Meals with multiple parts or why I am a traitor to my generation.

Darlings,Happy Friday!I thought I would share a wonderful recipe for you today. This is such a great recipe for a whole lot of reasons. First of all, it's really delicious - the perfect mix  of spicy and sweet. It's a perfect winter dinner, one that feeds your mind, body and soul.I love dinners that have multiple pieces to them - which I think puts me in the minority for my generation. Those Tasty videos? I get it, but I don't have to like it. It's another way that we have stopped taking a real interest in anything and instead look for instant understanding and instant gratification. I like to get to know my food - it makes it more pliable, it makes the options endless.Anyway, darlings, I don't want to make anyone feel bad, I just want you to understand that when you know about your meat (and darlings, I'm not talking about the provenance) and know about your flavors and know about your vegetables, you can pretty much make a piece of art out of anything. And the wonderful thing about cooking is that anyone can do it and be good at it. It's not like painting or sculpting or music. Those are things that (let's be honest darlings) take innate talent, which coupled with hard work and dedication let you become a master of your craft.Cooking, darlings, Cooking is something we do to stay alive.If you want to be a good cook, you can become a good cook - it's a life source.For my entire life, my mother was convinced that she couldn't cook. And darlings, there were incidents to corroborate her self-identification as a bad cook (I mean, she literally couldn't boil an egg) - but somehow, she is now a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen. I think something just breathed some new life into and made her realize what everyone already knew about my mom - she can do anything she sets her mind to. Now she makes banana bread by the triplets, chicken cutlets, and of course, pesto, the old standby.All I'm saying darlings, is that you don't have to dumb yourself down to a 30 second recipe on facebook. Take a little time and try to enjoy it. And I promise it will then taste so much better than any taco dip could.Bulgogi-ish Beef Bowl  (It's not really, because the beef is Korean inspired, the rice is Japanese, and the vegetables are well, crunchy and delicious)INGREDIENTS For the beef1 lb flank steak, sliced against the grain in about 1inch thick slices1/4 c. brown sugar1/4 c. soy sauce1/8 c. toasted sesame oil1 tablespoon fresh ginger5 cloves garlic1 orange, juiced2 tbsp. Rice wine vinegar4 dried thai chilis (take it down to 2 if you aren't that interested in spice)Grapeseed oil, or another neutral oil, to coat the panSesame seeds to coatLimes for garnishFor the rice 1 1/2 c. short grain rice, I prefer Calrose 3 c. water3 tbsp Rice Wine vinegar1 tbsp sugar1/2 tsp. saltFor the cold vegetables 1 red pepper, julienne1 avocado, sliced1 bunch scallions1 cucumber, in batons2 tbsp rice wine vinegar1 tbsp toasted sesame oil1 tsp red chili flakesFor the hot vegetables1 crown broccoli, chopped into florets8 mushrooms, sliced thin1 large nub ginger, slicedMETHOD

1. Marinate the Meat - In a blender or food processor, mix all ingredients until they form a thick liquid, almost a paste. Cover the meat with the mixture, and refrigerate for at least an hour. I usually do this before I leave for work and let it marinate all day. Take it out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you intend to cook it (I take mine out about an hour before, but I know some people are weirded out by warming up your meat that much before you cook it. Stop being so PRECIOUS darlings.)

2. Prepare the rice - Combine the water and rice (rinse it if you want, I never do)  in a pot. Bring to a boil and then bring down to a simmer and cook, covered, on low for 20 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, salt and sugar. Add warm rice to this bowl and mix with a flat spoon. Cover to keep warm.3.  Prepare the hot vegetables - Steam your broccoli, mushrooms and ginger.4. Prepare the cold vegetables - In a dish, cover your pepper, cucumber and avocado with the oil, vinegar and pepper.5. Cook the meat - Get a large cast iron pan hot. Get some neutral oil in there (grapeseed is what I prefer). Throw your scallions in and cook until nice and wilted. Remove the scallions and place them on top of your cold vegetables.In batches, sear the meat. I would say for meat this thin, cooking it about 1 minute on each side will suffice.Sprinkle with sesame seeds.6. Build your bowl - I start with so much rice (darlings, how can people get rid of rice in their diets? It is an incredible gift to humanity), add the hot vegetables, meat and some of the sticky pan juice you'll have and then top with the cold vegetables (and usually an extra splash of sesame oil because I am a heathen!)xoxolcf