I just want to point out that paw paws are starting to become edible here in Maryland! These trees have a habit of having their fruit get ripe at wildly differing times, so you can find rotten paw paws and hard-as-a-rock unripe ones hanging right next to each other... but today I started finding some…Read more Paw Paw Season!
Cooking
Medieval Camp Cooking (Part 2)
This is Part 2 of a post I began earlier in the week. That one focused on a dinner featuring items from England and the Netherlands in the 14th and 15th centuries. This one follows up with a lunch item and a dessert option. If you haven't read that one to understand why I was…Read more Medieval Camp Cooking (Part 2)
Medieval Camp Cooking (Part 1)
Let me be clear up front - this is not a post about how people might have cooked while "camping" during the Middle Ages. It is, instead, a discussion of repurposing historical, Medieval recipes for modern campsite meals. The setup was a Scout Camporee a few years back, where the event was built around a…Read more Medieval Camp Cooking (Part 1)
Dutch Oven Cooking – Pot Roast and Summer Vegetables
Hey there, folks! It's been hot. Like, really, non-stop heat index well north of 100 deg F hot. Too hot to do much other than hang out in air conditioning as much as possible. So as a result, I've been indoors too much! Now that it is August (classically cool, August...), temperatures have dropped significantly,…Read more Dutch Oven Cooking – Pot Roast and Summer Vegetables
Baking Bread In a Dutch Oven Is HARD!!
I make a lot of things in cast iron dutch ovens - main courses, desserts, breakfast, dinner - but I've never just baked bread in one. There's something special about the smell of fresh-baked bread, and in a campsite setting it's almost a luxury, a wonderful side to any dish and a perfect accompaniment to…Read more Baking Bread In a Dutch Oven Is HARD!!
Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, and is excited about the possibilities that 2020 holds. I have a lot of plans, but with teenagers in the house, I realize my schedule is not truly my own...on the plus side, though, I'm very busy with "doing" and don't have a lot of time for…Read more Happy New Year!
Success! A Dutch Oven Lasagna Shortcut
There's a Scout I've been getting to know for a couple years now. He is quick to volunteer to cook for his patrol on group campouts, and he has a favorite go-to recipe for dutch oven lasagna. The problem is, something has ALWAYS gone wrong. It hasn't necessarily been his fault - Cooks and those…Read more Success! A Dutch Oven Lasagna Shortcut
When You Pick a Pawpaw…
Quick show of hands, who has ever picked a pawpaw? Did you know you could? I mean, Baloo, the bear, sings about them in Disney's adaptation of The Jungle Book, but have you ever stopped to think about just what it is he's talking about? In the tropics, a pawpaw is a papaya - the…Read more When You Pick a Pawpaw…
Peep S’Mores Fondue (Easter Canteen Cup)
I've been doing some creative things lately in camp cooking - but I've been negligent in posting. Most of my energy has been in matching the aggressive schedule of a bunch of YouTubers, and collaborations around "Canteen Cup" cooking. Truth be told, the canteen cup (the aluminum or stainless, kidney-shaped pot, about 2-1/2 cups in…Read more Peep S’Mores Fondue (Easter Canteen Cup)
New Year’s Tradition
Where I come from (not necessarily where I AM), eating black eyed peas on New Year's Day brings good luck for the year. Who else had some? It's great that little cultural things like this persist even as the world gets smaller and homogenized. Happy New Year everybody!
Feuerzangenbowle – German Christmas Fire Wine! (Wilderness Chef #8)
A quasi-guest-post by my brother, Mike, here - we had the joy of sharing a Christmas celebration at his house this year (and for a good solid week, I've been completely absent from the internet!) I'd witnessed the creation of a Feuerzangenbowle before, but this time I was able to get some instruction, and video…Read more Feuerzangenbowle – German Christmas Fire Wine! (Wilderness Chef #8)
Thanksgiving Outdoors, with a Dutch Oven Turkey
If you're spending any time outside this Thanksgiving - hiking, camping, paddling... there's no need to pass on traditional holiday fare. Heck, even if you're not in the woods, this recipe yields a really tasty result, including the satisfaction of cooking over a fire! Equipment Let me just confess up front - a standard dutch…Read more Thanksgiving Outdoors, with a Dutch Oven Turkey
Blackberry Cobbler
One of the great things about a cobbler - it's supposed to be unstructured. It's not only ideally suited to cooking in a less-than-meticulous manner, it can also be approached pretty much however you want to do it. I've cooked it twice, two completely different ways, just this week! Batter-first with fruit poured in (like…Read more Blackberry Cobbler
Wilderness Chef #4 – Rocky Mountain Thai
Lemongrass Soup, and Thai Lime Chicken with Coconut Green Curry Sauce
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 