Black Bean and Yam Burritos

Let's get something out of the way. I love meat. No, that's not quite right- I LOVE meat. I love a good steak, fried chicken, bacon, sausage, burgers, elk, beef, pronghorn, venison. I've eaten porcupine and bear but I'm not really a fan.

But I'm not so singular in culinary purpose as to eschew foodstuffs that are not sentient. Broccoli, for me, is the perfect vegetable- it lasts long in the fridge, is good raw in a salad and is best (I think) when steamed briefly, just to a bright emerald and eaten with only sea salt and fresh-cracked pepper. I cook zucchini on the grill and sometimes bread and fry it. Red peppers are not only beautiful and sultry but can take center stage or be part of the supporting cast with equal aplomb. Corn on the cob can be sweet enough to be candy.

I could go on. I haven't even gotten to grains and legumes yet (yes they're also plants but will be different for the sake of this discussion.)

My point- Hoping to (probably futilely) offset my lunch of 4 pieces of fried chicken today, I had an appetizer of steamed frozen veggies (adequately tasty) and a yam and black bean burrito (divine). I'll share the makings of the burrito.

I was first introduced to this particular gem about fourteen years and 2500 miles ago. My mountain biking friends and I would make an annual trip to Mount Snow, Vermont to see the northeast stage of the NORBA national mountain bike series. All the big shots would show up, those racers who took their jobs very seriously would stay in condos, those who savored every chance to live a little (and who didn't get paid as well) camped. We'd camp and take part in the evening's revelry, evidence of which I'm glad did not get on the internet. The following morning we'd ride to the Mt. Snow base lodge and amble around the expo area and team trucks. Once the effects from the previous night fully kicked in (around 11am) we desperately needed food, preferably meeting these requirements:

• cheap
• yummy
• nutritious
• ample
• cheap

As we're strugging through throngs of mountain bike fans (annoying, much like we were), racers (holy shit! that's John Tomac!), racers' girlfriends (whoa...so...hot...) we found Don.

If I were to say the words, "Crunchy Vermont Hippie", you'd probably conjure an image in your head, and that would probably (with varying amounts of facial hair) more or less resemble Don, proprietor of Don's Benevolent Burritos. A clean-shaven (really!), perpetually tie-dye wearing mellow and very cool guy, Don would drive to mountain bike races in the northeast in his VW bus (about a '76 or thereabouts). Once there, he would let his adorable son run around (River, I think his name is) as he set up his...setup. After a race or hard night one could walk up to Don, hand over a few dollars, and recieve a flour tortilla with black beans, sweet potato, and his homemade salsa, which had many more varieties of vegetables than I was used to.
For those few dollars, you got affordable, filling, and tasty sustenance. You also got an instantaneous connection with him when he handed you your burrito as he looked deep into your eyes for a split second that lasted an hour. "Friend, I made this burrito with my soul. There is a power in these humble vegetables and I would be most gratified if you used it for good," is what he said without moving his lips. When each of us obtained one, we would sit and consume without uttering any words. Nourishment indeed.
Only once did I eat two. I couldn't move for a half hour. Fitting punishment for gluttony.

I never did talk to Don about recipes. But in the following years I have tried (sometimes in vain) to replicate it. All attempts were tasty failures.

Tonight, however, I got close. In the spirit of Don's benevolence, I will share it:

First, make salsa, preferably the day before-

• Tomatoes (I used canned diced- the only quasi-prepared item here)
• Onion, chopped coarsely
• Garlic, plenty (and fresh)
• a Jalapeño, chopped (leave out seeds if you don't want it too hot)
• Cilantro, fresh and plentiful
• Red cabbage, a leaf or two and sliced thin
• Carrot, some, shredded
• Sea or Kosher salt

Play with the quantities. Put in a container. Mix. Leave in the fridge for a day before eating. This will keep for a week or so but will lose its zest after about 3-5 days.

Burrito:

• Yams or sweet potatoes, previously baked
• Black beans, preferably not canned
• Sharp cheddar (my current favorite is Cabot Hunter's Cheddar- Seriously Sharp!)
• Chili powder
• Goya Adobo (if you don't have any, you can use salt, garlic, pepper, and a bit (NOT TOO MUCH) of cumin)

Put everything except cheddar in a pan. Heat and spice to taste. Mix pretty well. Homogenization should not be a goal here. I like to put the cheese in the tortilla first but you can cheese it as you prefer. I just like to have a bit of segregation between my cheese and beany yams- makes every bite have a little different balance. Top with salsa, roll, and eat. Glow with satisfaction.

And there you have it. Even if you're an avowed carnivore, I think this will prove to be more than satisfying (did I really just write that?)

-John

Inauguration Night

First, a bit of background:
At the time I started to develop political awareness I leaned towards the right. This was the result of two factors:

1. My mother, whom I lived with, is very conservative. Very.
   
2. My childish (it's ok, I was one) response to people who annoyed me was to veer away from them and the ideas they espoused.
   

Therefore, I considered myself a Conservative Republican.
As I aged and met people I realized that this method of understanding the world was not very productive, especially since most of my friends happened to lean a bit to the left. I didn't turn my back on conservative doctrine- I grew to appreciate what aspects of "conservative" made sense as well as those components of "liberal". From this, I developed- no, am constantly developING what I consider a rational independence (I'll stop cultivating my beliefs when I'm dead). Moving from my native New York to relatively independent (and fiercely anti-Federalist) Montana helped that along nicely.

One of the signs that I'm headed in the right track is that I still feel like an outcast. The GOP thinks I'm soft and devoid of conviction while the Democrats sneer at my desire for small government and formidable military. I'm fervently for respecting and saving the environment, but I realize that there's a need to cut down trees and dig mines. Yes, it's tough. It's life. It's supposed to be tough.

And that's what irks me about our traditional system of partisan politics. There's no room for an individual or group who can think about the issues and get to work on resolving problems in the manner that is best for the citizenry, corporations, and the Earth. Republicans and Democrats alike reward compliance. This is reflected at all levels of political involvement- from the innermost workings of the Capitol to a loose-knit group of folks who voted for the same guy.

I am hopeful for our country. I put my trust in Obama and gave him my vote. I long for an America where we can work together and continue our legacy as the greatest nation. Listening to NPR today, it seems that in a racial sense this is possible. But when I read the level of jeering on Twitter directed at Bush (and it doesn't matter if one feels it's justified) I don't think the future's so rosy. I hope I'm wrong.

-John

Success Through Successive Failure

Today I read an article about Honda and a series of documentary-style videos they have up at www.Dreams.Honda.com. The point that really hit home, for me was "Failure: Secret To Success".

This is especially poignant in light of the last couple of years I've experienced. At the end of a lengthy relationship, I worked to create something, something great, instead of dwelling on where I'd gone wrong. In this time, I've attempted to:

• start a local bike-messenger company
• start a bike-centered t-shirt "business" on Cafepress
• help start an electric-bike business
• learn how to vacuum-form polycarbonate
• learn how to braze bike frames
• start a bike company with a friend
• learn HTML and make a website about mountain biking in the area
• learn how to make bamboo composites
• write a book
• write short stories
• develop a professional relationship with local business owners and the aforementioned mountain bike website
• learn how to DJ
• and a few other things I thought were great but lost interest in or gave up on

Looking at that list I feel like a schmuck. For a good part of this past year I was pretty hard on myself for having the ability to create good and useful things and concepts but not ever actually following through with them. That's not to say that all of those ideas are worth pursuing. Some of them I genuinely lost interest in, some I decided rationally that they were not worth developing further. But it still floats there as a scepter of failure.
However, lately I've had a little bit different mindset. A few things happened in the last few months that reinforced the fact that I have ability and talent. And really all that I needed was a little nudge to see that. Today's article on Honda is an example:

The "Failure: The Secret to Success" includes a raft of engineers confessing their failures and how failure is inherent to advances in engineering. IndyCar driver Danica Patrick is featured speaking about her worst moment as an IndyCar racer, crashing at a race in Homestead, Fla.

The more I look at that list, the less it looks like evidence of failed ideas and more like banked experience.

-JF

Why

A few years ago while sitting in a class on Excel I started my first blog. The Bozeman Fix was originally intended to be a landing strip (or more accurately, a target range) for my ideas and thoughts, mostly involving cycling and primarily fixed-gear bikes. In the last three years, it has developed into the de facto voice of Bozeman's growing cycling culture. By bringing Sam, Casey, and Mason into the blog the breadth of writing has grown to encompass all aspects of the cycling scene here in the Gallatin Valley while also being inclusive of other interests fellow bike geeks have.
At the same time The Fix has grown and developed, my interests and goals have steadily evolved. Hence, the point of this blog. I am intending this to partly assume the original role of The Bozeman Fix while allowing for more personal opinions and thoughts, things that might not be a proper fit on The Fix. As always, please leave comments, I savor the opportunity to have an intelligent discussion with anyone.

Thanks,
John