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  • Expanding Flavor Boundaries

    I’ve always thought coffee shouldn’t taste like fruit. I’ve generally preferred chocolate, toffee and vanilla notes. Today, I experienced a brew that conjured up strawberry pie. The flavor was extraordinary, and my mind was stretched. A mind, once expanded by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions. This post has little to do…

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  • coffee – Page 3

    I use a French press whenever possible to enhance and inspire my personal caffeinating process.Coffee isn’t just about consumption; it should be an elegant experience. The first sip of bitter and sweet, just off the boil, should transport your racing mind to the countryside or the beach or the mountains. It’s worth adjusting your routine…

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  • Salty Snack? Try Clams

    I discovered a new snack I am enjoying the hell out of, smoked clams in olive oil. Of course, I must share my pleasure with you and encourage you to partake. There is no logical reason why tuna in a can is mainstream while other tin-enclosed seafood remains relegated to a niche market. Now that…

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  • Bottled Versus Tap Water

    If you purchase bottled water because you like the taste, by all means, keep doing your thing. If your fridge is filled to capacity with those bottles because you appreciate the convenience, more power to you. But if you’re spending your hard earned duckets because you reckon it’s healthier to do so, not so fast. When…

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  • coffee – Page 2

    It’s been a while since I posted about one of life’s great pleasures, coffee. In particular, I’m currently mining why the bitter flavor is so inviting.Before you roll your eyes, I’m fully aware that caffeine is a drug and one that I have a loving relationship with. It’s classified as such because it stimulates the…

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  • Supplements

    Peer into the locker of most professional athletes, and you’ll find a plethora of legal powders and pills promising larger muscles, speedier recovery and increased energy.  Some of these magic elixirs even claim to improve reaction time and memory.  Supplement companies make equally empty suggestions to the general public that may be even more egregious.…

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  • Improving Motivation – [Guest Post – Stephanie St Amour]

    My naturally in-shape ex-wife, Lisa, is allergic to working out. “Running gives me a headache,” she used to tell me. What about the endorphin release, Lisa? “That doesn’t work for me.” Ha. Love it. She’s gifted. We are different beings, and we respond very differently to training.  Stephanie, our know-it-all editor and my partner at…

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  • Trouble Losing Weight? Keep a Food Journal

    Keeping a food journal can make or break your quest to get in the best shape of your life. Does any of this sound familiar? A husband and wife make a pact. They are going to get in shape, and they are going to do it together, as a team. Shoulder to shoulder they stand;…

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  • warm ups

    If we stay open, we can mine value from every interaction. I learn a ton from the responses I receive, via texts and emails from friends and loved ones, after I write a post. I sit down at my computer daily for growth and continuing education. I’m grateful for the chance to teach, but I’m more grateful…

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  • Trouble Losing Weight? Keep a Food Journal

    Keeping a food journal can make or break your quest to get in the best shape of your life. Does any of this sound familiar? A husband and wife make a pact. They are going to get in shape, and they are going to do it together, as a team. Shoulder to shoulder they stand;…

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I aim to plan and consciously choose all of my indulgences. I have the knowledge and willpower to do so, but occasionally, I will have a substantial misfire.

I was in Boston, my home away from home, for the 2004 World Series reunion. I splurged nutritionally as I had intended, but I didn’t map out my large nutritional stumble while watching the game.

I had it all pre-navigated. My two men (12 and 14) and I love to experience travel through food. We think it’s the most efficient and interesting way to explore the culture of a city. We discussed the trip ahead of time and decided on three restaurants where we would fully indulge and eat like kings. We’d start with the team dinner at a fine steak and seafood house, follow it up with breakfast the next morning at a bakery, and finish it out with lunch at a tapas joint in the South End.

The first night the three of us shared bone in filets, swordfish steaks, oysters, giant shrimp, crab cakes, lamb chops, chocolate cake, apple crisps and cold vanilla ice cream. I enjoyed a few glasses of whiskey, neat, and my boys drank Sprite. We left the restaurant 1 for 1. Remember, this indulgence was planned.

The next morning, we went to a bakery suggested by a Boston-based chef friend. The boys picked up scones and French toast; I scored big with a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a crusty roll with spinach and tomato. The bite came complete with a Dijon mustard finish that struck a chord with me, managing to last all day. 2 at bats, 2 knocks.

After mobbing around on the T train all morning, making our way to Harvard and back to Downtown Crossing, we landed at our destination for lunch, Toro. Theo Epstein made the recommendation after I mentioned that my boys and I were on a food adventure. This is the guy who went out to get the “washed up” 2002 version of David Ortiz, so he’s proven his scouting mettle. If he thinks it’s a worthwhile trip, I’ll take his advice.

Back to food.

Rather than turn this post into a restaurant review, I’ll keep it simple. I had an out of body experience. Every small plate that arrived was visually captivating and stunning on the palate. We sprinted the gamut. From spicy curry beef empanadas to cauliflower with golden raisins and pine nuts to the pièce de résistance, roasted bone marrow with radish citrus salad and oxtail marmalade. This dish, holy fuck. Our waiter described it exquisitely as “like rich, hot, beef flavored butter.” I was now 3 for 3 and ready for my final at bat.

A theme throughout this entire trip was advance planning. My first mistake was not preparing for this final meal. I figured my boys and I would just eat at the ballpark and didn’t put much thought into it. I knew that the options would be plentiful and come in large quantities. I wasn’t necessarily wrong, but I quickly got off course.

I was running around at Fenway from this place to that, answering questions and meeting folks. My boys were on their own and already up in the suite by the time I arrived around the start of the first inning. They had eaten pizza, snacks and fruit, totally what I expected for them. I walked in starving, my second mistake.  I reached for a plate and piled on decent looking veggies, a huge mound of guacamole, and the only available protein, stale fried chicken strips. I could have reached into my bag and opened a can of wild caught salmon. I didn’t. My defenses were down. I hadn’t snacked. I ingested that garbage and suffered strike one.

You know my stance on processed foods. Those frozen chunks of flour covered meat product provide little nutritional value. I had already experienced a whirlwind day filled with emotion and exertion, and the pizza under the heat lamp began to look lovely.

I advocate indulgence, but I advocate planned, quality indulgence. This was neither. I scarfed down a piece and the drugs hit my bloodstream. I couldn’t chew fast enough. Strike two.

The final pitch of the at bat came in and I chased it. I scarfed down a few more slices, knowing even as I did so that it wasn’t my finest hour.

3 for 4. In baseball that’s a hell of a day. Nutritionally, I expect 4 for 4s from myself almost always. I’m in control, so the high bar is appropriately set. Rather than dwell on it, I’ll do what Manny tells us to do after a rough at bat. “Turn the page, papi.”

I write this from the plane the following morning. I’ve turned the page. Today, I’ve ingested steel cut oats, fresh organic blueberries, a pile of kale, a chunk of a ham steak, a few fresh scrambled eggs and organic black coffee.

In my bag, I have a large salad with tons of fresh veggies, almonds, chicken, organic Hannah yams. I also still have that wild salmon I passed over for pizza in a box.

I’m back on track. I remember last night’s at bat and will make the adjustment without carrying the emotion of yesterday over into today’s game.

I hope you’ll share your stories of strikeouts or home runs in the comments section below.

Kap