It’s always a good time to click into our cross-country skis, slip into the woods and enjoy a little peaceful solitude. Cross-country skiing is a great way to catch up on some exercise that’s missed during the busy work week. It also is a great way to burn calories.
Cross-country skiing is one of the best ways to get a great workout. Before I was a chef, I was a physical education and health teacher. I specialized in kinesiology and exercise physiology. I loved figuring out the way the body worked and how to be more efficient to maximize the full potential of how to do things.
Downhill skiing is a lot of fun and you might think that because of that leg burn and lack of breath after a run that you are getting a good workout. Although you are getting some good exercise, downhill skiing is not really an efficient way to get a lot of physical conditioning.
Cross-country skiing, however, is a whole different game. Even with great technique, the entire body is working and the result is a total workout. There must be a much more pronounced push off of the foot to ensure the waxed ski sets to become a solid platform to push off of instead of slipping out on you. At the same time, the arms are working to help propel you forward as you push off the poles.
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“You want to be sure you have plenty of energy and a high
carbohydrate meal will help supply that boost.”
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For this type of total workout, you want to be sure you have plenty of energy and a high carbohydrate meal will help supply that boost. It is much easier for the body to convert carbs into energy than it will take to convert protein.
When thinking about a meal that will contain a lot of carbs, pasta has to be up there near the top of the list. Besides, everyone loves a big plate of spaghetti sometimes. Pasta is so versatile that there is almost certainly one way or another to prepare it to satisfy almost everyone. There is ravioli, tortellini, spaghetti or any number of other pasta shapes and styles.
The sauce is what will make the dish. Here again, there are many different possibilities. Tomato sauce, clam sauce or even a bit of butter or olive oil with herbs are all pretty common sauces or toppings. Here is a pasta sauce that is easy to make and can be made in less time than it takes the pasta to cook once you cook off the bacon.
Carbonara is similar to an alfredo sauce. It is a white sauce that uses bacon and prosciutto that combine to give it a nice, smoky flavor. It also calls for some parmesan cheese and course ground black pepper. Usually served over linguini or fettuccini, it is good over the other pastas, too, so before your next cross-country ski trip, give it a try and enjoy.
Carbonara
4 oz. cooked pasta
1-2 cooked pieces of bacon, crumbled
1-2 pieces of prosciutto, cut into pieces
2 oz. white wine
4 oz. heavy cream
1 clove chopped garlic
1/8 to 1/4 C parmesan cheese
Course ground pepper and salt to taste
1 T butter
Sauté the garlic in the butter and then add the white wine. Let the wine reduce by half and add the cream, bacon and prosciutto along with a little pepper. Let this reduce and when it starts to thicken add the pasta. Stir in the parmesan and season with a little more pepper and salt if needed.
Smitty is a personal chef specializing in dinner parties, cooking classes and special events. Trained under Master Chef Anton Flory at Top Notch Resort in Stowe, Vt., Smitty is known for his creative use of fresh ingredients. To read archived copies of Smitty’s column, visit chefsmitty.com or TheTahoeWeekly.com. Contact him at tmmsmitty@gmail.com or (530) 412-3598.
