

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"Chicken on a Throne" (p. 171-173), "Old-Fashioned High-Cholesterol Great-Tasting Southern Sauce" (p. 351), and "Alabama Great White Sauce" (p. 362). In Smoke & Spice, by Cheryl and Bill Jamison. Boston: The Harvard Common Press, 2003.

"Best Potluck Macaroni and Cheese," from Cook's Country, April/May 2007, p. 11.