Fabulous Festival Foods

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The Bistro at the Corner is now open in South Lake Tahoe. The Bistro at the Corner features an open kitchen concept on display for all to see from the elegant dining room. The aesthetic is brushed steel, brown leather, white marble, custom lit glass, walnut and pine.

The menu is a mix of continental, comfort and American bistro offerings, such as caviar service, New Zealand Elk Chop and a decadent Overland burger topped with poached cold-water lobster meat. Special on the weekends from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. is an elevated, upscale brunch menu with lobster eggs benedict, chilaquiles and bottomless mimosas among others. The Bistro is located at 2040 Lake Tahoe Blvd. | bistroatthecorner.com

Great Basin Brewing Company and Kanekoa, the Hawaiian Jam Rock band from Maui, have partnered to release an island-inspired beer for Kanekoa’s 2022 Morning Sun Summer Tour – the Kanekoa Hipnotized Mango Wit.

A launch party for the Kanekoa Hipnotized Mango Wit will take place at the band’s live performance at the Crystal Bay Club Casino Crown Room on June 25. The beer will be on draft and custom t-shirts and commemorative posters will be available for purchase. Tickets to the show are $15.

There will be an outdoor Hawaiian Style Lu‘au meet and greet with Kanekoa at Great Basin’s Sparks brewpub on June 26 from noon to 3 p.m. Tickets to the June 25 launch are available at bit. ly/3QdmsUN. | greatbasinbrewingco. com

food & libations | recipes | delicious events

BY PRIYA HUTNER

The music is good, the dancing is epic and summer festivals have arrived. When planning to attend a festival, one of the most important things to consider is hydration and nutrition. While many festivals have food vendors, other festivals such as Burning Man, practice radical self-reliance, i.e., bring your food and water. Vendor festival food ranges from the healthy to unhealthy and can be costly. That’s not saying I don’t enjoy a delicious slice of pizza at 1 a.m. after dancing. Many veteran festivalgoers bring their own meals. Having healthy choices on hand is the way to go, especially if it’s easy and light. Salty food works well in the summer heat. Electrolytes are also good to pack.

Overnight oats, breakfast burritos with eggs, cheese, breakfast meat, yogurt, granola and berries provide a solid base to begin the long day ahead. Fresh stone fruit is also good. Keep it simple. Traveling to a festival with a camp stove is a win-win. A breakfast of eggs, bacon or sausage always works — and coffee is imperative.

Cooking during the height of the day for lunch isn’t recommended. Bowltype meals are easy and delicious. Start with crunchy vegetables (chopped carrots, celery and roasted beets), add a protein (cooked chicken) with fresh cilantro and serve over a grain base (brown rice or quinoa). Bring a side of vinaigrette dressing to add to the veggie bowls. These types of meals hold up well in a cooler. Lettuce doesn’t necessarily do well in the heat, but if it’s something you crave, pack it on the top of the cooler and eat it earlier in the trip. Sandwiches make festival life a breeze. Bacon, lettuce and tomato; peanut butter and jelly; or cheese and crackers are easy to grab and hold up well in a cooler. Hummus and veggies are also a top choice to keep in the cooler with guacamole, salsa and chips. Dried fruit and nuts, protein bars, jerky and a jar of peanut butter are all essential to pack because they provide extra protein. While chips aren’t the healthiest, I always bring a few bags. They are tasty and salty. Salt and vinegar chips are my favorite.

When it comes to dinner, bringing a camp stove makes preparing meals easy. Grilling sausages, meat and chicken are easy and provides excellent protein. Precooked grilled vegetables are easy to warm up and have with dinner. There have been times I’ve made Thai curry with lots of vegetables and rice noodles. It is a bit more work but a delicious and satisfying option. A rotisserie chicken can make festival life a lot easier. Take the meat off the bone (it generates less trash). Store chicken in a plastic bag. Serve it over salad (kale holds up well) or rice with grilled vegetables.

Packing your cooler is the key. Keep it cold. Pack lots of ice. A frozen gallon jug of water helps keep your cooler extra cold and you can drink it when it melts. Vegetables should be individually packed in bags. Avoid vegetables such as cucumbers or eat them in the first day or so. They don’t hold up well in the heat. Watermelon is excellent and refreshing. Chill it at home and put it in your cooler. It stays better if kept whole until ready to eat. Keep meats and perishables next to the ice and make sure you keep them cold. Have a separate cooler for beverages. It’s good to limit how often you open your cooler, too. If you’re partying for days, it’s essential to hydrate and eat as well as possible. n