I鈥檓 driving through rolling, green countryside when things start to look more arid. Then, I鈥檓 in a cloud of dust. Dust, fine like talcum powder, on the ground and hanging in the air. This is where I鈥檓 going; it will be four and a half hours before I reach the Burning Man entry gates. Windstorms whip around my pickup truck as I crawl ahead. There are no gas stations and only occasional Porta Potties along the road that I abandon the truck to use. The logistics of life on the Playa are not for the faint of heart鈥揳nd I haven鈥檛 even officially arrived yet.

Each year, some 70,000 Burning Man attendees make this journey to Black Rock City in the Nevada desert. A community of creatives and adventure seekers constructs a pop-up city, lives together for a week, and then breaks it all back down to dust. As early arrivers鈥攎ostly people with special passes to build major projects鈥攖rickle in, the city seems to double in size and complexity every 24 hours. By Saturday, when most attendees arrive, it looks like you鈥檝e landed in a bustling, futuristic metropolis with lights that stretch out into the dark desert night and EDM coming from everywhere, all the time.

Once you鈥檝e shown your ticket at the gate, the Playa is a currency-free zone鈥攖here鈥檚 nowhere to buy anything, even basic supplies. What you eat, drink, and experience at Burning Man is entirely dependent on how well you plan, what you pack, and the generosity of the people you meet. This brings me to my first piece of advice for first-timers: Don鈥檛 go alone. You want to be invited along with people who have gone in the past, people who already know what they鈥檙e doing and will look out for each other. Here are some other tips I learned during my stay.

What to Bring to Burning Man

Even if you鈥檙e staying at an established camp with a group of seasoned Burners, there are still some things you鈥檙e going to want to bring for yourself. Number one is water. It鈥檚 something of an unspoken law of the Playa that, while people might offer to share all kinds of things with one another鈥攆ood, drinks, drugs, art鈥攁sking someone to share their water is off limits. The attitude is that it’s your responsibility to bring your own and make sure you don鈥檛 die. (Naturally, in the case of an actual emergency, people will lend one another a hand and there are medical services available, but not bringing yourself enough water is considered somewhere between a significant party foul and an offense to everything Burning Man represents.)

Start with five gallons of personal drinking water then add whatever additional water you need for cooking, washing yourself and your cookware, and anything else you might need. Need to have a cup of coffee to start your day? Then you鈥檒l need more water for that, too. If you鈥檙e staying with a camp, figure out in advance what can be shared communally and who needs to bring what.

That applies to food, too. At my camp, we fed 150 people every meal, every day of the event. But even if you鈥檙e staying with a smaller group, don鈥檛 expect to subsist on trail mix and protein gels. Sharing, being generous with your neighbors, and putting creativity into what you give to the community are big deals here.

As much as possible, I recommend planning out every meal in advance and prepping before you even head to the venue. Measure, chop, and pack up everything you can beforehand, label it for each meal, and store it all in ice chests for the trip. That will help with organization and save time and effort when you鈥檙e trying to get your ingredients together amid a dust storm and minimize the waste you need to take back out with you.

Some folks construct elaborate restaurants and bars during their time, including one group that has been creating a project they call Golden Guy Alley since 2017, featuring an entire neighborhood of tiny cafes and bars inspired by the bustling allies and nightlife of Tokyo. Another camp creates a New Orleans-inspired French Market with chicory coffee, bourbon cocktails, and beignets. Some of these pop-ups run throughout the week, others serve for just an hour or two and then never again. Anyone at Burning Man is welcome to eat and drink at these pop-ups (if you can find them, that is), but the unspoken rule is you should be prepared to invite your camp neighbors and others over for something at your place, too, at least once during your stay.

If you鈥檙e hosting company, you鈥檙e going to need some way to cook. Try to bring rugged equipment that can stand up to the conditions and bring as few items as you can get away with: barbecue grills or one- to two-burner propane stoves should be enough for a basic set-up. Just remember, this is Burning Man. You don鈥檛 want to just show up with a can of beans.

What It鈥檚 Like to Cook and Eat on the Playa

Dust and sand are a fact of life at Burning Man. As soon as you arrive, a greeter throws dust all over you鈥攖here鈥檚 just no point trying to avoid it; you might as well get acclimated. But this sand isn鈥檛 like the crunchy and rocky sand you鈥檙e probably used to on the beach. This is more chalky and powder-like. Camps will use RVs and structures to try to create inner circles with less sand, but one strong wind will blow it right over just the same.

The sand doesn鈥檛 have much of a taste or texture when it inevitably gets into food, but it can make you feel even more thirsty than you would already be. And everyone is always thirsty. That informs what you want to cook. At our camp, most of what we served was high-acid, punchy flavors with lots of salt, like a cold vegetable slaw with vinegar, soy sauce, and hot chiles. (Nobody wants a mashed potato dinner when they鈥檝e been sweating all day.) Citrus is particularly important. Of course, you want the bright, refreshing flavors, but for another reason, too: While I don鈥檛 take psychedelics myself, those who do report that lemon juice, in particular, accentuates and prolongs the effects of psilocybin.

On Decompressing and Returning to Normal Life

When you change your routine and go on any big trip, you never come home feeling 100 percent. And a week in the desert can really take a toll on the body: you just spent a week consuming a crazy, high-sodium diet, you鈥檝e been in the sun, and you haven鈥檛 been keeping up your typical habits. After those conditions, when you get back you鈥檙e most likely going to be bloated and puffy.

As you reenter post-Burning Man life, consider cutting back on your sodium intake and focusing on eating healthy, fresh foods at your regular meal times. Once you鈥檝e rested up, get back to your exercise routines. But most of all: show yourself some kindness and don鈥檛 be too hard on yourself about a bit of sluggishness when you鈥檝e just come back from this wild experience. Just know it鈥檚 normal to take several days of hydrating and a normal routine before you鈥檙e back to your usual self. But remember: the memories are worth it.鈥�As told to Brittany Martin

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The word chaat itself loosely translates to 鈥渟omething that makes you want to lick your fingers,鈥� which is exactly what this recipe does. Thomas created his chaat recipe by pulling inspiration from memories on the beaches of south India, where corn on the cob vendors was almost an indication of summertime.

鈥淐orn on the cob can be done a ton of different ways,鈥� Thomas says. 鈥淚n Latin and Mexican cuisines, for example, they coat corn in butter before sprinkling it with shredded cheese and fresh herbs. Along the coasts and beaches of India, grilled corn is charred and coated with lime juice or any other kind of citrus before topping it with anything else. It鈥檚 such a fun way to do it.鈥�

One thing to note about the recipe is the generalized label of an in the ingredient list.聽鈥淚t鈥檚 a loose term鈥攁nother reason for people to visit their friendly neighborhood Indian market, really,鈥� Thomas says. 鈥淚ndian snack mix is usually crunchy, spicy noodles that will give your chaat a little crunch. It鈥檚 so funny, if you walk into any Indian store and ask for spicy snack mix, they鈥檒l know exactly what you mean.鈥�

Grilled Corn Chaat

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国产吃瓜黑料’s resident chef Biju Thomas remembers his mother making biriyani rice when he was growing up in south India. In his house, biriyani was made up of whatever ingredients were available and in-season.

鈥淚 really got this from my mom,鈥� Thomas says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 how she got the kids to eat, because there鈥檚 a little bit of sweetness in the rice because of the raisins. And I don鈥檛 mean those crappy boxes of raisins you brought to lunch as a kid; saut茅ing raisins in coconut oil transforms them into something buttery and significantly more delicious.鈥�

Thomas, who lives in Boulder, dubs his biriyani salad recipe more 鈥淚ndian meets frontier,鈥� as he鈥檚 put his own spin on it. For example, he chooses to add grilled peaches on top for an extra sweet pop with some unique texture. He also adds okra, an ingredient he takes very seriously. 鈥淭ypically the way we get okra in the Midwest you get it mushy or deep-fried,鈥� Thomas says. 鈥淭he way to get a really stand-out okra is slice four or five pieces. Then, in a little coconut oil, saut茅 for three to four minutes over high heat until crisp.鈥�

Tip: You can incorporate your own regional fruit into the dish. When Thomas is making the recipe in Colorado, for example, he uses dried cherries and apricots. Experiment with your favorite flavors and textures.聽

Biriyani-Style Rice Salad with Dried Apricots and Cashews

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Super Bowl Sunday. You invite friends over to watch the game. You offer pizza, chips, cheese-flavored somethings, coleslaw slathered in BBQ sauce, etc. They point out your culinary immaturity, swat the basket of chicken sticks out of your hands, leave, never return.

In reality, Super Bowl Sunday does not demand sophistication. According to the National Chicken Council’s 2014 Wing Report, Americans are set to consume this February second, regardless of who wins. And Domino’s Pizza has tallied their output for this special occasion at , 80 percent more than on the average Sunday.

But let’s throw out that saturated, Saturnalian stereotype. Why not prepare something yourself, you self-sufficient badass? You can still have chicken, but try a yogurt-and-beet marinade (so healthful!) in place of mystery sauces, and try grilling instead of frying. Exotic enough for your hipster-convert college buddy, but not so exotic you embarrass your Wisconsonite cousin.

OK…What Did You Have in Mind?

Enter: Tandoori-spiced chicken. This recipe makes a good substitute for takeout wings, but you can use any part of the chicken you want (and it doesn’t have to come from your personal free-range organic farm). Bake, marinade, drain away the excess fat, sprinkle salt, spritz some lemon. Chef Biju Thomas recommends using two pounds of drumsticks or wings, with bones. Not terribly difficult鈥攂ut terribly, terribly classy.

First, you’ll want to prepare the marinade, since you’ll have to let the chicken soak in that at least four hours before baking.

Marinade:
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽

1 small red beet peeled and cut into large cubes

2-4 garlic cloves minced

Fresh ginger about the size of 1/2 your thumb, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon of Garam Masala, or your favorite curry powder, to your taste

1 tsp coarse salt

Make it as spicy as you like by adding cayenne or chili paste.

In a blender, pulse the above ingredients into a thick, red paste. Then, thoroughly coat the chicken pieces in the marinade.

Game Day:
1) Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Place the chicken and marinade in a deep pan and bake for one hour. Then, carefully drain out all the excess liquid.

3) Finish cooking chicken on a hot grill, turning once. Or: place chicken back in oven, set to broil. (The chicken will cook quickly, requiring just a few minutes of direct heart, until you can see a few charred marks.)

4) Squeeze a fresh lemon and sprinkle coarse salt over the top of the chicken.

5) Serve with your favorite dressing or more yogurt.

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Probiotics have made a thunderclap impression on nutrition the past few years鈥攅ver since we noticed the beneficial menagerie of bacteria in our stomachs鈥攁nd many have been choking down swarming mouthfuls of Kombucha to aid their digestion (among countless other functions, possibly) ever since.

Researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center are mostly behind the push but that the little we actually know about probiotics has privileged marketers to make uncertain claims about probiotic products. So, cross your fingers and plug your nose; drink up, I guess.

Or, if you have doubt, continue on the probiotic path without making potentially dubious compromises on taste, and try out this spicy soup. (It's the Pascal's Wager of probiotics.) Chef Biju Thomas has a recipe for a classic Korean restaurant tofu , low in carbs and high in protein, that's enriched with probiotics from kimchi鈥攆ermented cabbage and spices鈥攊n a decidedly culinary, non-medicinal treatment.

Sure, But Go Back to “Fermented Cabbage and Spices”

Fermented Napa cabbage comprises the most common version of kimchi, but you could also use radishes, cucumbers, onions, peppers, and all sorts of seafood, says Biju. Napa cabbage provides a medium heat. If you prefer it spicier, include any type of fresh peppers or dried red chilies (or chili paste鈥r Sriracha). Otherwise, the stalk and tofu should mellow the heat.

What If I Don't Care About Probiotics?

You mean in relation to this recipe? Well, for approximately four servings (2 cups each), here is what else you'll get out of it:

Calories: 185

Fat: 9.5 gm

Carbs: 10 gm

Protein: 16 gm

Cool. Let's Make It.

OK. Get these ingredients to start:

• 2 cups kimchi, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 quart low sodium stock (any will work)
• 1 package of soft or “silken” tofu
• 1 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon liquid aminos or low-sodium soy sauce

Optional:

• 2 jalapenos, chopped or cut into strips
• 1 stalk scallions, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tablespoon GoChuJang (Korean Chili paste) or Sriracha
• Eggs

And the rest is very simple:

1. Mix kimchi and vinegar together
2. Add mix to stalk and tofu
3. Add any optional chopped vegetables or sauces you want at this point
4. Bring this to a low, rolling boil
5. Adjust salt to taste
6. Crack in eggs if you'd like and let them cook until the whites set
7. Put that Campbell's soup snowman kid to shame in so many ways

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There's a reason we consign stuffing to holiday indulgences: With its bounty of sodium, its largesse of butter, its generosity of fat, and all those hearty “flavorings“鈥攚hich are never very far from the tastes you can sometimes detect in food鈥攚e love how the pre-packaged stuff makes us pass out on the couch, but otherwise it's a dish best suited for the bellies of dead turkeys (and even then just once a year).

Still, most everyone loves stuffing, and if you're craving it after Thanksgiving weekend, try Chef Biju's nutrient-dense Mushroom and Pecan Hash (or, if the word “hash” puts you off, you can replace it with the word “stuffing”). In 15 minutes, prepare a richly textured side dish full of fiber and comprised only of the ingredients you like and can identify, for eating year-round.

But!: Know that whether you buy pre-packaged, prepare grandma's recipe, or follow these instructions, one half-cup serving of stuffing is around 150鈥�180 calories. Chef Biju recommends you use only the ingredients you really enjoy.

How Do I Make This “Stuffing” (8鈥�10 Servings)?
Besides 15 minutes, you'll also need the right ingredients. For 8鈥�10 servings, these include:

• 2 cups small cubes of your favorite gluten-free bread (buying gluten-free will enrich your stuffing with proteins and a hearty texture)
• 1 cup of pecan pieces
• 1 cup of mushrooms, chopped small
• 1 cup of celery, chopped small
• 1 small onion, smallishly chopped
• 1 tablespoon of any combination of your favorite fresh chopped herbs (parsley, chives, thyme, tarragon, rosemary)

Great. Now you'll need seasonings:

• 1 tablespoon鈥�1/4 cup of olive oil
• celery salt or old bay seasoning
• ground black pepper
• coarse salt

OK. Looks good. Now pay attention, because it is time to start:

1. Set a large, deep pan at medium-high heat on your stove鈥攚ith no oils added
2. Throw in the onions, mushrooms, and celery, and saut茅 them until the mushrooms begin to brown at the edges
3. Turn the heat down to medium
4. Add in the pecans and bread cubes; cook until the bread begins to toast at the edges
5. Drizzle olive oil in the pan and mix thoroughly, starting with just a little olive oil and adding more at your (reasoned) discretion. Be sure to adjust the heat so the pan doesn't smoke.
6. Saut茅 for a few minutes more with a sprinkle of celery salt and ground pepper
7. For your desired consistency, add olive oil or a splash of stock
8. If you're preparing with a turkey and are feeling adventurous (skip to 10 if you aren't): Take all the bits that come with the turkey (gizzards, liver, etc.), coat them generously in brown sugar, salt, and pepper; then, roast them in the pan along with your turkey. Remove these parts when your turkey is finished or crisp, then chop them into small bits and saut茅 them with your stuffing mix
9. (“Oh, wow, I'm not feeling adventurous.”): Just season your stuffing to taste and sprinkle some fresh herbs on top
10. Enjoy it, why don't you (remembering that one serving is half a cup)

Biju is a lifelong cyclist and self-taught chef based in Boulder, CO. He is co-author, along with Dr. Allen Lim, of the FeedZone cookbooks, and a co-founder of the Boulder-based hydration and nutrition company SkratchLabs. Biju regularly cooks and eats with the best athletes in the world鈥攆rom cyclists, triathletes, and runners to climbers and race car drivers. Follow Biju throughout the year on and Twitter (@bijuthechef) and at

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Fruitcake is the endurance fuel that has successfully disguised itself as a fun, grandmotherly treat. Known for wretched sweetness and textural weirdness, it's an ugly holiday sweater of flavors with the heart-warming power to bond families over the inarguable fact that it's awful. But maybe we don't need to redeem fruitcake with buckets of liquor and candied fruit. In fact, maybe all this time we've been forcing fruitcake to be something it's not: a dessert.

Chef Biju Thomas has seen fruitcake's potential as a nutrient-dense chunk of fuel for the endurance athlete on the go (not for the esurient aunt on her seconds), best consumed half-way up a mountain on the day after a holiday feast鈥攔ather than in your kitchen, hours later, disappointed. He calls this hearty version the Athlete's Fruitcake.

So, Wait. What Is It?
Most fruitcake recipes involve “way too many ingredients,” Biju says. The Athlete's Fruitcake calls for no rum, no “candied neon bits,” and a minimum of sugar. In their place are nuts and dried fruits (any kind you like), providing as much colorful jolliness as anyone could sanely ask for. Combined with gluten-free flour, two eggs, and half a cup of butter, they make a great 200-calorie replacement for standard energy bars: dense enough to carry with you wherever you hike or bike, and seasonal enough to remind you that the magic of youth ought to be cherished always(!).

How to Make The Athlete's Fruitcake (8 Servings):
Start the night before: Place 1.5 cups of your favorite combination of dried fruits and nuts into a large bowl (trail mix works well). Cover the fruit-and-nut mix in orange juice and let it soak overnight in your refrigerator.

The next day, get baking:

1) Preheat your oven to 300 degrees

2) In a large bowl, whisk these ingredients together:

• 1/2 cup of softened butter
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 tsp of cane sugar

3) After you've whisked, blend these ingredients into the large-bowl mixture one at a time:

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup of flour (gluten-free baking mix works well)
• Approx. 2 cups of the fruit-nut mix, soaked (with all the excess juice strained out)
• 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon of orange marmalade

4) Line the bottom of 6- or 8-inch cake pan with parchment or wax paper. Pour in the batter and bake on your oven's center rack for approximately 90 minutes鈥攗ntil a knife poked into the cake's center comes out clean.

5) Enjoy! That's eight servings you've got there鈥�200 calories each.

Biju is a lifelong cyclist and self-taught chef based in Boulder, CO. He is co-author, along with Dr. Allen Lim, of the FeedZone cookbooks, and a co-founder of the Boulder-based hydration and nutrition company SkratchLabs. Biju regularly cooks and eats with the best athletes in the world鈥攆rom cyclists, triathletes, and runners to climbers and race car drivers. Follow Biju throughout the year on and Twitter (@bijuthechef) and at

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