contributed by Sandy Kiyomura

I used this Beer Bread recipe from an article in the NY Times listing 10 things that have changed in these days of sheltering-in-place. It surprised me to read that so many more people are making their own bread. I have a group of friends I’ve been keeping in touch with, and three of us have been baking bread much more than we ever did before. Since I did not have yeast (and I heard it was hard to find), I used beer. Thus, this recipe came into play. The first time, all I had was non-alcoholic beer, which did not work well. Subsequently, I’ve made three more loaves with real beer and that was great.   

The basic recipe calls for 3 cups of flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp sugar and 1 12 oz can of beer (blander the better). Optional 2 tbsp melted butter drizzled on top after bread is baked. 375 degrees for 35 minutes.  I have a bread maker so I don’t have to mix. 

by Hoyt Nelson

A Few Updates: Stone Stew (Iranian) has now moved from Saratoga Ave. to 205 N 4 th St. San Jose 408-622-1067. As I mentioned before, Harry’s Hofbrau is closed. We now go to Esther’s Bakery and Catering in Los Altos – it’s even better for good German food.

Here are some of my tips and picks for food from many nations. Until the shelter in place has lifted, we can only dream about going out!

American: Nick’s Next Door 11 College Ave. Los Gatos new American $$$ 408-402-5053: We splurged a bit for a friend’s birthday party in late 2019 and the food was very good, except for everything being very salty and over sauced for my taste. My rib eye was cooked perfectly rare, but had more gristle than I expected for $35 and the French fries were soaked with its gravy. One of the reasons I ordered it was because it came with a fairly large piece of bone marrow which I had not eaten before. Unfortunately, the sauce overpowered its delicate flavor, so I still don’t know what bone marrow tastes like. We were served in a large tent outside and heaters were provided on request when it got colder later that night. Although not the fault of the restaurant, there was another very loud party in the same tent which took away from the charm of the place. Service was nice and parking was fairly easy. Would I go back? Only if I knew they reduced the salt served on most dishes.

Indian: We love Indian food and we like variety, but there are very few Indian restaurants that serve buffets in the evening. We tend to need a nap after a large meal, so eating at a buffet for lunch tends to ruin any plans for the rest of the day. The solution for many years was Sneha, just off Lawrence in Sunnyvale, close to Central Expwy. but in 2017
and 2018 it lost its touch and we stopped going. In 2017-2020, it changed hands several times. On 8-18-2019 we checked Yelp and read some encouraging reviews for its new incarnation and so we tried it again. Happily, was back to its former good self, but it changed hands again so we don’t know what it’s like now. I don’t know of any evening buffets now in operation except for special variants of this genre.

African: There are many forms of African food: Ethiopian, Moroccan, Egyptian, Somalian, etc. but most commonly found restaurants in the US have similarities such as the liberal use of the flat bread called injera (or similar sounding name). It is a thin, flat bread, up to about 14 inches in diameter which can resemble thin foam rubber. (Don’t wory, it
tastes way better than that.) It is used as a base on which stews, salads, etc. are placed in various piles that sometimes sits on a large basket affair with a conical upside down basket on top to cover everything from flies, dust, etc. Injera is also used as an eating implement. You tear off a small piece of another injera disk and use this to grasp a bite off the piles on the base. Some of the stews (with or without meat) can be hot (spicy). The meat is goat, fish or chicken, but usually not pork (as many countries are predominantly Muslim. My wife was uncertain about the goat, but quickly
learned to like it. The beer is good and the national mead (with honey) drink called Tej is interesting. They make a show of pouring tea from a great height above a tiny glass. It is very sweet and is frequently flavored with mint.

Ethiopian: Pretty much as described above. We have quite a few of these, but our hands down favorite is Walia on Stevens Creek at Bascom. Many years ago, we liked Gojo on Stevens Creek, San Jose, but haven’t sampled it lately.

Moroccan: In addition to the stuff mentioned above, an interesting dish is a chicken pie flavored with cinnamon and sugar. Many places hang a cloth or parachute over the eating area to resemble a tent and you sometimes have to sit on a cushion on the floor. Belly dancing frequently accompanies the dinner and the whole experience frequently lasts for several hours.

Egyptian: There don’t seem to be any Egyptian places in the Bay Area, but the stuff we had in Egypt was more traditional stewed meats and veggies with some Egyptian spices. (If you ask Yelp for Egyptian, they are really list just the standard middle eastern stuff.)

Somalian: There’s only one, and it’s hard to find. Jubba is across the street from the light rail station

With our ski season cut short, we all have plenty of time to read this month’s news. Please make sure to take note of Armand’s message, as he has news of upcoming events that are postponed or cancelled. Everyone please try to stay healthy and enjoy the slow pace of life as it is right now, in this unusual world situation.

President’s Message, by Armand Gutierrez

2020 FWSA International Ski Trip to Davos, by Judy Bracken

by Armand Gutierrez

The month of March will be remembered for a variety of events that have affected people on a grand scale. Primarily, the spread of the corona virus that is now keeping us in our homes in order to halt the spread of the disease and curtailing our daily activities. Then, much to our dismay, all of the ski resorts were closed and thus shortening our ski season. All of the FWSA participants, including four from NSC that went on the Davos/Portugal trip, were delayed by one day on returning home. We were fortunate for had it been delayed one day longer then it would have been much more difficult for us to return to US soil.

During the year we have regular Board Meetings in order to run the club for the season.  Normally the meetings are held on a monthly basis, but sometimes a month, or two, will be skipped if there are no pressing issues. Our March board meeting was held as a videoconference, a first for NSC. I’ve always been a proponent for face-to-face board meetings and a videoconference was the next best thing. The one thing we did miss was going out to lunch after the meeting.

 April is here and that generally means the end of another great ski season. However, our ski season actually ended mid-March. At our March board meeting the decision was made, based on the shelter-in-place mandate, to postpone upcoming events that includes our Annual June Picnic, another Tea Dance (last year’s was popular), and a Thai Cooking Demonstration. As we progress through the remainder of the year we will try and hold these postponed events.

2020 FWSA Ski Week to Davos, Switzerland

Judy Bracken, Elaine Graves, Roland Lee, and I had a great skiing experience in Davos: plenty of fresh powder, hardly any lift lines, and tasty Swiss cuisine on the slopes. The funicular (pictured left) was adjacent to our hotel, along with the Parsenn Sports shop where we rented skis. The return trip from Portugal was a bit of a nightmare for Judy and I, and others on the trip. Our Portugal flight to Zurich was cancelled and that caused us to miss our Zurich-to-SFO flight. Kudos to Debbie Stewart, our FWSA trip director, for spending hours on the phone with the US Embassy, Swiss Air, and the travel agency for procuring flights for our return home, albeit a day late. To complicate matters due to the impending corona virus travel restrictions, Swiss Air was the only airline with flights from Zurich to the US: Boston and Newark (NJ). We were fortunate to return to the US prior to travel restrictions and corona virus screening were implemented. See Judy’s article for her perspective on her first FWSA international trip.

Board Nominations & Elections

Well, it’s that time again for holding our board nominations and elections for the 2020-2021 season, and an email for making your nominations for the board has already been posted.As you know,volunteers run this club, and without them this club would cease to exist, and it’s been in existence for 60 years! You are encouraged to take this opportunity to nominate an individual for one, or more, of the board positions. All individuals that accept the nomination(s) will go through an election process in May, and final results will be announced in the June Newsletter. Normally the results would be announced at the annual June picnic, but due to current shelter-in-place requirements the June picnic is postponed. Many of you have served on the board in the past, and your efforts were greatly appreciated and perhaps you would like to join the board again. For those that have never served then perhaps now is the time to consider a board position and provide new ideas and useful experiences.

2021 NSC Ski Week to Breckenridge, CO

Next year’s ski week will be at Breckenridge, CO from 23-30 January, 2021. Breckenridge is part of Vail Resorts so you can pick up an Epic Pass for the next season. Once again, Sports America will be offering the Epic Pass promotion-lodging rebate of $30 for an Epic Local Pass and $50 for a Full Epic Pass.

For 2020-21 Breckenridgewill be on the Epic Pass, and is also good for Northstar, Heavenly Valley, and Kirkwood. Here is what you need to know about the Ikon and Epic Passes for the Breckenridge trip:

• Purchase the Ikon Base Pass(Squaw/Alpine) from Sports America and receive a $30 discount, or purchase the Full Ikon Pass and receive a $50 discount on the Breckenridge trip. However, the Ikon Pass cannot be used at Breckenridge. Go to this link to purchase: www.sportsamerica.com/ikon-nisei.
• Purchase the Epic Local Pass(Northstar, Heavenly, Kirkwood) and receive a $30 discount, or purchase the Full Epic Passand receive a $50 discount on the Breckenridge trip. The Epic Pass can be used at Breckenridge for unlimited access. Go to this link to purchase: www.sportsamerica.com/epic-nisei.
• Purchase both the Ikon/Epic passes and you will receive a combination discount based on the type of passes you purchase.

If you have any questions about either of the passes then drop me a line at president@niseiskiclub.org.

by Judy Bracken

We were so excited to start out on our first European ski trip! Elaine, Armand and I had no trouble on our smooth overnight flight from SFO to Zürich. Roland had arrived earlier to visit his cousin. There was a jolly meeting with the other 80 skiers arriving from all sorts of places. Somehow our FWSA trip director, Debbie Stewart, managed to coordinate these large groups. We filled up our two buses and continued our journey for about three hours, arriving in Davos in time for dinner and long awaited sleep!

The five-star Hotel Seehof had spacious rooms and was close to the resorts. Included was a scrumptious breakfast and dinner almost every day, with a welcoming and friendly staff.  Dinner dishes each night were creatively cooked and served, including famous Swiss made cheeses and sauces, served with fish or meat. After skiing we had time to put on our bathrobes and visit the downstairs spa, complete with a whirlpool, sauna and steam rooms. We learned quickly that the European way is to wear nothing while in the saunas!

Skiing at Davos was spectacular, especially the views. From our hotel, it was just a few steps away to get on the steep funicular to the midway point of Parsenn, the largest and most popular of the six ski resorts surrounding the town of Davos. Skiing here was much different than our home resorts. We took very steep trams or funiculars to get up to the big bowls and most ski runs. Then multiple forms of transport take you further up the mountain, including t-bars, chairlifts, gondolas, trains, and more trams. Descending to the bottom was often a long, winding road with small cabins dotted about. Nothing was crowded, and free buses take you from one resort to another. 

If there was fresh snow, skiing off piste was really good, but otherwise the groomed runs were not very interesting. There are few trees up at the high slopes, and it’s white everywhere with breathtaking views of Matterhorn type peaks as far as the eye could see (on the two sunny days of the week). Other days were blustery with some white out conditions.  Ski runs are numbered, not named, and the lollipop markers help you find your way down. Everyone takes long lunches in private huts placed all about the mountains. You are waited upon, and can order anything from goulash to apple strudel. The lift passes were half as much as US, although food and everything else was quite pricey.  We were told that there had been no snow for some time, and we were lucky to get some fresh powder! 

Our NSC group did not go on the optional day trip to Lucerne, but we enjoyed the evening sleigh ride and fondue dinner. We boarded six to each horse drawn sleigh, snuggled under blankets, then over the river and through the woods we went. The snow was falling gently in the dark night, and listening to the sleigh bells ringing as we meandered up a canyon, passing chalets and weathered barns seemed like a fairytale. We arrived at a cozy house where we enjoyed a meal of salad, traditional Swiss fondues and wine. 

This was my first European ski trip, and it was fun to be with a group of likeminded, fun loving folks from all over the western US. It seemed we had a party every other night, and despite the jet lag all week, most of us managed to eat, drink, ski and be merry most of the time! We had no idea this would be our last ski of the season…

For the second week, 48 of us continued on to Portugal, where the weather was gorgeous every single day. We started hearing more about the coronavirus spread heating up. Even so, we enjoyed Lisbon and our humorous tour guide Valter, learning so much about Portuguese history and culture. One of our best meals of the trip was a six-course lunch at Museu da Cerveja (museum of beer). Then there were delicious pastries, and shopping galore. On the drive to Porto we stopped at Obidos, a tiny village surrounded by castle walls, then to Nazare, home of beaches with the biggest surf in the world. We were treated to an amazing seafood lunch, after which we soon arrived in Porto.  

We again had a wonderful day tour of Porto, complete with a substantial Portuguese lunch and a port wine tasting. On our free day some people walked or biked along the River Douro or saw more city sights. It seemed the Portuguese people bent over backwards to please their visitors. 

At the same time, news of the coronavirus was getting serious. Flights were being cancelled and European travelers were banned from coming to the US. Most of us had to alter our flight plans to get home. It was the end of our eventful trip, and we were grateful once we boarded our planes and landed on our home turf at last. 

We are getting a head start on March with an earlier than usual newsletter publication, since I will be traveling soon. Here’s what you can read:

President’s Message, by Armand Gutierrez

Into the Great White Open, by Judy Bracken

First Impressions of an NSC Ski Trip, by Ellen Szeto

Thai Cooking with Soo and Woo, by Tina Woo

Future Ski and Adventure Travel Opportunities

by Armand Gutierrez

Last year at this time Mother Nature was quite busy with record rainfall north of the Bay Area and snowfall in the Tahoe region. So, what happened? February is going down in the record books as the driest February with no rain, and definitely no snow. Temperatures have been in the 50s in Tahoe and I’ve heard reports that some runs are showing brown patches of dirt. Not good. Historically, March is usually a wet month with plenty of rain and snow in Tahoe. And last year at this time Squaw Valley was advertising skiing on the 4^thof July. Let’s hope March comes through with rain and snow so we can all enjoy pursuing our favorite winter endeavors.

Whistler Ski Week 

We’re back from the Whistler trip and I’m pleased to report that everyone had a great time experiencing a variety of weather and snow conditions. There was one clear day where everyone enjoyed the fresh powder from a good overnight snowfall. The other days were met with cloud and low visibility conditions at the top, but still great powder skiing thanks to new snow almost every day. One of my favorite experiences was watching the Whiskey Jacks (local term for the Canada Jay) as they use people as their landing targets. Yes, that’s one of them on my head. My arm is extended because they also were feeding on a crumbled granola bar. The Whiskey Jacks were found at the base of the 7^thHeaven lift on Blackcomb and the Symphony lift on Whistler.

2020 FWSA Ski Week to Davos, Switzerland

Judy Bracken, Elaine Graves, Roland Lee, and I are off to Davos, Switzerland for a week of skiing with FWSA. There are six resorts to choose from in the Davos Klosters area, and I’m hoping to ski the more popular resorts (Parsenn Davos, Parsenn Klosters, Jakobshorn, and Rhinerhorn). Davos Klosters offers 300km of snow pistes, 110 slopes, and 57 transport facilities (cable cars, gondolas, lifts, and T-bars). Like Whistler, there’s enough skiing to keep us busy for the week.

2021 NSC Ski Week to Breckenridge, CO

Next year’s ski week will be at Breckenridge, CO from 23-30 January, 2021. Breckenridge is part of Vail Resorts so you can pick up an Epic Pass for the next season. Once again, Sports America will be offering the Epic Pass promotion-lodging rebate of $30 for an Epic Local Pass and $50 for a full Epic Pass.

Board Nominations

Now that it’s March it’s time to think about Board Nominations for the 2020-21 season. If anyone has an interest in joining the board for the next season and has questions about what it entails then just drop a note to any of the current board members, or perhaps you have someone in mind to nominate for the board. Please keep in mind that the Nisei Ski Club relies on volunteers to be on the board and undertake the running of the club. It’s not all work and no play. Board meetings are fairly informal and afterwards we usually go out for lunch and talk about skiing or upcoming club events. 

Whistler 2020 Recap

by Judy Bracken

After a delayed departure but on time arrival flight, we entered Canada via Vancouver, B.C., and boarded our comfy bus for the two hour ride to our final destination at Whistler. The dramatic, snowy peaks made a spectacular backdrop, as we grabbed our parkas and entered the icy cold mountain air at Whistler village. People settled into their condos, met with roommates that took other flights or drove cars, and got ready for a week of fun, fun, fun!

Impressions of the first ski day ranged from “It was okay” to “I haven’t waited in lines this long for ages!” On the positive side, encounters with the whiskey jacks, friendly birds that hang around the ski lifts, landing on outstretched hands to get bits of free food from skiers, entertained us while waiting in line. Also some lucky folks found swatches of new powder snow, and Rick, a long-standing NSC member, unexpectedly got into Andrea’s pants! (He forgot his ski pants and borrowed Andrea’s extra pair!). 

At the end of the day we gathered to watch the Super Bowl, in which our home team the San Francisco 49ers played against the Kansas City Chiefs. Karen organized a random football pool with 100 squares at $5 apiece. Elaine was the first quarter winner, Roland won second and third quarters, and Sheldon got the big jackpot at game end. Many of us were saddened to see the 49ers lose to the Chiefs, 20-31. Even so, the party atmosphere in the two host condos was in full swing. 

Blue, sunny skies and cold, fresh snow greeted us Monday morning. The crowds remained, but the mountain views and soft snow got us smiling from ear to ear. Some of us ventured over the ridge to ski atop the Blackcomb glacier, while others spent the day on the Whistler side skiing together in several groups. 

We arose on Tuesday to blustery weather and all over whiteout at higher elevations. What a change from Monday! The snow was really good, but in some places it was like skiing with eyes shut.  Vertigo was the theme of the day. The Peak-to-Peak gondola reopened, which made traveling from Whistler to Blackcomb sides much easier. The gondola was an amazing piece of engineering that spanned the valley between the two connected resorts. On one of those rides, Elaine made friends with two Canadian snowboarders who invited all 9 of us in our group on a guided tour to the ice caves on the Blackcomb glacier.  How could we resist?  We all survived the T-bar ride and rigorous climb to the ridge, but it was hard to see at the top. We carefully made our way down the glacial valley and followed our guides to an icy opening at the bottom. We shed our skis and slid into the cavernous hole, marveling at the boulders encased in the ice ceiling and walls. It was a novel experience and one of the trip highlights. In days to follow, a few other NSC skiers also went to the cave. It may not be there for long, since the glacier is constantly moving and melting.

At the Tuesday night potluck, we roamed the third floor host condos, with dishes ranging from baked salmon to chow mein, curry, and beef stroganoff, along with scrumptious salads and desserts. One of the highlights was the Russian-themed condo with folk music, candlelight and vodka shots to the toast of “na zdarovje!”  

As the week and stormy whiteout days continued, we heard glimpses of news from home…Trump’s acquittal, the Iowa caucus, the corona virus, killer avalanches in Turkey.  Some folks took days off to rest and enjoy other activities, while others continued to explore the slopes despite the uneven light and snow conditions. Our motto became “follow the lollipop trail” when whiteouts prevented us from seeing where we were going (blue and orange posts marking the paths). We ventured onto lifts named 7th Heaven, Symphony and Jersey Cream, with runs named Panorama, Ode to Joy, and Wishbone.  One of my favorites was the Dave Murray downhill, which drops more than 3300 vertical feet in 1.5 miles. This was where the downhill and Super G Olympic events were held in 2010, and named after a man who had been a famous alpine racer and later ran the Whistler ski school. It was said that the average downhill racer made just 30 turns on this run; on my count I did at least 130 turns!

Many of us soaked our weary muscles in the hot tubs after skiing, and on the last day we tubbed under a canopy of large, wet, gently falling snow clumps, catching them in our hands and mouths. It was magical!  

We finished off the week with a lively cocktail hour and tasty meal in the conference room of our Delta Suites hotel. Armand recapped the week’s activities and announced next year’s trip to Breckinridge, Colorado. Kudos and thanks to Armand and Karen for organizing such a great trip.

Traveling back to San Fran on a bright, clear day, we thought about the powdery runs, the long and winding ski roads, and the joy of schussing down the slopes of that beautiful Whistler Blackcomb mountain. 

Photos from Bill Lee can be viewed here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/hH9BFobCTcVCC1sM8

by Ellen Szeto

“Hope 2020 is off to a great start for you.”  This was my typical sentiment to friends and colleagues in the beginning of the year. Then, that sentiment became true for me with an unexpected ski trip to Whistler!  What started as a casual email inquiry to Nisei Ski Club became an awesome trip, not only because I got to check off an item on my LIFE list*, but also because I got to know a great group of fellow skiers who are fun loving, friendly, considerate, intelligent, and inspirational (to keep skiing even into my 70’s and 80’s).  Contrary to David T’s allegation that the people in the club’s website photos were hired models, my week-long interactions with the club members confirmed that they were actually friendly, real people!

Even though the snow conditions were not ideal, it was a fantastic trip filled with lots of good times. Here are just a few highlights for me: 

• Carol’s savory oatmeal breakfast – Although I am tempted to not share this to avoid competition to be Carol’s condo mate again, Carol’s savory oatmeal was a great way to start each day!  It was deliciously made with sautéed mushrooms, snap beans, carrots, green onions, poached egg, and topped with shredded cheese! The down side is that I can no longer eat the boring traditional oatmeal.

• Great skiing companions –  Even though I didn’t know anybody when I signed up for the trip, I had a great time skiing with club members who readily welcomed me to join them on the slopes.  I want to express a special appreciation to Tina who made a point to invite me to ski with her, because she knew we ski about the same level (she’s better).

• Great social gatherings – Really appreciated and enjoyed the planned events (Super Bowl watching and munching, potluck dinner hopping, and catered dinner) that made it so easy to meet and get to know club members.   

I am looking forward to next year’s trip to Colorado which is also on my LIFE List!

*Since I dislike the connotation of a “bucket list” so I call it my LIFE list (Life Is For Enjoyment).

by Tina Woo

Sandy and I had a great time traveling in Thailand. Sampling many types of Thai cuisine was one of the highlights. 

 “Iron Chef” Karen Soo has offered to lead a Thai Cooking Demo on Sunday, May 17.  A sample menu might include a Thai soup, appetizer, curry and or noodle dish, veggie dish and of course, mango sticky rice!   

A nominal fee of $12 will be charged for groceries and spices.  Is this of interest to you? You will learn to  cook the foods, then you get to eat the dishes afterwards!

Patt and Rick Dumlao have graciously offered to host this event at their home in Union City from 1-5 pm on May 17. 

Please RSVP to membership@niseiskiclub.org  or tripdirector@niseiskiclub.org  if you will be attending. Class is limited to 12 -15 people. 

More details to follow. We look forward to seeing you at this event!

PS What is your spice level from 1 (mild) to 5 (super hot)?
Bring your appetite!