Review: Feed Zone Table – Family- Style Meals to Nourish Life and Sport (Velo Press)
(2016) In my hockey days there were several events that I remember clearly. Naturally there were on-ice memories, but one off-ice memory sticks out in my mind regularly:
Our team had an early season hockey tournament at Dartmouth in Lebanon, New Hampshire. The seven- hour trip through a cold snow storm was rough. My dad and I heard Chumbawamba’s Tubthumping thirteen times on the way up. That wasn’t the part that stuck out. What stuck out was the experience upon arrival in Lebanon, NH. Since this was a Thanksgiving weekend tournament, we had to depart the day before Thanksgiving to get to Dartmouth with time to spare. Because of this, my dad, my brother, and I spent Thanksgiving dinner at a Boston Rotisserie (now Boston Market). Luckily I had family to spend Thanksgiving with, but there were a handful of people sitting by themselves among the sparse dining area, and that had a strong impact on me.
That aspect of having company is an extremely important characteristic outlined in the new cookbook, Feed Zone Table- Family- Style Meals to Nourish Life and Sport by Biju Thomas and Allen Lim of Skratch Labs. Because I’m thorough, and because I read every page of every book, I gave audience to its introduction. I am glad to have done so. The message in the opening pages is clear: One should never eat alone.
I’ve worn the spine down on my Feed Zone Cookbook, Thomas and Lim’s first installment of cookbooks. I have a permanent bookmark in Feed Zone Portables where the recipe for Liege waffles resides. I was extremely excited to hear they were coming out with a new book that I pre-ordered it at my local bookstore.
I must say I have quite an advantage when it comes to utilizing Thomas and Lim’s recipes. In these parts of Bucks County there is a CSA, a fish market, a butcher, a dairy farm, a whole foods market, a Latin food market, plenty of roadside egg and seasonal vegetable stands, and an Italian market all within a small radius. Eating clean is something that comes easily here.
Accessing the recipes it becomes clear this cookbook stresses a communal meal. What it doesn’t have are breakfast or lunch recipes. Don’t bother looking for portable plans. But what one can expect is a full meal, complete with drink recipes, starters, soups and salads, meat dishes, meatless dishes, and sweets. This is about great meals in great company.
How does this impact cycling one may ask? The Feed Zone taps into healthy and clean eating. These are meals suitable for the spectator and the athlete, the cheering section and the lead-out rider. These are plates cyclists can look forward to with friends and fellow riders alike at the same table without the junk food hangover. It nourishes gastronomically as well as intellectually.
Back to that hockey team- we were struggling with finals in late December when the assistant coach told us an anecdote. He proclaimed among socializing, hockey, class, studying, and sleep- pick four. Naturally each skater axed socializing with friends in an effort to pass finals. Much like those who participate in cycling, which occasionally sends riders out of the house, away from family and friends for a couple of hours, why not combine socializing with food? That way it brings friends together to share stories and eat good food. The Feed Zone Table is the perfect recipe for balancing life by prioritizing socializing as well as healthy eating.
Feed Zone Table – Family- Style Meals to Nourish Life and Sport (Velo Press, $24.95)
