Jim's Sauteed Garlic Potatoes i

Malware on my computer and a burst water pipe in ten degree weather has not made my day, but my Android and and some experience at being a handyman just might save the day. It seems like ages since my son Jim and I went camping. I remember it was definitely warmer. I also remember the fabulous garlic potatoes he cooked as part of his share of the cooking. They are sauteed in butter and olive oil rather than being boiled or baked. I really like the resulting texture and flavor. You really should give this a try. These were great over a campfire, and they'll be terrific at home. Even good enough for Thanksgiving! Just cut up a couple of cups of small red potatoes into chunks an inch or so in size. While you're at it, cut up a small onion and peel two or three cloves of garlic. Put a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in the bottom, of a saucepan and heat over medium temperature with the potatoes, onions and garlic. Add a half teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of pepper. Cover the pot with a lid and turn the heat to low. Uncover and stir frequently to keep from sticking. Add more butter and olive oil if necessary. The potatoes will saute nicely, and the moisture from the vegetables will help them to steam to perfection. When done, you can add a little cream and mash them, or serve them as is. These potatoes go great with steak, roast beef, salmon or ... Turkey! Oh, by the way. Sourdough bread is an appropriate side here as well. Thanks for visiting my blog. Hopefully I'll have my computer back up and running soon. I did take care of the leak in the basement.

 

Impossible Coconut Custard Pie

You don’t have to settle for a melted, messy candy bar if you discover you have a craving for something sweet and you’re all settled-in at your campsite. You can indulge that sweet tooth with a piece of coconut custard pie. What could be better?

Actually, the way this pie is made offers a real plus to campers that makes it even better. You don’t have to roll out a pie dough on the picnic table with a beverage container, or what have you. You don’t have to roll out a dough at all. This amazing pie does all that for you. It’s called the impossible pie for good reason. All you do is throw the ingredients into a bowl, beat them into a smooth batter and pour the contents into a greased and floured pan. Stick the pan into whatever you have to simulate a 350⁰ oven and bake it for about a half hour, or until you can stick a knife blade into it and the blade comes out clean. Believe it or not, the pie makes its own crust and custard filling.

The recipe below is intended for camping, and is appropriate for a pan about six inches in diameter, like the pan in a traditional Boy Scout mess kit. To grease and flour the pan, rub the sides and bottom with butter, place a spoonful of flour in the pan, then tip it and tap the edges while rotating the pan. The flour will coat the sides and bottom as you tap and rotate the pan. Dump out whatever is left over when you see the inside is coated. Hopefully, your camp cooking gear includes a short whisk, since you probably don’t have a hand mixer with you. I find a short whisk can be handy from time to time and doesn’t weigh much or take up much room. I suppose you could use a fork if you really did so vigorously, but I haven’t tried that yet. To make the batter come together readily, melt the butter before you add it to the other ingredients, but don’t pour it in while it’s hot.



Impossible Coconut Custard Pie

This can be a fun thing to throw together, and the resulting pie tastes really good. You should give it a try. Maybe you're already familiar with impossible pies. Let me know, and thanks for visiting my blog.

 

 Ingredients:

1 cup milk
½ cup shredded coconut
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons butter
¼ cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg.

Talking Camping Gear

Men are all boys at heart, and boys love toys. Or, so we’re told. Personally, I have to admit I do. Lately, one of my sons and I have been talking about camping gear. We both love to camp, and did some together this fall. We also both love cooking, and that includes cooking over a campfire. Of course, there are times when that is impossible or impractical. That’s when a stove becomes essential. Naturally, some of the gear we’ve been talking about involves cooking. My son just bought a new backpacking stove. To be honest, I guess I’m jealous, but I’m not ready to follow suit just yet. I have been having fun talking with him about his acquisition and giving some thought to what I think would have to go into the ideal stove for me.

 

My son’s stove burns twigs. If there is no wood source available, the alternative is an alcohol burner. This outfit reflects a current interest in stoves that do not require fossil fuels—little canisters of butane that are partly full—but no one knows just how full—or canisters of white gas. Our discussion brought back memories for both of us of when my sons were much younger. I had an alcohol stove then. The popular interest at the time was in miniature stoves operating on white gas. I ended up with one of those too. I later acquired one that used propane, and seemed to answer everything—it was quick to put into operation, worked reliably, produced a hot flame, and was light to carry. Of course, I did feel I had to carry an extra canister of fuel because I didn’t know how much burn time I would get off the one I was using.

 

My son’s memories included another approach altogether. He talked about the coffee can stoves I introduced them to as a reasonably safe means of doing some backyard camping and cooking. The design was inspired by something I understood to have been a standard with the Girl Scouts. Basically, it involved a coffee can with an opening at the bottom to put in the twigs and holes at the top to let out smoke. A pan could be set on the top for cooking. Actually, it worked pretty well. That’s the way my son remembers his experience as well.

 

Of course, things evolve. The stove my son just bought is a very high-tech updating of the coffee can stove design. It does not have the hole in the bottom—you put twigs in from the top—and, the burn design is technically improved. Basically, it relies on a double-walled canister design that uses a twig fire, but draws the smoke up for a second burn cycle. It’s highly efficient, and works very well to produce an impressive amount of heat from a handful of dry twigs.

 

Other than being high-tech and new, what’s the attraction? Well, for me, camp cooking has to do with the challenge of seeing what you can accomplish with a minimum of modern kitchen equipment and convenience. Making an apple pie in a small pan over a bed of hot coals is hugely rewarding. Sometimes a stove is necessary (fires may not be allowed) and sometimes it’s simply convenient enough to warrant its use. Some campers want to visit the wild without leaving any more trace of their having been there than can be avoided. A small stove leaves no half-burned sticks, scorched ground or ashes. The stove my son bought seems a reasonable compromise. It uses twigs, not logs, and it’s fast and efficient.

 

In addition to the need for carrying fuel, I have complained that camping stoves, especially small ones, produce a very hot flame over a very small area, and seem primarily suited to cooking soup or making tea. Will my son’s new stove work better for cooking other things? That’s the twenty-four-thousand dollar question. It looks as though it might. I’ll be even more interested in getting one myself if it does. After all, it’s very hard to meet the outdoor cooking challenge if all you can readily do is boil water. Love to hear what others have to say about camp cooking stoves. Thank you for visiting my blog.

Men are all boys at heart, and boys love toys. Or, so we’re told. Personally, I have to admit I do. Lately, one of my sons and I have been talking about camping gear. We both love to camp, and did some together this fall. We also both love cooking, and that includes cooking over a campfire. Of course, there are times when that is impossible or impractical. That’s when a stove becomes essential. Naturally, some of the gear we’ve been talking about involves cooking. My son just bought a new backpacking stove. To be honest, I guess I’m jealous, but I’m not ready to follow suit just yet. I have been having fun talking with him about his acquisition and giving some thought to what I think would have to go into the ideal stove for me.

 

My son’s stove burns twigs. If there is no wood source available, the alternative is an alcohol burner. This outfit reflects a current interest in stoves that do not require fossil fuels—little canisters of butane that are partly full—but no one knows just how full—or canisters of white gas. Our discussion brought back memories for both of us of when my sons were much younger. I had an alcohol stove then. The popular interest at the time was in miniature stoves operating on white gas. I ended up with one of those too. I later acquired one that used propane, and seemed to answer everything—it was quick to put into operation, worked reliably, produced a hot flame, and was light to carry. Of course, I did feel I had to carry an extra canister of fuel because I didn’t know how much burn time I would get off the one I was using.

 

My son’s memories included another approach altogether. He talked about the coffee can stoves I introduced them to as a reasonably safe means of doing some backyard camping and cooking. The design was inspired by something I understood to have been a standard with the Girl Scouts. Basically, it involved a coffee can with an opening at the bottom to put in the twigs and holes at the top to let out smoke. A pan could be set on the top for cooking. Actually, it worked pretty well. That’s the way my son remembers his experience as well.

 

Of course, things evolve. The stove my son just bought is a very high-tech updating of the coffee can stove design. It does not have the hole in the bottom—you put twigs in from the top—and, the burn design is technically improved. Basically, it relies on a double-walled canister design that uses a twig fire, but draws the smoke up for a second burn cycle. It’s highly efficient, and works very well to produce an impressive amount of heat from a handful of dry twigs.

 

Other than being high-tech and new, what’s the attraction? Well, for me, camp cooking has to do with the challenge of seeing what you can accomplish with a minimum of modern kitchen equipment and convenience. Making an apple pie in a small pan over a bed of hot coals is hugely rewarding. Sometimes a stove is necessary (fires may not be allowed) and sometimes it’s simply convenient enough to warrant its use. Some campers want to visit the wild without leaving any more trace of their having been there than can be avoided. A small stove leaves no half-burned sticks, scorched ground or ashes. The stove my son bought seems a reasonable compromise. It uses twigs, not logs, and it’s fast and efficient.

 

In addition to the need for carrying fuel, I have complained that camping stoves, especially small ones, produce a very hot flame over a very small area, and seem primarily suited to cooking soup or making tea. Will my son’s new stove work better for cooking other things? That’s the twenty-four-thousand dollar question. It looks as though it might. I’ll be even more interested in getting one myself if it does. After all, it’s very hard to meet the outdoor cooking challenge if all you can readily do is boil water. Love to hear what others have to say about camp cooking stoves. Thank you for visiting my blog.



Sourdough Apple-cinnamon Upside-down Cake

I love the smells of fall. Dried leaves. Fall fields. Wood smoke is certainly a signature fall fragrance, and there are many foods that stand out as signs of the season. What could be more fall-like than apples, cinnamon and ginger? Put them together with molasses, honey and brown sugar and you have the beginning of a delicious fall cake. Of course, it has to be done with sourdough.

This cake is a bit of a challenge at a campsite in that you probably won’t have unlimited bowls, electric mixers, or even a hand beater, but with a little effort it can be done. Start with the topping. For this, mix together a rounded teaspoon of flour with a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of brown sugar. Use this mix to coat the sliced apples. Arrange pecans on the bottom of a greased pan, and cover with the topping. Sprinkle any leftover mix over the top.

For the cake batter, cream three tablespoons butter with two tablespoons of brown sugar until all is light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix well. Add ¼ cup half-and-half (or evaporated milk) and mix again, then add ½ teaspoon vanilla and ¼ cup sourdough start1er. Mix until blended.

Mix ½ cup flour with ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon baking soda. Add to wet mixture a third at a time, mixing just until blended. Alternate flour mixture with molasses, honey, and hot water mixture. When batter is blended, incorporate the raisins. Pour batter over the topping and bake in a 350⁰ oven about ½ hour. When a toothpick comes out clean, remove from oven and invert on a dish. Let stand ten to fifteen minutes to allow the cake drop from the pan onto the plate.

Topping

1 Tbs. brown sugar

1 Rounded tsp. flour
1 Tbs. butter
6 pecan halves (or ¼ cup chopped pecans) and ½ cup dried apple slices

 Cake Batter

Wet ingredients

3 Tbs. butter (creamed)
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 egg
¼ cup half-and-half (or evaporated milk)
½ tsp. vanilla
¼ cup sourdough starter

 Dry ingredients

½ cup all purpose, unbleached flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
¼ tsp. cinnamon

 Molasses-Honey mixture: ¼ cup equal parts honey, molasses, hot water

 

Sourdough Grill Bread (or sourdough fry bread)

Whether you make this bread on a grill or in a frying pan, this sourdough treat will be great with soups, stews, pasta, salads, or many other dishes. On top of that, it’s quick and easy to prepare. You can make it either as a sourdough raised bread, or a quick bread. The difference is that the quick bread uses a pinch of baking soda and can be cooked immediately. The raised version is better if you let it rise for a half hour. You don’t have to let it double in bulk, as it will rise somewhat as you cook it, so it is still something that is great for a last minute bread addition to a meal.

I like to start with a thick sourdough sponge. Actually, when I feed my sourdough starter I let it set out at room temperature until it doubles in bulk and then put the starter in the fridge. At that point, it serves as a sponge until I get down to the amount I need to save to feed and regenerate as my starter. Take a big glop of the thick starter, about ½ cup for each bread disc, and put it on a heavily floured surface using the whole wheat flour, keeping enough in reserve to form the dough. Sprinkle some flour on top of the starter and add baking soda and salt. Work into a dough. Flatten the ball of dough into a circle about ¼ inch thick, using your fingers to flatten and spread the dough, turning it a couple of times as needed to keep the top and bottom surfaces floured so the dough will not stick. Repeat the process for as many bread discs as wanted.

To cook the bread, lightly coat the top of each disc with olive oil and put into a warm pan, oiled side down. Immediately coat the exposed side with more olive oil and sprinkle on salt and herbs. If you are using a grill, I like to start the bread on a piece of aluminum foil, cooking it just until the baking dough stiffens enough that it will not sag on top of the grill when you move it off the foil. Check the bottom of the bread and turn it when it starts to brown. When the flip side is browned, take the bread discs off the grill and keep them warm in aluminum foil until you serve them. The bread should be eaten while nice and hot. It is not something you make far in advance of the meal, or for the next day. Part of the charm of this bread is that it’s a last minute thing that tastes as good as though you spent a great deal of time preparing it.

Sourdough Grill Bread (or sourdough fry bread)

½ cup thick sourdough starter for each bread disc desired
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
¼ teaspoon Herbes de Provence (or other herb mixture if desired)
½ cup whole wheat

 

Sourdough Waffles Recipe

Sourdough Blueberry Waffles 

 

My last blog post talked about an antique waffle iron that has already become a treasured kitchen implement. It's easy to use, the waffles don't stick, and they come out golden brown every time. How could I not love it? Naturally, I've been making sourdough waffles with it, and I thought I should share the recipe.

Waffles made with sourdough are light and delicate. I think they're much better than those made with conventional recipes. Hope you give them a try.

In keeping with other recipes I've been sharing, this one produces two waffles, just right for one or two people. Of course, I haven't figured out how to make waffles camping across country on my motorcycle while doing a book promotion tour for my mystery novel yet. These will have to be made at home, unless anyone has a suggestion that's suitable for camping.

 

Sourdough Waffles Recipe

(Makes two waffles)

For wet ingredients :

One Egg separated and beaten
Set whites aside and to the beaten yolk add...
1/2 cup thin sourdough
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup milk (with cream)
2 tablespoons melted butter

For dry ingredients mix...

1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Stir into wet ingredients a little at a time
Fold in stiff egg whites
Add 1/2 cup blueberries, strawberries, or other fruit

Bake, serve and enjoy.

An Antique Waffle Iron

I know I’ve been writing about cooking on the road, camping with a motorcycle, but there are exceptions to everything, and this blog post is one. A while back, Lesley and I were at a yard sale and I spotted an antique electric waffle iron. I couldn’t resist it. My guess was that it had been made circa the 1940’s. Maybe earlier. For a couple of bucks, why not?

I love old things, but I want to be able to use them. When I was growing up, my sister and I ground breakfast coffee with an antique coffee grinder on a daily basis. I think some of the old things were made better. But, I had to wonder if this waffle iron would actually work,I mean, waffles have been known to stick, and this machine didn’t have a light that would turn off to tell me the waffle was done. Oh well…

The waffle iron came with a small booklet telling how to care for the machine, how to use it, and included a bunch of recipes for waffles. I knew waffles had been around for some time before electric waffle irons came out, my parents had an older one we used on top of a wood stove . You had to pick up the iron and flip the part that held the waffle in order to cook both sides. The little booklet suggested bringing the waffle iron to the table for elegant breakfasts, lunches, and even dinners. The iron was nickel plated, ornately designed, and I could see how it might fit into table settings of prized china and silver for thoroughly "modern" homemakers.

Well, last Sunday I had wire brushed, cleaned and re-cured the iron and declared it to be ready for the acid test. I whipped up a batter, using my sourdough approach, and poured the first waffle. To my delight, it looked beautiful when I lifted the handle. I gently lifted the waffle out—and threw it away. The little booklet said to do that with the first one. That way, you eliminate the risk of getting a tiny fragment of wire brush in one of your waffles. The second one was a keeper. And, it tasted great.

When we go south this winter, we have a waffle iron with Teflon coated grids, timing lights, and a knob to turn to adjust for the desired doneness. The antique waffle iron will stay here along with other old things I love because they were well-built, beautiful to look at, and still work well. But, it was exciting to use it and discover it still worked well. What a treat. Like sourdough, a time-honored thing that gives pleasure in the preparation of food as well as in the consumption. Thanks for visiting my blog.