Biked East to Vienna tonight after work, solid 15 miles each way - the perfect trip of long stretches up and downhills, urban/suburban/rural treks, nicely maintained trail, friendly bikers/runners. I think in the next few weeks, I will step up my rides. I'd like to bike the entire W&OD trail front and back - it's 45 miles each way. If I start from Alexandria and bike that first 1 hour (all uphill) I'd be fine, it would make the last leg of the trip back bareable. Looking foward to the training and i have to admit, all this biking makes my ass look nice. My dimpled boy hips are back.

I will be gone for two days to visit my new "butterball" Flower neice with the adorable crying pipes for the first time since she was born 04/04/04 - a big girl, 9lbs 21 inches. For the trip, I've packed my classical guitar to show my 5 year old nephew (who is obsessed with guitar) how to make chords. Also, packing my "old skool" Olympus OM-1 SRL camera with a 24mm lens to shoot photos of my new neice for the family. It shall be a nice trip, dispite the impending rain - 3 hour drive each way. Will haul the bike - for any opportunity, to bike with my younger brother. He is a great biker. For the trip down, I borrowed my father's book on tape "Allison's Automotive Repair Manual" by Brad Barkley - it will be an interesting "read" while I lead-foot it to Lynchburg, as my father said, 'it's a "Gyno-fiction'"

Have a nice weekend! (will be back Sunday eve)

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I love my mom. She gave birth to me. More to the point, I love her more tonight because she made some scallops (her scallops) - completely from scratch. I'm proud of her. These were some of the best darn scallops I've ever had. As she pointed out, they are very simple to make - but oh sooo good. These things melted in your mouth. So without adu, I proudly present my Mother's:

Pettini semplici in salsa del vino bianco e del burro ala Bonnie (Simple scallops in butter and white wine sauce by Bonnie)

1lb fresh sea scallops
1 scallion thinly sliced
2 medium garlic cloves, chopped fine
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 cup white flour (for dredging scallops)
1/4 cup dry white wine
cracked black pepper to taste.

Rinse off the scallops and pat dry with paper towels. In a medium plastic bag, add a 1/2 cup white flour and black pepper, then put the scallops in. Shake the bag containing the scallops so that the scallops are evenly covered with flour and set aside. In a medium skillet on medium heat, put butter (or margarine) and allow to melt down until bubbling, add chopped garlic and scallions and saute until translucent (one-two minutes). Add scallops with tongs and push around pan to absorb the butter garlic mix without sticking to pan. If sticking happens, add a little butter. Flip after a 2 minutes, same process. After another 2 minutes, pour in wine and swish around scallops as not to stick and pull in pan flavor. Continue to flip scallops every one minute to absorb sauce for 4 minutes then cover pan for 2 minutes. Scallops are done when they are opaque. To plate, serve on simple dish with a sprig of scallion followed by a lemon slice with an ample drizzle of the butter wine sauce and cracked pepper. My mom says Enjoy!

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I went on a long bikeride after work. The weather was beautiful. Crisp. Full of rabbits, snakes, (not snapping turtles) a fox ("oh my!"). No gusty winds or rain today like yesterday - it was a wicked ride. The ride back was especially brutal. 15 miles of in-your-face gusts with rain. In certain areas, I was worried that the gusts would blow me over.

Speaking of which, yesterday I did a really stupid thang on my bikeride. Let me rewind and pre-explain a little history. I got these new clip pedals a week ago, and have been using them for a few long bike trips. So basically I've gotten used to them. Problem is that when you bike for many miles...your mind wanders and you become introspective and enjoy the scenery and the workout...and holy crap....I forgot to unclip my shoes from my pedals before I stopped...and holy shit..I'm watching the driver at the intersection gasp as I'm falling over in my bike with my feet in my pedals in slow motion...onto the asphalt. Owch! Too embarrassing. The driver jumped out and asked if I was ok..I kinda shrugged..and said...nope...my feet got stuck in my pedal clips. He helped me up, I brushed off the dust and what little of my ego, thanked him..and he drove on. A lesson well deserved. Since, I've been overtly conscious of this. I'm glad I didn't break my wrist.

I'm trying to get into the habit of taking my daily bikerides right after work....and because I'm really not paid to be there after standard work times, I make it a point to leave on time (to have a life). Things always happen, and the work day always seems to get longer. I will win this battle. I change into my bike clothes at the end of the work day. If my biking outfit reaks from the day before workout...so be it. I change into my biking gear because I am leaving to go biking - that's my statement - a mere signal. Period. If I'm forced to stay overtime, they can reap the benefits of my rank workout clothes. Ha!

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Mid Spring, when the warm air comes in and flirts with a summerlike quality - trickery of seasons. The smell of fresh cut grass, the pollen, fragrant wild flowers, spring rain - all evoke the coming of Summer. Nothing better quenches the thirst of the pre-dawn of Summer like a chilled bowl of Gazpacho. It's easy to make, light, versatile, fresh, replenishing, and just good for the body and spirit. So without adu, I present:

Pimienta y ajo asados Gazpacho (Roasted Pepper and Garlic Gazpacho)

2lbs (about 6-8) ripe vine tomatoes, blanched, skin removed
1 roasted* green or yellow bell pepper (any capsicum variety will do), chopped corsely
1 large celery stalk, chopped corsely
1 small red onion, chopped corsely
4 medium roasted* garlic cloves, chopped corsely
1/8 cup Balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar as substitute)
1/8 cup Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh Cilantro
1/8 cup fresh lime juice
1 tbsp clover honey
pinch of red cajun red pepper powder
Kosher/corse salt and Cracked Black Pepper to taste.

Roast peppers and garlic (*see below). In a large food processor or blender, combine all of the ingredients above (as prepared) and blend into a smoothe puree. Put into a pitcher and refrigerate for 12 hours. To serve, pour into a chilled bowl, garnish with cilantro and serve with croutons or bruschetta. Enjoy!

*to roast peppers or garlic, a quick roasting method is to take the garlic (in the paper-like skins) and the peppers place it in a skillet - no oil on high heat. Allow the papery skins to slightly burn gradually while you move them around in the skillet. Large bell peppers will "dance" in the hot skillet as the skin slightly burns and pops. Because bell peppers have an undulated outer surface, they will independently roll around the hot skillet. After about 5 minutes on high heat, remove, let cool and chop up.

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Yesterday on my bike ride from Leesburg to P-Ville, on the trip back in the middle of nowhere-farmland...i saw something ahead of me in the middle of the bike path...it looked like an old boot..or a shoe...then when I got closer..I was like "is that a turtle?"...then i realized it was...not a wimpy little box turtle...but a full sized grown snapping turtle. It was huge...about a two feet long from nose to tail. He (or she) was just sitting there relaxing on the hot asphalt bike path it kinda ducked it's long neck in as I approached...but didn't flinch...holding it's territory. Stupified...as I was...like why he'd be there. And no one to share that moment with. SO for about five minutes while I was catching my breath from climbing up that hill on my bike...I stopped and had a moment with this large turtle...we just sorta stared each other up and down....no words spoken. Just...mutual respect. Then I took a drink from my water bottle...squirted some water on his shell and in front of him. He took a sip as I clipped my feet into the pedals and moved on. Splendid. Darwin must be proud.

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I need to polish up on my Catalonian, it's the language of Barcelona. It's a liberated language after Franco left Barcelona. It's a mix of French and Spanish - sorta like hearing a European Spaniard speak Spanish with a French lisp. Anyhoo. My favorite European city is Barcelona. Great architecture, great historically known Bohemian culture, fine culture and amazing medeterranean cuisine. Tapas is the standard snack item, a very loungy as a food as the way you take it in - over a glass of Cava or a cold beer mixed with lemonade. Like an all night dinner of apetizers. In the spirit of Barcelona, I felt inspired to cook something from that region, so without adu, I present:

Salchicha y Shitake Calamari relleno seta (Sausage and Shitake Mushroom Stuffed Calamari)

2 1/2 pounds fresh squid (6 tubes), cleaned, tentacles removed, clear spine wick removed, fins removed
1 medium sized spicy Chorizo sausage link, cooked/cured & finely diced
1/4 cup Pecorino cheese (or parmegan as substitute)
6 shitake mushrooms (rehydrated in 1/2 cup Chardonnay and 1/2 cup warm chicken broth mixture)
1 lemon, zested and juiced, plus 1 lemon, quartered
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1/8 cup finely chopped sun dried tomatos
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 egg
Course/Kosher salt and fresh ground cracked pepper to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil, for grilling, broiling, searing.

Drizzle the squid bodies with the lemon juice and set aside.

Preheat the grill or broiler.

In a large mixing bowl, add sausage, pecorino, shitake mushrooms, lemon zest, herbs, garlic, sun dried tomatos, bread crumbs, egg, a judicious amount of salt and black pepper to taste and mix well to combine thoroughly. Using a small spoon, stuff the reserved squid bodies with the filling. Using a toothpick, fasten the bodies closed.

Brush the squid with plenty of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil 20 minutes, turning at least once. You can also sear/brown in saucepan, turn down heat, add rest of Chardonnay and broth mixture in bottom of pan, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with lemon wedges and rosemary leaves. Enjoy!

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