What We're Eating
Birria
Birrieria Diaz
What is birria? And, more importantly, what’s so great about it that it has inspired the name of a restaurant? Spicy stews of meat that are served on special occasions, birria originates in the Mexican state of Jalisco, the same area that introduced us to the sombrero and tequila. Stewed beef or sheep is served with a spicy broth and topped with the bright flavors of cilantro and onion at this birrieria, and sizes range from small to large. Birrieria Diaz also offers traditional Mexican dishes, such as tamales, menudo and tortas, but it’s the restaurant’s namesake that is the star. 6700 NW 39th Expressway, Bethany. 405.603.1304
Breakfast Bagel
Old School Bagel Cafe
Old School Bagel is just that; they’re not serving anything fancy or new – just delicious, old-school water-boiled bagels topped simply with cream cheese or stuffed with your choice of meats, cheeses and veggies, sandwich-style. The café’s six locations statewide are teeming with hungry guests each morning, most jonesing for their breakfast bagel fix. The bagel is served with a choice of ham, bacon or sausage; egg and American cheese. Are there more elegant breakfasts? Certainly. Are there any more filling and satisfying? You’d be hard-pressed to find one. Six locations statewide. www.oldschoolbagelcafe.com
Deep Fork Grill
Deep Fork Grill is an Oklahoma City staple that regularly employs the best and brightest chefs in the metro area. Though those who lead the kitchen may change, the menu, packed with staples such as Cedar Plank Salmon and Jumbo Shrimp &Vodka Penne, stay the same. Steaks are cooked to order and served with mashed Idaho potatoes; the Prime Pork Chop is finished with a sweet apricot and ginger glaze. The Deep Fork Grill staple Rotisserie Chicken is still on the menu, as well. The half-chicken has a crispy skin and is moist and flavorful and served with mashed Idaho potatoes and sautéed green beans. For those who wish to remain meatless, try the Angry Peppers: roasted poblano and red bell peppers are tossed with mascarpone and ricotta cheeses, mushrooms, fresh spinach and fettucine. Of course, Deep Fork also boasts an extensive menu of starters, soups and salads and, of course, desserts. Don’t leave without sampling a large wedge of Deep Fork’s Lemon Ice Box Pie. 5418 N. Western, Oklahoma City. www.deepforkgrill.com
A Midtown Modern Classic
When Tim Yardy discovered his midtown Tulsa house, it was a “hodge-podge” of bad additions from several decades. “Plus, it had been vacant for over two years,” he adds.
Yardy, owner of Maison Consulting, has renovated nearly a dozen midtown houses typically built in the 1920s and ‘30s. When he purchased this property, his first located south of 36th Street, Yardy never planned on keeping it for himself until he began to realize the uniqueness of the house, the corner lot and “the amazing trees.”
So after analyzing the modern design possibilities of the existing 2,300-square-foot, 3-bedroom, 2-bath home, he called in Tulsa architect Mark Nelson, with whom he’d worked on several previous homes. “I wasn’t sure about the project at first,” says Nelson. “There were so many quirky design issues.”
“The master bedroom felt like a bunker,” says Yardy, since it was several steps below ground level with windows near the ceiling and two randomly placed ceiling beams. “We raised the floor and added beams to balance the room,” adds Nelson. A large custom bedroom door adds privacy by sliding closed on an aluminum track.
In the master bathroom, a cradle tub from Italy replaced the decades-old whirlpool, while a wall-hung cabinet and oversized floor tiles create a sleek, modern look.
“My goal was to open up the living areas to see all the way through the house,” says Yardy, so a kitchen wall was removed and a vent-a-hood was replaced with a Jenn-Air downdraft stove. The new custom cabinetry built by Architectural Interiors of Oklahoma, Inc., is a full overlay style of rough-sawn oak with a dark stain and brushed aluminum hardware, creating a classic New York modern feel. The countertops are white Caesarstone.
Throughout the living areas and kitchen, the existing exotic hardwood floor was refinished in a rich tone, and in the entry gallery, generic slate tile was removed and the concrete overlay stained. New solid core doors are dark charcoal with a hint of blue.
Most light fixtures are Robert Abbey designs from Lumens, and furnishings are a blend of modern and antique. A Mid-century Modern dining table, purchased at a local estate sale, was clad in brushed aluminum. In the adjacent living area, an inexpensive table from IKEA was transformed with stainless wrapped top and legs.
Yardy grew up amid his parents’ London furnishings store that they still own, and several striking mirrors from the store adorn the walls. Yardy is particularly proud of a pair of 1908 leather chairs, also from his parents.
One of the most unusual design choices is the lack of window coverings throughout the house. A horizontal-style fence wraps the property, creating two dramatic courtyards and a veil of privacy. Aluminum and etched glass storefront doors extend a hint of modern style to the street.
“The place really comes alive at night,” says Yardy. A wall of windows blends the outside with the interior, and one of the oldest trees in Tulsa provides a canopy of leaves across the entire courtyard. Tulsa-based landscape design firm DRM Design Group suggested repurposing 12-by-12-inch railroad ties salvaged from the original fence into a lighted exterior sculpture. Nearby, the cozy fire pit is one of Yardy’s favorite places to relax.
Behind the home, a new garage clad with a wood rainscreen system and a full view glass and aluminum garage door was added. “The new driveway blended with the concrete and rock landscaping elements creates another comfortable outdoor entertaining area,” says Nelson.
“I’m passionate about saving a great property and renovating it into what it deserves to be,” shares Yardy.
Wine Notes
While beer and white wine spritzers might be de rigueur for the warm Oklahoma summer, some people simply do not like the total conversion from the intricate, full-bodied red wines that typically accompany winter and heavier, heartier foods.
But appropriate lighter reds abound.
Rosé wines are not to be confused with blush wines, which are sweet, simple and generally loathsome to wine drinkers. Many rosés are refreshing and dry, served well chilled, and nicely accompany barbecue. Tip: Availability varies dramatically. Make sure you communicate your desire for a dry, refreshing red, lest you end up with the horror of “white zinfandel.”
Beaujolais is an underappreciated red wine ideal for the summer, with a light body, high acidity and low tannins. It’s refreshing and works with many summer food flavor profiles. Tip: Duboeuf Beaujolais Village is easy to find virtually anywhere, is inexpensive and its soft fruity undertones and crisp finish work well for dinner off the grill.
Rioja is Spain’s quintessential red wine, made mostly from Tempranillo grapes. It’s classified by age into four categories, and it’s important, for a summer wine, to opt for a Joven (youngest category variety). A two or three year old wine should be light and refreshing, crisp and a good accompaniment to light grilled and spicy foods. Tip: Availability varies, but most shops will have rioja.
Simply Healthy
The month of June makes me think of freshly cut grass, growing gardens and early June peas. Green peas are legumes that are starchy, sweet and succulent. Snow peas and sugar snap peas are a different species of legumes. Peas are excellent sources for folic acid, vitamin C, phytosterols (which lower cholesterol) and also contain protein, starchy carbohydrate, fiber and calcium.
Trio of Peas
1 c. each of snow peas and sugar snap peas
2 c. frozen peas
2 tsp. oil
4 tsp. lemon juice and lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
Stir-fry peas in a skillet; add lemon juice and tarragon. Top with lemon zest. Try the Trio of Peas side dish as a part of the following menu:
– Gingered pork tenderloin
– Trio of peas
– Cole slaw
– Fresh chilled orange sections
Pork Tenderloin
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. ginger
Brown the pork loin. Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over pork. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
The Perfect Summer Salad
When dinnertime rolls around, I no longer simply browse through my staggering arsenal of cookbooks. I love the printed word, but it can be an overwhelming task to sort through decades of great ideas, often picture-free. While I’ll always have one hand thumbing through my cookbooks for old favorites, I now have my other clicking away on my mouse. It’s not Facebook or Twitter that has garnered my attention – they don’t have any great way to share recipe ideas (although, admittedly, I can fritter away hours on both of those sites).
My newest obsession is with Pinterest, a website that can organize favorite recipes, quotes, DIY projects and more (if you can imagine it, you can Pin it), into virtual pinboards – never to be lost in a murky shortcuts folder again. Turns out, I’m not alone. Pinterest has been heralded as the fastest growing social media website in history by news outlets everywhere – comScore backed this up when they reported Pinterest is “the fastest independent site to hit 10 million monthly uniques in the U.S.”
What does this mean to me and my rush to get dinner on the table, preferably in style? I now have access to well over 10 million potential sources of inspiration, many of them food-related. The most remarkable shift in my habits is that I now no longer search Google for recipe ideas – I search Pinterest. When I type “Greek Salad” into the search box, I’m guaranteed to find the best, most beautiful and most successful recipes around. This is because each search result has been hand curated by users who have either tried the recipe, trust the source, or love the presentation – all of which help me at dinnertime. As an added bonus, since using Pinterest, the “pinnable” quality of my dinner table has drastically improved (making it so pretty, at times, I almost feel as though I’m channeling Martha Stewart, which is never a bad thing).
No longer is making a delicious Greek Salad my only option – I can now scroll through the prettiest salads on Pinterest to see how to dress up my salad in all her finery.
You can follow my pins at Pinterest.com/GlobalTable, where I hand curate the best in international food, travel, kids, and DIY projects. And, if you like this recipe, be sure to log onto www.okmag.com and Pin it!
Sasha Martin is cooking one meal for every country in the world. Her picky husband and baby girl are along for the ride. Join the adventure for recipes, reviews and more at www.globaltableadventure.com.
Authentic Greek Village Salad (Horiatiki)
Weather is heating up in Oklahoma, so try this salad to keep your kitchen cool and your guests refreshed. This Greek Salad doesn’t include lettuce, but you won’t miss it. In fact, leaving the lettuce out allows you to focus on the beautiful flavor of garden fresh veggies, without any leafy distractions – a cornucopia of fresh, crunchy goodness.
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 green pepper, sliced thinly
1/2 English cucumber sliced thinly, or 1 regular cucumber peeled and then sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
3.5 oz. feta, cubed
1/2 c. kalamata olives
For the dressing (all items are to taste):
Red wine vinegar
Olive oil
Oregano
Salt, optional
Pepper
Add all ingredients to large salad bowl. Drizzle with red wine vinegar, olive oil, and sprinkle with oregano and pepper. Salt is optional – you won’t need it if you use enough feta. Toss to combine. If you have time, let the flavors mingle for about 30 minutes. Enjoy with pita bread and a smile!
