Cookbooks + Technique

Camp Cooking is a lot different than other forms of cooking.  You have got to be really creative.  Creative, patient, and able to eat ash - or, as we call it here at the Plateau "Hill Spice" or "Mountain Spice".

The fluctuating heat that comes from an open fire - or even a deep bed of coals (which is the preferred heat - but kids don't often - nor hungry dads - wait long enough to get good coals) is tough to work with.  Caste-iron pans cook differently than the usual kitchenware.  They hold heat - which is great if you remember to factor that in to your cooking.

On of the things that is a really important in camp cooking (as in any kitchen cooking) is getting some robust resources at your fingertips.  We have collected some of them at our camp kitchen website:

Kitchen Staff Resource Page.

We have tried to pull together a few cookbook resources, some chef links (you have got to check out Chef Jacob Burton's podcasts and website, Molly Katzen's site with videos and sensational veggie recipes, and Peter Reinhart's blog on baking).  But you'll need more than this.

Search the shelves to have some good technique books and a few recipe/cookbooks in your cadre of resources.  Build some good files on your computer, too.  I would recommend opening a google docs and spreadsheet site.  It is free and you can upload tons of resources to a digital e-file that you can access anytime, from anywhere.  It'll sync to your computer, so you can access it even when your server is down.

You should look into some good camping books like BIG BOOK OF CAMP COOKING, ROUGHING IT EASY, and COOKING THE DUTCH OVEN WAY.  You can use the amazon search at the bottom of the blog pages to search.  Make something SUMPTUOUS to eat today - over a fire, or over a stove.

Resources are the backbone of any path you choose to grow in.

Ciao!

Tom +

used with permission of David Lance Goines

Food Safety is a Must

For all of you folks who educate staff on food safety issues, I want to share a resource that we have received from the ServSafe website.  The resources are free, and you can download them from their website, you simply need to make an account.  You can also view them at our food service website on the Staff Resources page.

Staff Resources Page

Just click on our Pocono Plateau Foodservices Handbook - part II and it will take you directly to our on-line folder of posters and quizes.  I use them to compile the second have of our food service handbook, obviously.  they are great handouts that folks can take with them (we bind them in with our part I of the handbook and give each staff member one).  We go over one poster a day.  I review them and then give them the quiz too.  I sign off that they took them and viola, you have a record of staff education for survey time.

It is critical that eveyone is on the same page in the kitchen.  This helps facilitate that.  Good food is safe food.

Ciao!

Tom +

used with permission of Mollie Katzen

Mountain Pies - Camp Cooking at its FINEST

First, for those that have never made a mountain pie - you have missed out.  Essentially there is a pie iron that hinges open, and has long handles.  You open the iron, put a smear of butter or a spray of not stick pan spray on each side.  Place a piece of bread on each side of the iron.  Then, fill it with the filling of your choice.

You can use cheese and sauce and toppings to make a pizza mountain pie.  You can use PBJ to make a PBJ pie.  Pie fillings are good.  Scrambled eggs, cheese and bacon (already cooked) makes a fine breakfast pie.  You can do cheese, taco meat and salsa.

Basically you can fill that sucker with whatever you think will be a fine mountain pie.  The tricky part is getting the fire down to coals and then sticking that iron on the coals, flipping it every minute or so. You have to experiment to get the feel for how the fire is working and how the fillings are cooking.  But the goal is a toasty golden brown pie with warm fillings.  Experiment with fillings, too.

It makes a fun evening activity and snack, all in one.

Ciao!

Tom+