Lead Photo Courtesy of Beyond Skid Instagram
Skid: noun \ˈskid \
A certain individual commonly found in mountain towns all over the world who prioritizes “getting after it” over real responsibilities. Expert in finding happy hour deals, not paying for their own lift ticket, and whose diet largely consists of ramen, pizza, smushed PB&Js and discount lagers.
It's Funny the Direction Instagram Can Lead You
Photo Courtesy of Beyond Skid Instagram
I have heard a lot of ski terms in my day, but, truth be told, I've never actually heard the term skid used before. At least not in the way that it is defined above. That is until I started following Max Ritter and Lily Krass and their Beyond Skid account on Instagram.
Being a foodie with a skiing problem, I was instantly drawn to their posts that featured both my passions.
I thought to myself, "did we just become best Instagram friends?," so I had to do more digging.
Turns out that their Beyond Skid account is meant to complement a cookbook that they had written bearing the same name. I also made the interesting discovery that neither Max nor Lilly had any prior experience in the restaurant industry. When it comes to cookbooks, you don't see this too often. And, when you do, it is usually some celebrity who likes to cook and has a big financial backing.
Max and Lily are not world-famous (well, maybe they are in the ski world). They are just two ski bums who wrote a cookbook called Beyond Skid that takes the art of ski bum cooking and elevates it to new levels without the added challenge you would expect from recipes of this caliber.
Why I Love the Beyond Ski Cookbook
For ski bums by ski bums, Beyond Skid is an approachable take on ski food classics. Compiled from their journeys as skiers Max and Lily have created a cookbook filled with eclectic recipes from around the world. From authentic European dishes like the Austrian-based Kaiserschmarrn to more traditional American food like Mama's Famous Chili, Beyond Skid runs the culinary gamut.
The unique blend of recipes is noteworthy, for sure. However, that is only the tip of the foodie iceberg that makes this cookbook special.
Despite Beyond Skid's authenticity, it is its simplicity that is really the icing on the cake. Unlike other apres ski cookbooks on the market, you do not need to be an accomplished chef to make the dishes within Beyond Skid. Max and Lily had little to no culinary background prior to putting pen to paper. Consequently, they have done an uncanny job of simplifying what may seem like challenging dishes, into recipes that even the most novice of ski bums can execute.
One Recipe You Must Try
Mama's Famous Chili
Truth be told, I'm a sucker for chili. Yet, for some odd reason, I have not made it once this winter. Needless to say, I had a hankering for chili and decided to give theirs a go for the sake of this blog post.
When it comes to post ski sustenance, chili is quintessential après ski food. You would be hard-pressed not to find it at a ski resort. Ski resorts tend to excel in the chili world with recipes that range from unique to traditional and everywhere in between.
That is where Beyond Skid's version lies...somewhere in between. Most of the ingredients are what you would expect from chili. However, what threw me was the addition of carrots and zucchini.
If I'm being honest, I despise carrots. There is just something about their taste that I have never liked. However, I do know that when cooked properly the caramelization of their natural sugars adds a nice touch to many dishes. This includes Beyond Skid's chili.
The addition of zucchini was also interesting. In contrast to carrots, I love zucchini and could eat it daily. Nonetheless, I have not seen too many chilis that have one or both of these vegetables in them. An interesting surprise, their addition was a good one. In the end, they added uncharacteristic flavor to the chili and made me feel good about myself since, afterall, I was eating vegetables.
One Recipe I Still Want to Make
Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Photo Courtesy of Beyond Skid Instagram
Without a doubt, the one recipe I really want to make is the sweet potato gnocchi. This recipe screams to the Italian in me. I can remember making gnocchi with my grandmother when I was growing up. I also love sweet potatoes so much that I eat them almost every day. With that in mind, the combination of the two seems perfect in my mind.
If I had to pick a second it would be the Shakshouka. I'm a huge fan of this Middle Eastern dish that places runny eggs over some saucy tomatoes. You simply cannot go wrong.
Shakshouka
Photo Courtesy of Beyond Skid Instagram
Lily Krass Goes Beyond Skid and Tells All
Ever the foodie and the passionate skier, I just had to check out the ski-bum-centric cookbook, Beyond Skid. Once I did I became even more intrigued. Lily and Max's eclectic collection of recipes that are simplified and, yet, still full of flavor is nothing short of impressive.
I recently caught up with Lily to find out how she and Max were able to accomplish such a feat.
1. What is the meaning behind the title of the book, Beyond Skid?
Skid is a Jackson term for ski bum (see above for the definition), and Beyond Skid is a reference to elevating the skid diet. We don’t want to make anything too complicated, but we want to encourage folks to cook beyond the traditional skid diet, and swap out some healthier and creative recipes for the free pizza and Top Ramen that so many ski bums opt for.
2. What was your inspiration behind writing a ski-focused cookbook?
Bribery Banana Bread
The idea for the book was born out of our observation of fellow ski bums feeling overwhelmed and intimidated by cooking. Max and I both love to cook, and we’d host friends in our tiny studio apartment for dinner after skiing. We’d make things like Bolognese, potstickers, peanut noodles, and kale salads. Often our friends would express surprise that we were able to make these kinds of things so easily in such a tiny kitchen and on such a low budget.
We realized that young people, and especially ski bums, either didn’t feel like cooking was worth the effort after a big day of skiing or that it was too hard or intimidating.
We first decided to compile a bunch of our recipes to put together to share with our friends. Then some of them encouraged us to create an actual book. I had double hip surgery the winter of 2018/2019, and so I had tons of time on my hands. This is when most of it was developed. Then during COVID, we put things in motion to turn it into a real book.
3. With no previous experience in the food industry, how did you learn to cook?
Breakfast Burrito
Both of us were fortunate to grow up in households that prioritized cooking at home, and we both learned most of what we know from our parents. My parents put a heavy emphasis on locally sourced food. We try to incorporate and talk about this when we can (although I know that can be challenging from an affordability standpoint for ski bums).
I discovered a handful of food intolerances in college, which forced me to do quite a bit of cooking for myself and helped me learn how to substitute different things and get creative in the kitchen.
Max worked at a mountain hut in Austria for a season after college, and his German roots play a big role in our affinity for European-style cooking. When we moved in together in Jackson, we spent a ton of time cooking in our studio apartment. Having different backgrounds in the kitchen contributed to a lot of creativity.
4. How did you develop the recipes in the cookbook? Was there an inspiration behind them?
Schnitzel and Roasted Potatoes
When we decided to write the book, we sat down one night and wrote out a list of all the things we liked to make. We were surprised to look at it and see that we already had a pretty full list!
We worked backward and made them all again, writing down what we did as we went. These are all inspired by things we made all the time or things that our parents taught us to make. Some of the recipes pay homage to different parts of our life - Italian recipes inspired by my time studying abroad, German recipes inspired by Max’s family - but we tried to rework them to keep the instructions simple.
We also wanted to include some recipes that skiers could take on the go, so we sought to adapt a few for easy transport or recipes that are easy to double or triple, and freeze.
5. What are some key factors that you took into account when writing the cookbook and the recipes?
We wanted everything to be affordable, healthy-ish, relatively easy to make and filling. We also wanted to challenge skiers to try new things and gain confidence in the kitchen and encourage people to cook together. We tried to strike a balance between creativity and familiarity but also wanted to make it approachable to try new things.
Essentially, these recipes range from lightning-fast dinners when you’re too tired to do much of anything to some that are fun and interesting enough to host some friends and have fun creating something together. The sweet potato gnocchi is always a hit at a dinner party!
6. Do you have a favorite recipe?
Kaiserschmarrn
Photo Courtesy of Beyond Skid Instagram
That’s a tough one. For breakfast, I’d have to say the On-The-Go Blender Pancakes are a top contender. They’re so easy to whip up and are the perfect pocket snack for the chairlift.
Peanut Noodles are probably another favorite and we usually make those at least once a week. I always keep a jar of peanut sauce in the fridge for precisely that reason!
Photo Courtesy of Beyond Skid Instagram
If you’re looking for something more adventurous, Kaiserschmarrn is a deconstructed pancake. It's an Austrian dish topped with powdered sugar and jam that makes a great aprés ski snack or indulgent breakfast.
7. What differentiates your ski-focused cookbook from others on the market?
Beyond Skid was made for skiers by skiers! Everything in this book is focused on life in a mountain town, and we hope that anyone who skis can resonate with that (whether or not you’re living on a skid budget). The cookbook is about more than the food. Beyond Skid is a nod to those who’ve pursued a life in the mountains. It's a celebration of food and how it brings people together wherever you are.
The Right Après Clothing for Cooking Ski Food
When it comes to cooking good ski food, no après-ski clothing works better than a nice t-shirt. Our Après Ski T-shirt is always an excellent choice. The tri-blend fabric is soft and comfortable making it perfect to move from prep area to stove and back. The phrase après ski is also an excellent reminder for you and your friends to come together and share good food and good company after an epic day on the mountain.
Do you love good après-ski food after a day of skiing and snowboarding? If so, then be sure to subscribe to our Après Eats Food Blog and never miss another post.
We consistently review the best ski food out there while also giving you recipes to cook for you and your friends after a long day of skiing, snowboarding or whatever your passion is.
