A Pescetarian on Vacation: SoCal

"How was your trip?"

I've recently been told by a few readers that it seems as though all of my posts have been about cycling. Given that I have only posted about 5 blog entries so far, and only one of them has been about my "new way of eating," I figured my next blog post should be on the subject...

My sister and I just spent a short week in Southern California, visiting family and friends. It was my first vacation as a pescetarian, and even though I didn't eat the healthiest pescetarian food, I did mainly stick to the diet for the time I was there, and was not tempted to eat meat* in the least bit. Before we arrived, I told all of the family we'd be visiting that I was now a pescetarian, and that they could eat whatever they wanted, but that I wouldn't be eating any meat. My family was quite supportive, and had fish/vegetarian options at every meal.

"This is SO good... I always forget how good."

Growing up in NorCal, we would travel to SoCal often to visit extended family. One sure stop every time we'd visit would be our family's favorite Mexican restaurant (or joint, rather) in SoCal, Tito's Tacos. My only possible diet slip up may have happened here. My sister and I went there upon our arrival at LAX. I ordered the usual, a bean & cheese burrito. Tito's is infamous for their taco's, but to me, heaven on earth exists in the form of their bean & cheese burrito. To solidfy this point: whenever someone asks me the inevitable "if you were stranded on a desert island and you could only have one food with you for eternity, what would it be?" question - my answer is ALWAYS, a Tito's bean & cheese burrito.  Catch my drift?

Yes, the ingredients are simple - beans, cheese, and a tortilla (w/salsa on the side).  Why a possible slip up then? Well, while this is unsubstantiated information, my mother and I truly believe that the reason Tito's beans (and tortillas) taste so good is because they are cooked in lard. Lard is pig fat, and something I should completely avoid as a fish-eating vegetarian. The mere thought of lard is even kinda gross...fat, that is rendered from any fatty part of a pig - an animal that is suspect at best for its edibleness. But, for whatever reason, the taste of anything cooked in lard it is simply fabulous. My question - does Tito's use lard in cooking their beans? Tortillas? I did not ask. And no, I will not be researching it. This is a case of willful blindness in my diet which could only be reserved for goodness that is Tito's.

"You are here to eat, and nothing more."

After leaving Tito's, my sister and I headed to Grandfather A's house. Basically a gourmet chef in his own right, he had been preparing and cooking for us well in advance of our arrival. As soon as we stepped foot in his place, we were being fed. For an appetizer, we had fried fish with a mango/berry chutney, for a mid-afternoon snack we enjoyed moules frites with garlic aioli (if you haven't had french fries, or frites, with aioli, you haven't yet lived), and a couple hours later, an exquisite dinner featuring linguine with clams, mussels, and squid. And throughout the day, endless wine, bread, and homemade watermelon juice (what do YOU know about fresh watermelon juice?). As only our Grandfather A could accomplish, for dessert, he also served 3 types of homemade sorbet, yes 3. By the time we left his house, we were at least 5 lbs heavier (remember, this was the same day we had gone to Tito's). But that kind of decadence, that kind of love, you only get once in a great while, and is worth every ounce on a scale.

"What does Julia Child have on Mexican Food?"

That evening, we next headed Grandfather G's in Palm Desert.  The next day, Grandpa G and I went to Cardena's market to see if there was anything we could pick up for dinner. Cardenas Market is a Latin market with locations throughout Southern California. They carry Latin American products, and upon entering you really feel like you are in another country (that, and the fact that none of the employees speak English may also contribute to that feeling, but I digress). For a Mexican food lover like myself, it is also a grocery paradise. This place has an entire area devoted to tortilla making.

Pause for a minute. Imagine your local Safeway. Now imagine a market that replaces the "fried food counter" with nothing but tortillas - flour, corn, big, small. All still warm, fresh, and cheap. They also have a section for aguas frescas (Grandpa A's watermelon juice would make a great addition to it!), a SALSA counter (yes, at least 10 types of salsa, and you can taste them all, too!), Mexican take out food (everything you can think of, freshly made to order), and all of the other normal grocery store amenities. That, and every Latin American product known to man.

Grandpa G mentioned that he had some fish at home, so immediately I knew I wanted to make myself some fish tacos. I went for the small, corn tortillas. They were so fresh, the warmth was making the interior of the plastic bag condensate. And to top it all off, you get 50 warm tortillas for $1.59. Out of control.

We got home and I made my fish tacos with some of the salsa and some avocado. They were simply divine. My sister ate a hamburger (Grandpa G's famous burgers). As much as I used to love my Grandpa's burgers, the fish tacos I made may have been the best I've ever had. Thanks, Cardenas. Earlier that same day, before dinner, we saw the movie "Julie and Julia," about the life of Julia Child and some blogger who is obsessed with her appreciates her cooking (I did like the movie). However, while I was eating, I couldn't help but think, could Julia make taco's this good?

"I've never had an 'In & Out' Burger."

After our quick trip in Palm Desert - we hit the road again to visit some friends in Los Angeles. First we went to Hollywood for a late lunch on Melrose Ave (so L.A.). For dinner, we enjoyed some more Mexican food at a restaurant that had $15 pitchers of Margaritas.

Friday we left the house and decided to grab lunch. On our way to the freeway, my sister mentioned that she'd never had an 'In & Out' burger, and asked if they were "really that good?"... 

Next stop - 'In & Out' burger. My sister ordered the classic Double-Double. Side note - I, personally, know how good these burgers are.  But guess what, I did not want one.  I ordered her the burger, and thought about the portobella mushroom sandwich that I was actually craving.  I did not give in. I was able to watch my sister eat a fresh 'In & Out' burger, with no problems. It was at that moment I realized I had crossed some sort of imaginary threshold for pescetarianism. I was the real deal. 

Finally, our last SoCal food experience worth mentioning in a blog.  Porto's Bakery.  We went for lunch and I must admit I am hooked.  This is a bakery/cafe in Burbank, CA.  They must have thousands of desserts, cakes, general sweets, as well as a full coffee bar, sandwiches, and a variety of other goodies.  This place is really worth experiencing for yourself.  For lunch, I had a piece of bread pudding before my tuna melt (they didnt have the portobella mushroom sammy), while drinking a horchata smoothie, and finished it off with a red velvet cupcake.  No dinner necessary after that meal, kids. 

We spent the last day or so just nibbling.  As you can see, we ate more than enough throughout the week.  But besides the possible lard consumption at Tito's, I stayed true to my no meat diet, and was able to remain a pescetarian throughout the week!  My favorite part of the trip had to be hanging out in Venice Beach.  I wish I could have frozen time then.  I was able to gain a greater appreciation for my Mom's child/early adulthood, as she grew up in that area.  As I tweeted from the beach, there is really nothing better or more beautiful than the pacific ocean.  I hope you got a nice jist of my vacation, at least in a culinary sense.  Hang ten.

"That was the most fun!" -Shout out to T.B.

*From this point on, whenever I refer to "meat" in any of my blogs, I mean any meat that is not fish. For simplicity in writing, I am considering fish a non-meat.

Realities of Urban Cycling

There is nothing better than cycling in the city. I truly enjoy riding along side cars (not so much buses, though), maneuvering around the streets, and exploring the city on two wheels. Until today, I had yet to park my bike anywhere in the city. I would just leave my apartment, go on a ride, and come back to my apartment.

A good friend of mine, T.N., needed help putting together an Ikea dresser. As a self-proclaimed Ikea-furniture-assembly pro, I volunteered to help her put it together. I had an appointment near her earlier in the day, so I decided to ride my bike. I also wanted to practice locking it up outside.

I parked my bike around the corner from T.N.'s building, on a bike rack, in between two bikes. I noticed that one of the front tires was missing on one of the bikes, but I thought nothing of it. T.N. lives in a great part of town, Dupont Circle, about 2 blocks from where I lived my 1st year of law school.

I locked everything up. My helmet, wheels, frame, and net I use to keep things tied down. I thought my bike and accessories were secure.

I helped my friend assemble her dresser and we ate lunch. All and all I must have been away from my bike for about 2-3 hours. When it was time to go, I got back to my bike and checked it out. I saw that my hand air pump was missing. Someone stole my $30 hand air pump that I forgot to take off on the side of my bike. In 2-3 hours, with 2 bikes parked on either side of mine, in one of the nicest parts of DC, the theft found the one vulnerable, albeit inexpensive, piece of my bike and STOLE it. SMH.

After that, I rode over to a local bike shop to buy a new one. The guy at the store heard my story and said "...next time, you should take the pump with you." Really? You think?

DC is infamous for bike theft. One thing I realized today is that I'm glad I followed the advice of the bike salesman when I originally purchased my bike. He convinced me to purchase the mega-lock that must weight about 10 lbs. and is so large I can't mount it on, I have to tie it to my rack. It was worth it, though, because my bike was in tact. All the thief got was the measly pump.

Lesson learned for the day: take everything with you, check everything twice, and LOCK EVERYTHING UP!!

Cycling Goal: The Century Ride

"Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination." - Fitzhugh Dodson

My first cycling goal is to complete a century ride. A century ride is a 100 mile bike ride. Riding 100 miles would be a huge accomplishment for me, and I know I can do it with adequate training and preparation.

I want to give myself enough time to train for this though, and I have no idea how long that will take (especially given the winter months). However, after researching organized century rides, I have decided that my goal will be to complete the NYC Century Bike Tour in September 2010. This ride brings together over 6000 cyclists from all over the world, and travels across 4 NYC boroughs. Proceeds from the tour benefit the bicycling advocacy of Transportation Alternatives, which is an organization that helps to make cycling and other public transportation more accessible and wide spread in NYC. As an urban cyclist, I can think of no better place to ride my first 100 miles than in The Big Apple.

Given the far out date, this will give me adequate time to set up a sufficient and realistic training schedule. I recently purchased a couple cycling training books, which I plan to read in the next couple weeks. As soon as I do, I will set up a training schedule over the next year (to be published on this blog), in preparation for the NYC Century Bike Tour '10. As I get further into the training, I will be able to figure out if my goal will be to merely complete the 100 mile ride, or if I am going for a specific timed goal.

I must admit, I am excited to actually have a goal. I cant tell you how many times I've started a new hobby, got really into it, but never clearly defined any goals, and thus, have no accomplishments to show for it (save the painting I just hung up in my dining room!). Training for the century ride will be tough, but I know I'll be a better person on the other side of it. With commitment and dedication I'll make it. Let the journey begin! :)

Why go pescetarian?

What is a pescetarian? Well, that is simple. It is a vegetarian who eats fish. Why am I becoming one? That is a little more complicated. I've recently become quite fascinated with the study of food. Where it comes from, how it is made, what it does to our bodies once we ingest it. The more I learn about food, the less of it I want to eat. I don't mean the less quantity I want to eat, but substantively, the less I want. The more I learn about the food chain and how it relates to our overall health as a species, and our planet as a whole, the more I want to do my part to ensure its proper function.

Our American (and dare I say, capitalist) society has created a cultural aversion to real, whole, locally grown food. I don't think our great grandparents would recognize some of the things we eat today. Lean cuisines? Power bars? Fiber-enhanced Cheerios? I find it quite sad that we have ingredients in our food that we cannot pronounce. I'm no nutritionist, doctor, or scientist. But what I do know, is that human kind did not evolve eating things that are not found in nature. Human kind evolved eating things naturally found in our diverse, beautiful planet. Mostly, plants. Occasionally, meat. Never, high fructose corn syrup.

As an evolved species, wouldn't maintaining a diet consisting of things that humans have eaten for centuries make sense? Wouldn't we want to "get back to our roots," so to speak, when it comes to the one thing that sustains us all, food? This is what makes sense to me. This is the way I want to live my life, closer to nature, and more sensitive to the food chain that supports our existence. On this journey, I shall consume the only the following: fruits, vegetables, plants, legumes, nuts, grains, dairy, and fish - wild, locally grown, and sustainably produced whenever possible.

But, why avoid meat? There are a variety of reasons to avoid meat. The amount of hormones in meat, the difficulty in finding grass-fed free-range meat (and the expense), the horrible treatment of animals, the environment, the human body, and the modern diseases which have direct links to meat. In the last couple years, I haven't been that big of a meat eater generally. When I did eat it, I noticed a difference in my physical and mental well-being. The human body does speak to you when it likes (or dislikes) the food that you eat. When I am eating a diet rich in plants, whole grains, and legumes, I have boundless energy, my skin clears up, and I feel overall fabulous. When I incorporate meat into the mix, and especially red meat & pork, I feel sluggish, heavy, and overall bad.

I've always had a natural aversion to meat, but I was turned on to the pescetarian diet by J.D., who says that since he has been eating this way, he has only needed about 5 hours of sleep/night and has never felt better. And since I have started this (8/7/09), I have recruited my friend T.S. to follow on this journey with me. This is a non-scientific, basic overview of the thoughts and ideas that have lead me to become a pescetarian. I will explore them all more thoroughly on this blog, as well as document the trials and tribulations of pescetarian eating.

Saturday Ride & My First Fall

Every Saturday that the weather is decent I plan to take a long(er) ride. The DC metropolitan area is very bike friendly, and there are so many trails and routes to explore. I had to stop by the bike shop today to get fitted with clipless pedals and some cycling shoes (am I a real rider now?), as well as get the 1 month adjustment on my bike.

Since I knew I'd be in Georgetown, I decided to try and find the W&OD Trail. I know its something like 40 miles long in total, and by no means am I ready for that long of a ride, but at least I'd know where it was when I wanted to give it a shot. I caught the Custis Trail right over the Key Bridge. The Custis Trail is 4 miles in total, and has some decent hills. So I figured this would be a good trail to use to get me to the W&OD trail.

Remember why I went to the bike shop? To get clipless pedals... Note to self, clipless pedals + steeper-than-I'm-used-to-hills = My First Fall.

Yes, today was My First Fall. I knew it had to come sooner or later. I was hoping later, but I knew it was inevitable. While at the bike shop, my Dad warned me about the clipless petals. In fact, he described to me a fall he had this morning while using his clipless pedals. He described the fall in detail, I laughed, and I went and bought them anyway... So I am heading up a steep hill on the Custis Trail. I had been clipping in and out for a couple miles at this point, trying to get used to the pedals. I decided to keep my left foot clipped in, and my right loose -- just in case. I thought to myself, my right leg is stronger, thus, I'll be more in control of the bike if I keep my right foot unclipped. Yeah, that was the reasoning....

As I am switching the gears lower to get up the hill, I look down to figure out the proper gear. Slowly I lose a little balance, start wabbling, and before I know it, I START FALLING DOWN. It happened slow. It was as though I was watching myself fall from outside myself. Luckily since I was headed UP the hill, I wasn't going fast enough to truly get injured. But because my "strong" foot was loose, my "weak" left foot didn't know how to get out of the d**m clip!! I fell onto my left side.

Fortunately, I didn't hit pavement. I some how managed to fall onto my bike. It still hurt. It still sucked. When I landed, though, I couldn't help but laugh. It was EXACTLY what my Dad had described had happened to him, a few hours earlier. After I got my bike detangled from my limbs, I immediately looked behind me to see if anyone had seen My First Fall. There was a woman running up the hill, but no bikers. Embarrassment factor = 0-1/10. Bruise factor = 5/10. Ironic factor = 10/10.

After brushing myself off, I realized I was in the middle of the hill. Being that it is so hard to start going up a hill in the middle of it (with no momentum whatsoever), I turn my bike around and go back about .4 of a mile. The next pass at this incline, I decide not to "clip-in."

Once I got to the WO&D Trail, I went 5 or so miles on it before it was time to turn home. I was exhausted. I didn't eat breakfast. And had about 2 ounces of water left. Can't wait to hit the WO&D Trail again, though.

Total bike ride: 20.2 miles
Falls: 1
Hydration: Poor
Fatigue: High

Things I learned for next time: Bring more than an apple for a snack or eat breakfast first. Use the new 20oz water bottle I bought today, and bring the 12oz bottle as a back up.

The First Post

This is my first blog post, ever. I tried starting a blog once, as a distraction from law school finals. I didn't end up posting anything. Then I tried again with a friend who has since started her own awesome blog, but I wasn't successful in keeping up with it. Now I think I am ready.

I got a bike for my birthday about a month ago. I've been riding it regularly, and have fallen in love with biking. As of yesterday, I have decided to cut all meat (save fish!) out of my diet, permanently. There are a variety of reasons for this, and I think I'll wait for another blog post before I lay them all out.

As the title of this blog suggests, this blog is about my new life, as a pescetarian cyclist, and the random happenings along the way. Cheers!