Olympic Appetites Olympic Food Service Caters To The Delicate Balance Of Cultural And Training Diets

Few athletes would dare dine on Thai chicken satay, Russian borscht, Peking duck, Moroccan couscous, Greek moussaka, Spanish paella, Italian tiramisu and Georgia peach cobbler before a competition.

But all’s fair at the food table following the events at this summer’s Olympic Games in Atlanta, which officially begin two Fridays from now. (The Olympic Village opened for business Saturday.)

Recognizing that many of the 15,000 athletes and officials will want to load up on carbohydrates, the food service management firm Aramark is providing three hot pasta stations featuring choices from linguini to pumpkin ravioli, with a selection of sauces and toppings.

Nutritional data is posted for all recipes. And dietitians, with computer backup, are on hand to provide more detailed information, down to amino acids.

To accommodate people from 197 countries, quick-read pictograms identify protein sources - pig, steer, dairy cow, sheep, chicken, eggs, milk - in unfamiliar dishes for those unable to read the English-French-Spanish signs.

Serving an estimated 5 million meals in 33 days could be a nightmare, but Philadelphia-based Aramark - with food experience from nine previous Olympiads - is ready.

It has to plan menus to satisfy everyone from 70-pound gymnasts to 300-pound weightlifters, sprinters to marathoners, teenagers to adults. Plus, Aramark is overseeing the public concessions, which are expected to handle more than 2 million spectators.

Olympic meals are about more than just food. The dining tent is where athletes meet, former Olympian Steve Lundquist says.

“I traveled the world a bunch, and people everywhere want you to try their food,” said the Georgia-born Lundquist, a two-time gold medalist in swimming in 1984.

However, he added: “Unfamiliar foods can throw an athlete off the mark. The more variables you have in training, the more problems arise and the less consistent your performance.

“In ‘84 we were in Los Angeles, so I didn’t have to worry about time change, or language or a change of food.”

The athletes’ dining tent is a 75,000-square-foot, 3,500-seat, enclosed, air-conditioned model set up next to a 25,000-square-foot, modular kitchen assembled on a parking lot at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

According to Aramark, the athletes will consume 665 pounds of anchovies, 15,498 pounds of asparagus, 3,333 pounds of blackeyed peas, 48,000 dozen eggs, 25,000 pounds of mushrooms, 32,800 pounds of margarine and 34,000 pounds of rice (not to mention 2,656 coconut custard pies).

“Athletes eat a tremendous amount of salads, breads and carbohydrates when they’re training, but after their competitions, they are more likely to hit the proteins, fats, sugars and desserts,” said Doug Bradley, Aramark’s executive chef at the Convention Center.

The Atlanta menu, with more than 550 recipes, includes winners from Olympics past, such as a Salad Nicoise served in Lillehammer and the Paella Valenciana added in Barcelona, as well as new dishes and some Southern favorites. There will be three kinds of miso soup, a mainstay of the Japanese diet.

“And we have several plantain dishes. It’s a staple food of Africa and is used a lot in the Caribbean,” senior chef Louis Ferretti, heading up the culinary team for his fifth Olympics, said of the bananalike fruit.

Following are recipes for some Olympic World Menu dishes, so you too can eat like an athlete even if you’re just watching the games on TV. The bean salad, shrimp Tontine, chicken satay and peach cobbler are new additions for Atlanta.

Chickpea and Feta Salad

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

1 medium tomato, chopped

2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup chopped scallions

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon tomato juice

2 teaspoons ketchup

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Dash of Tabasco sauce

Dash of salt

In salad bowl, mix chickpeas, tomato, feta, scallions and parsley. In small bowl, whisk oil, tomato juice, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, Tabasco and salt. Add dressing to salad; toss to coat evenly. Chill.

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 97 calories, 3 grams protein, 8 grams carbohydrate, 6 grams fat (56 percent fat calories), 7 milligrams cholesterol, 322 milligrams sodium.

Sauce Tontine with Shrimp and Penne

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ounce pepperoni, cut in julienne strips

1/4 cup chopped ripe olives

1/4 cup anchovy fillets, drained

4 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

12 ounces penne pasta, uncooked

3/4 pound small cooked shrimp

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is tender. Add pepperoni, olives and anchovies. Cook, stirring occasionally, until anchovies dissolve to paste.

Add mushrooms; cook until limp. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, red pepper, oregano and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes.

In another pot, boil water for penne and cook as directed on package.

Stir shrimp into sauce. Remove from heat. Let stand to heat through.

When pasta is al dente, drain and place in serving bowl. Pour sauce over top. Toss gently. Garnish with parsley.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 566 calories, 18 grams protein, 43 grams carbohydrate, 13 grams fat (21 percent fat calories), 171 milligrams cholesterol, 973 milligrams sodium.

Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup cashews, toasted

1 tablespoon cilantro

1 tablespoon sesame seed oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cumin

2-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breast, cut in 1-inch strips

Spicy Peanut Sauce (recipe follows)

In blender, mix soy sauce, cashews, cilantro, sesame seed oil, salt, chili powder and cumin to a smooth paste. Rub marinade onto chicken. Cover; chill 2 hours or more.

Thread chicken onto 16 (12-inch) skewers. Grill or broil about 4 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.

Serve with Spicy Peanut Sauce.

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition information per serving, with Peanut Sauce: 376 calories, 25 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrate, 25 grams fat (60 percent fat calories), 46 milligrams cholesterol, 1221 milligrams sodium.

Spicy Peanut Sauce

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup coconut milk (unsweetened)

1/3 cup water cup sherry

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons grated ginger root

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Whisk or blend peanut butter, coconut milk, water, sherry, lemon juice, ginger root, soy, sugar and red pepper smooth. Chill.

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 197 calories, 7 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrate, 16 grams fat (73 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 247 milligrams sodium.

Salad Nicoise

1 pound small red potatoes, cooked, chilled, sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 pound fresh green beans, steamed, chilled

1 medium yellow pepper, seeded, cut in 1/4- by 2-inch strips

3 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)

1 (6-ounce) can large pitted black olives, drained

1/2 cup herbed vinaigrette dressing

1 pound fresh tuna, cut in 1-inch cubes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In salad bowl, combine potatoes, green beans, yellow pepper, tomatoes and olives. Toss gently with dressing to coat. Cover and chill.

Season tuna with salt and pepper (and place on skewers if grilling). Heat olive oil in skillet (or prepare grill and brush tuna with oil). Cook tuna, browning lightly on all sides, until just rare inside, about 5 minutes. Toss tuna with salad mixture. Garnish with parsley.

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 477 calories, 15 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrate, 32 grams fat (60 percent fat calories), 144 milligrams cholesterol, 859 miligrams sodium.

Georgia Peach Cobbler

8 peaches, sliced (about 6 cups)

1-1/4 cups sugar, divided

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 large eggs, beaten

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl, mix peaches, 1/2 cup of the sugar, lemon juice and almond extract. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish.

In a clean bowl, mix flour, remaining 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder, beaten eggs and melted butter just until moist but still lumpy. Do not overmix.

Spoon topping over peaches. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over all. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool on rack.

Yield: 12 servings, about 2/3 cups each.

Nutrition information per serving: 250 calories, 3 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrate, 9 grams fat (32 percent fat calories), 56 milligrams cholesterol, 135 milligrams sodium.