[Tahoe taken from the
infamous "flume" bike trail]
Lake Tahoe,
The Lake, is the jewel of the Sierra Nevada's. At 6,226 feet above
sea level Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. It
is 12 miles wide, and 22 miles long. The Lake has a surface area of
191.6 square miles. The average depth of The Lake is 989 feet, while
its deepest point is 1,645 feet. This is the third deepest lake in
North America. Lake Tahoe contains about 40 trillion gallons of
water. To put that number in perspective, that amount of water would
cover the state of California in 14 inches of water.
A legend explains how
Lake Tahoe got its name. Lake Tahoe was created when an Evil
Spirit decided to pursue an innocent Indian. The Great Spirit tried
to aid the innocent Indian by giving him a branch of leaves.
Supposedly each leaf dropped by the innocent Indian would create a
lake through which the evil spirit would have to cross. However, the
innocent Indian in his fright dropped the entire branch of leaves at
once creating a large lake, Lake Tahoe.
The water temperature near the surface varies with seasons. During
the summer the water near the surface can warm to a chilly 68
degrees F. Below depths of 700 feet the water temperature remains
stable at 39 degrees F.
The beauty of Tahoe is immeasurable. On clear days The Lake is bluer
then the sky. Tall peaks surround The Lake on all sides. The tallest
peak rising from the shoreline is Mt. Tallac at 9,735 feet. The
tallest peak in the Tahoe Basin is Freel Peak at 10,881 feet. The
Tahoe Basin is relatively forested with various species of pines and
conifers. Snow covers the tall peaks most of the year.
The water in Lake Tahoe is 99.9 percent pure meaning that it is
about the same purity as distilled water. The classic example of
Tahoe's clarity is a dinner plate can still be viewed at 75 feet
below the Lake's surface. Unfortunately with urbanization and
sediment runoff, The Lake is slowly losing its clarity.
Lake Tahoe covers the "V" of the eastern California border. Part of
The Lake is in the state of Nevada. The Lake is 98 miles northeast
of Sacramento and 58 miles southwest of Reno. Tahoe is about 200
miles from San Francisco, about 480 miles from Los Angeles, and
about 580 miles from San Diego.
The sun shines at Lake
Tahoe about 67 percent of the year or 252 days. In the winter there
are heavy periods of snowfall, but the rest of the year is
relatively dry. There is little or no humidity in this alpine
environment, especially in the summer months. The weather can change
quite dramatically at The Lake even in summer. I was there one year
towards the end of June and one night the lake level received 3
inches of snow. Another year in July I experienced a short but
dramatic hail and lightning storm. This storm left hail all over the
ground and the lightning caused a small fire when it struck a tree
nearby our cabin. Be prepared for any type of climate. Layers of
clothing are suggested for the winter months and shorts and T-shirts
for the warmer summer days. Jackets and sweaters are necessary for
summer nights.
[Tahoe from Mt. Talac - Mid summer photo]
The
following is a sampling of temperatures and precipitation for
selected months. The maximum and minimum temperatures are daily
averages. The precipitation also includes the moisture content of
the snow pack.
Month
Temperature
(max / min)
Precipitation
(Inches)
January
36 / 18
6.13
April
51 / 27
2.10
July
78 / 44
0.26
October
58 / 32
1.90
The Restaurant Managers Handbook: How to Set Up, Operate, and Manage
a Financially Successful Food Service Operation
Editorial Review: This
comprehensive and massive 600 page new book will show you
step-by-step how to set up, operate, and manage a financially
successful foodservice operation. The author has left no stone
unturned in explaining the risky business of running a restaurant.
Operators in the non-commercial segment as well as caterers, and
really anyone in the food service industry will find this book very
useful.
The books nineteen chapters cover
the entire process of a restaurant start-up and ongoing management
in an easy to understand way, pointing out methods to increase your
chances of success, and showing how to avoid the many common
mistakes that can doom a start-up. The new companion CD rom contains
all the forms demonstrated in the book for easy use in a PDF
format.
While providing detailed
instruction and examples, the author leads you through finding a
location that will bring success, learn how to draw up a winning
business plan, how to buy and (sell ) a restaurant, franchising,
basic cost control systems, profitable menu planning, sample
restaurant floor plans & diagrams, successful kitchen management,
equipment layout and planning, food safety & HACCP, successful
beverage management, learn how to set up computer systems to save
time and money, learn how to hire & keep a qualified professional
staff, brand new IRS tip reporting requirements, managing and
training employees, generate high profile public relations and
publicity, learn low cost internal marketing ideas, low and no cost
ways to satisfy customers and build sales, learn how to keep
bringing customers back, accounting & bookkeeping procedures,
auditing, successful budgeting and profit planning development, as
well as thousands of great tips and useful guidelines.
The extensive resource Guide
details over 7,000 suppliers to the industry, this directory could
be a separate book on its own. This Restaurant Managers Handbook
covers everything that many companies pay consultants thousands of
dollars for.
This book is also ideal for
professionals in the hospitality field as well as newcomers who may
be looking for answers to cost containment and training issues.
There are literally hundreds of innovative ways demonstrated to
streamline your restaurant business. Learn new ways to make the
kitchen, bars, dining room, and front office run smoother and
increase performance. Shut down waste, reduce costs, and increase
profits. In addition operators will appreciate this valuable
resource and reference in their daily activities and as a source of
ready-to-use forms, web sites, operating and cost cutting ideas, and
mathematical formulas that can be easily applied to their
operations. Highly recommended!
Cutomer Review 0: The Restaurant
Managers Handbook is a no-nonsense, coverall manual for the
food establishment industry. Its the essence of a successful
handbook-no jokes, parables, and preachy lectures, just the facts.
If you delve into the heal-thy index for fault, youll abruptly bump
into a page number for an answer, and if youre currently running a
restaurant and afraid to appear inadequate, you can load the handy
CD-ROM and pretend youre checking your e-mail while figur-ing out
the monthly audit procedures or why the beer is flat. Im not
kidding. The next time your favorite kitchen runs short of the daily
special or closes down for a lack of permit, serve them a copy of
this great reference book.
Cutomer Review 1: I recieved this
book anxiously, but soon became quickly disappointed with its
extreme lack of content. It could have just as easily been published
in 30 pages of novel sized text, because thats about all thats
contained between its large vinyl bound covers. There are less
expensive books that tell you just as little as this one.
Cutomer Review 2: This book has a lot
of information, however it does not go into great detail for those
who are familiar with the principals listed inside but are looking
to expand on those ideas. If you are an experienced restaurant
manager or owner, this book is a waste of money.
Cutomer Review 3: The books nineteen
chapters cover the entire process of a restaurant start-up and
ongoing management.The companion CD rom which contains all the forms
is worth the modest price of the book alone. I would highly recomend
this book to anyone in the industry now or who wants to get started
with sound financial planning. Also the extensive resource guide in
the back of the book is superb - we will use this book often.
Cutomer Review 4: This book is an
elementary guide, definitely not one I would reccommend fo an
upscale restaurant owner. Plenty of outdated material that has no
relevence for todays operator.
Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
Editorial Review: If youre
a Weight Watcher, this collection of 500 recipes in a handy
loose-leaf binder could put you in the fast lane on the road to
success. This cookbook is designed for Weight Watchers 1𠂻 Success
program: points are assigned to foods based on fat, fiber, and
calories, and your daily point allowance is based on your current
weight. So you can eat what you want, as long as you dont go over
your allotted points. The better your food choices, the more you can
eat before you run out of points.
Recipes are varied and cover the
whole gamut: sauces; breads; soups; meat, chicken, fish, and
vegetarian entrees; pasta; vegetable, grain, and potato side dishes;
and, of course, desserts. The recipes are more healthful but not
drastically different from foods you and your family enjoy now. Many
are familiar comfort foods, such as Pizza, Oven "Fried" Chicken,
Beef Stew, Tuna Noodle Casserole, Chocolate Layer Cake, and
Cheesecake. Internationally inspired favorites include Dolmades
(stuffed grape leaves), Orange-Flavored Fajitas, Moo Shu Chicken,
Tandoori Haddock, and Senegalese Peanut Soup. The nutritional
breakdown for each recipe is more complete than in most cookbooks,
and includes calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium,
carbohydrate, fiber, protein, calcium, and Weight Watchers points.
--Joan Price
Cutomer Review 0: This is a great
cookbook even if youre not dieting. The food is all great tasting
and recipes relatively easy to follow. Sometimes the ingredients are
not things you would normally keep on hand, but you can usually
modify the recipe to your liking.
Cutomer Review 1: Ive seen a lot of
the Weight Watchers cookbooks, and this is the most all-purpose
general-appeal one Ive seen. Id even go as far as to say this is the
Joy of Cooking for the Weight Watchers crowd.
Many of these recipes have become
standards in our house, and they never taste like "diet" food at
all. This is just a common sense good-health cookbook that happens
to provide points values for people following the Weight Watchers
program. There is a huge variety of recipes, nothing is repeated,
and it would take a very long time and much effort to ever get sick
of this cookbook.
I will repeat one common complaint
of reviewers--the book doesnt state what the serving size is, just
how many servings there are. This means you have to divide your
whole soup (or whatever) out into 6 portions, then measure, to get
the portion size. Ive made notes to myself about any of the recipes
that Ive tried, but I wish the authors had just done that from the
beginning.
I adore the spiral format of this
cookbook. I hate having to destroy the spine of a book to make it
lay flat for my uses. The pages are also high-gloss, which helps if
anything accidentally gets spilled on them.
Cutomer Review 2: This book is the
one I use over and over again, Ive made so many recipes from it.
These recipes do not taste like "diet" food. Although they are low
in fat, calories, and food points, they really taste good too. Some
favorites I make regularly from this book are the Parmesan-Turkey
Meatloaf, Shrimp Creole, Tuna-Noodle Casserole, Chicken Avgolemono
Soup, Indian Carrot Soup, Hummus, and our absolute favorite - the
Chicken Quesadillas with Corn-Tomato Salad. I brought the Rolled
Orange Sponge Cake to a family gathering and everyone devoured it -
no one would have guessed it only had 2 grams of fat per serving.
I highly recommend this book for
anyone looking for a great all-around sourcebook for all kinds of
healthy low-fat recipes that taste great and fit into a Weight
Watchers plan or even anyone who is just looking for good,
nutritious meals. The book is well laid out and has an excellent
variety of reliable recipes. Its easy to read and browse through,
has an adequate amount of photos, and contains all the nutrition
information and points for each recipe.
Cutomer Review 3: your recipe for
rice pudding sucks. dont you test these recipes before you print
them.
Cutomer Review 4: WW has great
recipes but theyve done my pet peeve again! It is so annoying to
look at, for instance, the soup you just made and be forced to
either guess at 1/8 or measure the whole batch of soup and then
extract an 1/8. Why not: Serving size 1 1/2 cup?
Description:
The Essence of Style : How the French Invented High Fashion, Fine
Food, Chic Cafes, Style, Sophistication, and Glamour
Editorial Review:
What makes fashionistas willing to
pay a small fortune for a particular designer accessory -- a luxe
handbag, for example? Why is it that people all over the world share
the conviction that a special occasion only becomes really special
when a champagne cork pops -- and even more special when that cork
comes from a bottle of Dom P閞ignon? Why are diamonds the status
symbol gemstone, instantly signifying wealth, power, and even
emotional commitment?
One of the foremost authorities on
seventeenth-century French culture provides the answer to these and
other fascinating questions in her account of how, at one glittering
moment in history, the French under Louis XIV set the standards of
sophistication, style, and glamour that still rule our lives today.
Joan DeJean explains how a
handsome and charismatic young king with a great sense of style and
an even greater sense of history decided to make both himself and
his country legendary. When the reign of Louis XIV began, his nation
had no particular association with elegance, yet by its end, the
French had become accepted all over the world as the arbiters in
matters of taste and style and had established a dominance in the
luxury trade that continues to this day. DeJean takes us back to the
birth of haute cuisine, the first appearance of celebrity
hairdressers, chic cafes, nightlife, and fashion in elegant dress
that extended well beyond the limited confines of court circles. And
Paris was the magical center -- the destination of travelers all
across Europe.
As the author observes, without
the Sun Kings program for redefining France as the land of
luxury and glamour, there might never have been a Stork Club, a
Bergdorf Goodman, a Chez Panisse, or a Cristophe of Beverly Hills --
and President Clinton would never have dreamed of holding Air Force
One on the tarmac of LAX for an hour while Cristophe worked his
styling genius on the presidents hair.
Written with wit, dash, and 閘an
by an author who knows this astonishing true story better than
virtually anyone, The Essence of Style will delight fans of
history and everybody who wonders about the elusive definition of
good taste.
Cutomer Review 0: Captivating,
awesome reading!! I was amazed the depth of reseach. A unique
perspective and delightful insite. Could not put this book down!!
Super attention to detail. The Essence of Style" is an extraordinary
and tantalizing look at our culture.
Description:
The South Beach Diet Good Fats/Good Carbs Guide (Revised) : The
Complete and Easy Reference for All Your Favorite Foods
Editorial Review: Based on
the nations #1 bestseller
Published in January 2004, The
South Beach Diet Good Fats/Good Carbs Guide has sold more than three
million copies and has continuously topped national bestseller
lists. An essential tool for success, the completely revised and
updated guide will feature a new, more user-friendly format and an
expanded list of foods, as well as the most up-to-the-minute new
information on nutrition and healthy eating to aid the now millions
of early adopters.
The new edition will include:
o An expanded nutritional breakdown:
total carbs and net carbs, total fat and saturated fat, fiber, and
sugar.
o More food listings including meal
replacement bars, other convenience foods, healthy fast-food menu
items, and beverages.
o FAQs organized by phase and
designed to answer dieters most common questions.
o A foreword by Dr. Agatston
detailing new research and outlining the changes to the diet.
o Each food listing will now have a
recommendation by phase. For example, bananas might be a food to
avoid in the first 2 weeks of Phase One but will be a food to enjoy
in Phase Two.
Description:
The Great American Detox Diet : 8 Weeks to Weight Loss and
Well-Being
Editorial Review: When
Morgan Spurlock, the star of Super-Size Me, gained nearly 30
pounds after a month of eating at McDonald抯 for every meal, nobody
was more horrified than his fianc閑 Alex Jamieson, a vegan chef and
holistic health counselor. When his liver showed signs of damage
just 20 days into his fast-food diet experiment, she knew hed
need serious help to recover at the end of his "gastrointestinal
form of hari-kari."[p.viii] The Great American Detox Diet is
her prescription for helping him shed the chub as well as rid his
body of the chemical additives (such as propylene glycol
alginate梱uck) so prevalent in fast food. She notes that since a
British medical journal recently reported that eating fast food just
twice a week increases ones risk of developing insulin resistance, a
pre-diabetic condition, you dont need to have gorged yourself on
McDonald抯 to benefit from her quick-results plan.
Jamieson does a noble job of
spelling out the detrimental effects on the body of sugar, caffeine,
and an overload of fat, carbs, and protein, all of which are present
in your typical fast-food meal, let alone a "super-sized" one.
(Spurlocks diet included a repulsive 30 pounds of added sugar and
added sweeteners over the course of the month.)[p22] Those horrified
by Fast-Food Nation will find familiar territory here, but
will also receive constructive advice on how to alter ones diet for
the better. Jamieson also spurns wheat, corn, and dairy products,
citing them as potential allergens (interestingly, she points out
theyre all heavily subsidized by the government), and she recommends
viable sugar and caffeine substitutes. Nearly 90 recipes round out
her treatise on healthy eating, and although some are not unusual
(revamped versions of Guacamole, for example, and Oatmeal Raisin
Cookies), a few others like Miso Tofu Cheese Spread will be a bit of
an acquired taste for those so accustomed to burgers and fries. --Erica
Jorgensen
Cutomer Review 0: I found "Supersize
Me" to be one of the great documentaries (of sorts) in quite a
while, not the least of which was the healthy dose of irony in that
the girlfriend of star Morgan Spurlock, Alex Jamieson, was a vegan
chef witnessing this diet he went on.
Well, the movies a huge success,
Morgan and to a lesser extent Alex are mild celebrities, and they
both took the time to write books. Admittedly, this wreaks of
commercialism, but remarkably both turned out good pieces, Spurlocks
a companion to "Supersize Me", and Jamiesons revolving around the
"Detox Diet" that she put Spurlock on after his month of McDonalds.
The book essentially is broken
into three parts-- the first part is sort of introductory/background
material-- Jamieson describes her journey from confessed junk food
nut to vegan/health maven. It makes for an interesting read, but I
felt the level of repetition (and endless reinfocement about
processed sugar, etc.) that get to be kind of a drag.
The second part is the "detox
diet"-- a week by week transition plan for abandoning the many
processed and chemical additives that are throughout our food.
The third part is a series of
healthy vegan recipes, some of which look quite interesting, and
while Ive used none of them, Ive stolen a couple ideas for my own
cooking.
My thoughts on this-- before I go
further, Im not a vegan, nor am I likely to become one anytime soon,
but I derived a lot of value in this book, in particular from its
advice in reading food labels and whats missing from them, and its
advice in checking ALL food labels-- for example, we all know High
Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a corn-based sugar syrup (and at least
some of us know that the body doesnt seem to register it as consumed
calories and so hunger isnt effected which is why many folks can
down ten cans of soda and still eat a full meal-- but if you didnt
know that, Jamieson points it out to you). But what I dont think I
knew is how prevelent it is-- on advice from the book, I read labels
of seemingly innocent product-- bread. In my local grocery store I
read about two dozen bread variety labels, and most of them
(including a number advertized as "whole grain" and "multigrain" and
"healthy") contained HFCS. In fact, I STOPPED looking when I found
one that didnt have HFCS. And that scares me.
She also spends a lot of time
talking about the flour enriching process, oil processing, water
chemical additives, and so on-- I found all of this quite valuable
in its own way as well, and armed with this knowledge, I made some
subtle changes in my purchasing habits.
Mind you, Jamieson also recommends
against plastic, I dont suspect Id ever purge my life of plastic,
and against caffeine, another thing I dont particularly want to go
without (while I can and have gone we...
Cutomer Review 1: I enjoyed reading
this book, and I love the recipies in it that have brought me more
energy, and a better overall feeling physically. If you want to
detox your body, lose weight, and be healthier, then I recommend
this book for you. It has made a difference for me.
Cutomer Review 2: Remember how, as a
kid, you would buy "novelizations" of minor movies like "Logans Run"
or "Escape from Witch Mountain", and upon reading them, realize that
they were utter crap; and just churned out so someone else could
make yet another dollar on rehashed garbage.
Well, welcome to "the great
american....blah blah blah". Ms Jamieson has found away to basically
cash in on her boyfriends success with no original thought of her
own.
Save your money. This book basically
retells the story of that puerile "documentary" over and over, and
then tacks on some recipes that Ms Jamieson stole from the Natural
Gourmet Cookery School and Gourmet.
Here let me save you some $$$:
1)McDonalds and other American
corporations DO NOT have your best interests at heart. (duh)
2)Stop Smoking.
3)Dont ever drink SODA again.
4)If hydrogenated oils are in the
ingredients, dont EVER eat it. EVER.
5)Turn off the TV,get off your fat
ass, and go outside.
6)EAt something green every day.
THERE> thats it. Oh yeah, i forgot
to tell you that Ms. Jamieson wants you to know that giggling is
good for you. Sorry,i was too busy rolling my eyes.
Cutomer Review 3: I felt invigorated
before I even finished reading the first chapter of this book. Like
the author tells us, this is not a diet, but a way of life. I
already knew some of the facts included in the book, but now I know
how to put the information into practice. I feel I can finally start
my journey toward a healthier lifestyle and actually succeed. Thank
you, Chef Alex, for this wonderful manual for the life I have been
wanting, but didnt know where to begin!
Cutomer Review 4: The standard
detoxification diet seeks to purge the body of toxins. Certain foods
magnify toxin problems, promote yeast accumulation, excess acidity
and a whole host of other issues
which interfere with the bodily
healing and equilibrium processes. These foods are processed sugar,
white bread, coffee, alcohol, excess dairy , artificial sweeteners
and red meat. We should say yes to generous helpings of water, whole
grains, millet, nuts, blackberries, strawberries, beans,
acidophilus, fresh food, chicory, escarole, dandelion root, ginger
and licorice. Water acts as a classic body detoxifier. The author
fears excess amounts of nutrasweet which breaks down into methanol
and eventually formaldehyde. Trace levels of formaldehyde have been
found accumulating near vital organs.
This work will assist in
customizing your diet so that a complete detoxification can occur
painlessly. The bodily healing processes cannot do their marvelous
work optimally until toxins have been discharged or significantly
minimized.
This work explains the
biochemistry of dieting simply with a
minimum of extraneous material. It is
a solid value for the price charged. A copy should be in every
personal health library.
