Dasha Gaïazova

27 octobre 2006

The biggest lobster I ever devoured
Independence Day ’06 with my mom in Rhode Island

A long-time passion : FOOD !

I have a long-time passion and it is called FOOD. In fact any food-crazy Russian recipes from my grandma’s 1956 cookbook, traditional Quebec cuisine with lots of maple syrup, any authentic Asian food, Okanagan white wines, healthy airport food opportunities - I just love exploring and learning about it all. However, in order for me to try it, it has to be freshly prepared, possess at least some health benefits, contain only real products and most importantly, taste delicious.

In addition, as an athlete, I really put a lot of thought in my meals, ensuring that the food consumed will not be detrimental to my ski performance. Here are a few tips from Dasha’s kitchen :

1. Plan your meals ahead. This helps to make sure that your meal will include a variety of veggies and fruit, protein and liquids.

2. Experiment with new foods - there are dozens of healthy and nutritious grains, nuts, legumes, veggies and dairy products that can become your new favorite meal !

3. Dedicate some time to cooking and eating. This way you can fully enjoy cooking your lunch or dinner and then taking time to taste it !

4. Go homemade ! Try to make some of the food at home that you would usually buy prepared at the store. Homemade means fresh, more healthy, nutritious and cheaper than bought ! This goes beyond making homemade cookies- homemade pasta taste absolutely delicious and cost a fraction of premium store- bought variety. Also things like pizza crust, fresh-tomato pasta sauces and salsas, salad dressings, breads, soups, granola bars, chocolate truffles, jams and pies are much easier to make than you might think !

5. Add a new recipe to your repertoire once in a while. Hey, bust out that old recipe book or find some seasonal dish on the web and make it ! Try a new pie recipe, doesn’t matter if it is pumpkin pie or shepherd’s pie - make it, bake it and enjoy it with your family or good friends. For myself, I prefer recipes with photo of end product to motivate me for cooking.

Making noodles with my grandma - fun times !

6. Finally, a trick that I really like is cooking a big batch and then trading with my teammates. For example, today I might cook some lamb curry and give half of it to Chandra, and then in a few days she will share some of her lasagna with me !

You are what you eat, so enjoy eating and enjoy cooking - at the very least, cooking and sharing a simple meal created with lots of love is so much sexier than taking your date to some restaurant !

Good luck to you on the trails and in the kitchen !

Dasha Gaiazova

Dasha Gaiazova is a member of Team 2007 on the Canadian National Cross Country Ski Team. Dasha is National Champion in sprint, 10km and 5km disciplines. She is currently in Europe training for the start of her World Cup season.

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