Marathon Running Tip
Healthful Meals Fuel Marathoning Chefs
By Clara Silverstein -
Boston Herald Joanne Chang's mornings are fueled by lemon
lust tart and triple chocolate mousse cake, her afternoons by bananas and Power
Bars.
Chang, chef-owner of Flour Bakery and Cafe
in the South End, recently ran her 12th Boston Marathon. As a chef, her
extensive knowledge of food gives her a bit of an edge in the 26.2-mile race,
in which every calorie can affect performance.
But she and other chefs who have competed in
the Boston Marathon said dedication is more important than a special diet.
"The lifestyle gives you a disadvantage,"
said Rich Vellante, executive chef of Legal Sea Foods, who ran his second
Boston Marathon. "You have late nights and erratic eating patterns. You always
have desserts and fatty foods in front of you. Then again, you also have
healthy foods. You have to be disciplined."
Vellante, who also competes in triathlons,
said he follows no special diet, but he does try to maintain balance as he
trains.
"I like foie gras and pasta with cream
sauces, but not all the time. Seafood as a protein is great for your health.
It's a natural with what we do on a regular basis at Legal Sea Foods."
Even though Chang has unlimited access to
ScharffenBerger chocolate and candied hazelnuts, she eats like most other
runners. The night before the marathon, she carbo-loads on bread and pasta. The
morning of the race, the regimen is bread, bananas, water and coffee.
"Because I'm around food so much, it becomes
what it should be: An enjoyable pleasure, and a form of nutrition, not a
special treat," she said.
Kevin Crawley, chef-owner of Coriander
Bistro, ran the Boston Marathon in 2001 and 2002. He is sitting this year out
but already thinking about how to improve his performance in the future.
"Those two marathons were testosterone-and
ego-driven. I'm going back to the books next time, taking the next one more
seriously diet-wise. I've been known to go up to the McDonald's drive-through
more than once."
Running helps the chefs manage the physical
part of the job.
"It perks you up so you can be running
around like a maniac in this business. It has a psychological effect on the
people around you," said Crawley, who trains with some of his staff. His pastry
chef, Todd Weldon, has completed several marathons.
"We eat giant piles of food at the staff
meals," Crawley joked.
Above all, running helps the chefs deal with
the stress ? and excess calories ? of long hours in the kitchen.
"Something outdoorsy can help you calm down
when things are so frenetic," Chang said.
Below are recipes Chang and Vellante
recommend for runners in training.
JOANNE CHANG'S GRANOLA BARS
3 c. all-purpose flour
2 1/2 c. oats
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/3 c. coconut
1 1/2 c. toasted walnuts
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. honey
3/4 lbs. (1 1/2 c.) butter, softened
1 3/4 c. dried apples
1 3/4 c. dried cranberries
1 3/4 c. dried
apricots
3 1/2 c. water
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. toasted sunflower seeds
Pulse the flour, oats, brown sugar, coconut,
walnuts and cinnamon in a food processor in small batches until coarsely
chopped.
Place in a large bowl. By hand, work the
honey and butter into the mixture until crumbly.
Press about 2/3 of the mixture on the bottom
of a cookie tray lined with parchment paper. Bake in a 350-degree oven until
medium brown, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the dried fruits, water
and sugar in a pot. Bring to a boil, turn off the heat and let sit for several
hours to reconstitute the fruit. Pulse the fruit in a food processor until
chunky. Spread the fruit mix on top of the baked granola. Add the sunflower
seeds to reserved granola mixture and sprinkle on top of the fruit.
Bake at 350 degrees until brown, about 20
minutes. Cool, cut into bars, and serve. Makes about a dozen large bars (they
can be cut into whatever size you like). Store in a tightly covered container.
RICH VELLANTE'S SOBA NOODLES IN
VEGETABLE-SOY HOT BROTH
For the soy-mirin base (to be made in
advance):
2 T. soy sauce
1 t. mirin (sweet rice wine)
3/4 t. sugar
For the noodles:
2 T. vegetable oil, preferably grapeseed
1 T.
finely chopped fresh ginger
1 t. chopped fresh garlic
1 1/2 c. sliced
shiitake mushrooms
1 c. broccoli florets
1/2 c. carrots, cut on the
bias
1 c. snap peas
1/2 c. quartered tomatoes
2 T. soy-mirin base
5 c. vegetable broth or chicken broth
1 c. tofu, diced into 1/2-inch
pieces (can substitute shrimp or chicken)
2 T. sliced scallions
1 lb.
soba noodles, blanched in boiling, salted water (do not overcook)
To make the sauce: Place the soy sauce and
mirin in a small saucepan. Slowly heat (do not boil). Add the sugar and stir to
dissolve. Cool and reserve.
To make the noodles: In a saute pan, heat
the oil, ginger and garlic. Saute until the garlic begins to soften. Add the
mushrooms, broccoli and carrots. Cook on medium heat for 1 minute. Add the snap
peas, tomatoes, soy-mirin base and vegetable or chicken stock.
Once warm, add the tofu and soba noodles.
Heat through, add the scallions and place in a pot. Cover and serve. Makes 2-4
servings.
Note: This was designed as a vegetarian
dish. You may substitute chicken or shrimp for the tofu, if desired. |
