I’m living two lives these days. My normal life takes place here in North Carolina where I work, hang out and fulfill my role as a domestic goddess, just like Nigella. My other life takes me across the pond to the mountains, villages and countryside of France where every morning (and sometimes again at night) I watch and obsess over the Tour de France. My day is scheduled around the live broadcast of the Tour on Versus. I spend every morning with Phil and Paul, my new office-mates.
On Friday Norwegian cyclist Thor Hushovd of US team Garmin-Cervélo showed off his strength and grit by winning the stage. It was an awesome sight.You might recognize his name. He’s the world road champion and has won many green jerseys (sprinter competitions). Yes, a sprinter won on a breakaway in the Pyrenees, that’s the power of Thor, god of thunder. Before the Tour began, Esquire magazine spent A Day in the Stomach of Thor Hushovd.
The Esquire article revealed that Sean Fowler, the chef for Garmin-Cervélo, believes in a “gluten-moderate” diet to reduce inflammation. Although Fowler lives in the Spanish Pyrenees, he’s originally from Colorado. A Denver blog tells us more about the chef and why he and his mobile kitchen are a competitive edge for Garmin-Cervélo.
Michael Barry, Canadian cyclist on UK Team Sky, gives us the athlete’s perspective. He isn’t at the Tour this year but, based on his experience last year, he knows what a Tour cyclist needs to eat when they’re burning 10,000 calories a day racing in the mountains.
When I watch sports for intense periods of time, like during the Tour or the Olympics, I find myself craving healthier meals. I’m such a wannabe. But does this ever happen to you? You go to the supermarket with a list of healthy ingredients but find yourself in the check-out line with pimento cheese, jalapeno pretzels and BBQ potato chips. The secret, according to a new study, to strong shopping willpower depends on your choice of basket or cart. If only it were that easy.
And now for something completely different, Dean Martin’s burger recipe.
This is the coolest site! MyCityCuisine is a wiki that lists food specialties for cities around the world. When I traveled solo in the past I spent a lot of time researching the art, food and beer of the region I was visiting. This site will make that easier for one part of the trinity. The site still has a lot of holes, for example, there aren’t any entries for North Carolina or for some of the smaller cities of Vietnam, but it’s a good start.
If you like to be one step ahead of the crowd, the Washington City Paper scoped out the recent Fancy Food Show and clues us in on what’s hot. Cherries and Japanese-influenced foods make the list.
Basil growers, I hope you’re snipping off the flowers as they emerge. During hot and humid weather it can be a challenge to keep up with them, but this post from The Kitchn explains why you don’t want to let your basil bloom.
Can an Oreo be a work of art? Sure, if you’re Judith Klausner. Check it out.
two of our basil plants (before a harvest)
Grabbing the Gusto 