Life In The Saddle

'Outside Is Free' by Henrik Orre arrives in a waterproof pouch with a titanium spork... a hint at the theme of this latest recipe book from Vélochef—this, is food for adventure. Henrik Orre is a Norwegian chef who was Head Chef for Team Sky Pro Cycling. His previous books ' Vélochef ' and ' Vélochef in Europe ' are two of my favourite recipe books; providing great insights into the nutritional science behind a professional cycling team—with fantastic ideas for performance enhancing and mouth-watering dishes that you can try at home. 'Outside Is Free' delves into Henrik's new passion... adventure cycling. With the rise of gravel bikes and back-of-beyond touring, this book is packed full of simple recipes that could be made when camping out in the wild. The focus of 'Outside Is Free' is less on the performance approach, and more on simple, wholesome, and satisfying natural nutrition. These recipes are meals to begin and end 'epic...

My copy of Henrik Orre's original 'Vélochef' (see my book review here ) is well thumbed, and well read. I have tried dozens of the recipes from the collection; all of them have been superb, as well as easy to follow. 'Vélochef in Europe' is Henrik's sequel release, and looks into four European regions, with 80 local recipes. Mallorca, Nice, Girona and Lombardy: four regions that are famed for their great riding, but also for their fantastic cuisine. Henrik combines both passions in this 'Vélochef in Europe'; inspiring you to experiment, and to get out and ride. The book is set out in the four different areas, and the exploration of both the riding and cuisine that can be found in each. Mallorca is the region that I am most familiar with, as I have visited the island on several occasions, including for the Mallorca312 and Mallorca1127 . I have always loved the Mediterranean cuisine that I have been served on the island, as well as the bike riding...

My previous reviews of Henrik Orre's 'Velochef' and 'Velochef in Europe' were super popular posts, and I continue to enjoy making the recipes on a regular basis. At the end of this month, Henrik launches an exciting new sequel - 'Outside Is Free'. Here is a great taster of the motivation and theme of the book. Look out for a review on lifeinthesaddle.cc coming soon.

Vélochef by Henrik Orre provides an engaging and very readable insight into the world of professional cycling nutrition. As the chef for Team Sky—one of the world's most successful professional cycling teams, Henrik developed an extensive library of performance maximising meals and snacks—designed to provide one of the significant marginal gains Team Sky were well known for. Henrik demonstrates how simple, natural, and flavourful meals are the key to success. Using ingredients that are easily processed by the body, his recipes are targeted at helping to fuel and repair/prepare the body for sport. From smoothies and juices, to rice cakes and risottos; these are simple and well known dishes, but with a real focus on natural performance ingredients. The book is separated out into Pre-Vélo, Vélo, and Après Velo—each section providing a selection of recipes to keep your taste buds tingling and your legs firing on all cylinders. The recipes themselves are simple to follow—with basi...