SC - SC- Best food for War

[Par Leijonhufvud]

On Tue, 22 Feb 2000, Al8an wrote:

> I was just wondering what the best foods to bring to War were, in everyone's
> opinion. Would dry foods work out best? Did bringing regular food that
> required lots of clean=-up work out well? Any horror stories? Successes?

Basically anything that can be cooked with the tools you have at hand.
What this translates to depends, I've seen people build ovens, while
other used one burner backpacking stoves. Personally I am a great fan of
campfire cooking (and I prefer fire to coals, since with a good stack of
pre-chopped firewood I can control it almost as well as the stove at
home). I detest the tendency to go to a medieval camp, and then eat
modern crap food ("instant, just add water and toss", instant macaroni
and ketchup, ramen noodles; you've seen them "eat")

I tend to pack a set of open fire pots (made from Al, when money permit
I'll replace them with more period steel plate pots), and bring a wooden
chopping board or two, a grater, some wooden spoons, and a box of
spices. Knife in not a problem (even if I am looking for a period
looking "8 inch chefs knife"), since a shaving sharp one is at my belt
or in a thong around my neck at all times. Most measurements are made as
relative measurements (2 parts this to 7 parts of water, etc), so there
is no need for measuring cups or spoons.

If staying for a few days I like making a "dishrack" from sticks, which
is handy. Basically a low table with plenty if space between the sticks.

Generally I like the BG style of cooking, so I make things like pottage
from meat, capons in councy, beef y stewed, egredouche, caboges, etc.
Basically you make one pot of BG, and one pot of rice or some other
boiled grain (frumenty, etc), or serve bread with it. A salad of mixed
"perioid" or period greens is nice. Arbolettys (the scrambled eggs from
Two 15th Century Cookbooks) is also nice, but tend to burn when cooked
in a thin pot. Creme Boylede (sp.) was very well recieved when made from
hours old eggs and significant amounts of cream.

One of the "pasta & cheese" dishes are nice as well, and goes down very
well (I've had people sit around "my" camp waiting for us to be
finished, then grabbing what's left in the pot in return for cleaning
it).

Most work has been when I've baked, using a "skillet" fairly close to
those used in Viking times for baking in some areas. Popular, though.

One nice thing is to either bring something for the first meal that can
br eaten while setting up camp (icelandic chicken is a personal
favourite in this role), or if you are a largish household you may
simply set the cook aside from the rising of pavilions tasks and just
let him or her cook while the others set up camp (just make sure that
the cooks tent gets set up and the gear installed while he's cooking!).

/UlfR

P.S. BG == Brown Goo, i.e. the early stews

- -- 
Par Leijonhufvud                                      parlei at algonet.se
You are in a twisty little passage of standards, all conflicting.