Training Log, 7/1-7/31

So, I lied.  Or rather, I was wrong, which, in a way, is even worse.

The last post was not my last one for describing July, but rather this one is...I've neglected to mention my training on here for quite a while.  I think, in part, this is probably due to taking a few weeks easier than normal as I was sick for most of the time since the last training log entry...first shingles (I know, shingles?!?!  but sadly yes, shingles), then some opportunistic infection.  As a result, my training for July was the lowest mileage month for me this year, checking in at some 208 miles...a far cry from the 10 miles/day average that I had been doing.  The last few weeks of July were just about back to my normal standard (despite being sick still...I was too frustrated to take it easy anymore though), both clocking in around 65 miles.  Anyways, the numbers for those of you interested...

July 2-8: 34 miles
July 9-15: 28 miles
July 16-22: 66 miles
July 23-29: 61 miles

Year to date at the end of July: 1821 miles
Last 365 days at the end of July: 3058 miles

Okay, now on to the adventures that August brought us!

Edit: How could I have left off the Wildwood Trail?  One of my favorite things about being in Portland was doing a long run along the Wildwood Trail.  This hilly, rolling trail starts just West of downtown by the botanical and Japanese gardens.  It then goes up and through the arboretum before settling into large, rolling hills through a temperate forest.  Peaceful and beautiful, especially the arboretum, which has regions of forests from across the world...

Candle Light Truffles

Believe it or not, this entry should catch us up through the end of July.  I know, I know, my how I've fallen behind.  But I'm immersed in a sea of photos to remind me of where I've been and what I've done, so it's only a matter of time till they make their way onto this blog.

Back towards the end of July I was asked to help cater Kim's sister's bachelorette party/family dinner.  Well, hours of cooking later, we managed to pull it off.  My favorite contribution (not pictured though) was the pork belly.  I've done a bit of experimenting now that I have a steady supply of pork belly (thanks to Keller's as I've previously mentioned), and I've settled on two simple versions: maple and BBQ.  The preparation for both versions is the same: slit the pork belly into 1-2" wide strips, cut diagonal stripes every few inches into the strips, fill the stripes with pinches of salt, and then soak in the marinade of choice.

For the maple, I used black Himalayan rock salt.  This is one of the few fancy salts that I didn't procure at the Meadows.  In fact, they didn't even have it (though they had a similar salt from India...).  My limited supply of black Himalayan rock salt comes from my days of backpacking through Nepal.  At the end of a dingy alley in the middle of Kathmandu, I found a spice trader who had what I was initially looking for: pink Himalayan rock salt.  Next to it, though, I saw these gleaming black crystals.  Ominous really.  And, of course, I couldn't resist.  The black Himalayan rock salt is characterized by a highly sulfurous taste.  Think bacon and eggs breakfast...this salt would be perfect for accentuating those flavors.  The rest of the recipe isn't so complicated...just maple syrup, and lot's of it (enough to coat everything).

For the BBQ, I used my own Smokey BBQ sauce.  Smokey because of the sheer number of smoked peppers that go into making it.  People who come by my apartment always notice and comment on the fact that my balcony looks like a lush oasis in the middle of the desert here.  Well, one of the many things grown out there is peppers, and thanks to the Brothertons, those peppers get smoked and turned into spice every fall.  The accompanying salt for the BBQ flavored is a smoked Welsh salt.  Halen mon gold has quickly become one of my favorite salts to use at home...I've almost run out of the supply that I brought back from Portland!

One of the appetizers that ended up not getting made (when the number of attendees was revised from 15 to 45), I was especially proud of.  Here's my take on Caprese Salad:

Caprese Salad, Matt's way.

A little sloppy looking, I know, but that's from my test batch.  Cherry tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil from my garden, and 18 year aged balsamic vinegar.  Next time calls for more basil.

Now, onto the title of the post.  One of the other dishes that I ended up making for the bachelorette party was truffles.  Even though I keep my apartment cold for Bandit, the way I make them is still quite touchy...in fact, I can't keep the light on in my dining room as I do the final preparation, so I'm forced to make them by candle light.  Kim loved the concept, and the two of us brainstormed for a potential future brand of boutique chocolates: Candle Light Truffles ((tm) or (c) whichever it's supposed to be), made by candle light for enjoyment by candle light.

Front: Irish Coffee, back: chocolate almond butter

The Irish Coffee variety is my favorite to make (and eat) by far.  The interior is a Bailey's/Kahlua chocolate ganache, that's coated with an espresso and chocolate exterior.  The chocolate peanut butter is a bit simpler, the interior is almond butter, almond milk, and dark chocolate, and the coating is white chocolate.  White chocolate is always a bit tricky to get right, which is why some of the truffles look whiter than others.  Not shown, because the batter is still in my freezer, is a chocolate caramel variety.  For some reason, I can never get my home made dulce de leche to solidify enough for use as the center of a truffle.  I'm going to have to see if anything from my Feran Adria chemistry set can help with that problem...