The USA Pro Cycling Challenge Stage 6 ended in Chef Barbara’s hometown of Boulder but she watched it on your computer as she was in the parking lot of the team hotel preparing dinner for the team. Stage 6 Dinner is the final dinner that Barb cooks for the team as the Stage 7 Dinner is a Post Race Celebration for everyone involved in the USAPC.
This paella was so good!
Stage 7 Time Trial here we come!
Colorado Springs was another tremendous day for the USA Pro Challenge and the Garmin Sharp Barracuda Team. Christian VandeVelde finished 2nd in Colorado Springs. The crowds went wild!
Menu 8/24/12
Chicken Marbella
Rice with peas
Sweet potato waffles
Blueberry Coleslaw
Lentil Salad
Kale salad with mangos
Wednesday was a great day for the Garmin Sharp Barracuda Team: Tom Danielson had a spectacular stage win and Barb got to cook in a kitchen with running water! Every year the team is hosted for dinner in a private home. It was a nice change of pace for Chef Barb to not only have the luxury of the kitchen but a large grill to make steak and chicken for the guys.
Menu 8/22/12
Indian Style Grilled Chicken & Steak
Coconut Rice
Grilled asparagus with bacon vinaigrette
Chickpea salad with cumin and garlic or Chopped Moroccan Salad
Quinoa, Almond, Orange Salad
When you think about a professional chef you envision an amazing kitchen with multiple state of the art ovens and stove tops and the best pans hanging over head for easy reach but that is not life for a professional cycling chef. They operate out of a RV and do most of their cooking on a camp style grill. The RV has to be located near the mechanic and the team bus. This has it’s challenges in some of the smaller areas such as Crested Butte.
Chef Barb pulled into Crested Butte after an almost 3 hour transfer from Telluride. The final 1/2 mile was probably the hardest because all of team buses and event staff got stuck in the same line as the spectators and didn’t move. The volunteers were doing an excessive fantastic job stopping traffic! We all finally pulled into the other lane and went forward. That is very stressful when you are trying to beat the race and get all the pre-prep ready.
Crested Butte like many of the finish locations at the USAPC has a big festival of vendors and fun activities for the spectators and the Garmin Sharp Barracuda Team Kitchen was placed right next to the entrance! Chef Barb needs a little protection from the crowds to cook. Everyone got together and eventually a solution was found. The Garmin Sharp Barracuda Team Bus was moved so that there was a protective area for the cooking.
A daily part of Chef Barb’s menu is Beet Juice. Beets are fine in salads and holidays, but a glass of beet juice? Really? Yes, really. Beets, due to their high nitrate content, are known for for improving cardiovascular health. All vegetables have nitrates but some have a higher content than other such as beets, leafy greens, spinach, celery, endives, fennel, arugula, leeks and parsley.
There has been scientific research on beets and the value for athletes and it has been proven to make a difference.
Sweat Science: The beet goes on: nitrates improve cycling time trial performance
So, next time you are at the Farmer’s Market don’t walk by those beets!
Menu 8/20/12
As you can see there is a great variety on the menu ensuring that each member of the Garmin Sharp Barracuda Team has something they will like. Chef Barb is a big fan of tacos because you can use corn tortillas making it a gluten free meal. It is a great tip for those thinking of starting a gluten free diet!
Ride Safely and see you in Crested Butte, the finish for Stage 2!
Chef Barb’s day, while busy, does have a bit of a break while the race is happening. She uses this time to pick up supplies and sample local restaurants in the towns of the Stage Finish. Rustico Ristorante was an obvious choice with it’s outdoor patio; european ambiance; authentic italian menu and a great staff.
It was a fun loving group as you can see. Good food and great people! Visit them if you are ever in Telluride!
