Wild Backcountry Gourmet

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Photo of the Month

Beef Empanadas with a Side of Beef

Posted by ENG at 7:40 PM

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Adventure Alan's Ultra-Light
NOLS Library Online
PackitGourmet
backcountry.com
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Beartooth Publishing

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Photo of the Month:

French Press in the Woods

Creating Your Wild Backcountry Pantry

Are you sick of eating pre-made freeze dried food on the trail? Or do you want to amaze your friends with your new culinary creations on your next outdoor adventure? Do you just need some inspiration of where to start? Gotta love the bulk bins. Not only do they allow you to get exactly the amount you need for your trip, they are also generally full of easily packable dried food. "How is this going to be gourmet?" you might ask. Have no fear, with a few recipes and tricks up your sleeve you'll be cooking in the most glorious kitchen setting of you life. Here's what to stock up on:

Spices:

*salt

*pepper

*garlic powder

*chili powder

*curry

*cinnamon

*oregano

*powdered mustard

Grains:

*oatmeal

*granola

*breakfast cereal

*pancake mix (make sure you only need to add water)

*couscous

*cornmeal

*rice

*pasta (try a variety of shapes)

Beans:

*powdered hummus

*instant falafel

*instant lentils

*instant beans

"Produce"

*dehydrated hashbrowns

*dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes

*dehydrated peas and carrots

*dehydrated mushrooms

*tomato base

*nuts & seeds

*dried fruit

Beverages

*powdered milk

*coffee

*tea

*cocoa

*apple cider

*electrolyte powder

Baking stuff

*brownie mix (make sure you only need to add water)

*flour

*sugar (both white and brown)

*yeast

*baking powder

*powdered eggs

*cheesecake mix (make sure you only need to add water)

*spice cake mix (make sure you only need to add water)

To round out your backcountry pantry you'll want some fresh stuff too.

Dairy

*cheese

*cream cheese

*butter

*eggs

Meat/other protein

*salami/summer sausage

*cooked bacon bits

*peanut butter

Liquids

*oil

*soy sauce

*hot sauce

*vanilla

*vinegar

Fresh Produce

*lemon

*onions

*garlic

*carrots

*cabbage

*beets

Other fun stuff

*bagels

*totillas

*fig newtons

*wheat thins

*chocolate chips

*butterscotch chips

*jelly beans

*nutella

*top ramen

*animal crackers

Obviously you won't need all of these items for every trip, but depending on the group size, trip duration, and where and when you are traveling you can customize your shopping list accordingly.

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More Wild Cooking Tips

Cooking equipment:

frybake pan with lid

cooking pot (~1 quart per person)

pliers or pothandle

metal spatula (side can double as knife)

dromidary for cooking water

Stove with flame gaurd (I like MSR whisperlight)

Eating Equipment:

2 Nalgenes (a 1 liter and a .5 liter works well for me)

1 pint size bowl with lid (also like nalgene bowls)

spoon or spork

Good rules of thumb for meal planning and food packing:

*combine proteins--think rice and beans or peanut butter on bread

*on warm weather trips pack between 2500-3000 calories or roughly 1.5 pounds of food and 1/6 a liter of fuel per person per day.

*on cold weather trips pack between 3500-4000 calories or roughly 2 pounds of food and 1/4 a liter of fuel per person per day.

*make sure to have a good mix of breakfast, trail food for lunch, and dinner.

*the most important part of a good backcountry diet is water.

*food packed in a bag is easy to pack than food packed in a box.

*keep your spices and sauces in little bottles in a mesh stuffsack so they stay handy and together.

*having things pre-measured and chopped make cooking outdoors way easier.

*****Adult Beverages*****

When I want to really indulge I pack wine in a platyperserve winebag. Or you can opt for a box of wine (just take it out of the box and viola!) Beer in cans are way easier to pack out than bottles. In the winter it can be nice to bring flasks filled with whisky, peppermint schnapps, or irish cream. Use your judgement when packing and consuming alcohol in the backcountry.

Who's out of the Kitchen?

Erin Gibbons combines her love of cooking with a passion for the outdoors. You will often find her feeding hungry backpackers and skiers in the mountains surrounding Jackson Hole. She is infamous for her beef empanadas with a side of beef that she served one evening on the Matanuska Glacier in Alaska and the chocolate chip cookies that were a must-have for a backpacking trip in Desolation Wilderness.

The now infamous cookies

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