Welcome to Hell. Here's your route sheet.
Perhaps I doth protest too much, but for me, yesterday's Day on the Ride, other than the rest stop on a windswept mesa, did not have a great resemblance to any day on AIDS Lifecycle.
I thank my lucky stars that no day on the ride will have that much climbing, nor will I get that much sand blown in my eyes, ears and enough to get sand burns on my legs.
The day took its first downturn with a flat barely out of Golden Gate Park. This was our very first flat on an upright tandem. We had several on the recumbent trike, but considering we spent most of the time riding as far to the right as possible to give people room to pass, that was to be expected.
And thank goodness we were back on the Co-Motion. If we were still riding the Greenspeed we'd still be on the course. Well, perhaps I exaggerate a little-- but there's no way we could have finished before the course closed, and likely there would be no sweep vehicle to haul that behemoth.
The ride left me cranky, and I let all that cranky out at the post-ride spaghetti dinner at Sports Basement. And while yes, perhaps moi was over the top just a tad, I do think that a Day on the Ride should not be used to scare the Hell out of new riders. I spoke to more than one newbie who was in a state of shock at the number of climbs we took. And they were indeed reassured that no day on the ride was this hard.
So perhaps, in some way, the ridiculousness of this DOTR served a purpose. More than one rider, after hearing this was harder than the actual ride said, well, if I made it through this, I guess I can make it through the ride.
A real sign to me of the toughness of the day was how it affected Jerry. When he is on his single he is out front with the best of them, but yesterday's ride really took its toll on him. True, we are more than twice the age of a lot of riders, but generally, we are strong riders. But this ride really blew us away and took more than just the wind out of our sails. It really made us think, is this really what we want to do? We had a long talk last night about our future with ALC. Is it time for a break? Is it time to do something else?
Perhaps these thoughts will pass when we are on the actual ride and we are swept up in the euphoria and Utopia of that week.
Bur for now, we are taking this Sunday to loll, laze and go out to lunch.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Mont Fromage and Kurt
Yesterday was lots of big hills day.
Once again, we picked up the Cat2 Pos Ped ride in San Anselmo and met up with some of the riders in Fairfax. Since we hadn't ridden very far, our stop was short and then it was off to tackle White's Hill.
Though our stop was short, we did run into Kurt Schade. He runs his own series of rides on Saturdays, but on this ride, he was one of the pack. Not that Kurt could ever really be described as one of the pack. Along the route, Kurt sings, he tells jokes-- he is a one-man entertainment center.
So, as we left Fairfax, Kurt was right behind us. We hadn't spent much time with him lately, so it was a real treat to get to pedal and visit. Kurt had lots of great stories about some of his riders, and as a former DC area resident (he went to Georgetown) we traded east coast stories, and of course, got to talking about John Waters. Kurt did his best Bawlmer Miss Edith voice. We talked about Glee. We sang, we laughed. And before we knew it, we were up White's Hill.
Next came Lagunitas Hill and more of the same. It had never seemed so easy. Last, but hardly least before a break at the Cheese Factory, came, of course, Cheese Factory Hill, which goes by a variety of names, Alp de Fromage, or as I call it, Mont Fromage. It is a toughie, and it is long. But once again, with Kurt riding with us, it was as easy as its ever been.
Another factor making the day's ride so pleasurable was the weather. While there's frequently nothing to complain about regarding Northern California weather, this day was perfect. The hills were lush and green from our frequent deluges of the past few weeks; the air was warm, but not too warm, and the winds were never really awful. Picture perfect postcard day.
After speeding down the Cheese Factory Hill (At one point I clocked us at 48.7 mph) we rode around the reservoir and then on to Pt. Reyes Station. Jerry and I split a sandwich and a bag of chips and we headed out, this time without Kurt as company.
I felt all those miles and Kurt's absence. The hills were harder and I was definitely starting to sag. But once we were up the short and easy side of White's Hill, we sailed back to San Anselmo, drove home, stuffed some more food in our faces and took naps.
That evening we engaged in our usual Sunday night activity-- going to a movie. We saw the Last Station at the Lark. What a wonderful movie! So engaging, so beautifully acted. The only downer was the popcorn. The Lark boasts organic popcorn, and to that I say, Big Whup. I'd prefer the regular stuff popped with whatever carcinogenic oil and "movie additive" that makes it tastes so good. The popcorn at the Lark was full of unpopped pieces and next to no flavor. Sorry, but I'll stick to the crap at the chain theaters. If we go back there, I'll bring truffle salt.
Once again, we picked up the Cat2 Pos Ped ride in San Anselmo and met up with some of the riders in Fairfax. Since we hadn't ridden very far, our stop was short and then it was off to tackle White's Hill.
Though our stop was short, we did run into Kurt Schade. He runs his own series of rides on Saturdays, but on this ride, he was one of the pack. Not that Kurt could ever really be described as one of the pack. Along the route, Kurt sings, he tells jokes-- he is a one-man entertainment center.
So, as we left Fairfax, Kurt was right behind us. We hadn't spent much time with him lately, so it was a real treat to get to pedal and visit. Kurt had lots of great stories about some of his riders, and as a former DC area resident (he went to Georgetown) we traded east coast stories, and of course, got to talking about John Waters. Kurt did his best Bawlmer Miss Edith voice. We talked about Glee. We sang, we laughed. And before we knew it, we were up White's Hill.
Next came Lagunitas Hill and more of the same. It had never seemed so easy. Last, but hardly least before a break at the Cheese Factory, came, of course, Cheese Factory Hill, which goes by a variety of names, Alp de Fromage, or as I call it, Mont Fromage. It is a toughie, and it is long. But once again, with Kurt riding with us, it was as easy as its ever been.
Another factor making the day's ride so pleasurable was the weather. While there's frequently nothing to complain about regarding Northern California weather, this day was perfect. The hills were lush and green from our frequent deluges of the past few weeks; the air was warm, but not too warm, and the winds were never really awful. Picture perfect postcard day.
After speeding down the Cheese Factory Hill (At one point I clocked us at 48.7 mph) we rode around the reservoir and then on to Pt. Reyes Station. Jerry and I split a sandwich and a bag of chips and we headed out, this time without Kurt as company.
I felt all those miles and Kurt's absence. The hills were harder and I was definitely starting to sag. But once we were up the short and easy side of White's Hill, we sailed back to San Anselmo, drove home, stuffed some more food in our faces and took naps.
That evening we engaged in our usual Sunday night activity-- going to a movie. We saw the Last Station at the Lark. What a wonderful movie! So engaging, so beautifully acted. The only downer was the popcorn. The Lark boasts organic popcorn, and to that I say, Big Whup. I'd prefer the regular stuff popped with whatever carcinogenic oil and "movie additive" that makes it tastes so good. The popcorn at the Lark was full of unpopped pieces and next to no flavor. Sorry, but I'll stick to the crap at the chain theaters. If we go back there, I'll bring truffle salt.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Cook to Ride
As part of our fundraiser, Taste of Spring, I auctioned off a gourmet dinner, and last night, the winners of that auction item cashed in, so to speak.
The dinner was the highest bid on auction item, so I wanted to do a really great job. The hostess decided upon salmon, which is something I have cooked a lot of, so I felt pretty confident I could pull off a good meal.
I started my prep earlier in the week, starting with making a fresh pea soup. It was a recipe I had not tried before, so I wanted to make sure it was good. The recipe was simple, though time consuming. It was a simple soup of sauteed shallots, water, a potato and peas. I decided to change the water to chicken stock, for starters, and I added a bit more potato. I simmered it, and then it was time to get out the immersion blender to puree it. I probably would have been better off letting it cool and running it through the food mill, and if I make it again that will be my plan of action. But even after a food mill, I'd run it through a sieve, as I did this time, to make sure I get all the "solids" out. I also added just a touch of lemon zest to boost the flavor. It was light, but it was good.
On to hors d'oeuvre prep. I inadvertently bought black olives with pits, so before I could tackle the tapenade, I pitted olives. Glad to have a pitter-- made the job pretty simple.
I make a very simple but flavorful tapenade with black olives, sun dried tomatoes, garlic and a little olive oil. I whipped that up in the Cuisinart in a flash. Delicious. I served that with a goat cheese spread, and it was a hit.
One hors d'oeuvre had to be made at the event, but I think it was worth it. I made little phyllo cups and then filled them with chopped pears, Camemzola cheese, topped with a pecan. They were lovely and I thought delicious. (Yes, I tried one-- quality control.)
I also served some really good aged Gouda, and that constituted the hors d'oeuvres.
As I wrote earlier, first course was the soup. That was followed by a simple salad with Balsamic vinaigrette. I did put a little truffle salt in the dressing, and it added just a hint of a little more depth of flavor. Probably not identifiable to the diners, but I think it added a nice taste.
Dinner was salmon, roasted potatoes and roasted asparagus. I oven poached the salmon. I cut 6-8 ounce servings and wrapped them in foil, topped with some dill, lemon slices and a scallion, and sprinkled them with white wine. I also made a lovely sour cream dill sauce. I ladled a bit of that on the fish after it was plated.
I found the smallest potatoes I could find and initially roasted them in a moderate oven, then turned up the heat. They were crisp on the outside, tender on the inside. Perfect.
Since the oven was small, I roasted the asparagus first, sprinkled with olive oil, a little butter and lemon, and served them cold. Not my first choice, but since this was a home oven, not commercial, it was what had to be done.
My friend Rene contributed the dessert. She made lovely individual lemon pots de creme and lavender creme brulees.
Jerry was my sous chef and waiter, and we worked beautifully together. Since the dinner was for eight, it was relatively low stress and our timing was impeccable. As the guests finished dessert and sipped port, we cleaned up the kitchen, said our good nights, and headed home.
We will see this couple again, as they were also the high bidders on Jerry's aerial tour of the Bay.
The dinner was the highest bid on auction item, so I wanted to do a really great job. The hostess decided upon salmon, which is something I have cooked a lot of, so I felt pretty confident I could pull off a good meal.
I started my prep earlier in the week, starting with making a fresh pea soup. It was a recipe I had not tried before, so I wanted to make sure it was good. The recipe was simple, though time consuming. It was a simple soup of sauteed shallots, water, a potato and peas. I decided to change the water to chicken stock, for starters, and I added a bit more potato. I simmered it, and then it was time to get out the immersion blender to puree it. I probably would have been better off letting it cool and running it through the food mill, and if I make it again that will be my plan of action. But even after a food mill, I'd run it through a sieve, as I did this time, to make sure I get all the "solids" out. I also added just a touch of lemon zest to boost the flavor. It was light, but it was good.
On to hors d'oeuvre prep. I inadvertently bought black olives with pits, so before I could tackle the tapenade, I pitted olives. Glad to have a pitter-- made the job pretty simple.
I make a very simple but flavorful tapenade with black olives, sun dried tomatoes, garlic and a little olive oil. I whipped that up in the Cuisinart in a flash. Delicious. I served that with a goat cheese spread, and it was a hit.
One hors d'oeuvre had to be made at the event, but I think it was worth it. I made little phyllo cups and then filled them with chopped pears, Camemzola cheese, topped with a pecan. They were lovely and I thought delicious. (Yes, I tried one-- quality control.)
I also served some really good aged Gouda, and that constituted the hors d'oeuvres.
As I wrote earlier, first course was the soup. That was followed by a simple salad with Balsamic vinaigrette. I did put a little truffle salt in the dressing, and it added just a hint of a little more depth of flavor. Probably not identifiable to the diners, but I think it added a nice taste.
Dinner was salmon, roasted potatoes and roasted asparagus. I oven poached the salmon. I cut 6-8 ounce servings and wrapped them in foil, topped with some dill, lemon slices and a scallion, and sprinkled them with white wine. I also made a lovely sour cream dill sauce. I ladled a bit of that on the fish after it was plated.
I found the smallest potatoes I could find and initially roasted them in a moderate oven, then turned up the heat. They were crisp on the outside, tender on the inside. Perfect.
Since the oven was small, I roasted the asparagus first, sprinkled with olive oil, a little butter and lemon, and served them cold. Not my first choice, but since this was a home oven, not commercial, it was what had to be done.
My friend Rene contributed the dessert. She made lovely individual lemon pots de creme and lavender creme brulees.
Jerry was my sous chef and waiter, and we worked beautifully together. Since the dinner was for eight, it was relatively low stress and our timing was impeccable. As the guests finished dessert and sipped port, we cleaned up the kitchen, said our good nights, and headed home.
We will see this couple again, as they were also the high bidders on Jerry's aerial tour of the Bay.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Cold toes and Morning Buns
On our ride out to Pt. Reyes Station yesterday, Jerry and I spent much of the time thinking about the clothes we wished we were wearing-- vests, wind pants, toe condoms...
At least we had worn caps under our helmets and I even opted for an ear-warmer headband.
But it was cold. Grey and cold. My fingers and toes were like blocks of ice. At one point I gave Jerry a real shock by putting one of my hands under his jersey. I am a mean wife, I know. But my God, the warmth of his back felt so good!
Not wanting to ride the bridge, we started our ride in Marin, figuring we'd meet up with riders in Fairfax, at the Coffee Roastery.
And indeed, we found lots of ALC'ers there. I really wanted something warm, but uncharacteristically for me, I did not want coffee. I was having some mild heartburn so I ordered some ginger peach tea. It was vile, but it was hot, so I drank it.
Next was climbing White's Hill. We both looked forward to it in hopes of warming us up. It did, a bit, but the ride down brought the chill back. The ride through Samuel P. Taylor Park was cool, but the trees sheltered us from the wind, and that was a relief.
Climbing Olema Hill did help the circulation a bit, then we cruised into Pt. Reyes Station. I ordered a Chai and a morning bun at Bovine Bakery. I love Morning Buns, but it, like creme brulee, is something I never make at home. It would take the specialness away. And morning buns, to me, are special. The dough is similar to a brioche dough-- yeasty and buttery, and the sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon makes it just about perfect. The counter person handed me a warm bun, and that, with their exceptional chai made me forget about the cold. Jerry had a cup of tea and an Alonzo roll. It looked like a cinnamon roll you'd get from one of those stands at the mall, but since it came from Bovine, I suspect it was far superior.
We sat on the curb and had our snacks, and I was parked next to a guy who is going to do his first ALC. He had not been going on group training rides, and I encouraged him to do so. I also encouraged him to go on the Jon Pon ride, the first weekend in May, to get a taste for the ride and to also meet some of the most wonderful people he could ever know.
After talking about the Jon Pon ride, it got my mind on the menu. Everyone really loved the chicken I did last year, so I'm thinking of a repeat performance, though no doubt with some little tweaks and changes. And if asparagus is still plentiful, I'll serve that as well.
Heading back from Pt. Reyes, a miracle happened. The sun came out and we actually started to thaw out. Not enough to remove our caps, but enough to start to have feeling once again in our fingers and toes. Bliss!
The ride back to the car was oh so much more pleasant. We headed home, did a quick change and went out to lunch.
From there, we checked in on the big sale at the Recyclery at Trips for Kids. They seemed to be doing brisk business, and we had a chat with Marilyn and a few of the other workers and volunteers. Jerry puts high-end items on E-Bay for them, and they had some sure winners waiting in the wings. One is one of Robin Williams's old bikes, but I told Marilyn she really ought to get Robin to autograph the frame and get a picture of him with it; it would surely increase its value. She's shy about asking him for favors, but he's a Trips for Kids fan, so I think he'd have no problem filling the request.
Today is another gray day which is too bad since it's Easter, but my hope is lots of folks in their pastels and florals will brighten the day
At least we had worn caps under our helmets and I even opted for an ear-warmer headband.
But it was cold. Grey and cold. My fingers and toes were like blocks of ice. At one point I gave Jerry a real shock by putting one of my hands under his jersey. I am a mean wife, I know. But my God, the warmth of his back felt so good!
Not wanting to ride the bridge, we started our ride in Marin, figuring we'd meet up with riders in Fairfax, at the Coffee Roastery.
And indeed, we found lots of ALC'ers there. I really wanted something warm, but uncharacteristically for me, I did not want coffee. I was having some mild heartburn so I ordered some ginger peach tea. It was vile, but it was hot, so I drank it.
Next was climbing White's Hill. We both looked forward to it in hopes of warming us up. It did, a bit, but the ride down brought the chill back. The ride through Samuel P. Taylor Park was cool, but the trees sheltered us from the wind, and that was a relief.
Climbing Olema Hill did help the circulation a bit, then we cruised into Pt. Reyes Station. I ordered a Chai and a morning bun at Bovine Bakery. I love Morning Buns, but it, like creme brulee, is something I never make at home. It would take the specialness away. And morning buns, to me, are special. The dough is similar to a brioche dough-- yeasty and buttery, and the sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon makes it just about perfect. The counter person handed me a warm bun, and that, with their exceptional chai made me forget about the cold. Jerry had a cup of tea and an Alonzo roll. It looked like a cinnamon roll you'd get from one of those stands at the mall, but since it came from Bovine, I suspect it was far superior.
We sat on the curb and had our snacks, and I was parked next to a guy who is going to do his first ALC. He had not been going on group training rides, and I encouraged him to do so. I also encouraged him to go on the Jon Pon ride, the first weekend in May, to get a taste for the ride and to also meet some of the most wonderful people he could ever know.
After talking about the Jon Pon ride, it got my mind on the menu. Everyone really loved the chicken I did last year, so I'm thinking of a repeat performance, though no doubt with some little tweaks and changes. And if asparagus is still plentiful, I'll serve that as well.
Heading back from Pt. Reyes, a miracle happened. The sun came out and we actually started to thaw out. Not enough to remove our caps, but enough to start to have feeling once again in our fingers and toes. Bliss!
The ride back to the car was oh so much more pleasant. We headed home, did a quick change and went out to lunch.
From there, we checked in on the big sale at the Recyclery at Trips for Kids. They seemed to be doing brisk business, and we had a chat with Marilyn and a few of the other workers and volunteers. Jerry puts high-end items on E-Bay for them, and they had some sure winners waiting in the wings. One is one of Robin Williams's old bikes, but I told Marilyn she really ought to get Robin to autograph the frame and get a picture of him with it; it would surely increase its value. She's shy about asking him for favors, but he's a Trips for Kids fan, so I think he'd have no problem filling the request.
Today is another gray day which is too bad since it's Easter, but my hope is lots of folks in their pastels and florals will brighten the day
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