Project PRR Part 2 - Goals, Planning and Practice

When I last left off, I was discussing my motivation behind finally starting a serious exercise regimen. The ultimate goal (other than a healthier me) is to compete in this year's Peachtree Road Race.

I'm now 8 weeks into my 16 weeks of preparation and training, and I've come to learn that training for a distance run is a heck of a lot like losing weight. The steps are the same, the actual practice is just a little different.

Step 1: Set Goals

It's impossible to get to where you're going without a little direction. Recently I've come up with a brief list of goals for my training. In order, they are:

1. I don't want to get hurt - Nuff said. Listen to your body and you'll be ok. It will tell you if you're about to get really hurt.
   
2. I want to finish the entire 10k (6.2 miles) - If they're going to take me away in an ambulance, I want it to be after I get my t-shirt.
3. I want to finish in a competent manner - I want to feel like I really pushed myself and at a pace that's faster than if I had not trained. The biggest reason I'm training is to feel like I'm getting into shape. I want to finish feeling like I stepped up my degree of physical fitness a level or three.
4. I want to finish the Ptree in 70 minutes - That means that I'm jogging or running almost the entire distance.
   
5. I want to finish in under 60 minutes - If I reach this goal, I'll be ecstatic! This would be the biggest feat of athleticism I've ever done.

Step 2: Figure out The Plan

Now that that's in place, we move on to The Plan. This is what I've done so far to get myself into shape.

The biggest key to starting is going slow (see Goal #1, above). Every time I've ever started exercising I've destroyed my body in the first day and quit. This time I started very slow and worked my way up as my body got used to the exercise. This is why my knees are still in good shape, even two months into it.

Next, I've come up with a training regimen. Whether you're doing a couch-to-5k program, or you just get it out of a book (like I did), a written plan allows you to pace yourself. This way you won't start too hard or progress too slowly.

I've also been using a heart rate monitor to make sure I've been going at a good pace. The biggest benefit I've seen, other than not killing myself, is that I can now pretty accurately gauge how hard I'm working my body based on how I feel when I'm running. Nowadays I've replaced the monitor with an iPod for most of my workouts, but I still use it from time to time to keep myself honest.

Step 3: Do it!

When I started I was really concerned that I'd lose interest. When my buddy John told me about a 5k (half my goal distance) this last weekend (halfway to the Ptree), I jumped on the opportunity. Having an intermediate goal really helped me stay focused and motivated.

The Sprint for Cancer 5K was FANTASTIC! This is my first ever road race, and it was unbelievable!

First off, I have a special connection to this cause as my Abuelo William Elias died of cancer when I was a teenager. The race promoters even allowed us to put a memorial on the back of the race t-shirts.

Why didn't anyone tell me that racing is so much fun?! Knowing that I trained for it and seeing my training pay off is one of the best things I've ever done for myself.

Here's John and myself at the end of the race. John's a big time loser when it comes to weight (his story is pretty similar to mine). He destroyed the 10k, finishing well under the time necessary to qualify for a ranked spot for the Peachtree.

Ok, so how did I do? I finished the 5k in 31:50, which is about 3 minutes faster than my fastest training time. I guess I got a little pumped up at the start and pushed myself pretty hard!

This is great, because I feel like I'm exactly where I should be to complete the Peachtree. Next up I've signed up for a 4 mile race in June. I can't wait!

I love the smell of mesquite in the morning!

So you didn't think that I went through all that trouble to make my own sausage just to heat it up in the microwave, did you? No the only proper cooking method for Texas-style sausage is low and slow with plenty o' smoke.

One of my new years' resolutions for NTSC was to actually smoke something other than chicken. Sure my past results have been tasty, but I'm getting kinda bored with it. Besides, I want to graduate up to more advanced BBQ challenges. Sausage then seems like an easy weekend trip.

My normal smoking fodder is hickory, but for this episode I decided to follow the spirit of the west and use a little mesquite. I'd have loved to use a mixture of oak and mesquite, but last time I checked there weren't any oak trees laying around my condo and I don't think my association would've appreciated it if I had started felling trees, even if it was to smoke some meat.

The day was perfect for smoking meat. It was about 70 degrees outside and sunny, with just a little wind. And it was early enough so I didn't have to risk getting the fire department called on my butt. Even though my smoker is legal for use in a condo, I still don't want to have to explain why to a bunch of guys with axes and hoses at my door.

When I lifted the lid I saw exactly what I was looking for - a six-pack of mahogany links, glistening with little beads of fat on the surface. Let's take a closer look...

So juicy! So succulent! So over-smoked! Yep, I didn't break out my meat thermometer until it was way too late. They were on the smoker for an hour and a half, and the internal temperature was 20° more than the 160° I was aiming for. Note to self: use the probe thermometer next time!

You don't need a whole lot of wood chips to smoke sausage, either. I'd say about a cup should do nicely. Oh, and remember to soak them in water (or beer) for an hour before tossing them into your smoker.

All in all I think the collagen casings did the job. First off, they did a great job of allowing the smoke to pass into the meat.

This is what we in the barbecue world refer to as a "smoke ring". It's formed by a chemical reaction between the meat and the nitrates in the smoke. It means that you actually used smoke to cook and flavor the meat. Last time I checked a lot of "barbecue" places didn't have meat with smoke rings. Be wary of such impostors!

Otherwise, the collagen casings didn't "stick" to meat very well. This could be a rookie mistake like under stuffing the sausages. This also allowed some of the casings to get a little dry and "papery". I'll have to do another batch sometime and report back. For the time being I'd still recommend using them because they're so darn easy to use. Feel free to comment if your experience differs!

The sausage, aside from being a little overcooked, was pretty good. I'd have liked a little more assertive flavor so perhaps I'll up the seasonings a bit. I'm still pretty happy with the result.

Were they the match for my experience in Lockhart? Hell no. I'm but a gnat to those juggernauts of smoked meat. But this was a good start, and I'm excited to try again. For my next sausage making adventure, I'm planning on making a batch of real frankfurters for this year's celebration of National Hot Dog Day. I can't wait!

FYI - The six links above were destined for a pot-luck dish for a church gathering. I combined the meat with a few marinated grilled chicken breasts and a batch of my chipotle rice. The end result is sort of a "Tex Mex Jambalaya".

I really liked this dish. The sausage is pretty high in points (8 per link, to be exact), so serving a few chunks with rice and a little chicken is a great way to enjoy the smoky meaty flavor without breaking the points bank.

How to be a C-list food blogger

So this is a few weeks late, but I'd like to officially celebrate Never Trust a Skinny Chef's second birthday! It seems like yesterday, but two years ago I was sitting at my computer writing my first (real) post about visiting my family for Easter. Here's my contribution to the Easter egg hunt this year. Happy Birthday NTSC!

So it seems like the cool thing to celebrate your anniversary by writing a post about your tips for budding food bloggers. The Amateur Gourmet (twice) and Delicious Days both did so recently, and they're both very cool.

The problem is that they're both giants in the food blogging world. They do an excellent job and are real role models for the rest of us, but the fact of the matter is that dozens of food blogs are created every day and not everyone reaches that level of fame or success. We need a primer for the rest of us.

So without further ado, here's my list of how to be a C-lister like me.

Step 1. Be realistic.

When I started I spent a lot of time reading tons of blogs trying to figure out how to get big. Hey, I'm a first born and I need the attention. After about 7 or 8 months, I got really bummed out. I realized I'd probably never take pictures like Keiko, cook like Clotilde, write like Molly, or have really wicked web design like Nicky.

And then a funny thing happened. I stopped caring. I just cooked for fun, took pictures because it was cool and worked on my writing because I went to college (out of state) for 5 years and should expect a little more for my parents' $65k. And my blog got better.

Step 2. Find your voice.

In the beginning I was trying really hard to be the next Food Network Star. I was all about being polished and professional, with insightful commentary and interesting historical research.

Then I woke up and realized that I was a total hack. I'm only a slightly above average cook, and my literary skills are more See Spot Run than War and Peace. I stopped trying to be Martha Stewart and just started writing like I was talking to my wife or my friends. Heck, I even cracked a joke or two. And my blog got better.

Step 3. Write whenever you feel like it.

The first thing you can do to get a lot of traffic is write everyday. If you're a working stiff like me, the worst thing you can do is write every day. I've tried doing 3-4 posts a week and my writing was total crap. My pictures were worse.

So once again I stopped trying so hard to please everyone all the time. I write when I'm inspired and when I'm not, I take a break. I may not have a ton of traffic, but I still love blogging and I think my blog got better.

Step 4. Make friends.

I write for myself, but I also write for my loyal readers and fellow bloggers who participate in this worldwide obsession with food. Getting to know other bloggers, like Jeff and Anne, has been really wonderful. If I ever get back to Beantown or make the trip to the Great White North I'll be sure to get you guys a drink or two. Biggles is the real deal (and a really great guy), and Alanna is the nicest person on the internet (and a real help when your soda bread goes really wrong).

Don't forget to participate in food events (I love "Does My Blog Look Good in This?"), and to answer the random meme or two.

Also, get your Mom and sister to read your blog. They'll comment on every post, and everyone knows how much bloggers love comments (yeah, I'm talking to you!). As for the wife, she puts up with enough in the name of blogging (cold food, constant picture taking, tons of dishes) so don't even bother.

In the end this all sounds terribly harsh, but it's actually quite liberating. Once you stop trying to be the next big thing you can sit down and concentrate on making delicious food and having a good time with it. And that's what blogging is all about, isn't it?

P.S. - I totally forgot. Also read every post in Food Blog S'cool. This is where the food blogging community meets to exchange ideas and get help. It's a must-read.

Sausage is much better than politics...

Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them being made.

Otto von Bismarck
German Prussian politician (1815 - 1898)

Not many people know this, but if I could be anything in the world I'd probably be a butcher. No, not some Fast Food Nation-type meat packer, but an old-school turn-of-the-century butcher of the Texas hill country variety. If you've seen my series of posts on my trip to Lockhart, TX, you'll totally understand. If you've actually eaten at one of Lockhart's famous BBQ temples, you'll probably want to join me.

Back in the day butchers used to prep and sell meat to the surrounding community (what a concept). As part of this service the German-descended butchers near Austin also prepared sausage and barbecue to sell alongside cuts of beef, pork and other meat products. This is where Lockhart's current crop of BBQ joints came from.

Somewhere in my dreams is "William's Specialty Meats", where I spend my days making sausage and barbecue and selling it to people like me who will give it a good home, cook it like it should be cooked, and eat it like it should be eaten.

Until that day comes, I'll have to make do with a little brown egg and a few attachments to my stand mixer. I've been meaning to make sausage for years (I actually bought the mixer because Kitchen Aid was running a "free food grinder" promotion). Heck, I've probably seen the sausage episode of Good Eats a dozen times.

For my first whack at sausage making, I decided to aim high and reproduce the best damn sausage I've ever had in my short but tasty life. I still remember biting into my hot link at Smitty's. It was just the right texture, with just the right seasoning. Delicious, but the recipe isn't exactly public knowledge.

A major breakthrough came when I found this article detailing some of the methods Smitty's uses to make their sausage. I found that they ground their meat very coarse, and used a 85% beef / 15% pork mixture. Sounded good to me.

So I chunked up 1 lb. of pork shoulder...

...and 5 lbs. of beef chuck. I also took Alton's advice and froze the critical bits of my food grinder to keep the meat cool during grinding.

As for seasoning, I developed a secret mixture of 7 aromatics, herbs and spices to flavor my creation. Ok, so it's not secret and I didn't create it. I happened to find a recipe for "Texas Hill Country" sausage in Smoke and Spice, the indispensable bible for the amateur barbecuer.

I didn't get any good shots of the grind process as I had my hands full and covered in meat goo. Perhaps this is the part Bismarck was talking about. In any case, the meat was ground and put back in the fridge to cool.

When stuffing time came, I readied my collagen casings and did the deed. Purists scoff at synthetic casings, but I decided to go ahead and use them. I figured it'd make my first time easier, and I could throw natural casings into the fray after I got my feet wet.

I'd love to say the stuffing process was uneventful, but stuffing the casing without getting too much air into the link is a bit of a challenge. I'd read that collagen casings are especially tough, but I burst 3 feet of unlinked sausage because I overfilled the tube. The collagen casings are durable, but not indestructible.

Here's the end result. Aren't they beautiful? The collagen casings are nearly transparent so you can get a full view of the sausagey goodness. Now I just need a good way to cook them.

I think I have a pretty good idea...

Stay tuned for cooking and the post-game show.

Texas Hill Country Sausage
Based on this recipe from Smoke and Spice

5 lbs. Beef Chuck
1 lb. Pork Shoulder (Boston Butt)
1 lg. Onion, grated and drained of excess liquid
6 cloves Garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon Dried Sage
1 tablespoon Salt
1 tablespoon Pepper
1 tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Sausage Casings

Cube beef and pork into 1 inch cubes. Mix thoroughly with seasonings and allow to chill in a refrigerator for several hours. Run mixture through a meat grinder on the coarsest setting (approx. 1/4" holes) and return to the refrigerator to chill.

Stuff the sausage into 1.25" diameter casings. Allow to sit overnight before cooking or freezing.

Makes approx. 24 sausages, approx. 8 points per sausage.

Note: 6 lbs. is a lot of sausage. You may want to half the recipe.

Update 4/23/07 - Oops, forgot the recipe!

Adventures in Condimentry II: Viva la salsa!

This is my second installment in my 437 part series "Better know a condiment". In this issue, we'll discuss an often eaten, but seldom prepared condiment from south of the border.

More than a few hours of my life have been spent trying to devise a way to keep boneless skinless chicken breasts from looking and tasting like tofu. Until recently, my best options have been as follows:

1. Leave the skin on.
2. Leave the skin on and bones in.
3. Leave the skin on and bones in, wrap with bacon.
   

Now none of those options are very low fat or Weight Watcher friendly. My stance for the last few months has been to say "screw it" and just eat chicken like I feel like it, which is why I now have a full-size spare instead of a rubber donut.

So once again I have to face the hard reality that I can't necessarily eat everything I want all the time. As much as WW brands itself as a "lifestyle change" and not a "diet", the inescapable truth is that I have to cut back every now and again. The good news is that I've found another way to flavor up my chicken (and hot dogs, pork, rice, etc.).

Yep, that's right - vegetables, herbs and aromatics. But what shall I do with these miscellaneous gifts from the Earth? Make salsa verde, says I!

I was introduced to the process of making said salsa by my coworker John. Sure, salsa verde has existed since man started walking upright, but I'd never actually considered making it until he brought it to a company lunch. His recipe was great, but it wasn't until I watched Tyler Florence make it that I really got excited.

(As an aside, I've come to love his show "Tyler's Ultimate". It's educational and he prepares pretty good stuff. If only I could make my DVR play it at 2/3rds speed. Dang that dude talks fast!)

Now I know you all have a pound of tomatillos hanging around the house. I know I do all the time. For those of you who don't, I recommend heading to your local farmers market or ethnic food store. Thanks to the exploding Hispanic population in Atlanta I've got ready access to tomatillos, jalapeños and other south-of-the-border delights.

Tyler's recipe is pretty easy (you can check it out here), but I couldn't help but modify it just a smidge. First, I'd leave out the lime juice. It just goes into the salsa and reverse roundhouse kicks all the other flavors into submission. If you're into having a lime-powered karate chop to the tongue, go right ahead. It'd just go easy on the lime and taste it as I go along.

Second, I'd toss all the ingredients in extra virgin olive oil before baking. Sure, it may ruin this condiment's no-point status, but adding a tablespoon of olive oil adds a scant few points (4 points to the batch, to be exact) and a lot of depth of flavor.

Finally, I'd either crank the temperature up to 500°, or just broil the ingredients. If you broil, you'll need to keep an eye on them and rotate them once during cooking.

Yes I know that yet another post on salsa is not going to rock the food blogging world, but it's the little things that make life a little easier.

An Ode to Breakfast

Smell that bacon cookin' sizzle,
Whisking eggs and biscuits rise,
Hear the fresh-brewed coffee shout
Awaken, all! Make-fast! Arise!

Waffles hiss and spit and sputter,
Flapjacks jumping, golden brown.
Last night's spuds turn this morn's hash,
OJ gulping, going down!

Who to greet this dawny feast?
Scratchy faces, droopy lids!
Who to crunch and slurp and chew?
Sunny mommies, screaming kids!

"Hail!" to all who work the dark!
"Hooray!" for breakfast makers all!
"Huzzah!" to those who prep the course!
The greatest meal, big or small!

Breakfast Casserole of Champions
Based on Cyleen Friman's Breakfast Casserole

15 Stale Pop-and-Bake Biscuits
1/2 med. Onion, roughly diced
1/2 lg. Green Pepper, roughly diced
12 oz. Bacon, chopped
18 Eggs
1 cup Milk
1 teaspoon Dried Basil
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 1/2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Cook the biscuits the day before and allow to go stale. Cut each biscuit into quarters.

Cook the bacon in a non-stick skillet. Drain the bacon fat (but leave a the pan lubed up), and sweat the onions and peppers over medium heat until translucent. Set aside to cool.

Beat eggs together with milk and seasoning. Add the biscuits, 2 cups of cheese, the bacon and vegetables and mix thoroughly.

Spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray and dump in contents. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. Cover, and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.

Cover with foil (sprayed with non-stick spray on the food side) and cook in a 375° oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil and cook for 20 more minutes or until firm and cooked through.

Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Makes 15 servings, 8 points per serving (when made with low-fat cheese). This recipe can easily be halved, but you'll have to adjust the cooking time for a smaller casserole.

P.S. - Maybe I should have titled this post "Ode to Bad Poetry"...

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