Living in Nebraska makes me a great authority on sushi... wait... no, no it doesn't. But for that matter, I don't know what does? I eat it every chance I get, and I love preparing it myself, does that count?
Now sushi is something of a polarizing dish. A lot of people are thrown off by eating raw fish for reasons like food poisoning, heavy-metal poisoning, being lame specimens of humanity, etc. The fact is, variety is the spice of life, and if eating something is potentially dangerous it makes it all the more appealing, right? (Think other fun/dangerous activities like skydiving, snowboarding, or listening to 2 Chainz)
The fact is, sushi is NOT always raw fish! Sushi just refers to the cooking method of the rice and wrapping the ingredients in the rice and the nori, or seaweed wrap. Sashimi refers to raw or lightly cooked fish. Sushi is (I realize I use this term a lot about dishes) a blank canvas... I've had everything from steak to a fried whole softshell crab wrapped in rice and seaweed and thrown it all back in one bite.
How To: At the restaurant:
Now, first of all consider you're location. If you're in South Dakota, and the sushi is only $5, its probably not very fresh. But, if it looks like a legit place, or you are close to the ocean, its probably safe! Use your judgement.
When getting sushi, I like to order a variety of different things, and let everyone share. Start with some tempura (a specific type of frying batter used on fish, vegetables, etc.) as an appetizer, you won't be disappointed. Anything deep fried can't be that bad, right? Next, let everyone pick out a roll that they want. One to two rolls should be plenty per person, even if they are all skinny fat kids like me! Sushi is quite filling.
This is the time to branch out, so live a little! Order something weird along with the safe rolls (California rolls are generally liked by everyone). IF there is a softshell crab, get it! If there is anything called a "dragon roll" on the menu, it is required that someone order it. Personally, the only ones I stay away from are the eel... It just tastes a little bit too much like the bottom of the ocean for my taste.
When eating it, using your hands is actually more appropriate than using chopsticks (sweet!) so dig in! Dip it in the soy sauce mixed with wasabi and throw it all back in one bite, even if its a big roll. 2 bites is a no-no. Don't forget the sake, which has a weirdly appealing savoriness to it.
How To: At home
Sushi is actually easier to prepare than you'd think. All you need is sushi rice, rice wine vinegar, nori (The seaweed wrapper, really easy to come by these days!), and anything you'd like to fill it with. I like to use cooked shrimp, crab, and smoked salmon. I myself have never attempted to use raw fish, but if you do make sure it is sushi-grade.
First of all, using a wire strainer and a large bowl, rinse the rice with tap water until the water comes off clear. Next, bring the rice and the appropriate amount of water (1 to 1 ratio) to a boil. Turn down to simmer, and leave for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, cover, and leave for another 10 minutes. After this add a couple tablespoons each of sugar, salt, and rice wine vinegar and mix to coat each grain. Put in the fridge until it comes down to room temperature.
Now comes the fun part! Lay down a sheet of nori and spread a thin, even layer of rice over it (if you have a bamboo sushi roller, that makes rolling a little easier but its not necessary). Next, put whatever you like on the rice and roll it up! Think like a sleeping bag roll, keep it tight and hopefully the rice will keep it all together.
Last week Rachel and I did this and had a lot of fun. It is a bit of a process, but its something you can do to make a great date night. We used crab, smoked salmon, and pre-cooked shrimp, as well as cream cheese, avocado, cucumber, and carrots to fill our sushi. The only problem was, we kinda ate as we went, so by the time we were finished neither of us were very hungry!
Well, my friends, I hope this opened your eyes a bit to the world of sushi. Go forth, try it out, and get something weird! I would definitely advise eating it in a restaurant setting before trying on your own. Get some inspiration! It plates beautifully, is very healthy, and makes you feel like a hipster. Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!
Friday, April 19, 2013
Saturday, April 13, 2013
#FBF: The Agnostic Diet
What diet are you on? Lately, this question has become as common as "What church do you go to?" Well me, I was a Catholic School dropout, but I do have my own set of beliefs. I feel like I am a good person, but that is not a result of what church I go to.
This is the basis of the agnostic diet. I first read about this in this month's Triathlete magazine, and immediately was attracted to it. There was a statistic that it had, the exact numbers of which I can't recall, which said that a lot of age-groupers are on a diet with a name (eg. Paleo diet, Vegan diet, Zone Diet) where as next to no professionals are on a diet. What's up with that??
Granted, the demands of a professional allow for a little more freedom with eating. It would simply not do to train 25+ hours a week and be on a low-carb diet... (People often say, "you can eat whatever you want and still look good, can't you??" Well, yeah, but do you wanna do what I do in a given week??) On the other hand though, there is a lot less difference in 1st place and 10th place at a pro race, so the guys with the tiniest edge come out on top. That's where good nutrition comes in.
Now, this "diet" is to most diets as agnosticism is to most religions... in that its not a diet at all! Just like how an agnostic person would say they know how to be a good person without going to church, most of us know pretty well what to eat without following a diet. Being on a diet does not absolve you of all your sins of bad eating... that triple almond milk sugar-free vanilla latte is still bad for you, even though loosely translated its "on the Paleo Diet". Like Jack Johnson says, "Singin' on Sunday won't save your soul/now that Saturday's gone"
Here are a few guidelines to follow. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me!
Here are some foods you should eat: (Start at the top for most quality and work your way down)
Vegetables
Fruits
Nuts and Seeds
Lean Proteins
Whole Grains
Healthy Oils (Avocado, fish oil, olive oil)
Dairy
Here are some foods you should avoid: (Again, the least bad are at the top)
Refined grains
Fatty meats
Sweets (Including artificial sweeteners! That shit causes cancer yo!)
Fried Foods
Donuts (Aww, man! Last place?? Seriously??)
As far as macronutrient breakdown, a good guideline to start with is the 1-2-3 rule. 1 part fats (go for unsaturated as much as possible!) to 2 parts lean proteins to 3 parts carbohydrates (try and get as many of these as possible from fruits and vegetables!)
-Side note: during intense training, it is OK to go as much as 4 or 5 parts carbohydrates... eat that pasta, friends!
Now, all that seems pretty simple right? Like I said, you already know all of this stuff, you just have to take responsibility and follow it. You don't need a diet to tell you what to do, just eat right, go FAST, take CHANCES, and FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!
This is the basis of the agnostic diet. I first read about this in this month's Triathlete magazine, and immediately was attracted to it. There was a statistic that it had, the exact numbers of which I can't recall, which said that a lot of age-groupers are on a diet with a name (eg. Paleo diet, Vegan diet, Zone Diet) where as next to no professionals are on a diet. What's up with that??
Granted, the demands of a professional allow for a little more freedom with eating. It would simply not do to train 25+ hours a week and be on a low-carb diet... (People often say, "you can eat whatever you want and still look good, can't you??" Well, yeah, but do you wanna do what I do in a given week??) On the other hand though, there is a lot less difference in 1st place and 10th place at a pro race, so the guys with the tiniest edge come out on top. That's where good nutrition comes in.
Now, this "diet" is to most diets as agnosticism is to most religions... in that its not a diet at all! Just like how an agnostic person would say they know how to be a good person without going to church, most of us know pretty well what to eat without following a diet. Being on a diet does not absolve you of all your sins of bad eating... that triple almond milk sugar-free vanilla latte is still bad for you, even though loosely translated its "on the Paleo Diet". Like Jack Johnson says, "Singin' on Sunday won't save your soul/now that Saturday's gone"
Here are a few guidelines to follow. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me!
Here are some foods you should eat: (Start at the top for most quality and work your way down)
Vegetables
Fruits
Nuts and Seeds
Lean Proteins
Whole Grains
Healthy Oils (Avocado, fish oil, olive oil)
Dairy
Here are some foods you should avoid: (Again, the least bad are at the top)
Refined grains
Fatty meats
Sweets (Including artificial sweeteners! That shit causes cancer yo!)
Fried Foods
Donuts (Aww, man! Last place?? Seriously??)
As far as macronutrient breakdown, a good guideline to start with is the 1-2-3 rule. 1 part fats (go for unsaturated as much as possible!) to 2 parts lean proteins to 3 parts carbohydrates (try and get as many of these as possible from fruits and vegetables!)
-Side note: during intense training, it is OK to go as much as 4 or 5 parts carbohydrates... eat that pasta, friends!
Now, all that seems pretty simple right? Like I said, you already know all of this stuff, you just have to take responsibility and follow it. You don't need a diet to tell you what to do, just eat right, go FAST, take CHANCES, and FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!
Saturday, April 6, 2013
#FBF; Sauce Boss!
Lately my dear friend pasta has been getting a bad rap. All these low-carb, gluten-free, trendy diets have been leaving pasta alone out in the cold. And these paleo-dieters come at me saying, "You're ancient ancestors didn't eat pasta, so you shouldn't either!" Well ya know what else my ancient ancestors didn't do? Swim 25k, cycle 250+ miles and run 60+ miles a week, so there!
I'll save you my dietary ranting for another blog post, but today I wanna talk about pasta. Pasta is a great food group in that it is a blank canvas, just waiting to be painted with different sauces, proteins, and vegetables. Not to mention, it is a great fuel source!
The process of preparing pasta is pretty straightforward, unless you're making it all from scratch... As far as the boxed stuff goes, just be sure to use a high-sided pot, salt your water enough that it tastes like the sea, and keep a rolling boil all through the cooking process. Remember to leave it just a little bit under-cooked so that you can saute it for a bit with the sauce to finish cooking! If you wanna be super classy and Old-Worldly, leave it a little al dente.
I am no expert on making homemade pasta, so I won't pretend to be. I have only helped out with this process a couple times, but it does seem pretty simple. If you do use fresh pasta, remember the cooking time is much less.
Now time for the REAL star of the show, the sauce! Marinara is pretty much just marinara, it doesn't ever really deviate from the standard set a long time ago in Italy (I assume? I guess I don't really know...) You can totally make this yourself... but it isn't much better than if you buy a jar. However, the two sauces everyone should know how to make from scratch are a basil pesto and Alfredo sauce.
Pesto does not come out of a jar, believe it or not... In fact, it tastes much better when you make it yourself, even if you don't have super fresh basil! Its also probably cheaper, and it is really not difficult. All you need to do is throw some nuts (about 1/3 cup, walnuts or pine nuts work best!) in a food processor and give them a few pulses to get a head start. Then, add 2 cups of fresh basil, 1 cup of parmesan cheese, and about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of olive oil and 3 or 4 big cloves of garlic. Blend this until its a pretty homogenous mixture (I like to leave it just short of paste, give it a little texture!) and toss with warm, freshly cooked pasta. Add some shrimp or chicken, roasted red peppers, and garnish with a cherry tomato. Bellissimo! (Ok I probably spelled that wrong... I speak Spanish, not Italian...)
Alfredo sauce is a little more of an involved process. Again though, the final product is astronomically better, and it is cheaper than the packet or the jar.... IF you use the jar of Alfredo sauce, we can no longer be friends.
Alfredo begins with a basic roux... butter and flour! I generally use about a 1 to 1 ratio, melting the butter and adding the flower before the butter browns. Add a couple cloves of minced garlic, and whisk the mixture thoroughly and cook for a few minutes until it is about the color of wet sand.
Once it comes to a boil, add 2-3 cups of grated parmesan cheese... this sounds like a lot, but this is how you get that cheesy flavor. Once all the cheese melts, turn off the heat and add salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Now you're ready to plate!
What I did here was toss the pasta with the pesto, put that in a bowl topped with some sautéed shrimp and veggies, topped it all with the Alfredo, and garnished with a cherry tomato. Date night is served! (You're welcome, Rachel!)
Hope you enjoyed my first attempt at a recipe... ok so it was more like some guidelines... Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!
I'll save you my dietary ranting for another blog post, but today I wanna talk about pasta. Pasta is a great food group in that it is a blank canvas, just waiting to be painted with different sauces, proteins, and vegetables. Not to mention, it is a great fuel source!
The process of preparing pasta is pretty straightforward, unless you're making it all from scratch... As far as the boxed stuff goes, just be sure to use a high-sided pot, salt your water enough that it tastes like the sea, and keep a rolling boil all through the cooking process. Remember to leave it just a little bit under-cooked so that you can saute it for a bit with the sauce to finish cooking! If you wanna be super classy and Old-Worldly, leave it a little al dente.
I am no expert on making homemade pasta, so I won't pretend to be. I have only helped out with this process a couple times, but it does seem pretty simple. If you do use fresh pasta, remember the cooking time is much less.
Now time for the REAL star of the show, the sauce! Marinara is pretty much just marinara, it doesn't ever really deviate from the standard set a long time ago in Italy (I assume? I guess I don't really know...) You can totally make this yourself... but it isn't much better than if you buy a jar. However, the two sauces everyone should know how to make from scratch are a basil pesto and Alfredo sauce.
Pesto does not come out of a jar, believe it or not... In fact, it tastes much better when you make it yourself, even if you don't have super fresh basil! Its also probably cheaper, and it is really not difficult. All you need to do is throw some nuts (about 1/3 cup, walnuts or pine nuts work best!) in a food processor and give them a few pulses to get a head start. Then, add 2 cups of fresh basil, 1 cup of parmesan cheese, and about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of olive oil and 3 or 4 big cloves of garlic. Blend this until its a pretty homogenous mixture (I like to leave it just short of paste, give it a little texture!) and toss with warm, freshly cooked pasta. Add some shrimp or chicken, roasted red peppers, and garnish with a cherry tomato. Bellissimo! (Ok I probably spelled that wrong... I speak Spanish, not Italian...)
Alfredo sauce is a little more of an involved process. Again though, the final product is astronomically better, and it is cheaper than the packet or the jar.... IF you use the jar of Alfredo sauce, we can no longer be friends.
Alfredo begins with a basic roux... butter and flour! I generally use about a 1 to 1 ratio, melting the butter and adding the flower before the butter browns. Add a couple cloves of minced garlic, and whisk the mixture thoroughly and cook for a few minutes until it is about the color of wet sand.
At this point, add about 2-4 cups of hot 2% milk. I usually get this going in the microwave as the roux cooks. Again, whisk like hell until all the flour gets dissolved and bring the mix to a boil, whisking occasionally.
Once it comes to a boil, add 2-3 cups of grated parmesan cheese... this sounds like a lot, but this is how you get that cheesy flavor. Once all the cheese melts, turn off the heat and add salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Now you're ready to plate!
What I did here was toss the pasta with the pesto, put that in a bowl topped with some sautéed shrimp and veggies, topped it all with the Alfredo, and garnished with a cherry tomato. Date night is served! (You're welcome, Rachel!)
Hope you enjoyed my first attempt at a recipe... ok so it was more like some guidelines... Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!
Friday, March 29, 2013
FBF: Sozo American Cuisine
Now, I'd had the greatest intentions of cooking something spectacular this week and wowing you all with my culinary prowess... but it got to be a busy week with studying, training, and getting back into the rhythm of "normal life" (which is considered not traveling/racing). So, you're stuck with another restaurant review.
The other night Rachel took me to Sozo American Cuisine in Kearney, Nebraska for my birthday. Kearney is a small town, and the restaurant scene is a bit... lacking, shall we say... for a college town especially. If you're looking for date night, there are tragically few options that aren't stuffy and out-dated... I could really turn this into a whole other blog post... Anyway, I'm all about progressive cuisine with flashy plating, raw fish, and weird ingredients. The type of place my grandmother (who I do love dearly) would not want to eat at. So, Sozo was the place!
Those of you who knew it as The Venue and Legacy 272 will be pleasantly surprised to find the great atmosphere, wraparound bar, and general idea of the menu have not changed. While the service was good, it did not wow me. Having worked as a server I know this can be caused by anything from a bad tip earlier to stress from school, so I let it go.
Rachel and I ordered the tuna tacos as an appetizer to go with our beers. These were delicious! Tuna seared rare with Asian-style slaw, served in a crispy wonton shell and drizzled with a soy reduction is exactly what I wanted to celebrate my birthday. ORDER THIS APP!!
We both got salads for our entrees. Now I know what you're thinking, that salad isn't glamorous and shouldn't be included on date night, let alone a restaurant review. I say salad is a blank canvas, and I wanted to see what Sozo could paint... plus its on the Paleo Diet...
I had a steak salad with arugula, bleu cheese, roasted red peppers and balsamic reduction. All big flavors, but the smokiness of the peppers balanced perfectly with the sweet balsamic. And really, steak cooked medium rare and bleu cheese is always a winner. The meat was a little grisly, but well seasoned and perfectly cooked.
Rachel had a spinach chicken salad with apples, bacon, cranberries, and a maple vinaigrette. Strictly speaking, I had ordered this but we switched, so when I say this was the better salad it means I won dinner! The maple vinaigrette was amazing, and brought together the apples, chicken, and bacon... and plus it had bacon...
We finished the meal with one of their house-made desserts. A peanut butter fudge cake that was to die for. It was dense, rich, and decadent. I love that they make all their own desserts, and the choices change regularly. Always order a dessert if it is made in house!
All in all, I'd give Sozo an A rating. The ingredients are high quality and well prepared and beautifully plated, and it is very affordable. The service was good, and the atmosphere is great. It is perfect for a date night, although the bar and TVs make it great for game night with the guys too. Plus, its location right off the interstate is perfect for travelers. Don't go to the chain restaurants, get weird and try something new!
When you go, request one of the booths; the drapes make it feel very private and not like you're stuck in a dining hall. Order a tap beer and get the tuna tacos! Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!
The other night Rachel took me to Sozo American Cuisine in Kearney, Nebraska for my birthday. Kearney is a small town, and the restaurant scene is a bit... lacking, shall we say... for a college town especially. If you're looking for date night, there are tragically few options that aren't stuffy and out-dated... I could really turn this into a whole other blog post... Anyway, I'm all about progressive cuisine with flashy plating, raw fish, and weird ingredients. The type of place my grandmother (who I do love dearly) would not want to eat at. So, Sozo was the place!
Those of you who knew it as The Venue and Legacy 272 will be pleasantly surprised to find the great atmosphere, wraparound bar, and general idea of the menu have not changed. While the service was good, it did not wow me. Having worked as a server I know this can be caused by anything from a bad tip earlier to stress from school, so I let it go.
Rachel and I ordered the tuna tacos as an appetizer to go with our beers. These were delicious! Tuna seared rare with Asian-style slaw, served in a crispy wonton shell and drizzled with a soy reduction is exactly what I wanted to celebrate my birthday. ORDER THIS APP!!
We both got salads for our entrees. Now I know what you're thinking, that salad isn't glamorous and shouldn't be included on date night, let alone a restaurant review. I say salad is a blank canvas, and I wanted to see what Sozo could paint... plus its on the Paleo Diet...
I had a steak salad with arugula, bleu cheese, roasted red peppers and balsamic reduction. All big flavors, but the smokiness of the peppers balanced perfectly with the sweet balsamic. And really, steak cooked medium rare and bleu cheese is always a winner. The meat was a little grisly, but well seasoned and perfectly cooked.
Rachel had a spinach chicken salad with apples, bacon, cranberries, and a maple vinaigrette. Strictly speaking, I had ordered this but we switched, so when I say this was the better salad it means I won dinner! The maple vinaigrette was amazing, and brought together the apples, chicken, and bacon... and plus it had bacon...
We finished the meal with one of their house-made desserts. A peanut butter fudge cake that was to die for. It was dense, rich, and decadent. I love that they make all their own desserts, and the choices change regularly. Always order a dessert if it is made in house!
All in all, I'd give Sozo an A rating. The ingredients are high quality and well prepared and beautifully plated, and it is very affordable. The service was good, and the atmosphere is great. It is perfect for a date night, although the bar and TVs make it great for game night with the guys too. Plus, its location right off the interstate is perfect for travelers. Don't go to the chain restaurants, get weird and try something new!
When you go, request one of the booths; the drapes make it feel very private and not like you're stuck in a dining hall. Order a tap beer and get the tuna tacos! Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!
Friday, March 22, 2013
Food Blog Friday: The Lucky Pelican
For my first Food Blog Friday, I will be doing a restaurant review of The Lucky Pelican in Sarasota, Florida. Now, I am all about trying out the local cuisine, I am not the dude who eats at Chili's when on vacation. I will literally go out of my way to find something you can't get anywhere else. I gotta admit though, I probably wouldn't have found The Lucky Pelican had it not been right next to our hotel... It's kind of off the beaten path, and since its in a strip mall, it doesn't exactly look like much as you pull up to it. We decided to give it a try, because we are triathletes and we were hungry and didn't feel like going far.
http://luckypelicanbistro.com
Well, we weren't disappointed. The Pelican offers all kinds of fresh seafood (I was seriously drooling as I walked by the display case with crabs, salmon, and tuna on ice) as well as some great beers on tap. The service was great both times, and the atmosphere is what I would call a lively family place. Maybe not the best for a romantic date night (unless your girlfriend is a bit like mine...) but perfect for group gatherings. The servers bring out this warm, yeasty bread before your meal, and unlike most places where the server rolls his eyes when you ask for more bread (yeah, I've totally been that server) they gladly bring out more without you even having to ask.
The first night we went I tried the fish and chips. They used cod, which was very flaky and juicy, although the breading was a bit on the greasy side for me. The coleslaw was better than your standard grandma's recipe, and the fries were, well, fries... French fries to me are a bit like sex; when they're good, they are REALLY good. But when they are bad, they are still pretty good! These were somewhere in between drunken hook-up and... well OK let's just say they were some solid fries. What stole the show for me was the sauce they brought out. It was some kind of garlicky/ranchy/aioli sauce that I wanted to drink with a straw. That brought the whole meal together for me and is the reason I'd order the fish and chips again.
The next night I split a mussel hot pot with a friend and had the ocean burrito myself. The mussels were a huge portion, definitely split them with a couple people if you're having them as an appetizer. The broth was a white wine and garlic cream sauce that again, I wanted to drink with a straw, and the mussels were the perfect blend of briny and garlicky. The bread they brought out was perfect for sopping up the sauce.
Now the burrito... oh my, the burrito... This thing had shrimp, crawfish, more fried cod, as well as beans, cilantro, jambalaya rice and corn salsa. And of course, they brought out a side of that nectar-of-the-gods dipping sauce. The spiciness of the shrimp blended perfectly with the jambalaya rice and the salsa, and the crunch from the fried cod absolutely made this dish. I don't feel like I need to tell you that the sauce was absolutely delicious on this. Go to the Lucky Pelican, get the ocean burrito.
Now I only tried the seafood here, but if the rest of their menu is anything like that, it should be pretty awesome. If you don't like seafood though, you might not want to go here... also, we can no longer be friends. I will definitely be back for more of that damn sauce....
Hope y'all enjoyed my first Food Blog Friday! Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT! #FBF
http://luckypelicanbistro.com
Well, we weren't disappointed. The Pelican offers all kinds of fresh seafood (I was seriously drooling as I walked by the display case with crabs, salmon, and tuna on ice) as well as some great beers on tap. The service was great both times, and the atmosphere is what I would call a lively family place. Maybe not the best for a romantic date night (unless your girlfriend is a bit like mine...) but perfect for group gatherings. The servers bring out this warm, yeasty bread before your meal, and unlike most places where the server rolls his eyes when you ask for more bread (yeah, I've totally been that server) they gladly bring out more without you even having to ask.
The first night we went I tried the fish and chips. They used cod, which was very flaky and juicy, although the breading was a bit on the greasy side for me. The coleslaw was better than your standard grandma's recipe, and the fries were, well, fries... French fries to me are a bit like sex; when they're good, they are REALLY good. But when they are bad, they are still pretty good! These were somewhere in between drunken hook-up and... well OK let's just say they were some solid fries. What stole the show for me was the sauce they brought out. It was some kind of garlicky/ranchy/aioli sauce that I wanted to drink with a straw. That brought the whole meal together for me and is the reason I'd order the fish and chips again.
The next night I split a mussel hot pot with a friend and had the ocean burrito myself. The mussels were a huge portion, definitely split them with a couple people if you're having them as an appetizer. The broth was a white wine and garlic cream sauce that again, I wanted to drink with a straw, and the mussels were the perfect blend of briny and garlicky. The bread they brought out was perfect for sopping up the sauce.
Now the burrito... oh my, the burrito... This thing had shrimp, crawfish, more fried cod, as well as beans, cilantro, jambalaya rice and corn salsa. And of course, they brought out a side of that nectar-of-the-gods dipping sauce. The spiciness of the shrimp blended perfectly with the jambalaya rice and the salsa, and the crunch from the fried cod absolutely made this dish. I don't feel like I need to tell you that the sauce was absolutely delicious on this. Go to the Lucky Pelican, get the ocean burrito.
Now I only tried the seafood here, but if the rest of their menu is anything like that, it should be pretty awesome. If you don't like seafood though, you might not want to go here... also, we can no longer be friends. I will definitely be back for more of that damn sauce....
Hope y'all enjoyed my first Food Blog Friday! Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT! #FBF
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Food Blog Fridays Preview
When I first started this blog, one of the directions I wanted it to
take was a food blog. I am very passionate about food and how it brings
people together, tells a story, affects our mood, as well as how it
nourishes us. Being a triathlete I eat a lot (wait, seriously?) and I
think that's part of where my passion comes from, but for me cooking is
an artistic outlet, not just a means to an end.
Evidently there is no qualification standard to becoming a "foodie," so I guess I'm just going to start calling myself one. I have worked pretty much every position in the restaurant business, I'd say I am a pretty damn good cook, and I watch Food Network a lot... That's qualification enough for me!
Combine all of the above information with my desire for motivation to blog more, and I came up with Food Blog Fridays. Every Friday I will make a post about food. It might be a recipe, it might be a restaurant review, it could be some information from the nutrition geek in me, or it might be just some sexy pictures of things you want to eat... Look for my first #FBF tomorrow! Hope y'all enjoy!
Evidently there is no qualification standard to becoming a "foodie," so I guess I'm just going to start calling myself one. I have worked pretty much every position in the restaurant business, I'd say I am a pretty damn good cook, and I watch Food Network a lot... That's qualification enough for me!
Combine all of the above information with my desire for motivation to blog more, and I came up with Food Blog Fridays. Every Friday I will make a post about food. It might be a recipe, it might be a restaurant review, it could be some information from the nutrition geek in me, or it might be just some sexy pictures of things you want to eat... Look for my first #FBF tomorrow! Hope y'all enjoy!
Monday, March 18, 2013
Sarasota Recap
This last Sunday I raced the Sarasota Pan-Am Cup down in
sunny Florida. Coming off the Clermont sprint the weekend before was a great
chance to really hone my racing skills, and I think I did a good job of that. I knew what I needed to work on, and this was a chance to make those corrections.
Sarasota
is a cool town. I’ve been there several times, both for races and vacation, and
I always enjoy it. I gotta say though, when we pulled up to the race site for
the first time and found a giant construction zone, my first thought was, “what
a s#!+ hole!” My opinion of the venue soon changed once I had raced on it! With
their plans, a year from now this place will look as awesome as it was to race.
After
my standard pre-race dinner of spaghetti and meatballs (ok, so sue me, it was
baked ziti alright?!) a good night’s sleep, and my shakeout run that morning, I
biked over to the course. I like doing this, it eliminates the hassle of
parking, and it gets your legs warmed up. I had a solid warm up, called my
momma and Rachel (S/O to my GF for being more nervous than I was race day
morning! You keep holdin’ it down, shawty!) and I headed down to the water.
One
of the skills I knew I needed to work on was aggression. Of all the things I
can take away from this race, the fact that I CAN race aggressively is #1. If you got in my “bubble” on the swim, I probably hit you. If you hit me, I
definitely hit you. If you kept rubbing shoulders with me, I used my size to
drive you the hell off of me. For once, being a big guy helps!
Coming out onto the pontoon after the first lap, I heard someone (I am assuming it was one of the Collegiate Recruitment girls) say, "oh, that's Sam! GGGOOOO SSSSAAAAAA-" splash... I couldn't help but think of the Murphy Lee line, "I want my name not, not said but screamed!" In that moment in the air, I felt like a baller. It was pretty cool, and definitely got me going for the second lap!
I was still in
attack mode on the second lap of the swim, but not quite enough. There was a
breakaway of 4 that I should’ve been with, no question.
Transition
was bad news. My wetsuit zipper got stuck at my shoulder blades. I consider
this an unforeseeable problem, not really a whole lot I could’ve done about it. I've literally never in my life checked a zipper before using it, but you can bet I will now before every race.
Either way, I lost 30 seconds on the main group (not the breakaway, they were long gone) and wound up having to settle for the chase pack. We were well organized, and we worked hard, but all we succeeded in doing was drop a few stragglers like a clingy ex-girlfriend (hehe) and keep the lead group within 2 minutes.
The run time was fair. I should’ve packed up with a couple guys that I let
go. I was afraid to take a risk. But, I need to take those or I’ll never know
how fast I can truly be. I did reel one of the guys in on the last lap. All it
took was getting angry. Once I decided I wanted his place, he didn’t stand a
chance. I need to tap into that earlier.
B- overall on the day. But, A- on the mental aspect! I
scratched the surface of a whole new me. There is a next level I saw glimpses
of that I’ve been afraid to go to for whatever reason. Now that I know how to
get there, I am very excited for this season and proud of how I turned around
my head game in 1 week! Look out for Sam 2.0 in the coming races! Until next time,
FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)