Armand Gutierrez, President

November seemed so promising for a great ski season, and then one of the driest Decembers descended up on us. However, the Tahoe resorts have been making snow and there are plenty of runs to keep you busy. Of course, most of them are beginner and intermediates (no expert runs are open yet) but that’s better than nothing. If the challenging runs aren’t available then you can always work on style, technique, and just have fun on the slopes.

How High Can You Go?

Thanks to those that sent in guesses for the top five North American ski resorts that have the highest summit elevations. Unfortunately, no one guessed all five correctly, but a few were close. Here are the correct answers:

Top Five North American ski resorts with the highest elevations*:

• Silverton Mountain – 13,487
• Telluride – 13,150
• Arapahoe Basin – 13,050
• Loveland – 13,010
• Breckenridge – 12,998

Top Five North American ski resorts with the highest base elevations*:

• Loveland – 10,800
• Monarch Mountain – 10,790
• Arapahoe Basin – 10,780
• Copper – 10,500
• Silverton Mountain – 10,400

* Source: On The Snow Newsletter – 30 November 2017

Vail Ski Week 2018

The Vail trip is less than a month away and there is time to get in some skiing up at Tahoe before the trip. I’ve already made one trip to Northstar (two days) and will be going again right after New Years. The Vail Orientation meeting will be held on Saturday, January 13^th so mark your calendars. This will be an opportunity to meet other members on the trip, socialize a bit, and pick-up the souvenir gift. Evites have been sent out and if you didn’t receive an Evite then let me know at president@niseiskiclub.org.

Wishing all of our members a happy new year! Best wishes for a wonderful 2018.

Judy Hom, Editor
 
I thought I’d try something new in 2018. Hoyt Nelson asked me if there would be another NSC recipe book. My answer was no. The days of collecting and editing recipes into a book are long gone for this club. But, I told him that we could publish recipes online. After all, this club sure does love to cook and eat. Let me know what you think and feel free to send recipes to newsletter@niseiskiclub.org.
 
Hoyt shared his recipe for chile con carne. This sounds like the perfect apres ski meal and sure to warm you up after a hard day of skiing.

CHILI CON CARNE (feeds 8-10)

Hoyt Nelson

1 lb. or more ground beef (how lean is up to you, but I wouldn’t go more than 15% fat). Use the rough “chili” cut if available. It’s possible to substitute lean pork or chicken/turkey for burger.
1 30 oz. Can red kidney beans – cheaper than using 2 smaller cans. (I know, some people think beans aren’t authentic, but I’m sure the cowboy chefs threw in beans and whatever else was available to bulk up the meals while on the trail – including things better left un-said.)
1 30 oz. can crushed/diced tomatoes They can usually be found for about $1.35 at Smart & Final.
1 large onion diced up
1 t chili powder and maybe 1 T paprika while browning (last time I used mostly paprika and it was good)
1 t salt
1 t black pepper to taste
1 t sugar
As much garlic as you like (I dice up about 5 cloves or use 2T of puree)
2 T ground coriander while browning (an authentic and key Mexican ingredient) plus some whole seeds if desired.
Serve (optional) with some finely diced fresh onion and/or grated cheese or cilantro for topping.
 

Break up hamburger/other into bite sized chunks in a large frying pan.
Add diced onion and spices and mix in. It’s important to add spices before browning meat for better flavor.
Brown until brown (not grey) on all sides with paprika.
Add tomatoes and beans and simmer for at least 1 hour. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking on bottom.
Add grated cheese, cilantro or raw onion topping if desired when serving.
 
Note:
These are recipes I have made for years and have mostly made up or heavily modified from recipes from my Mom and others. Not all amounts are precise. I rarely use measuring devices. Feel free to use these recipes as just a suggestion. Add, subtract, substitute or change as desired.

Last NSC Recipe Book

The last NSC recipe book was created in 1998 as part of the club’s 40th anniversary. This was the third recipe book published by the club.