#2 What I’ve Learned Cooking for an Olympic Champion
More truths from a gold medal Olympian’s kitchen
After fourteen months of quarantine and two doses of the Moderna vaccine, I returned to Portland to cook for Gwen Jorgensen, 2016 Olympic gold medalist in triathlon. Gwen is my daughter and I first wrote about my experiences cooking for her, her husband Patrick, and their 3-year-old son Stanley here.
Everything changes
After winning the gold medal in triathlon, Gwen transitioned to running and now trains and competes with the Bowerman Track Club. Her food habits also changed, some for athletic reasons, others for personal ones.
Food and the earth’s chemistry
In the last year, Gwen increased her awareness of the environmental effects of meat and seafood production. She now experiments with plant-based proteins because she believes they are better for the earth. She also derives more protein these days from beans, lentils, tofu, and eggs.
Food and the body’s chemistry
And Gwen has become more sensitive to her body’s reaction to dairy. Especially on hard training days, she avoids dairy to minimize gastrointestinal issues.
In the two weeks my husband and I stayed at Gwen’s house, I incorporated her changing preferences into several meals. I also observed Patrick’s dishes, altered to accommodate her evolving diet.
Breakfast
As usual, everyone was on their own for breakfast, although Gwen made extra oatmeal for anyone who asked.
While we visited, Gwen and I discussed and collaborated on the middle-grade biography I’m writing about her journey from CPA to Olympic gold medalist. Since her typical breakfast is easy enough for a kid to make, we included it in the manuscript, and I will share it here.
Sweet or Savory Oats
Servings: 1–2 professional athletes
Ingredients
2 cups water or 1 1/2 cups water plus 1/2 cup full-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
1–2 bananas, sliced
Toppings
1/4 cup blueberries and/or walnuts (for sweet version)
or 1–2 eggs, poached (for savory version)
1/2 cup full fat or dairy-free milk
cinnamon to taste
salt to taste
Directions
Method 1: In a medium saucepan, bring water and/or milk and 1/4 teaspoon salt to boil. Stir in rolled oats and bananas. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat; cover and let stand for 2 minutes. Add toppings.
Method 2: The night before, add boiling water and oats to a pot. (Do not use milk for this method.) Allow to sit overnight on the counter. In the morning, add salt and bananas and cook on the stovetop for 2-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 2 minutes. Add toppings.
Oats can be made in a rice maker when traveling.
Lunch
Before Gwen left for training each day, we discussed our midday meal: what, when, preparation style. Lunch was almost always a vegetable salad plus a carbohydrate (rice, white potato, sweet potato, etc.). When we deviated from that, it was because she opted to use leftovers and avoid wasting food.
Below are some highlights.
Eggs, Eggs, Eggs
One morning before lunch, Gwen appeared on IGTV’s Olympic Channel, cooking egg drop soup. Her soup kick-started the day’s lunch. Since it was shortly after Easter, there were still a dozen boiled eggs in the refrigerator. Gwen suggested egg salad. For the creamy base, I used hummus and added celery, pickle, pickle juice, jalapeno, and curry powder. Gwen and Patrick ate their egg salad on gluten-free bread while Stanley, my husband, and I chose whole wheat.
For our salad, I used the food processor to slice apples, celery, and onion. I dressed the bowl with freshly squeezed lemon juice whisked with olive oil and salt.
Another day, I noticed still more eggs in the fridge. While Gwen ran outside, and my husband and Stanley built a Hot Wheels city, I peeled and made deviled eggs. I experimented with hummus and chile crunch — Patrick’s favorite new ingredient. He loved them, but Gwen said she preferred Pete and Gerry’s Mexican Street Corn Deviled Eggs.
A more typical lunch
Most days, I constructed a vegetable salad. One creation included
- spinach, radish, red, yellow, and orange mini-peppers, snap peas, onion, broccoli, tomato, and shredded golden beet, with avocado on top (picture above)
The dressing for this was an emulsion of
- one clove of garlic smashed into a teaspoon of salt, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, a teaspoon of dry mustard, a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, ground pepper
The carbohydrate of the day was red potatoes, diced and roasted with olive oil, basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and s&p.
Experiments
Once a week, Portland’s Organics to You delivers a box to Gwen and Patrick’s doorstep. It’s filled with fruits, vegetables, and specials orders they might request like meat or grocery staples. The week I was there, the box included parsnips. After researching recipes, I tried a raw, sliced parsnip and apple salad with lemon/olive oil dressing. I wasn’t happy with the texture of the parsnips (I should have chosen a finer slice on the food processor) but Gwen is always curious about new preparations and said she liked the experiment.
For the rest of the parsnips, she suggested a mash. So, the next day I boiled the remaining parsnips with a few white potatoes and sweet potatoes, then mashed to a smooth consistency and stirred in some miso paste. Much better!
Dinner
For the week we were there, Patrick prepared several of our evening meals. He has a wide repertoire of recipes that he is always adjusting to meet Gwen’s needs. Note his use of non-meat proteins in many of these entrees. All were accompanied by a fresh salad.
Pasta and ratatouille
Gwen and Stanley made homemade semolina linguine with her pasta roller. We topped the noodles with Patrick’s ratatouille bake that included a variety of tomatoes, vegetables, and beans.
Vegetarian chili
Patrick created a tomato base, then added vegetables and beans. We topped it with yogurt and shredded cheese. I made a side of double corn cornbread.
Steak dinner
Although Gwen and Patrick have cut back on meat consumption, they are not vegetarians. One day Patrick felt like steak and stopped at the butcher shop for a top cut of beef.
Lentil spaghetti with red sauce
Patrick boiled Barilla red lentil spaghetti (Gwen’s favorite brand and shape) and we topped it with his marinara made from San Marzano tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, ground Brazil nuts, and ground pine nuts.
Rice bowls
Patrick roasted vegetables, sauteed tofu, boiled rice in the rice maker, and blended a ginger cashew sauce. We each created our own bowls, choosing which ingredients to emphasize.
Treats
Marshmallows, chocolate, pizza, bread. We enjoyed them all because food is fuel, but it’s also a pleasure.
Sweet treat
I know Gwen loves marshmallows, so before our trip, I made Alton Brown’s marshmallow recipe and dipped a few squares in chocolate. I brought them with me in a plastic container. Several nights, Gwen and Stanley roasted some on the gas stove’s open flame.
Savory treat
Stanley loves pizza. He also loves to help in the kitchen. I gave Patrick a break and made a pizza dinner, with Stanley kneading the dough and my husband creating the toppings. For Gwen, we made a no-cheese variety, for Stanley a pepperoni, and for the third, a vegetarian cheese. We had enough for leftovers the next day.
The preparation was the treat
With extra bananas in the freezer, Gwen, Stanley, and I made a gluten-free banana bread recipe. We let Stanley measure, pour, and stir. The online recipe included just bananas, oats, eggs, maple syrup, and baking soda. We omitted the chocolate chips because we didn’t have any so it was not too sweet, but it was very dense. The next time, I would add salt.
Antioxidant treat
Several times, I spied Gwen indulging her love of dark chocolate with one small square. And most days, I put a miniature Easter candy in Stanley’s lunch box.
My takeaways
- The best athletes are eager to learn and adapt. They evolve and change their diet and food habits as they develop an awareness about themselves or the world.
- Athletes are no different than you or me. When foods are plentiful or need to be used, they look for ways to incorporate an unfamiliar ingredient or prepare a new dish.
- One versatile, healthy ingredient can transform the kitchen. Gwen and Patrick’s current favorite is miso, and now it’s mine too. I came home ready to incorporate it into salads dressings, cooked greens, soups, sauces.
- Food is more than fuel. It allows us to work and play together, creates family memories, and satisfies our cravings. Food is meant to be enjoyed and that might happen with a family-shared preparation, the novelty of a new ingredient, a fresh take on a recipe, or the company at the table.
There are more insights into our family food traditions in Go, Gwen, Go: A Family’s Journey to Olympic Gold, co-authored with my older daughter Elizabeth, published by Meyer & Meyer Sport.
