Ingredient Title Chef Category

Lake Tahoe fun and food

Until I visited California's Lake Tahoe in the summertime, I thought of it only as the area that made the heroic effort to make snow happen when some quirk of Mother Nature - or our evil pollution - warmed the place up so much that it didn't have snow for the winter Olympics. But we were lucky enough to recently spend a little time there chiefly to dine our way into happy oblivion.

In between happy bouts of snuggling up to the table, we managed to hike a tiny bit of the Rim Trail, which runs 150 miles completely around the extinct volcano that holds the incredibly deep and beautiful lake. If you are a mountain biker, you can bike entirely around the rim and horses are allowed.

We also explored the nearby area where some of the less fortunate members of the Donner party starved to death when winter set in before they could get through the pass. A sad testimonial to human perversity - had the worked together they probably all would have made it.

But pioneers were gamblers and there are plenty of gamblers still trekking to Reno and Tahoe, which is just across the state line from Nevada. An unusual tourist stop is the Cal-Neva hotel, which is half in one state and half in the other. Visitors can cross the lobby and gamble. It even has a line across the swimming pool, allowing guest to swim from one state to the other. It's probably not so surprising that the hotel is a popular place for weddings. So popular the they have in house florists, photographers, wedding planners and ministers of every faith on-call. Couples can plan their weddings by phone or e-mail and lot of people do just that, particularly Europeans and most particularly Germans and Japanese. The Cal-Neva resort hotel was originally owned by Frank Sinatra, with Marilyn Monroe and the "Rat Pack" spending a lot of time (and probably money) there while it was in its heyday. The stars are gone, but the hotel is being renovated and rejuvenated.

For summer visitors, there is everything from boating - rides on a catamaran or exciting and not expensive - swimming, sailing, kayaking, biking, hiking, golfing, and more. In the evening you can attend Shakespeare on the beach at Sand Harbor, where the guest sit in a sandy amphitheater and watch the production. They even serve very decent food and wine from local restaurants. And returning to the Hyatt Regency Hotel, the only on directly on the beach, on a boat while the sun sets is a truly romantic experience. The Hyatt Regency, Lake Tahoe, is a classy place to stay with bonfires on the beach at night and a telescope to look at the stars. The giant Sunday buffet brunch is memorable...winter or summer.

The area abounds in old, old Gold Rush towns, one of which is Truckee. We had a memorable outdoor lunch at the Dragonfly on an upstairs balcony overlooking the main street and the railroad. "Dining on a higher level" is their motto. The Chef/Owner Billy McCullough was kind enough to share a couple of interesting recipes. Like most recipes from chefs, I cut these in fourths and they are still big. So invite your friends over and pretend you are on a Tahoe holiday.

Served with crackers or as a side dish work pork or ham.

4 medium eggplants, peeled and diced small
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup fresh ginger, peeled and diced small
1/4 cup garlic, diced small
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Sauté eggplant in peanut oil until brown. Set aside to cool. Sauté garlic and ginger in sesame oil until slightly caramelized. Add remaining ingredients. Mix with eggplant and let sit for a least one hour. Serve hot or cold. Makes a lot.

This makes delicious Chinese-style ribs, but you will need an Asian grocery to get the ingredients.

1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 cups Hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons gingerroot, peeled, small dice
2 tablespoons garlic, small dice
2 cup purple plum juice (pitted, pureed, strained fresh plums)
1 tablespoon Szechwan chili paste
1 tablespoon black pepper

Combine ingredients and cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes; cool. Brush on ribs at end of cooking period and serve. Makes 4 cups.

<>COOKING IS MY FAVORITE GAME

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