SheROX Danskin NE 2009

Location: Webster, MA
Distance: Sprint (.5mi s, 12mi b, 2.9mi r)
Time: 7am start (in waves 3min apart)
Weather: Cloudy and humid
Participants: 2698 (!!)

Transition Area

Pre-race
Park, ride/walk to the race site. Find where I'm supposed to set up my stuff (based on swim waves/age group), setup and get marked.


Filled up my water bottle in the lake and double checked everything before making a pit stop ;)

Swim
I was in wave 26... which meant I was starting well over an hour after we were forced to leave the transition area. Luckily I ran into my parents and two of my friends who surprised me by driving up that morning (thanks guys!!!) and was able to stay relatively calm while I waited for my turn.

in water start (i'm in the white top)

I made my way to the beach in time for my wave to be shuffled into the corral, then into the water. Before I knew it we were off! I'd be lying if I said it was warm, but the initial chill wore off pretty quickly :) The water was very clear, almost disturbingly so! I didn't settle down as much as I would've liked, but it turned out to be my fastest swim yet (11:53)--did I take a short cut?? ;)

T1
Over the timing mat, up the beach, a quick rinse into some sneakers before running through a parking lot and to the furthest corner of the transition area. Socks and bike shoes on, gloves, helmet, shirt... grab my bike and go!

T1

Bike
I had heard about a hill on the bike, but I goofed the day before and we didn't actually get to drive the course. Despite not knowing what to expect, I made it up the hill (albeit very slowly), only to see a sharp right turn at the bottom of the nice downhill. So much for picking up speed! Turns out the bike course is full of rolling hills, but I felt pretty good for the rest of it. I finished the bike with an average of 16.4mph (43:46). I forgot to check my bike computer beforehand, so things weren't aligned after the trip and I have no idea how I did on the different parts of the course. I think I lost a lot of time on the hill--Anyone have any tips for climbing on a road bike?? This is definitely something I need to practice this a bit more, as I wasn't as comfortable climbing on my bike (like I am in spinning :/ ).

The end of the bike...

T2
Another long run with my bike to where my stuff was set up. I changed my shoes, took off shades (it wasn't sunny)/gloves/helmet, grabbed my race belt and stood there for a second thinking I had forgotten something. Probably a waste of time as I didn't think of anything else, but oh well!

Run
My left ankle was extremely tight/inflexible for the first 1/3 of the run... it's something I've been working through with stretching and ART, but it's never been this bad. Eventually it loosened up, but I was no longer thinking about it... instead I was thinking about the hills! No one ever mentioned the rolling hills on the run!!! I am indebted to the woman who was standing just short of the turnaround with her hose on for all of us :)

Nearing the finish, I look a little worse for the wear!

Just before the last turn into the park where our transition area was, a 22 year old passed me (age is marked on our legs). Up to this point I had only seen women in their 30s and 40s, so I tried to keep up with her and finish strong. I started to kick a bit too early, the finish line seemed to be getting further away! It didn't turn out as bad as I thought (22:36, 8:22 pace), but keeping in mind that I haven't been training as much due to the above-mentioned therapy and I don't have a hilly race to compare the time to... I guess it'll do ;)

chug chug chug

As soon as I crossed the finish line and got my chip taken off, I made a beeline for the fuel tent. I didn't eat or drink that much on the bike (2 luna moons-forgot my Clif shot blocks- and 1/2 water bottle), so I was thirsty!! I grabbed water, WATERMELON, half a banana, and some Bear Naked Granola (the native mango, agave, & almond flavor is awesome) with yogurt. I found my cheering squad, went back for more watermelon, and did a little stretching while we hung around the finish line.

Me and the rents :)

I'm still a little amazed and psyched about my final time... 1:26:57, which put me 17th in my age group (out of 211). Must've been all your good luck messages! It was awesome to have family and friends cheering me on, made this race very special :) I can't thank them enough for getting up so early on a Sunday morning!

While this was much larger than other tri's I've done, it's inspiring to see so many women accomplish such an amazing feat. The environment is so supportive, if you're hesitant at all, this is the forum to do it in! That is, for you ladies out there ;)

I've already signed up to do my next sprint tri, and am thinking about another one Sept 12th. Anyone want to join me??

Playboy Club

It's a myth that celebrities are interesting. My definition of torture would be to share laundry day with Jennifer Aniston, or Thanksgiving with Michael Moore. I'd have to bring my own doggy bag to that gig, given Mr Moore's evident appetite.

Everyday people have the best stories, because they're not imbued with ego. Tonight, for example, I was chatting to a woman with whom I have been acquainted for a while. For no apparent reason, she decided to tell me her life story, almost the least of which was that she had been a Playboy Bunny.

I'm not certain if 'Bunny' should be capitalized. On reflection, it should.

Gloria Steinem famously went undercover as a Bunny, where she discovered that cocktailing is hard work with false ears or without. My friend Lisa remembered her time there as a great way to learn the bar trade while making gigunda tips. She laughed recalling her big, black Bunny Mother who turned her modest bosom into something more, and taught her how to carry trays of drinks while tottering on five inch heels.

Which reinforces how Steinem's self-serving tale is nothing compared to real life. The celebrity culture has a way of making a point about our lives through the lives of the famous. But to my mind there is often no point to be made. Life is its own reward.

Summer Grilling: Skewered Shrimps & Cherry Tomatoes

Festive enough for a party, quick-and-easy for everyday cooking, skewered shrimp and cherry tomatoes are ready to serve in 30 minutes.

A few words about the convenience of shrimp. In my experience, shrimp that come already shelled and deveined have less flavor and are more susceptible to freezer burn. If you buy shrimp in the shell, the benefits outweigh the added work. Buy the large sized ones (30-35/pound).

Removing the shell is easy enough, if a bit tedious. Grasp the legs in one hand while you rotate the shrimp with your other hand. The shell will come off easily. If you want the tail meat to stay on the shrimp, pinch the very tip of the tail with your fingers and gently pull the meat away from the shell.

With a sharp paring knife, cut down the back of the shrimp, pull away the vein, and discard. Wash the shrimp thoroughly, drain, and keep cold until ready to use.

Save the shells. Put them in a pan with a 1/2 cup water and simmer 10 minutes. Strain and discard the shells. Use the stock to make pasta sauce. To save for later use, freeze the shrimp stock in an airtight container. If any ice crystals accumulate on the stock, while still frozen, wash the crystals off with cold water before defrosting.

To freeze shrimp without fear of freezer burn, toss the deveined shrimp in olive oil, seasoned with sea salt and pepper. Place in a Ziploc-style plastic bag, squeeze out the air, and seal tightly. Flatten out the bag so the shrimp lay next to each other so they'll freeze individually. That way you can remove a few of the shrimp at a time. Lay flat in the freezer.

Skewered Cherry Tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes are plentiful in the summer. Grilled, their sweetness is accentuated.

Yield 4 servings

Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 basket cherry tomatoes, washed, stems removed
1/4 cup olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

Method

If you're using wooden skewers, soak them in water at least 1 hour before grilling. Toss the tomatoes in the seasoned olive oil to coat well. Place 3-4 tomatoes on each skewer. Reserve the seasoned olive oil for later use.

Grill the tomatoes on a hot grill, turning frequently to prevent burning. They're cooked when the skin splits. Serve while hot.

Use any left-over tomatoes in a pasta or in a mozzarella-tomato salad.

Grilled Shrimp

Shrimp are naturally sweet and flavorful. Seasoned in a wet marinade or dry rub is all they need. If you're using wooden skewers, soak them in water at least 1 hour before grilling.

Grilled Shrimp with Olive Oil, Sea Salt and Pepper Marinade

Yield 4-6 servings

Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound shrimp, washed, deveined
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method

Toss the shrimp in the seasoned olive oil, place 3-4 shrimp on each skewer and cook on a hot grill, turning frequently to avoid burning. Cook until the shrimp are lightly charred.

If a grill isn't available, the shrimp can be cooked in a 450 degree oven, preferably resting on a wire rack over an aluminum foil covered cookie sheet.

Grilled Shrimp with a Garlic-Ginger-Soy Marinade

Yield 4-6 servings

Time 30 minutes plus 1 hour marinade

Ingredients

1 pound shrimp, washed, shelled, deveined
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, peeled
2 garlic cloves, peeled, grated
1 medium yellow onion, peeled, cut into shrimp-size pieces
1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 scallion, washed, thinly sliced, white and green parts
1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds

Method

Mix together all ingredients and marinate the shrimp for an hour but no more. Any longer and the shrimp will absorb too much of the marinade.

Put 3-4 shrimp on each skewer with a single piece of onion between each shrimp and cook on a hot grill, turning frequently to avoid burning. Cook until the shrimp are lightly charred. If a grill isn't available, the shrimp can be cooked in a 450 degree oven, preferably resting on a wire rack.

Grilled Shrimp with a Tex-Mex Dry Rub

Yield 4-6 servings

Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound shrimp, washed, deveined
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, peeled, grated
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon beer

Mix the dry ingredients together. Toss the shrimp first in the beer and then with the dry rub.

Put 3-4 shrimp on each skewer and cook on a hot grill, turning frequently to avoid burning. Cook until the shrimp are lightly charred. If a grill isn't available, the shrimp can be cooked in a 450 degree oven, preferably resting on a wire rack.

Boston Event

On the heels of Rose's Blog it Forward post, I heard about a Taste of Park Plaza. What first caught my eye was the opportunity to taste signature dishes from 8 restaurants. Then I noticed that the proceeds were going to benefit Greater Boston's Food Bank. When I clicked over to their website, I was impressed by their efforts to provide nutritious choices to those in need as well as nutrition education (knowledge is power, right?). As someone who strives to find healthy and tasty dishes, I appreciate this approach to feeding those who may have come across some tough times.

If you're in the Boston area and would like to attend this event and help support our local food bank, here are the details...

When: Tuesday, Aug 4th 6-9pm

Where: Park Plaza Hotel & Towers

Participating Restaurants: Todd English's Bonfire Steakhouse, McCormick & Schmick's, M.J. O'Connor's Irish Pub, The Melting Pot, Swan's Cafe, Finale Desserterie, Au Bon Pain and Ben & Jerry's

To purchase tickets: click here

Maybe I'll see you there!!

~~~
I owe you guys a few posts, but here are some hints at what's in store...

A race recap

(hopefully the case of the missing camera cord will be solved soon!!)

Sour cherries!!

Trophy Wife

A Trophy Wife is:

A. A hunting memento one stuffs and mounts above the mantlepiece.

B. A shiny, hard-won thing that requires constant attention lest the silver fades.

C. The result of excess money and delusions of one's physical attractiveness.

The answer of course is:

D. Your divorce attorney's new boat.

By definition no-one ever marries their trophy wife first, a large oversight to be avoided if at all possible. Once a guy has made a few dollars, he often starts to believe in his own publicity, which is to say that he forgets his responsibilities to existing wife and family, and tries to remake himself in the mold of someone like Michael Douglas.

We all know where that path leads - plastic surgeries between endless rounds of golf.

So why do men with money, status and power seek to express themselves by marrying much younger and/or attractive women? Do they believe that they will lose twenty years by osmosis? Do trophy wives actually have the keys to the fountain of youth?

Maybe they do.

Melon Mondays III

Missed the first two? Check out my Melon Bruschetta and Iced Cantaloupe Soup! While I did everything melon, my guests were awesome enough to bring the protein for the main course. We had some amazing cod and steak to make some tacos, served with a Melon Salsa of course!

Steak Taco w/Melon Salsa

Here's an approximation of what went into my salsa...

Melon Salsa



equal amounts diced watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe
1 mango
1 avocado
2 jalapenos, diced
3 scallions, sliced
2-3T mint, chopped
2-3T cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime
1t Smart Balance Omega Oil

Combine all ingredients and serve! I prepared everything (except the avocado) the night before and let it hang out in the fridge so the flavors could meld. Just prior to guests arriving, I took it out of the fridge so it could come closer to room temp and add the chopped avocado. This would go well served alongside almost any protein!

Remnants of the Melon Salsa

Come tri with me

Do you have the bug yet? Just in case, I'll try to make it a little more approachable... Quite often I hear, "I can't run/bike/swim fast." Obviously they haven't seen me crawling along in the slow lane of the pool ;) I'm not out there to finish in the top 10, so I think of it as an "event" rather than a race. I'll do the best that I can, but I'm doing this for myself, to have fun, and not to race against the top women in my age group. All you have to do is cross the finish line--it doesn't matter if you do breast/side/back stroke during the swim, ride leasurely on a granny bike, and walk during the "run." Sign up with some friends that you can train with, and you'll have a blast. And if that's not enough of a reason, pick one event you like, find some friends that like the other events, and participate as a team! So really, why not tri?? :)

I didn't get too many questions, but I wanted to put together some general thoughts, in part to remind myself of everything as I pull things together for my tri tomorrow morning :) Feel free to ask more if you think of anything!

One of the first questions I had was, what do I wear? There was no way a bathing suit was going to give me any support on the run, if ya know what I mean ;) And wearing bike shorts on the swim--can we get any heavier in the bum? There are a few options here, the most cost-effective being to wear a sports bra under your swimsuit, and then pulling on shorts for the bike/run. You probably already have the "equipment" for this! There are also tri shorts (with less padding that dries quick) and tri suits that are specific for the sport. These can be expensive, but there are some discount sites online that offer last years' colors/models for less. If you're looking for a tri-specific top for the well-endowed, I'd recommend the Zoot Ultra Bra top--it's the only one I've found to give any support.

SWIM
This is definitely the toughest part for me, as I'm not that strong of a swimmer. Try to practice in open water if you can, so you can be prepared. If you panic (like I did the first time), tread water for a few seconds while your wave starts, collect yourself, and then swim. I tend to stay to the back and right of the group, to avoid flying hands and legs. If you're in for a fight, by all means go play in the center :) While training, I'd practice sighting (click here for a good description), and in the race- do this early and often to make sure you don't make the course longer for yourself! And if you hit a beer bottle during the swim, push it out of the way and just keep swimming ;) (This will probably only happen if you do a tri in Philly, and yes, it really happened!)

What to bring? goggles, earplugs, swim cap (will be provided for the race), towel, extra water bottle (fill this up at the race site and use to wash off feet before putting on socks/shoes). A small bottle of antifog can also be helpful for your goggles.


Tips: Swim as long as you can, don't try to run through the water as you get close to shore. Another thing I've heard is to change to breast stroke for the last few strokes of the swim, I think it's to get your ankles/legs ready to run.

BIKE
Try to check out the course ahead of time. Unfortunately I haven't been to the course I'm doing tomorrow, but I am going to drive through today. Due to the way I need to fuel my tummy, I need a little fuel during the event, and take it early in the bike to allow enough digestion time. I use a Bento Box to store some tissues and orange Clif shot blocks. If you're wearing a cycling jersey you can always store things in the pockets, I just find it easier to grab something in front of me.

What to bring? helmet, sunglasses, bike gloves, water bottles, fuel, socks, shoes, other apparel (singlet over bra top or shorts over bathing suit).


Tips: I put everything I don't want to forget in my helmet. They won't let you onto the course w/o a helmet, so my shades and gloves go into the helmet. I wouldn't mind forgetting the gloves, but I'd rather not be blinded by bugs :) Another tip to make the bike-run transition a bit easier is to increase your cadence at the end of the bike, that is, lower your gear to make it easier and quicken your pedal stroke.

RUN
Not too much to mention here, just don't forget your number! Most races require you to wear it on the front of you. This can be done using a race belt (often available at expos) or pinning it on to your shirt ahead of time with some safety pins. You might also have a hat or sunglasses if you use those as well.


Other things you might have in your bag: sunscreen (apply AFTER you get marked), body glide (for areas that might rub or be more sensitive), chapstick, spare hair ties, extra socks, safety pins, towel, (dry) clothes for after the race, and 2 garbage bags. Why the garbage bags? Use one to set up your transition area--it'll keep things dry and all in one spot (easier to see things if it's white). Keep the other one in your bag just in case the weather's unfortunate... you can lay this on top.

Well, I gotta get going, but I'll try to take some pictures of how things get set up so that I can share those, along with some more helpful links to get you started next week. In the mean time, get outside and have some fun :) After another week filled with rain, the sun's out today, and I'm hoping it holds out through tomorrow morning! See you back here for Melon Mondays ;)

I am Potent

Speaking of douchebags, Ted Turner's a working example of late twentieth century Alpha man. He's a yo-yo, but he's an Alpha yo-yo which means he gets to do whatever he wants.

One achievement that launched Turner toward Alphadom is his accumulation of a truckload of money. Money is the modern, trousered, way of saying "I'm potent."

Actually, it's the modern, trousered, way of saying "I have a middling-sized and underperforming penis, but women don't care because I have lots of dosh."

Turner's an interesting study of Alphadom because he thinks he can change the world. True to his oddness, he chose the most inefficient way of using his money to do so, by giving $1,000,000,000.00 (that's one billion dollars) to the United Nations. If a more idiotic way of doing good with one's fortune exists, I would like to hear about it. That money all went to pay for third-world kleptocratic thugs' rentals of Upper East Side co-ops and high-class hookers.

Turner is an Alpha, but he's clearly smoking something god-awful that's affecting his brain.

More characteristic of contemporary Alpha men is marriage to a trophy wife. Hanoi Jane Fonda was Turner's third wife. She could be the definition of "trophy" for men of his age and ideology. Guaranteed, Turner still thinks of Fonda as "Barbarella" (pictured) and guaranteed she reprised the role in the marital bedroom. And on the jet. And on the yacht. No wonder she found Christianity - it was the only way to limit Turner's incessant dress-up requests. Pity they divorced over it.

Turner might be the most charming and good-hearted man in the solar system, but I doubt it. He is ostensibly at the top of our society's food chain, yet he is an example to no-one, a model for nothing.

Houston Chronicles: The Food Tour

What comes to mind when someone mentions Houston? Don't think about it. Respond emotionally. Probably you said something that included "Texas, oil, Gulf Coast hurricanes, cowboys, barbecue, and Tex-Mex". Maybe you also remembered that Houston is home to an important complex of medical centers and that NASA's Johnson Space Center is nearby.

Now add really good food to that list.

Houston has come of age. Serving up plenty of hamburgers, barbecue, enchiladas, and carnitas, Houston's food scene stays connected with its Western traditions. But the food landscape now includes a range of restaurants serving the cuisines of Europe, the Middle East and Asia. There are plenty of upscale restaurants and many affordable, neighborhood joints.

On a recent trip to Houston I took an eating tour of the town and I have some recommendations to pass along.

If you have money to splurge, be sure you stop at Voice (Hotel Icon, 220 Main, Houston, Texas 77002; 832/667-4470). Opened just last fall, it was immediately crowned best new restaurant by Texas Monthly.

Chef Michael Kramer demonstrates his love of farmers' markets produce and local purveyors in a menu he describes as "Modern American". The menu changes frequently, the better to highlight what's fresh and seasonal. Besides the a la carte regular menu, he offers a nightly tasting.

For our tasting we had several of what are already regarded as "classics" at the restaurant. A demitasse cup of richly flavored Mushroom Soup "Cappucino" topped with truffle foam and porcini powder. In his Patchwork of Baby Beets--a witty riff on the paintings of Joan Miro-- he thinly slices and quarters half a dozen beet varieties and pairs them with locally made Chessy Girl goat cheese and what the chef calls a beet caramel reduction of beet juice and seasoned balsamic vinegar.

Of the appetizer courses, the Potato Gnocchi was the perfect comfort food, the soft pillows--and although it's a cliche to describe gnocchi "pillows" that's exactly what these were, light, oblong, airy pillows--floated in a chanterelle-prosciutto broth, sharing the bottom of the sculpted bowl with perfectly cooked Brussels sprouts.

The entrees included North Carolina Black Sea Bass with braised artichokes and hedgehog mushrooms. We also had the Honey Lacquered Duck Breast with competing sweet (pear mostarda) and peppery (black pepper gastrique) sauces. The last entree was Chef Kramer's signature dish, a Herb Marinated Rack of Lamb. The meat was deliciously tender, having been finished, sous vide, in a garlic and thyme marinade.

Desserts favored the chocoholic with white and dark chocolate in many forms: warm chocolate cake, hand made caramel and raspberry chocolates, white chocolate panna cotta. Just to show that his enthusiasm for chocolate didn't limit his imagination, Chef Kramer included a refreshing quenelle of vanilla ice cream sprinkled with crunchy graham cracker shavings and a scoop of raspberry sorbet topped with fresh, plump raspberries.

Happily Houston boasts a well-developed Vietnamese food scene, the result of the influx of Vietnamese refuges--the "boat people"--in the mid-1970s. One such place is a standout: the family-run, very affordable Huynh Restaurant (912 St. Emanuel, Houston, Texas 77003; 713/224-8694) in the revitalized Eado (East of Downtown).

With her mother, Van Bui, and brother, Binh Dang, in the kitchen, and her younger sister Cindy serving out front, Anny Dang recently re-opened the restaurant in the new location. What's on the menu is traditional Vietnamese home-cooking, the food that mom Van Bui made her family when they lived in Quang Ngai two hours south of Da Nang.

With entrees averaging $6.00-7.00, come with friends so you can sample the large menu. All the familiar Vietnamese dishes are available at Huynh: spring rolls (Cha Gio Viet Nam, Goi Cuon, and Goi Cuon Thit Nuong), beef noodle soup (Pho Dac Biet), chicken noodle soup (Pho Ga), bbq pork on rice (Com Chien Xa Xiu), chargrilled shrimp or chicken on cold vermicelli noodles with julienned vegetables (Bun Tom Nuong or Ga), and grilled pork chops on rice (Com Tam Thit Nuong Bi Cha). They are all delicious because the freshest ingredients are used and you can tell a caring hand has prepared the food.

Look deeper into the menu and you'll find dishes a mother feeds her special child. Chargrilled pork (Banh Uot Thit Nuong) wrapped in soft rice noodles. The chewy wrapper contrasts with the crispy sweet pork inside. Duck (Goi Vit) mixed with shreds of fresh vegetables and herbs, topped with crispy, fried onion rings. A spicy dish (Xao Xa Ot) that can be made with tofu, shrimp, or chicken; we had the shrimp, stir-fried with a sauce of hot chili paste and lemon grass. And half a fried chicken wittily called the Phoenix (Com Phuong Hoang), because it's cooked twice--first roasted, then fried--served with a mound of steamed rice and a side of Korean kimchi and--most amazingly--topped with a farm fresh sunny side up fried egg. When the egg is cut open, the yolk runs down the chicken and onto the rice.

As we were driving out of town, we stopped to pick up some treats for the road at Crave (1151-06 Uptown Park Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77056; 713/622-7283), an upscale cupcake store tucked into the Uptown Park Mall just off Highway 610. Ever since the Magnolia Bakery in New York popularized cupcakes with inventive flavors and adult prices ($3.25), cupcakes have had a resurgence across the country.

Crave is the latest example of this excellent trend where traditional recipes are improved by using high quality ingredients, like 85% butterfat butter, imported French sprinkles, and fresh fruit.

Made fresh daily and avoiding preservatives and artificial flavors, Crave's cupcakes emphasize natural flavor over sugary sweetness.

The Hummingbird has a classic Southern mix of pineapple, pecans, and bananas with a cream cheese frosting. Fresh strawberries are added to the frosting in the Strawberry cupcake, which probably accounts for it being a best seller. There's even a cupcake riff on the Hostess Ding Dong. The Chocolate and Creme cupcake is made with imported chocolate, filled with marshmallow cream, and topped with dark chocolate ganache. This is definitely not the Ding Dong of your grammar school days.

When I visited Houston several years ago to tour the Johnson Space Center, I thoroughly enjoyed myself because I am a huge fan of the space program. In those days the most you could hope for by way of a meal was good barbecue and authentic Mexican food. That's still true, but now Houston has a whole lot more to offer the hungry traveler.

They date horses don't they?

Hay and horse-hair intoxicate some women like little else. It's an addiction that begins early in life, and often remains uncured.

Hello. My name is Charlotte, and I'm an equine addict.

Hello Charlotte.

(And from the back of the room, a muted whinny.)

It's possible to ignore the sexual connotation of a thousand pounds of semi-wild muscled horseflesh between young female thighs, but I shan't. On display for all to see is the pleasure women gain from controlling a beast ten times her weight using nothing but a bit, a bridle, reins, her heels, a crop and of course those thighs. Oh, and of course a little whispered encouragement in the nag's ear.

Sounds like sex to me. Not everyday sex I guess, because regular sex doesn't often entail jumping over planks of wood, but who am I to deny chicks in jodhpurs their fantasies?

You can smell this coming, I know, but dating a horsewoman is a losing proposition. The only exception is if you are either a cowboy, or Ted Turner - and Turner's a douche. For the rest of us, the horse is way too much competition. If you somehow find yourself married to a horsewoman - against all my advice - you end up a pauper paying for this creature to give your wife happiness, satisfaction, and orgasms. Plus she will wash and brush it down after a good session.

When was the last time a chick did that for you?

Alpha Male-doom

If Alpha males are defined as the leaders, where does that leave the rest of us?

Alphadom in primates and humans is about having the most opportunities at reproduction for yourself, and minimizing those of all other males. There is evidence from the chimpanzee world that Alphas are less aggressive in keeping related males away from the babes than they are with unrelated competitors. That tells us it's all about the genetics, passing along as much of your DNA as possible, as well as the very similar DNA of your brothers and cousins.

In short, Alphas are Alphas because they want, and get, more babies.

In our world matters are more subtle. The reason we aren't like the chimps is because we have complex language. That has, in turn (or coincidentally, depending upon who you read) allowed us to stop being foragers and settle in increasingly abstract communities, starting with multiple family groups, and ending with Calcutta.

Important point: the reason we can live in cities without the Alphas taking us back to the law of the jungle is because language allows males to work together for the good of the society. One way of imagining this is to think of chimps as having a really steep sex-power gradient between the most powerful Alpha and the lowliest male. In human co-operative societies, that gradient is significantly flattened; the lowest male still has a decent shot at reproduction, and won't likely be cock-blocked by the local Alpha.

So in western societies in particular, we're all Alphas now if you define your 'world' closely enough. In a family of man, woman, and immature children, the identity of the Alpha male is obvious. But how useful is it for this regular guy to think and behave like the biologically defined Alpha?

I contend it's time for a new paradigm, a new way for guys to be Alpha-ish without the conflict and aggression of the animal Alpha that lives in our DNA. I think it can be done.

Another 30 Minute Meal: Ginger-Soy Black Cod

Black cod cooked in a ginger-soy poaching liquid is a deceptively simple dish that cooks up quickly and has deeply satisfying flavors. Popularized by the Iron Chef, Masaharu Morimoto, his complicated recipe can be simplified with excellent results.

The fish can be served with steamed rice and simply braised or sauteed vegetables like spinach with garlic and shiitake mushrooms.

Ginger-Soy Poached Black Cod

The ginger-soy poaching liquid can be reused several times.

After the fish has been cooked and all solids removed, the liquid can be kept in the freezer in an air-tight container for several months.

When you want a quick meal, defrost the poaching liquid, simmer, add the black cod pieces, cover, and you'll have a meal on the table in 10 minutes.

Yield 4 servings

Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 pounds black cod fillets, washed, pat dried
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 1/2 cups soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
2 cups sake
2" piece of ginger, peeled, julienned

Method

Carefully inspect the fillets for bones. There will probably be a row in the middle of the fillet.

Using a sharp knife, slice along the bones and remove in a long strip. Don't throw out the strip because it can be marinated in olive oil, sea salt, and pepper and roasted in the oven or grilled on a bbq. Have the bones as a cook's treat.

Cut the fillets into rectangles 1 1/2" x 2" for easier handling.

In an uncovered large pan or dutch oven, create the poaching liquid by simmering together the sugar, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and ginger for 10 minutes. Add the black cod pieces, cover, and simmer 5 minutes.

Remove the cod with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve 2 cups of the poaching liquid, straining and pouring the remainder into a sealed container and freeze.

Return the cod and 2 cups of poaching liquid to the pan, reduce and thicken over high heat, spooning the thickening sauce over the cod, about 5 minutes.

Serve immediately with steamed rice or sauteed garlic spinach with shiitake mushrooms.

Melon Mondays II

Monday, monday... :) In case you missed the first post, I'm taking the next few Mondays to showcase the recipes I made for a melon-themed dinner I shared with some friends recently. I have another starter/first course-type dish tonight, Iced Cantaloupe Soup w/Jalapeno & Basil. This recipe comes from The Splended Table's How to Eat Supper, and can be found on Serious Eats here.


The jalapenos (or in my case some random red chili) and basil were key components to the soup, so don't leave those out! It was absolutely gorgeous, but I must say I think this was my least favorite recipe of the night. It was ok, but only in small amounts--maybe it was too sweet? I might have been the only one who felt this way, as everyone else slurped it down ;)

Men's Riskers

One of many quirks of male thinking (with which I am all too familiar) is our ability to ignore stuff. History is full of famous men who ignored the facts right in front of them and continued to a certain doom. There are famous explorers, like Robert Falcon Scott; famous military figures such as the Japanese hierarchy in World War II; and famous writers like Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Solzhenitsyn survived, but might easily have not, given the time he spent detained at the Soviet state's pleasure.

In a way, the history of civilization is defined by men who ignored the obvious to the possible detriment of their own life. From the first migration of our species from Africa to Asia 50,000 years ago to the folks who fly the deathtrap Space Shuttle, I suggest that this characteristic of facing the unknown, of taking on danger and embracing risk is embedded in our Brain Operating System, of which I wrote earlier.

The men (and, increasingly, women) who do so are working towards something more than survival and reproduction. Or is it that survival and reproduction actually require us to take risks, even those that might kill us?

We need not look to figures from the past for examples of this, because there's likely not a man you know who doesn't ignore some things. The guy who is a chronic drinker and driver ignores obvious dangers. The man who has indiscriminate unprotected anal sex with many men isn't being rational. The guy who borrows tens of multiples of his net worth to speculate has a relationship with risk (possibly) counter to his long-term liquidity. And yet these activities happen every day, in every way.

I explain the male ignoring mechanism in terms of my compartmentalization theory. Imagine the male mind as a big co-op building, full of floors of apartments of varying size. What we do unconsciously is to simply avoid certain floors. When we are driven to Antarctic exploration, or deadly military action, men prevent the lift stopping at the floors with the apartments containing the facts pointing to likely failure. We block the staircase, and lock the access doors.

Once the downside is quarantined we move to the floor with the apartment containing 'optimism' and 'success despite facts' and 'triumph over adversity'. That's where we can see the light and find positivity to reinforce our blinkered thinking. It will also be the scene of our greatest success overcoming the odds, or the place where failure will make us miserable.

In relationships this is deadly, as you might imagine.

How to think

I don't know about you, but nobody ever taught me how to think. Inside all of our heads is a brain, a squishy weird thing that we only vaguely understand. Sure, it's an electro-chemical device, with different kinds of receptors and processing units. But how it makes decisions is a complete mystery.

I want to propose the concept of our brains having an operating system, similar to the way a computer works. Thousands of lines of code create the pathways for information processing and a method by which external inputs are filtered, distributed and manipulated.

This Brain Operating System came fully installed at birth, but not fully activated. It takes at least ten, and sometimes twenty years for all the modules to work as they should. Importantly, experiences in the world are critical to accessing the full power of the organ/operating system combination. Learning, in other words.

So while experiences, book learning and handed-down wisdom are all part of bringing the immature brain up to full steam, there is little thought as to how to use the operating system once it's up and working. Just like our computer's OS, our BOS can be used in many ways. Knowing how to find these capabilities should be on every school's curriculum, but apparently learning to use condoms and watching "An Inconvenient Truth" is deemed more important.

There are built-in flaws, bugs, idiosyncrasies and even vast unused capabilities in the BOS, and understanding their existence is equally important. I want to focus on these in future posts.

So the question remains, why is there no formal training for even the most basic functions for which we use our brains every day: what we eat, whether we smile or frown, how we choose friends, with whom we have sex.

For example, did anyone give you a good template for making decisions? Have you ever been taught to notice when your brain is ignoring things to which you should be paying attention? Do you know when your brain is using emotions to fool you into a course of action counter to your well-being? Can you recognize when your thinking is taking you in the wrong direction?

Perhaps I am the only one not completely in control of my brain. But I doubt it.

Stone Fruit Explosion

Well, I think summer finally made it to Boston, and my apartment is trying to sweat me out ;) I'm a little ashamed to say that I've made quite a few things lately that I haven't posted about, sometimes didn't even photograph... but I've got a few so I'll mention those that I really enjoyed.

Summer Fruit Gratin

If you find yourself with some (ok way too many for one person ;)) stone fruit, you might wind up trying all of these recipes for a Summer Fruit Gratin, Vanilla Honey-Poached Apriums, or a Plum Fool! No? You'd just do one? I like to give myself variety... and way too much work it seems! Lorna Sass also has a recipe for an upside-down peach berry cobbler in one of her books.

Upside-down peach berry cobbler

My fruit was all very ripe and deliciously sweet on its own, so I cut back on the sugar in all of the recipes. These recipes also take well to using your desired sweetener (turbinado instead of granulated sugar, agave for honey, you get the idea). The only other thing I changed was for the plum fool-- I folded the stewed fruit into greek yogurt (a mix of plain and vanilla), and it was delicious.

On a savory note, I have to mention Kerstin's Avocado Chicken Cakes. I'm sorry to say I prepared these for lunch and completely forgot to take a picture. But they were downright amazing--go check out her blog, and I'll see you back here for Melon Mondays ;)

Summer Salads

Work sure does cut down on blogging time! ~sigh~ After four looonng days, I'm SO looking forward to the weekend :) Thought it might be appropriate to share some quick salads I've made starring summer fruit (can't get enough!).

The first made the unusual pairing of plums and roasted beets. At least it sounded unusual to me :) Also starring goat cheese, this was one salad that definitely did not disappoint! You can find the recipe for this Beet & Goat Cheese salad here. I used the packaged roasted beets for convenience, but you could certainly roast them yourself. My proportions may have been different as well, as I didn't measure.

Roasted Beet & Plum Salad

The second salad comes from a recipe I had seen over at Cooking Light. Looking at it now, however, I realize I did quite a few things differently :)

Grilled Peaches & Proscuitto Salad
adapted from Cooking Light
scale up/down to desired amount



peaches, cut into 6 sections
s/p
salad greens (I used a mix of baby spinach and spring mix)
proscuitto
balsamic vinegar (could reduce down and combine with honey if desired)
goat cheese

Spray peaches lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill ~1min on each side (I did this in a grill pan on pretty high heat) to see grill marks.

Lay proscuitto on small baking sheet and cook in toaster oven (or larger) until crispy. I think I did this at 350, but you could certainly do it higher, just keep an eye on it.

To assemble the salad, place peaches on a bed of greens, sprinkle on goat cheese (oops, I forgot). Crumble prosciutto over salad, then drizzle with balsamic vinegar (or syrup) and serve.

Grilled Peach & Proscuitto Salad

Relatively simple and delicious, these salads served as a reminder to play with my flavor combinations! Have you tried any interesting pairings lately??

Man versus Machine

Where to start, where to start....okay, let's try this.

When a man starts going steady with a woman, he often dumps his buddies. It's a given that he'll go away for a while to concentrate on her, leaving the guys to note something like :

"Haven't seen Brad for a while."

"Yeah, he's found a new squeeze."

These revelations are met with general assent in the form of knowing nods and grunted agreement. It's an understood flow in the tides of male life.

As a sidebar, this is more evidence that men are single processors. 'Early relationship' requires concentration and singular purpose, and being with guys chews up valuable time and energy. Plus it's distracting. End sidebar.

Why is this the case? Even if the guy is seeing the chick only once or twice a week, he checks out of his male relationships, despite oodles of time to maintain them. And doesn't he want to boast about the new piece of tail in his life?

My amateur/observer response is that we should look at Brad as a reproductive machine, not as the good-guy friend. Because we don't divide to reproduce (a very good thing, given that one Paris, and one Perez Hilton is quite enough, thank-you) we have to find a partner with whom to have sex. If our hero has latched onto the potential bearer of mini-Brads, it makes pure biological sense that he'll want to spend time cultivating (and harvesting) those randy oats.

A more subtle reason might be that Brad is keeping the other males away from a reproductively-minded female. Why give other ball-sporters the chance of gaining vital intelligence about someone who might be interested in someone's progeny other than Brad's? I think that question answers itself.

Priorities, that's what that's all about. First reproduce, then drink beer.






If you haven't read Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene, I recommend you do so to understand just how innate this drive to fuck and spawn is. It exists at the protein level.

Risotto with Farmers' Market Fresh Squash Blossoms and Baby Zucchini

Risotto scared me at first. My son Franklin brought a box home from a trip to Italy and it sat in the pantry for years. I had the same fear of risotto I had about cooking a duck. Both seemed to require a skill set that was beyond me.

After much hesitation, I finally took the plunge and you know what I discovered, making risotto is easy, requiring only a little more skill than making pasta.

In fact, think of risotto and pasta as two sisters. The key to both is what goes on top.

Just about everything you like with pasta will work with risotto. Most vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, and fresh herbs if sauteed first can be added to risotto just the way you'd add them to cooked pasta. And both like a bit of freshly grated cheese on top.

This past Sunday at the Pacific Palisades Farmers' Market, I could have chosen any number of fresh vegetables to use for the risotto: corn, tomatoes, asparagus, peppers--red, yellow, orange, or green--carrots, onions, Italian parsley, kale, or spinach. I settled on squash blossoms with baby zucchini because one of my favorite farmers, John Sweredoski insisted that I had to get them, they were that fresh, that good.

He was right.

Risotto with Farmers' Market Fresh Squash Blossoms and Baby Zucchini

Yield 4 servings

Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone Nano rice
10 squash blossoms
6 baby zucchinis, washed, ends trimmed, cut into thin rounds
4 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
6 shiitake or brown mushrooms, washed, thinly sliced and roughly chopped
1/2 yellow onion, peeled, finely chopped
4 cups broth, vegetable, chicken, or beef, preferably home made
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sweet butter
Sea salt and pepper

Method

Slice open each squash blossom. Cut off the stem and pistil and discard. Flatten the blossoms on a cutting board and cut length-wise into thin strips. In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and saute all the vegetables until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.

In the same pan add the other tablespoon of olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper. Add the risotto and saute on a medium flame, turning frequently, until the grains start to be translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup of broth, deglazing the pan and stirring the grains with the liquid until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid. Keep stirring.

After 10 minutes, add back the sauteed vegetables and mix together with the rice.

After another 5 minutes, add the butter and stir well, continuing to add 1/2 cup of broth at a time. Season with sea salt and pepper. From this point on, start tasting the rice.

When the risotto is done to your taste, Make sure you have enough liquid because a good risotto has a nice amount of gravy.

Serve immediately because the rice will continue to absorb the liquid even after you've taken the pan off the burner. Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese on top.

Variations

Add a roasted tomato, skin removed, roughly torn apart, with its juice

Saute the kernels from one ear of corn with the other vegetables

Saute 1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley with the other vegetables

Add 1/2 cup sauteed diced sausage pieces

Add 2 pounds fresh butter clams, cooked in 1/4 cup water for 5 minutes covered over high heat, add the opened clams and broth at the same time you return the sauteed vegetables to the pan

Melon Mondays

I had some friends over for dinner last night, where the not-so-secret ingredient was melon! Over the next 5 Monday's, I'll share one of the recipes from the night--so you're not as overwhelmed as my guests may have been :)

(Image source)

We'll start with the appetizer--Melon Prosciutto Bruschetta. While I'm not a huge fan of proscuitto-wrapped melon, this was an attempt to recreate an amazing app I had at a wedding that I recently attended. I think it actually came pretty close, although I was the only one who had something to compare it to! I think it was a hit, hopefully they'll chime in ;)




Melon Proscuitto Bruschetta
Recipe by Shannon



1c finely diced honeydew
1c finely diced cantaloupe
1 finely dieced serrano, jalapeno, or the like
juice of 1 lime
1-2T chopped mint
1-2T chopped basil
squirt of siracha (more or less to taste)
desired baguette (I used a peasant bread from Trader Joe's)
EVOO
fresh chopped parsley (or some of the fresh frozen variety)
prosciutto

The night or morning before serving, prepare the melon bruschetta. Combine the first 7 ingredients and let the flavors combine for a few hours. Adjust seasoning to taste, I was hoping to give it a little kick.

Before serving, remove the bruschetta from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Slice baguette into thin rounds (mine was more like a loaf, so I cut the larger center pieces in half). Lay rounds in a single layer on cookie sheet. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle lightly with parsley. Toast either under the broiler or at a high temp (400 or higher) in your oven until nicely browned.

Slice prosciutto into approximate size of toasts (for my pieces, I got 4 rounds from each slice of prosciutto). Place prosciutto on warm toasts after they come out of the oven. Top with a spoonful of bruschetta (drained of any juice) and serve!