The Olympics At Home: Watching The Games When They Are Hosted By Your Own Country

Watching the Winter Olympics in 2010 when they were held in Vancouver/Whistler opened my eyes to how different the Olympics are when they are hosted by your home country.  All of sudden, random, esoteric things matter much more to you than you ever thought possible.  You find yourself thinking such things as: Why the hell are we not better at biathlon?  and We need to improve our development programs for ski jumping - no reason for us not to be medalling there...

So now, one olympic cycle removed from my own experience, it's interesting to see how the Brits are handling their turn in the sporting spotlight.

Canada and Great Britain share several things in common when looked at through an Olympic lens.  Neither country is regarded as an Olympic powerhouse the way the US, or Australia or China are.  Both countries have some fractious aspects to their Federalist athletic teams (Franco/Anglo for Canada, English/Welsh/Scot/NIrish for GB).  And both countries struggle at times with how to display patriotic fervour without descending into something undignified (ie, too American-looking).

When your home country is hosting the Olympics, one of the first things you do, is start stressing about when you are going to win your first gold medal.  As the only country to have hosted the olympics and not won a gold medal (we actually turned the trick twice - once in the summer ('76) and once in the winter ('88)), that was a legitimate source of stress for us until Alexandre Bilodeau came through on the second day of the proceedings at Whistler.  For Team GB, their wait stretched out until the fifth day of competition when their rowing team finally got the party started.

As a fan, once you have that proverbial monkey off your back, you start to get greedy, scanning the schedule for other events that could give you an opportunity to wave your flag, and sing your anthem.  And among those events, you start to rank them.  Perhaps sub-consciously at first, but eventually, you find that there is one gold medal that you want more than the others.  One that you might even be willing to trade every other medal for if it meant you could guarantee winning it.

For me, and for most Canadians, that medal was the Men's Ice Hockey Gold, which we won, in the most epic possible manner, after giving just about everyone in the damn country a coronary.

Today, watching the Men's Tennis Final, I have to believe that Andy Murray's Gold Medal must have been the equivalent for a lot of people in the UK.  And to do it on Center Court, at Wimbledon, against Roger Federer, 28 days after losing to him in the Wimbledon Final, was so ridiculously Hollywood, that I almost couldn't believe what I was seeing.  Even the BBC announcers seemed taken aback - As the third set looked to be lining up for a Murray victory, the commentator team forgot they were journalists, and started doing things that fans do:

Commentator Quote: "I mean, this is just... Well, maybe it's best not to say anything..."

Translation: I don't want to jinx him.  You know, because I'm obviously influencing the match from here, and now that I think about it, Andy hasn't lost a game since the last time I touched my left ear, so I have to remember not to touch my right ear until he loses one...

Commentator Quote: "He could make it easier by just winning the next two points here.  To be serving for the Gold Medal in the next game - Well, you just know there would be some jitters"

Translation: For the love of God, Andy, just win it now.  I can't handle watching this, and if Roger breaks you in the next game and starts to get some momentum going, and if it starts raining and they have to close the roof, and Roger's record with the roof closed - urk! <has heart attack> /dies

That was pretty hilarious to watch / listen to.

I'm happy to see Team GB putting together a solid Olympics performance on home turf.  And while I'm sure there will be plenty of medals for them to choose from, Murray's will be a tough one to top.

CSA Challenge: Fennel!

Fennel is one of those vegetables that I like to refer to as a "CSA Special."  You're never (or rarely) going to buy it of your own accord, even though you really enjoy eating it when it shows up on your plate at a restaurant.  So, when it shows up in your CSA, your thought process goes something like this:

"Sweet!  We got fennel this week!"

"..."

"Aw, crap - I have no idea what to do with fennel..."

The first time you see it, you probably take the easy way out: You slice it real thin with a really sharp knife, and use it to garnish salads.  Delicious!  But let's be honest here - any chump can wield a knife.  There's so much more potential in that weird-looking, fluffy-topped bulb... isn't there?

Of course there is!  Fennel is a classic match with seafood, and since Liz had a pasta craving this week, I figured we could adapt a recipe for Linguini with Clams and Fennel to be gluten-free!  So here we go:

Adventures in Charcuterie - Episode II: Makin' Bacon

Bacon is one of the world's truly perfect foods.  So versatile, it can be eaten as a part of any meal.  So universal, some version of it is featured in every culture that has figured out how to grow pigs.  So delicious, there are entire religions built around not eating it.  It's also gluten-free, so Liz can eat it too!

It should go without saying that having tried my hand at making sausage, that making bacon would be the next logical maneuver.

Happy Birthday Blade Runner

Full disclosure: I didn't see Blade Runner in the theatre.  Now, 30 years after its release, I would wager that there are a number of people who will claim to have seen it opening night - to have been in on the ground floor of what is surely a seminal piece of American cinema - and yet were not.

The truth is that very few people got in on that ground floor.  Blade Runner grossed $6 million on its opening weekend, and only $33 million overall in its theatrical release.

Everyone whiffed on it.  Hey, I was barely out of kindergarten at the time - what's your excuse?

Really though, the fact that we all missed it on a first pass is part of what makes the Blade Runner phenomenon so compelling.  It was never an obvious blockbuster, never a mainstream draw, never an accessible film.

You had to find Blade Runner.

I found Blade Runner sitting on the couch beside my Dad, having almost no clue as to what I was watching, but knowing that I was watching something awesome.  Rick Deckard sidling up to a dingy noodle bar on an LA street.  The flying police car he got around in.  The "retirement" of Zhora.  The ridiculous (and somewhat hilarious) beatdown he receives from Leon.  The love-hate thing with Rachel.  All those scenes made an immediate impression, but it was that final sequence - with Roy Batty poised on the brink of vengeance - that really got me.

As Deckard's mangled hands lost their grip on the rooftop ledge, I figured he was going to die.  After all, Empire Strikes Back had, only a few years before, taught me not to expect a happy ending all the time.  But when Roy improbably saved Deckard's life, only to die himself a few moments later, I found myself... confused.  I didn't quite understand what I'd just seen.

I had to think about it.

And that is what has allowed Blade Runner to endure for three decades.  It gives you so much to think about.

I'll spare you my analysis of the Theatrical Cut / Director's Cut / Final Cut debate.  That's been well covered elsewhere by people who know a lot more about movies than I do.  Everyone has their favourite version, and there's no wrong answer.  If you haven't seen any of them, and don't have time to screen all three though, I would recommend the Director's Cut.

Watch it.  And then think about it.

Oot and Aboot in DC: A near miss at Sakuramen

There are few things I enjoy more than noodles in soup.  It is pure comfort food for me.  Chicken Noodle, Wonton Noodle, Pho, Taiwanese Beef Noodle... you name it - if it's a noodle, and it's served in soup, I will love it.  So naturally, I had to get down to Sakuramen sooner or later to try out their take on Japan's version of my favourite dish.


Situated right in the middle of the Adams Morgan strip, Sakuramen has some prime real estate, although I'd imagine that the ambiance on a Friday or Saturday night might be less than stellar.  Liz and I went this past Sunday however, which was pretty much perfect.

The staff were super-friendly as we got seated, and noticing the sharp decor and the delicious smell of the place, my expectations started to rise considerably.

I ordered a plate of pork buns to start, with the "Sakuramen" as my main.

Liz inquired about the availability of rice noodles, but as they didn't have any, she opted for the spicy ramen broth with pork belly, sans noodles.

Just add acid

Ever since David Chang blazed the post-modern pork bun trail at Momofuku, many asian eateries have put forth their own versions of the delicious Chinese classic.  And yet, I often find the exact same mistake being made by many of these places: no balance.  The essence of the classical Char Siu Bao is the combination of salty and sweet you get with the pork.  Too many places stop at just salty, and Sakuramen falls into that trap, with only a garnish of green onion to provide any kind of counterpoint to the pork, resulting in a final product that is crying out for some acid, or sweetness.  I really think that the pickled radish and carrot combo that one gets on a Banh Mi would be ideal here and would result in a fantastic pork bun.

Delicious, delicious noodles...

The ramen is similarly unbalanced.  The noodles, I will say, were pretty much perfect.  Toothsome and delicious, it was so close to an awesome bowl of ramen.  Unfortunately, the broth and toppings couldn't quite pull it together.


Now don't get me wrong - I totally understand that ramen is supposed to be salty, believe me.  But at its highest level, ramen should be salty + something else.  Say salty + rich from the yolk of a soft-boiled egg, or salty + spicy from a shot of sriracha, or salty + sour from a garnish of pickled vegetables.  And Sakuramen had the right idea, topping my noodles with big slices of mushrooms, menma (fermented bamboo shoots), and corn, but the underlying saltiness of the broth, combined with too many green onions atop the noodles overwhelmed the rest of the flavours that were trying desperately to elbow their way into contact with my tastebuds.  Liz found a similar issue with her broth, although the spiciness of hers provided a little more depth.


All in all, it was an OK meal that was just a few tweaks away from being really excellent.  Hopefully they'll have those tweaks squared away next time I get the craving for more ramen...


Gluten-Free Notes: 


Sakuramen isn't a great spot if you need to be gluten-free.  Liz enjoyed the soup with pork-belly, but felt that the pork may have been marinated in soy sauce as she felt a little bit of Gluten Haze hitting her as we left.  If you really need to be gluten-free, you're probably better off going out for Pho instead...

The Triple Crown Will Never Be Won Ever Again

I've watched a lot of horse racing over the years.  A lot.  That's what happens when you grow up in a family of compulsive gamblers an hour drive from three different horse tracks (well, more than that, but I don't count the trotters - thoroughbreds only).

I'll save my reminiscences about track life (and there are many) for future posts.  The issue at hand is the impending flurry (horse racing doesn't merit a deluge any more) of media coverage touting the possibility of horse racing's first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed turned the trick in 1978.

No need to read any of those articles; I will save you the trouble:

It's not gonna happen

The Triple Crown will never be won again in its current form.  And it's The Belmont's fault.

If you've at least casually followed horse racing in the past, you'll probably have noticed the following pattern:

• Nobody has any clue who will win the Derby
• The horses that run well in the Derby are always right up there at the Preakness.  Maybe the Derby winner pulls it out and sets up a possible Triple Crown
• Someone else always wins The Belmont.  Always.  (well, at least since 1978)

Here's why:

1. The Schedule:
   The Triple Crown is 3 races in a little over a month.  That is incredibly demanding on the horses, who at just three years old, often haven't run much more than a half dozen or so races in their lives.  Triple Crown hopeful I'll Have Another will be running his 8th race ever at the Belmont, meaning that nearly half of his races have been run since the first Saturday in May.  He's had to run the race of his life twice so far.  Does he really have a 3rd race in him?
   
2. The Distance:
   Ever wonder why so-called experts have so much trouble picking the Kentucky Derby winner every year?  It's the distance.  As two-year olds, most horses rarely run much more than 1 mile.  Early in their three-year old season, they'll usually run at 1 1/16, or maybe 1 1/8 miles.  At 1 1/4 miles, The Derby is the longest race those horses have ever run - until The Belmont.  The Belmont is 1 1/2 miles long.  It is the first, and in most cases, the ONLY time in their lives that these horses will be asked to run that extra 1/4 mile.  And that makes a huge difference.  But maybe not as much of a difference as...
    
3. The Professional Spoilers:
   Because of The Belmont's unique distance, the training, and strategy for that race has evolved to where it is now completely different from that for the other two Triple Crown Jewels.  As a result, there has also evolved a subset of horse owners and trainers who will take a two-year old with perceived long-distance qualities, and train it specifically for The Belmont.  These horses will not even be entered into The Derby or The Preakness - They are dedicated Belmont horses.  Does it work?  Hell yeah.  Since 1978, of the 34 Belmont winners, 22 of them have skipped at least one of the previous two Triple Crown races.  Dedicated training, plus lighter race schedule, equals Belmont advantage.

So why stack the deck?

Tradition.  That is the only reason to keep things as they are.  The schedule and distance are sacred cows, but the racing bodies should be able to do something about the Professional Spoilers.  Back in the old days, everybody used to run in all three races, but now, with stables picking their spots, the task of winning all three races has become sisyphean.  And a Triple Crown that is unwinnable is bad for the sport.

And horse racing so badly wants, and needs a Triple Crown winner.  Year by year, horse racing drops further out of the public eye, and the horse racing demographic gets older, and less numerous.  It needs a Triple Crown winner like Greece needs a bailout.  But it won't get one.  Not like this.

So who do I see winning The Belmont this year?

Well, let's start from the outside post and work our way in:

PP12: My Adonis
Skipped both The Derby and The Preakness (check)
Has not won a race this year
Had his worst finish in his longest race (1 1/8 miles)
Prognosis: No chance

PP11: I'll Have Another
Won both The Derby and The Preakness
Prognosis: No chance, but may have just enough in him to fool you as he hits the home stretch, makes a valiant, glorious push, and ultimately fails.

PP10: Optimizer
Finished 11th at The Derby.  6th at The Preakness
Has not won a race this year
Prognosis: No chance

PP9: Paynter
Skipped both The Derby and The Preakness (check)
In 4 races this year, has 2 wins and 1 place (that means "came in 2nd")
Longest win this year: 1 1/16 miles
Prognosis: Intriguing, but Paynter likes to run from the front, and The Belmont is not kind to front-runners.  At 8-1, there's some value to be had there, but I have my doubts

PP8: Guyana Star Dweej
Skipped both The Derby and The Preakness (check)
In 3 races this year has 1 win and 2 places
Has not run more than 1 mile - EVER
Prognosis: Hard to read given he has no experience at over a mile, but he has the right running style, has a great pedigree (that actually does matter) and has been hanging out at the Belmont track since April (he ran his most recent race there).  At 50-1, he is absolutely worth a flier - plus, he has the best name in the field.

PP7: Five Sixteen
Skipped both The Derby and The Preakness (check)
In 3 races this year has 1 win and 1 show (that means "came in 3rd")
Longest win this year: 1 1/8 miles
Prognosis: Likes to run with the leaders, which is a Belmont no-no.  50-1 longshot for a proper reason.  No chance.

PP6: Ravelo's Boy
Skipped both The Derby and The Preakness (check)
Has not won a race this year
Has not run more than 1 1/16 miles
Prognosis: No chance

PP5: Dullahan
3rd in The Derby.  Skipped The Preakness (check)
In 3 races this year has 1 win, 1 place, 1show
Longest win this year: 1 1/8 miles
Prognosis: A solid contender.  Proved at The Derby he can run with the big boys (was closing at the end and very nearly took 2nd), and is better rested than I'll Have Another.  Public has bet him down to 5-1, and he's still good value at those odds.

PP4: Atigun
Skipped both The Derby and The Preakness (check)
In 3 races this year has 1 win (1 1/16 miles)
Prognosis: His 1 win was in a race against marginal competition. Has not looked great against better horses.  30-1 and should probably be longer.  No chance

PP3: Union Rags
7th at The Derby.  Skipped The Preakness (check)
In 3 races this year has 1 win and 1 show
Longest win this year: 1 1/16 miles
Prognosis: Ran well down the stretch at The Derby coming from 13th up to 7th.  The public likes him at 6-1, but in his one win, he was up near the front the whole race, and I don't know if he is up for negotiating traffic at this inside post.

PP2: Unstoppable U
Skipped both The Derby and The Preakness (check)
In 2 races this year, has 2 wins
Longest win this year: 1 Mile
Prognosis: His other win was 6 Furlongs (3/4 miles), and he won both races going wire-to-wire. That's not how you run The Belmont.  No chance.

PP1: Street Life
Skipped both The Derby and The Preakness (check)
In 3 races this year, has 1 win, 1 show
Longest win this year: 1 1/16 miles
Prognosis: Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2012 Belmont winner!  Perfect running style for The Belmont.  Likes to sit in dead last and then make a move late.  In the two races he didn't win, he started his move too late and ran out of track.  His last race was at Belmont and he looked great (for video of that race click here), coming from way off the pace to finish 3rd and still closing at the final pole.  He'll have plenty to work with here as long as he doesn't fall too far behind in the early going.  Sitting at 12-1 he is awesome value. 

So, your next question is probably "How do I bet this?"

Glad you asked.

I obviously love Street Life, and think that Dullahan looks solid too.  I'll Have Another is totally set up for a heartbreaking 2nd place finish, so you need to have him on your ticket for that.  Leaving you with:

$2 Exacta Box: Street Life + Dullahan + I'll Have Another
That will set you back $12

For your longshot, put $2 on Win, Place and Show for Guyana Star Dweej
That will set you back $6

Enjoy the race!

Gluten Free Livin' - The Best Gluten-Free Beer In The World: Celia by Zatec

Ever since Liz's celiac diagnosis, we have made it a point to try every gluten-free beer we come across.  This has led to several misadventures involving well-intended, but poorly-executed "beers" that, while gluten-free, are clearly not beers.

Yeah, it's kinda like that

The fact of the matter is: Beer is made of barley.  And without barley, it is very difficult to make beer.