Clean Fuel

Best known as a daredevil surf icon behind XPT training workshops and a regular host of August’s BCRF Paddle for Pink in Sag Harbor, Laird Hamilton opened up his kitchen this summer with his first cookbook. Fuel Up: Global Recipes for High-Performance Humans ($50, Assouline) is a collection of healthy and exotic recipes gathered from the remote corners of the planet that Hamilton has visited.

“Laird relishes eating locally whenever possible, not only for high-powered fuel, but as a way to learn more about and coexist harmoniously with that environment,” says wife and professional volleyball player Gabrielle Reece.

Indeed, his food balances protein power with the right carbohydrates and presents a mix of local ingredients that are rich in flavor and nutrition. Fuel Up contains more than 50 recipes, which include Hanalei bowl-chilled avocado soup with summer salsa, Ditch Plains green pancakes with onions, chili and spinach, La Chapelle chicken cassoulet and Higgins mixed-berry cobbler. Hamilton’s book offers a neat lineup of dishes that can be concocted for each meal of the day, starting with breakfast items and smoothies, transitioning into soups and lunch items, then dinners, and delicious and nutritious desserts.

Following the instructions are the surfer’s insights into a healthy diet. But for Hamilton, the process of consuming food is about much more than simply meeting his daily intake of proteins and good fats: He cherishes meals as a way to coexist harmoniously with friends, family and his environment.