John Keatley

Stenson leans on the bitters-stained bar at Canon.

​In most drinker's heads, the term "julep" is invariably preceded by "mint"--especially at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May. But Murray Stenson's mind is a little rangier than most. In fact, as this week's cover story chronicles, the legendary bartender's capacity for cocktail recipes is wider than the Sargasso Sea.

Having risen to national prominence at Il Bistro and the Zig Zag, the 62-year-old Stenson, whom Esquire recently named America's Best Bartender, currently works at Canon, a stalwart of Capitol Hill's ever-expanding 12th Avenue corridor. One chilly Sunday last month, when challenged to make a passable cocktail featuring the quasi-psychedelic spirit absinthe, he (very pleasantly) surprised us by whipping up an Absinthe Julep in a frosty tin mug.

Here is John Keatley's video--narrated by Stenson himself--of Stenson preparing this drink, followed by its recipe:

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​I'll be honest--sometimes I miss living in the suburbs. It's not often, but there are times, including last night when the snow was coming down at a clip, when I longed for a backyard so I could run out, scoop up a handful, and make snow cream. Because I live in the city, though, I'm fairly wary of even considering eating any snowflake that's touched down.

When I mentioned to my boyfriend how much I miss snow cream, his response was less than heartening. I think "Ewww" was the exact phrase. I admit that a snowball covered in sugar, vanilla, and milk might not sound like the best idea these days, but that he'd never tried a bowl (even as a child) threw me for a loop. In the snowy Midwest, it's almost a rite of passage.

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Photo by Renee Erickson

​In this final segment of our conversation with Renee Erickson, she shares a recipe for the turnips she was raving about in part one, here. (For the full interview, read part two here.) This simple recipe is just the kind of richly vegetal spring indulgence you'll find at Boat Street Café, and it's a great foil for their richer dishes, as well.

Roasted Turnips, Brown Butter, and Marjoram

1bunch, about 10 small white turnips from Local Roots...
1 tbl olive oil
2 tbl unsalted butter
fleur de sel or kosher salt
pepper
1 tbl lemon juice
1/8 cup marjoram leaves picked from the stem

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Sure, this cookbook won't be going down into the Recipe Hall of Fame like Julia Child's, but who pays attention to that anyway?

​I am no nana. I am definitely not from Urbana, Ohio. And my name doesn't rhyme with Anna (in case you were wondering).

But I do have an ancient cookbook in-hand, filled with recipes put together by who are now grannies of the homey United Methodist Church of Urbana. And it's aching to be put to use.

We found the book hidden in the desk of a former SW employee who hails from Iowa, and we were enticed to do some investigating. The book itself has no notation as to who is responsible for its creation, but beside each recipe is the name of its contributor. After looking up a majority of the names, most of whom obituaries revealed were dead, I came upon what I believed to be the head granny of the Urbana United Methodist Church.

Phyllis Youtz, who is now 81, is the president of the church's chapter of United Methodist Women and one of the book's main contributors. After having left a few inquisitive messages on her home phone, Youtz called me back with serious confusion as to how I even knew the book existed: "I pulled mine out after I got the call from you, and I was talking with some church members and we were looking through the book together," she said. "I hadn't seen it in years, but there are some great recipes in here. It's a wonder how it got all the way to Seattle." To explain the background of this mysterious cookbook, she gave me the number of a person she calls "a little, young, Chinese minister."

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credit: shop.bluebirdgrainfarms.com

​Zephyr Paquette is the mastermind behind the savory dishes and gorgeous baked goods at Elliott Bay Café. This is part three of our conversation with her. To learn more about Paquette and the café she runs, read part one and two of our conversation. Her coconut milk-infused wholegrain risotto is the perfect example of Paquette's commitment to delicious, locally grown food.

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Image courtesy of Sedat Uysal.

​This is part three of our conversation with Sedat Uysal, the man behind the savory platters and succulent Turkish dishes at Café Paloma. To learn more about Uysal and his restaurant, read part one and two of our conversation. This phyllo-wrapped chicken entreé is Uysal's favorite meal right now. This dish is on the menu at Cafe Paloma, so you can visit his café for a taste of one, or make your own.

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Image courtesy of Belle Epicurean.

A finished decadence cake at Belle Epicurean that has been unmolded and dipped in dark chocolate.

​This recipe is part three of our conversation with Carolyn Ferguson, the mastermind of all things sweet, buttery, and flaky at Belle Epicurean. To learn more about Ferguson, read part one and part two of our talk. These little chocolate cakes are individually-sized, so you get the pleasure of having one all to yourself.

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Photo by Lara Ferroni

​These green tea cookies are a signature treat created by Fresh Flours, in Phinney and Ballard. Etsuko Minematsu is one half of the couple behind the pair of bakeries in Phinney and Ballard; her husband, Keiji Koh, is head baker. This recipe is part three of our time with her; read part one and part two, where she tells of the couple's culinary inspirations, what kinds of pastries she'd like to make, and where the pair go for sushi. The recipe is after the jump.

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credit: commons.wikimedia.org

​Diane Skwiercz plans to launch her dessert truck, Street Treats, in early May. This recipe is part three of our time with her; read part one and part two, here and here, where she talks of her plans, and her menu. This recipe is an easy one, requiring only some melting, and no baking.

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credit: flickr.com/photos/jypsygen/

Cabbage is front and center here, though your results may not look quite like this.

​This is part three of our conversation with Assimba's Messeret Habeti. To read part one and two, go here and here. Habeti was in the kitchen when I met her, cooking using a great vat of a pan, using what looked like an oar to stir a mass of simmering lentils. She didn't want to give specifics for this recipe, so this one assumes that you know how to cook, and that you'll make your own judgments as to measurements and proportion. Or perhaps that you'll go to her restaurant and order this dish, so you know what you're aiming for.

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