Tue, Feb 19, 2008 - Fidel steps down

8.45am - the three loaves of bread (plus Fig and Ginger Jam) we bought on our trip at Schat's bakery in Bishop, CA. I'll throw some of them in the freezer, but still - there'll be a lot of bread on this blog in the near future....8.47am - Shepherder's bread w/ German syrup and rhubarb jam, Argentinian Mate tea, at home

12.59pm - Cuban lunch of ropa vieja (shredded beef stew w/ green bell peppers and tomatoes), fried plantains, rice, black beans and an imported Cuban pineapple soda, aptly named Jupina, at Versailles Cuban Restaurant (yes, we have the original one in LA - take that, Miami!)

8.46pm - Cuban dinner of chuletas de puerco (pork chops) with Versailles' famous lemon garlic sauce, w/ fried plantains and black beans, at Versailles, with Ritesh

8,46pm - Versailles famous garlic-lemon chicken w/ black beans, tomato salad, with Ritesh

8.46pm - the rice and garlic bread that didn't fit in the other pictures (there's a plate of rice this size with each entree)

Mon, Feb 18, 2008 - Mammoth - home

9.29am - farewell breakfast in Mammoth: oatmeal and 1/2 bagel w/ peanut butter and banana, at M Inn, with Ritesh1.47pm - a fuji in the desert brush near Keough Hot Springs, south of Bishop, less than two hours from but 5000 ft. below Mammoth

2.46pm - chips and salsa at a very, ahem, picturesque restaurant called "Bonanza" in Lone Pine ("Small Town, Big Charm") on Highway 395, with Ritesh

2.49pm - Iced Tea at Bonanza, Lone Pine, with Ritesh

3.03pm - Mexican Torta w/Carnitas, refried beans, avocado and lettuce, at Bonanza, with Ritesh

3.11pm - this was touted on the menu as "Fried Ice Cream" and warmly recommended by the largely toothless waitress. It turned out to be vanilla ice cream smothered in whipped cream inside a tostada shell. Bonanza, Lone Pine, with Ritesh

8.33pm - home, sweet home: vietnamese veggie pho, eggrolls, at Pho99, w/ Ritesh

Sun, Feb 17, 2008 - Mammoth

8.44am - bagel w/ peanut butter and banana, at the M Inn, Mammoth, with Ritesh1.30pm - chili at the Tamarack Lodge, with Ritesh

1.36pm - French Onion Soup, at Tamarack Lodge, with Ritesh

3.34pm - a fuji after skiing up to frozen Lake Mary, at 8960ft (in fast 300om Hoehe), with Ritesh

3.55pm - Fruit&Nut Toblerone while cross-country skiing back down Lake Mary Road

5.57pm - a Spanish Red whose name I forgot, plus bread and olive oil-balsamico dip at Petra's Bistro & Wine Bar (named not after me, but after the owner's Austrian mother), Mammoth, with Ritesh

6.00pm - Lobster Miso, Udon noodles, Spinach, at Petra's, with Ritesh

6.01pm - Fries w/ Garlic Aoli, at Petra's, with Ritesh

6.05pm - Wild mushroom and crispy leeks soup, at Petra's, with Ritesh

7.05pm - Amaretto Sour at the Mammoth Brewing Company, with Ritesh

Sat, Feb 16, 2008 - Birthday in Mammoth

11.12am - "Morning Glory" breakfast pita (egg, tomato, avocado, spinach, mushrooms, bacon) , at the Pita Pit, Mammoth, shared w/ Ritesh12.43pm - a fuji at frozen Convict Lake, with Ritesh

1.47pm - Hot Dog made w/ Bratwurst, outside Footloose Ski Rental, Mammoth, with Ritesh

3.27pm - trail mix (dried pineapple, mango, cranberries, almonds), somewhere in the forest off the trails to Shady Rest Park, Mammoth, with Ritesh

3.30pm - nothing like munching on some snow...

7.25pm - Irish potato-leek soup at The Auld Dubliner Pub, Mammoth, with Ritesh

9.12pm - Whole Roasted Garlic Head w/ Crostini, at the Restaurant at Convict Lake, with Ritesh

9.12pm - Anjou Pear Crispy Prosciutto Frisee Salad w/ toasted pine nuts and an apple cider clover honey vinaigrette, at Convict Lake, with Ritesh

9.31pm - Beef Wellington (Filet Mignon en croute), w/ aparagus, carrot puree, red rose potatoes and mixed vegetables in a cabernet veal jus, at Convict Lake, with Ritesh

9.31pm - White Prawns (flown in from Hawaii that day), prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, fried green tomatoes w/ a smoked tomato coulis, at Convict Lake, with Ritesh

10.12pm - Bananas Foster (flambeed at the table), at Convict Lake, with Ritesh

Fri, Feb 15, 2008 - off to Mammoth

8.22am - protein bread w/ almond butter and hemp seeds , at home1.22pm - Ritesh's chicken tomato soup w/ croutons and spring onion, at home

4.24pm - travel snacks (raw chocolate, green crackers and a fuji), going north on Highway 14 trough Red Rock National Park, with Ritesh

5.23pm - Gus's Really Good Fresh Beef Jerky, somewhere along Highway 395 (Getrocknetes Rindfleisch nach Westernart)

8.48pm - savory crepe w/ prosciutto, egg, spinach, tomato and aoli, at Side Door Cafe, Mammoth, with Ritesh

10.57pm - getting ready to celebrate my birthday - champagne, strawberries and chocolate in the jacuzzi at the hotel in Mammoth, with Ritesh

Thurs, Feb 14, 2008

9.52am - joghurt, fiber cake, See's chocolate (a Valentine's Day gift
from the building management, which I didn't eat),
a Granny Smith apple and an exquisite little mint chocolate truffle
from Susan, which I saved for Ritesh, at work.12.36pm - Salad from Mrs. Winstons w/ kung pao tofu and tuna salad, outside work.

5.24 pm - a Fuji (so much better than that Granny Smith this morning)

in my office plant at work

8.23 pm - grilled asparagus and tomatoes, fried egg, hummus w/ tomatoes and carrots, at home

Wed, Feb 13, 2008 - Writers Strike REALLY ends

8.36am - 1/2 grapefruit, Wasa crispbread w/ almondbutter and hemp seeds, at home1.01pm - a fuji while running errands, going west on Olympic Blvd.

2.25pm - Ritesh's home made split pea soup, at work

5.17pm - veggie juices that ended up being dinner, at work

Tue, Feb 12, 2008

8.35am - ruby red grapefruit, at home9.49am - yoghurt w/ sprouted cereal, at work

1.27pm - 1/4 chicken plate (w/ hummus and famed garlic sauce) at Zankou Chicken.
Zankou Chicken is an LA institution, and this is one tasty bird, but honestly, this "plate" is sorely lacking some greens. And why do they serve their eat-in orders in to-go containers?

7.56pm - lentil soup, at home, with Ritesh