Life of an Outdoor Chef…

Life as an outdoor chef  is interesting, challenging and very rewarding. We can be called upon for any outdoor excursion that requires groups of people be fed (without available electricity).

Often time's it must be ferried on your backs. In Idaho, where I live and do several outings, most times of the year have fire restrictions so Propane or Iso-Butane is the fuel of choice.

Many a happy customer has praised my ability to feed them well. Let’s be honest, it’s not hard to get people to eat well outdoors and like it, everything taste better outdoors! If I believe all of the praise about my fare, I wouldn’t be able to get head in front door of my house!

 

There is a truth about the quality being better than the most common ways of nutrition in the backcountry. I have been an “anti” freeze dried food person up until I met a fellow Author (online) and collaborated with a Manufacturer of freeze dried food.

 

What I learned is the food that is dehydrated or freeze dried can be good, void of chemicals and robust amounts of calories. They have their place and I am a cheerleader for their cause now. Eliminate MSG and higher than needed amounts of sodium and have a strong amount of calories, we all can benefit.

Now the craze is gourmet camp cooking… “You too can be a Camp Gourmet” the Backpacker Magazine articles state. Well these high caliber cooks have been around for years and versions of quality outdoor cooking reside in River Rafting guided tours, Hunt Camps and general Car Camping.  These, in my opinion are some of the best outdoor chefs in the world.

This year  I was lucky enough to travel to Sweden for a product development meeting for Primus, wow, what a treat. Again, talk about
the rewards! 

Imagine Advance Base Camp at Mt Everest, some very wealthy and eccentric clients of the guides have requested or demand high caliber food. So, where is your next adventure and where are you going eat?

 



I personally want to thank those who are keeping the dream alive:

Dan & Carrie Robbins

John & Julie Platt
Steve and Margo Mandella

John, Tamara and Dylan Fadgen
Ralph Shelton
Nick Karl
Mike Fox
Tom Cox
Tom Lopez

IdahoSummits Outing Participants (Several great folks)

Bob Boland-Boss

Primus Equipment

Shawn Hostetter-Other Boss

Katadyn North American Foods (Alpine Aire Foods)

Ian Scott
Sandra Budik
GSI Outdoors

Matt Eells- Just Bossy

Slade Weston

Camp Chef

* Photos by Nick Karl, Tom Cox and Steve Weston
 

 

Eat Well Outdoors!

 

Outdoor Retailer Summer 2014

I was offered a great opportunity to work with two of my top clients at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2014.

The plan was to launch OR (Day Zero) at Open Air Demo with my number one, Primus. The mission was to cook 500 four ounce samples of an easy backpacking recipe from my book all while showing off the new two burner camp cook stoves for Primus.

The planning for this event was like pinning a tac on a rodeo bull. Its 1000 no 500? Which county do we need to get a food handler license and temporary food booth permit.?We are going with 500 and when those samples are gone, they are gone.

Curried Salmon Pilaf, a recipe from my book was going to be served at Pineveiw reservoir in Utah. The weather, not cooperating, the wind and rain came on with full force early mid-morning. While cooking with one hand, we also needed to hold the tent down with our other hand. On an interesting note we were cooking on the new Radiant two burner stove and they were on for the entire Open Air Demo, through the rain and wind.

Here they come, not expecting to be seeing Primus showing off their product in use, the ETA Lite Stoves hung like Chinese Lanterns and two guys shoving a good helping of rice in their face. Many smiles and “That’s good, I didn’t expect it to be… “I don’t even like curry but this is good” was released many times from the mouths of the buyers and vendors.

Many positive comments later and the weather improving the food is moving and the day is moving on to the finish. A wonderful day with my Primus Family which included Lars-Ola, Per and Eric all from Sweden. The Mad Scientist Bob Boland invented a wonderful Open Air Demo!

Day One, no cooking today just marketing of the book and networking. Got to visit with Dean Lords. The Day one brought us a fiesta party with our other family Katadyn, featuring a Mariachi band and samples of their new product “Alpine Aire Freeze Dried Guacamole”. Additional highlight of this party was meeting Idaho Climbing Legend pioneer Ray Brooks, who is a sales rep for Katadyn.

 

 

 

Day Two- One of those cool moments happened when I was able to meet Melissa Arnot, giving her a copy of my book and a Primus ETA Lite Stove that she claims will be used the very next week on a backpacking trip in Colorado. We were photobombed by Hans Florine.. Ha Ha

 

Day Three- Excited to be doing a cooking Demo for Alpine Aire Foods of the Katadyn Family. Months ago I was experimenting with some of the Alpine Aire foods pouch foods with the goal of creating a more robust version of the meal experience. My first mark was Clam Chowder. Potato Cheddar Soup? Yep, perfect Clam Chowder base. Doing the demo at the Katadyn booth we felt like rock stars. We are graced by Wayne Gregory who recently sold his company, Gregory to Jansport.

 

 

Day Four- Farewell all, going home back to Idaho and we are tired. Car full of swag

 

Eat Well Outdoors!

In The Wild Chef.

Trail Clam Chowder

I was approached at Outdoor Retailer in SLC by an awesome guy from Alpine Aire Foods (Katadyn North America). They were curious about a possible collaboration with me and their organic low sodium freeze dried food offerings.

My first attempt at a recipe was using their Creamy Potato Cheddar Soup. I immediately thought of Clam Chowder. Using a fresh potato, carrot and celery stalk with a canned clams makes this very easy to construct at camp. Using a freezer bag and re- using the empty pouch helps keep the clam can odors hidden from our critter friends.

The ingredient list is:

1 Packet of Alpine Aire Creamy Potato Cheddar Soup
1 Potato
1 Carrot
1 Celery Stalk
1 Green Onion for Garnish
1 6.5 oz. can of Chopped Clams
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Pepper
1 Tsp. Tabasco
3 1/2 Cups of water
1 Gallon Freezer Bag



Chop the potato and carrot into 1/4 cubs and add to the pot * Bring to a boil and cook for 8 minutes

Then add celery and clams (and the juice from clams) and cook for an additional 5 minutes. When potato's and carrots are tender add the soup mix slowly stirring well, cut the heat and put the lid on for 12 minutes.

 

 

When your 12 minutes are up, take the lid off and add some green onion and tabasco for garnish. It should look like this below! Enjoy...

 

 Here is the instructional video on how to prepare this dish Trail Clam Chowder

On Air Talent???

Recently I was asked to do a series of Backcountry Cooking Videos, "how to" cook my recipes on a backpacking stove.

It has become learning experience and does not show signs of letting up. The biggest learning curve isn't the technical HD GoPro camera clicking the on button, it's the on air talent (me).

 

You cant fake this stuff. You either have it or you don't. I didn't so I was told to "be yourself". Well that doesn't work well (sarcasm). It helps to have your friends do the filming and the scenery is out of this world awesome so we have that going for us, which is nice.



The failures (bad clips) are costly, not having a way to view the clips and know if they work within the editing is frustrating. We have got some great advice and some not so great advise, everyone is very willing to offer up their ideas after the fact and that's ok, I asked their opinion. I just completed video number two and WOW, what a huge improvement in both talent and creativity and finished product. looks like I might be getting the hang of this... Wish me well!

Here is a little outtake for you...

Climb High and Eat Well Outdoors!

This is how we do it...

I am referring to cooking  and bringing  your food to the backcountry. Backcountry stoves and fuel are light, reliable and support the "Leave No Trace" ethic. In many backcountry areas (especially here in Idaho), open fires are prohibited due to the forest fire danger or the scarcity of available firewood, so a stove is your only option if you want something warm or hot.

For most backpackers, your main decision will be between the two categories: Canister fuel vs. Liquid fuel. Here is a look at the canister stove option (I like the best)

Canister Stoves

Pros                                                                      Cons

Easy to use                                                         Fuel, per ounce, is more expensive
Compact and lightweight                                     Poor cold-weather performance*
No Fuel spill risk                                                 Heat output drops as canister empties
Fast maximum heat output                                  Difficult to find outside the US
Good flame control (simmering)                          Upright models susceptible to tipping
Burns cleanly (no soot)

A Closer Look: Canister Stoves

Canisters run on pre-pressurized gases: Isobutane (primary) and propane. Isobutane burns hot and clean, and in colder conditions it outperforms conventional butane . The canister self seals when the stove is detached, eliminating the possibility of fuel spills.

Fuel canisters connect to stoves in 2 ways:

Upright: The stove screws into the top of the fuel canisters. This is the smallest, lightest option. Downsides? Taller profile stoves tend to tip over: smaller stoves don't hold big pots and pans very well.

 Low-profile: the burner sits on its own base and a fuel hose connects it to the canister. Canisters can be inverted to improve cold-weather performance; large pot supports pot stability. Cons? Its a bit heaver and bulkier.

The biggest drawback is that upright canisters depressurize in the cold (32 deg. F or lower) leading to weak flame or no flame. Normal pressure resumes when the canister temperature is increased.

Tip: In cold weather, keep the canister warm by putting it in your sleeping bag at night or hiking with it in your jacket pocket. Also, you could place a hand warmer or a bit of foam underneath it when cooking.

Food Transport Options

• Refrigeration is something you left at home. Thus fresh foods are good for about a day except maybe some vegetables and most fruits.

• Canned foods sometimes can find a way into your pack if the trip is short and you are craving those canned foods. We like throwing in cans of tuna and chicken and salmon, all of which you can probably find also in a foil pack. We use them in pasta and rice dishes. Skip cans that are in that 15 oz. range and forget about glass, you are just asking for trouble there.

• Dry foods (pasta, instant rice, soup mixes and drink mixes) are light, take up minimal room inside a pack and offer some excellent alternatives.

• Freeze Dried / Dehydrated foods have improved considerably in taste, texture and appearance in recent years. However you would probably not find any Freeze Dried. MRE or C-Ration in my camp. Been there done that , forget about it, I am not a fan but you might be. I would use these as more emergency meals.

• Spices can be crucial to boosting the appeal of backcountry food. Consider bringing your own spice kit which could include pepper, garlic powder or salt, basil, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper, cumin, crushed red pepper, cinnamon or whatever you enjoy from your home kitchen.

• Flavored beverages can be taste mighty refreshing after a few days of nothing but water. Powdered drink mixes are a nice mid trip treat.

• Backpacking cooler- I use those thermal bags you buy on the grocery store that keeps things hot or cold. sometimes freezer bagging great white bean chicken chili in a freezer bag (frozen solid) and put it in the thermal bag and store in the middle of your pack can keep it frozen all day long. Most backcountry ventures are in the mountain where temps typically don't get above 70 degrees in during  the day and get somewhere south of 35 at night.

You need to be creative and you need to be careful how you store your foods considering your audience in the backcountry. Consider using bear bags or canisters and keep your food at least 200 ft. away from where you sleep. Remember, haul it all out!

Climb High and eat well outdoors!

GSI, provides outdoor cooks with superior tools

When cooking for large groups in the backcountry, you need to be able to count on your cookware, stoves and fuel.

The World leader in outdoor cookware is GSI Outdoors. They use cutting edge technology and have created the "Pinnacle Base Camper. The Pinnacle set is absolutely the best thing I have used and seen on the market. The Pinnacle can take the punishment of a weekend cooking for 12 and continue to perform like new!

The Pinnacle series uses Teflon with Radiance technology which has been tested and approved expressly for camp-ware use. Their secret lies in a specifically formulated topcoat engineered to enhance heat dispersion (which is one of biggest concerns of any backpacking cook) and virtually eliminate hot spots. It has a heavy penchant for scratch resistance and is safe for most metal utensils.

If I could sum it up in non technical jargon, GSI's stuff is simply the best on the planet. I have had the opportunity to cook outdoors all over world over the last 3 decades using various cookware and fuel source from Sterno in the 70's , Diesel in the military, open fire, white gas and ISO Butane. The cookware used ranged from rugged cast iron to cheap aluminum and even tin foil.

The Pinnacle Base Camper set includes 1= 5ltr pot that can cook enough pasta for 10 people, 3ltr pot, frying pan and strainer lids for the pots, cutting board and a welded sink!  If you cook for large group outdoors, go out and pick a Pinnacle up, your family and crew will thank you continually as you prepare food fit for royalty outdoors!

Also, grab your copy of "In the Wild Chef" and prepare a world class menu for your backcountry pals!

Climb High and Eat Well Outdoors!

Gourmet Backpacking

So you are going backpacking and you want to do something different in the food department. I hear that statement a lot, right before people end up buying my book.

You don’t have to settle for freeze dried food just because you are trying to lighten your backpack weight. Listen; it's important that you be well nourished out in the backcountry.

We mostly prepare our recipes ahead of time using ziploc freezer bags and making a copy of the recipe and stuffing it in one of those bags that has the dried goods. There are a lot of times when my gang and I “peakbag”. Then we are either trailhead camping or hauling on our backs on the trail.

So often we will make an elaborate meal and “freezer bag it”, like a chili or a stew, freeze it solid and put it in a thermal bag to stay frozen until we reach our destination.

Pasta sauce it another good candidate for this, bring your dry pasta and ta-da, you have a great dinner.

 

 

 

Here is good starchy carb filler (a light as a freeze dried meal) that will get you up and back down the mountain.

Risotto with Leeks and Wild Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1 small leek (6 to 8 ounces)
• 1-1/2 ounces dried or dehydrated mushrooms (porcini, shiitake, morel, etc.)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Home Preparation:
Package the rice in a small sandwich-sized Ziploc bag with the mushrooms and bouillon cube. Wash the leek and trim off the top of the green section; slice the remaining lighter colored section into thin, ring-shaped sections. Wash the leeks once more and drain thoroughly on paper towels. Place the leeks in a separate small bag.

Wrap the grated Parmesan cheese into a small packet with wax paper or plastic wrap. Place this packet along with the Ziploc bags of leeks into the original bag of rice and mushrooms. I like to include a small copy of the recipe in the bag for reference on liquid amounts.

At Camp:
Remove the separate packages from the bag of rice and mushrooms. Heat a small sauce pot (1-1/2 to 2 quarts) with oil or butter and add the rice, mushrooms and bouillon cube. Break the bouillon cube up and stir the rice; add 1/2 cup of the water and simmer, stirring constantly until the rice and mushrooms have absorbed most of the liquid.

Add the leeks and more water. Cook until you’ve achieved the desired texture. If the rice is still too “al dente” (chewy), add additional water as needed, up to 1/2 cup. Finish the risotto with the grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Serving Size

Serves 2

Eat well outdoors!