I’ve Been Training for the Olympics, and Pushing the Games Back Was the Right Call
Plus, my favorite wings recipe
Hey everyone. Hope your distancing is going well, and you’re not too bored. We’re lucky enough to live next to a bunch of empty arroyos, so I’ve been getting out with the dogs a lot.
Anna Brones, an absolute gem, sent me her book Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break, so I started making recipes from there! So far my favorite has been the “havreflarn med choklads” (oat crisp chocolate sandwich cookies). You can get your own copy here. I’d highly recommend it. (Another book of Anna’s, The Culinary Cyclist, is just as clever!)
My favorite chicken wings
Speaking of food, last week I asked how to make this newsletter better. A bunch of folks requested recipes. To be clear: I am not that great of a cook—I just like to eat a lot. And almost any recipe I have is stolen from elsewhere and tweaked. If I could remember where this one came from, I would credit the creator, but it’s pretty basic so hopefully they won’t mind. This is my go-to way to cook wings, which we’ve been making a lot of at our house since I tested grills for the next Outside Buyer’s Guide. It’s super easy and super delicious, and it reminds me of summer. (I’ll spare you a photo, since they’re marinating in my fridge right now, and raw chicken is gross.)
Ingredients:
6+ wings or drummies
Soy sauce
Honey
Olive oil
Chile flakes
Fresh ginger
Fresh lemons
A shitload of garlic
Pepper
Salt
Directions
Mix together equal parts honey and soy sauce
Add in olive oil that measures about 1/3 of the amount of honey or soy sauce you’re using
Stir in chile, pepper, and salt to taste
Squeeze in juice from a few fresh lemons (I usually use at least two for 6 wings or drumsticks, but I really like citrus)
Sprinkle in a couple tablespoons of finely grated fresh ginger
Add in really a lot of crushed or diced garlic (I usually use at least 8 cloves for six wings)
Let them marinate in the fridge for at least a few hours, but overnight is best
Cook them: My favorite way to do this is in a smoker, but I’ll include instructions for a grill, too.
For the smoker: Smoke on low or around 225 degrees for at least an hour. I usually do a couple hours. Mesquite or hickory pellets/chips are my favorite to use, but anything will do. Remove the meat, and crank the smoker up to 425. When ready, put the meat back in and cook for another 40 minutes to crisp the outside, rotating a couple times. The wings are done when they reach 165 degrees inside. Don’t worry too much about overcooking on the smoker.
For the grill: Your grill should be around 375 degrees. Cook them for roughly 35 minutes, flipping five or so times to cook evenly. As with the smoker, you can always remove the wings or drummies, crank up the heat, and add them for a few more minutes to crisp the outside. (I would do a lot shorter on the grill, though.) Careful not to burn them. Again, make sure the chicken reaches at least 165 degrees inside.
…And although I’ve been cooking and eating an insane amount of food, I have also been reading:
What I’m reading, the virus edition
This Pandemic Is Not Your Vacation: You might not want to spend your quarantine in a city. But the rural places many Americans treat as playgrounds, and the workers who keep them running, will suffer for it. [Anne Helen Petersen for BuzzFeed]
Hospital Workers Want Your Ski Goggles: Last week the snow-sports world was arguing over whether or not chairlifts should be running during the coronavirus crisis. Now it's donating goggles to hospitals in need. [Connor W. Davis for Outside]
National Park Staff Revolts, Says Shut Them Down: Major parks remain open. And despite rangers and employees testing positive, the government is encouraging use of the parks as a social-distancing solution. [Miranda Green for the Daily Beast]
My Partner Isn't Social Distancing. What Should I Do? You're taking the virus seriously, but someone in your household is still grabbing beers with buddies. Here's how to handle it. [Blair Braverman for Outside]
I’ve Been Training for the Olympics, and Pushing the Games Back Was the Right Call: “A team is only as strong as its weakest player. This may feel like a slogan, but that’s because it’s true, and the sentiment resonates now more than ever: The Olympics aren’t about any one particular competition; they’re about our collective Olympic dream. And if athletes got sick or endangered others because they felt pressured to break quarantine in order to train, that would set everyone back. This tension between what’s best for the individual and what’s best for the group is at the center of our struggle with social distancing. Putting your own needs behind those of the broader community can be difficult, but ultimately, the action can save lives. Anything we do now to help our world overcome this pandemic is a gift we’re giving to our future selves. It’s not a sacrifice; it’s a responsibility. We are all teammates in this fight to overcome COVID-19.” [Alexi Pappas for the Atlantic]
The think-about-something-else edition
The Woman Who Lives 200,000 Years in the Past: As we confront the reality of COVID-19, the idea of living self-sufficiently in the woods, far from crowds and grocery stores, doesn't sound so bad. Lynx Vilden has been doing just that for decades, while teaching others how to live primitively, too. [Katherine Rowland for Outside] *I realize the dek mentions the virus, but this is really about Lynx.
Teen Develops Prawn Shell Landfill Compostable Alternative to Tackle Plastic Waste: An Australian teenager has come up with a genius idea to replace conventional plastic products with a more sustainable alternative. [Charis Chang for News AU]
An Alpinist's Do-Anywhere Bodyweight Workout: 8 minimalist strength exercises from alpinist Anna Pfaff, for when you're waiting out the weather—or a pandemic. [Hayden Carpenter for Outside]
You can now rent ‘Pretty Strong’
You’ve probably exhausted the Netflix library by now. Try this instead.
From 5.13 big walls in Yosemite to 5.14 sport climbs in Mexico to V14 boulder problems in Colorado, Pretty Strong follows eight of the world’s strongest female climbers as they explore new climbing areas, send hard projects, and push the boundaries of the sport and themselves. Putting badass ladies front and center, this film is about some of the best climbers in the world—some you know, some you don’t—doing what they do best: crushing hard rock climbs. Your palms will sweat from the dizzying heights, your imagination will expand with the breathtaking landscapes, and your motivation will soar from the determination and try-hard of these strong women. The climbers featured include Nina Williams, Katie Lambert, Daila Ojeda, Hazel Findlay, and more. Created by the all-women production team Never Not Collective, Pretty Strong is a climbing film about women, by women, and for everyone.
