Coq au vin - a French fricassee made with poultry, wine, vegetables, garlic, and sautéed bacon bits*. I used pheasant parts (drums, wings, thighs, and back) for this hearty stew. Cooking a game takes patience. The pot was simmered for an hour and half on the stove. (I ate some tough meat the first time after cooking the bird for only 40 minutes.) Pheasant meat has a rich flavor that makes coq au vin a wonderful dish. I had to restrain myself from trying every piece of meat so I could have some leftover for today’s lunch.

I cured a piece of organic pork loin last week. I sautéed the cured loin instead of pork belly, which I am looking forward to cure ASAP.

The final product - Coq Au Vin.

*Consuming moderate amount of animal fats is important for our health; good-quality animal fats contain vitamins A, D, B6, and B12, and some essential minerals. Also, free-range meat have a healthy cholesterol content because of the natural ingredients the animals consume.

I went to Rhode Island yesterday with my friends. While they were at a recruiting event at Warwick, I mapped out a route to jog to Providence. I had never run over 10 miles continuously; I was scared and anxious. Of course, there’s always a reward after hard work. My friends and I went to a nice restaurant in Providence for an early dinner before coming back to New York. I took some pictures on the way to Providence. Please sit back and enjoy my journey.

My route from Warwick to Providence, RI. The distance is roughly 14 to 15 miles. I spent 2 hours and 45 minutes on the road.

My starting point.

Passing by the T.F. Green International Airport after the first mile and half.

A random lake.

Needed a water break; bought myself a bottle of Tiger Woods Gatorade to re-energize myself.

A Xmas tree shop. Feeling the Xmas spirit already!

Eddy Street, the last 3 miles of my run, approximately.

Broadway…New York! Not quite. I am almost at Providence.

First sign of Providence!

Downtown, here I come!

Here I am…final destination. Brown University at Providence, RI.

2 hours and 45 minutes later, exhausted but happy to meet up with my friends at Providence.

Saw a cool spiral-stair while walking around Brown University. I was itching for some more challenge…and here I go!

After a glass of Guiness and power-nap in the car, my body was itching to do some push-ups. Did my cardio workout earlier, now a little bit of strength training before an awesome dinner.

At La Laiterie at Farmstead for dinner, highly recommend it if you ever visit Providence.

A great bottle of rosé to start off the dinner!

Chicken livers with onion rings as a starter!

Wine and cheese, beautiful.

So hungry, I could eat a cow…I mean fish. A grilled Black Sea Bass.

Cookies for dessert, served with local organic whole milk.

Guinea Pig Challenge: Warwick to Providence ended on a high note; I left the restaurant feeling full and satisfied. Would you care to join me for the next challenge? I dare you!

Ground bison pasta sauce tasted sweet (without adding sugar), rich, and creamy from the reduced wine sauce.

I am also a big fan of fresh pasta. The fresh spinach pasta from the green market gave the dish a chewy texture. I look forward to make my own noodles in the future.

Every Wednesday, The Sweaty Guinea Pig will feature a fresh individual who will share his or her thoughts and experiences on fitness and healthy living.

Name: Brett Chung
Age: 22
Location: New York, NY
Occupation: Analyst, Consulting

What is your current routine? How many days do you dedicate to exercising every week?
I work muscle group combinations that allows me to hit the gym a few times a week without overworking any specific muscles. Typically, I work chest and triceps, back and biceps, legs and shoulders, and I throw in some abs if I don’t black out by the end of the session. This allows me to workout 4-5 times a week without stressing my body out.

How did you come up with your current routine?
In college, I would work every single muscle group in one sitting. Not only was the workout time consuming, but it was also ineffective. The decision to change up my routine was attributed to the unpredictable nature of my job. Although working muscle groups requires me to go to the gym more frequently, I didn’t have to stay as long as I did in college. Additionally, I really feel like the routine is more effective because the it allows certain muscle groups to rest before training them again.

What are your short term (within 6 weeks) and long term (3 months and beyond) goals?
My short term goal is to fit some cardio workout into my schedule and be disciplined enough to keep it up. I’m not really a big fan of running on the treadmill or doing the elliptical; therefore, my cardio options are limited in the gym setting. With that said, I decided to try jump-rope. My long term goal is to jump-rope 30 minutes nonstop.

What are other types of training that you’d like to try?
I wish I had the option to swim – I really think it’s an effective way to do cardio and strength training simultaneously. I’d also be willing to try the 300 (the movie) workout routine - that’d be crazy.

What is your favorite post-workout meal?
When I come back from the gym, I usually drink a protein shake. After that settles in, I usually eat a chicken or tuna/fish based dish. My favorite dish to eat after a workout is baked tilapia served on rice, but it takes a long time to cook so I usually have to set the ingredients up before I actually go workout.

What is your ideal “cheat” meal or favorite guilty indulgence?
Ben and Jerry’s Karamel Sutra ice cream. It’s vanilla on one side, chocolate with chocolate chips on the other – joined by a thin boundary of caramel.

Any advice or words of encouragement for other Sweaty Guinea Pig readers?
Working out requires a lot of discipline – you have to be consistent. I also find that a lot of people become too comfortable with their workout routines. When I feel that my muscles have become too complacent (as in they can predict my next set of weights), I throw in something new. Oh, and it helps to have a great mp3 playlist as well.

If anybody who’d like to be featured on Sweaty Guinea Pig Discovered, please e-mail me at reggie.soang@gmail.com. I look forward to discover new Guinea Pigs!

Every weekend, I will be visiting the green market and buying fresh groceries. I will share my shopping list and the cost with my readers. I hope to promote eating locally and bring back the enthusiasm of hands-on cooking.

Vegetables:
Button mushrooms: $4.65 ($8.00/lbs)

Fruits:
6 Apples (Empire, Golden Delicious, Jangold, Rome): $2.30

Dairy:
1 bottle of Skim milk: $3.00

Bread, Flour, Grains:
Homemade spinach pasta: $4.00
Maple Walnut Granola: $1.85

Total: $15.80

Guinea Pig’s Jersey Route at 5:00 AM.
Total time: 35:49
Breakfast: smoked salmon on organic whole grain toast with an apple

I cooked lamb kidneys last night; the experience was as close as I could get to feel like a top chef. Well-known chefs often seek out exotic animal parts and make them into delicious dishes; Foie gras, duck or goose liver, has been a popular dish served in many restaurants. I followed a recipe, called Deviled Kidneys, from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Meat book.

My lamb kidneys came out pungent. The kidneys were cooked down with English mustard and red currant jelly, which gave the dish spicy and sweet flavors. I look forward to cook some more offal soon. I hope I haven’t grossed you out yet.

Loosen up a little, get out of your comfort zone and guinea-pig some great food!

Guinea Pig’s route at 4:30 AM.
Total time: 37:26.
Yogurt, apple, and coffee for recovery…what a great way to start a new day.

I braised the last piece, pork shoulder, of meat that I brought home from the butchering class. I followed David Chang’s recipe; the dish is called Bo Ssam. The meat actually became smaller after 6 hours of braising. The fat was cooked down and left the meat lean but still juicy. The dinner party was successful; Melanie also made some delicious summer rolls, pickled cucumbers, and spinach salad as side dishes. We also had some amazing wine and beer. Work hard…and party hard. Here are the party pictures for indulgence:

Braised pork shoulder.

Melanie’s pickled cucumber and spinach salad, great side dishes when eating a lot of meat.

Summer rolls, so fresh and healthy.

Putting together Bo Ssam; using a piece of Boston lettuce to wrap around pork shoulder, kimchee, and ssam jang, a Korean bean paste.

My friend introduced CrossFit to me recently. In stead of training traditionally with emphasis on major muscle groups, CrossFit workout is multi-dimensional that includes speed, stamina, agility, flexibility training, etc. There are no training for specificity; a fire fighter would train like a soccer player for endurance and strength.

The more I read about CrossFit training, the more curious I get about its effectiveness. I made up my own version of CrossFit workout this morning. My guinea-pig experience was intense, yet fun. Here’s a look at my first Guinea Pig’s CrossFit:

Round 1: B.W. Squat + Bench Press + Parachute Jumps
Round 2: B.W. Side-step Squat + Barbell Clean & Jerk + Spiderman
Round 3: B.W. Front Lunges + Snatch + Burpee Jumps
Round 4: 1-leg Hops (same repetition each leg) + Barbell 1-arm Upright Rows + Knee Tugs
Round 5: Guinea Pig Around*
B.W. = Body Weight

Round 1 to 4 are 3 sets each with 10 repetitions. There are no water breaks between each set, but 1 minute between each round.

*Guinea Pig Around is consisted of six exercises: bench press, close-grip bench press, bend-over rows, standing curls, shoulder press, and wide-grip bench press. Each exercise is performed 10 times consecutively for 2 rounds.

I challenge you to guinea-pig a CrossFit workout.