BUILDING A COOKING FIRE
FIRE BY SUN GLASS
GRIDDLE CAKES
BROILED BACON
CREAMED SALMON
SALMON ON TOAST
BAKED POTATOES
BAKED FISH
FROGS' LEGS
EGGS
COFFEE
COCOA
SAMPLE MENU
RATION LIST
DISH WASHING
The Fireplace
Take two or three stones to build a fireplace; a stick first shaved and
then whittled into shavings; a lighted match, a little blaze, some bark,
dry twigs and a few small sticks added; then with the griddle placed over
the fire, you are ready to cook the most appetizing griddle cakes. After
the cakes are cooked, fry strips of bacon upon the griddle; in the surplus
fat fry slices of bread, then some thinly sliced raw potatoes done to a
delicious brown and you have a breakfast capable of making the mouth of a
camper water.
Another way of building a fire: Place two green logs side by side, closer
together at one end than the other. Build fire between. On the logs over
the fire you can rest frying pan, kettle, etc. To start fire have some
light, dry wood split up fine. When sticks begin to blaze add a few more
of larger size and continue until you have a good fire.
Sun Glass
When the sun shines a fire may be started by means of a small pocket sun
or magnifying glass. Fine scrapings from dry wood or "punk tinder" will
easily ignite by the focusing of the sun dial upon it, and by fanning the
fire and by adding additional fuel, the fire-builder will soon have a
great blaze.
COOKING RECEIPTS
Griddle Cakes
Beat together one egg, tablespoonful of sugar, cup of new milk, or
condensed milk diluted one-half. Mix in enough self-raising flour to make
a thick cream batter. Grease the griddle with rind or slices of bacon for
each batch of cakes.
Broiled Bacon
Slice bacon thin. Remove the rind which makes the slices curl up. Or, gash
the rind with a sharp knife if the boys like "cracklings." Fry on griddle
or put on the sharp end of a stick and hold over the hot coals, or, better
yet, remove the griddle and put a clean flat rock in its place. When the
rock is hot lay the slices of bacon on it and broil. Keep turning the
bacon so as to brown it on both sides. Cut into dice.
Creamed Salmon
Heat about a pint of salmon in one-half pint milk, season with salt and
pepper and a half teaspoonful of butter.
Salmon on Toast
Drop slices of stale bread into smoking-hot lard. They will brown at once.
Drain them. Heat a pint of salmon, picked into flakes, season with salt
and pepper and put into it a tablespoonful of butter. Stir in one egg,
beaten light, with three tablespoonfuls evaporated milk not thinned. Pour
mixture on the fried bread.
Potatoes
Wash potatoes and dry well; bury them deep in a good bed of live coals,
cover them with hot coals until well done. They will take about forty
minutes to bake. When you can pass a sharpened hardwood sliver through
them, they are done, and should be raked out at once. Run the sliver
through them from end to end, and let the steam escape and use
immediately, as a roast potato quickly becomes soggy and bitter.
Baked Fish
Dig a hole one foot and a half deep. Build a fire in it, heaping up dry
sticks until there is an abundance of fuel. After an hour, take out the
coals, clear the hole of ashes, lay green corn husks on the hot bottom of
the hole. Soak brown paper in water and wrap around the fish. Lay it in
the hole, cover with green corn husks, covered in turn with half an inch
of earth. Build a fire over it and keep burning for an hour. Then remove
and you have something delicious and worth the time taken to prepare.
Fried Fish
Clean fish well. Small fish should be fried whole, with the backbone
severed to prevent curling up; large fish should be cut into pieces, and
ribs cut loose from backbone so as to lie flat in pan. Rub the pieces in
corn meal or powdered bread crumbs, thinly and evenly (that browns them).
Fry in plenty of very hot fat to a golden brown, sprinkling lightly with
pepper and salt just as the color turns. If fish has not been wiped dry,
it will absorb too much grease. If the frying fat is not very hot when
fish are put in they will be soggy with it.
Frogs' Legs
After skinning frogs, soak them an hour in cold water, to which vinegar
has been added, or put them for two minutes into scalding water that has
vinegar in it. Drain, wipe dry, and cook. To fry: Roll in flour seasoned
with salt and pepper, and fry, not too rapidly, preferably in butter or
oil. Water cress is a good relish with them. To grill: Prepare three
tablespoonfuls melted butter, one-half teaspoonful salt, and a pinch or
two of pepper, into which dip the frog legs, then roll in fresh bread
crumbs and broil for three minutes on each side.
EGGS
Boiled
Raise water to boiling point. Place eggs in carefully. Boil steadily for
three minutes if you prefer them soft. If you want them hard-boiled, put
them in cold water, bring to a boil, and keep it up for twenty minutes.
The yolk will then be mealy and wholesome.
Fried
Melt some butter or fat in frying pan, when it hisses drop in eggs
carefully. Fry them three minutes.
Scrambled
First stir the eggs up with a little condensed cream and a pinch of salt
and after putting some butter in the frying pan, stir the eggs in it,
being careful not to cook them too long.
Poached
First put in the frying pan sufficient diluted condensed milk which has
been thinned with enough water to float the eggs when the milk is hot;
drop in the carefully opened eggs and let them simmer three or four
minutes. Serve the eggs on slices of buttered toast, pouring on enough of
the milk to moisten the toast.
Coffee
For every cup of water allow a tablespoonful of ground coffee, and one
extra for the pot. Heat water to boiling point first, add coffee, boil
five minutes, settle with one-fourth cup cold water and serve. Some prefer
to put the coffee in a small muslin bag, tied loose, and boil for five
minutes longer.
Cocoa
Allow a teaspoonful of cocoa for every cup of boiling water. Mix the
powdered cocoa with hot water or hot milk to a creamy paste. Add equal
parts of boiling water and boiled milk, and sugar to taste. Boil two or
three minutes.
SAMPLE MENU FOR AN OVER-NIGHT AND A DAY HIKE OR TRAMP
Breakfast
Griddle cakes with Karo Syrup or brown sugar and butter;
Fried bacon and potatoes;
Bread, coffee, preserves.
Dinner
Creamed salmon on toast; Baked potatoes; Bread; Pickles; Fruit.
Supper
Fried eggs; Creamed or chipped beef; Cheese; Bread; Cocoa
These recipes have been tried out. Biscuit and bread-making have been
purposely omitted. Take bread and crackers with you from the camp.
"Amateur" biscuits are not conducive to good digestion or happiness. Pack
butter in small jar. Cocoa, sugar and coffee in small cans or heavy paper,
also salt and pepper. Wrap bread in a moist cloth to prevent drying up.
Bacon and dried or chipped beef in wax paper. Pickles can be purchased put
up in small bottles. Use the empty bottle as a candlestick.
Ration List for six boys, three meals
2 lbs. bacon (sliced thin),
1 lb. butter,
1 doz. eggs,
1/2 lb. cocoa,
1/2 lb. coffee,
1 lb. sugar,
3 cans salmon,
24 potatoes,
2 cans condensed milk,
1 small package self-raising flour,
Salt and pepper.
Utensils
Small griddle or tin "pie plate" (5 cents each),
Small stew pan,
Small coffee pot,
Small cake turner,
Large spoon,
Teaspoons,
Knives and forks,
Plates and cups,
Matches and candles.
Dish Washing
First fill the frying pan with water, place over fire and let it boil.
Pour out water and you will find that it has practically cleaned itself.
Clean the griddle with sand and water. Greasy knives and forks may be
cleaned by jabbing a couple of times into the ground. After all grease is
gotten rid of, wash in hot water and dry with cloth. Don't use the cloth
first and get it greasy.
Be sure to purchase Horace Kephart's excellent book on "Camp Cookery,"
$1.00, Outing Publishing Co., or Association Press. It is filled with
practical suggestions.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Camp and Trail"--Stewart Edward White. Doubleday, Page & Company, $1.25
net. Full of common sense and of special value to those contemplating long
tramps and wilderness travel. Several chapters on "Horseback Travel"
"Out-of-Doors"--M. Ellsworth Olsen, Ph.D. Pacific Press Publishing Co., 60
cents. A book permeated with a wholesome outdoor spirit.
The Field and Forest Book--Dan Beard. Charles Scribner's Sons, $2.00.
Written in "Beardesque" style, filled with his inimitable illustrations
and crammed with ideas.
The Way of the Woods-Edward Breck. G. P. Putnam's Sons, $1.75 net. Simple,
terse, free from technical terms, and calculated to give the novice a mass
of information. Written for Northeastern United States and Canada, but of
interest for every camper.
[Illustration: The Morning Dip]