Peter Sagan - The Tourminator

Let me first qualify, I'm not a super cyclist and in fact, I only started this year and well, I have to admit that I haven't been riding enough. I complain non-stop trying to finish a 30-40 km ride and the pain in my tailbone is putting off anymore rides until I can find a better saddle. The search continues... But to be sitting in front of the telly armed with chips and soda, I was right in my element.

When Tour de France started this year, I was glued to the gorgeous looking Mark Cavendish in his rainbow jersey that marks the world champion. With Team Sky all decked out in Kask helmets complete with team colours which I almost bought if not for the weight (My weird head shape meant only the Kask and OGK fits me), paired with the legendary Pinarello Dogma 2s and complete with the way the team rides almost like they're dancing in some arranged formation, I was a fan! At this point, I was quite comfortable with the impending fact that Team Sky is going to take home both the yellow and green jersey (I didn't even know what the yellow and green jersey meant before this!).

For one Slovak prodigy, Peter Sagan, this Tour de France is his debut. He couldn't have made his presence with more impact. At a mere 22 years of age, I think we're about to see the cycling scene change (not that I have seen much before). All I know is how cute and amazing Mark Cavendish is... That said, my focus was starting to slowly shift when Sagan won Stage 1 beating Fabian Cancellara, the yellow jersey favourite. The shift has also got to do with the fact that I'm a Cannondale rider (I can't afford a Pinarello!) and more importantly, Watziznehm has one of those SuperSix Evo frames that Team Liquigas is on.

I know this is rather anti-climax but here's how my frame looks like but I have the Ultegra groupset on with some swanky SLK cranks, which in pro terms, it's peanuts. But I love my bike and I call it, Sky Sully. The above mentioned Evo is called Bike Wazowski!

On with Peter Sagan...

With his hands on his hips, he took the green jersey and never once gave it up. He will slowly earn his new nickname, The Tourminator, in the coming days. According to other sources, Sagan was first tagged the Terminator from his mountain biking days because he was destroying wheels and tires! Anyway, his first win but I've yet to figure out what movie his winning move was after...

Video Link's Broken - Sourcing for better ones...

If the above win gave you an idea of how much power this looker has packed in him, check out his Stage 3 win a.k.a the Forrest Gump win. He's looking really cute. "Win, Peter, Win!" How amazing!

Video Link's Broken - Sourcing for better ones...

At Stage 6, it may seem like Andre Greipel was slowly eroding Sagan's glory but the Hulk is not about to let it go. With a fabulously powerful late dash, the green jersey was once again in the safe hands of Peter Sagan.

No video of the win but here's a summary...

Video Link's Broken - Sourcing for better ones...

Here's something I found on road.cc

Stage winner Peter Sagan, Liquigas-Cannondale
“I'm very happy when I can win a stage like today. Yesterday I was unlucky with the crash but also content that nothing was broken and that I didn't have any injuries. I don't want to be compared with other riders, I want to be Peter Sagan. 

“I was near the front when the crash happened but the two riders who were ahead were pushed and this forced me to brake; behind me was Vincenzo Nibali who also had to brake and behind us was the crash. This is the race, this is the Tour de France and it's very nervous. The accident was on a downhill and we were going very fast and it's very dangerous. 

“Another win and I called this one ‘The Hulk'. I want the green jersey and I think I can hold on to it all the way to Paris. 

“This is already more than I ever expected. It's surprised me too. I wanted to do well but I need to say that this is only the start of the Tour de France and tomorrow is when the race really begins because it's the climbs and I think that after two weeks, by the start of the third week, it's going to be really hard. 

“I think I did well today because the other sprinters are a little tired and maybe that's the key to this win.”

Well, the above marks the 3 wins he totalled within 2012's Tour de France but the glory didn't stop there. He's now better known as the youngest winner of the green jersey with 141 points ahead of Greipel. Although in Paris, he failed to overtake Cavendish in the final dash, you would be so proud of him even coming in at number 2. Sagan may have Liquigas' support but what Cavendish got was way more substantial. If there were the exact support that Cavendish received from Team Sky for Sagan, he would have eaten Cavendish for dinner, no doubt. Then again, Liquigas has too, done alot for Sagan. That's another story for a better day...

The way he was sprinting up to the finishing line was just a sign of a super human. Still, Cavendish packed in a glorious win but what Peter Sagan did, was to get the world to sit up and anticipate what's up and coming. I'm now officially a fan of the cycling spectator spot.

Double Boiled Chicken & Abalone Soup

Soups have always been a form of comfort food to the Chinese person in me despite my love for steaks and potatoes. Much credit must be given to my Mom who is a typical Cantonese Mom who loves her double boiled soups. Even then, I have never double boiled soups in my life... Ever. All I did was to throw an array of ingredients into one big pot and boil them down until I have extracted the essence of the ingredients. Double boiling can be a little tricky for a newbie like me. Here's a new recipe I have planned to embark on. The aim is to replicate that savoury clear chicken and abalone soup I had at Capella over a wedding banquet. This soup was first designed to be a base soup for many different confinement soups. So for new mothers, you might find this uncomplicated soup great for consumption as you won't be worried about the elements of Chinese herbs that you're unsure of.


The Double Boiling

There are several variations to this. My Mom used to have this white ceramic jar with some blue fishes painted on it. You should be able to get such wares from a Chinatown near you. You place this jar loaded with all your ingredients and top the jar up with water or stock. Place this jar in a pot of water with a stand to hold your jar. This is similar to "steaming" your soup. In fact, some traditional restaurants use their commercial steamer to boil these soups in individual ceramic jars. I found some jars made for double boiling that are quite new age (still very traditional looking), yet slightly fancy. See picture on the right. (Note: I found this picture on the internet so it belongs to someone else) I'm quite determined to find a similar device.




Otherwise, you can invest in a double boiler (Planning to do that when my house is ready to move in). There is such a thing! I took this picture from Hospitality Products and I suppose you can also order it directly from them. They are an Australian wholesale company so they do not provide worldwide delivery. If you happen to be living Down Under, there's where you can go to for all your culinary wares. Some departmental stores carry them too. I understand WMF has this in their ranges too but the capacity is a tad small.




Ingredients:
1 fresh whole chicken (skin removed)
1-2 fresh/dried large abalone (If you're using smaller abalones, gauge the quantity depending on its size)
5-6 dried scallops (Yew Chyu) - The most amazing ingredient of all and I add it in all my soup recipes 
5-6 dried mushrooms
4 pieces of spare ribs
1 handful of wolfberries (Only to be added towards the end. Throw in towards the last 15 mins of boiling) 
3 sticks of Huai Shan "淮山" (Dried Chinese Yam) 


This soup will require a good 4-5 hours of boiling so get yourself a good book. Prior to the double boiling, I will pre-boil the meats in a separate put to remove as much scum as possible, making it easier to reach the consommé state that I would like to achieve. You will also need to soak the abalone (if it's dried), dried scallops, dried mushrooms and wolf berries prior to adding them to the ceramic jar.


My Mom loves to check on the soup and the water level often so that she can remove the scum that floats to the top but I will refrain from doing that as it greatly affects the temperature of the soup. Avoid seasoning the soup until the very end, just before serving.  


So bring the water to boil on high then turn the heat down and let it steam. The end result - You should get this wonderful clear soup that's absolutely comforting.


Some of you might think that the abalone, now tender and pretty much tasteless will go to waste. Here's a way to whip up another great dish. Using some ginger and spring onion, fry it until it's at the legendary "golden brown" state, remove the ginger and spring from the oil. Add some stock, oyster sauce, a dash of dark soya sauce and some rock sugar. Add in the abalone and cook for about 45 minutes until the sauce is reduced.