The Bike of Doom

File under: department of cycling related food.

A few questions might be popping into your head about now. For example, what the heck is Taco Soup? And, what the heck does Taco Soup have to do with riding a department store bike? Or perhaps, what the heck is a cockle, anyway? Never fear, all questions will be answered.

First, Taco Soup is a concoction of ground beef, whole tomatoes, kidney beans, pinto beans, corn, and seasoning. It is a thick and tasty meal closer to chili than to any soup I’ve ever had. It’s the kind of soup where the term “sticks to your ribs” actually has some meaning. It also has a tendency to stick to your shirt, but that’s beside the point. My wife found the recipe on the Internet and made a batch of this stuff that really takes the chill off a ride. Thanks, honey! That’s why I NEVER call her the Wife of Doom.

Second, Taco Soup really has nothing to do with cycling at all, but it’s not all about the bike, is it? Sometimes its about the snacks that go along with the bike, or in this case the big bowl of soup that keeps the engine going. I’m really curious as to the kinds of meals other winter cyclists look forward to after a long ride. I like the hot and sticky kind that make me feel less like an icicle and more like a human. However, if you’re intent on this blog “staying on topic”, I’ll put a picture of my bike on this page,too.

Three… Do you know what? Nobody really knows what the cockles of the heart are. The word apparently appeared in the 17th century, and the term “warm the cockles of the heart” is associated with a general feeling of inner warmth and peace. But here’s a good article that explains it all in detail. For me, being a Clydesdale Class cyclist, it’s definitely got a food connotation.

After all, we all know that the way to a man’s cockles is through his stomach.

Related posts:

Bike of Doom warms to winter thaw - 3384 Km

What advice do you give to a person riding a department store bike?

I survive my first week of winter bicycle commuting