Salmon Chase 10k, food stuff, and a Giveaway

Giveaway info is at bottom of post

On Friday, I signed up for the 10k at the Salmon Chase. Immediately after which I walked over to Chicory Cafe for some coffee and beignets.

Arriving to your table fresh and dusted in confectioners' sugar, these have to be my favorite doughnut thing of all time. Light, crispy outtards and chewy-fluffy innards.

what I wanted from this race
Going by the first four miles from the 15k two weeks ago, I knew I could hold sub-9 minute miles for the first four and if I couldn't get myself to overcome the pain I'd drop back to around 9:20s like I did then.

Then I got sick. Just a cold that has since mostly gone away, but it zapped my energy and there was no way I was going running since I had that nasty cough. Since that meant I hadn't run in a week I figured a) this means I'll be well-rested, b) I can't lose that much fitness in a week anyway, and c) I'll be racing in practically new shoes. They ("they" being the running experts) suggest not racing in shoes you haven't broken in, but for many shoes the break in period isn't very long, and I can tell these shoes are the best I've worn yet. More on that later, though.

I get to the race, which starts at 0730 in front of the College Football Hall of Fame, and it's pretty chilly, around 57° and breezy. Only to have the start time delayed by five minutes. Just five minutes longer. I'm sorry, but there are a few course complications, so we'll begin in five minutes. Then there was the stupid playback voice over the loudspeaker, "The race will begin in juuuust a feew minutes. Just a feeeew minutes until the start of the race." I swear he sounded like Horacio from CSI: Miami, and I pictured the voice tilting its head down, lowering his shades, and telling me, "The race will begin in juuuust a feeeew minutes."

Eventually the race starts and off we go. The course was similar to the Sunburst 10k in that it went along some of the same roads and paths. And the hills. Don't ask me how I liked them hills. Anyway, the course went along the river and it was nice, and the mile splits were clearly marked with Army dudes calling out the split, which I thought was pretty cool. And I hope they were in the Army, otherwise I'm going to sound like a moron.

My first split came in around 8:06, which I wasn't quite expecting. Second was around 8:12, third back at 8:06, the fourth I messed up but I think was just under 9, and the last two were close to 9:25. I still feel like the part of running I have to work on is talking myself through the pain and continuing to push myself. Probably why I backed off was that I couldn't draw a deep breath since I felt like I needed to cough, but the only way to cough would have been to stop so I didn't.

Here is my finishing kick. And see the clock? My chip time came it at 53:33, which is a personal record and a 5th place in my age group!

Now about the shoes. I had a coupon from the Blueberry Stomp for the New Balance store so I decided to see what they had. The guy who helped me, Kurt, was very informative and explained why I probably wanted to veer from a stability shoe and directed me towards the New Balance 800, a shoe designed for midfoot strikers. He also felt that given my size, the trainer would hold up against a decent amount of mileage. It felt different, obviously, though it seemed like a good idea and I went with it. I couldn't really tell much from the 2 runs I put in prior to the race since the first one resulted in a walk of shame back to my house since it was just when I got sick, and the second I was coming off the sickness and felt weird, although the shoes felt fine. There was only a small adjustment period, going from a shoe with a built-up heel to one where it was designed for the way I run was a bit different. Also, shuffling in these shoes is a NO. You can really tell when you aren't running with proper form, but I like that.

You know what the absolute bummer is? NEW BALANCE IS GETTING RID OF THE SHOE. That's correct, folks. I called the store and the guy said they'll be getting the 801 in next month and he can't even order the 800s any more. And New Balance only offers frees hipping for orders over $99. The difference, he said, was that this new and supposedly improved shoe is cut out more like a shoe and will have more support under the metatarsal.

Sigh.

The post race snacks were excellent, and once again I didn't grab enough. If I had my bag with me I'd have really made out well. But I grabbed Sun Chips (great flavor, though I think "Hot House Canned Salsa" would have been better), some Effin Crackers (which were really Elfin Crackers, think Animal Crackers but in a cannibalized Elf shape -- I was about to say 'tiny Elf', but that's redundant, like saying, "What a small hobbit!" I misread the label and swore they said Effin Crackers, which made sense since I thought what I was grabbing was a bag of jelly fruit slices, so Effin Crackers they remain), and a popsicle that I wrestled with opening the slippery plastic covering for what I swear was five minutes. There were also doughnut holes, but I wanted that popsicle. I worked for it and earned it, damn it!

Walking back to Chicory Cafe for hot chocolate (which was meh, unfortunately), and corn crab chowder which was a bit spicy, not too thick, and altogether yummy. It came with a roll, no crackers.

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The Giveaway

And now what you've all been waiting for! I picked up my favorite flavor of coffee from Chicory Cafe to give away to one lucky person.

This Coconut Supreme flavor is so far one of my favorites I've tried. The flavor is really good, reminiscent of toasted coconut almost, and a little sugar and cream actually enhance the flavor. Equally good black, I have no doubt. This is an 8 oz. bag of whole beans.

Chicory Cafe procures their beans directly from a micro-roaster in New Orleans, and they also make sure their coffee comes from the source of where it's supposed to come from -- the fridge. It's also Fair Trade.

If you would like to try this, leave a comment telling me a) your favorite coffee, b) your favorite time to drink coffee, and c) your email address (or you can email me if you'd rather not leave it publicly -- address is on the sidebar). Entries close at 12:00 PM EST on Friday, the winner will be determined my random selection and announced shortly after.

US residents only, please

Good luck!

espresso-chocolate shortbread cookies

You've probably seen this recipe floating about, and in case you haven't at least you have now. I came across this first on a blog, which actually prompted me to pick up Baking ~ from my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan in the first place. Obviously, it took a few recipes before I made it, but it was worth the delay. Since I haven't had the desire for a cup of coffee (ahhhhh, it's the end of the world!!!!!), I get my fix in baked forms.

A delicate, espresso-laced shortbread that's in between sandy and crispy, these are excellent nibbling cookies alongside your beverage of choice. Of course, the addition of chocolate is always welcome whenever espresso is around, and I be the use of orange extract in place of the vanilla would just seal the deal.

An interesting technique of pressing the dough to the specified dimensions in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag makes quick and easy work of handling the dough, turning the sticky mass into a chilled slice-and-bake production.

Once the dough has chilled and you slice and peel away the Ziploc bag like Elmer's Glue on your skin, quickly score the dough to the correct size and slice away. I could have eyeballed it, but I wanted to be a bit of a perfectionist here.

Since the dough warms up rather quickly (or perhaps it was due to the temperature of the kitchen, or the warmness of my heart seeping through to my fingers) quickly transfer the slices to the prepared baking sheet where you will indent each cookie with the tines of a fork. Quickness is what really helps the cookies to retain their shape; all-butter cookies have a habit of spreading.

To date, none of the recipes I've made from Dorie's book have failed. This is probably one of my favorites since it's excellent alongside a cup of tea or coffee, and it's really a lovely little cookie that stands up to any occasion. These would also make an excellent choice to ship since they are fairly sturdy and the flavors improve with time.

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Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
from Baking: From My Home to Yours

Makes 32 cookies

ingredients ~
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon boiling water
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped, or 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

directions ~

1. Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water, and set aside to cool to tepid.


2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in the vanilla and espresso, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate with a sturdy rubber spatula.


3. Using the spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.


4. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. (I'm out of parchments, so I simply greased the sheets.)


5. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.


6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack.


7. If you’d like, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving.

hasselback potatoes

Around the third or so day of being sick you get that restless feeling of wanting to do the things you normally do, and I wanted to get back in the kitchen. But not, because I didn't really feel like it. What I did instead was flit between tennis, knitting, and browsing blogs until I came across a picture of hasselback potatoes.

What? I guess it's named after a restaurant in Stockholm in the 1700s where it was first invented, and basically you slice almost all the way through a potato, fan it out, drizzle with oil and seasonings and roast.

But I found a tip from a Friend to Knit with's Flikr stream about placing the potatoes on a wooden spoon so that when you slice, you won't go all the way. I love tips like that!

The possibilities for these things are endless and are great for inventive minds. Sprinkle some cheese, different herb combinations, garlic slivers between a few slices, whatever. I kept it simple with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper, and a shake of oregano.

The roasted potato develops a crispy skin with creamy innards and is an altogether nice spud. Why not just make them normally, one might ask? Why not just spend a few extra seconds to make something pretty, I say to that. Like many things that have a bazillion different methods that come out not entirely unlike each other, it's nice to have the option. Especially for a special dinner or just to perk up everyday meals.

Many people rag about being sick, so I will list a few things I enjoy and look forward to when I have the pleasure of feeling under the weather:

• Dry toast ~ I don't know why I like this, but the combination of crispy outtards to fluffy innards just makes me feel better and can be eaten with tea, soup, and anything else. You can also taste the bread better since it's unadorned, and if you want cheesy toast just sprinkle some shredded cheese or slices and broil until melty and bubbly.


• Soup ~ It just tastes so much better when you're sick. And yes, homemade soup with freshly pressed garlic is great, but canned chicken noodle soup is simply classic. I've found that the soup comes with bigger chunks of chicken than I remember it having back in the day, and the store brand tasted just as good as Campbell's without the annoying kid commercials.


• Medicine ~ I'm talking about the grape flavored cough syrup, heck yes!

That's all I can think of for now, though I'll add that I haven't had a single drop of coffee in my cup since Wednesday. No, haven't craved it, and I still don't, and I didn't get jittery, but now I have the pleasure of looking forward to the brew that's good to the last drop with some cookies!

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hasselback potatoes

ingredients ~
Smallish potatoes, however many
Olive oil
Coarse salt
Pepper
Herbs, fresh or dried
Anything else

directions ~

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with foil.


2. Scrub the potatoes under cold water and pat dry. Place the potatoes on the bowl side of a wooden spoon and slice, more on the thin side than thick. Place on baking sheet, fan out, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, herbs, or any other topping you'd like.


3. Roast for 40 minutes; reduce temperature to 350° F and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and eat.