Everything Tastes (and is) Better Camping

For Labor Day weekend, I went camping with a group of friends- Evan's guys plus their girlfriends (and a few stragglers). Prior to heading out for our weekend expedition to Fort Flagler, I was a little concerned about two things: the weather and the food. The forecast called for rain, rain, rain all weekend. And the food... not that I was dreading it or anything, but I've known these guys for a long time. BBQs at their house in college were always BYOF: Bring Your Own Food, and like Evan, they all think Chipotle and McDonalds are gourmet. Needless to say, I was slightly concerned.

The morning of our departure, I packed up all the food Evan and I prepared- everything we needed to survive if no one else brought supplies- secretly hoping to impress the group (and by impress, I mean bring the best food and get oohs and ahhs from everyone, of course). I brought LeAnn's Spinach Dip with crackers, chocolate chip cookies, and the fixin's for one of Evan's favorite meals (and a camping must-have) Girl Scout Packets. We grabbed the ice chest (also heavily laden with beer), and headed out into the rainiest day Seattle had seen in months.

I was expecting nothing but hot dogs and downpours. As usual, I was proven wrong. Other than a brief spurt of rain Sunday afternoon, we had blue skies and sunshine. And the food...not only did we have more than enough food, with everyone bringing loads and loads of supplies, but we also ate like we were in a five-star restaurant. Ok, not really (not at all), but everything tastes better when you're camping.

We started out Saturday with a lunch of campfire-steamed whole crab with garlic butter (courtesy of Dave and Nadia), which we ate standing over the picnic table, butter and juices running down our arms (camping brings out the heathen in all of us). We snacked on dip and chips, fresh veggies, two kinds of cookies, and of course, hot dogs. For night one's dinner, Mike and Mark took the helm at the cook stove, preparing a meal I would normally feed to the dog when no one was looking: Hamburger (and hot dog) Helper. I don't know what it is about camping, but I have to say it... that was some damn good Helper (I'm just happy it was dark so we couldn't see the neon orange colored sauce that we scraped off the pot the next morning). For breakfast Sunday, we made a sausage-egg scramble, with extra bacon and sausage on the side, washed down with French-press coffee and cream.

For lunch, we were treated to rain, and a surprise from Kyle. Little did I know, Kyle's mom used to own and operate her own Filipino restaurant in Port Orchard, and he worked in the kitchen for years. He had intended to make chicken skewers, but the brief rain shower put a stop to that, and instead we just had chicken cooked on the cook stove. Good enough for me!


Kyle's chicken was marinated in a soy/pineapple/garlic blend, and he cooked it up to gooey, crispy perfection on the Coleman. I think the whole campground was jealous of the delicious scents wafting out of our campsite!


After a long hike and exploration of the old (scary) barracks at Fort Flagler, I prepared the Girl Scout Packets. Girl Scout Packets are something I made years (and years and years) ago in Girl scouts, and have since made for Evan in our oven. The basic gist is to wrap meat and veggies in foil, and cook over the fire until everything is soft and almost stew-like in its juices. Our packets had ground beef, carrots, potatoes, onions, butter, and seasoning salt, double wrapped in foil. That simple.

The packets were delicious, with a smokiness you can only get cooking over an open campfire. We ate them straight out of the foil, with a side of fire-roasted garlic bread, followed by Chelsea's homemade apple pie. Such basic food, but for some reason, everything is always better camping.

LeAnn's Spinach Dip

This is a pretty basic, pretty delish dip! Mix together the following:

1 packet of dry ranch dressing mix
Equal parts mayo and sour cream (about 1 to 1.5 cups of each, can vary depending on your tastes)
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1 box frozen spinach- thawed, drained, and chopped (be sure to wring out and get rid of excess liquid)

Digging a Hole to China

Evan’s in China! Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but as you can see, I’m a little behind (considering I posted the Bastille Day Feast a full week after Bastille Day). Anyway, he’s there on a ‘business trip’ (I’m putting that in quotes, since so far all I’ve heard about is him teaching the Chinese people how to play beer pong, and the amazing food he’s been eating). Evan works for Tonkin Replicas, a replica truck company (not Tonka Trucks...completely different), and he’s visiting the factory and the employees in China! Crazy! I wish I was there with him. Of course, I miss him like crazy… but I can’t wait to hear about his adventures (especially those involving food). I told him he’ll have to recreate his meals for me. He laughed. So did I. Below are a couple of pictures he sent me! The Hong Kong harbor:

A steamed fish dish called Yu:

Anyway, back to the states...the other night, while I was sitting at home missing him, unable to call, I channeled my inner Asia and made the best-damned-tofu-ever. I don’t think what I made could really qualify as Chinese (the dish's inspiration is actually a Japanese recipe), but it was Asian-fusion… at least that’s what we’ll call it.

I love tofu, but whenever I prepare it at home, it just isn’t the same. I’m a little bit afraid of deep frying (the process and the resulting calories are both pretty scary), and as far as I could tell, that’s the only way to prepare kick-ass tofu. I always want to throw it into stir-fries and the like, but whenever I sauté or fry it, I’m disappointed. Until now! Thanks to Gourmet!

A few issues ago there was a recipe for Miso Glazed Tofu…BROILED! Ah! Why didn’t I think of that!? I didn’t have any miso on hand, so instead I made a glaze of hoison, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and green curry paste (see, that’s where the Asian Fusion part comes in). The recipe said to make sure the glaze was ‘the consistency of ketchup,’ so I made sure my on-the-fly glaze was just that. I followed the steps in the recipe for draining and firming up the tofu, and then double broiled it- once unglazed, once glazed, and the results were amazing! The tofu squares were chewy and gooey on the outside, soft on the inside. Exactly what I was looking for. I served them atop a quick prep dish of peanut green beans: sautéed onions and garlic, frozen green beans, sesame oil, a drop of sriracha, and a spoonful of peanut butter, topped with toasted sesame seeds.
I’m sure it’s nothing like what Evan’s eating over there in China (yu), but it did make me feel a little bit better… and I finally know how to cook tofu! When Evan gets back, we'll do tofu and yu for two. Until then…

Miso Glazed Broiled Tofu
(From Gourmet magazine)

This recipe calls for a miso glaze, but I just made up my own hoison glaze. I think whatever you do will work just fine, as long as it tastes good and has the consistency of ketchup! It also recommends skewering the tasty morsels and serving as appetizers.

1 (14-to 16-ounces) block firm tofu, drained
1/3 cup red (dark) miso
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sake, dry Sherry, or dry white wine
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
Equipment: 12 two-pronged wooden picks or 24 (2 1/2-to 31/2-inch) straight wooden picks

Pat tofu dry with paper towels, then wrap in fresh paper towels and put in a microwave-safe dish (see cooks' note, below). Microwave at high power 30 seconds. Pour off any liquid and wrap tofu in fresh paper towels. Microwave 1 or 2 more times for 30 seconds each time, pouring off any liquid, until tofu feels firmer.

Preheat broiler.

Stir together miso, sugar, and sake in a small saucepan. (If miso mixture is very thick, stir in 1 tablespoon water.) Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until bubbling, glossy, and the consistency of ketchup, 1 to 3 minutes.

Cut tofu in half horizontally and arrange, cut sides up, on a cutting board. Cut each half into 6 squares (pieces might not be perfectly square).

Arrange tofu on a foil-lined broiler pan, cut sides up, and broil about 2 inches from heat until a crust just forms, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from oven and spread crusted side of each square with about 3/4 teaspoon miso mixture. Broil until tops are just bubbling and starting to color, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Skewer each square with 1 two-pronged pick or 2 parallel straight picks. Sprinkle with seeds.

Sinfully Delicious

Last weekend I went to LAS VEGAS BABY for my birthday! A group of 15 friends and I headed down to sin city for a crazy weekend of gambling, booze, sun, fun, and of course…good food! While most of what happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas, I’m going to broadcast the juiciest of our sin city indulgences to the world…the deadly sins of the stomach.

Lust
Two words. Bobby. Flay. After a few nearly fatal whispered death-threats and fists-fights between Amanda and Jessica, we finally came to the consensus that we can ALL have a little bit of the lusciously delicious Bobby Flay…at his restaurant Mesa! The group headed to Mesa for brunch to get a little taste of the Iron Chef himself… or at least of his legendary food. We knew we were in for a treat when the bloody marys and the bread baskets arrived! Spicy, cheesy little jalapeño biscuits, Bobby’s famous blue corn muffins, and the best spicy bloody mary I’ve ever ingested. And then the food came…and the inappropriate, lustful moanings of delight that followed each bite… Iron Chef, indeed!

I ordered the Grilled Asparagus Salad with toasted pecans, maytag blue cheese, wild roasted mushrooms, and red chile-mustard vinaigrette. Not only was it beautifully plated, but the flavor combinations were just right.

V ordered the lamb salad. Until I tried Bobby Flay’s lamb, I thought I wasn’t a lamb eater. I’ve been converted. It was tender, juicy, and flavorful-without being overly gamey. Bree and Jessica ordered the tartar plate. The presentation was amazing, and the steak and salmon tartar served on spicy but sweet plantain chips lived up to its looks. Tasha ordered an amazing egg-tostada-plate-of-delight. I don’t even know what was on it, but it looked like Mexico, tasted like molé, and made us all very happy.

I didn’t get a good look at everyone else’s plates once Evan’s meal was served… I was in love. After a few too many Vegas indulgences the previous night, Evan was taking it easy, and ordered only a bowl of soup. The soup that gods eat, I think. Green Pea and Green Chile Soup with crispy serrano ham and mint cumin crema, to be exact. Sinner that I am, I coveted Evan’s soup through the entire meal… stealing glances and spoon licks at every possible moment. Had Evan not been the one with the heavenly soup in his possession, I may have left him then and there for Bobby Flay.

Gluttony
After a weekend of over indulging ourselves, Robb, Amanda, Mat and I headed to the most excessive of Vegas excesses… the buffet. How could we possibly say no when Robb was prancing about giddy like a five year old girl on Christmas morning? For a mere $25, we were led into the jaws of delicious hell… rows upon rows of food, food, and more food! Orange chicken, peppery beef, fried rice, dim sum, sushi, crab legs with drawn butter, prawns with cocktail sauce, crispy bacon and potatoes, prime rib with fresh, raw spicy horseradish, pizza, salad with a thousand toppings, egg flour and miso soup, hot-out-of-the-fryer-donuts, pastries, pulled pork, muscles in a spicy tomato sauce… and the list goes on. Oh, by the way… that’s just the list of the food on my first plate! After three plates (and several sweet, delicious, buttery, FRESH crab legs too many), I retired my fork. Robb, however, went for about 6 plates, 3 bowls, and a pitcher of mimosas. I generally detest buffets, but my final verdict on the gluttonous Vegas buffet… EXCELLENT! The selection was amazing, the food fresh and delicious, and the refills unlimited… if only they let you take in a few to-go containers…

Sloth
As every Vegas visitor and Washington resident knows, In-N-Out is a must visit ‘restaurant’ whilst in the state of Nevada. The night of the Burlesque Hall of Fame show (we attended as patrons, not performers, of course), V, Tasha, and Bree decided to hoof it to In-N-Out, all the way at the other end of the strip, and across a freeway. However…being the sloths that we are, and classing it up Vegas style, the rest of took a limo. That’s right, we took a limo to a fast food joint. The most luxurious and classy way to eat an animal burger with cheese (the messiest burger around), is in a limo. Knowing this, the limo driver made us eat inside while he waited. Oh well, the greasy, saucy, melty animal style burger was well worth the minimal effort and extra cash we put in to getting there.

Envy
I was envious of others’ culinary delights several times through out the trip. In addition to my envious glances at Evan’s soup, across the table at Mesa, I experienced waves of jealousy at two other occasions during the Vegas trip. First: drinks at Rhumbar. I ordered a Pineapple Chipotle Margarita…clearly I’ve been on a chipotle kick. It was spicy and delicious…but compared to Bree’s drink…her drink was heaven. And I was envious. It was something orange, with muddled mandarins, mint leaves, and of course topped off with a tropical flower. My drink was topped off with a dried chipotle pepper that looked like... well, it looked like this:


I also experienced orderers-envy at BLT Burger, where I ordered a plain ol’ cheeseburger, and Amanda ordered THE BEST VEGGIE BURGER I’VE EVER TASTED. No joke. It was a falafel patty so full of spices and flavor that I instantly regretted my ordering decision. Damnit. However, I DID get to eat the deep fried pickles, which were everything I had hoped for… dilly, greasy, and tasting like deep fried…pickles.

While we surly committed the sins of wrath, pride, and most certainly greed during our culinary tour of Vegas, I’ll leave a little to the imagination… some things you have to just experience yourself…Viva Las Vegas!

One Hot Cookie

I've been trying to come up with creative ways to use a jar of chipotles in adobo before they go bad. I notoriously will open up a jar, use 1 little pepper, and then throw out the rest several months later when I discover them in the back of my fridge. Not this time! First I whipped up some chipotle mayo for my sliders, and then...

Chocolate chip..otle? That's right. I said it. And I did it. I made chipotle chocolate chip cookies. I'm a big fan of mixing sweet with spicy and savory, and decided to give it a go with the all-American chocolate chip cookie. I've seen chipotle and chocolate together in desserts before, so I went for it. I mixed up a batch of basic chocolate chip cookies (from my old school Fanny Farmer cookbook...which Mel and Amanda both have as well...which is the one and only cookbook you need to survive... especially Mel's, which has notes in the margins). I scooped half the cookie dough out of my mixer, to save just in case things went awry. Then... hold on to your hats... I added 2 chopped up chipotles plus a little bit of the adobo sauce to the bowl and turned up the speed. The dough became stickier than the original, and also took on a red tint (with festive little specs of chopped up pepper). Into the oven my Frankenstein cookies went. The chipotle cookies spread out quite a bit during the baking process, and came out much flatter than their un-peppered half... but they still had a great chewy texture... and the flavor?

Not bad! They tasted just like a regular delicious chocolate chip cookie, but with a kick so hot it nearly knocked me off my feet! Wow! I was really surprised that they didn't have a weird peppery, savory flavor, but instead tasted sweet and chocolaty and delish. Unfortunately, the hot peppery kick really was so intense that some people couldn't hang... I won't name names that start with an 'A' and end with a 'manda'. Evan, on the other hand, loved them. As a self-proclaimed dessert-hater (I know... it pains me to even think such awful thoughts), Evan doesn't usually eat the cookies I give him (I'll find them hiding months later), but with these hot little ditties he ate them right up, and even went back for more!

The experiment was fun, and with positive results, but I don't know if I'll be whipping up another batch of chipotle chip cookies anytime in the near future. I have, however, been dreaming up a chocolate-raspberry-chipotle sauce...

To Slide or Not to Slide

For quite some time, I've had mixed feelings about sliders. The slider-craze is out of control, with the mini-burgers popping up on menus all over the place, from upscale restaurants, to happy-hour bar menus, even to fast food drive-thrus! What's so special about bite-size burgers, and why are they kicking their king-size big brothers out of the limelight?

After a little investigation, I think I have the answer. Nothing can beat the charred, outdoor grilled, big 'n' juicy BBQ burger (with it's promise of summer, fun, baseball, and beer in every bite)... but there is something delicious, different, and a little bit 'gourmet' about a slider. With approximately 2-bites per burg, one doesn't feel overly full, and the flavor is exciting from start to finish. Also, (some meat-purists out there might disagree) my favorite part of a burger is the charred, grilled, seasoned, sometimes cheesy, sort of crunchy and caramelized outer layer. The slider provides the perfect ratio of flavorful outer layer to juicy inner burger, something that it's plus-size counterpart lacks. The idioms are true when it comes to sliders...'everything is better in moderation,' and 'dynamite comes in small packages.'

How did I arrive at this conjecture? After initial distrust, hesitation, and even trash-talk about the baby-burger revolution, I have officially jumped on the slider bandwagon. It all started last week, at BalMar happy hour, with one little, delicious burst-of-flavor that kept me yearning for more (slider accompanied by fries with truffle aioli) , and was further intensified after I ate one too many full size burgers (on top of one too many full size beers) last weekend. What finally pushed me over the edge, to the slider-side, was the simple act of making (and devouring) my own sliders.

My delectable little beef morsels, sandwiched between toasted baguette slices, were covered in melty, gooey jack cheese, slathered with spicy, smokey chipotle mayo, and piled high with greens, lettuce, avocado, tomato, radishes, and my kick-ass-honey-mustard-caramelized red onions. With so much flavor jammed into such a tiny package, they were 10 times better than the best burger I've ever made. They were fun to make, even more fun to eat, and Evan and I both felt satisfied without being overly full and weighed down.

To make chipotle mayo, simply mix together mayonnaise, chipotle peppers in adobo- add sauce and chopped pepper (more or less depending on how much heat you can handle), and a dash of liquid smoke, which really brings out the smokiness of the chipotles (which are smoked jalapenos). For ooey-gooey, super carameltastic, extra delicious caramelized onions, my secret is to mix in honey and brown mustard right before you take the onions off the heat. It works every time. Now... to REALLY enjoy the mayo and the onions, promptly jump on the slider-train and never look back!

My Signature Sundae

Amanda and I always get a good laugh out of people who claim to have a "signature dish." Especially when said signature dish is something simple and, quite frankly, ordinary... ie, a recent favorite quote "7-layer bean dip is my signature dish." Either that individual is at every party and potluck I've ever been to, or 7-layer dip is everyone's signature dish.

In the spirit of making fun of myself, I recently created an ice cream sundae that was basic and simple but so damned good I deemed it my 'signature sundae.' To follow Evan's Thai Steak Salad birthday dinner, I made a tropical sundae full of absolute awesomeness. "Happy Birthday Evan, I'm going to eat all of the dessert I made you!" It was that good. I licked my bowl and his bowl clean.

The sundae was simple, quick, and easy. I piled the bowl high with vanilla ice cream, mango petals (I used an ice cream scoop on the mango, creating petal-like slices), Amanda's Coconut Dulce de Leche, chopped macadamia nuts, flaked coconut, and... the big finish... lime zest! So easy, so quick, so effing delicious. I wish i was eating it right this moment. Who knew my 'signature dish' would be an every-day ice cream sundae!? Maybe I'll start making 7-layer bean dips...

Amanda's Coconut Dulce de Leche

Whisk together in heavy large skillet over medium heat :
1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

3/4ths cup brown sugar
1/4th teaspoon salt

Heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and boil until thick and creamy, stirring occasionally, (about 10-15 minutes).

A Meal Fit for a King

For Evan's birthday, I wanted to make him something that we both would enjoy...meaning it had to have meat, preferably of the steak variety (for Evan), and veggies, preferably of the fresh variety (for me). I had been perusing Thai Steak Salad recipes on the ol' web for quite some time, and decided that would be the perfect meal for Evan's birthday, fit for a king. Not to mention, we had just returned from cheesy, saucy Mexico and I was yearning for a little variety in my diet, a lot of green-food on my plate. After looking at a few recipes, I had a general idea of what needed to go into a Thai Steak Salad to make it a Thai Steak Salad, and went off to create my own version... off to Uwajimaya! For under $5 I was able to get a huge bunch of fresh basil, lime leaves, and fresh mint. What a steal! I was super stoked about the lime leaves, as I had seen them in recipes before and couldn't wait to give them a try. While most of the recipes I looked at called for fish sauce, I decided to forego the briny brew and make it work without. And work did it ever! The flavors of the fresh herbs (basil, lime leaves, cilantro, and mint) melded together so perfectly and intensely that they totally made the dish. I'm in love with lime leaves. Evan, of course, loved the steak. Such a fun dish to create, and a delicious way to celebrate Evan's birthday. We both licked our plates clean and wished we had room for more... a meal truly fit for the King of Thailand... or just for a couple of hungry kids in Seattle. Delish.

Thai Steak Salad Step 1: Marinate flank steak in teriyaki sauce overnight Step 2: whisk together: 1 spoonful brown sugar 1/4th cup soy sauce Juice of 1 large lime 1 shallot- diced 1 hot Thai pepper – sliced in half and deseeded (or diced finely if you like it hot)- I removed pepper after sauce sat for about 30 min Dash of black pepper Step 3: put in a big bowl: 1 red bell pepper: julienned thin- 2 inch long pieces 1 carrot: peeled and julienned thin- 2 inch long pieces 1 medium cucumber: peeled and sliced thin ½ small head of green cabbage, sliced thin Fresh basil- about 10-15 leaves torn into pieces Fresh mint- about ½ cup- chopped/torn into pieces lime leaves- about 5 leaves, sliced VERY thin Cilantro- ½ cup- chopped Pour sauce (from step 2) in bowl with veggies Step 4: Pile spring greens mix on each plate Step 5: Broil steak- about 5-7 min/side Let sit for 5ish minutes before slicing- then thinly slice across the grain Step 6: Pour sauce off veggies- strain into small bowl or cup (do not discard) Add dash more soy, spoonful more brown sugar Dash of hot sauce (sriracha) Whisk together Step 7: Split veggie mix evenly on top of salad Arrange steak slices on top Sprinkle with crushed peanuts, sliced/chopped green onion, and drizzle with sauce

An Offer he Couldn't Refuse

Evan’s been wanting Chipotle lately, and I promised I would go with him (he gets great joy out of watching me eat his favorite foods…which include Chipotle and McDonalds). He took my promise to heart, and wanted to go last night. Don’t get me wrong… I like the occasional burrito-the-size-of-a-two-year-old-child, but on this particular night, after a really good run earlier in the day, I was not jazzed up about getting a week’s worth of caloric intake in one meal. Up against a solid pinky-promise and Evan’s angry protests, I had to think fast to get out of this mess. I made him an offer he could not refuse.

If not Chipotle…then how about Chipotle Chicken Soup!? He bit, hook, line, and sinker! My chipotle soup has become one of Evan’s favorites, next to his mom’s Southwest Tortilla. However, before you go chalking this one up to simply another bowl of chicken tortilla soup, please note- this is no ordinary tortilla soup. My Chipotle Chicken Soup ain’t your mama’s tortilla soup… it’s actually my mama’s! Mel’s been cooking this one up for years, and I’ve never had anything like it. Unlike traditional tortilla soups, this isn’t tomato based, but is more like a spicy, south-of-the-border take on chicken noodle…sans noodles. The beauty of this soup is how simple the preparation is, and how bold the flavors are. A bowl of Chipotle Chicken Soup is the surest way to forget about the gloom of the rainiest Seattle day, and feel the warmth of sunny hot Mexico. We were instantly transported back to Cabo with the first bite! Now…where are 2-for-1 margaritas that we had in Cabo?

Mel’s Chicken Tortilla Soup

Sauté 1-2 cubed chicken breasts, set aside. Heat oil in large pot, enough to cover bottom. Add 1 chopped onion, 1 large chopped carrot, and 3-4 cloves of chopped garlic to the hot pot. Douse liberally with thyme and marjoram. Salt and pepper to taste. When carrots and onions are tender, add chicken, 1 can garbanzo beans, 1-2 tablespoons of sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo (and additional chopped chipotles from the can if you like it hot), and as much chicken broth as desired (adding rice is also optional). Bring to a boil and let simmer until deliciousness ensues. Garnish with tortilla strips (prepared in oven, I like to use both corn and flour), avocado, sour cream, lime wedges, cilantro, cheese (I used grated jack last night, but cojita would probably be fanstatic), and additional chopped chipotle peppers and sauce. Enjoy!