A slab pie, in my opinion, is the best way to serve dessert to a crowd. Instead of baking your pie in a round tin, as is traditional, it’s baked in one big sheet pan.
Cut into squares, everyone gets their own “slab” of pie!
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This post is brought to you in partnership with Joule: Sous Vide by ChefSteps. Use discount code SIMPLY on checkout through 11:59 pm EST October 1, 2017 for $30 off when you buy the Joule at ChefSteps.com!
After cooking salmon sous vide, I am convinced that this is the only way that salmon — and all fish, really — should be cooked. Period. Full stop. Forever and ever. For reasons which will shortly become clear.
But perfectly cooked salmon isn’t the only thing this recipe has going for it. No, the other attraction is that this sous vide recipe makes an outstanding freezer meal.
Having a few of these teriyaki salmon fillets prepped in the freezer and ready to cook sous vide is a lifesaver on nights when other dinner plans go awry.
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James Buckroyd is a professional product designer who happens to be addicted to cycling and is always seeking out the perfect route and the perfect piece of gear. He blogs at BuckyRides.com. His last review was Chrome’s Hondo backpack.
Last week I headed to Interbike Vegas 2017, where cycling industry veterans gathered to show off the latest trends and technology in cycling. The first two days of Interbike were the “Outdoor Demo,” where cycling industry pros get to view and ride new bicycles, followed by three days of trade show. With three exhibition halls full of gear, Interbike gives you a glimpse of the future.
Trends
“Smart” becomes integrated
The influx of smart technologies is finally surfacing in the bicycle world, from integrated GPS on e-bikes to speakerphones in helmets. Electronic technologies are blurring the lines between accessories and finding themselves in new products and previously mechanical-only items.
Electricity opens the door for more riders
E-bikes, e-bikes and more e-bikes. For those deep in the cycling world, the mention of motors on a bike can be controversial and start a passionate discussion, whether in regard racing or bike lane etiquette. Without being political, I can say the amount of diversity in e-bikes this year has exploded: Mountain, road, commuter, commuter drop bar, cruiser, folding and cargo bikes. There are more consumer options from the lower price points to $10,000 luxury urban transportation, catering to a wide range of categories with technology platforms from Bosch, Yamaha and Shimano.
Safety is king
In years past, the speedy lines of high end road bikes and the new geometries of mountain bikes led the way. Now, safety is king and accessories that provide safety and visibility are growing – from turn indicators built into helmets to GPS safe traffic routing. The bike light market is moving into the equivalent of the auto industries daytime running lights and hi viz is a staple in apparel lines. As an industry priority, safety is here to stay and technological developments only push things forward.
Innovations
The area of new exhibitors revealed helmet maker Annee London. The new helmet design is made from dense fabric material, which folds like a candy wrapper down to the size of an ipad mini. Pretty cool in itself. The material is said to have a 6-7 year life and have a much higher impact absorption than regular helmets. The innovation was inspired by personal empathy and while what you see here are development prototypes, I cannot wait to see if this starts any sparks in the industry.
Ever wrecked your bikes by running them into the top of your garage? If it hasn’t happened to you, you probably know someone who has and the damage to the bikes and the car are not minor. Raacked decided to take this on with some gadget wizardry. An ultrasonic sensor mounted on your roof rack measures proximity and when it senses an obstacle it wirelessly triggers a warning system on the inside your car. $125 to prevent thousands in damage–that’s an easy one in my mind. Raacked is aiming to go to market at approx. $125 a unit in the early 2018 timeframe, and is looking to bring a kickstarter to life soon: www.raacked.com.
Speaking of e-bikes, Stromer, a well known brand, had a couple of special editions with an impressive list of features: The LTD ST2 (only 555 of which will be made globally) and the top of the line ST2S. Stromer make the flagship of e-bikes and these come at flagship prices, $7,999 and $9,999. Packed full of tech, the Swiss have thought out every detail on this rear-wheel-drive e-bike. GPS tracking, remote bike locking, theft motor disablement, electronic diagnostics, 110 mile range, integrated smart lighting, variable brake lighting and get this -regenerative electricity to charge the battery while going down hills (how much charge would you get out of Thompson/ Cornell from skyline?). All this comes in a stylish package built with the quality of a German car.
SKS launched a line of clever lighting products integrated to stem and rear fender called Monkey Link. As well as being highly visible and stylish, the products include a powerful assisted magnetic snap attachment for easy on and off, and also internal wiring integration (called connect) is provided for e-bikes. Rear fender lights are $29 to $35, front lights from $59 to $99.
Local Hits
Tim from Kool Stop, based in Lake Oswego, brought a few new products to the show, including e-bike specific brake pads and revised compounds on their classic orange/black combination pads.
Being a huge cat fan, Meghan from Nutcase Helmets in Portland was really excited to tell us about the great success of the quirky “Space Cats.” This irreverent yet adorable design seems to appeal to a lot of people.
Also for 2017/2018 from Nutcase: a new color palette for the Tracer helmet line, whose minimal modern looks have a lot of appeal to various types of riders from the commuter to the mountain biker. On the arty side, Nutcase is currently looking for new entrants in their Artist series, which encourages submissions of designs for helmets.
Joel from Lake Oswego-based Yakima Racks really wanted to talk about a nifty new product to make life a little easier. Anyone with a hitch knows that it can really get in the way when accessing other gear in the car or truck. The BackSwing ($299, available April 2018) allows you to swing out any hitch rack (tray or mast style) – well out of the way even with bikes loaded, extending out and rotating the rack 90 degrees. This means getting gear in the back of the car and carrying bikes has never been quicker, easier and less bruises on your ankles. It’s a slick little mod that can also retrofit a lot of existing hitch mounted racks rated to 250lbs.
Yakima also announced a special edition Camo Skyrise tent colab with Poler available for the holiday season.
Made in The USA
Phil Wood came out with a new rear hub system, the 2nd generation consisting of 5 double row pawls and a 40 engagement points on the ratchet ring, for better faster power transfer. The new design also has the advantage of easy servicing with common tools and replaceable pawls. Phil also launched this cute mini hub for Bromton wheels plus a 1 1/8 to 1.5″ headset.
— James Buckroyd, @jbucky1 on Twitter
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This is the fourth installment of our Women’s Bike Month interview series written by Steph Routh. This content is sponsored by the Community Cycling Center and Gladys Bikes.
Black Girls Do Bike is a national organization with over 75 local chapters. The organization was created to champion efforts introducing the joy of cycling to all women, but especially black women and girls.
Keyonda McQuarters stepped up as the Portland Chapter’s admin for about a year now and has been leading two rides on average per week ever since. She is so excited about BGDB that she was willing to spend time with me on her birthday at Bipartisan Cafe talking about it.
Why did you decide to lead the Portland chapter of Black Girls Do Bike?
I’ve been leading Black Girls Do Bike for a year now, and I think one the of the challenges is overcoming barriers, real or perceived, that inhibit Black women from being present and involved in the bike community. Every time I’m on my bike, I’m always looking for me. I’m looking for women who look like me. While I do see them, they are few and far between. One of my goals is knocking down those barriers, of creating a community that welcomes Black women.
There’s this stigma in the Black community that cycling is just a mode of transportation when you’re poor. I use my bike a lot, and so it’s about working against those stereotypes.
I want to create a space that is welcoming where I can say, “I will ride with you.” They might not know how to start, or they might feel more comfortable riding in a group with people who look like them.
How did your relationship to cycling begin?
I have been riding since I was four years old. So to be reintroduced to that as an adult, to be reacquainted to it as an adult, and to acquaint your children with biking. That’s been it.
I grew up in Chicago. If you read the cycling magazines right now, it’s one of the top biking cities. But 10-12 years ago, that was not the case. So when I tried to find avenues to take my children biking in Chicago, it was a whole event. You had to find a route. You would drive to the lake. And you wouldn’t see families like ours that bike.
One thing that you learn about Portland when researching it is, it’s such a bike-friendly city. But when I got here, I didn’t see people like me biking. You see people in spandex groups on the Steel Bridge. I had to tell myself that you don’t have to look like that to ride.
How do people find the group?
Social media is our biggest point of contact. It’s so funny. When I took it over last year, it had been in existence but had been dormant. So I just said, “I’m leading a ride.”
I would do these videos and would post them to the page. I would post about me riding, about my family riding. I’d just post as much as I could. Then my friends, they said, “You look like you’re having fun. I want to ride too!” One friend just started a PhD program, and she got a bike and a bag and she’s commuting to class. I am happy to be the gateway to that. I’m proud of that.
A lot of people say “I rode my bike a lot when I was a kid.” And I would ask them how they felt when they rode, and they say, “Oh, it was so much fun.” And I try to encourage them to feel that again.
Some people say that they can’t afford a bike. I say that it’s about the bike you have access to. Don’t not come because you don’t have the right bike. I still feel that way sometimes. I have a hybrid, and that’s what I ride, and it’s the right bike for me in this moment.
How did it feel to lead your first ride? Were you nervous?
Of course. I had started riding with this group called Biking Betties. It was led by this wonderful ride leader. The more I biked with Biking Betties, the more I learned about Portland. The city looks different on a bike. She made me feel so confident that I wanted to help other people feel that way.
So I went to Black Girls Do Bike and led a ride. I thought: What if I get lost? What if I get turned around? But I decided, Forget it, I’m just going to lead this ride. And people showed up, like three or four people to our first ride. And they trusted me. I had never done a group ride before Biking Betties. I made a commitment after that to do two rides a week—one during the week, and one on the weekend.
Do other people sometimes lead?
Sometimes. There are some regulars who come. I went on vacation back to Chicago this summer. So when I was gone, three people led rides. They took pictures. One led a ride to Peninsula Park. Another person did the Springwater. Another did a neighborhood ride. We have a lot more women riding, a lot more Black women riding. I tell people that you don’t have to lead a ride like me. Do what you’re comfortable doing.
What are some of the anxieties about cycling you hear from first-time riders?
I hear a lot, “Well, I’m slow.” So I make sure to emphasize that this is a no-drop ride; the newest person sets the pace. People are concerned that they will hold the group back, but we are part of a community.
A lot of people don’t know how to ride with traffic. So I tell them we’ll do a mix of trails and signals. We go over traffic signals and rules. This makes people feel more comfortable. I also try to have a seasoned rider in the back. There’s a video from last year on our Facebook page of someone who said, “I had never ridden in traffic before, and you make me feel so great.” I love that. I love to ride in the city and don’t want to just ride bike trails.
How about racial profiling? How does that factor into group conversations?
We do talk about that in Black Girls Do Bike. But I want people to feel safe. It’s walking a very fine line. There are times when a couple of women and I are biking, and that truck drives just a little too close. And I know we all ask, is it because I’m a cyclist, or because I’m a woman, or because I’m a Black woman?”
Sometimes there is a White person at a crosswalk, and I’m riding behind a car, and I see cars stop. But then I can be at a crosswalk, and I will be waiting a long time. Those are not the battles you fight, because they are not the battles you can win, and you just end up being exhausted.
What is a dream you have for the city?
[laughs] I’m laughing because that’s so multi-faceted. I’ll just say this: before we moved to Portland, some of the things you hear is that Portland is so liberal and welcoming and accepting. So as a Black woman, you come expecting one thing. But when you get here, you see something totally different. I think Portland is comfortable with the reputation of being liberal, welcoming, and accepting without being liberal, welcoming, and accepting.
I would love to see a Portland that lives up to that reputation. That there is a frame of equity working for everyone. A person who doesn’t have a house, the issues facing our schools, gentrification, all of that. I would like to see a Portland that really wants to solve and address those things that keep this great city from being great. I really love living here, but there are some things that keep it from being great. And it doesn’t have to be that way.
Who would you Red Rover to make that dream happen?
I would simply Red Rover the people of Portland, the people who call this city home and say, “Together, let’s make this great city good. Let’s all get uncomfortable. Let’s all be willing to get our hands dirty and to sacrifice, to share in the burdens of a neighbor, of a stranger even.” What if we were all willing to see this child as my child, as this older person as my parent? I would call on the people of Portland. This is our place.
How can White people support Black Girls Do Bike?
I can say that in our community, we have some wonderful allies who are part of our group and have supported me in moving from the desire to lead a ride, to a person who could actually lead a ride. I love having them there. I think one of the ways in which White men and White women can support us is to create an intentional space where Black women can feel welcome, where Black women are able to take the lead, where Black women feel like the space was intentionally created for us.
I went on a ride with another group, and I was the only Black woman. It was assumed that I couldn’t ride. There were so many assumptions that came with this group. Had I not been a seasoned rider and felt competent, I probably wouldn’t have gone on the ride. But I did. It was a long ride, and when we took a coffee break, a White man came up and said, “Oh you really can ride.” My response was, “Yes, I ride a little.” But before, I was completely invisible because I was engulfed by these perceptions. We come to these spaces and we are invisible.
Just see me as a bike rider that came here to come on this ride. We just want to ride. Assume she just wants to ride. I just want to ride my bike and be with people who want to ride with me.
Who are your sheroes?
My mother, I would have to say. She just taught me so many things. How to overcome obstacles, to move beyond stereotypes, how to follow my heart. To watch her create that for me, with what could be perceived as limited resources, was nothing short of amazing. And after that, Michelle Obama!
— Steph Routh is the communications director for the Community Cycling Center.
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Job Title *
Customer Experience Specialist Full Time
Company/Organization *
Velotech
Job Description *
This position is responsible for responding to customer phone calls, emails, and for working directly with customers in our store. Customer Experience Specialists provide product information, advice and order assistance. Qualified Customer Experience Specialists also review orders and price match requests and assist with site content, including product reviews, photos and descriptions.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
Answer product questions & assist with the order process
Analyze customer questions, troubleshoot, and provide clear answers in an efficient and professional manner
Develop trust and loyalty with consumers and build value in our brands
Navigate a sophisticated order processing system
Generate performance reports and recommend improvements
Coordinate with Returns to assist customers with returns and exchanges
Assist walk-in customers with product questions and purchases
Retrieve products from the warehouse to assist walk-in customers
ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES:
Navigate a sophisticated order processing system
Work with Marketing to assist with customer-facing content, including site maintenance, product images and descriptions
Increase sales by genuinely helping customers learn about additional/alternative product options
MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS:
Basic computer skills
Strong knowledge of cycling
Previous customer service experience is a plus, as is sales, service and mechanical experience in the cycling industry
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES:
Excellent communication and organizational skills
Solid knowledge of cycling products
Ability to work in a high volume, fast-paced environment
Ability to work independently or with others to manage multiple task with minimal supervision.
How to Apply *
http://ift.tt/2wo6rlt
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Nothing beats the taste of homemade applesauce, and it’s so easy to make! Every year, starting in mid summer with the Gravensteins, and through late fall with Granny Smiths and Fuji apples, my father processes dozens of batches of applesauce from apples picked from his trees.
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