Chia and Pinole for Great Athletes Who Aren’t Great Runners
Ever since the publication of Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run, a barefoot and minimalist running trend has swept America, based on the author’s examination of Mexico's Tarahumara people. He also talks of the benefits of eating two other "superfoods" for athletes. Pinole Pinole seems to describe any of a variety of forms of parched or roasted corn, ground into a flour and combined with water and some spices or sugar. It can be made into a drink, an oatmeal-like paste, or baked to form a more-portable “cake.” Here’s a recipe I made using regular cornmeal; you can change the proportions and spices to suit your taste. If you don’t want to toast your own corn, you can get pinole at Amazon.com. (Note: Masa harina is probably more authentic than cornmeal, since that corn has been treated with lime, the way the Tarahumara maize is.) Ingredients: 1/2 cup masa harina (harina preparada which is hominy finely ground for tortilla preparation, also makes a good batch) 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 Tbsp brown sugar, honey, or agave nectar Toast the harina in a skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until it turns light brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, mix in cinnamon, and sweetener or other spices, and desired amount of water. If you add just a few tablespoons of water instead and mix, you get a porridge consistency. Some advise that, alternatively, you can bake the paste at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes until it has the texture of a brownie. This more portable form is better for carrying on a long run, and a good alternative to sugary energy gels. However, it is crumbly and not my favorite preparation. Chia fresca recipe
