Month: April 2017

Breaking the Mold

Dr. Linda Yancey excels in the male-dominated medical world of infectious disease

Katy Magazine, April 2017

Written by Gail G. Collins

When a Texas A&M undergrad in biology signed up for a rusty professor’s microbiology class, her life’s work came into focus. Today, Dr. Linda Yancey is a rarity, where only a handful of the women studying internal medicine go on to become infectious disease specialists (IDS). She also holds a position as chief of staff, where the demographics of executive positions have been slow to shift to women.

Dr. Yancey graduated from medical school at Texas Tech in 1996 and did her residency at Arizona’s Mayo Clinic. She returned to Texas for a fellowship at Baylor after the birth of her first child. The new doctor moved down the street from her in-laws and had three more children, calling Katy home.

Dr. Mom

“The work-life balance is most challenging, and more so for female physicians,” says Dr. Yancey. “Doctors don’t have the option of closing the clinic because their own child is sick.” Her husband, Lanier Ripple Jr., is a software developer and works from home. It has been a major win for their family as childcare issues often fall to the mother, and Yancey praises his career support.

What children see in their home life is normal, and often it is enlightening and funny. When Yancey’s oldest daughters were 5 and 7 years of age, they were together in the car traveling from a baby shower, rife with female physicians. The older daughter wondered aloud if men could be doctors. Before Dr. Yancey could speak, the sister answered in a tone that implied it was stupidest question she had ever heard, saying, “No, only girls are allowed to be doctors.” Dr. Yancey burst out laughing before she could confirm that, despite the recent evidence, both men and women can be doctors.

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Kings of SIZZLE

Horsemen Lodge Steaks a Claim on an Iconic Meal

Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine, April 2017

Written by Gail Collins

Steak. The word brings meat to mind. Not just any beef, but a premium, savored experience. While the term steak defines any fast-cooking cut, most of us wouldn’t be so generous. Taste, tenderness and marbling all play a part in making a steak great.

In general, meat is muscle, so the choicest steaks are sliced from lesser-used muscle areas. The loin or backstrap runs along either side of the spine in long, tender muscles outside the ribs. The tenderloin or filet mignon lies on the inside of the ribs below mid-spine. From these two muscles come four ideal candidates for steaks:  ribeye, tenderloin, strip and T-bone. In each of these cuts, fine flecks of fat—called marbling—baste the meat with flavor.

Though diners may have preferences, there are a few classic culinary rules for achieving steak nirvana. First, apply generous amounts of coarse Kosher salt to meat left at room temperature for 30 minutes. Brush with clarified butter or oil to prevent sticking and use a smoking hot grill. This shortens cooking time for more tender beef, adding a flavorful crust. Lastly, after cooking, let the steak rest for a few moments to absorb the pockets of juice. Most consider the ideal steak to be an inch-and-a-half ribeye, served medium rare with a pink, warm middle plus sufficient char.

Steak is an iconic meal, and northeast of Flagstaff—a few miles up U.S. 89—an icon has been serving them for more than four decades. Horsemen Lodge Steakhouse opened in 1975 and quickly became a hangout for Babbitt cowboys working on the CO Bar Ranch. The restaurant name pays homage to the ranch lifestyle in its authentic details—Western art, six-shooters, brands, chaps and spurs—and its cowboy-inspired menu, featuring steak. This has won the rustic outpost the Arizona Daily Sun’s Best of Flagstaff Award for Best Steak for two years running.  Kudos to majority owner Steve Alvin for rebuilding Horsemen’s status and presence in the community.

Continue reading “Kings of SIZZLE”