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  • Malibu Nights

    Green can’t fade the blue, 1/2 the world from Red. The bottomless and dark. Too tame, too warm. Tepid. Tropical. Music and volume immaterial. She can move her hips, tango or slam. No stranger to a mosh pit. Pacifists needn’t apply, claims Venice Shoreline Travel north, beautiful baby to the left, a moon mirror. Still…

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  • Eating Late? Go Ahead

    It’s not when you eat that impacts you; it’s what you eat. Breaking bread late at night doesn’t cause any more weight gain than grubbing earlier in the day. A friend came up to me last night. “Gabe,” she said. “Can I eat this late at night?” She held up a bag of dark crackers…

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  • A Handshake – Donnie Cimino [Guest Post]

    22 (my nickname for my fourteen year old, Dane) left me in the kitchen before embarking on a short journey to Boston to meet his friend. As is our standard hello and goodbye, we first slapped our right hands together. That sting feels amazing. Never losing contact, we gather our fingers together in a strong…

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  • French Press

    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…

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  • Lean Cuisine

    Perpetually challenge your assumptions about what healthy means. You may be right, but educating yourself and questioning your own paradigm is a valuable exercise when it comes to health and well-being. I had a lean towards healthy eating dating back to my days in middle school. Down the street from the “power lines,” where the after…

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  • Road Trippin’

    Binging as night settles. My seductive drug of choice. Pitch black beach dirt back road crunches. Battles crickets. Climbing, 12 seconds at a time Speedballs. Zero visibility, angry waves my eyes, an epic fix. Sobering thoughts of a dangerous Hawaiian crash, steer clear, caffeine Another hit? Another hill. No heart rate variability A passionate love…

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  • Open Thread – Week 7

    Welcome back to our open thread. Let’s get straight to the action. M. squared writes: Kap- How often are you eating meat per week? Any cardiovascular concerns..? Have you ever flushed this out with a heart doc? Today you spoke of a planned indulgence… Were you referring to the bun and beer? All of the…

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  • General

    Here at Morning View, concrete lions provide sanctuary on either side of the road. The freedom fighter wanders the middle. Peculiar. A snails pace’s the sweet spot. Just far enough away; she’s not too loud. Still close enough to smell her. 50 years ago, the old man walked this path. Wandering. Dreaming. … [Read more…]…

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  • No Lo Entiendo

    Ask most folks if they speak Spanish (or any other foreign language), and you might hear them say, “I understand more than I speak.” I’ve always called bullshit. Before now, that usually expressed to me one of two things. Either they speak more than they understand, or they speak and understand very little. This occurred…

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  • Beach Running

    Running on the beach has its virtues and its downside. Tailor the activity to meet your personal needs. A few times a month, I take my sprints to the beach. Fall and winter mornings are especially quiet in north Malibu, as the tourists have split and only the hardcore surfers remain. Zuma beach provides a…

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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