madcity girl

Last Saturday morning, my friends Karen, Emily, and I road tripped to Stevens Point (about 2 hours north of Madison) for the Point Bock Run. It’s a 5-mile road race that takes place at the Stevens Point Brewery every year in early March.

I’ve done the race several times and it’s always one of my favorites. You may remember my post from the race in 2008. I love the small town, grassroots race vibe. Plus it’s fun to make a day out of it and road trip there with friends. And you can’t beat the $15 early registration fee—which includes a long sleeve t-shirt, light post-race food (bagels, cookies, etc.), and two hours of all-you-can-drink beer and root beer at the finish line tent. You better believe I take advantage of the root beer and cookies.

Each year I’ve watched the race grow bigger and bigger. This year the race reached capacity (2000 runners) a week beforehand. I registered two months out, after my friend Karen repeatedly asked, “have you registered yet?” [insert snooty tone]. Procrastinator Emily didn’t register until the week of the race. Emily happened to check the online list of registered runners a few days before the race, only to notice that Karen’s name wasn’t on it. That’s how we came to figure out that despite repeated reminders to both Emily and I, Karen had failed to actually register herself for the race. But being the good sport that she is, Karen opted to come along anyways and do a training run while we raced. But I don’t think she’ll live that one down anytime soon.

Amazingly, the Point Bock Run always seems to fall on the most spectacular late winter day—with warm temperatures, sunny skies, and the promise of spring lingering on the horizon. This year was no exception. The snow was literally melting all around us. Some people were eagerly sporting tank tops and shorts, while others were still bundled up in hats and gloves. It was as if people didn’t know what season to make of it.

While in past years I’ve treated this race as a fun run, this year I decided to give it my all and see what I could do. I haven’t been incorporating much speed work into my training as of yet, so I knew it would hurt. One motivator was a girl ahead of me in a pink running skirt. Nothing against running skirts, but I wasn’t about to let a girl in a pink running skirt beat me without a fight. I kicked it in at the half-way point and made my move. I finished the race in 35:17, which equates to a 7:03 minute/mile pace. Just a few seconds ahead of pink skirt girl. It was a PR for me by more than 4 minutes. Thank you pink skirt girl.

After several cups of root beer and post-race cookies, Emily, Karen, and I headed to lunch at Big Apple Bagels before returning to Madison. The stop brought me back to my high school days when my friends and I would routinely spend our lunch hour at Big Apple Bagels gorging on chocolate chip bagels with chocolate chip cream cheese. There’s nothing like a little piece of chocolate chip heaven to speed post-race recovery. Uh…and I also bought a dozen bagels and a tub of chocolate chip cream cheese for the road. For memory’s sake.

I’m pretty sure I consumed my body weight in chocolate last Saturday night. My friend Julie and I (along with our very intoxicated friend Kurt), attended a wine and chocolate tasting event at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens. It was definitely my kind of event—$25 all-you-can eat/drink. And you know how much I like to take advantage of those kind of deals.

Julie’s husband Matt was originally scheduled to attend the event as well. But that was before he received free tickets to Bock Fest, an all-day drinking event at the Capital Brewery in Middleton that very same day. Julie adamantly warned Matt beforehand not to drink too much. I kept my mouth shut, but seriously doubted Matt’s ability to keep his sobriety in tact at Bock Fest. With all that beer, testosterone, and peer pressure. It was a lost cause. Sorry, Julie.

So as to be expected, upon pick up at the brewery, Julie decided that Matt was in no suitable condition to attend the wine and chocolate tasting event that night. But to my absolute disbelief, Julie reasoned that Matt’s best friend Kurt (who also attended Bock Fest) would be a suitable replacement. But once again I kept my mouth shut.

Kurt. Where to begin? Kurt is a friend of mine from college. He’s quite the character. A former Bucky Badger. You may also remember him as the star of the recent indie flick “Go West Happy Cow.” Kurt’s a great guy. Always a good laugh. But Kurt most certainly would not come to mind as a sober replacement for a refined wine and chocolate tasting event.

I think Julie and I both knew we were in trouble when Kurt started giving out high fives while we were waiting in line to enter the event. Kurt, this isn’t a sporting event, Julie sneered. We were definitely among the youngest people there. It was mostly a dignified crowd of gray-haired professorial types. What was most interesting to me was watching the older women react to Kurt’s antics—some were visibly appalled (I’m embarrassed for you, one snidely remarked). Others doted on Kurt like a long-lost grandson (oh…honeyyy). But when Kurt said “fuck” for the third time, Julie had had enough. At that point, we parted ways. And so while Julie and I started in on our second loop of wine and chocolate, Kurt wandered off in search of new lady friends.

The event featured wineries and chocolatiers from the surrounding Madison area. Offerings included espresso truffles, cherry port, lemon cardamom-infused chocolate, Lakeshore fume, pecan caramel clusters, chocolate dipped dried Door County cherries, pinot noir, and chocolate chili gelato—just to name a few. All you can eat. And drink. To say I was in heaven would be an understatement.

It was hard to pick favorites among the samples. David Bacco Chocolats and Wollersheim Winery are already among my top picks. Others that I really enjoyed included the liqueurs from AEppel Treow Winery, the balsamic-infused dark chocolate truffles from Maurie’s Fine Chocolate, pomegranate white tea infusion chocolate from TerraSource Gourmet Chocolates, and toffee from James J. Chocolates. We also all really enjoyed the guy from AEppel Treow Winery (pictured, above, appropriately sporting and kilt and silver flask). There were good laughs with that one.

Despite the evening’s rough start, Julie and I persevered for three hours of nonstop chocolate and wine tasting. Because that’s the kind of ironwomen we are. By the end of the night, we were giddy and content with bellies full of wine and chocolate. And Kurt made some new friends. All of which has made for a great story among our friends.

Over the last few years, compression socks have gained immense popularity among runners and triathletes. It took me a while to decipher the phenomenon. When I first saw several athletes sporting knee-high socks at Ironman Wisconsin two years ago, I thought it was just a strange and unfortunate fashion statement. Eventually, I learned that many runners and triathletes use compression socks to help speed recovery after strenuous workouts and also to optimize performance during races.

Obviously those are grandiose claims. And for a while, I was skeptical. You mean to tell me that you can just slip on a pair of knee-high, Brittany Spears-esque socks and suddenly you’re Chrissie Wellington? I think not. Yet there are many studies that suggest real and notable gains can be realized by wearing compression socks.  

So how do they work? According to CEP, a leading producer of compression socks, the goal of wearing the socks is to enhance blood circulation, which delivers more oxygen to the heart and improves the process of metabolizing lactic acid. Another article explains that compression socks use strong elastics to create significant pressure on the legs, ankles and feet. By compressing the surface veins, arteries, and muscles, the circulating blood is forced through narrower channels. The arterial pressure is increased, causing more blood to return to the heart and less blood to pool in the feet.

So far only a handful of studies have been conducted to test these claims. Results have been largely inconclusive; but on the whole, encouraging:

• According to a study conducted at Stellenbosch University,  athletes who wore compression socks after exercise showed a faster lactate recovery rate. The same study, however, showed no statistically significant improvements (oxygen consumption, heart rate, etc.)  for athletes who wore the socks during exercise.
• Another study at the University of Dresden showed that compression can increase arterial blood flow up to 40% during activity and 30% during recovery. As a result, athletes benefit from more oxygen and nutrients, gaining power, recovering more quickly, and improving performance.
• According to a study at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, runners using compression socks had 5% faster running times while using 6% less energy.

All of that medical/science mumbo jumbo seems to suggest to me that compression socks are at least worth a shot. When I raced at the Ironman World Championships this past October, many elite athletes wore compression socks during the race. I almost felt a little naked without them. The knee-high socks have always looked funny to me; but admittedly, the style has grown on me over time. As some of you know, I recently took on a new part-time job at a local triathlon shop (more on this later). This, of course, has sparked a new-found interest in trying and testing the latest rage in triathlon and running gear. Last week, I caved and purchased my first pair of compression socks. I tried them on after a long run last Sunday. They felt nice—the pressure seemed to soothe my weary legs. Even if the benefits are entirely psychological, I’ll take it.

Now let’s address the obvious question. You may be scratching your head at my color seelction. Certainly I’ve made it pretty clear in prior posts that I hate the color pink. Especially when it comes to athletic gear. But what can I say—there was something about this particular pair of compression socks that drew me in. They seemed different. special. They are not just pink (oh, no)—they are obnoxiously pink. And obnoxious pink I can do.

Sometimes you stumble upon a great recipe when you least expect it. This was one of those times. A few weeks ago, I came across a recipe for Heath Bits Peanut Butter Cookies on the back of an 8 oz. bag of Heath English Toffee Bits. At the time, I was making Chocolate Fudge Cookies with Toffee and Dried Cherries (which sadly, didn’t turn out all that well.) But luckily something good came out of the situation, because it essentially connected me to a much better cookie recipe. Imagine an extra chewy peanut butter cookie with a magical dusting of Heath English Toffee Bits. Peanut butter and chocolate—always a match made in heaven.

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup Reese’s creamy peanut butter (I used natural)
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
3 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups (8 oz. pkg.) Heath milk chocolate toffee bits, divided

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Beat shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Add egg; beat just until blended. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. Stir in 1 cup toffee bits; reserve remainder for topping.

Drop by heaping teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet; top each with reserved toffee bits. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until set. Do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

I had another fantastic weekend enjoying the great outdoors and warm comforts of winter. I kicked off the weekend by meeting my friends Paul and Meghan at the Nordic Trail, located in the heart of the Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest (just east of of Whitewater). The Nordic Trail  features more than 23 miles of groomed x-country ski trails with six different trails of varying distance and difficulty. It’s actually where I went skate skiing for the very first time last winter with my friend Paul. As you may remember, I instantly fell in love with the sport, and purchased my own pair of skis a few weeks later.

Many people still ask me, what exactly is skate skiing? Perhaps you caught a glimpse during the recent Olympic coverage; otherwise, check out this YouTube video. What I love most about skate skiing is the technique, rhythm, speed, and the burn I feel in my legs. I love climbing up and cruising down the big hills, and also gliding along the flats. Then of course there’s the beauty of being completely emerged in the middle of a snowy forest. And breathing in fresh, cool air. In my opinion, not only is skate skiing the best full-body workout there is, but also the best way to spend a winter morning.  

My friends Paul and Meghan are very talented skate skiers. Me? Not so much. Honestly, I’ve taught myself most of what I’ve learned by studying whatever is available about skate skiing on the Internet. I think my form is pretty decent, but I still have a long way to go with speed and endurance. On Saturday, I was just hopeful I could hang with Paul and Meghan for a little while—and not fall on my butt and embarrass myself too much. I knew they would push me, which is exactly what I needed. And more than anything, I was really looking forward to the company—there aren’t too many people I know in Madison who skate ski.

Luckily, Paul and Meghan skied the blue trail (9.9 miles) before I even arrived. Better to have them a little tired and winded! I met them in the warming hut shortly after 9am. Together we ventured out and skied the green, white, and orange trails (about ten miles total—my longest skate skiing adventure to date). The trails had a fresh coat of powder, which made for slower conditions. And because it was Birkie Weekend, there was very little traffic on the trails. It was challenging for me to keep up with Paul and Meghan, but I think I did pretty well. It made my day when Meghan (who has been skiing her entire life) told me that I looked like I’ve been skiing much longer than a year.

After adequately wearing ourselves out on the trails, Paul, Meghan, and I headed to the La Grange General Store, which is a great little cafe and ski/bike shop located just a few minutes from the trail head. I love the cozy and eclectic feel of the store. And the food and beer selection can’t be beat. I could hang out there all day. We ordered lunch (soup, sandwiches, and beer) and relaxed and caught up on life. We also talked about the possibility of signing up for the Birkie in 2011.

All in all, it was the perfect morning. The truth is, I don’t want the snow to melt. Not yet. I’m not ready to put away my skis and bulky sweaters for the season. Quite honestly, I’m liking this winter stuff more and more every year.

I’m always a big fan of the recipes featured in the Real Simple magazine. They’re great for the perfect mid-week dinner—quick and easy, but still unique and tasty. I just received the March issue in the mail last week and particularly enjoyed the feature entitled “Put Down the Knife: save time on shopping, chopping, and cleanup with these no-hassle meals.”

I was instantly drawn to the recipe for Asian Dumpling Soup with Shiitakes and Edamame. Nothing beats a great, hearty soup  in the dead of winter. The recipe was featured as a “If you don’t like cleaning up…try a one-pot recipe.” Which is perfect, actually. I love to cook, but I hate cleaning up! This one’s definitely a keeper in my kitchen. So good.

Asian dumpling soup with shiitakes and edamame
Real Simple, March 2010

2 32-oz. containers low-sodium chicken broth
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 16-oz. package frozen pot sticker dumplings or Japanese gyoza
2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced
4 oz. shiitake or white mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced
2 cups frozen shelled edamame
1 bunch watercress, thick stems removed (about 3 cups)
1 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
Kosher salt
4 scallions, sliced

In a large saucepan, bring the broth and ginger to a boil. Add the pot stickers and carrots and simmer until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and edamame and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the watercress, soy sauce, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Sprinkle with the scallions before serving.

With falling snowflakes, sunny skies, and a thick coat of snow covering the landscape, this past weekend was one of those idyllic Wisconsin winter weekends that people in warmer climates sometimes fantasize about.

It all made for a perfect setting for two of my favorite annual Madison winter traditions. The first of which was the 7th annual Madison Winter Festival, which aims to “promote fun and healthy lifestyles during winter by showcasing snow sports and festive recreational activities.” The event features x-country ski racing, snowshoe events, half-pipe snowboarding, a 5k fun run, and an ice sculpture competition. On Friday night, a friend and I walked around the Capitol Square, watching a team of snow plows working through the night, methodically transforming the Capitol Square into one giant snow playground. Since I live only a few blocks from the square, I was able to make it to the Festival on both Saturday and Sunday to check out the events. I always love watching the professional x-country skiers—their speed and form is breathtaking.

One of my other favorite Madison winter traditions occurred on the UW-Madison campus for 12 hours on Friday. From 8am until 8pm, several members of the UW Cycling Team rode their bikes on stationary trainers in Library Mall to raise money for the Madison Area Safe Kids Coalition, which is a group that provides car seats and bicycle helmets to underprivileged kids in the Madison community.

I remember the event back when I was a student at UW, and it always brought a big smile to my face. You’ve got cyclists freezing their butts off, riding in the heart of campus during the dead of winter, enthusiastically pleading to their fellow students for support. To me, the event represents the kind of students, groups, and events that truly set UW-Madison apart. Students who are not only extremely bright, but community-minded, active, fun, passionate, generous, and hard-working.

If you think we’re hibernating until spring here in Madison, Wisconsin, you must be mistaken. There’s so much to love about winter here. All you have to do is learn how to embrace it.

Fromagination is a specialty market on the capitol square that sells artisanal cheeses and “perfect companions.” A stroll though the quaint, yet perfectly merchandised store, yields an other-worldly experience—with all the charm of old-world Wisconsin and the culinary luxuries of modern times. Certainly the focus of the store is the artisanal cheeses (expertly sourced from Wisconsin and all over the world), which are prominently displayed in large glass cases that run the length of the store. But more than anything else, I’m always drawn in by the “companions,” such as French macaroons, Quince and Apple preserves, Potter’s Crackers, Zingerman’s baked goods, and Dean & Deluca sauces, oils, and spices. It’s truly a foodie paradise.

Which is all to say that I was very excited to learn that Fromagination hosts communal “farmhouse” fondue lunches during the months of January and February. Isthmus food-writer Linda Falkenstein ranked the lunch as “the best thing [she] ate all year in 2009.” She described the experience as a “cheerful, sumptuous, intoxicating February picnic.” So of course, I had to try it myself. With my friend Lauren, we booked our reservation for a Wednesday in late-February and waited patiently for our chance to dip in.

Our seating was at 11am yesterday. Upon arrival, the warm store instantly provided a nice sanctuary from the blustery winter weather. After milling around the store for a few minutes, we eventually took seats with ten other dining companions. Lauren and I sat at the end of the table and shared a pot with two other women, who told us they worked at a local cheese producer. One of the Fromagination employees offered a pour of white wine, which we gladly accepted. After that, our host (the cheese buyer) explained the history and traditions behind Swiss fondue. Then lunch was served. The menu featured Roth Kase alpine-style fondue, a signature salad, Neuske’s smoked summer sausage, fingerling potatoes, roasted carrots, French cornichons, and freshly baked bread cubes for dipping. Dessert included two small chocolate chip cookies and hot spiced almonds. To say I was in foodie heaven would be an understatement.

I found the video below from a diner (Lindsay from 77square) who attended last week’s fondue lunch. Although it’s a short video, I think it helps provide a glimpse of the dining experience and atmosphere.

Words can’t do justice to the fondue lunch—every part of the meal was perfectly executed. At the meal’s conclusion, I was adequately stuffed and undeniably content. My only complaints were that we were not served Kirsh at the end of the meal (there were glasses on the table, but we were never offered a pour). Also, Lauren and I were a little surprised to realize that the glass of wine we had each accepted at the beginning of the meal had resulted in a $6 charge (in addition to the $22 lunch). I think it’s fine to charge extra for a glass of wine, but only if you make that clear to your diners from the beginning. The meal would have been perfect if not for those two hiccups. But I refuse to let them leave a sour taste in my mouth—nope, all that is left is the memory of a magical winter fondue feast.

Yes, I know. It’s taken me an eternity to write this post. Or two weeks. But it feels like an eternity. So like I said earlier, Jill and Ryan hosted the February edition of our Iron Chef dinner series two Fridays ago. Peanuts were the “secret ingredient”—although I’ll let you in on a little secret: the “secret ingredient” is actually no secret, as we all come to a consensus on an ingredient at the previous month’s dinner. But still, I insist upon using the word “secret.” It makes me feel all official and sleuth-like.

Now peanuts might seem like an easy ingredient to the untrained Iron Chef—I mean there’s countless recipe options that incorporate peanuts, right? But therein lies the challenge. It could be argued that there are simply too many options and recipes from which to choose. And as I recently learned during a presentation by behavioral economist Dan Ariely (author of Predictably Irrational), too many options overwhelm people (I believe Ariely actually used the word “bamboozle”). But luckily, my friends are not easily bamboozled.

Consensus among the group was that this was one of our best Iron Chef dinners yet. There was a lot of harmony among the dishes—they all played together very nicely with complementing flavors and textures. Certainly it helped that most of the dishes were of Thai origin. Following is a list of all contributed dishes:

African Peanut Butter Stew
Candy Circus Peanuts
Iso Peanuts
Peanut Bacon Brittle
Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Spicy Peanut Soup
Thai Chicken Salad with Pita Bread
Thai Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce
Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce (over a bed of rice noodles)

And if that spread doesn’t make your mouth salivate, I’m not sure what will. The dinner was fabulous. My personal favorites were the Thai Chicken Satay Skewers (with three varieties of dipping sauces) and the Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, both of which Jill contributed. Sometimes I think the host has the upper hand with access to an oven and the ability to avoid transportation challenges, but Jill clearly deserved top honors. Especially with those three dipping sauces—when she named off about twenty ingredients in each, I was impressed.

Lauren also introduced our new mascot (see picture, above). She recently received the “iron” knife and fork set as a gift from one of her clients (Lauren owns a personal training gym). Obviously it’s the perfect match for our dinner series. We’ll have to figure out a way to incorporate the set into the mix.

So what’s up for next month? Instead of a single ingredient for March, we’ve decided to switch it up in honor of Saint Patrick’s Day. So Matt and Julie will be hosting an Irish-themed dinner. I’m guessing we’ll have some Irish soda bread, corn beef and cabbage, dumpling stew, and maybe a little green food coloring. It’s time to get in touch with my Irish heritage!

The addition of toffee and dried cherries in this recipe for chocolate cookies is what initially drew me in. I found this one in a cookbook my brother gave me for Christmas—In the Sweet Kitchen: The Definitive Baker’s Companion, by Regan Daley. Ever since I baked up a batch of Thick and Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies earlier this month, chocolate cookies have been top of mind. Those may have been the best cookies I’ve made yet—so chocolaty and uniquely chewy and brownie-like. But perhaps I just needed to try another recipe to confirm their perfection.

I had high hopes for the Chocolate Cookies with Toffee and Dried Cherries. And they were pretty tasty straight out of the oven. But disappointingly, by the next day they had hardened quite a bit and were anything but soft and chewy. And the toffee and dried cherries didn’t add much—in fact, they only seemed to overwhelm the cookie. So my advice? if you’re going to make chocolate cookies, stick with the best.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup plump, moist, dried sour cherries
8 oz. bitter or semisweet chocolate chopped into chunks about the size of the cherries
1 cup English toffee pieces for baking such as Skor Bits

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two heavy baking sheets, not non-stick, with parchment paper and set aside. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together into a bowl and set aside. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both sugars until light in color and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla. Stir in the flour-mixture in 3 additions, blending just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in the chunky ingredients and mix until they seem evenly distributed.

2. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets and place them in the center of the oven. Bake the cookies for 15-18 minutes, or until barely set in the center and just firm around the edges. Rotate the sheets once or twice. Cool the cookies on the tray for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before storing. Store the cookies in airtight containers, layered between sheets of parchment or waxed paper for up to 5 days.