Menu Ideas

Chentelle · Post by **Chentelle** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:09 am

Virgin burner here doing some of my final planning work for this year's burn. Does anyone out there have any good recipes using mostly dry goods and non-perishables? I am not opposed to bringing a dry ice cooler with frozen meals from home, but the more that can be made fresh the better imo.

Fire_Moose · Post by **Fire_Moose** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:25 am

Get a can of ravioli-o's and mix in some beef jerky stir and serve.

Chentelle · Post by **Chentelle** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:28 am

lol I was hoping to cook something that doesn't cause us to spend half of the burn in the small blue houses (porta's). Thanks for the funny input tho (you were joking right? please say you were joking)

ragabashpup · Post by **ragabashpup** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 10:45 am

Nah canned pasta is great out there. Unless it really does give you stomach issues. You sit it out in the sun for 20 - 30 minutes and its nice and warm don't even have to heat it up on the stove. Also Jerky is wonderful since its easy to carry and run with. So you know Fire was most likely NOT joking.

hsdavis · Post by **hsdavis** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 11:25 am

Fresh vegtables tend to wilt by the middle of the week. There are all sorts of great things that will keep and can be cooked on the playa. Just keep in mind the dust factor and remember that bbq's can be a problem for that reason.
I always bring back-up foods if there is no cooking or our camp is abandoned. Breakfast: breakfast bars, english muffins w/peanut butter and jelly. Lunch: tuna cups w/crackers, salmon in cans. Dinner: ravioli in the pull top can, spagheti -o's with meatballs. mixed fruit cups.
Again, this is all back up for your regular meals, and if all goes well, you will have left over food to bring home.

Post by **AntiM** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 11:33 am

Couscous with raisins and canned chicken.

DoriumLux · Post by **DoriumLux** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:21 pm

Ready-Made-Rice like Uncle Bens that just needs to be warmed. Throw some salsa on it. Trader Joes has many varieties of this. They have cous cous, lentils, white and brown rice in these heat & eat packets.

Quesadillas!

Warm up a tortilla put some refried beans/canned peppers/ salsa in it and make a burrito.

Bring good bread and cheese for grilled cheese sandwiches and some tomato soup for cold nights.

Pancake mix that you can shake and pour are also good. Bring some fresh blue berries to throw in the mix for the first few days.

You can also make omelets in a ziplock bag. Throw eggs, vegetables + cheese. Boil it until it's cooked.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 12:53 pm

Cucumbers are a naturally cooling snack.
Slice them up and douse them with yoghurt and mint.

CornStar · Post by **CornStar** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:33 pm

Cup Noodles ... they'll save your life when your too burnt out to do anything more than boil water.

Also Red Vines & Fruity Pebbles (Dry of course)

or BEER ... its hop its barley its protein ... its a MEAL

cunfuzelled · Post by **cunfuzelled** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:22 pm

this year is my first year too but after joining a couple cooking tribes and listening to and reading reports on life in deserts around the world i have realized if you cook and live the way arabic people live you will do well. this website has recipees which are arabic. i can and will be cooking almost all my meals from this websiste

http://www.sudairy.com/

most of the ingredients will store well in the desert and are easy enough to cook. but i was raised in a family of cooks so if you arent one it may be hard to make some of these recipees from scratch.

i am bringing stuff to cook pita bread, home made hummus, pickles and ollives, these are some of my snacks. i will be precooking some stews and preping some dishes beforehand.

tinkerbelle90 · Post by **tinkerbelle90** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 11:24 am

hi out there, I am a virgin burner, have read tons of mat'l on how to be safe and have fun, but I'm wondering how much cooking I'll need to do. I would prefer to bring already cooked cold foods and dried munchies. The thought of a great home cooked meal also sounds enticing...what are good staple foods that travel okay and deliver a yummy meal. Thanks :roll:

Fire_Moose · Post by **Fire_Moose** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 12:47 pm

just find someone else that is or just cooked something you think is good and share your beer with them

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 1:25 pm

http://www.mountainhouse.com/index.cfm

phil · Post by **phil** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 2:02 pm

I'm wondering how much cooking I'll need to do. I would prefer to bring already cooked cold foods and dried munchies. The thought of a great home cooked meal also sounds enticing...what are good staple foods that travel okay and deliver a yummy meal.

From my point of view, there are too many variables to get a good answer here. Some people claim to live on a cup of ramen a day - the heat and excitement kills their appetites. Louise and I eat more on the playa than we do at home because we're out all day on our bikes getting more exercise. (We lose weight, too!)

We bring a cold salad for our first meal on the playa, but personally I'm a little wary of bringing a lot of cooked cold food and expecting it to say fresh and edible in the ice chest. We bring a couple of frozen hamburger patties or chicken breasts that thaw on the way, then cook them up in our camp. Mostly we rely on canned foods - same stuff we'd get at home, cooked up on our camp stove.

Many people don't have the patience to cook and want the equivalent of ramen noodles. The problem is, I have no idea what your inclination is. You can get freeze-dried meals and pour boiling water into the pouch, eat out of that, then toss the pouch on the playa, and you're done. You can get out the two-burner camp stove and saute chicken breasts while you simmer the rice and peas and have a real meal.

If you're looking for quick meals with no or some cooking, check here:
http://www.cieux.com/bm/quickMeals.html

If you want to make meals out of some of these items, check the contents. If you're doing one meal a day, MREs have a full day's supply of calories, sodium, fat, and lots of other energy-providing stuff. If you're going to get three (or more) meals a day, Heater Meals or AlpineAire may do better for you. Note that the page includes links to quick meals that are whatever varieties of vegetarian there are, kosher, gluten-free, and so on. Search the page for whatever your interest is.

If you think you'll want a home cooked meal, bring canned goods, pots, and a burner. If it turns out you're too hot and tired to cook, nothing will have spoiled, and you can eat it at home. One of the ways to meet people is to have prepared too much food and have some to share.

fenwick · Post by **fenwick** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:12 pm

Food??

I follow the KISS method and it always wroks well.

The weekend before hitting the road I make up a very large pasta salad (no mayo). This includes fresh cut veggies and pasta. The secret is minimal extreme cooling except for the RV fridge unit which does NOT work like a in-house fridge.

It is packed into many containers each designated for a day.

Once the pasta salad runs out - the Prok Carnitas packs from Costco are great for sandwiches. It is already cooked, so again extreme fridgeration is not required. I also have Pastrami available for food.

Everything is preportioned to eliminate as much moop as possible and requires little time inventoring the fridge.

I am a serious tea drinker - and before going to sleep - I set out my gallon pitcher filled with water and about 10 tea bags (lipton) and let the morning sun brew my tea. By the time 11 AM rolls around - the tea is brewed and ready for flavoring.

This year I will also include orange juice and vodka - nothing like starting the day with what you ended the previous day with to get you going. Besides the OJ requires no fridgeration. Leave it in your covered kitchen area overnight and the 40 degree temps will cool it very well.

Keep food simple! Easier to prepare, avoid spoilage, and less mess.

For one week you can skip the fancy food, it won't kill you.

I rather spend time seeking my bliss on the playa then spend time prepping food.

If you start your diet a day or two before the playa - you will be accustomed to the typical morning routine and be in the proper mindset for visiting the potties - something else to consider.

I do not use the RV potty for anything except smuggling (oopps shouldnt have said that - but its always fun having a greeter get a surprise with a few nakid bodies in the RV bathroom smiling with ticket in hand).

I avoid using the RV bathroom because it is one less thing to clean - can't help myself for being lazy - just practical. Besides, I always have the luck of arriving at the potties just as they are being serviced - a great way to start the day...

If packing a cooler with ice - do not set the cooler on the ground - use a table. Heat transference will shorten the life of your ice.

One cooler has ice for mixing in drinks, another is labeled "Wednesday", meaning we do not open it until Wednesday, or the third sunrise. Of course this leads to discussions as to "what day is it?"

Simple is best. Although I was invited to dine in a much bigger RV and enjoyed smoked salmon and grilled asparagus - that was a real treat.

Fenwick

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 10:07 am

Eggs Benedict and Mimosas are always in style.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 10:08 am

Eggs Benedict and Mimosas are always in style.

StarShineScars · Post by **StarShineScars** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:55 pm

We've been working on pre made foods and using dry ice. The past couple of weeks I've been cooking, freezing, and then reheating in a pot of boiling water. We're planning on vacuum sealing everything, but I put regular ziplocs in the boiling water and they didn't melt. Though I think the key with that is to put a towel at the bottom of the pan so the plastic doesn't touch. So far everything has tasted... well just about the same, somethings just a bit like leftovers, which is basically what they are. We're taking:
Turkey burgers
Meatloaf -cut into small chunks
Beef stew and couscous
Fajitas and rice
Pasta w/pesto and chicken
BBQ pulled beef sandwiches
Mac & cheese & chicken
Instant mashed potatoes, look at store for only add water kind
Crackers and cheese (Babybell and Laughing Cow mini-cheeses need no refrigeration)
Canned fruit and veggies
Banana bread
Cinnamon Rolls
Muffins
Sandwiches (PB &J)
Chips
Lunch meat and cheese
Canned Tuna and Chicken
Pre packaged condiments (Arby's is great for that stuff)

Good luck on your menu planning!! I just say, try it out before you get there.

Linnea · Post by **Linnea** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:12 pm

Help...I am a one-dish wonder and noone in kidville will even eat my Tabouli..... Extra kudos for those with a shopping list included! lets share the culinary wealth...

Gage · Post by **Gage** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:13 pm

StarShineScars wrote:We've been working on pre made foods and using dry ice. The past couple of weeks I've been cooking, freezing, and then reheating in a pot of boiling water. We're planning on vacuum sealing everything, but I put regular ziplocs in the boiling water and they didn't melt. Though I think the key with that is to put a towel at the bottom of the pan so the plastic doesn't touch. So far everything has tasted... well just about the same, somethings just a bit like leftovers, which is basically what they are. We're taking:
Turkey burgers
Meatloaf -cut into small chunks
Beef stew and couscous
Fajitas and rice
Pasta w/pesto and chicken
BBQ pulled beef sandwiches
Mac & cheese & chicken
Instant mashed potatoes, look at store for only add water kind
Crackers and cheese (Babybell and Laughing Cow mini-cheeses need no refrigeration)
Canned fruit and veggies
Banana bread
Cinnamon Rolls
Muffins
Sandwiches (PB &J)
Chips
Lunch meat and cheese
Canned Tuna and Chicken
Pre packaged condiments (Arby's is great for that stuff)

Good luck on your menu planning!! I just say, try it out before you get there.

Wow. I just finished eating... and I'm already hungry again after reading this.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:25 pm

email me.

bobare · Post by **bobare** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:59 pm

From my quick camping meals. One can of roast beef. Yes can of roast beef heated in a pan and then dump a bag of microwave rice in to get warm. It takes about 8 minutes if your a clutz and is very filing.
Eat right from the pan.
enjoy
Bob

joemomma · Post by **joemomma** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 10:02 pm

my first burn last year, we had a truck/ pickup and enough coolers, shade and lots of ICE... oh..and a charcoal grill.... made some great bbq ribs and brisket....shared with the neighbors who in turn offered some to us.....it was great...
this year going solo.....tuna foil packages....ramen type....and canned pasta.... The ramen you don't even have to boil...just let is soak in the water long enough and it will absorbe(sic) the water.....
same with quick rice, although takes much longer......
oh and beef jerky, Virginia City has some of the best ....

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 10:41 am

bobare wrote:From my quick camping meals. One can of roast beef. Yes can of roast beef heated in a pan and then dump a bag of microwave rice in to get warm. It takes about 8 minutes if your a clutz and is very filing.
Eat right from the pan.
enjoy
Bob

Add a multi-spice shaker and you're set:
http://www.scoutgear.com/cg9961.html

Although picking up a case of beef stew and a case of V8 at the Costco is starting to make sense right now.

apples · Post by **apples** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 5:26 pm

we're each doing a dinner at my camp this year.

on my night i am making veggie sloppy joes. fantastic foods makes the dry mix. just add water & tomato paste. some spicy stuff if you like. i am going to carmelize onions to put on top. yummy!

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sun Aug 17, 2008 8:07 am

Abuelita chocolate syrup
Apply to milk, ice cream, drinks.

There's an instant hot chocolate mix too.
It will ruin you for regular hot chocolate.

cullen · Post by **cullen** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:02 am

army surplus mre's.

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:17 am

cullen wrote:army surplus mre's.

I brought one mre this past year, tasted like shit in the heat. Mountain house foods made my load easier since they are so light. I also brought a ton of lara bars and made use of emergen-c for the camelbak. Even though I pooped like a rabbit at the end of the week I wound up makin out good. 2009 will probably see a decrease of my gear to one duffel for sustenance and one duffel for gear and clothes.

I want to do the one duffel thing but don't think I can handle it just yet. I found this past year that shelter is highly overrated, especially during the dust storms. I met soo many great people being out in the shit rather than hide somewhere.

PS I should note that if I could afford it I would BBQ all day everyday with 55 gal drum BBQs with massive slabs of MEAT!

cullen · Post by **cullen** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:32 am

sweet tea chick ftw!

Sail Man · Post by **Sail Man** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:21 am

Chentelle wrote:lol I was hoping to cook something that doesn't cause us to spend half of the burn in the small blue houses (porta's). Thanks for the funny input tho (you were joking right? please say you were joking)

I hear velcrochicken is in now. the velcro helps to keep it from "passing" too quickly

Menu Ideas

Menu Ideas

arabic food

Heat and eat?

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