Request From: Ania Waller <[email hidden]> I need simple
recipes for vacation. I only have 2 burners and a
microwave. I don't want to spend too much time and need to
feed 8 people.
Camp Cuisine Part 1 By GORP Hiking Expert Karen Berger
Good news, folks! In case you didn't know, backpacking is
the greatest diet-and-exercise program ever invented. When
you're hauling a 30-pound pack over a 3,000-foot mountain,
you can eat as much as you want and still lose weight.
So the question isn't to eat or not to eat: It's what to
eat. And how much. A rule of thumb: Figure about 2 pounds of
food per day per person. You're looking for food that will
keep your energy up. It also has to be lightweight,
resistant to spoilage, and easy to prepare with a minimum of
fuss, fuel, and cooking utensils. Oh, yeah: it helps if it
tastes good. Here are some basic guidelines for the
backcountry.
Basic Staples: A plastic container of olive oil Instant milk
Parmesan cheese Packets of clarified butter (available from
distributors of freeze-dried food)
Breakfast: Pop [censored] Cereal Bagels (they pack well for a
couple of days). Cereal or granola bars
Lunch: Cheese Salami or other preserved meats, like beef or
turkey jerky Peanut butter Crackers (don't repackage these;
store them in the original containers or they will crumble),
tortillas, chips, or breadsticks. Nuts and other snack
foods. Dinner: Freeze-dried meals. You can't beat freeze-
dried foods for ease of use, so take a few along if weight
or weather is a real issue. It's true that these just-add-
water foods have come along way since they were first
introduced. But a diet of all-freeze dried food can be
monotonous and expensive. So be sure you vary the flavors.
Convenience foods. Mac and cheese, Lipton noodles or rice
dishes, and Ramen soups are big backcountry favorites,
mostly because of the no-fuss factor. You can add variety: A
can of tuna goes well with Mac and cheese; a dash of fresh
Parmesan adds flavor to noodles dishes, and packets of freeze-
dried vegetables go well with practically anything.
Pasta. Thin is better than thick because it cooks faster.
Some hikers swear by less processed pastas, such as whole
wheat and corn pasta (available in health food stores).
Other instant foods. Instant rice, instant potatoes, and
stuffing mix can also be mixed with sauces, cheese, veggies,
or canned meats.
Sauces. You can make your own tomato sauce by combining a
six-ounce can of tomato paste, a package of spices for
making spaghetti sauce, and water: it makes enough for two
hungry hikers. Other instant sauces are also available, but
check to see that they don't require other ingredients.
from me to you [email hidden] Linda in Tennessee
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