Day 1: Outdoor Cooking

Today was my first day for the outdoor cooking class! It began as a tiring morning, but fun! I went with my sister to the bookstore at 8am for an Egg hunt. That is a miracle for me to be out of bed at that hour, let alone not leave grounds for a seizure later in the day. Nonetheless, with Excedrin in hand I headed out. I only found 3 eggs. No prizes, but some candy.

Today is day 12 from my last seizure!!! I've had a busy week and been out everyday minus yesterday. So I count it a blessing that I survived my class.

So I thought I'd give you some snippets from the 3 hours today. We got out 1 hour early which I was well ready by that time. For not being up and actively doing anything, it was beginning to be one of those death by powerpoint, my mind has become mush first day of class. I learned a TON about gross bacteria, fungi, germs, sanitation, and have to wonder how I've survived my life thus far from all the things I've done with ward activities and food prep.

So here are the highlights!!!!!!
1 charcoal is equivalent to about 40 degrees Farenheit. It is important to have a good guesstimation (Not spelled right-brain freeze!) for cooking cakes ect. that need to be at a particular cooking temperature.
Cast Iron:
If dutch oven is 12 inches. Subtract 2 for the bottom and add 2 for the top. So 14 charcoals on top of the lid, and 10 underneath the dutch oven. If it is colder outside, then you may need 16 on top and 8 on the bottom. This is the best method, but another that some people use is to do 3 times the # of charcoal--but that seems on the excessive side. So I'll do a delete method for my brain.

If seasoning a dutch oven: Never use soap & water to wash out. Use shortening, vegetable or canola oil because they have a high smoke point. That is the point before it bursts into flames. Don't use Olive oil because it has a low smoke point. Re-coat w/oil 2 times throughout cook process of 300 degrees farenheit for 6 hours. It doesn't need to be cooled down in between re-coating with the oil, just pull it out, coat, and put back in oven. Also, it is optional to coat the outside of the dutch oven, just make sure the inside is done. This process is called the seasoning process.

How to Clean: It is called De-Glazing. Cook the dutch oven and add hot water. Scrape a little and pour out. Another alternative is to rub salt on it, and dump out. The salt absorbs and is an abrasive. A tiny bit of oil on the inside can help too. Not too much or it goes rancid and leaves a smell or odor permanently in the pot.

Coals should appear gray or white in the light, and glow red in the dark when they are ready to be cooked upon.

Braising=small amounts of liquid.
Crockpot=enough water to cover the food.

Kerosene=cheap, efficient, large heavy containers not handy when hiking.
White Fuel=available @ ORC. Light weight smaller containers.

Alternative methods of cooking:
Pit Cooking and Burdock cooking-we won't get to these during this class.
Convection cooking- Baklava in a few weeks.
Conduction cooking
Solar Cooking-can get up to 200-300 degrees farenheit for cooking from the sun.
Mud baking
Vagabond Stove-Tuna can, cardboard, paraffin wax.
Buddy Burner
Reflector Box-Cinnamon rolls
Rocket Stove
Popcorn in a soda can over the fire. Use soda pop to create a syrup glaze to drizzle over popcorn.
Cheesecake in a dutch oven!

Effects of Heat!
Proteins coagulate
Starches gelatinize
Sugars caramalize @ 300-305 degrees farenheit
Water evaporates
Fat melts

Kind of Gross, but I still like my JELLO! Jello is the best protein source and is made primarily from the hides of pigs, and other animals.

70% of meat is water.

With water NO caramelization can occur. Develop caramel coloring then take off the heat.

THAWING!

1. Best is the let thaw in refrigerator.
2. Submerged in a clean pot of temperate water.
3. While cooking.
4. Microwave.
1 Great, 4 worst, but okay.

Every 20 min. 1 bacteria splits. Eventually you get a Squaring affect. 8 bacteria in 1 hour. Math concept! yikes!

Use hand sanitizer after you wash you hands. I now know why they have those containers in the bathrooms on campus.

Pasta can't cook at high altitudes. It is better to cook it, dehydrate it, and then take it to re-moisten. Water boils hotter @ higher temperatures.

Tomato sauce dehydrates and re-hydrates easily.
Dairy-not as easy to deal with.
Potatoes, soups, soup bases are really great!