Featured Cookbook: Ad Hoc at Home

While we have a great love and respect for the culinary professional - the chef who works long hours behind the stove, waking early to get the best zucchinis at the farmers market, slaving for years at the pass, a demanding, passionate business person - we have no desire to be that guy or gal. It’s hard work plain and simple. It's punishing and grueling. After years behind the stove crafting perfection at The French Laundry and creating some of the most memorable bistro fare in the country at Bouchon, Thomas Keller has officially mellowed with his restaurant, Ad Hoc, and now cookbook, Ad Hoc at Home. What we like most about Ad Hoc at Home is that it is geared toward the Home Chef. That’s us and we have to say, for all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the maestro of American cookery, this book will inspire you to dust off your own comfort food chops and believe once again in your abilities to wow your friends and family in the kitchen. We highly recommend starting with the buttermilk fried chicken.

Punkin Chunkin!

It's that time of year again! Time for eating pumpkin pie for breakfast, like our friend Andrea, or watching a series of monster-sized balloons float across Manhattan's Upper West Side. For some it might mean laughing as Bill Murray is perpetually relegated to the kids' table, or getting a great deal on some Firestone wine (ok, that might be a new one). Whatever your family customs may be, there's just no time like the holidays for observing traditions that might seem a bit crazy, if your family hadn't been doing them every year since you can remember. Sometimes, these funny little annual quirks tend to snowball, gradually becoming more overblown each year until, next thing you know, a pumpkin is being hurled farther than any pumpkin ever dreamed of being hurled. Which is exactly what goes down every year at the annual World Championship Punkin Chunkin. Having grown from a few burly men trying to out-anvil-toss each other back in 1986 to $50,000 air cannons capable of chunkin a punkin just shy of the much coveted mile mark. It's a glorious celebration of the backyard engineer, where victory requires everything from growing special aerodynamic pumpkins, to calculating the perfect pumpkin's mass, to mastering the complex mechanics of an air cannon or the physics of a trebuchet. Though this decade's final chunk went off earlier this month, the Science Channel will be airing a two-part Punkin Chunkin special on Thanksgiving day, hosted by Whose Line is it Anyways' Brad Sherwood. It all starts with The Road to Punkin Chunkin, a cross-country journey in which we meet some of the characters behind the contraptions, and see their works in progress. It'll then head straight away into full, pumpkin-splattered coverage of event itself. It looks like this could be the beginning of a brand new Thanksgiving tradition!

SNL: Thanksgiving Dinner

No holiday is the same without team Saturday Night Live as the continual (and often much needed) source of levity. In honor of Thanksgiving, we found this classic clip from Season 5, titled Thanksgiving Dinner.

Thanksgiving Day Parade 1932

During a recent Holiday inspired roadtrip across this highway of information, I happened upon these really great photographs of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on the blog Swapatorium, which is a wonderful collection of vintage photography, found art, and other assorted ephemera. It's now defunct as a blog, but still exists a fully operational Flickr page. Based on the theater marquee in the second photo, showing Divorce in the Family, these pictures were most likely taken in 1932. Based on the fact that it's the Thanksgiving Day Parade, they were almost certainly taken on Thanksgiving.

Horse Surfing vs Dirf Bifing: Name the Real Extreme Sport!

Extreme sports culture, though totally extreme and awesome, walks a fine line. It's often a short distance from the outer limits of intensity to the dead center of hilarity. It makes perfect sense, then, that when your brain is primed to the potential absurdities of boundary-pushing recreation by the likes of the Ding Dong Boys, who mountain bike on surfboards, kayak up mountains, and rollerblade on halfpipes dropped from aeroplanes, that you'd become a bit skeptical. For instance, you might spend a bit too long searching for photoshop seams in shots of people wakeboarding behind horses in full gallop. But photoshop seams you shall not find. Because, as it turns out, people really are that awesome. And once you get past the initial absurdity, you're bound to reach a quick conclusion: this totally rules. Which is a conclusion that many seem to be reaching, as horse surfing appears to be catching on the world over. And why not? What's not to love about the return-to-nature harnessing of the majestic steed's mighty power in service of catching some gnarly shore break. So while truth may not really be stranger than fiction, it's still pretty wild.


The audio in the clip is disabled, so here's a nice jam to enjoy while you watch.

SOMA Wild Mushroom Camp

Are you ready to move beyond the Button? There’s an exciting and oh yes, potentially dangerous, world of mushrooms out there: chanterelles, hen of woods, shitake, the possibilities are endless. If you start salivating at the thought of wild mushroom risotto like we do, get your mud boots ready and sign up for the 13th Annual Sonoma County Mycological Association’s Wild Mushroom Camp. This three-day weekend workshop from January 16-18, 2010 is loaded with all-things-mushroom. Held in the hamlet of Occidental, CA, you’ll enjoy mushroom forays, gourmet mushroom cuisine, classes and workshops on mushroom identification, cooking, dyeing, papermaking, medicine making, photography, cultivation, and more. Have no fear of false chanterelles; you’ll walk away from this weekend ready to take to the woods and then to the kitchen! Mushrooms aside, there are tons of world-class wineries and restaurants located nearby. Did we mention the coast is a mere 20 minutes away? Come for the camp and stay for the week.

...And the Pursuit of Happiness

It's unfortunately easy to think of history and politics and civics and government and such as a bit of a drag. Luckily, it usually takes just a bit of personality, a dash of color, and a pinch of perspective to make it all hit home. Perhaps you visit our nation's capital. You make your way to the Jefferson memorial, and read the marble-etched quotations. Some remain etched in the back of your brain, artifacts of a 4th grade presentation on Liberty, while others never made it into the Exploring Our Nation's History textbook. But either way, there's just something about those troughs of missing marble which someone once carved away to immortalize the words that someone else once wrote. They make it all seem real. It's something you're a part of in a real way. History. Government. Civics.

But since, sadly, you'll only find yourself at a national monument, or a voting booth, or a sewage treatment plant, every so often, you may as well tag along with Maira Kalman on her little explorations of American Democracy. A illustrator and author of a dozen children's books, Kalman currently produces "...And the Pursuit of Happiness," a monthly column for the New York Times in which, through words, illustrations, and photographs, she weaves loosely narrative musing on America, infused with a subtle sense of humor and a whole heap of warmth and humanity. And yes, she manages to make a sewage treatment plant feel like a bastion of civic pride.

Inside Peek: Chef Challenge Central

Thought we would spark a little excitement for our Inca Trail Chef Challenge by showing you a glimpse of the Crossroads Barn, where it will all go down. Can't you just picture the grills fired up and hear the excited frenzy of activity as chefs slice, dice and perfect their signature dish in hopes of winning it all? Come January 10th, three finalists will duke it out at Firestone's majestic Los Olivos property in Santa Ynez, for an esteemed panel of judges. Who will prevail? Which chef will take on the adventure of a lifetime? The countdown is on!

Feeling Better Than James Brown

I feel alone today.
I feel good.
I feel really good.

How do you feel? Proud? New? Sluggish? Statistically speaking, you're probably feeling better. Or at least good. Possibly powerless. But probably not. And it would seem more people feel bad when it rains than when it snows.

I feel comfortable and my shirt looks cute.
I don't feel like being stared at.
I feel that I finally have the perfect tools to do my job.

How do I know all this? Because, this being the future and all, people no longer just feel their feeling. They blog them. And you can feel reassured that when you blog your feelings, someone is listening. Or at least something. Because each time someone rests their head on the internet's shoulder and and utters an "I feel" or "I'm feeling," We Feel Fine hears it. And it creates a tiny colored circle from it, which then joins a swirling sea of tiny colored circles in a fascinating infographic of the emotional state of the internet. Happy, long winded folks are big yellow circles. Sad terse ones are blue and tiny. Click on a circle, and you'll unveil how they feel, along with the age, gender, location, and local weather of the feeler of the feeling.

I feel free to be me when I'm with Bonnie.
2 Hours ago from a 38 year old male in Alberta, Canada, when it was rainy.

Imagine looking down from the top of a tall building, stopping one of the ant-sized humans below, and asking how they're feeling. Imagine getting a response other than fine.

I feel truly grateful to have had such a relaxing afternoon.
I feel full of grace.
I feel brave because I like the curly wurly plant with spikes.

We Feel Fine, a remarkably vivid and engaging interactive project by Jonathon Harris and Sep Kamvar, is completely captivating. Sifting through the contextless comments of all free-feeling males, aged 20-29. Discovering what people are so glum about on a sunny day such as this. It also allows you to see the circles arranges in bar-graphs, sorted by most prevalent feelings, to see a montage of photos posted alongside the feelings, or simply watch a steady stream of sentences roll by.

Sometimes, you have no idea what the person is talking about, you can still sympathize.
I still feel like I could have handled things a bit better.

And sometimes, you just have no idea.
I feel excited because the gardeners told me about the gold.

Sometimes, though, you know exactly what they're talking about.
I am feeling jittery from the coffee.

Give it a spin. Chances are, you'll feel pretty good about it.

Featured Film: Rock-afire Explosion

This may be an odd discovery for you guys. Ready for a flashback? Some of us loved Showbiz Pizza, and we know we're not alone. As if the mounds of hot pizza, pitchers of soda, tokens, skee-ball, flashing lights, video games and a dive into the swimming pool full of brightly colored plastic balls weren't enough....enter the animatronic rock band, The Rock-afire Explosion. This was notably the highlight of any Showbiz experience. As kids, watching animal robots come to life was awe-inspiring. The lights dimmed, the stage lit up and a larger-than-life rock band took hold of childhood imaginations. And we had front row seats. This was no joke, they even produced a record. A new documentary, aptly named The Rock-afire Explosion is an exploration of this cult 80's phenomenon that suddenly disappeared without explanation. It's a story of one man's drive to bring this rusty crew back to life, for one small Alabama town and for millions via YouTube. The film is a "look at the importance of nostalgia, ever-changing media culture, and the eternal quest to stay young."

Pathfinder Chef Challenge Spotlights Pt. 3

With just under a month to go, the incredible chefs just keep rolling in. Here's a quick look at some of the new entrants into the Chef Challenge, and few older videos that aren't to be missed. Just think, if you're the lucky winner who ends up on the Inca Trail, one of these fine chefs will be preparing you amazing meals all the way to Machu Picchu!

Our most recent video features Chef Dean Smith showing off some delicious looking pad thai: an impressive dish to prepare while camping at night in the great outdoors at Deer Camp, in Spring City, Utah.

Next up is Scott Beale; chef, inventor, and owner of Saratoga Springs' Grey Gelding Bistro. In this video, Chef Scott uses his patented flexible baking mold to prepare a lovely baked shrimp cake with a Peruvian red chile sauce. Throw in a glass of Discoveries Chardonnay, and it sounds to us like a meal fit for the trail!

In addition to having logged kitchen time in Tuscany and Napa, Will Bradof is a veteran of many of Jackson Hole, Wyoming's finest establishments, including Trio, the local bistro which he currently co-owns with Chef Paul Wireman, a man who knows a thing or two about tubers. Also hailing from Jackson Hole is Chef Joel Tate of Rendezvous Bistro, who'd love nothing more than to discover and be discovered.

Remember, it's not to late to get into the action. Chef Dean entered just five days ago and is already in the top ten videos and looking at a trip to Santa Barbara to participate in the final Chef showdown! So if you or anyone you know is a chef, or just loves to cook, why not start filming! If you've got 60 seconds and a built in camera on your phone, you can record a video that might get you all to way to Machu Picchu!

Clark Little: Inside The Tube

Not many of us have a view from inside the tube, that is, experiencing the intensity and stunning beauty of looking at a wave from the inside out. Surfer and photographer Clark Little set out to change that, armed with only a wetsuit and a handheld underwater camera. To see how he captures those pristine shots, where every second counts, is almost as incredible as the images themselves. Check out a behind-the-scenes glimpse into his process below. His new book, The Shorebreak Art of Clark Little, features forewards from Jack Johnson and Kelly Slater, and over 100 of the "best of the best" wave images he has archived, was released on November 12th.

Simulating the Simulation

King Kong is probably not real. We can probably all agree on that. And even if he were, it's likely that he'd be rather ill-behaved. So when Merian C. Cooper went to shoot his 1933 classic, he couldn't exactly bring in the beast under the care of a qualified animal wrangler and just start shooting. So he did what many filmmakers do when they want to film something really big: they build something really small. However, as shooting miniatures slowly progressed from producing a disbelief-suspending approximation of reality to an indistinguishable simulacrum, an aesthetic emerged which came to have a life of its own, independent of eye-fooling special effects. Using a tilt-shift photgraphy, artists like Keith Loutit have reverse engineered this style to create beautiful, dreamlike visions in which, rather than using miniatures to simulate reality, the opposite effect is achieved.

In this clip, once-monster trucks are seemingly reduced to Tonka stature, and the cheering crowd appears as a sea of tiny figurines.

Metal Heart from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

Here, massive shipping crates become Legos and the ships that carry them float, as the title implies, in the world's busiest bathtub.

Bathtub V from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

Featured Film: Warren Miller's Dynasty

For decades, Warren Miller has taken us on one wild, adrenaline-infused, yet majestic ride. Sweeping camera shots of extreme skiers launching into a cliff-hanging, cavernous white abyss. Miller takes his audience on a journey, providing heart-pounding adventure and stunning vistas, that are at times, only reachable by helicopter. Miller's latest release, Dynasty, captures his own journey, in celebration of 60 years of Warren Miller films. Narrated by Jonny Moseley and presented in high definition, Dynasty showcases a blend of fresh cinematography and vintage clips from the past six decades of Warren Miller footage. If you haven't purchased your season lift tickets yet, Dynasty will pretty much seal the deal. Check here for a screening near you. Photo courtesy of Warren Miller Entertainment.

Airbnb.com: Travel Like a Human

A recent article in the New York Times caught our travel eye. One of our favorite sections, The Frugal Traveler, highlighted a travel site called Airbnb, which according to the article, "connects budget travelers with locals who are offering anything from an air mattress in their living room to a private bedroom in a luxury loft — for a fee." The site seems to be more functional, straight forward, and organized, than, say, CouchSurfing or Craigslist. Travelers can also rest easy knowing that the site thrives on user reviews and handles all transactions through a secure PayPal account for you (as the host or the traveler). The site, with the charming tagline, "Travel Like a Human," and called the "Ebay for space" by Time Magazine, boasts accommodations in 1,590 cities in 95 countries, from Vietnam to Tennessee. In its two years of operation, Airbnb seems to have garnered quite a following, especially in major cities. Listings include vacation rentals, private rooms, entire apartments, bed and breakfasts, boutique hotels, castles, treehouses, and the like. Hmm, an ancient British Castle looks pretty good. Any takers?

Because shapes have feeling too...

There's something about witnessing an incredibly simple idea executed flawlessly executed that, for just a moment, you almost feel sorry for all those poor souls slaving day in and day out learning to, for instance, draw a recognizable comic strip character. Why bother perfecting Cathy's perpetually exasperated AACK!spressions, or PJ's bemused visage as he humbly requests pasgetti and meatbulbs, when you can simply draw a triangle. CircleDotSquare, or CDS, is delightful new (less than three weeks old) webcomic, ostensibly created by an old industrial robot, which managed to draw more humor from simple geometric shapes than you would have thought possible, if you had bothered to consider the comedic possibilities of simple geometric shapes.

Then again, you could always just forgo the drawing entirely, and instead employ the mighty eraser. The brilliantly existential Garfield Minus Garfield shows us what a sad, possibly schizophrenic, bachelor looks like when left alone without a chubby anthropomorphic feline to commiserate with.

 

 

Better yet, how about just letting long dead existential German philosophers do the heavy lifting. What if, instead of mispronouncing spaghetti, PJ gazed into the abyss, only to see it gazing back at him. Randomly pairing a Family Circus cartoon with a quote from Friedrich himself, The Nietzsche Family Circus seeks answers to this important question and many more like it.

Improv Everywhere Loves Lunch

Chances are good that anyone who's ever been witness to an undead army of zombies roaming the streets or peered through a cloud of feathers at a mob of gentle warriors furiously pillow-bashing each other, only to then watch them all disperse as quickly as they came, has asked around a bit an came up with the name Improv Everywhere. Chances are even better, however, that this person got some bad information.
Something of a mature older brother to the rebellious young flash mob, Improv Everywhere has become a proprietary eponym, along the lines of Band-Aid and Kleenex, for all sorts of pre-planned displays of coordinated public ridiculousness. And while there is much to love in a seemingly spontaneous outbreak of applause in a hotel lobby or hundreds of headphone-clad, moneymaker-shakin' club kids grooving to an imperceptible groove, what IE does feels a bit more refined. Sophisticated, even. A few steps closer to legitimate theater. It could be that the troupe spun off from New York's Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, quite possibly the finest repository of longform improv (in contrast to the shortform of Whose Line is it Anyways and theater sports) in the land. But it could also be their predilection for putting on mini-musicals, complete with catchy, toe-tappin' tunes and rudimentary choreography. Their latest is an ode to that in-betweenest of meals: Lunch. Performed in the atrium of the Trump Tower during the titular meal hour, Lunch: The Musical is not only the greatest song ever written that uses the word spork, it might just be Improv Everywhere's greatest performance yet.

The Curious Cook: Harold McGee

If you’re anything like us, you want to know why things happen they way they do, especially in the kitchen. For example, why does meat have to “rest” before slicing into it? Why do eggs get a greenish/bluish band when they cook too long? What’s an anthocyanin? From home cooks to professional chefs, there is one profound resource that everyone turns to: the seminal book by Harold McGee - On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, initially published in 1984 (and greatly updated in 2004). As a food science writer, McGee focuses mostly on explaining why things happen from a chemistry perspective, and things really heat up when he starts to debunk conventional kitchen wisdom. He writes a blog, The Curious Cook, and teaches at the French Culinary Institute, but mainly you'll find his unique perspective present in a steady flow of articles in publications like the New York Times, Nature, and Health, covering everything from the toxic myth of tomato leaves to the invisible ingredient in every kitchen. Go to him. He knows.

A World of Music: Rokia Traore

Growing up the daughter of a diplomat, Rokia Traore's youth saw expeditions to Saudi Arabia, France, Angola, and Belgium, to name just a few. An ideal childhood for a blossoming young musician, one might think, but significantly less so when you consider that Bamana nobility, the Malian ethnic group of which she is a member, are prohibited from becoming musicians, especially if you're a woman. Her decision to pursue her passion in spite of tradition gives some sense of her how deep her passion for her music must be, but her voice lets you truly understand.
Hers is the pure expression of a singular vision. Rather than wholeheartedly embracing or willfully avoiding the musical traditions of Mali and the other countries of her youth, Traore gracefully subsumes them into a sound all her own: guitar and n'goni (a traditional West African lute) weave together into a gossamer fabric, held taut by deep, resonant bass and speckled with hand percussion and balafon, all in support of her magnificently soaring vocals. Perhaps, though, she put it best herself when asked to describe her sound. "I can't say what style I am", she admitted. "But I just love music". For anyone who feels the same, there a lot to love in what she does.

This pared-down performance from a 2007 TED conference is her at her most ethereal, but Koronoko's dizzying bounce is a must-listen, as is Manian, on which she pairs with classical iconoclasts Kronos Quartet.

Adventure Tribute: Jacques Cousteau

Being adventure-types, it's no surprise that Jacques Cousteau is a hero in our book. He defined (and inspired) an era of oceanic exploration, and took a world of curious onlookers with him. Plus, we like his red cap (thanks Wes Anderson for bringing it back to the big screen). Below is a tribute to Mr. Cousteau by The Adventures of Pulka, based in the UK.

The Adventures of Pulka "Jacques Cousteau" from J B on Vimeo.

Pathfinder Chef Challenge Spotlights Pt. 2

With all the great videos coming in from chefs all across the country hoping for a chance to cook for our lucky Pathfinder along the Inca Trail, we thought we'd take a moment to give you a quick rundown of the competition.

Scott Sachs is a San Francisco-based chef and caterer who, though he may have trouble passing for Harry Potter, and struggles a bit with certain Peruvian-lake pronunciations, has no such difficulties when it comes to turning an ordinary lump of dough into an incredible looking pizza. And as great as it looks in the video, just imagine how that would taste after a long day of hiking! Also, be sure to check out the Fresh Foods column Scott writes for the SF Examiner.

Chef Aimee is a recent culinary school graduate ready to put her newfound knowledge to good use out on the trail. Check out her incendiary video to see her magically transform some potatoes, chicken, and peppers into a traditional Peruvian Causa Rellena!

William Pence may not be from Peru, but his boss sure is. And after hearing all about the many wonders of Peruvian cuisine from Blanca Fauble, owner of Carvers Steak and Chops in Dayton, Ohio, Executive Chef Pence did what any adventurous chef would have done; he tried it out for himself, incorporating Peruvian flourishes into his cooking. Perhaps, then, trying out some of these new flavors while hiking the Inca Trail is just the next step in the process...

Michael Kelly is a chef at Seattle's La Dolce Vita, where they like to add a bit of Northwestern flair to their traditional Italian menu by using plenty of fresh, local ingredients. If he's picked as our Guest Chef, he'll have plenty of amazing local ingredients to cook with, but they sure won't be of the Seattle variety.

Extreme Travel: Glacier Hikes

We’re cold just thinking about it. Nonetheless, spending a day out on one of the largest glaciers outside of the Polar Regions would be thrilling indeed. Based out of Skaftafell, Iceland, Glacier Guides, an internationally recognized guiding operation, leads day and half-day hikes over this icy wonderland. The good people at Glacier Guides want the world to know and appreciate these powerful, ancient structures. A glacier can be defined as a perennial mass of ice that moves over land. It’s also one of the world’s largest reservoirs of fresh water and makes up over 11% of Iceland’s land mass. These types of ecosystems are also very fragile, which is why Glacier Guides follows an environmental policy anchored by these four guidelines:

Take nothing but pictures.

Kill nothing but time.

Leave nothing but footprints.

Make nothing but memories.

If you’re going to go explore Europe’s largest national park anytime soon, these guys won't let you down. Photo is courtesy of the Glacier Guide website.

Harvest Pics: The Shoreline Cafe

Paul Warson reported a rare treat during the throws of harvest: an early dinner with the family. With Sunday pump overs complete by 2PM, and the day wrapping up at 3PM, there was time for some unexpected rest and relaxation. He and the family headed over to local Santa Barbara favorite (and most kid-friendly spot, always a plus!), The Shoreline Cafe. Even better, check out the oceanfront view. Looks like the perfect spot to take a deep breath and reflect on another fantastic harvest!

A Rough Guide to Buckwheat Molasses Bars

I suppose one of the advantages of checkout lines that stretch clear to the back of the store is that you become rather well acquainted with the inventory of the aisle in which you must wait. On a recent grocery run, I stood patiently with my scant 10-items-or-less shopping basket, only enduring a delay so long for grocery so little because a good half of my haul was bulk items, and I can only assume that they'd have been disposed of if found abandoned beneath the bread display. Bravely, I resisted the urge to make the wait feel worthwhile by indulging in rampant impulse buys. There was, however, one particular treat which caught my attention: a raw buckwheat energy bar of some sort, notable mainly for the the combination of the words raw and buckwheat. I was, you see, previously unaware that the buckwheat groats I had stashed away at home were edible in their raw state. I'm hardly a raw foodist, but we Firestone folk tend to be curious and adventurous eaters, and I found myself inspired to replicate the buckwheat bars on my own.

Fortunately, homemade granola-type bars are one of those remarkably robust and endlessly variable creations which demand, rather than a proper recipe, only a very general technique and which, once you see how effortless and customizable they are, will become an indispensable addition to your culinary arsenal. Say, for instance, you want to whip up some raw buckwheat energy bars on the fly? Totally doable. Here's the rundown:

Basically, you're just getting a bunch of pebble-sized or smaller pieces of food to stick together with a sweet, sticky, syrupy concoction. For the dry ingredients, I went with roughly equal parts buckwheat, toasted oats, and sunflower seeds, and then some sesame seeds (about a quarter as much as the other dry ingredients). My syrup was about three parts honey, three parts molasses, two parts peanut butter, and one part neutral oil (vegetable or the like). These are very rough estimates. Then, simply combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and heat the wet ingredients to a gentle simmer in a saucepan. Once it's hot and mixed, pour over the dry ingredients, stir until there are no dry patches, and then spread out on a baking sheet or casserole dish, and refrigerate until cool! Easy peasy, fresh and breezy. 

But the beauty, again, is the flexibility. You just want to keep the ratio at about 3 parts dry to 1 part wet. I really like molasses, so I've used quite a bit of that, but anything in the greater sugar family should do it; honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, corn syrup, brown sugar (when combined with liquids), etc. You can also include pureed dates or prunes, or  more nut butters, to cut down on the sugar a bit. The dry ingredients are the real fun part. Just make sure that they're in tiny little pieces, and if you'd like, toast them a bit by cooking over medium heat in a dry pan until fragrant. Some things to try:

Nuts/seeds
peanuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, sunflower, pumpkin, flax seeds...

Dried fruit
apricot, cranberries, raisins, cherries, pear..

Rolled or flaked grains (Often available in bulk sections)
oat, barley, rye, quinoa...

Etc
chocolate chips, crystalized ginger, orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves...use your imagination!

If, however, you're more of the "real recipe" type, here are some good looking ones to check out. I imagine these would make great snacks for anyone planning a nice long hike. Perhaps in some exotic locale? Hmmm....

The Jean Claude Van Damme of Oatmeal

Remember that movie Bloodsport? Jean Claude Van Damme travels to Hong Kong to fight in a clandestine martial arts tournament and, against all odds, defeats a punishing battery of sinister opponents, each trained in a fighting style more deadly than the last, to become the first Westerner ever to walk away victorious? Well, last month, this epic saga was relived in the Scottish Highlands. Only, instead of showcasing helicopter-style jump-spin heel kicks, it was an almost inhuman command of the spurtle that set these competitors apart. Because, as any dedicated follower of breakfast-sports knows, the difference between good porridge and great porridge is truly all in the stir. And at the 16th annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship, held, of course, on World Porridge Day, Milwaukie, Oregon's Matthew Cox, with Team Bob's Red Mill, overcame America's thousand-year porridge-making deficit to become the first Yank ever to emerge from the steamy haze of simmering cereal clutching the much-coveted Golden Spurtle trophy. (Oh, and for the few of you who might not have known, a spurtle is a wooden rod used for stirring porridge. Of course) Though Team America had designs on the specialty category with its Oregon Orchard Oat Brûlée, which boasts a bounty of fresh fruit and a crispy, caramelized shell, they were bested by a custard-laced spotted dick. But in the end, it was nothing more than steel-cut oats, purified water, a bit of sea salt, and an exceptional stir that won Cox the title of World Porridge Making Champion, and earned America it's rightful place as world-class spurtlers.

Save Our Seeds

We used to be a nation of seed savers. We can just picture our grandmothers out there, shaking down the best plants and cataloging their seeds over winter. It was all about the hardiest (and tastiest) varieties, a key component in our nation's crop diversity. If you’re a fan of protecting and promoting biodiversity (at the very least in your own garden), you’ve got to check out the Seed Bank in Petaluma (still online at www.rareseeds.com). A recent transplant from Missouri, Jere Gettle and family located the West Coast Headquarters of his company, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, to an old bank building in downtown Petaluma. With 190 varieties of tomatoes, 150 varieties of squash and more than 100 melons, Baker Creek has one of the largest selections of organic and heirloom seeds in the country. Picture it as a card catalogue of seeds. From Chinese Long White Bitter Melon to American Purple Top Rutabagas, there is truly something for everyone. Long live the household garden! Photo was taken by John Burgess for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

Windows of Opportunity

The city of York, in the UK, sees empty store fronts as an opportunity for rising star graphic designers to strut their stuff...an inspiring fusion of street art, breathing life to abandoned buildings, and celebrating the local artist community. The project is called Windows of Opportunity, and it's a unique example of collaboration between the city of York and its museum collective, York Museum Trust. WOO will dress empty shop windows with external, high quality vinyls which feature contemporary digital designs that respond to their setting, submitted by local artists. We're so inspired by this concept, especially during the economic hardships experienced by small towns and city centers nationwide. Wouldn't it be refreshing to see a project like this take hold in our own hometowns? Or perhaps it's already happening? If so, tell us about it - we'd love to share your story!

Featured Destination: SPiN New York

Hipster Ping Pong? Yes, table tennis will have its day. SPiN New York is certainly the first high end table tennis social club that we've ever discovered. This is not your father's ping pong. This is 13,000 square feet of pro Olympic quality cushioned flooring and 13 state-of-the-art JOOLA tables, with world-class coaching and a stadium-like center court. Not to mention, the club also boasts a pro shop, lounge, cocktail bar and D.J. booth, complete with house parties and a celeb clientele (actress Susan Sarandon is an investor). Pictured is The Fred Perry Room, in honor of celebrated tennis player, Fred Perry, who gained fame early in his career playing table tennis. The stunning room is reserved for private events, anchored by a polished stainless steel table and glass net, designed by contemporary artist Rirkrit Tiravanija. Who knew table tennis could be so hip? Unfortunately, a trip to the treadmill now seems a little boring.

Pathfinder Chef Challenge Spotlights Pt. 1

With all the great videos coming in from chefs all across the country hoping for a chance to cook for our lucky Pathfinder along the Inca Trail, we thought we'd take a moment to give you a quick rundown of the competition.

Chef John Taus is the executive chef at Philadelphia's Snackbar restaurant, where the portions are small (just don't call them tapas, this is all-American), but irresistibly snackable. In the rustic/gourmet spirit of our trip, John keeps it down-home but high-class with menu items like brown butter popcorn, fried pig trotters with jalapeno cheese grits, and Peanut Butter Semifreddo with grape compote. You can expect to have plenty of energy on the trail if he's our winner, as Chef Taus plans on preparing some jerkies and smoked meats to snack on as we hike!

Join Chef Michael Fahey, a 30 year culinary veteran, along the Appalachian Trailup on the Blue Ridge Mountains as he whips up a very special combination of rice, shrimp, spices, snails, and the secret ingredient: beautiful mountain air! There'll certainly be plenty of that of that along the Inca Trail. No stranger to the great outdoors, Chef Fahey is also the author of Cooking American Style, Up on Cedar Mountain, "a collection of recipes and poetry from an American chef, inspired by living in an American rain forest in the southern highlands of the Appalachian Mountains."

Fish doesn't get much fresher than the Black Drum Chef Jay Norris pulls in off the side of his kayak in  in our most action-packed video yet.  Once he's back ashore in Ponte Vedre, Florida (though still outside, of course), you can watch as Jay assemble an absolutely gorgeous dish with his catch, paired with Firestone's 2007 Riesling.

Be sure to check out all the great chefs to see who might be cooking for you if you're our lucky winner, and stay tuned for more chef spotlights!

Harvest Pics: Sunset

Here is another stunning photo in our harvest series from Firestone Winemaker, Paul Warson. Throughout harvest, in the midst of the (happy) mayhem, he and Winemaker Kevin Willenborg have toted mobile phones at their side to capture moments that only they would see...in order to share a bit of the experience with all of us. Here Paul captured sunset at the winery, full moon overhead, and a blue heron scouting dinner. Again, note that this image was taken with his iPhone. Amazing!

Joshua Allen Harris' Animated Street Sculptures

If you were to walk by one of Joshua Allen Harriss' sculptures on the streets of New York, you'd likely see nothing more than an unremarkable pile of trash lying on a subway grate. If, however, there happened to be a subway train passing below, you'd be greeted by a snarling polar bear, an shaky-legged giraffe, or a menacing creature like something from H.P. Lovecraft writhing and undulating before you. Soon enough, however, the creature would grow weary and melt back into the sidewalk, to await another gust of life from a passing subterranean train.

Harvest Pics: Inside Scoop

Here is a view that only a winemaker could provide, looking straight down into a fermenting vat of juice and grape skins (mmmmm). This is Paul Warson's weekend snapshot of punching down Malbec for a small scale project. His inside scoop? It could end up being a special bottling for the wine club. Stay tuned club members!