Meal No. 1253: Peanut Butter Bacon Burgers

Left to my own devices, I do indeed get a hankering from time to time to make this incredibly flavorful and filling meal that represents an interesting combination of ingredients: peanut butter bacon burgers. But more often than not, what propels me to action is the request-slash-demand for them from Roediger House regulars (who very kindly and perhaps overstatedly will proclaim these as consistently the best burgers they ever eat anywhere). Regardless, it's hard not to be happy and content after a satisfying evening munching down a homemade Roediger House version of the peanut butter bacon burgers made famous by Yo Mama's in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

And yes: I absolutely grind the beef fresh just before frying up the burgers:

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. 1133
• Homemade Peanut Butter
• Fresh-Ground Beef, typically from boneless beef short ribs and top sirloin
• Homemade Classic Burger Sauce (recipe below)
• Labeled Sample 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.

Meal No. 1252: Filipino Chicken Adobo

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"Introducing Chicken Adobo," by Bryan Roof. In Cook's Illustrated, March & April 2012, p. 6-7.

April Gallery Hop Cookies

For a while, I was in the habit of making cookies for the first Friday gallery hop openings at Delurk, a local co-op art gallery in the arts district of downtown Winston-Salem. I'd gotten away from it for a while, between travel and a diminished demand to provide goodies each and every time.

For the April show opening, I got back on the job and brought in two kinds of cookies. One was a completely new recipe for me: chai-spiced oatmeal cookies with caramel bits. They were a pretty big hit. The other was a second attempt at making Cap'n Crunch cookies with the new Chocolatey Crunch cereal. That plate was also well-received.

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"Caramel-Chai Oatmeal Cookies," in Cuisine at Home, September/October 2013, p. 47.

"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.

Meal No. 1251: Indoor Pulled Pork Barbecue

It was just one of those Tuesday nights where eight was enough around the dinner table, and it called for a healthy mess of indoor pulled pork barbecue with some gorgonzola blue cheese coleslaw alongside.

Half the crew enjoyed getting caught up on some missed episodes of a favorite show, while the other half indulged in quite a few rounds of pool:

But before we headed back upstairs, there was some chocolate éclair cake to make us all just a bit oversugared:

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

"Blue Cheese Coleslaw," from Ina Garten. Available online at the Food Network website.

Meal No. 1250: Beef Tenderloin with Bernaise & Madeira Sauces and Madeira Vegetable & Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Oh my gosh. This meal was a monster and a masterpiece. I don't often go to such great lengths for a quiet weeknight evening supper but when I was looking through the latest Tupelo Honey Cafe cookbook, this recipe called my name.

The first step was making a beef broth gravy, which was itself just an ingredient in a long-simmering Madeira vegetable sauce. I also prepared a homemade Bernaise sauce. And the homemade mashed potatoes were jazzed up with some of the Madeira vegetables and goat cheese. And it's all topped with crispy Vidalia onion rings. Somewhere in there is a delicious cut of beef tenderloin. Yep. A weeknight feast.

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"Beef Tenderloin with Bernaise & Madeira Sauces and Madeira Vegetable & Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes," by Elisabeth Sims with Chef Brian Sonoskus. In Tupelo Honey Cafe: New Southern Flavors from the Blue Ridge Mountains. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing (2014), p. 156-158.

Meal No. 1249: Lamb Köfte

The lamb köfte that I made tonight is a pretty cool combination of flavors: nicely spiced lamb meatballs served on a bed of caramelized onions resting on a lemon tahini yogurt sauce on top of pan-sizzled flatbread, and flavored a little more with a nice roasted red pepper and pomegranate molasses muhammara sauce on top of it all.

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

Meal No. 1248: Rainbow Trout with Spinach & Roasted Red Peppers

I recently received the latest cookbook from Asheville's Tupelo Honey Cafe. It inspired me to make something that's completely brand new to me: rainbow trout. I'm not sure I remember ever even eating any trout. It just hasn't been on my radar.

It was a good move to give it a try, because it sure was delicious. The creamy spinach and roasted red bell peppers on top, and a bed of creamy southern stone ground grits below, added up to a fulfilling Saturday night dinner at the Roediger House.

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"Sautéed Sunburst Red Rainbow Trout with Spinach and Roasted Red Bell Peppers," by Elisabeth Sims with Chef Brian Sonoskus. In Tupelo Honey Cafe: New Southern Flavors from the Blue Ridge Mountains. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing (2014), p. 144-145.

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

Meal No. 1247: Herb-Roasted Whole Chicken with Savory Pan Gravy

The first Friday gallery hop was this evening so it was a good reason to have some folks over for a special early dinner. I'd come across a large oven stuffer on a good sale, and even though I made this same meal just last week, I'm glad there was an occasion to make it again.

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"Herb-Roasted Whole Chicken with Savory Pan Gravy," 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), p. 136-137.

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

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

Meal No. 1246: Grilled Flat Iron Steak

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

"Smashed Sweet Potatoes" (p. 128), 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. 1245: Baked Chicken Thighs

After three days of work in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, I drove in a little earlier than usual this evening and put together a comforts-of-home meal of baked chicken thighs with jerk seasoning, baked potatoes, and Brussels sprouts.

Just Desserts for the Family

My nephew Eli is pretty terrific, a very funny and easy-to-like 12-year-old. It's kind of hard to tell our baby pictures apart, and there is a perception that the similarities do not end there. For instance, as a kid, I was every bit as picky as Eli at mealtime. And he and I also seem to share a fondness for sweet goodies, so I had to put at least a couple of dessert and cookie options out there while he was visiting last week.

Mid-week, I made a batch of Cap'n Crunch cookies, but this time I was able to use Chocolatey Crunch, which I've only been able to find thus far in a Target in Virginia Beach. They don't seem to sell it around here.

The extra taste of chocolate made these already unique cookies that much more special.

The other dessert was chocolate eclair cake, a concoction I think I first encountered when I was fresh out of college and working for the President of the Baptist Retirement Homes. Our secretary Anita brought it in and I thought it was the most amazing thing.

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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.

"Chocolate Éclair Cake," a common and popular recipe.

More Rooms Restored to Use

As I noted back in the fall, the house has been in tremendous turmoil with all the floor refinishing and plaster restoration and everything else. I've managed to get rooms put back together to then have to turn them asunder again. For instance, after getting the dining room in shape after its repair and repainting near the end of the summer, I then had to turn it into a bedroom, then into a TV room, and then just into a storage room. I had a similar up-and-down with the South Parlour, which was set up again for the first time IN YEARS back in December, only to then be cramped again with shifted and stored furniture and stuff while floor refinishing was done.

The visits by my two sisters last week, though proved to be a powerful incentive to tackle some of those rooms again and also to simply clean up all the clutter and piles and mess that had built up in places like the kitchen and the master bedroom. Both the North and South Parlours are now open for visitors. The kitchen got a massive cleaning and clean-up from piles and clutter.

Here are photos of three more areas that have been brought back "online" for use:

Second Floor Center Hallway Sitting Area

My Study (temporarily a bedroom)

The Wyeth Guest Bedroom (from doorway)

The Wyeth Guest Bedroom (from windows)

Meal No. 1244: Brendan's Moroccan Bistro Chicken

Last night, for a final meal while the family was all together:

It was a fantastic week and weekend and I loved having all this time with my sisters. I don't see them enough. But maybe we'll make this happen again before too long...

Meal No. 1243: Biscuits -N- Gravy

With guests visiting, I had to give up my Saturday morning laziness that leads to yogurts and cereals instead of breakfasts. This morning, we warmed our bellies with biscuits and sausage milk gravy and a hearty helping of creamy cheese grits.

Meal No. 1242: Bacon-Wrapped Pork Filet Mignons

It's a pretty regular feature of life in the Roediger House that there will be fantastic people around the dinner table once an evening meal is being served up, but tonight was extra special. For the first time ever, I had both my sisters (Janice from down on the coast, and Allison from Indiana) here. We also had Edna Green, who's been best friends with Janice since they entered 9th grade together at Buies Creek High School...and who lives less than two blocks away from me here in downtown Winston-Salem.

Edna Green and Janice Bodenhamer
Buies Creek High School Class of 1970

I went right back to the bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin filet mignons that I tried for the first time less than two weeks ago, and they were good yet again. We also had smashed sweet potatoes and a mess of buttered peas. Folks seemed to enjoy it, and all-in-all, it was simply a wonderful evening.

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"Pork Filet Mignons with Savory Pan Sauce," in Cuisine at Home, Issue 109, February 2015, p. 56-57.

"Smashed Sweet Potatoes" (p. 128), 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. 1241: Moravian Chicken Pie

Since last night's dinner was so huge but the dinner guest list was so unexpectedly small, I had a mess of roasted chicken and delicious pan gravy on my hands. If you're from this general neck of the woods, you immediately will recognize that no other course of action is possible: it demands the making of a Moravian Chicken Pie.

I'm sure glad I did!

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"Moravian Chicken Pie," adapted from a recipe by Mimi Patterson and published in Cooking with Grace: A Collection of Favorite Recipes from Our Congregation to Your Home by the Women's Fellowship of Grave Moravian Church in Mount Airy, NC (2001), p. 47.

Meal No. 1240: Herb-Roasted Chicken with Pan Gravy

This was an evening where I had houseguests who were not clear about their plans. I expected them to be back in time for supper, so I tried to prepare a full feast that would have a chance of being enjoyed by all. Even with an early start, I still didn't put it on the table until late. Alas, apparently they weren't intending to return as I'd thought! So more than enough food and plenty of leftovers...and a fine dinner for a quiet Wednesday night in the Roediger House.

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"Herb-Roasted Whole Chicken with Savory Pan Gravy," 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), p. 136-137.

"Company Mashed Potatoes," a Jones family favorite.

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

Meal No. 1239: Risotto with Asparagus

A bowl of tasty risotto was an excellent choice for tonight's meal, with the addition of some full-bodied cut asparagus spears.

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

Meal No. 1238: Pipetizer Casserole

The meal on Monday was again an attempt to please the mix of palates around the kitchen table, and it's hard for people to turn their noses up at the cheesy meaty flavorful goodness of the comforting casserole we call Pipetizer.

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"Pipetizer Casserole" is an adaptation of "Tailgate Casserole," from The Big Book of Casseroles, by Maryana Vollstedt. San Francisco: Chronicle Books (2000), p. 120.

Meal No. 1237: Ultimate Cream of Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

The visit from out-of-town guests this week continues, and for the Sunday night meal (again, trying to get something on the table expeditiously while satisfying a particular palate) I made cream of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. The youngster enjoyed his sandwich and even tried (and perhaps liked!) the tomato soup.

All this followed a most gorgeous trek and hike up to Hanging Rock State Park, which led to the following picture of the three of us up at the top overlook:

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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. 1236: Juicy Burgers on the Grill

Houseguests arrived today from Indiana and will be here all week. When dinner time rolled around, I went both for simple and quick, but also something that I hoped would pass muster with a 12-year-old, so we had juicy burgers on the grill. I think this worked.

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

Meal No. 1235: Grilled Lamb Chops

Back home after my work in Virginia Beach, I took advantage of the nice evening to return to the grill. I also returned to grilled lamb chops, and I was glad of it. Sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts were also on the plate.

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Grilled Lamb Chops:
Based on the marinade ideas from:
"Pan-Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops," from the FoodNetwork.com.
...with instructions for grilling found at:
"Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops with Herb Aioli," by Martha Stewart. Found online.

Chocolate Pecan (Blender) Pie

When I was in upper elementary and perhaps into middle school, my mother would and me to get a hair cut by a very nice woman named Lib Keith. She's the source of the recipe that's been making folks in the Jones clan happy for many decades, and I brought it back out this past weekend so we could have some dessert for Amy Williamson's birthday dinner. Two guests at the table, who've had a lot of occasions to try Roediger House goodies, proclaimed it was the best pie they'd ever had. They might have been guilty of hyperbole, but I was glad they liked it nonetheless.

Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Pie

I suppose it's been quite a while since I made key lime pie, and yet again, it did not disappoint. This was dessert for some weeknight meals recently.

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"Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Pie," from the Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Juice website.

Meal No. 1234: Chicken with Coronation Sauce

The carry-over of the winter weather in February still managed to affect my work this week. I was scheduled to consult all five days with various schools in Virginia Beach, but the rescheduling of the Virginia writing tests eliminated Wednesday, smack dab in the middle of the week. So I figured up the number of hours I'd be spinning my wheels away from home and used that as an incentive to point my wheels back to Winston-Salem, even though it was just for an overnighter. I'll turn around and drive back tomorrow afternoon.

But I got to whip up the best version yet of the Roediger House favorite called Chicken with Coronation Sauce. It's another meal where I overdid my intake but every mouthful was delicious.

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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.

A True Coat Closet, At Last

When I bought the Roediger House in 2003, I snapped a heckuva lot of photos of the house as it was at that time. (I'm still kicking myself for all the photos that I didn't snap, such as those showing more of the original kitchen.) Here's a photo looking along the 1st floor hallway from the entry foyer towards the back of the house:

The two doors you see there no longer go to what they once did. That's because everything behind that back wall (bathrooms, mudporch, and kitchen) was demolished when I did the huge addition on the rear of the house in 2008-2009. Originally, that door on the left opened into a small vestibule, behind which was a small toilet-only water closet:

This was a poor excuse for a powder room, because there was no sink...just that lonely porcelain throne. Now, however, that door opens into a small coat closet, which has just been an empty shell since the addition was completed. And it finally boasts a shelf and a clothes rod:

Just another thing on the long list that I can check off!