By Pip Taylor, Competitor Network

Many athletes choose to live and train at high altitude with the particular goal of increasing endurance performance. While the merits of altitude training and the best methods and timing of implementation can be debated, let’s focus on changes in nutritional demands at higher elevations.

It is clear that any competition at altitude will benefit from acclimatization, or adaption to changes in physiological and metabolic demands. Systems that react to altitude and changes in oxygen pressure include cardiovascular, pulmonary and endocrine and the central nervous system, meaning changes in resting and maximal heart rate, rates of ventilation, blood pressure, VO2 max and oxygen transport. Nutritional support of these adaptations and systems during altitude acclimatization is crucial.

As with any conditions, there is a range of nutritional demands. A mildly warm day will require different nutritional strategies as compared with one of searing heat and humidity; similarly, with rising altitude there will be greater effects. For the most part, when endurance athletes talk of moderate altitude, they are talking somewhere in the range of 5000 to 8000 feet (1,500-2,500 meters).

Here are some nutritional challenges athletes might face at moderate altitude.

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By Kathryn Reed

Some things are worth waiting for – like a recipe.

At a New Year’s Eve party my friend Brenda made quinoa – pronounced keen-wah. Oh, how yummy it was.

This grain has been around forever, but seemed to become all the rage in the United States just recently. It is native to the Andes Mountains – Peru, Bolivia and Chile in particular.

The nutrition content, besides the flavor, is one of the selling points. It is a complete protein. What’s significant is this is the only plant based complete protein.

For vegetarians and vegans this is huge cause soy is often the protein that is relied upon. Quinoa is a fun alternative that can be incorporated in different dishes.

Finally, last month Brenda sent me the recipe she devised. She also brought a smaller container the day we skied at Heavenly. This was quite a treat.

I asked her how the recipe came about.

“I bought some quinoa, decided to make some one day and thought it looked very ordinary,” Brenda said. “I just started pulling things out of the refrigerator to put in it.”

It worked.

Quinoa Rainbow Dish

Quinoa Rainbow Dish

1 cup dry quinoa

2 T olive oil

3-5 cloves of garlic, chopped

½ red onion, diced

3 mini sweet bell peppers, diced. Use a combination of red, yellow and orange — about 2/3 C total

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 T cumin, split in half

½ C frozen corn kernels

½ C frozen shelled edamame

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Cook quinoa according to instructions.

In a large pan, sauté the garlic, onion and peppers in olive oil. Add salt and pepper.

Add ½ T cumin. Sauté for a few more minutes.

Add corn and edamame. Lower heat and sauté for another 3-4 minutes.

Add black beans. Stir until everything is warm.

Add cooked quinoa to vegetable mixture.

Stir in remaining cumin.

Mix well together in pan.

Can be served hot, warm, or cold.

Proper nutrition and human contact have so many positive effects for overall health. In El Dorado County programs are available to ensure these life sustaining necessities.

The Senior Nutrition Program offers nutritionally balanced, home style meals in seven community dining centers, as well as home delivered meals for a suggested donation of $3 a meal.

For more information, call (530) 621.6160.

The 26th annual Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival is Sept. 9-11 at the Village at Northstar in Truckee.

Back bigger and better than ever, culinary aficionados and hungry travelers will return to the Village at Northstar for chef battles, free outdoor grilling demonstrations, celebrity chef luncheon, gourmet marketplace vendor fair, grape stomp, wine walk, art and sculpture exhibit, winemaker dinners, live entertainment, along with food and wine pairing seminars. Most events are outside.

Tickets go on sale in July.

By Allan Hall, The Telegraph

The steady rise in global temperatures is threatening vineyards around Bordeaux that produce some of the most esteemed and expensive wines on earth.

Experts say that the region may be unsuitable for wine-growing by 2050, making the supreme wines of chateaux like Lafite, Petrus and Latour nothing but memories.

Winegrowers are already switching to heat-resistant grape varieties as a precaution, Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine reported this week.

“The most pessimistic scenario says that the climate will no longer be suitable for Cabernet and Merlot wines by the middle of the century,” said Jean-Pascal Goutouly, a wine expert at the French National Institute for Agricultural Research in Paris.

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By Susan Wood

PLACERVILLE — El Dorado County wineries represent a gutsy, resilient lot.

First, some have found their pricing endured the economic recession.

Plus, an aging America hasn’t dampened the spirits of a youth movement interested in wine – with this county being no exception.

Now, a wild winter came out in full force this past weekend when a major storm Saturday knocked out power to some of the mostly southern wineries during their premier event – Passport weekend. The event prompts wineries in the association to feature their product of Chardonnays, Viogniers, Barberas, Sirahs and signature Zinfandels as well as cook for the wine lovers on tour.

The power went out at around noon at Charles B. Mitchell Winery off Fairplay Road. Thankfully, the staff was still able to cook its wood-fired pizzas outside.

Charles B. Mitchell winery workers Kyle Gazlay and Noelle Savage serve up the wood-fired pizzas. Photo/Susan Wood

Elliot Graham at Busby Cellars noticed that attendance dropped off to almost half the 600 wine drinkers who usually tour the wineries on the Passport day.

At Latcham Winery off Omo Ranch Road, the storm and power outage prompted the staff and customers to improvise.

“We dressed warmer the second day,” regular customer Sheila Sanchez of Somerset said Sunday on her family’s second day of their outing.

“We lit lots of candles,” winery owner Margaret Latcham said Sunday.

She tried to seize the generator from her nephew running its sister winery, Granite Springs, but to no avail.

“Sorry, Auntie Margaret. You’re not getting the generator,” Latcham quipped, as she recalled what he said. Being that they had no heat, staff wore gloves.

“It was like a wine cave,” Latcham added. The staff scrambled to find light.

Customers cleared out – many to the north end of the tour route — but returned on Sunday. And next weekend’s forecast appears to look like a blue skies Passport event when the association hosts its second weekend on April 2 and 3.

The wine business comes with its ebbs and flows of trends in agriculture and consumer demand. Adjustment is the name of the game.

Two trends have made Latcham and other vintners pleased with business – more younger drinkers contributing to a segment returning to the pricier wines than the bottles that were bought at the start of the severe economic recession.

For that, Latcham’s maestro of winemaking, Ruggero Mastroserio, has introduced an ultra premium label of Zinfandel, which was on the table for tasting and buying at as much as $50 a bottle. Latcham is well known for its quality Zins hovering at about $14 to $30 a bottle as well as their signature table wines – Gold Rush Red and Gold Rush White. They can be picked up for as low as $8 a bottle with wine discounts and bulk pricing.

The middle-of-the-road wines priced over $20 are being bought up in greater numbers according to the Nielsen Co., which tracks U.S. wine trends. Total U.S. wine sales rose 4.1 percent to $9.3 billion last year. Recent studies have pointed to the millennial generation as an up-and-coming market joining its baby boomer counterparts.

“We’re definitely seeing more young people buying wine,” Latcham confirmed.

The same goes for Charles B. Mitchell wine tasting room manager Patty Forester. She had noticed many wine buyers seeking “a sale” when the recession hit. Moreover, some were canceling their wine club memberships because spouses lost their jobs. Things have improved.

“Now we’re seeing people tired of conserving. They want to spend money,” Forester said.

Winery Association spokeswoman Jolaine Collins had noticed the “recession has worked to our benefit” in terms of seizing the customers looking for the mid-range wine purchases.

Pam Miller of Single Leaf has seen an upsurge in dollars spent per visit. Miller has not only witnessed more of the younger set coming to the winery off Fairplay Road, but she’s also seen those who make it to the winery wanting “to make the most of their trip,” because of higher gas prices.

Most of the vintners are optimistic this coming Passport weekend’s sunny weather in the forecast will bring out the enthusiasm among their customers. A sellout is anticipated – especially with the recent trends.

“We’re finding the young consumers are very interested in wine, and they’re coming for the intimate settings where they can learn about the wine,” said Winery Association President Beth Jones, who works for Lava Cap. The north-end winery fared better during the storm Saturday and only lost power for seconds.

Jones insists El Dorado is being “discovered more” as a choice for wine up to Napa and Sonoma. Unlike the latter counties’ national push, this county tends to focus its marketing efforts on the region.

The El Dorado Winery Association may be reached at 800.306.3956.

By Kathryn Reed

There was a time when I did not like lasagna. I would push it around my plate. Maybe I’d take some bread and dab at the sauce to make it look like I was eating it.

Oh my, how things have changed. Now it’s rare I don’t have seconds.

I think what got me is as a kid I saw my mom make it and it was this gooey mess of stuff. I’m guessing it was the ricotta cheese. It’s amazing still to me how the end product can be so much different than the individual ingredients of a recipe.

Luckily, my childhood experience with lasagna did not negatively impact me forever. In time I learned lasagna comes in many different forms. Yes, I actually make them with ricotta cheese. Another favorite is from my friend Patty called Tex-Mex Lasagna.

However, the one I tend to make over and over is a different vegetarian lasagna. I think it’s the artichoke hearts and feta cheese that make this one stand out. It also helps that it is pretty easy to make. It’s also hearty enough to satisfy the meat eaters in the crowd.

I found the recipe years ago on Allrecipes.com.

I serve it with a green salad, bread and red wine.

Artichoke Spinach Lasagna

Cooking spray

Olive oil

9 uncooked lasagna noodles

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth

1 T chopped fresh rosemary

1 (14 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 (10) ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry

1 (28 ounce) jar tomato pasta sauce

3 C shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 (4 ounce) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minute or until al dente; drain.

Coat large skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and garlic for 3 minutes, or until onion is tender-crisp. Stir in broth and rosemary; bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach; reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce.

Spread ¼ of the artichoke mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish; top with 3 cooked noodles. Sprinkle ¾ C mozzarella cheese over noodles. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending wit artichoke mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.

Bake, covered for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

By Kathryn Reed

Sometimes I hate to stop doing research for a story. Maybe there will have to be sequels to this story.

Friends and I were in search of the best Bloody Mary in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Well, we didn’t get that far. Most of the research was done on the South Shore. My apologies to the other regions that were not tapped into as well as they could have been.

Years ago you could not have paid me to drink a Bloody Mary. I grew up not liking tomato juice. Vodka was never one of my favorite alcohols.

Sarah Moss is working on selling her Bloody Mary mix. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Somewhere along the way my taste buds evolved. I love Bloody Mary’s. But this little taste test proved they vary in taste.

My sister, Pam, and I started a tradition where we would have a Bloody Mary together at the airport whenever we flew together. I like to carry on that tradition with whoever my flying companion is. Sue and I always have one at the Reno airport.

Sue and I have decided the best one we’ve had during this taste test trial is at Turn 3, also known as the Peanut Bar, in South Lake Tahoe.

Sarah Moss, who bought the bar 13 years ago at age 21, doesn’t remember how the recipe came about. But what she did know is that she wanted each Bloody Mary at her bar to be consistently good. That’s why she makes up batches of the stuff by the gallon.

She won’t divulge what goes in the mix or just how much celery salt, or steak sauce or horse radish is involved.

“Soon, hopefully, you’ll be able to buy it,” Moss revealed on our repeat visit last weekend to make sure this was our No. 1 choice. “I’m trying to package it. They will be testing acidic levels next week.”

Moss is working with a company in Auburn.

It will be made with all natural ingredients. She’d like to sell the BM mix locally and in stores like Whole Foods.

Not only are the Bloody Mary’s fantastic – the price will have you ordering more than one. With a beer back they are $5.25. On Sundays the price drops to $3.50 – which also includes the beer back.

The bar is in the Kings Trading Post next to Overland Meat on Highway 50.

Across town in the Heavenly Village is another tasty, well-priced ($4.95) BM. Brenda, Sue and I all recommend the Driftwood Cafe.

Driftwood Cafe's Bloody Mary's are pretty. Photo/Brenda Knox

“Asked for spicy and it was,” Brenda said. She also found this to be one of the better-looking BMs she sampled. It was also her favorite.

Sue and I rated the BMs at Blue Angel Café on Ski Run Boulevard ($5) a hair better than Driftwood.

At the Log Cabin in Kings Beach, the $6 BM is a wonderful complement to breakfast.

The Beacon at Camp Rich used to be where I would go for a BM all the time. But the last few times the $8 Burnt Betty — the spicy BM that is 50 cents more than the regular one — has only been average.

Pam found the one at the Beacon a bit nasty, with her guess being they put olive juice in the mix. She doesn’t do olives at all.

Though I’m usually a beer drinker on the slopes, I changed that up a bit this season in my quest to sample a Bloody Mary or two on the slopes.

The one that nearly had me crawling down the slopes was at Summit at Northstar.

My notes read, “Oh my, the double is deadly, especially with only a banana in my system.”

I read the description on the board about the double Bloody Mary, but mistakenly thought I would have to specifically order it. I thought if I just ordered a Bloody Mary, I would get a single. Wrong. I was a bit loopy as I stood in line waiting to order food to absorb this $14.88 concoction. Good, but way too much alcohol for me.

My friend Brenda had the $11.75 BM at Heavenly’s Tamarack Lodge. She was complimentary of the concoction, especially that the Worcestershire was added and not just a pre-mix. She also liked the salt around the rim.

The worst BM that Sue, Brenda and I had was at the Tiki Bar at Sierra-at-Tahoe. Flavor was horrible, more ice than liquid, cup was small. And they cost more than $10 each.

We were super disappointed because Sue and I love the ones at West Bowl at Sierra. Not only are they worth ordering, but at $8.50 they are less than the ones at the main lodge.

I tend to like my BMs spicy, but the bartender at Alpine said I would be happy without any extras. The $8 concoction was spicy enough, but I rated it a “fair.” Sue liked it better than I did, but was not wowed.

Now the $7.50 BM at Mt. Rose’s Winter’s Creek Lodge is one I will order again. It was super spicy. At that time, Sue was leaning toward it being the best one yet.

By Ryan Flinn, Bloomberg News

The United States passed France as the world’s largest wine-consuming nation for the first time, lifted by its larger population and an interest in wine-and-cheese culture among young Americans.

Wine shipments to the United States climbed 2 percent to 329.7 million cases last year, according to Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates, a wine-industry consulting firm in Woodside. That compares with 320.6 million for France.

While the French still eclipse Americans in per-capita consumption, the U.S. wine industry is benefiting from a population of almost 311 million people – five times the size of France’s – and more young people becoming interested in the drink. Marketers also are using social media to reach a new generation of consumers, said Jon Fredrikson, the firm’s president.

“Wine is really gaining traction in the U.S. – it’s becoming an accepted part of everyday life,” Fredrikson said. “That’s a radical change over the past two decades.”

The retail value of U.S. wine sales rose 4 percent to $30 billion in 2010, according to Gomberg, Fredrikson. California’s output accounted for 61 percent of the volume. The state’s worldwide wine shipments climbed 2 percent to 241.8 million cases.

“With the U.S. being the biggest, it means we’re a target for everyone in America and around the world that produces wine,” Fredrikson said. “Everyone wants to be here.”

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“You can grow it, now sell it” is the message of Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute’s workshop for small farms. The workshop is April 2, 9am-5pm at the WNC Carson City Campus, 2201 West College Parkway.

Cost is $35 if registered by March 23 or $45 if registered after March 23.

Lunch is included and seating is limited.

With increased demand for local food, more farmers are building hoop houses to increase their food production and extend their growing season. New sales strategies need to be developed for yearlong sales that extend beyond the traditional summer harvest season. The workshop explores several sales and marketing options, including Community Supported Agriculture, farmers markets, farm stands, restaurants and institutional sales, and forming collaborative marketing groups.

Featured speaker Christof Bernau is garden manager and instructor at UC Santa Cruz, Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems.

Workshop participants will tour hoop houses at Hungry Mother Organics Farm along with the retail farm stand that opened in 2010. The stand features plant starts, fruit trees, fresh eggs and produce, and products from several local farms.

For workshop registration or details, contact Ann Louhela at (775) 351.2551 or email louhelaa@wnc.edu.