Planning Race Travel with Room 77

Let's talk about races, specifically races that require travel. If you've ever run in a large race, chances are good that you had to travel for it. Upon registering, the next step would be to make travel arrangements and book a hotel. Finding a relatively inexpensive hotel near the starting line can be challenging, but Room 77 is here to help make your planning simpler.

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Room 77 is a comprehensive hotel search site that enables travelers to find and book the best rates from across the Web in one search--meaning a search on Room 77 immediately brings up the prices for each hotel as listed on that and three other sites.

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In order to get a feel for how the site works, I browsed it as if I were booking a hotel for a hypothetical redemption race in Pittsburgh next year (I clearly have not let that disappointment go..). It's easy to search for rooms according to what is needed. For my initial search criteria, I entered downtown Pittsburgh as the location, check in and check out dates, rooms required, and body count. Once a list of available hotels appears, you have the option of narrowing down your search criteria with Room 77's various filters. I set mine at price range, distance range, and preferred amenities like free wi-fi(so I can keep tabs on the weather) and free breakfast (because I love those waffles). Other available filters include neighborhoods, special rates, star ratings, etc.

Room 77 listed a good variety of hotels in wide variety of price ranges that fit the bill. I noted that distance seems to trump all the other criteria in the search, thus the motels are listed from first to last accordingly. While that may be annoying to some, it really isn't hard to note the different prices. What's really helpful is that for each hotel's price, the site with the best price is listed along with prices from at least three other sites. If one wants to compare what values the other sites offer for that particular hotel, it can all be done from the information Room 77 lists rather than having to open another tab. I could go on, but for me that one time saving feature of Room 77 means less time spent searching.

Using Room 77 takes the stress out of planning, so all I have to worry about is training for my (hypothetical) race. If, hypothetically, I weenie out of my race, I made a note that a fee is sometimes charged for cancellations. Be sure to read the fine print before booking because it's different for each hotel.

Never wonder whether you’ve gotten the best deal on your hotel room again. Check out Room 77 when planning your next travel adventure!

I was selected for participation in this campaign as a member of Clever Girls Collective.

In Memoriam.

Rustic Potato Bread

I baked bread this weekend because I craved toast. Homemade (or store-bought artisan) bread has ruined mass-produced bread for me forever, especially in recipes like French toast, stuffing (or dressing - and yes, I bake homemade bread just for stuffing/dressing), and bread pudding. Needless to say, I haven't been eating much bread lately because I have standards (read: I'm lazy), so instead of running on Saturday, I decided to bake.

Not that I had an excuse to skip running since this bread only took a few hours to make... (But I'm going for a run after writing this post, so...)

I've made this recipe a few times, though I've never talked about it before. It's rustic without all the work that traditional artisan bread demands. Cooked, mashed potatoes and its cooking liquid gives the bread moistness, flavor and, most importantly, makes excellent toast.

PRO TIP: After cooking the potatoes, drain them (after reserving the required potato water - very important) and return to the empty pot. Toss the potatoes a few times until surfaces appear dry. Place on a baking sheet to cool completely. This removes excess moisture. (I learned this bit of advice from a Julia Child mashed potato recipe.)

PRO TIP #2: If you use a ricer to mash the potatoes, you don't need to peel them. Although I lost a little potato flesh this way, it cuts down on prep.

The original recipe uses Russet potatoes, but all I had were Yukon Golds (which are more flavorful anyway, so I recommend using them). I didn't even have enough and had to add quite a bit more liquid before the dough looked proper. When made with the correct amount of potatoes and liquid, the dough goes from crumbly to incredibly sticky before turning into supple bread dough, which I managed to avoid this time because I added additional water in tablespoons as needed. Upside!

Another reason I like this recipe is that it takes just 3-ish hours from start to finish. Each rise is a mere thirty minutes and you won't have to devote half a day to baking. I may exaggerate, but that's what it feels like sometimes.

If you don't have a baking stone, place the bread seam-side up to rise.

Breakfast.

I will be submitting this bread to Yeastspotting.

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Print this recipe

Rustic Potato Bread
adapted from Baking with Julia

Yields two loaves

Ingredients -

1 - 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and quarted
3/4 cup reserved potato water
2 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast
pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 3/4 cup unbleached bread flour
1 tablespoon wheat gluten

Directions -

1. Place potatoes in a medium pot; cover with water and cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Reserve 3/4 cup water. Drain potatoes and return to empty pot, still over heat. Toss just until potatoes begin sticking to bottom of pan. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and air dry until cooled completely. Once cooled, mash or press through a ricer into a large bowl.


2. Reheat reserved potato water to 100°. Stir 1/2 cup water into small bowl with yeast and sugar; proof for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the oil and salt with the mashed potatoes. Stir in yeast mixture, 1 cup flour, and wheat gluten.


3. Add remaining flour, mixing with your hand to incorporate. If dough remains dry after a few minutes of mixing, add additional water in 1 tablespoon increments just until a cohesive dough forms. Turn out onto counter and knead until dough is smooth and slightly tacky, about 10 minutes. During this time, the dough might turn from impossibly dry to very sticky - if necessary, cover dough with bowl and let stand for 10 minutes, then continue kneading with the aid of a dough scraper.


4. Return dough to bowl. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes - the dough will have risen but not quite doubled. Turn out onto floured surface and divide in half. Flatten each piece into a thin oval, then roll into a loaf starting at the narrow edge farthest away from you. When you reach the last roll, gently stretch the end towards you before wrapping on top of loaf. Gently roll the loaf to taper the ends into a football shape. Place seam side down on floured, rimless baking sheet. Dust loaves with flour and let rise for 30 minutes.


5. While the bread rises, place a baking stone on the middle rack in the oven and preheat to 375°. Fill a small, oven-proof dish halfway with water and place on bottom rack to create steam.


6. When dough has risen, gently roll the loaves onto the baking stone, seam-side up. Use spatula to help if necessary. Bake for 50 minutes, or until bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Place on a wire rack; cool 30 minutes before slicing.