Bistro Bijou

[Angeline]

Trying to remember. viv's looking for the recipe, but going from memory it is something like this:

800mg of potassium
2 teaspoons of salt (I think)
Package of Crystal Light or some other unsweetened drink mix (I prefer raspberry)
Water appropriate for your drink mix pack (gallon, etc)

The potassium is from potassium caplets like you get at the store. Salt is by taste, and that is the part I can't recall. The original recipe called for way to much salt, and was rough to drink. The ideal mix tastes a bit salty if you are not sweating. If you start to lose electrolytes, the salty taste dissappears entirely and it just tastes like the nectar of the gods. It's also a good way to tell if you are working hard enough. Does it taste salty? Work harder.

Place salt and potassium caps in a cup of water. Microwave until caps dissolve. Add to the rest of the water along with drink mix. Mix well. Chill.

I prefer raspberry, or citrus blends, as the tartness covers up the potassium taste. Again, when you're working hard, it all tastes lovely anyway. I've been told that crystal light peach iced tea is great at covering, but I find that stuf to be retch-worthy, so I won't touch it.

The thing to stress here is that you need to experiment with the salt content to match your target audience's taste, and to make them aware that it will taste a bit salty and weird until they start sweating. Then the body's need for salt and K will override any weird taste. This is my experience, and that of my friends. Yes, I used to carry extra bottles on hot summer rides, as they would always beg some off of me.

For those old enough amongst us, oooold gatorade was a saltier drink than it is today. It had that salt tang back when it really was a sports drink, and not kool-aid. That is what you are looking for. If you don't mind sugar, just use whatever drink mix you prefer and sweeten to taste. I'm personally ketolytic as possible, and thus want to avoid sugar. The only times I'm comfortable hitting sugar is right after a workout when the body is primed to accept it and I can combine fast-ingesting carbs (maltodextrin or waxy maize) and a fast digesting protein (whey hydrosolate for the win) into a quick drink after the lift/ride (or be lazy and drink a couple of cups of low-fat, no hormone chocolate milk). It does good stuff to your hormonal profiles when done propery, and really makes recovery easier.

ETA: The above recipe is totally from memory. If I find the actual recipe, I'll post it. For now you've got the gist, so you can play around with it.

Thanks Homie! I'll look online, too. I'll bet there are receiples there that will fill in the gaps, if any. Gatorade and Powerade are both so expensive, and teenaged boys can put away a lot of it fast! I think they'd both love the raspberry version.

 

[Homburg]

So, it doesn't take an absolute genius to see when I am pissed off, moody, and completely down and out. I want to thank every one for humoring my darker side. That said, I am living the good life at the moment, and wanted to share with everyone. The sun is shining, the wind is blowing, the hills are green, and of course the top is down on my car as I speed through the world. I savor this moment, and soak up the energy. There is very little that cant be overwhelmed by a beautiful day, loud music, and a fast convertible. I never thought I would say this, but today I love Kansas

Right, all we need is a Shanks appearance, and it will officially be "I love Kansas!" day in the bistro.

 

[Homburg]

Thanks Homie! I'll look online, too. I'll bet there are receiples there that will fill in the gaps, if any. Gatorade and Powerade are both so expensive, and teenaged boys can put away a lot of it fast! I think they'd both love the raspberry version.

They'll probably think it's weird at first. It works so very well though.

Insofar as the recipes are concerned, all that really matters is adding in good amounts of K and a fair amount of salt. Everything else is largely fluff.

And, if you want, I can give you other sports nutrition tips. I'm a little bit of a geek about it.

 

[unpredictablebijou]

Right, all we need is a Shanks appearance, and it will officially be "I love Kansas!" day in the bistro.

Sadly, Sri Shankarakrishna left a little note in the Peek thread that said he'd be gone for this week. The Fool is Kansan, though; he could weigh in. Although his area of KS is a teency bit less appealing than some...

still, it's all good. And as to things to DO in Kansas:

Can't surf on wheatfields
Sure you can. It's just more sedate.

Can't climb em
Ever been to the Flint Hills? Plenty of climbing there.

Can't rappell down em.
Silly man, going up just to come back down. Why not just stay where you are?

Can't ski on em
Again, sure you can. Ever heard of cross-country skiiing?

Can't hang-glide from em
Git you a fast four-wheeler and some drunk friends, and have at it.

Can't fish in em
We DO have small bodies of water here. I myself am located next to a rather large river.

Can't boat on em
See above

Can't snowmobile on em unless you want to get shot.
Meh. For an adrenaline addict like you, that oughta just add to the excitement. Besides, it's only rock salt. Not like it's gonna hurt a big tough boy like you.

Again, tell NO ONE. Kansas is invite only now. Don't want to get Californicated.

bj

 

[The_Fool]

Sticks his head in, looks around, smiles, wanders out.

 

[unpredictablebijou]

Sticks his head in, looks around, smiles, wanders out.

*waves, grinning*

yup. same ol' same ol'. Just the way we like it.

bj

 

[Angeline]

Sticks his head in, looks around, smiles, wanders out.

<Gives my favorite Fool A hug on this way out.>

 

[Tzara]

Again, tell NO ONE. Kansas is invite only now. Don't want to get Californicated.

Hey! That's our line. A popular bumper sticker a few years ago read DON'T CALIFORNICATE WASHINGTON.

I travel to Southern Cal a lot for business. Orange County, mostly. My co-workers liked to tease me with the real estate section of the Orange County Register, which a number of years ago had a section with the headline STAKE YOUR CLAIM IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST!! They would then giggle snidely. (I know that sounds impossible, but you had to be there.)

This didn't bother me. I'm a city boy. More population is, on the whole, a good thing in my mind. Yeah, the traffic's bad, but you get more and better arts institutions, for example. Better restaurants. Cricket clubs.

The person I know who is the most sour about people from California moving up here was someone who grew up in San Bernardino.

 

[champagne1982]

No fear of Californication here at the northern limits of prairie. upbj, I totally get what you're saying when you describe the subtle beauties of grasslands and skies, perhaps even more here than there. We have the brown season a lot longer than Kansas, so I think my eye may be more tuned to the way blue and brown interact.

If you don't like the weather here, wait five minutes, those storm clouds don't take long to move in from the horizon. I think our area of Alberta may be a bit more famous in the USAF than the mountains, even... (not likely but it sounds good) since every year we have a major international air weapons' exercise in May. The guys who've never seen snow in their lives are shocked that it can (and frequently does) snow so late in the spring. It's simply a way of keeping our parks pristine in some measure... Now if we can just convince the oil companies to fuck off it would be nirvana.

 

[Anschul]

I begin today with a very personal, very thorough leg humping for Anschul. Cheffington, Chefosity, Chefinity, Chefubim, doll!

thanks, for everything. You're a great asset to this board. And it is a sign of a successful small business when one needs to recruit additional help to run the place... the Bistro's hoppin' these days, and you're one reason why.

I do love to see everyone behaving and being kind and all that silly shit they tried to teach us about being nice. Or at least diplomatic. Does my little heart great good. And the newbies on the board were very much on my mind when I started this little experiment, o so long ago now. Everyone deserves a little safe space they can go where they aren't going to get in accidental trouble for something they didn't know about...

Kansas is NOT the brownest place in the world, although we do specialize in shades of brown, at least in winter. In the spring we specialize in gold and green. Besides, it's such a variety of color, even in the winter. All the way from black to white, if you look at it with a subtle eye.

That's one thing I say a lot about this place. It's easy enough to go to the mountains, or to the ocean, and say wow, that's beautiful. Any low grade moron can see the impressive beauty in a mountain or an ocean.

But Kansas takes a subtler eye. I think the Flint Hills are one of the most imposing, gorgeous places on earth, at least as far as I've travelled, but one needs to look beyond the obvious to see it. And Kansas takes time; one still picture may not communicate the beauty. You need to see the Long Body, the existence over time, of Kansas to really see it; to drive through the Smoky Valley at dawn, at dusk, at noon, in spring and in autumn, before you know the place the way it deserves to be seen.

And even with all that love, I'll say that Junction City has to be one of the LEAST attractive places in the State, both physically and psychically. Of course you're going to get a horrible impression if that's the only place you've really been.

I was a completely urban child. Detroit, Boston, and the south side of Chicago, and then Kansas City, I was never more than two blocks from a convenience store, my whole life. I've traveled quite a bit and seen some amazing places. But Kansas is the only true Home I've ever had. It's the only place I'll ever say I'm "from." I love that my neighbors are mostly four-leggeds. I love that my commute takes me past horse barns and fields of milo. I love the immense sky, and how it can be doing four or five different things all at once, depending on which direction you look. I love the endless quality of this place.

But don't tell anyone, okay? Residence in Kansas ought to be by invitation only, so it doesn't get too crowded. We tread gently on this land, and hope that it will be equally gentle with us, in its way.

o look I've gone off about it again. Perhaps this is the Travel network, as well as the Food network.

Bienvenue, my babies. I hope your days are being kind and your nights are being beautiful.

bj

All this talk of Kansas is giving me acid flashbacks. I know it isn't always brown, it is green for a few weeks in May. And then it is VERY green.

But I think I feel the need to feature some wheat tomorrow night. Ange, think you could whip me up a few whole-wheat pizza doughs? Maybe an assortment would be nice, you know, spinach and garlic white; peppers, onions, and olives Jersey tomato pie; sausage and pepperoni for Hommie; olives, pepperoncini, and anchovies for me. Maybe Bijou can come up with a nice Bardolino or Valpolicelli.

Chefarino

 

[Homburg]

Can't surf on wheatfields
Sure you can. It's just more sedate.

Sheer brilliance. I want to open a surf shop in Kansas now.

 

[Guest]

.......

 

[champagne1982]

Snack? Man, you could of added some pasta and a bechamel sauce... voila mac and cheese.

 

[Guest]

......

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Sticks his head in, looks around, smiles, wanders out.

Smiles shyly and hopes one day he will admit I am even here

No fear of Californication here at the northern limits of prairie. upbj, I totally get what you're saying when you describe the subtle beauties of grasslands and skies, perhaps even more here than there. We have the brown season a lot longer than Kansas, so I think my eye may be more tuned to the way blue and brown interact.

If you don't like the weather here, wait five minutes, those storm clouds don't take long to move in from the horizon. I think our area of Alberta may be a bit more famous in the USAF than the mountains, even... (not likely but it sounds good) since every year we have a major international air weapons' exercise in May. The guys who've never seen snow in their lives are shocked that it can (and frequently does) snow so late in the spring. It's simply a way of keeping our parks pristine in some measure... Now if we can just convince the oil companies to fuck off it would be nirvana.

We are getting the oddest weather hailstones the size of golf balls and thunderstorms don't usually get those till high summer. Don't help that I am in a funny mood just lately like I am in limbo waiting for something to happen ... trundles off to do Bijou's challenge

 

[champagne1982]

Cheese is my weakness and it was sooo good. Luckily, blood tests for cholestrol levels won't be for another 6 months.

What's bechamel sauce?

White sauce, silly.

Over medium heat, make a roux of 1 tablespoon melted butter in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of flour, add 1 cup of milk just before the flour browns and whisk until smooth. Reduce heat to medium low and gradually add 1/2 cup (about 2 or 3 ozs) grated vintage cheddar or any other semi-firm cheese, stirring with the handle of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat once the sauce has thickened and the cheese has melted.

Cook about 1/2 cups elbow macaroni until al dente, drain and then stir in another tablespoon of butter before blending it into your cheese sauce. Either grate or dice your remaining 3 ozs of cheese (yes, we've decreased your cheese consumption now) depending on how big you want your lil bits of cheesiness to be and add those to the mix as well.

Lightly grease a shallow casserole and then add your pasta and sauce to the pan. Make an au gratin crust (1/4 cup bread crumbs moistened with about 1 tablespoon olive oil with an optional tablespoon of parmesano reggiano added to the bread before the oil) and crumble this over the top of the pasta.

Bake in the centre of a pre-heated 375 degree oven until lightly browned and crunchy on top or about 8 to 12 minutes.

mmmmm... With pepper and you don't need any salt. Any veggie oil can be substituted for the butter in this recipe, you can spray the casserole with a non-stick lubricant.. :blech face: but don't skimp on the cheese . Some people like no gratin and some like more, play around with it. It's all good. Tyler Florence has a great "ultimate mac and cheese" on foodtv.com.

 

[Guest]

............

 

[Homburg]

Smiles shyly and hopes one day he will admit I am even here

Oh, quit lying. You aren't actually here =P

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Will go away then and leave you to your macramé

 

[Homburg]

Will go away then and leave you to your macramé

Wait, damn, you put the accent mark on "macramé". No bot would do that.

You are here!!

*celebrates*

 

[champagne1982]

Wait, damn, you put the accent mark on "macramé". No bot would do that.

You are here!!

*celebrates*

LOL! You're a funny guy.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

He called me a bot !!!!!!!!!!

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn276/itsannier/waaaahhhhhtamara.gif

 

[Homburg]

I said that you are not a bot. Are you challenging me?

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Well you thunked it first off ~~ sulks~~~ and needs cuggling and fondling errrrrm what would you do if I was?

 

[Homburg]

Well you thunked it first off ~~ sulks~~~ and needs cuggling and fondling errrrrm what would you do if I was?

I would be dead impressed with your programmer.