If You Can’t Take the Heat, Get Out of the Kitchen

I’m quite torn on my feelings about summer.  As a foodie, I adore summer for the abundance of fresh produce – berries, sweet corn, juicy melons, and of course, all the hot dogs, burgers, and slabs of seared meat on the grill.  Summer holds memories of eating dripping ice cream cones along the sidewalk, root beer floats, and disgustingly greasy elephant ears at state fairs and festivals.

As a runner though, the heat plagues me like nothing else.  I can deal with ice, snow, rain, and the freezing Chicago winters, but once the heat gets above 75 degrees, I am a complete wimp.  My legs won’t move fast enough, I can’t breath in the humidity, and it just feels like my innards are cooking in a boiler.  My pace has skyrocketed from an approximate 8:40 pace to about 10 minute miles, and now I have to get up early again just to escape 100 degree weather.  Instead of a refreshing runner’s high, I suffer from “OH MY GOD, THIS IS TOO HOT I’M GOING TO DIE I NEED TO DUNK MY HEAD IN ICE.”

But then I think about what someone on the RW Forums said – that we run outside to experience nature, and to feel the earth changing beneath our feet.  We’re out there when the first snowflake falls, when the monstrous geese that usually honk at me bring their babies out in the spring, through the sauna of summer and the tempting smells of the grill, and we’re the first to notice the leaves changing colors.  It gets me out there, and keeps me trucking on.

*   *   *

I was watching Giada’s show on The Food Network the other morning, and caught a braised short-rib recipe that I thought looked delicious and surprisingly easy.  I went in search of short rib after that, and it has officially kick-started an obsession.  Why short ribs?  Because. The first time I made this, Fiance proclaimed it was the best thing I’d ever made.  Even though the cooking time is 2.5 hours, the actual prep time is about 10 minutes, and it makes a large enough batch that you can freeze and store, and have it ready for dinner or lunch any day of the week.

Giada’s Penne w/ Braised Short Rib
(this is the unaltered recipe, but I’ve found that even halving it makes enough to last Fiance and me lunch and dinner for 2 days)

- 4 lbs beef short ribs (bone in)
- 1 large onion, diced (I also added diced celery for added flavor)
- 3 gloves garlic
- 5 Roma tomatoes, chopped (I used vine tomatoes)
- 1 cup red wine
- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- penne pasta (as much as you want)
- Parmesan, salt and pepper, and parsley to taste

Soon They'll Be Falling Off the Bone

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and brown on all sides in olive oil or cooking spray in a large pot or Dutch oven (about 8 – 10 minutes).  Remove the ribs and set aside.

There Is Nothing Better in Life Than Searing Meat

Saute the garlic and onions (and celery, if you add any) in the same pot for about 2 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from the meat.  Add in the chopped tomatoes, Dijon mustard, red wine, and beef broth.  Bring the mixture to a boil, and put the ribs back into the pot.

The Waiting Begins

Cover the pot, toss it in the oven, and set your timer for 2.5 hours.  You can go for a long run, finish that novel you’ve been writing, do some errands, or if you’re me, open the oven every 2 minutes to take a whiff of the wonderful, beefy aroma coming out (Giada does not recommend this).  After 2.5 hours, the meat (short rib is usually a tough cut) will be so tender it will be falling off the bone and tearing apart with the slightest force.  Cook the penne during the last 10 minutes remaining.

Hold Your Horses

Discard the bones and shred the meat with two forks.  Giada says to remove the meat and ladle the mixture into a food processor to smooth it out.  I generally just leave it as it because I like large chunks of celery, tomato, and onion with my pasta.  Also, I’m pretty much too impatient to use the food processor – I just throw in the penne, garnish with parsley or Parmesan or whatever, and serve with a side salad.

Have a Fork Handy

Voila!

Dog Days of Summer

It’s hard to write consistently when I’m not actively training.  I didn’t get into the NYC Marathon, which means I’m still just cruising along, enjoying shorter runs during my lunch break along the lakefront.  Now that the weather is heating up though, I’m trying to find an alternative to running during the hottest part of the day, and returning to the office drenched in sweat and smelling like a wet dog.  I haven’t really been in racing mode, but once in a while, I’ll start scratching out a plan for speedwork and distance training.  Usually, this is after my new copy of Runner’s World comes in and there’s yet another blonde trixie with a six-pack and lithe, gazelle-like legs prancing around on the cover.  That’s usually when I say to myself, Self, you really need to get back into prime shape. This lasts until I see a donut or a leftover piece of cheesecake.

Although I’ve always been a lone runner and although I really love to lose myself in my own head while running, I may have a running partner come August or September.  The four-legged kind, that is.  Fiance already promised that once we move into our new condo downtown, I can finally get a dog.  I’ve been obsessively browsing the Chicago-area animal shelter sites for available dogs and researching training tips.  Having volunteered in shelters throughout college, I have a soft spot for the misunderstood “bully breeds.”  Not to mention as a lone female runner on the smaller side, I’d much rather run with a pit bull or doberman than a chihuahua.

Admittedly, I also have somewhat of a Napolean complex.  I lobbied for a Great Dane or an Irish Wolfhound, arguing that if I ever injure myself on a run, I could just ride the dog home, but Fiance adamantly shot those down upon seeing photos:

Irish Wolfhound

Great Dane

Anyone have breed suggestions or training tips?

*   *   *

Food photos!!!

Molly's Cupcakes

Molly’s Cupcakes is my favorite, favorite, favorite cupcake store in all of Chicago.  I’m incapable of leaving the place with only one cupcake, so when I bought a few the other night and the girl behind the counter told me, “There’s still room in the box,” I was immediately sold.  From upper left to lower right:  tiramisu, burnt caramel apple (SO GOOD), coconut cream, lemon meringue, red velvet, and strawberry shortcake.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Crostini (Cheesecake Factory)

Lemon Chiffon Cake (Cheesecake Factory)

Strawberry Sundae from Chinatown

This is a perfectly acceptable and healthy dessert.  Antioxidants from the strawberries, protein and calcium from the ice cream, carbs and grains from the waffle cookie, and uh, healthy fats from the whipped cream.  Yum!

‘Tis the Season

Ah, marathon season.

It’s the time of year when most people are waking up to sunshine, tanning at the beach, and grilling in their backyard.  Runners, on the other hand, are waking up at 6 AM to avoid the heat, slathering on sunscreen while wolfing down toast and bananas for their long runs, and taking refuge in the neighborhood sprinklers.  I’m waiting to see if I’m picked for the NYC Marathon – part of me is excited for the prospect of having a monumental, longterm goal like a marathon, and the other part of me just really wants to sleep in and not have to obsessively check the temperature every Saturday morning and watch my hydration the day before.  And then there is the part of me that whispers, “But if you train for another marathon, you’ll get to eat whatever you want again.”  Satan, get thee behind me!

In the interim, I’ve signed up for a 10K in June and, uh, Warrior Dash in July.  It’s a 6K course consisting of obstacles such as Leg Break Leaps, Tunnels of Terror, Warrior Roast, and the Slithering Swamp.  All very safe, I’m sure.   In addition to the ubiquitous race t-shirt, you also get a warrior helmet and there is knife-throwing after the race.  This is obvious a very serious and intense race; I fully expect to see Deena Kastor and Ryan Hall in Joliet that weekend.  Watch for ESPN coverage.

*   *   *

I tried out The Counter in Chicago with some friends a few weeks ago.  It’s a build-your-own-burger joint, and the burgers are delicious, albeit overpriced.  They certainly don’t give them away, that’s for sure.

Half and Half

The Kai Burger

I topped my burger with fried onion strings, bacon, tomato, lettuce, and garlic aioli.  They also had a churros milkshake, which was pretty much the best thing ever – cinnamon and vanilla, with bits of churros throughout.  Yum!

I also discovered the best sandwich place the other night, having dinner with some friends.  The Bourgeois Pig Cafe is hugely personable, and has a huge selection of sandwiches, pastries, and coffee.  I had The Walden – curry honey chicken salad between focaccia.

The Walden

At Least It’s Not Barney

I got some running photos back from the Kentucky Derby Marathon Relay.  Some were decent, like this one.  My feet are actually both off the ground!  I’m flying!

Flying!

And then there was this.

Hrm…

The resemblance is uncanny.

*   *   *

I applied for the New York City Marathon on November 1st and looking at Pfitz 18/55.  Why would I subject myself to 50+ mile weeks and 20 milers at 7:30 AM again?  Good question.  I have no idea.

Who Da Champion?

I da champion!

Thanks to some crazy fast running*, Blue Steel was the women’s relay champion at the 2009 Kentucky Derby Marathon Relay.  Apparently, there is a lot more to life than being really really ridiculously good-looking.

(*Crazy fast is relative to Joe McAverage, not Kara Goucher.  Trust me, it is terribly ego-deflating that the four of us running each leg on fresh legs is still nearly half an hour slower than the female winner of the full Derby Marathon.)

After a carb-loading pit-stop at Molly’s Cupcakes, we drove nearly 7 hours from Chicago to Louisville.  You may ask, “But Kai, weren’t you only running the 5K leg? Why are you carb loading?”  While that is technically true, I prefer to think that I am getting a head start on all the future half-marathons and full marathons that I still have in my future.  With me eating so much carbs, my body is bound to become a superhuman, bionic, energy-churning machine.  This is the strategy that will eventually get me to Boston and the Olympics, I’m sure of it.

Pre-Race Strategy: Box o' Cupcakes

The shuttle bus got me to my exchange point extremely early on, so I had quite a bit of downtime to work myself into a nervous frenzy, which is a pretty typical pre-race routine.  I also had some time t size up some potential competition; while I jogged up and down a nearby hill and did a few warm-up strides, the majority of the other racers were napping in the grass or…smoking.  (I’m not kidding.  This is when I thought, Hm, we might actually have a chance of winning this.) The marathon leaders ran by, which was cool to see, and then a few trailing behind them.  By the time the main pack arrived, I felt like a loaded pistol.  The exchange zone was at the top of a small hill, and as soon as my relay partner ran in, I grabbed the chip and sprinted full-force downhill.

This promptly turned  out to be a very bad idea.  At the exchange zone, I could see that the rest of the road led downhill and turned into a wooded, park area.  What I could not see from that perspective was that as soon as the downhill curved away into the woods, the road immediately shot UP.  My momentum propelled me forward and I raced up the hill as fast my legs could carry me.  My Garmin beeped a 7:19 for the first mile, which explains why my lungs felt like they were going to explode.

I bolted past an official pacer with a group of tired marathoner around him, a few of whom looked at me incredulously, and I managed to wheeze out, “It’s ok!  I’m just doing the relay!”  I slowed my pace down for the second and third mile, knowing I’d pass out if I kept up a 7:19 pace.  It luckily flattened out for most of the remaining miles, and I also had the advantage of running in a mostly-shaded park (it was about 80 degrees that day).  People complained about the heat, which did suck, but there were a few points where I was hit by some sizeable gusts of wind as well.  The last quarter-mile of the 5K started climbing up a hill again, but knowing that I was almost done, I grit my teeth, climbed it as fast as I could manage, and handed off the chip to my next partner.  I PR-ed with 24:33!  One woman waiting for her relay partner looked at me, chuckled, and remarked, “You don’t even look like you’ve been sweating!”  Tired and breathless, I think my response came out something like, “Ugmm…mhfff…hrmmmgggg.”  I appreciate a simple “Good job!” or “Looking good!” or “Uh…water?”, but please, I can’t understand anything beyond that after a race.

I met up with my other teammates at around Mile 25, and we ran the last mile of the marathon in together, pushing the last relay person all the way since she looked like she was going to collapse.  We crossed the finish line together in approximately 3:40, and yes, we did end up winning the women’s relay division!  It was a great race in terms of views and crowd support, but considering the heat and the amount of brutal hills, I would NOT do the full Derby marathon by myself.  Props to those who toughed it out on a challenging course in hot weather.

We celebrated with some delicious Mexican food at El Mundo for dinner.  I had the chile relleno, stuffed with incredibly tender pieces of steak, and some chips with the smoothest guacamole I’ve ever had.  Their mango margarita is also especially fresh and yummy.  Afterwards, we stopped at Graeter’s for ice cream – I had a cone with the coconut chip ice cream, which had enormous chunks of soft fudge folded into the creamy coconut ice cream.  Before leaving for Chicago the next morning, our host’s mom made us a breakfast with French toast, eggs, and turkey bacon.  At the end of the trip, I forgot if we’d come to Louisville to eat or to run, which is not a bad way to end a racing trip.

Chile Relleno Stuffed With Steak

The Breakfast Spread

Blue Steel

Best Laid Plans

 

I set my alarm on Sunday for a 10-miler and when it went off at 8 AM sharp, I promptly shut it off and went back to sleep.  I’m wondering if signing up for a half will drag my butt out of bed, or if I would just end up sleeping through my training and race.

Nevertheless, I feel like I’m getting a lot of my mojo back.  I did two speedwork sessions last week – a 6 mile tempo run at around 8:15 on Wednesday, and then a couple of intervals on Friday at a 7:15-7:30 pace.  Even when it feels like I’m running a few slow, recovery miles, my Garmin tells me I’m doing an 8:45 mile.  I know that as soon as I get my long runs back up (any day now…still waiting…), I’ll be in prime shape to race.

Speaking of racing, my first race since the marathon is this weekend.  I’m driving down to Louisville with a few friends to do the Kentucky Derby Marathon Relay.  It was up for contention whether I would run the 15K leg or the 5K leg – I decided to go with the 5K mostly due to the fact that my bathroom habits become wildly unpredictable soon after mile 6 and I didn’t want to cost the team any time waiting for a port-a-potty.  Damn those persistent runner’s trots!

Our team name is Blue Steel, and we got T-shirts that say “Have you ever wondered if there was more than life other than being really really ridiculously good looking?”  We’re hoping to place, but the past results are vastly inconsistent so it’ll all depend on the running field this year.  I’m hoping to beat my previous 5K PR (24:58) but seeing as how I haven’t been training for speed or any particular race, I’ll settle for a weekend of Louisville restaurant-hopping if that doesn’t happen.  Look for a race report next week!

*   *   *

 

Bottomless Bowl of Pho

 

Pastries From La Patisserie P

 

Beef Satay at Amarit Thai

 

The Reward for 3 Hard Days of Running...

Hey, Are You Going to Eat That?

I’m sitting here eating ice cream from Coldstone Creamery – coconut ice cream with coconut shavings and crumbled graham cracker pie crust.  I’ve gained 3 or 4 pounds since marathon training has come to an end.  NOTE TO SELF:  YOU CANNOT EAT THE SAME AMOUNT OF FOOD WHILE RUNNING HALF THE MILEAGE.

This problem is compounded by the fact that instead of being in the downtown business district, my new office is now further up north, in a cute, boutique, more residential area of Chicago.  Instead of being surrounded by Taco Bells, McDonald’s, and other greasy staples of corporate food courts, I’m now surrounded by Italian bread cafes, NY-style delis, and hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurants.  Every block around me holds a lunchtime trap.  Dangerous, indeed.

I got a new pair of Brooks Adrenaline 8’s, but the new version is made slightly smaller.  Five miles into my run on Saturday, I started to blister the tiniest bit so it looks like I’ll have to exchange them for a half-size bigger.  Will these shoe trials ever end???

*   *   *

Fiance and I went to see the musical Rent downtown yesterday (my fourth time – I may or may not be obsessed), and then went to Catch 35 for dinner.  We’ve both had a long, exhausting week so we decided to splurge and treat ourselves with the surf and turf.  I never get to eat lobster, mostly because I’m not a billionaire heiress nor do I live in Maine, so this was a particularly nice treat.

Seared Scallops w/ Szechuan Glaze & Chive Potsticker

The Surf Half

Caramelized Banana Bread Pudding

Wait, You Mean Running Isn’t My Real Job?

For the past year, working in a temporary, non-career position, I’ve had time to run and run and run.  I didn’t earn much money at all and I can’t say it was a fulfilling position in any way, but I had the luxury of leaving work at a relatively early hour.  As it turns out, this was the perfect formula for marathon training and high mileage weeks.  I had hours and hours to do 8, 9, 10-mile runs on weekdays, and very little stress.  I didn’t always have the money to pay rent on time (thanks Fiance!), but that’s a whole other story.

As it turns out, having a career means having to make sacrifices.  Who knew?  As it stands, some current deterrents to my running are:

1.)  Working 13-hour days between 2 jobs (one full-time, one part-time)
2.)  A total commute time of 3 hours a day
3.)  Starting the process of finding and buying property with Fiance
4.)  Getting married in (probably) late summer

But these are also the reasons why running has taken on more of an importance in my life than ever.  Before, it was important for me to get those 10, 15, 20-milers in for a large race, or do hit my 7:40 interval pace, or do those ab-crunchers and stretching sessions.  My runs were explained in numbers – seconds, minutes, miles; I was TRAINING.  Now, without the time to really train for the larger races I enjoy, running has become the one hour (or so) in my day when I don’t have to think, or work, or answer to anyone.  Although I miss having a close companionship with my Garmin, I also enjoy having no expectations on the 4-6 miles I run, no formulas or deadlines, no set time I have to hit.

I run after work as part of my commute, or during lunch.  Last week, I asked my boss if it was ok for me to leave and get my runs in during lunch – we’ve all been in those environments where technically, you get an hour for lunch but it’s frowned upon if you’re not working during your lunch break.  “Professionally, I could care less,” he replied.  “But personally, I think you’re really weird.”  So I run at lunch, I run along the lakefront in Chicago, and past the Lincoln Park Zoo, which is free.  Sometimes I use the bathrooms in the petting zoo, and I stop to pet the ponies and coo over the bunnies in the rabbit hatch before continuing on my route.  My mileage is much, much lower now, but lacing up and hitting the pavements is, ironically, more important than ever.

*   *   *

Because I’ve been neglecting this blog and everyone who reads it for such a long time, here’s a plethora of food photos for a visual feast!

Dinner at Carnivale - Peppers and Beef

Caramel Flan w/ a Coconut Cookie

Churros w/ Chocolate and Caramel Dips

Recently, the Meatloaf Bakery opened up in the neighborhood I work in.  The concept is gourmet meatloaf shaped in the form of cupcakes, with the various meats as the “cake”, and mashed potatoes (or other various sides) as the “icing.”  I walked by it the other day on my way to dinner with a friend, and decided to stop for some samplings, since meatloaf is one of Fiance’s favorite foods.  I picked up their basic meatloaf cupcake – The Mother Loaf, which is beef, pork, and veal ground up with onions and ketchup, “iced” with a giant mound of mashed potatoes.  I also picked up some “loafies,” which are hors d’oeuvres-sized versions of their cupcakes.  Delicious and very cute, but definitely overpriced.

Meatloaf Cupcake

Bite-sized Loafies

After our meeting with the real estate agent yesterday, Fiance and I headed to Pizzeria via Stato for their extremely crispy, thin-crust Roman style pizzas.  I was hungering after the meat-and-potatoes pizza I had heard about – fingerling potatoes, pancetta, mozzarella – and it didn’t disappoint.  The pizzas there are AMAZING.  I love the soft, paper thing pieces with the burnt, swollen crusts.  It might not be Chicago-deep-dish-acceptable, but I don’t care.

Potato and Pancetta Pizza

Sausage Pizza

Potatoes and Pancetta - Yum!

Hitting the Ground Running

I am happy to report that I have an awesome new job that I’m eager to start tomorrow!  I’m excited because it’s a real next-step in my career, not just a job to keep me busy and pay my rent.  Like almost everyone else, I’ve had highs and lows in my relatively short professional life; I’ve made mistakes and learned so much, and I’m really looking forward to proving myself and succeeding in this position.  This is starting to sound like I’m writing a cover letter, but I really am excited and I feel so lucky to have been offered something in this kind of economy.

My new hours will be a little bit longer and my commute is further, so I’ve decided to incorporate running into my commute.  This way, running will be incorporated into my day, not something I’ll have to do AFTER a longer day and a longer commute.  It’s about a 4.5 mile run to my train, but I’ll probably extend that to 6 or 7 on a couple of days.  Fiance and I have been talking about biting the bullet and buying a place downtown (we’re further south in the suburbs right now), but until we do, I may just have to stick with shorter-to-middle distances given my schedule now (I should also mention I have a prospective, second part-time job I can do from home).  I’ve been looking at some good running backpacks so I can haul my stuff back and forth – if anyone has suggestions, holler at me!

*   *   *

This weekend brought in the second year of Restaurant Week in Chicago.  Huzzah!  For those who don’t aren’t familiar with this, a lot of local restaurants offer a promotional prix fixe lunch and dinner menus for $22 and $32, respectively, during the week.  It’s a great chance to try a 3-course meal at the fancy-schmancy restaurants I can’t normally afford.  Fiance and I went to Aigre Doux last night, and their prix fixe dinner included an amazingly comforting roasted cauliflower soup and a luxurious maple flan for dessert.  Today, I had a late lunch with some friends at Cafe Spiaggia.

 

Tagliatelle Bolognese

Tiramisu at Cafe Spiaggia

We realized that the recently opened More Cupcakes was just a few blocks away from Cafe Spiaggia.  So a bunch of us cupcake connoiseurs trotted off in search of cupcake perfection.

 

Shelves of Cupcakes

Forever More Cupcakes!

More Cupcakes is famous for offering savory cupcakes.  They had a BLT cupcake, a tomato-ranch cupcake, and a cupcake take on mac & cheese.  I stuck with the sweets this time – lemon, chocolate champagne, mocha, and red velvet.  The cupcakes have an airy, slightly tangy cream cheese frosting that provides a great pairing to the moist richness of the cake.  I tend to prefer cream cheese frosting, since buttercream can be too much for me – like eating straight out of those tubs of frosting in the grocery store.  The search for exceptional cupcakes continues…

 

Foursome in a Box

Infidelity

In lieu of Valentine’s Day, I’d like to make a confession.

I have not been faithful to my current love.  Long-term relationships are hard, and there are always rocky patches.  We’ve broken up, we’ve gotten back together, we’ve tried to keep it casual, and last year we became more serious than ever.  There have been so many instances where I think I’ve fallen out of love and tried to find that spark and passion in another, only to realize that I was deluding myself.  I’ve had so many indiscretions over the past years – I was lured in by Pilates with its promises of a strong core and flat belly.  I ran to the Elliptical after a particularly ugly fight over enduring shin splints.  During those crazy college years where standards are lowered and everything else looks more appealing, I even gave Bellydancing a try.  It seemed so fun and exotic, but in the end had little substance to offer.

And then there was the string of one-night stands while I was out of town.  Snowboarding, Rock-Climbing, Surfing.  Admittedly, it was quite exciting, but they never would’ve lasted.  After all, what did Surfing and I have in common, me living near the cold, smooth waters of Lake Michigan?  And Snowboarding…well, that was a little too rough for me.  Despite all the disagreements, all the grief this relationship has given me, the fact is that I could never commit to another like I am committed to Running.  Nothing else gives me that high, nothing else makes me feel quite as satisfied as I am after a great run, nothing else makes me want to stick around for life.  Running is my soulmate.

*   *   *

My friend Nic and I went to a sushi buffet last Tuesday night.  That’s right, sushi buffet.  And not a ghetto buffet where poorly assembled California rolls with mealy rice have been sitting out for hours.  It was all-you-can-eat-sushi from an enormously comprehensive menu, the catch being that you had to eat every last thing you ordered, or you would have to pay a la carte for whatever rolls you had left on the plate.

 

"All You Can Eat" - My Favorite Words

 

The First Plate

The second plate looked pretty much the same.  We calculated that all in all, between the two of us, we probably consumed around 50 pieces of sushi, as well as various side dishes like dumplings and chicken yakitori.  Thank god I was wearing stretch jeans.

Fiance brought home a surprise gift for me from his coworker’s wife, who is the nicest and cheeriest woman ever – home-made toffee packaged with sticker hearts.  I think she reads this blog occasionally, so a big shout-out and thank you to the lovely Miss Greta (who is a painter, go check out her site).  The toffee was delicious!  (And yes, my parents taught me manners – I’ve already repaid her with cupcakes.)

 

For Moi???

 

I Love Toffee!

And last but not least, photos of Fiance’s and my dinner at Antico Posto (the food is amazing):

 

Lemon Garlic Shrimp

Cavatelli alla Vodka

 

Porcini Mushroom Ravioli