Ironman 140.6 Flexibility

Make sure to read the last paragraph

Sometimes the key to great meals is improvisation. In preparing for a pre-race meal for an Ironman 140.6 Miles, the goal was to get the guys fueled with carbs/protein and minimize the risk of stomach issues. My son Brian and his buddy Eric Brown had run a half Ironman in Boulder Colorado in August (See Boulder Blog) and their pre-race meal worked well then so we tried to mirror it. Unfortunately, some shortfalls at the rental property called for several improvisations:

No grill forced a switch from grill chicken to Chicken Milanese
No meat pounder called for the use of a wine bottle and small pot bottom to pound meat
Shallots were replaced with finely minced red onion and garlic
Butter was replaced with olive oil in the garlic bread
Tomato salsa was replaced with an avocado based salsa
No matches or lighter forced the use of a price of paper in the toaster to get a flame
Bagel based French toast

The rental property in Boulder had spoiled us. It came with a kitchen that was probably equipped by a professional chef. It had all the equipment and utensils that any chef could ask for. The property in Florida was the complete opposite. First there was no grill. It had a grill grate brush, but no grill. The pantry in Boulder was stocked with a full array of basic ingredients. The Florida property didn’t even have salt and pepper.

A few changes to the menu, a quick second trip to the supermarket and some improvisation were called for. Your guest would never notice most of the changes, for example:

Pounding out your chicken breast with a wine bottle and the bottom a small pan because you had no meat pounder
The replacement of shallot with a little onion and garlic in the gougeres
The garlic bread with an olive oil versus a butter based spread
The addition of a avocado based salsa because 4 of my guests don’t eat tomato (What is it with millenials and tomatoes?)

Just about everyone had to notice me lighting the birthday cake by getting a flame off the toaster with a piece of paper. The smoke and the unusual smell were a bit of giveaway, but it worked!

The meal was a success but the highlight of trip was the Ironman. Brian and Eric have been best friends since they were three years old. Now in their 30’s they are still best friends and training for the Ironman has kept them close. The fact that Brian lives in Memphis and Eric lives in Boulder Colorado is a detail. The work and dedication that goes into the training is amazing. A 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, followed by a full 26.2 mile marathon run in under 15 hours is more than amazing.

Note: Biran and Eric at 3 (Bri-guy loved his cowboy boots..)

Brian and Eric after their 2 mile swim

Speeding their way through the 112 mile bike ride

In the transition between the bike and the run

Flying through the 26.2 mile run (Brian wearing his Westhampton hat so the the force of mom mom would be with him)

Celebrating at the finish

The line of the week goes to my daughter in law Lauren who is pregnant with their second child due in a few weeks. Leave it to Lauren to say the most important things in a few words.

At the breakfast table in the morning the day after the Ironman, Brian states: in the last 24 hours I have swam 2.3 miles, biked 112 miles, ran 26.3 miles, got up this morning and updated my weekly work numbers, got on the phone with Autozone IT to straighten them out and set direction for my team at work…what have you done?:

Lauren’s soft response…”NOT HAD A BABY”

Gourmet Group On A Budget

GUEST BLOG… My sister contributed the following. If you find any spelling or grammatical mistakes, you will note that such errors are consistent with the quality of the other blogs on the site. We are the children of an esteemed communication professor, but as he would have noted: “Good grammar/spelling skills run in the family, but when it came to these blog authors, those skills walked”. ENJOY THE BLOG.

Ten women gather each year on Kiawah Island, South Carolina for tennis, biking, walking on the beach and eating! For over 15 years, Martha has organized this great group and has provided the meal planning and cooking. We all help out. Martha’s goal – feeding ten people for four days (including wine and beer and liquor!) for under $100 per person.

Advance planning is key – and she takes into account food preferences and allergies.

Martha brings with her little baggies of any spices she thinks she will need. She figures out the main meals and then the different components of the main meal. Then she will see how overlaps work, so food not used in the main meals contribute to other meals.

Main meal or dinner menus included steak, potatoes with pesto, couscous with grilled vegetables, salad; surf and turf with leftover steak, Shrimp scampi, pesto pasta, salad, grilled asparagus; and shrimp/steak/veg tacos, quesadillas and more salad.

Lunch today will be two frittatas – leftover pesto potatoes with bacon and another one with leftover grilled vegetable/bacon and onions. Both have tons of cheese. And of course bacon.

Frittata Recipes

Each day begins with steel cut oatmeal with all the fixings served with a lot of coffee and conversation.

How does Martha do it? She buys steak, salad, eggs, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, coffee, olive oil, fruit, vegetables and bacon in bulk at Costco. She buys locally caught shrimp and adds a lot of helping hands. And then she mixes in friendship, memories, conversations and athletic activities to work all the food off.

Saint Remy Market

Markets are a wonderful source of menu inspiration. There is nothing better than developing a menu around fantastic ingredients. A walk through the weekly market in Saint Remy de Provence is more than inspirational. It is simply unforgettable.

Local outdoor markets in France are special. If you ever get a chance to visit France, make a point to spend a few hours walking through the market. There is a cornucopia of wonderful food and fantastic Ideas.

Mushrooms

In the fall you are sure to see a wonderful selection of mushrooms. In the US we grew up with one mushroom. The Champignon or white button mushroom was all we knew. We called generic tissue a Kleenex and a Champignon was a mushroom. My mom was an adventurous cook and I can remember her forcing mushrooms on us as kids. As the ungrateful brat that I was, I can even remember complaining about the smell of the mushrooms cooking. Today the sight of the mushrooms at Saint Remy made me drool with thoughts of mushrooms soup, sautéed mushrooms with chicken, mushrooms in a wine sauce with steak. I could go on and on.

Hostess Gifts

My book publicist made me write an article on hostess gifts. I protested that hostess gifts weren’t exactly a “guy thing”, but I tapped into my “expert panel” and wrote a fun article. Walk through the market in Saint Remy and you find all kinds of things that would make any hostess happy. One catch, you won’t find any Pro V1 golf balls, but I digress. (see the article)

Fruit de Mer

There is nothing like a multi tiered platter of fresh seafood at a Paris bistro. I always remember my buddy, the food scientist from Louisiana, ordering a whole platter for himself and declaring: “It is just protein and water”.

Cured Meats

Growing up in an Italian neighborhood in New York, I learned to love salamis and sausages. The cured meats at the Saint Remy market were simply at another level. A few of these salamis and a nice baguette would make the perfect supper club meal, for me.

The Perfect Takeaway

Do have people coming over for dinner and you are too tired to cook? Stop by the Saint Remy market and pick up some paella for dinner. Sounds pretty perfect to me.

Fromage

What to have for dessert? Why not bring home a selection of cheeses and a pear, an apple and a bunch of grapes. Voila!

Seasonal Specialties

For me, there are few things more inspirational than the perfect tomato, lettuce and peppers. To get vine ripened produce in season is more than special. Maybe I am just weird.

Exceptional Produce.

Every supermarket in the U.S. has produce, but to see really fresh produce at the market in Saint Remy was special.

OK, many of you are thinking: “The Saint Remy market is great, but I don’t live in the South of France”. My advice is go to your local market and dream a little. Think about the trip you took, the TV show you saw or even this silly blog. The chances are you will see something inspirational.

If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.

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