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We've moved our blog to: awinkandapinch.com.

Hope to see you there!

Don't Burn Down the Rental: Mimi's Pepper Steak with Garlic Scapes and Rice

As a child, one of my favorite dishes was a pepper steak my mom used to make. Unlike the recipes that use a mixture of stewed bell peppers and tomatoes, this one is a rich combination of whole peppercorns, a sour cream sauce, and a flambé-style brandy finish. When I told Elliott about my dramatic experience the last time I made this dish, he assured me that he had everything under control.

The recipe calls for you to deglaze the pan with a 1/3 cup of brandy and even though Elliott only used a 1/4 cup, the show was just as spectacular. We realized that when there is an explosive flame that reaches to the ceiling, it would probably be a good idea to have an exit strategy. (After a search on the internet we learned that a nearby metal lid is the best way to snuff out pan fires) The flaming brandy was easy enough to blow out but it still got our hearts pumping and filled our already smokey apartment with another wave of brandy-flavored smoke.

Considering my mom made this recipe multiple times in our small kitchen growing up, I realized we must have either had really high ceilings or she was a bad-ass cook. Elliott and I both agree that this recipe would be best executed in larger, more modern kitchens outfitted with vented hoods. Even though most of the alcohol burns off relatively quickly, it definitely gets your pulse going.

Pepper Steak:
4 small steaks (tenderloin, rib eye or spencer cuts)
Whole peppercorns
1/3 cup brandy
2 tsp. beef bouillon
Splash of red or white wine
1 tbsp. butter
2/3 cup sour cream

Lightly pound peppercorns or leave whole as we did. Press pepper into both sides of steak and let stand for 10 minutes. Heat a skillet and rub with meat fat. Cook steak on both sides until medium rare and season with salt. Add brandy and light, covering the pan with a metal lid, if necessary. Remove meat to platter. Add the beef stock and wine and cook for 1 minute. Finish with butter and sour cream.

Garlic Scapes:
Fresh garlic scapes, trimmed
1/2 fresh tomato
Butter
Olive oil
1/2 cup of white wine

Elliott's cousin Cisco recently told us about garlic scapes, a tender offshoot of the garlic plant that is only available at the beginning of the summer season. They look like a long green bean but with the subtle flavors of garlic. Since we both love garlic, it was a great change from our usual broccoli or asparagus. Their season is short so don't miss the chance to try these curly wonders!

Sauté the scapes in a little butter and olive oil. When heated through, add the tomatoes. Once the scapes have caramelized, deglaze the pan with the wine and serve.

Family Style Pasta with a Zucchini Marinara

The other night I was feeling a bit under the weather and Elliott made me a pasta I couldn't refuse. It was a simple marinara made with zucchini, white wine, and tons of garlic. Paired with a showing of The Godfather II, it was the perfect meal to get me up and running again.

Homegrown Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

We got off the island, as we say here in West Seattle, and headed to Kent, WA last Saturday for a early Father’s Day brunch with Elliott’s family. His aunt and uncle have a great piece of property that is surrounded by rolling green hills, picket fences, and some neighboring horses. After a tasty meal and a tour of the garden, we headed back to the city life with two bags of fresh kale, chard, and rhubarb. Since we are currently addicted to strawberries, we thought what better use for the rhubarb than to mix them together and stick it all in a buttery, flakey pie crust?

Greekgasm: Lamb Sliders on Pita with an Apricot-Onion Relish

This last Sunday we had the rare treat to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. It felt like a vacation - especially with the weather jumping to the 70s - so we decided to end the day with a Greek-inspired meal. This dinner materialized partly due to our passionate love for sweet potato fries, and partly from another round of "Let's Play...Clean Out the Fridge!" 

Weather Getting You Down? Don't Get Mad, Get Stewed: Rib Eye Stew with Butternut Squash

Whenever the sun is on strike, as it so often seems to be in this part of the country, the best way to warm up is to take a hot yoga class or make a big pot of stew. Since we were both still recovering from our latest yoga adventure, we chose the easier and tastier option. Plus it seemed like the perfect companion for that night's "Game of Thrones" (Little did we know they were skipping a week for Memorial Day).

Johnny Cakes with a Twist: Heirloom Purple Corn

There's nothing better than a Sunday morning spent in bed with a good New York Times article. This last Sunday we came across a fascinating piece on how we are breeding the nutritional content out of our foods in favor of sweeter, less nutritious varieties (New York Times article). Blue corn, for example, has almost 65 times more phytonutrients than the super sweet white corn we're all familiar with. We began to brainstorm what we could do with blue or purple corn and immediately thought of Johnny Cakes.