Hanging Tough: Conquering the Tough Mudder

Tough Mudder Los Angeles was epic.  I thought I was prepared.  I increased my upper body workouts, I went to the Camp Rhino Obstacle Race Training Gym and learned how to climb walls, and when the course map was released I studied it like it was a lost artifact.  But nothing could have prepared me for the actual experience of doing a Tough Mudder. 

4:00am, Saturday, March 29 – Tough Mudder Day – I am awake and dressed in my carefully selected athletic attire, chosen to make me as sleek and fast as possible; no loose clothing to snag on barbed wire or wooden walls.  My hair is braided and held back by a specialized headband that is designed to dry fast and not slip off my head.  After a quick, light breakfast, the rest of team Bootcamp Warriors arrive and we head out in our rented SUV (who wants a bunch of muddy people in their car?).  We make excellent time and arrive about an hour before our start time.  A flurry of activity ensues – wrist bands secured, race numbers affixed, bags checked – before I knew it, it was time to head into the corral area by the starting line. 

The first obstacle of the day was to get over a 7-foot wall.  Yes, you need to do an obstacle before you can even start Tough Mudder.  It was time to see if my Camp Rhino time was well spent.  I grabbed the top of the wall, firmly planted both of my feet against the wall and slowly moved my right foot upward until my right calf was on top of the wall.  I then used that leg to leverage myself up, turned myself around and slowly lowered myself to the other side.  Mission accomplished!  A small victory, yes, but it pumped me up.  After some inspirational words from our MC, a salute to those in the Armed Forces, and a beautiful rendition of God Bless America, the air horn sounded and we were off.

Thanks to my course map research I knew that there were at least 3 obstacles that would cause me problems – the first of which was the Dirty Ballerina – a leap over a rectangular hole in the ground.  I assumed that the hole would be mud filled and so if I fell in I would land in squishy mud and have to claw my way out.  As I approached this first test of my gumption I noticed that there was no mud in those holes.  I immediately imagined a scene where I jump, come up short and land in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the hole and my Tough Mudder ends before it even began.  But as I watched my teammates sail gracefully over the holes I thought, I can do that.  So I backed up and jumped the first hole, landing safely on the other side.  And that is where I made a crucial error – I didn’t keep jumping and I lost my momentum.  So I did what any person who is paranoid about broken bones would do, went around the next hole, then jumped one more, and ran around the next two.  Cheating?  Perhaps – but since there was a trail of people behind me doing the same thing I gave myself a pass.

So my first official obstacle was not a great success but I shook it off and continued onward toward an innocuous sounding obstacle called the Human Pyramid – the first true test of team Bootcamp Warriors.  The scene in front of this obstacle was pure chaos.  People were taking running starts, launching themselves at a wall that was set at a 45 degree angle – some making up to the top, others sliding back down to the bottom.  The first of our team made it up the wall on their first try and promptly turned himself into a human rope – hanging down the wall, with others holding his legs, while he hauled up one fellow Tough Mudder after another.  When it was my turn, I backed up, ran as fast as I could up that wall and flung my arms up like my life depended on it.  Happily I felt hands clasp around my wrists and I was hauled up the wall much like a fisherman brings up an oversized fish.  Two obstacles down, 8 miles, and 18 obstacles to go.

The next 2 obstacles were Tough Mudder signatures – the Arctic Enema and Walk the Plank.  I had   Arctic Enema wasn’t as cold as I thought it was going to be (despite my creative language while exiting, it really wasn’t that bad) but swimming under that wall made of 2x4s freaked me out a bit (visions of being trapped underneath cluttered my head – despite the fact that the wall was only 2 feet wide).  Walk the Plank was definitely nerve wracking – standing up there, 15 feet in the air, waiting to jump off a giant Wheatees box – but when it was my turn to take the leap I did it without hesitation (which I am sure the people behind me in line appreciated).

spent a lot of time contemplating both of these obstacles and they were both better and worse than I had imagined.

For me the toughest obstacles on Tough Mudder weren’t manmade – the mountains that we needed to “run” up and down and back up again roughly 10 times through out the course.  Crawling under barbed wire was nothing compared to those never ending mountains; but I made it up each and every one – running, jogging, walking, and crawling – slowly but surely I reached the top.  And the reward – along with the pride of having made it up there – was the view, which was amazing. 

Over the course of the next 2.5 hours walls were climbed, fences were swum under, monkey bars were conquered and more walls were repelled down.  There were injuries and frustrations but through it all our team stuck together – helping each all along the way.  That is really the wonderful thing about Tough Mudder – it isn’t timed.  The entire point is to do it as a team – making sure that everyone finishes together.   Along the way our friends and family cheered us on, armed with signs and cameras.  Just when it seemed like I didn’t have anything left we would come around the corner and someone would be shouting encouragement – giving me the energy to continue.

The penultimate obstacle of Tough Mudder, Mount Everest, was the one I was dreading the most – more than the 15 foot jump, ice bath and barbed wire crawl combined.  I had tried it unsuccessfully at Camp Rhino and now it was all that stood between me and a few electric shocks that would be followed by my beer and coveted orange headband.  Two of my teammates took the wall before me – making to the top successfully.  When it was my turn the only thing in my mind was “just keep running”, so that is what I did – once again flinging my arms up for dear life.  It may not have been the most graceful or athletic ascension to the top but with the help of several of my fellow mudders I made it.  After that a few electric shocks seemed like a walk in the park.

So I did it – I made it through Electroshock Therapy, got my headband and my beer.  It took a few days for it to truly sink in – I had completed something that I did not think was possible just 6 months before.  To say that I was tested both physically and mentally would be an understatement.  There were definitely times when I thought – I can’t do this – I cannot make it up this mountain, I cannot climb up that wall.  But then I did and it was awesome.  The knowledge that I can push myself further than I thought possible has stuck with me – I know that I have another gear – it’s just a matter of pushing myself into it. 

Tough Mudder – Prequel

Most people try to live their lives regret free, including myself, but at times I find it difficult.  Regret sneaks up on you – there you are, going about your day, when suddenly – whack – regret comes out of no where slamming into you like a defensive linebacker from the Pittsburgh Steelers.  My most recent run-in with regret is related to a race that I absolutely did not want to do – until I didn’t do it – and realized I missed out on a really great experience that could never be recreated.

I believe many of us overestimate our physical limitations.  Thoughts like “that looks hard” and “I can’t do that” dominate our thought processes when it comes to deciding whether or not to embark on a journey through unknown waters.  We look around at the other participants and think, “that’s not me.”  Here’s a challenge, next time you are at a running or obstacle course race, take a good look around at ALL the participants.  Chances are there will be more than a few who are just like you.  The difference?  Those people thought “I can” while we thought, “I can’t”.  I was and continue to be an “I can’t-er”.  This is how regret came and got me. 

Of course there were signs of impending regret– a twinge of wistfulness here as everyone uses each workout to prepare for the upcoming race, a bit of envy there when conversations about start times and what to wear surround me.  But right up until that first group of friends crossed the start line I remained firm in my belief that I made the right decision – that this was not the race for me.  And that was when I made a fateful mistake.  I spectated the race that I was so sure I could not do.  I looked at everyone – not just the premiere athletes but everyone – young, old, fit and getting fit.  And I looked at the obstacles - not just the scary ones - all of them.  And by the time the first set of our friends crossed that finish line and got their beer and headband I came to the inevitable, regret filled conclusion that not only could I have done that race but that I would have had a good time doing it.  It was a “shoulda” moment like no other.   Sometimes you have to live with your regret and learn as much as you can from it so you don’t make the same mistake again.  Other times an opportunity presents itself for you to erase a moment of regret and replace it with a moment of triumph.

Which is how I came to be signed up for the March 29, 2014 Tough Mudder LA.  After witnessing my friends’ success at the Tough Mudder in Temecula, the camaraderie they experienced, reliving each obstacle, I knew I had to be a part of that.  So I went home, looked up when the next local Tough Mudder was and immediately hemmed and hawed for a week over whether I should registration.  Eventually someone else signed me up (with my permission) because I just couldn’t pull the trigger.  I knew I wanted to do the race but I just couldn’t jump off the cliff yet.  This was November 2013. 

Fast forward to March 2014.  I am in Las Vegas, NV at Camp Rhino, staring up at a 6 foot wall wondering how in the heck I am going to get over this thing and completely second guessing my decision to do the Tough Mudder.  But perseverance (and the knowledge that I had already told too many people that I was doing Tough Mudder to back out) spurred me on.  I followed some good advice, gripped the top of the wall, pressed my feet into the wall, and slowly walked myself up until I could swing one of my legs over the top.  From there it was just a matter of pulling myself up, turning around and slowly lowering myself down.  It was nothing short of awesome the first time I did it on my own.  I then did it five more times (just to be sure).  Other Camp Rhino victories included the monkey bars (made it across), the a-frame cargo rope, and a tire hoist (this time victory is used loosely as I managed to get it higher up in the air than I thought would be possible).  There were also some humbling moments – the traverse wall (you try clinging to an inch wide piece of wood with your fingertips while balancing on another inch wide piece with your toes and go across a six food wall) and Mt. Everest a.k.a “The Warped Wall”.  This obstacle – the penultimate one at Tough Mudder – I feel will be my greatest foe.  Picture this – I ran toward the wall, I ran up the wall, I got scared about being up a wall, I stop running, I roll down the wall (several times).  Mentally I know I can do this but it is also my head that causes me to stop half way and try to turn around to go back down (not an easy feat on a steep incline).  I never made it to the top of Mt. Everest.  That accomplishment will have to come at Tough Mudder (you have to do it to finish).  But I think with my newly purchased kneepads I will be fine.  

So we are officially a week out from Tough Mudder LA.  I just finished my most recent 5k with my best time to date (31:48 for those of you who are interested in these things) and I learned how to climb the rope (finally) at our most recent boot camp class.  It is with those successes I go into Tough Mudder week.  The plan is simple, workout Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and rest on Friday.  Fresh legs will be key for the hilly course that the Tough Mudder designers have planned for us.  I won’t be alone in my journey – our team of 5 will leave San Diego at 4am on Saturday and we will have our own group of spectators cheering us on all along the way.  Who knows how I will do – perhaps I’ll do every obstacle perfectly or maybe I will do every obstacle to the best of my availability.  But the real point is that I will be out there doing them, each one erasing a little bit of regret and adding confidence all the way to the final, electrifying finish.

To be continued….

A Runners Tale

I am not, nor will I ever claim to be, a runner.  This is not to say that I do not run.  In fact I run a few times a week, either in my beach bootcamp class or along the boardwalk of Mission Beach.  Running for me is a relative term.  I run for exercise, not often for clarity and I do it out of a sense of duty to myself or my fellow bootcamp partner.  But, given my choice of activities, I would rather be splashing around in an 80 degree pool or stretching out in a yoga class.  Having said all that, there is nothing like the sense of accomplishment one feels when they are able to go just a little bit longer, run just a little bit further then they did the day before.  Last year I ran my first obstacle course and I proudly finished, not first but not last.  I didn’t actually care where I finished in the rankings because my whole point for being there was just to finish.  To try something new and survive to tell the tale.  This year I will attempt several other races, some obstacle, some standard 5k (3 miles) and each, for me, will present their own set of unique challenges. 

I ran the most important one of them all just this week – the Boston Strong Run/ Walk by De Anza Cove in San Diego.  There was no prize for finishing first or second.  That was not the point.  The point was to show solidarity with the people of Boston – to show them that even though we are all the way across the country – we are all Bostonians at heart.  Roughly 1400 people showed up for this run/ walk.  It started out as a small Facebook movement – the brainchild of two women who just wanted to show the people of Boston and the marathon runners from around the world that we are with them with each stride we take.  What started small grew bigger, television interviews fanning the flames, friends passing the message onto other friends, colleagues, and strangers.

When we arrived at De Anza Cove, decked out in our Red Sox and Boston University apparel, street parking was all that was left and that was filling up fast.  As we jogged toward the designated meeting place we were surrounded by the colors of Boston – Red Sox Red, Patriots Blue, Celtics Green and Bruins Yellow – all intermixed with the familiar blue and yellow of the Boston Marathon runners.  Shortly after six the run began – and a sea of people, all ages, races, sizes, and shapes ran toward us.  Mothers running behind strollers with dogs on leases, friends running together, catching up on their lives, couples enjoying some quiet time away from the kids, and some lost in their own thoughts – perhaps contemplating the reason we were all here.  The Boston Strong Run/Walk did not have a finish line – you made it what you wanted.  Some, like us, ran for about 2 miles and then made the turn and walked back amongst the seemingly endless stream of supporters.  Even as we made it back to our car, there were more people arriving – starting the run an hour later then everyone else – but still showing up because it was important. 

I am not going to tell you that a 2-mile run is an easy one for me.  I had my stops and restarts.  But I made it and that is the point.  I set out to run 2 miles and I did it, I got to my personal finish line, which is more then some of the marathoners got in Boston.  And that was the point of the Boston Strong Run/Walk.  We were finishing the race that they never got to finish.  We finished for them when they couldn’t.  While not a native Bostonian I have spent enough time there to know that Bostonians are tough people.  They don’t back down and they don’t give up.  One of my favorite things I saw posted on Facebook about Boston was the following “Boston is probably the only major city that if you “mess” with them, they will shut down the whole city…stop everything… and find you.”  So this run/walk was not about being strong for Boston when it was weakened, because it never was weakened, it was about being strong with Boston – fighting right alongside it. 

-Boston Proud and Boston Strong Since 1999

Culinary Adventure: True Food Kitchen

To me, True Food Kitchen is the quintessential California restaurant: organic, farm to table, and mostly good for you. I first discovered True Food Kitchen while on vacation in Santa Monica.  After strolling through blocks of shopping we ended up at Santa Monica Place, a three-story, open air, shopping mall in the heart of Santa Monica. True Food Kitchen, one of several meal options, drew us in with its fresh juices and obvious popularity – the wait for brunch was pushing 2 hours! Our next encounter was on our way to Huntington Beach for a long weekend. This time we knew what to expect and we were not disappointed. It was at this point that we began daydreaming about what it would be like to have a place like this located in our neck of Southern California.  That dream became a reality in the Summer of 2012 when our Fashion Valley Mall got a True Food Kitchen of its very own.

True Food Kitchen employs an airy design concept.  The ceilings are high, the interior is spacious; as is their breezy patio.  The light wood, white and grass green color scheme makes you feel instantly relaxed and at peace. The main focal point of any True Food Kitchen is their large bar, which is typically situated in the center of the restaurant. With its butcher-block counter and lime green bar stools the bar provides a front row seat to see how all their wonderful juice drinks are created. If you have ever witnessed a fresh juice drink being made, you know it is a fascinating process. I love watching as employees toss whole apples, cucumbers and celery into massive juicers only to be rewarded by a small trickle of juice. My favorite drink is the Hangover RX. It has coconut water, honeydew melon and pineapple. I would estimate that at least 2-3 small honeydews are thrown into the juicer along with a whole pineapple to make my one little drink. It is served with a pineapple frond stuck in it. It is delicately sweet and very refreshing. There are a wide variety of juices to choose from, some heartier than others. I would start with the less intimidating juices (the Cucumber Refresher - cucumber and honey lemonade) and work your way up to the more hardcore drinks (the Kale Aid - kale, apple, cucumber, celery, lemon and ginger). It takes true perseverance to consume, but the health benefits are undeniable.

Since its opening I have been a frequent visitor to this culinary oasis in a sea of retail.  Each visit has been delightful and different as their menu changes seasonally.  On one of our first visits we arrived just in time to take advantage of their breakfast/brunch menu. I decided on the two organic eggs (scrambled egg whites), which were served with turkey bacon and sweet potato hash. I also ordered a side of avocado. The eggs were fluffy and perfectly cooked. They went wonderfully with the avocado. I added a bit of tomatillo salsa on top, which gave the dish a spicy kick that was tempered by the avocado. Turkey bacon is not to be confused with standard bacon. It has a similar color and a similar shape, but that is pretty much where the similarities end. The texture is much chewier than your typical bacon, more like beef jerky. The flavoring is bacon-ish but you are never fooled into thinking that this is the real deal. Like many substitutes, if you really want the real thing, order the real thing, but if you are looking for a reasonable substitute, than turkey bacon will suit you just fine. The sweet potato hash is definitely not to be missed – the seasoned sautéed sweet potato cubes tossed with diced onions provided a sweet opposition to the salty turkey bacon.  I left feeling full, not over stuffed, like I had done something good for my body as well as my stomach.

Never one to rest on my laurels, I also visited True Food during dinnertime, to get the full menu experience. I started out with my traditional Hangover RX, which never disappoints. I then ordered the Miso Soup, which had mushrooms and scallions in addition to the traditional tofu.  With only a few exceptions, each dish is prepared from scratch in their enormous, open, stainless steel kitchen. If you don't like scallions in your miso soup, just let your server know, and your bowl of miso will be scallion free.  For my main meal I ordered the Ricotta Cheese Ravioli, which was served in a roasted corn broth with spinach, oven dried tomatoes and oyster mushrooms. It was nothing short of phenomenal. The corn broth was sweet and juxtaposed nicely with the savory ricotta filled raviolis. The oven-dried tomatoes were bursting with flavor and the oyster mushrooms absorbed all of the delicious corn broth. There is a slight tanginess to the whole dish, which leaves a pleasant tingle on your tongue. The freshness of the ingredients was really clear; the corn pops with each bite, the tomatoes burst and the raviolis explode with fresh ricotta. You would expect a meal consisting of raviolis and corn broth to sit heavy in your stomach but the entire dish is perfectly portioned. You leave happily full of good food and good feelings.  A word to the wise, don't get too attached to any menu items here - you never know when it will be traded out for another delicious option.  Sadly, this was the fate of my beloved raviolis; replaced by an extremely flavorful spaghetti squash casserole.

Try as I might to avoid a food infatuation here, there is one dish on the True Food Kitchen menu that I am hopelessly addicted to and I am honestly not sure what I would do if they ever removed it from their appetizer list.  The Edamame Dumplings at True Food are unique, full of flavor and perfect in their simplicity.  Pureed edamame inside a chewy dumpling shell, floating in a soy sauce and truffle oil broth alongside whole edamame and daikon sprouts.  Everything is in balance with this plate - smooth, creamy edamame puree, salty sweet broth, and a dumpling shell that holds it all together for one delicious mouthful after another.  No dinner at True Food feels complete without an order of these.

If you are feeling sandwichy, True Food Kitchen has those too.  My favorite is Andy's Favorite TLT.  It has tempeh, lettuce, tomato, and avocado, with vegannaise, all on whole grain bread.  I strip this sandwich down to the basics and order it with just tempeh and avocado, with the vegannaise on the side.  The tempeh is made in house and has that salty bacon flavor we all love without the pig eating related guilt.  The avocado is always fresh and creamy and the whole grain bread is lightly toasted with just enough of a crunch to make your ears happy. The TLT comes with your choice of sweet potato hash or a kale salad or a bit of each.  Pair it with a cup of soup for the ultimate indulgence.

Desserts at True Food Kitchen are as distinctive as their entrée counterparts.  A new addition to the menu is Chia Seed Pudding.  Yes, those Chia seeds, though don’t worry, as far as I can tell I have not started growing a head-shaped shrub in my belly.  This dessert capitalizes on the recent phenomena of the chia seed.  When combined with pudding or any other moist base, the chia seeds expand and soften.  Combined with sliced bananas and roasted coconut shavings this dessert reaches superstar status.  I ate it two nights in a row – coming from across town just to experience it one more time.  Lighter then a rice pudding, with a nice, slightly chewy texture of tapioca it is the perfect ending to any meal.  Like many menu items, this one won’t last long, a victim to the change of seasons, but hopefully I will get a few more satisfying mouthfuls before it goes to the great menu in the sky.  Sadly that was the fate of two other mouthwateringly delicious dessert options – apple cobbler and pistachio pudding.  Each managed to satisfy my sweet tooth without being overpoweringly sugary.  This is mostly due to True Foods radical notion of letting the natural sweetness and flavor of a food come to the surface.  So, be sure to plan your meal carefully because this is definitely one place where you will want to leave room for dessert.

True Food Kitchen is what more restaurants should strive to be. All their ingredients are locally sourced and just about every dish on their menu is made from scratch for each patron. Their menu is varied enough to please even the pickiest of eaters, with options ranging from Goji Berry Granola for breakfast, organic tomato and roasted kale for lunch, lettuce wraps for an appetizer, and all natural steak tacos for dinner. Their portions are sized for one person. You can order an appetizer and an entree and not feel as though you will need to be rolled out the door.  If it is possible to have a Zen-like moment in a restaurant, grab your yoga mat and head down to your closest True Food Kitchen and just say Om....

Et Tu Desserte?

I am a dessert-a-holic.  For a long time I was in denial.  I would tell myself it was rude not to have a slice of cake during a co-worker's birthday celebration - even on days when multiple celebrations were being held because even though I had a slice of cake at the first one, the second one featured homemade cupcakes and I wouldn't want to offend the host by not taking one.  Not to have dessert at someone's wedding shower was almost equal to cursing the marriage and don't even get me started on the bad karma associated with skipping the baby shower dessert table - the evil eye stares from the soon to be Grandmothers would be enough to send even the healthiest of eaters running for the baby carriage shaped cake.  I suppose if my obsession was limited to special celebration-related desserts I would only have diagnosed myself as having a mild preoccupation with sugary confections.  Sadly my addiction progressed to having secret cookie stashes in my desk drawers (darn you Girl Scouts and your delicious Tag-Along cookie goodness) and an unhealthy draw to anything labeled red velvet.  I knew I had to take control or forever be at the mercy of the Pillsbury Fiesta Cupcake and so I devised a plan to help me not so much stay on the dessert wagon, (because lets face it giving up desserts totally was not going to happen for me) but prevent me from getting run over by it.

Looking back, I am not sure when exactly the addiction began.  As a child I don't recall being occupied with sweets but maybe that is because as a kid you really don't pay too much attention to what you are eating.  Food either tasted good or it didn't.  The stuff that tasted good you ate, the stuff that tasted like a foot you pretended to eat but actually gave to the dog.  Or in my case stared at it on my plate until it became a cold, congealed mush and my mother caved in and made me chicken nuggets.  Either way, I never recalled my consumption of desserts or the lack there of as being an issue until I actually started paying attention to what I was eating.  Suddenly, the knowledge that I shouldn't be mainlining Oreos into my system made them all the more attractive.  I began feeling an irresistible draw toward all things sweet.   And that is when the justifications started.

If you try hard enough you can justify pretty much any action.  "It was my birthday party and they went to all the trouble of buying donuts, I have to have at least one."  "Red Velvet is my absolute favorite, how can I pass that up?"  "It is the last cupcake and it looks sad - I feel bad for it so I will just eat it to make it feel better."  Somewhere in Italian lore I believe it is considered bad luck to leave one cannoli uneaten - who wants Italian bad luck - not I that is for sure.  As time marched on I did manage to wean myself off some childhood favorites - the Cinnabon cinnamon roll and Breyers Strawberry ice cream (every night) are two notables.  But those were fairly easy because Cinnabon is not all that accessible these days and buying a whole carton of ice cream for ones self is a pretty drastic and deliberate move that I have thus far been able to avoid.  My major downfall is the drive by dessertings. 

There are two types of drive by dessertings, the first type, involves peer pressure related dessertings.  There you are, sitting at your desk, innocently working on your latest assignment when the bing of a new email alerts you to the fact that the whole office will be celebrating person x's birthday at 2pm.  At this point you have a few options - skipping the whole thing would probably be the most prudent - avoid temptation entirely but in the process become the office pariah because what grouch skips a birthday party?  You can go armed with an excuse about having to leave immediately after the Happy Birthday song so as to avoid the cake passing awkwardness.  Or you can man up, go and refuse a slice and then suffer the barrage of questions as to why you don't want cake (are you watching your weight? -depending on your size this is either delivered with some sympathy or a bit of hatred because they believe you are too thin as it is; do you not like this type of cake? are you not hungry? do you not like person x?)  If you are one of those strong-willed people who can make it through the office party gauntlet undesserted then I am in awe of you.  It is a rare occasion when I can attend an office celebration and not come away with frosting on my face and a slice of regret for not having been able to stand up to dessert related peer pressure. 

The second type is worse; it is self-inflicted drive by desserting.  Here is a situation I recently faced.  I have been attending some work related training sessions - on leadership and self-discovery no less.  During these trainings we are provided with a wide variety of food types, all laid out buffet style in the back of the room.  There are scheduled breaks throughout the day during which participants are encouraged to get up, walk around, network and if you like, grab a snack.  Since we are all adults, if we are starving during a presentation we can also feel free to get up and grab a munchie.  This is where the self-inflicted desserting comes in.  In the afternoons the desserts arrive.  The catering company artfully arranges them in the back of the room - their lovely sweet aroma wafting over us as we are educated by one of the many charismatic presenters lined up for that day's training.  As soon as break is called all the women, myself included, run for the restroom.  Upon my return I make my fateful mistake.  I heard a rumor of brownies at the back of the room - brownies, much like red velvet, are a huge problem for me, I find them almost impossible to turn down.  On this day I tell myself, I am just going to take a look, I don't even want one, I am not even hungry.  And then I see them - chocolate brownies with chocolate frosting all lined up in perfect symmetrical rows.  I unconsciously grab a fork to cut one in half (see showing restraint) and I realize they do not cut in half as easily as one would think (crunchy edges - which I love even more then non-crunchy edges).  I could have walked away; I should have and would have were it not for one of my cohort members chivalrously offering a knife to aid me in the cutting process.  Clearly I was now committed.  I hack sawed my way to half a brownie and triumphantly took it back to my seat.  I am not going to lie, this was the HARDEST brownie edge I have ever chewed through (but you will notice I did chew through it) and when I was done, I sat back and took stock of what I had eaten that day.  I will not bore you with the details but I will tell you that it was not good.   It was after that brownie that I knew - I was a dessert-aholic and I needed to take control.

The first step to gaining control is acknowledging the problem.  The next step is coming up with a workable solution.  As I previously mentioned, I have no intention of giving up desserts completely.  But I would like to control them as opposed to them controlling me.  A big part of gaining that control is establishing ground rules and a reward system (a non-dessert related reward system).  Below is my dessert manifesto:

• Desserts will only be consumed during the celebration of a close friend or family member milestone (i.e. while I like my co-workers there are too many of them and they have too many birthdays so those are all out)
• Consuming desserts by ones self is strictly prohibited (it is just sad to stuff cookies into ones mouth while huddling in a dark corner of the office break room)
• Consuming desserts while in the company of ones spouse is allowed as long as the dessert is split equally

As with all new programs, a rewards system is typically useful in promoting the upholding of the ground rules.  I developed the following reward system for myself:

•  Every dessert avoided is worth one point (these would be the self inflicted drive by dessertings where you have to walk up to get one)
• Every dessert declined is worth two points (these would be the office/social drive by dessertings where the dessert is put under your nose and you decline)
• For every 5 point accumulated a small gift (i.e. nail polish, inexpensive earrings, etc.) can be purchased as a symbol of your triumph
• If I choose to, I can save up my points and for every 10 I get a slightly larger reward (manicure/ pedicure, etc.)

At this point you are probably thinking one of two things - she is brilliant and I am totally adopting this system for myself or she is a lunatic who spent way too much time trying to figure out a way to reward herself for basically not being a glutton.  Think what you want but so far I have passed on the brownies yesterday and a red velvet cupcake today - take that skeptics! 

I am not perfect and I am sure that I will have my moments where I say to heck with this I want a darn chocolate cupcake.  And I will eat it but not with the same abandon as before.  I will think long and hard about eating that cupcake before I do because I will have gained enough self-control to truly decide whether or not I want to eat it.  Desserts are not the enemy, but they are also not our friends.  We need to develop a respect for them and only then will we truly be able to enjoy them.

"A moment's insight is sometimes worth a life's experience."

-Oliver Wendell Holmes 

I'll Show You Mine, If You Show Me Yours - Cooking With Friends

When a meal is on the line, everyone has at least one go-to recipe.  It is similar to your go to drink at your favorite bar; it is familiar and comforting and never fails to bring joy to your taste buds.  If the meal was a rousing success you will most likely be asked for the recipe.  So you painstakingly write down each ingredient, trying to translate into actual quantitative values - a pinch and a dash.  Your friend will grasp this holy grail of recipes to their heart, triumphant in the thought that they will soon be serving up your delicious dish as their own to some outer circle of friends who won’t know any better.  In reality, their meal will turn out just okay and your friend will be left with thoughts of revenge; insisting you left out the one key ingredient that pushes the dish over the top.  Cooking With Friends was created to avoid just such a situation, as well as give friends a chance to come together over good food and drink to learn, from the master chef, how to make that magical dish.

The concept behind Cooking With Friends is simple, take one group of friends, select one individual to host.  The host is in charge of teaching their guests how to create one dish.  The dish can be anything, from breakfast to dessert.  The guests are responsible for providing the sides and the beverages.  These items can be made at the host's house or in advance.  Once the whole group is assembled, the eating commences, as does the cooking.  As the first host of our Cooking With Friends group once said - this is Cooking With Friends, not cooking for friends - so everyone is expected to participate in the preparation of the dish being taught.  That includes, prepping the ingredients or stirring while the host moves onto other dishes.  At the end of the evening, everyone leaves, belly full, and with a copy of the recipe they just witnessed the creation of.  Cooking With Friends is the live cooking demonstration you always wished you could have – good friends, good snacks, and tasty beverages all while learning something new.

A friend of mine invited me to my first Cooking With Friends shortly after I moved to San Diego.  Being new to the area I was excited to meet some new people and try out some delicious food.  Our host was cooking a Peruvian dish called Peruvian Spicy Creamed Chicken (Aji De Gallina).  When we arrived her house was already filled with delicious food smells.  My contribution was my famous Grape Nut cookies.  Others brought veggies, crackers, and wine.  Another guest passed around a Peruvian blended beverage.  After allowing us to chat and munch a bit, our host called us all to order and commenced putting us all to work - scrubbing veggies, shredding chicken and peeling potatoes.  Once the prep was done she was ready to show us how to make a proper Peruvian meal.  It was no small task reining all of us ladies in, especially after the Peruvian drink and some wine.  Nonetheless, our host was a pro, seamlessly moving between the stove and blender, all the while explaining exactly what she was doing.  She then showed us how to plate the meal properly and once that was done, turned us loose to serve ourselves.  The end result was delicious.  The chicken was moist and incredibly flavorful, with some spice to it.  The white rice helped to balance the heat and the boiled egg was a cool respite from the hot meal.  It was everything you would want a dish to be.  If we didn't need to share with others, I probably would have gone back for thirds.  My first Cooking With Friends experience was everything I hoped it would be plus more; I met excellent people and sampled foods I might not otherwise have tried.

I’ve been to two more Cooking With Friends sessions since my Peruvian experience.  The next edition was “build your own pizza with friends.”  This time the host provided the dough and some toppings, guests were tasked with bringing some toppings of their own as well as creating their own pizzas.  The results were stomach stuffing good and I learned how to stretch out pizza dough without tearing holes in it- a very important skill.  My pizza was a half and half - garlic spread with spinach and tomatoes on one side and spinach with fig spread on the other.  Additional pizza creations included a pesto, avocado, corn, and mozzarella cheese with tomatoes, and a mashed potato with bacon and cheese that brought most guests to their knees.  The delicious pizzas kept rolling out with the piece de resistance being the dessert pizza - nutella, powdered sugar, nuts and some caramel sauce.  If your mouth isn't watering by now your imagination taste buds must be broken.

I was the host for the following installment of Cooking With Friends.  Never one to shy away from a challenge, I chose a dish that I had never made before - chicken and vegetable tamales.  As I will freely tell you, I am a lover of the tamale and the decision to cook this traditional Mexican dish may have been a result of our recent trip to Cabo.  Because of the time consuming nature of creating a tamale, I chose to do my prep in advance, enlisting the help of Mike - the chief cook in our household.  We went to a Mexican food store and got all of our ingredients, including the dried corn husks, chicken, various peppers and vegetables for those who wanted a meatless tamale.  Once the guests arrived all the ingredients were ready to stuff into the tamales.  Everyone got to make their own tamale - I won't pretend that this went perfectly, it took a while to get the dough spreading process down and most of the time tying the tamales shut was a two person job - but this was Cooking With Friends, so everyone joined in.  I am happy to say that the tamales turned out pretty darned good.  The chicken took in all the flavors of the spices and peppers that they were slow cooked with and the tomatillo salsa gave the whole dish a nice kick.  Since everyone made their own, each tamale was unique.  Our guests made Mexican themed appetizers including chips with cheese and salsa and Mexican cookies.  There was also some sipping tequila that was enjoyed by all.  Even though it might not have completely gone according to plan, that is another important ingredient of Cooking With Friends - working together to make a great meal.

The November Cooking With Friends was a Thanksgiving edition; our hosts provided the 18 pound turkey and the guests brought the sides.  It was quite the feast.  My contribution was a vegetable and mushroom stuffing that turned out moist and flavorful and guests felt free to go for a second helping since it was "healthy".  I also brought a sweet potato and apple dish created from a recipe I discovered while looking through my grandmother's old handwritten cookbooks.  A few ingredients were substituted as using massive amounts of butter and salt did not seem like a good way to start off the holiday eating season - we need to pace ourselves people.  Every dish was unique and delicious, from the figs stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped with bacon, speared with rosemary, to the more traditional sweet potato puff and green bean casserole.  Some of us would go on to have family Thanksgivings later that week and others would escape to the desert of Palm Springs, but that Cooking With Friends was truly a joint effort and a Thanksgiving blessing that no one will ever forget.

Our final Cooking with Friends of 2012 was the merriest of them all - Christmas Cookies Cooking With Friends. Everyone brought one or two of their favorite cookie recipes and we all settled into the process of bringing our confectionary creations to life while listening to the festive sounds of Elvis singing Christmas classics. My first batch was my now famous Grape Nut cookies - which I managed not to burn this time (see my mini-blog on when good cookies go bad). As is my Christmas tradition I also made sugar cookies and cut them out in traditional holiday shapes - Santas, reindeer, and stockings did abound. After baking, we commenced with the decorating. This is where the true Martha Stewarts of our crowd emerged - those who can decorate and those who try. My skill set focuses on sprinkle usage and bringing simple designs to life - such as Christmas stockings (white frosting for the fuzzy top and red icing for the foot part) and Christmas trees (multi-colored icing for the Christmas balls and green icing for the tree outline). I left the more complicated designs to those with a steadier, more artistic hand. Soon enough jubilant reindeer were a leaping across the table while serene angels looked on. Additional cookie varieties included gingerbread, pumpkin spice, brownies with mint green frosting, Rice Krispie treats, and Italian wedding cookies. By the end of the day everyone left with a sugar hangover and bags of cookies. It was a wonderful way to bring this year of Cooking With Friends to a close and left us all looking forward to a 2013 filled with more food, friends, and fun.

Every Cooking With Friends has been a bit different, and not just because the meals varied so widely.  Everyone had their own teaching technique, some went step by step, others just let us use our imaginations and others tried to provide some guidance while still allowing for culinary creativity.  No matter what the process, the food was always delicious and the company joyful.  After all, what more do you need then good friends and some reindeer shaped cookies?


"A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness."
Elsa Schiaparelli

Culinary Adventure: Tommy DiNic's

--> Entering Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market is akin to entering a giant Middle Eastern bazaar - food stalls of varied cultural identity intermix with handmade goods such as soaps and apparel.  The phrase, "If you can't find it here, you can't find it anywhere" springs to mind.  In the center of this food and merchandise mecca sits Tommy DiNic's.  If you didn't know any better you would think that it was just any old sub joint, serving up the usual Philly cheese steak and pork sandwich.  The line wrapped around this open air "restaurant" is the first indicator that this place is special.  The large trophy sitting in the center - Best Sandwich in America, as awarded by the Travel Channel Show Best Sandwich in America, hosted by Adam Richman - is your second clue.  The silence from the patrons perched on the bar stools that line the perimeter of DiNic's proves that these people are enjoying their sandwiches way too much to take a conversation break.  From the moment I entered Reading Terminal Market, I had one mission, to try one of DiNic's famous pulled pork sandwiches, complete with broccoli rabe and provolone cheese.  And so, with parents in tow, I got in line to try what many others knew to be the best sandwich in America.

--> Tommy DiNic's is a Philadelphia institution.  The Nicolosi family has been feeding hungry Philadelphians for the last 100 years, since 1918 when Gaetano Nicolosi opened a butcher shop and called it Nicolosi's.  In the 1970's DiNic's was born - the brain child of cousins Tommy Nicolosi and Franky DiClaudio.  By combining their names they came up with DiNic's.  The original DiNic's was located at 10th and Oregan.  In the 1980s, the cousins decided to split up the business; Franky taking his half to 10th and Reed and Tommy making Reading Terminal Market his home.  The Reading Terminal Market location of DiNic's is now run by Tommy and his son Joey.  It is their commitment to the made-from-scratch process that keeps people coming back for more.   

--> This being my first visit to the Reading Terminal Market I was initially overwhelmed, both visually and aromatically.  After a slight detour to a stand that boasted homemade honey and candles made from beeswax, I got back on track and made my way down the center aisle toward DiNic's.  Located roughly in the center of Reading Terminal Market, DiNic's is hard to miss, both because of its signage but also because of the large crowd surrounding it.  We got in the line, which wrapped 3/4 of the way around the restaurant.  The menu is short and to the point: roast pork, roast beef, Italian sausage, and homemade meatballs.  You can also get hand carved roast pork or beef brisket.  As for toppings, you have your choice of broccoli rabe, provolone, sauteed spinach, or roasted peppers.  As I had been planning this visit to DiNic's for months, I knew what I was going to order and did not need to consult the menu board.  As luck would have it, three stools opened up as we were waiting in line to order our sandwiches.  We quickly claimed them and I commenced my surveillance of the other diners.  All were elbow deep into their sandwiches and all had the same blissful expression on their faces - like there was nowhere else they would rather be at this moment.  I could not wait to experience my own food nirvana.  A server quickly took our order and while we waited I checked out the food prep process.

--> Because of its location the whole place is open for viewing.  The dining counter surrounds the kitchen area.  There are soda fountains in one area and the sandwiches are built on the other side.  Our sandwiches were created right before our eyes - first the bread was sliced up the middle, next came a few slices of provolone, sliced fresh off the cheese block, then a heavy helping of pulled pork, extracted dripping with goodness from the slow cooker, and finally, the broccoli rabe, piled high on top.  The sandwich is cut almost in half and wrapped up in wax paper before being placed in a red basket.  As business was booming, this whole process was done quickly, but with practiced precision.  My first bite was one of shock - I was not expecting the bitterness of the broccoli rabe having never tasted it before.  On its own, probably not my favorite green, but when combined with the pork, cheese and bread, was a fascinating taste bud experience.  The broccoli rabe is slow cooked with garlic and other spices.  The pork was juicy and tender, each bite an explosion of flavorful juices.  The provolone cheese was delicious and gave a salty zing to the pork and rabe combination.  The roll was fresh baked and fluffy - the stuff bread-lovers dream about.  While consuming my sandwich bits and pieces of other people's conversations floated into my ears.  Many of those in the line had not been here before, their visit prompted by the Travel Channel show, Man vs Food.  Almost all were planning to order the sandwich that I was quickly consuming.  Before I knew it, I had finished the first half of my sandwich.  I had the second half packed up for a future lunch.  We left DiNic's with happy, full stomachs and thoughts of return visits.

--> When I was a kid, food held no special significance for me.  I knew what I liked and what I didn't like - at least I thought I did.  This would explain why it took me so long to explore Reading Terminal Market and Tommy DiNic's.  What I couldn't appreciate as a kid, I am making up for as an adult.  My visit to DiNic's was everything I expected it to be, delicious, slightly hectic, and a family affair.  It was only fitting that my first DiNic's sandwich was experienced with my parents on either side of me - one family enjoying another's culinary heritage. 

"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore."
-Andre Gide