Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Pretty Pictures
Here are some more pictures from school- as promised a long, long time ago....
Blood orange granita in a tuile cookie bowl:
Calamari stuffed with bacon and roasted red peppers:
Pan-seared snapper with saffron rice, asparagus and a dill butter sauce:
Pan-seared duck with forbidden black rice, baby bok choy and lemongrass-ginger gastrique sauce:
Muscat granita with grapefruit brulee:
Roasted duck breast with pommes parisienne and prunes poached in anisette:
Hamachi crudo with seaweed and sea foam:
Poached salmon, citrus and watercress salad (with garlic and almond soup in background):
Roasted trout with blue spruce needles, pine nuts and juniper:
No-knead bread from the other night:
Blood orange granita in a tuile cookie bowl:
Calamari stuffed with bacon and roasted red peppers:
Pan-seared snapper with saffron rice, asparagus and a dill butter sauce:
Pan-seared duck with forbidden black rice, baby bok choy and lemongrass-ginger gastrique sauce:
Muscat granita with grapefruit brulee:
Roasted duck breast with pommes parisienne and prunes poached in anisette:
Hamachi crudo with seaweed and sea foam:
Poached salmon, citrus and watercress salad (with garlic and almond soup in background):
Roasted trout with blue spruce needles, pine nuts and juniper:
No-knead bread from the other night:
Training, Eating, Training, Eating
That's how it's been going these days. Things have been going well the last few weeks: weather has been fantastic, road and trails have been in great shape and I've been whipping up some delicious food items in my spare time. This year I've been getting out for some more group rides and have been enjoying the Tuesday-Thursday rides from Peloton Cycles- they are short but hard (and they leave at 11:07- don't ask me why). Ben has been consistently kicking my butt on all our training rides, and that has been helping me to dig deep. And when you dig deep, you have to eat cookies... (My lame attempt at weaving in a cookie recipe).
(note: don't fear the tahini! )
Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Cookies
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I used Bob's Red Mill High Fiber hot cereal instead)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup tahini
4 tbsp butter, melted
1/3 cup molasses (can sub sugar or honey)
1/3 cup agave nectar (can sub sugar or honey)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 egg whites
Pre-heat oven to 350.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another bowl.
Mix the two together.
Drop spoonfuls of dough on cookie sheet and flatten by pressing gently with damp fingers.
Bake until golden brown.
Try not to eat them all at once.
I have also been making a ton of bread- and I just got a bunch of different flours from my cousin's organic grain farm/mill in Washington: Bluebird Grain Farms . I made some 100% whole wheat bread today that was awesome- especially with some homemade vegetable soup.
(note: don't fear the tahini! )
Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Cookies
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I used Bob's Red Mill High Fiber hot cereal instead)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup tahini
4 tbsp butter, melted
1/3 cup molasses (can sub sugar or honey)
1/3 cup agave nectar (can sub sugar or honey)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 egg whites
Pre-heat oven to 350.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another bowl.
Mix the two together.
Drop spoonfuls of dough on cookie sheet and flatten by pressing gently with damp fingers.
Bake until golden brown.
Try not to eat them all at once.
I have also been making a ton of bread- and I just got a bunch of different flours from my cousin's organic grain farm/mill in Washington: Bluebird Grain Farms . I made some 100% whole wheat bread today that was awesome- especially with some homemade vegetable soup.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
No-knead bread: you need this recipe.
The past few weeks have been pretty uneventful- hence my lack of posts. I've been enjoying not having to drive to Boulder 3 days a week, and it's been nice to be able to focus on training. I have also discovered no-knead bread, and I'm jumping on the bandwagon! This bread is SO easy and there are endless variations. So far I've made a whole wheat version and a rosemary-rye version. All you need is a little time.
Here's the recipe for basic no-knead bread:
3 cups flour
1.5 cups water
1/4 tsp yeast
1.5 tsp salt
Dissolve yeast in water
Mix flour and salt, add to wet ingredients and mix until combined
(Dough will be sticky)
Cover with plastic wrap and leave on counter for 12-18hrs (dough should be bubbly by then)
Gently turn out onto well-floured surface
Fold in sides, top, bottom (like wrapping a present), then cover loosely w/ plastic and let rest 15 mins (you might be able to skip this step, but I haven't tried yet)
Place seam-side down in bowl lined w/ parchment, cover and leave for 1 hr
Pre-heat oven to 475 with a dutch oven or other baking dish (that has a lid) inside during the pre-heat
Gently pour dough into hot pan, seam-side up and bake, covered for 30 mins (You can sprinkle wheat bran or some extra flour on top before putting it in oven)
Remove cover and bake 15 more mins
Remove from oven and cool 1 hr before slicing
It seems like a lot of steps, but really it is so easy, and the bread is delicious- crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. It rivals any bakery bread I've ever had. So I've been experimenting with different versions and so far haven't found one I didn't like. The bread makes fantastic cinnamon toast, french toast, regular toast, pretty much anything...
It even passes the Dusty test.
For the whole wheat version I used 1 cup whole wheat and 2 cups regular flour. For the rosemary-rye version, I used 1 cup dark rye flour, 2 cups regular flour and a few stalks of fresh rosemary.
I also made a delicious coconut-crusted salmon tonight- very easy and TASTY too!
Here's what I did:
You'll need:
finely shredded unsweetened coconut
fine breadcrumbs- good use for old bread
salt and pepper
coriander
turmeric (optional)
lime juice
Pre-heat oven to 375
Mix equal parts coconut and breadcrumbs. Add a pinch or two of turmeric.
Rinse and dry salmon fillets, then sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper and coriander.
Squeeze lime juice over fillets and then dredge in the coconut mixture, coating both sides.
Heat (on high) some canola oil in an oven-proof skillet.
Add fish, skin side up, and sear until the flesh side is golden, then flip and place in oven to finish cooking.
Enjoy!
Here's the recipe for basic no-knead bread:
3 cups flour
1.5 cups water
1/4 tsp yeast
1.5 tsp salt
Dissolve yeast in water
Mix flour and salt, add to wet ingredients and mix until combined
(Dough will be sticky)
Cover with plastic wrap and leave on counter for 12-18hrs (dough should be bubbly by then)
Gently turn out onto well-floured surface
Fold in sides, top, bottom (like wrapping a present), then cover loosely w/ plastic and let rest 15 mins (you might be able to skip this step, but I haven't tried yet)
Place seam-side down in bowl lined w/ parchment, cover and leave for 1 hr
Pre-heat oven to 475 with a dutch oven or other baking dish (that has a lid) inside during the pre-heat
Gently pour dough into hot pan, seam-side up and bake, covered for 30 mins (You can sprinkle wheat bran or some extra flour on top before putting it in oven)
Remove cover and bake 15 more mins
Remove from oven and cool 1 hr before slicing
It seems like a lot of steps, but really it is so easy, and the bread is delicious- crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. It rivals any bakery bread I've ever had. So I've been experimenting with different versions and so far haven't found one I didn't like. The bread makes fantastic cinnamon toast, french toast, regular toast, pretty much anything...
It even passes the Dusty test.
For the whole wheat version I used 1 cup whole wheat and 2 cups regular flour. For the rosemary-rye version, I used 1 cup dark rye flour, 2 cups regular flour and a few stalks of fresh rosemary.
I also made a delicious coconut-crusted salmon tonight- very easy and TASTY too!
Here's what I did:
You'll need:
finely shredded unsweetened coconut
fine breadcrumbs- good use for old bread
salt and pepper
coriander
turmeric (optional)
lime juice
Pre-heat oven to 375
Mix equal parts coconut and breadcrumbs. Add a pinch or two of turmeric.
Rinse and dry salmon fillets, then sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper and coriander.
Squeeze lime juice over fillets and then dredge in the coconut mixture, coating both sides.
Heat (on high) some canola oil in an oven-proof skillet.
Add fish, skin side up, and sear until the flesh side is golden, then flip and place in oven to finish cooking.
Enjoy!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
2009 'Cross Worlds: Race Report
Well, the 'cross season is finally over, I graduated from my culinary program, and MTB season is just around the corner. The last couple of weeks have been pretty crazy, but I am finally starting to get caught up, so here's the race report:
Waldek and I arrived in Frankfurt, Germany on Thursday morning and drove to Antwerp where we would be staying. Antwerp is a really cool city, right on a river with lots of great restaurants and scenic squares to walk around (even though Waldek said it reminded him of the eastern block, I think he had fun too- especially once we found a Thai restaurant). We went for a short jog, just to stretch out the legs, then went to the Team USA hotel to pick up race clothing and meet with the USAcycling staff.
The next day we slept in a little and then headed to the course. It was about 1pm on Friday when I got out for my first pre-ride laps, and I was impressed with how many people were out watching- the pre-ride. There wasn't any racing on Friday, and there were tons of spectators out on the course. The course was tough- there was a long paved section, some fast flat stuff on grass, a few chicanes and a couple of short steep ups and downs. There were some areas with sandier soil, but most of the turns on dirt and some of the ups and downs were pretty greasy, and it was tough to carry much speed around them. It seemed like it was getting softer and slimier the more I rode. I decided since our race was in the morning, it would be a good idea to pre-ride in the morning on Saturday, to see if the course would be more frozen- that way I would have a good idea what to expect no matter what the temperature on Sunday.
I got up early on Saturday, to get my training in before the Junior race. Sure enough, the course was totally frozen Saturday morning and seemed to be way faster. I rode a few laps hard to make sure I got good and opened-up for the race, and I was excited. I was feeling good, was confident about the training I had gotten in while I was at home and was optimistic about my chances of winning a medal.
Race day rolled around and I was nervous, but also thrilled to be at my first 'cross worlds. It was pretty cold, and the course was still frozen and fast. I rode a lap before starting my warm-up just to make sure nothing had changed, then I got on the trainer and warmed up.
My call-up was the first on the third row, and I was able to take a spot on the far left side which would be good considering the first turn was a 90 degree right-hand turn on cobblestones (they were pretty smooth, but still...) The start was fast, and as I was coming up to the first corner I heard brakes squealing, and I saw women crashing on the inside of the turn. Then I saw another crash on the outside as women swept wide to avoid the other crash. I came to almost a complete stop, but was able to thread the needle between the two crashes and set out to try to catch up. The first few corners were fast, the field was already strung out, and everybody was pinning it, so there wasn't much chance to move up. I picked off a few places in the woods before the run-up, but there was still a gap that I just couldn't close. Whenever I would get to one of the down-up chicanes, I could see the group ahead of me going up the hill, but I just couldn't get there. Every time I came out onto the pavement, I was by myself- there was no wheel to suck for even a moment. Maryline Salvetat came by me on the second lap and I didn't really have the jump to go with her, but that was the only spot I lost the whole race. A few women popped off the chase group, and I was able to pick them off, but there wasn't really much racing for me- mostly just a time-trial. I ended up finishing 13th, the first person behind the chase group. Pretty disappointing.
I guess the biggest frustration for me was that I didn't feel like my fitness was the problem. I'm sure I could have stayed in the chase group if I could have made it there. The course was just so fast, I couldn't close the gap. It was a good experience though- it seems like there are a lot of races like that in Europe: races where tactics and road-racing experience are beneficial (a bunch sprint for 4th-12th?). I think each race I do gives me something new to work on, and I think that all that racing will help me in future races- 'cross and MTB. But I know I could have done better, and it's frustrating to end the season with a race like that. But there's always next year.
All in all, I am happy with my 'cross season. And I'm really glad I decided to go over and do some racing in Europe, because now I now what I need to work on for next year (don't worry, I'm not turning into a roadie...).
My "graduation" from culinary school was on Wednesday, and I decided that I'm not driving to Boulder for a year. The time commitment was definitely more than I was bargaining for, but I'm really glad I took the class (and so are Dusty and Ben- the most recent beneficiaries of my new skills). It will be nice to be able to focus on training for the next few weeks- MTB season will be here before we know it.
Waldek and I arrived in Frankfurt, Germany on Thursday morning and drove to Antwerp where we would be staying. Antwerp is a really cool city, right on a river with lots of great restaurants and scenic squares to walk around (even though Waldek said it reminded him of the eastern block, I think he had fun too- especially once we found a Thai restaurant). We went for a short jog, just to stretch out the legs, then went to the Team USA hotel to pick up race clothing and meet with the USAcycling staff.
The next day we slept in a little and then headed to the course. It was about 1pm on Friday when I got out for my first pre-ride laps, and I was impressed with how many people were out watching- the pre-ride. There wasn't any racing on Friday, and there were tons of spectators out on the course. The course was tough- there was a long paved section, some fast flat stuff on grass, a few chicanes and a couple of short steep ups and downs. There were some areas with sandier soil, but most of the turns on dirt and some of the ups and downs were pretty greasy, and it was tough to carry much speed around them. It seemed like it was getting softer and slimier the more I rode. I decided since our race was in the morning, it would be a good idea to pre-ride in the morning on Saturday, to see if the course would be more frozen- that way I would have a good idea what to expect no matter what the temperature on Sunday.
I got up early on Saturday, to get my training in before the Junior race. Sure enough, the course was totally frozen Saturday morning and seemed to be way faster. I rode a few laps hard to make sure I got good and opened-up for the race, and I was excited. I was feeling good, was confident about the training I had gotten in while I was at home and was optimistic about my chances of winning a medal.
Race day rolled around and I was nervous, but also thrilled to be at my first 'cross worlds. It was pretty cold, and the course was still frozen and fast. I rode a lap before starting my warm-up just to make sure nothing had changed, then I got on the trainer and warmed up.
My call-up was the first on the third row, and I was able to take a spot on the far left side which would be good considering the first turn was a 90 degree right-hand turn on cobblestones (they were pretty smooth, but still...) The start was fast, and as I was coming up to the first corner I heard brakes squealing, and I saw women crashing on the inside of the turn. Then I saw another crash on the outside as women swept wide to avoid the other crash. I came to almost a complete stop, but was able to thread the needle between the two crashes and set out to try to catch up. The first few corners were fast, the field was already strung out, and everybody was pinning it, so there wasn't much chance to move up. I picked off a few places in the woods before the run-up, but there was still a gap that I just couldn't close. Whenever I would get to one of the down-up chicanes, I could see the group ahead of me going up the hill, but I just couldn't get there. Every time I came out onto the pavement, I was by myself- there was no wheel to suck for even a moment. Maryline Salvetat came by me on the second lap and I didn't really have the jump to go with her, but that was the only spot I lost the whole race. A few women popped off the chase group, and I was able to pick them off, but there wasn't really much racing for me- mostly just a time-trial. I ended up finishing 13th, the first person behind the chase group. Pretty disappointing.
I guess the biggest frustration for me was that I didn't feel like my fitness was the problem. I'm sure I could have stayed in the chase group if I could have made it there. The course was just so fast, I couldn't close the gap. It was a good experience though- it seems like there are a lot of races like that in Europe: races where tactics and road-racing experience are beneficial (a bunch sprint for 4th-12th?). I think each race I do gives me something new to work on, and I think that all that racing will help me in future races- 'cross and MTB. But I know I could have done better, and it's frustrating to end the season with a race like that. But there's always next year.
All in all, I am happy with my 'cross season. And I'm really glad I decided to go over and do some racing in Europe, because now I now what I need to work on for next year (don't worry, I'm not turning into a roadie...).
My "graduation" from culinary school was on Wednesday, and I decided that I'm not driving to Boulder for a year. The time commitment was definitely more than I was bargaining for, but I'm really glad I took the class (and so are Dusty and Ben- the most recent beneficiaries of my new skills). It will be nice to be able to focus on training for the next few weeks- MTB season will be here before we know it.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Question
I don't have anything too exciting to report (I will post some more photos from school soon...) so I'll take some time to answer a question I recently received in an email from Joe Mason:
"Last night, when my wife, who races road bikes, and I were watching the Tour Down Under podium girls kiss the winner of the stage, she wondered if they have hunky podium guys for women’s pro races. I thought it was a fair question and I haven’t seen a women’s pro road race podium in person. Are there hot podium guys in cute outfits for the women?"
I can only speak from my experience in 'cross and MTB racing, but to answer your question, no, no hunky podium guys. Wait, I take that back, a few years ago at CX nationals Chris Horner was our podium guy. And one time my little brother (11 years old) was our podium guy. But that's about it. At the Cyclocross World Cup in Nommay, France they had podium girls for the elite women's podium, so at least we got to kiss somebody. A lot of times we just get the race promoter or an official up there. I've given Bruce Fina (of the USGP races) some sugar on more than one occasion...
So I hope that answers your question. And if you can round up some hunky guys for any races next year, I'm in.
Got a question? Send me an email.
"Last night, when my wife, who races road bikes, and I were watching the Tour Down Under podium girls kiss the winner of the stage, she wondered if they have hunky podium guys for women’s pro races. I thought it was a fair question and I haven’t seen a women’s pro road race podium in person. Are there hot podium guys in cute outfits for the women?"
I can only speak from my experience in 'cross and MTB racing, but to answer your question, no, no hunky podium guys. Wait, I take that back, a few years ago at CX nationals Chris Horner was our podium guy. And one time my little brother (11 years old) was our podium guy. But that's about it. At the Cyclocross World Cup in Nommay, France they had podium girls for the elite women's podium, so at least we got to kiss somebody. A lot of times we just get the race promoter or an official up there. I've given Bruce Fina (of the USGP races) some sugar on more than one occasion...
So I hope that answers your question. And if you can round up some hunky guys for any races next year, I'm in.
Got a question? Send me an email.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Dinner
Here are some more photos from school:
Gravlax with potato pancake and mixed greens:
Pan-seared Striped Bass with lemon beurre blanc, sauteed spinach and rice pilaf:
Scallops with Cider Mornay sauce, Duchesse potatoes and glazed turnips:
Duck confit with mixed greens and dried cherries:
Pork tenderloin with pear chutney, rice pilaf and vegetables:
Gravlax with potato pancake and mixed greens:
Pan-seared Striped Bass with lemon beurre blanc, sauteed spinach and rice pilaf:
Scallops with Cider Mornay sauce, Duchesse potatoes and glazed turnips:
Duck confit with mixed greens and dried cherries:
Pork tenderloin with pear chutney, rice pilaf and vegetables:
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