CAMP COOKING
There is a favorite saying in camp, that “the Lord sends grub, but
the devil sends cooks.” This expression is old and homely, but it is
apt, and many times, when it is the turn of the greenest man in camp
to get dinner, we find reason to consider it true. We have seen an old
woodsman toss together a few ingredients and turn out a meal that would
cause our stomachs to cry, “Encore, encore,” and we have most of us
experienced the sad results from guides who pretended to be finished
cooks and had the whole party homesick before they had been in camp
three days. The best supplied camp cuisine in the world would not keep
off the “blue horrors” when in the hands of such bunglers.
Of course, everyone must first learn the how to do it, and equally
of course some fail to ever learn. The latter could not boil water
without burning it. I well remember my own first experience, and I
remember, too, the experiences with some of the boys that I have tried
to teach to cook.
The genuine camper is, certainly, the man who, taking but little food
with him, lives upon the spoils of his rod and gun. This is, in most
cases, impracticable to the ordinary camper. In the first place, it
takes some experience to do it. In the second place, but few desire to
do so, and there is no reason why they should. A party can live just as
well in camp as they can at home, if they wish to, and can afford it.
And also a party can live on a dollar a week apiece, if they choose;
and live well, too.
BREAD AND CEREALS.
_Baked Bread_:--Put in the mixing dish (I use the stew pan), 1 quart
of flour, 4 teaspoonfuls of baking powder, and a teaspoonful of salt,
and mix together; then work in a little butter with the hand or mixing
spoon, add cold water, stirring all the time, till you have a stiff
dough without lumps. Turn it out on a plate, wash the dish thoroughly,
grease the inside so the dough will not stick. Put the dough back in
the dish, cover it with a tin plate, place it on the coals in the
oven, and cover with the hot coals and ashes that you have just raked
out. Leave it for from one to two hours. A little experience will be
needed to know just how long to bake it, for a rock oven, with a heavy
bed of coals, will bake more quickly than a hole in the ground with
pine embers. (N. B. I use double the quantity of baking powder in camp,
that I use at home, because I have found it necessary to obtain the
desired result. Why it is, I do not know.)
_Spider-cake_:--Mix 1 pint wheat flour, 1 teaspoonful salt and 2 of
baking powder. Add water to make a thick batter. Grease the fry pan,
and turn in the batter; bake very slowly over the fire. As soon as the
crust forms on the bottom, so that it can be moved without breaking,
loosen it in the pan with a thin knife, and shake it occasionally
to keep it from scorching. When baked on one side, turn it over and
bake the other side. (This is not called spider-cake on account of
the insects that might fall into it, while in process of cooking, but
because in olden times the fry pan was called a spider.)
_Flapjacks_ or _Batter-cakes_:--Mix 1 quart of flour, 1 teaspoonful
of salt, 4 of baking powder, and 4 of sugar or a little molasses. Add
water to make a thin batter. If you have milk, it may be used instead
of the water, to the benefit of the cakes. A teaspoonful of condensed
milk dissolved in the water is also good. Grease the fry pan and drop
in enough batter to make a thin layer. As soon as the cake browns on
the under side, slip a thin knife or cake-turner under it and turn it
over. When baked, take it off onto a plate, placed where it will keep
warm: grease the pan again and repeat the operation. The best results
will be obtained by keeping the inside of the pan smooth, and using as
little grease as possible. This receipt may be varied in many ways. A
mixture of corn meal and flour in equal parts will give variety.
_Rice-cakes_ and _Oatmeal-cakes_ are simply the above mixture with the
addition of 2 cups of boiled rice or rolled oats or hominy mixed with
one-half the above quantity of flour. If eggs are obtainable, one or
two stirred into the batter just before cooking, improves the cakes
immensely. If whortleberries or dangleberries or blueberries are in
season, stir in a cupful. The boys will like them. My experience has
taught me that an extra quantity of berry flapjacks will be about the
right size. Maple syrup, molasses, or sugar, may be used with these.
_Boiled Rice_:--Wash clean 1 pound of rice, and put in 2 quarts of
boiling water with 2 teaspoonfuls of salt. Boil one-half hour. Take off
and drain, cover the dish tightly and set aside to steam.
_Corn-meal Mush_:--Have a dish of boiling water, salted to taste. Sift
in the cornmeal slowly with the one hand, while stirring briskly with
the other, until the porridge is thick enough. This may seem very
trivial, but it takes patience to do it properly or it will be full of
lumps of dry meal. Set it on one side the fire and steam slowly for
15 minutes. If your patience is not sufficient for this process, mix
your meal in cold water to make a thick batter. Have your dish of water
boiling, and turn in the batter slowly, so as not to stop the boiling.
When properly done, and it is not so easy either, this makes a good
dish for the camper. The remainder may be put one side until cold,
sliced in pieces about one-half an inch thick, and fried in butter.
This is improved by dipping the slices in beaten egg, before frying.
If the mush has not been properly made at first, the slices will fall
in pieces.
_Milk Toast_:--If you have any stale bread in camp (as when do you not,
if anybody goes near a bakeshop on the visit to town), make it up for
milk toast. Put on the stew pan, with a cup of milk. Put in a pinch of
salt, a generous lump of butter, and allow it to come to a boil. In
the meanwhile toast your bread to a nice brown, and when of the right
complexion, drop it into the boiling milk.
_Cereals_:--Of these various preparations, their name is legion, and
nearly all of them have directions for cooking, printed on the package.
I have tried a number of them, and the receipts hold as good in camp as
at home. This is not, however, a guarantee that the rule will always
hold good. Why it is I do not know, but some things cannot be handled
the same in camp as when prepared over the stove at home.
There are various makes of prepared flours in the market, under as many
various names. As a rule they are very handy to the camper, as they are
put up in small packages, by which the necessity of breaking out a
large package is avoided, and they also avert some mistakes of omission
common to men doing work they are not accustomed to do.
_Fils-d’une-chienne_:--Fry out the fat from some salt pork. Soak
hard-tack in water till it is soft. Drop it in the hot fat and cook.
SOUPS.
_Beef Stew_:--Take 1 pound of lean meat, wash clean, and put it in
cold water over a slow fire. Cook until the meat falls in pieces when
stirred; this will take from 3 to 4 hours, during which time there must
be enough water to cover the meat. Now add about a quart of sliced
potatoes, a small onion, sliced very thin, and cook until the potatoes
are soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
_Camp Stew_:--Prepare the beef by boiling as in the previous receipt,
except that a large onion is needed, and it must be added at the same
time the meat is put on. When the meat is done, add the potatoes as
before, and a can of tomatoes. Flavor with salt, pepper and curry
powder. Just before serving, take some wheat flour and mix with water
to make it about the consistency of cream; beat it together thoroughly
so there will be no lumps; have the stew boiling, and turn in the
flour, which will thicken the liquid. This dish may be varied by the
addition of any or all of the vegetables which may happen to be within
reach. Carrots, turnips, cabbage, cauliflower, parsnips, etc., should
be peeled and cut into dice of about a half-inch in diameter. These
vegetables should be cooked a little longer than the potatoes. So far
as the meat component goes, almost any flesh is suitable. The leftovers
from the broiled steaks or chops; chickens or fowls, ducks, grouse,
shore birds or any other meat from the roast or spit; the greater the
variety, the better the stew. If fresh meat is purchased, get the neck,
shin, bottom of the round, or any of the inferior pieces in preference
to the, so-called, choicer cuts. Although not so tender, they have a
far richer flavor. It is needless to say that venison, rabbits, or
squirrels are adapted to this dish.
A word of caution just here may not be out of place. When making
venison stew, look out that the meat has been well bled and hung for
forty-eight hours, if possible. Otherwise you will think you have been
taking a dose of Epsom salts.
When preparing rabbits and squirrels, skin and dress, then soak the
flesh in salt water over night. This will remove the strong flavor,
which is obnoxious to many.
_Turtle Soup_:--Parboil the meat in water, in which has been put a
small handful of salt, for about a half hour. Take out the meat and
throw away the water. Put the meat in fresh cold water and stew slowly
till it will pull into pieces; add a sliced onion and four large sliced
potatoes, season with salt and poultry dressing (sage, savory, thyme
and pepper or other fragrant herbs will do as well), and thicken the
same as the Camp stew. This is for the common “mud turtle,” and be
it known that an unreasonable prejudice exists against this animal.
Properly prepared, it is a dish for the _gourmet_.
_Skunk Stew_:--I was in doubt whether to insert this here, on account
of the prejudice that some people have against this animal. Properly
prepared, it is really a delicacy. When you catch a skunk, of course
you kill him, if you can, before he explodes. If the odor is strong,
hang the carcass over a smudge of hemlock twigs, being careful not
to scorch the fur. Skin and dress, being careful not to break the
musk-glands, which must be carefully removed. Put in cold water over
a slow fire, and boil for an hour, or as long as any fat will rise
to the top. Skim off this fat and carefully preserve it in a bottle,
against the time when the baby has the croup, or you yourself have a
sprained muscle; it is very penetrating. Throw away the water, and boil
the meat with a sliced onion in fresh water, till the meat will slip
off the bones. Add sliced potatoes and season with salt, pepper, and a
very little sage or poultry dressing. Many a man has become a confirmed
mephitiphagist after partaking of the above without knowing what he was
eating until he had finished his meal.
_Lob-scouse_:--Boil corned beef till the excess of salt is out of it.
Drain off the water and fill up with fresh water; put any vegetables
that you happen to have, except the potatoes, and boil till the meat
will come to pieces; about half an hour before it is done, add some
sliced potatoes and hard bread. This is not a dainty dish, but it
affords a variety when the stomach is cloyed with a hard-times diet.
Start with _cold_ water.
_Fish Chowder_:--Fry out two slices of pork in the bottom of the
kettle, and when well cooked, turn in 2 quarts of boiling water. Add 6
large potatoes, sliced thin, and cook until they can be broken by the
mixing spoon. Have about 3 pounds of fish cut into convenient pieces,
which should now be put in and cooked till it will break in pieces.
Then add 1 quart of milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. When
it comes to the boiling point, break in 12 crackers. Set it off the
fire till the crackers are steamed soft and serve. Some think that the
chowder is improved by the addition of a small onion, sliced thin, and
added when the potatoes are put in.
_Fish Chowder, Southern Style_:--Cover the bottom of the pot with
slices of fat salt pork; over that put a layer of sliced raw potatoes;
then a layer of chopped onions; then a layer of fish, cut into
pieces, leaving out all the bones possible; on the fish put a layer
of crackers, first soaked in water or milk. Repeat the layers, except
the pork, till a sufficient quantity is obtained. Each layer should be
seasoned with salt and pepper. Put in enough cold water to moisten the
whole mass well, cover the kettle closely, and cook slowly for an hour
or more. When it appears rather thick, stir it gently and serve.
_Webster Chowder_:--The famous Daniel Webster lived in the section
where my ancestors passed their lives, and his neighbors, for miles
around, gleaned a portion of their sustenance from the contiguous
waters. Many of them were professional fishermen and their wives were
famous cooks in the direction of these products. As Webster’s Chowder
was a noted receipt, it being said that he furnished the following to
his friends, we need no excuse for its insertion here.
“Cod of 10 or 12 pounds well cleaned, leaving on the skin, cut into
slices of 1-1/2 pounds each, preserving the head whole; 1-1/2 pounds
clear, fat salt pork cut in thin slices; slice twelve potatoes. Take
the largest pot you have, try out the pork first, take out the pieces
of pork, leaving in the dripping; add to that three pints of water, a
layer of fish so as to cover the bottom of the pot, next a layer of
potatoes, then two tablespoonfuls of salt, one teaspoonful of pepper,
then the pork, another layer of fish and the remainder of the potatoes;
fill the pot with water enough to cover the ingredients; put it over
a good fire, let the chowder boil twenty-five minutes; when this is
done have a quart of boiling milk ready and ten hard crackers split and
dipped in cold water; add milk and crackers, let the whole boil five
minutes. The chowder is then ready and will be first rate if you have
followed the directions. An onion is added if you like that flavor.”
Once or twice each summer, it was the custom of the farmers to make up
a party and go to some beach for a picnic. A chowder was considered
a necessary adjunct of the festivities, and I still retain lively
recollections of the quality of this toothsome dish. Perhaps it was
flavored with the sauce of youth and hunger, but it was good then and
is now.
_Clam Chowder_:--Shuck out a peck of clams and add to the chowder
instead of the fish. For those who have never learned the art of
shucking clams, the shellfish may be put on the fire in a kettle, with
just enough water to cover them. Please use hot water, turned over the
clams, so as to avoid trouble with the Society for P. O. C. T. A. When
the clams open their shells, take the kettle off the fire, turn them
out into a pan to cool, saving the liquor to use in the chowder. Shell
out the clams. Make the chowder as by the first receipt given, using
as much of the clam water as is necessary; the children will take care
of the remainder as a beverage. Do not put the clams into the chowder
until it is nearly done, or they will be tough.
_Bean Soup_:--Wash 2 quarts of beans, and either put them to soak over
night or parboil them till the skins begin to peel off. Scrape clean
one pound of salt pork and cut into thin slices. Boil the beans for an
hour or longer if necessary, then mash the beans into a pulp; put in
the pork and cook slowly for another hour. Stir occasionally so it will
not burn. Season with salt and pepper to taste. It is a fussy job to
make this and not burn it, and at the same time have it good; but it is
worth the while.
_Pea Soup_:--Take a ham bone, from which the most of the meat has been
sliced. There is no objection if it has been once boiled. Put over the
fire with cold water and cook until the bone will slip out of the meat.
Then add split peas and cook till soft. Have some cubes of bread, about
one inch square, prepared, fried in lard or butter. When the soup has
thickened, which it will do as soon as the peas are cooked soft, put in
the bread, and serve immediately.
_Oyster Stew_:--Half a cup of oysters (shucked, if you please), with a
very little water; simmer over the fire till the beards wrinkle. Turn
in a pint of milk, a piece of butter, salt and pepper; let it come to a
boil, stir in a little thickening, and it is ready to eat. Don’t burn
your tongue.
MEATS.
Unless camping in a game country, we seldom have any other meat than
what may be brought into camp on the occasional visits to town. But
it has been thought advisable to treat the subject as if there were
a market within easy access, for the benefit of those who may be
thus advantageously placed. Deer, bear, hares, squirrels, rabbits,
grouse, quail and shore birds, however, will be at times available.
And as the acme of the camper’s art is to live, so far as possible,
off the country, due attention will be paid to those dishes which can
be prepared from those products. No hard and fast rules can be made,
for individual preferences vary to such an extent that what would be
luxury to the one, would be starvation to another. Nevertheless, it may
be considered that all wild meats should be well done, except in the
case of an occasional chop from some member of the deer family. With
fowl, however, it is different. All dark meated birds should be rare
done; all white meated birds well cooked. I consider that criticism of
a man’s epicurean tastes is pure impudence, if not insult. It is none
of my business if a man wants to make a _salmi_ of his woodcock: I
simply deplore his taste or ignorance.
I shall commence with what has probably been brought in when the party
arrived, so the cook will not have to hunt far to know how to cook
supper. Beef, pork, lamb, ham, bacon, sausage, etc.
_Broiled Steaks_:--Camp is a poor place for tough meat; so when you
buy, get something so that you can, at least, stick a fork in the gravy
when it is cooked. Have a good bed of hardwood coals, if possible. At
any rate, have no smoke. Put the broiler over the hot coals and get
it hissing hot. Then put on the steak and hold it over the fire till
one side is seared; turn the other side to the fire and sear that,
after which it should be turned back and forth till cooked to suit the
taste. Lay on a warm plate, put on a liberal piece of butter, a little
salt and pepper, and give thanks that you have been given a palate to
appreciate good food. This rule applies to lamb as well as beef; to
venison as well as to pork chops. In cooking pork chops, however, my
preference is, to heat the fry pan very hot, drop in the meat, and cook
till well done. If there is no broiler, this plan may be followed with
any meat, but a little butter must be used, if there is not sufficient
fat in the meat to prevent its sticking to the pan. But by all means,
use as little grease as possible, and have the pan hot, to start with,
so as to quickly sear the surface and keep in the juices. In cooking
meats, in the fry pan, if there is any fat left, especially that from
pork and bacon, turn it into a clean can (I use the empty condensed
milk cans), and save it to fry fish.
_Fried Salt Pork_:--Slice clear, fat pork; slash the rind edge, so
it will not curl in the pan; scrape off all bits of salt or other
attachments; put in a cold fry-pan and cook till well done. Do not get
the pan too hot, for it will burn the grease, and spoil the flavor.
Drain off grease and serve with hot potatoes. Good salt pork is smooth
and dry. Damp, clammy pork is unwholesome.
_Broiled Salt Pork_:--Slice thin and toast on the broiler, the same as
steaks. Or hold the slices over the fire, on the end of a green switch.
Look out that the smoke from the drippings does not reach the meat.
_Fried Bacon_:--Slice thin and drop into a hot pan. Watch carefully
that it does not cook too much, or it will be hard and dry; remove each
piece as soon as it is done and drain dry. Some cooks always lay the
cooked meat on paper to absorb the grease. Do not soak in water before
cooking; it renders it hard when done.
_Ham and Eggs_:--Fry the ham the same as pork. When cooked, break the
eggs separately into a cup, and drop into the hot fat. The white of the
egg will spread out and should be turned up against the yolk as soon
as it gains sufficient consistency; this prevents the outside of the
albumen from becoming leathery. The object of breaking the eggs into a
cup before dropping into the pan, is to avoid getting an ancient egg
among the others.
_Fried Sausages_:--Cut the links apart, prick each sausage with a sharp
fork so they will not burst in cooking. Place in the cold fry pan, and
cook until well done. It is not safe to eat any pork product unless it
is well cooked.
_Boiled Beef_:--Put the meat into boiling water, so that it will be
covered and cook till tender; about 15 minutes to the pound will
generally be sufficient. Use a teaspoonful of salt for every 5 pounds
of meat, added when it is nearly cooked. This method will be proper
for corned beef, also, but omit salt and use cold water. If the beef
is not corned, just before it is done allow the liquor to boil away to
about a pint, season with pepper, and thicken with flour; this makes
an excellent gravy. If no gravy is desired, the liquor should be set
one side till cool, the hardened fat removed and saved to fry with.
Afterward, if desired, this liquor may be used for a foundation for a
vegetable stew.
_Hash_:--Take of boiled beef, or the scraps left in slicing the boiled
ham, one part; cold, boiled potatoes, two parts. Chop into small bits,
and warm up in the fry pan with a little pork fat. If desired this
may be varied in several ways. Have the fry pan hissing hot. Put in a
little pork fat and drop in an onion, sliced very fine. Stir rapidly,
so it will not burn. Have the hash prepared, which roll into flat
croquettes, dip in sifted corn meal and fry brown in the fat, from
which the pieces of onion have been removed. Or, have the pan half
filled with clean, sweet grease (lard, or beef drippings), slightly
salted. Break one or two eggs into the hash and mix thoroughly; roll
into croquettes or balls, drop into the hot fat and fry brown. The fat
should be as hot as it can be without burning.
_Barbecued Meat_:--Ribs of mutton, thin pieces of beef, rabbits,
squirrels or almost any other flesh can be prepared in this manner.
Lay your meat on the broiler over hot coals, so as to singe the
outside immediately. After a few minutes, move away from the intense
heat a little and cook till done through, basting frequently with the
following dressing:
_Barbecue Dressing_:--One pint of vinegar, half a can of tomatoes,
two teaspoonfuls of red pepper (chopped pepper-pods are better), a
teaspoonful of black pepper, same of salt, two tablespoonfuls of
butter. Simmer together till it is completely amalgamated. Have a bit
of clean cloth or sponge tied on the end of a stick, and keep the
meat well basted with the dressing as long as it is on the fire. The
preparation of this dish is a lot of work, but it pays.
_Fried Egg on Hash_:--Make your hash of meat and potato; fry out the
fat from a few slices of pork; roll your hash, wet with enough water
to make it stick together, into flat cakes large enough for a single
service, and fry brown. Lay in a dish where they will keep warm; grease
the fry-pan and drop in the eggs in couples, and fry till the whites
congeal; roll the edges of the white over the yolk and slip off on to
the hash cakes, one couple to each cake. When served, which should be
as soon as the egg is done, break the yolk and let it run down over the
cake.
GAME.
This word, like sweet Charity, covers a multitude of sins. I might
read you a homily on the sin of killing the creatures of the wood
and field; but I am not going to do it, for several reasons. First
’twould do no good, for you would keep on killing. Second, it is none
of my business anyway. My business now, is to tell you how to cook so
that you will come out of the woods well and hearty, and without a bad
case of dyspepsia. With this digression, I want to start in with a few
words of advice. In the first place, always bleed your game as soon as
killed. The flesh of an animal that has not been bled is not fit to
eat. Always let the animal heat get out of the body before you cook it.
The fact that it will not rest well on your stomach is proof positive
that it is not healthful. So unless you are on the verge of starvation,
heed these words. Fish is the only meat that is not subject to this
rule.
_Fried Squirrel_:--The most common four-legged game that the ordinary
camper will get, are squirrels and rabbits. The latter, however, are
not suitable for food till the late summer, and in most sections are
protected by law for a certain season of the year. We, however, are not
just now interested in the getting of them, but the cooking. Skin and
dress them carefully, and parboil for half an hour in salt and water,
to take out the strong flavor. Drain off the water, drop the meat in
the pan, with a bit of butter and a dash of curry powder, and brown.
Those who like the gamey flavor, sometimes soak the squirrels in salt
and water for an hour, wipe dry, and broil over the coals with a slice
of pork fat laid over the meat to baste it so it will not be dry.
_Fried Rabbit_:--Dress four rabbits; parboil in salt and water till
the bones will slip out of the meat. Drain off the water and fry the
meat in butter. It is much better if the bones are all taken out before
frying, although not at all necessary.
Woodchucks, porcupines and skunks are not strictly game, but they
are fully as edible as other animals, and, if properly cooked, very
delicate. They should be parboiled thoroughly, and then roasted or
stewed like any game.
_Roast Woodcock or Quail_:--Dress and impale with a green stick (black
birch is the best for the spit), and put a slice of fat pork on the end
of the spit, so the fat will drip down over the bird as it roasts. Have
a large quantity of very hot coals; thrust the stick into the ground
in front of the fire, in an inclined position, so the bird will be
over the heat. Turn frequently, in order to cook on all sides and also
to avoid burning. The hotter the coals, the better the bird, for the
intent is to sear over the outside as quickly as possible to avoid loss
of the juices. Any small bird, like snipe, plover or other sandpipers
may be cooked in the same manner.
_Rabbit Curry_:--Dress two rabbits and boil till the flesh will come
off the bones. Take the bones out and put the meat in the kettle with a
large cupful of the water in which it was boiled. (Do not use too much
of this liquor; it will make the curry taste rank.) Add two slices of
bacon, cut in strips; season with curry powder, salt and pepper. If
you have it, put in a small glass of Burgundy. Cook slowly for twenty
minutes. Have dish lined with boiled rice; take out the meat from the
stew, and lay it in the dish; thicken the liquor left in the kettle
with a little flour rubbed up in cold water; turn over the meat in the
dish. Serve.
_Roast Grouse au naturel_:--Take out the “innards” and fill the cavity
with the following dressing. Roll crackers into crumbs and mix with
a little salt, pepper and sage; turn a little hot water on to moisten
the crackers. Put this in the bird, cover with a thin slice of pork and
sew the skin together tightly. Have a pail of water in which stir clay
until it is of the consistency of thick porridge or whitewash. Now take
the bird by the feet and dip into the water. The clay will gather on
and between the feathers. Repeat till the bird is a mass of clay. Lay
this in the ashes, being careful to dry over the outside of the clay,
before you get it into the fierce heat of the fire. Bake it till the
clay is almost burned to a brick. Rake the bird out of the fire, and
rap the ball of clay with a stone or stick, till it cracks open. The
feathers and skin will all come off with the clay, leaving the meat as
clean as possible. This is the perfect way of cooking game. Any fowl or
animal may be cooked in the same way. If you try ducks, woodchucks or
hedgehogs chop an onion and add to the stuffing.
_Partridge Fricassee_:--Divide your birds into joints and roll them in
flour; put in the fry pan a generous lump of butter, heat very hot and
put in your pieces of bird. Cook for about ten minutes, then add water
to keep from burning and cook slowly till the meat is tender. Take
up the meat and put in a dish; turn in the pan enough water to make a
gravy, thicken it with a little flour rubbed up in cold milk; salt it a
little and pour it over the birds.
FISH.
There is such a difference in fish taken from different waters, that
any general rule for cooking may lead to distaste and disappointment
by reason of the poor quality of the flesh. Fish taken from sluggish,
muddy waters are decidedly inferior to the same species taken from the
cold, clear streams and ponds. Soaking in salt and water before cooking
will improve these inferior fish, but all the preparation in the world
will not make them taste like the fish caught in clear waters. Again,
if you have not a fish car or net, or a well in the boat, by which
means they can be kept alive till they are ready for use, always kill
your catch at once, and keep them out of the sun. Fish that have lain
in the sun for a half hour are unfit for food. Reference to the article
on Fish Cleaning, by Mr. Bosworth, will give you needed instructions,
which it will be well to follow. Trusting that you have studied this,
I will say no more on the subject, but proceed to the cooking.
_Fried Perch_:--Have the pan well supplied with hot fat. If there is
not a supply in camp, fry the fat out of a half-pound of salt pork.
Roll the fish, previously skinned and well washed, in corn meal or
cracker crumbs. If you wish to do it up in real fine shape, roll them
first in well beaten egg and then in crumbs. Drop in the fat and fry
brown, turning frequently, so as to have them evenly cooked. Serve hot.
This rule holds good for all kinds of fish not over a half-pound in
weight. If larger, either cut them in slices across the body, or slice
the meat of the sides from the backbone.
_Boiled Fish_:--Do not attempt to boil a fish under three pounds in
weight. Have your water boiling. Put in a couple tablespoonfuls of
salt, and drop in your fish. It is a good plan to wrap it in a clean
white cloth, so it will not fall in pieces. Cook until the fish will
easily cleave away from the bones. A three-pound fish will cook in half
an hour or less, and about five minutes for every extra pound may be
considered about right. But there is a difference in species. Too much
cooking will spoil the flavor of some fish, the salmon for instance, or
the lake trout. Serve with some sauce.
_Fish Sauce_:--Have a quart of water boiling in the stew pan or the fry
pan. Put in two tablespoonfuls of butter, one teaspoonful of salt. Mix
in a cup three tablespoonfuls of flour rubbed up in a little cold water
till the lumps are all broken, and it is of the consistency of cream.
Stir this into the boiling water slowly, so it will not form lumps, and
the sauce will thicken. Milk in place of the water is preferable, or
half milk and half water. If you want a sour sauce, add a teaspoonful
of vinegar, but do not use milk, it will curdle. A glass of wine in
place of the vinegar is an improvement, especially when served with
boiled trout.
_Baked Fish_:--Take a fish of not less than three pounds; scrape and
wash it well; prepare stuffing composed of cracker or bread crumbs, a
little salt and pepper, a small lump of butter, seasoned with sage or
poultry dressing, mixed with a very little boiling water; if you have
eggs drop one in and mix thoroughly. Put the stuffing in the cavity
whence the entrails were removed, not too tightly, and sew up the
opening. Rake the hot coals out of the bake-hole, put a thick layer
of green grass (if there should happen to be some mint in it all the
better), over the hot ashes, lay the fish on this, put on another layer
of grass, rake the hot coals over all, and build a fire on top. Bake
for an hour. If you like the flavor put a small onion in the dressing.
A few slices of bacon, laid over the fish before covering, will improve
the flavor.
Small fish may be prepared for the table by baking between the layers
of grass, but it will not take so long to cook them. In fact, when on
a long tramp, in light marching order, I prefer to cook them this way,
rather than to lug a fry pan.
_Skewered Fish_:--Sharpen a small straight stick and take off the bark.
Thrust this through small fish and slices of bacon alternately, and
hold over the hot coals. They will cook in a few minutes. Look out that
they do not drop off the stick at the last stage of the game.
_Broiled Fish_:--Take off the heads and split down the back, leaving
the skin over the stomach intact. Lay on the broiler with strips of
fat pork or bacon laid across, and cook over hot coals. Mackerel and
bluefish do not need the fat meat, but they are by no means injured
thereby.
_Planked Fish_:--This is the quintessence of camp cookery, and is so
easy that it is a wonder that more people do not use the method. Have
a hard wood plank, large enough to hold the fish, laid out flat. And
do not throw away the plank after using; it improves with use. Split
the fish down the back, as for broiling. Tack it to the plank, skin
side down. Skewer on strips of bacon, and stand up before a hot fire.
Be sure to have a good sized piece of bacon on the head end, so the
dripping fat will baste the fish. Cook until you can easily thrust a
sliver into the thickest part of the meat. Take off the plank, and
dress with salt, pepper and butter, and do not be afraid to put on
enough butter. Lay on all you think the state of the supply will allow,
and then shut your eyes and put on another piece. Serve hot.
_Baked Fish, Lumberman Style_:--Take a fresh caught fish and rub it
in soft clay from the river bank, against the scales and gills. When
the clay is set a little, roll the whole fish in a blanket of clay,
till the body is completely covered. Dry in the heat of the fire for
fifteen minutes; bury in the hot coals and ashes till the clay is hard.
Rake the brick out of the fire and crack it open with the hatchet. The
fish will split in two pieces; the spine can be easily taken out; the
“innards” are shrunk to a little ball, which can be flipped off, and
the scales are stuck on the clay. Dust on a little salt, and you have a
meal fit for--a hungry hunter.
_Fried Oysters and Bacon_:--(Little Pigs in Blankets):--Cut fat bacon
in very thin slices. Lay on each piece a large oyster, dust on a little
salt and pepper, and fold the oyster inside the bacon, securing it with
a sliver or a wooden toothpick. Heat the fry pan very hot and drop
in the “pigs” and cook about four minutes. The bacon must be cut as
thin as possible and the “pigs” cooked only enough to make the bacon
palatable. Some never eat the bacon at all, but are contented with the
flavor it gives the oysters.
_Fried Clams_:--Shuck out the clams, selecting the large ones. Roll
them in cracker crumbs or in corn meal, and fry them in deep fat.
_Fish Balls_:--Take the fish left over from the fry at dinner and pick
out all the bones. Chop up the cold boiled potatoes, in the proportion
of one of fish to two of potato, season with salt to taste; break in an
egg and mix thoroughly. Form into balls or flat croquettes, and fry in
deep fat.
_Baked Clams_:--Build an oven of rocks, on bottom and sides, top left
open. Build a hot fire and keep it burning till there is a heap of hot
coals and ashes, and the rocks are heated through. Rake out all the
bits of unburned wood which would burn and smoke the bake. Throw on
a layer of rock-weed to cover the ashes; lay the clams on this, with
a few ears of corn for a relish, cover with more weed and throw an
old piece of sail over the heap. Bake till the clams will slip in the
shell. Uncover, and serve with melted butter and vinegar.
EGGS.
When they can be procured, eggs are the refuge for the hurried meal,
or for lunch; but do not run away with the idea that any old way is
right to cook them. A plain boiled egg may be delicious or it may be
a clammy mass. Of course individual taste will govern the length of
time they are cooked. A soft-boiled egg should be cooked 3 minutes, if
dropped in boiling water. If wanted for a cold lunch, put them on in
cold water and let them come to a boil, then cook 20 minutes. You will
be surprised how mealy and palatable the yolk will be. Some people have
the water boiling furiously, then set off the fire, drop in the eggs,
cover and let them set 6 minutes.
_Fried Eggs_:--Grease the fry pan, as if for cooking flapjacks. Have it
hissing hot; break the eggs into a cup, one by one, so as to be sure
that they are fresh; turn into the fry pan, and when the white, which
has run out, is congealed, turn it in toward the center. Cook till
it is of the desired consistency. The egg may be turned over, if it
is desired that the yolk be hard. Eggs fried in too much fat will be
leathery and indigestible, but if a little care be used, and the above
directions followed, they may be as easily digested as if soft-boiled.
If egg sandwiches are desired for lunch, put one of the fried eggs
between two slices of bread, flavor with salt and pepper. Have the size
of the sandwich to fit the single egg. This is better than to make the
double egg filling for the whole slice of bread.
_Scrambled Eggs_:--Break the eggs in a dish, and beat the yolks and
whites well together. Grease the bottom of the fry pan with butter,
drop in the eggs and stir till done. Look out that it does not stick on
at the bottom. Season with salt and pepper, after serving.
_Omelette_:--Break four eggs into the mixing dish: beat them well,
and season with salt and pepper; rub a tablespoonful of flour in four
times that quantity of milk, till it is smooth; pour into the eggs and
beat all together. Have the fry pan well greased with butter, pour in
the mixture and let it cook till the bottom is well set, and the top
will not run; slip a thin knife under one side and turn one-half over
onto the other. Cook as much as desired, turning occasionally, so that
it will be evenly cooked. Don’t let it burn onto the pan; if it shows
signs of burning before it is sufficiently cooked, drop a little piece
of butter in the spot where the danger lies, and hold off the fire for
a moment.
_Ham Omelette_:--Mince some boiled ham, season to taste with a little
curry, or other condiments, and lay a large spoonful on the omelette
before you turn the two halves together.
This fancy omelette may be varied in many ways. Minced beef, lamb,
cheese, or even fish like salt cod and smoked halibut, gives the
omelette a distinctive flavor.
_Omelette aux Fine Herbes_:--Break eight eggs in the stew pan, to which
add a teaspoonful of chopped shallot or mild onion, one of chopped
parsley, half a teaspoonful of salt, a little pepper, and two large
tablespoonfuls of cream; beat them well together. Put two ounces of
butter in the fry pan, set over the fire, and as soon as the butter
has melted, so the egg will not stick, pour in the mixture, and stir
quickly until it begins to set; hold it a moment till a crust forms on
the bottom; turn one-half over the other, and serve. It must not be
done too much.
_Fricasseed Eggs_:--Boil a half dozen eggs hard and slice them. Chop
very fine a small onion, a little parsley or celery-leaves, and two or
three mushrooms; put a generous lump of butter in the fry pan, season
with salt and pepper; when the butter is melted, lay in the vegetables
and heat thoroughly, but do not brown; add a gill of milk with a
tablespoonful of flour rubbed in for thickening; lay in the eggs, let
it come to a boil, and serve.
VEGETABLES.
All vegetables should be carefully looked over and washed in cold
water. If to be boiled, drop them in boiling water, and if the water
in the kettle gets low during the process, fill up with boiling water,
never with cold. Keep the kettle covered, if possible, and drain off
the water as soon as cooked. Some very strong flavored vegetables
are improved by boiling in two waters. That is, when they are partly
cooked, drain off the water, and fill up with fresh hot water. The
question is often asked, how long shall we boil them? I never found any
hard and fast rule. Perhaps the following table will be of assistance,
but the time is variable. Small potatoes will cook five minutes quicker
than large ones. It is a safe rule to cook until you can easily stick
a splinter in the fleshy parts.
Potatoes, boiled 20 to 30 minutes
Sweet potatoes, boiled 45 minutes
Shell beans, boiled 60 to 90 minutes
String beans, boiled 60 minutes
Green peas, boiled 20 to 40 minutes
Green corn, boiled 10 to 15 minutes
Asparagus, boiled 15 to 30 minutes
Cabbage, dandelions, spinach and other “greens” 60 to 90 minutes
Turnips, parsnips and carrots 60 to 90 minutes
Onions 45 to 60 minutes
Pay the farmer for what you take, or you may find yourself, as well as
the vegetables, in hot water.
_Boiled Potatoes_:--Wash thoroughly in cold water; cut out all the
decayed parts. Drop them in hot water and boil till you can easily
stick a sliver into the largest. Drain off the water and set one side
to steam. Select all potatoes for a boiling of about the same size,
so one will not be cooked before another, as they are liable to burst
their jackets and become water-soaked or lost. If the potatoes are
very old, peel off the skins, put a handful of salt in the water in
which they are to be boiled; have the water very hot and cook as
quickly as possible.
_Mashed Potatoes_:--After boiling, peel and mash thoroughly with a
stick or the bottom of a clean bottle. Stir in salt, pepper, butter and
enough milk to make the consistency that of dough.
_Baked Potatoes_:--Cut off the ends, bury in the hot ashes and leave
there for an hour, or until you can pinch them with the fingers.
_Boiled-fried Potatoes_:--Peel the skins from cold boiled potatoes and
slice. Have the bottom of the fry pan covered with “screeching hot”
fat. Drop in the slices and stir frequently to prevent burning. When
they are slightly brown they are ready to serve.
_Stewed Potatoes_:--Cut cold boiled potatoes into small pieces. Put in
the stew pan with enough milk to cover them. Season with salt, pepper
and butter, and stew gently, stirring occasionally, until the milk is
nearly boiled away.
_Lyonnaise Potatoes_:--One quart cold boiled potatoes cut small, three
tablespoons butter, one of chopped onions and one of chopped parsley,
salt and pepper to taste. Season the potatoes with the salt and pepper,
fry the onions in the butter, and when they are yellow, add the
potatoes; stir with a fork, being careful not to break them; when hot
add the parsley and cook two minutes longer. Serve at once.
_Potato Salad_:--Ten medium-sized cold boiled potatoes, cut into small
pieces; one small onion, chopped fine; half a dozen hard boiled eggs;
chop the whites fine, mash the yolks and add to them one teaspoon each
of ground mustard and sugar, one tablespoon of melted butter, some
salt and pepper. Rub all together well and put in the potatoes, with
about four tablespoonfuls of salad dressing. (This can be purchased in
bottles, and will save much trouble in making.) Add about half a cup
of vinegar. If you can get some celery, chop up about as much as there
is of the potato, and mix all together. Lettuce, kale, parsley or any
green salad plant will do instead of the celery, or the salad plant may
be omitted altogether, in which case, be more sparing of the vinegar in
the dressing.
_Boiled Green Corn_:--The flavor of the corn is better preserved if it
is cooked in the husk. Pull off the outer husk, turn down the inner
leaves, pull off the silk and turn back the inner husk and tie the
ends. Put some salt in the water as soon as it comes to a boil and drop
in the corn. Do not let it stay in longer than is necessary to make it
soft. If one does not wish to cook it this way, follow the same plan
after taking off the husk.
_Succotash_--(so called): Cut the corn from the cob and shell the
beans. The proportion should be two-thirds corn and one-third beans.
Put into the kettle with a generous piece of pork, and boil till
tender. Take out the pork, drain off the water, add a cup of milk and
a piece of butter the size of an egg, and stir over the fire till it
boils up. Take off the fire and season to taste with salt and pepper.
This is not the real succotash of the south-eastern section of
Massachusetts, where it was first transmitted from the Indian to the
first settlers. Nearly every one of the old colonial families has its
receipt for this dish, and few of them are alike in their detail. They
are all good enough. Suffice it to say that the body is composed of
salt beef, pork, chicken, veal, and in many cases the remnants of the
dinner, whatever it may have been, in the line of meat, saved by the
frugal housewife. Here is one method as given me by one of the old-time
mothers of the Cape.
_Cape Cod Succotash_:--Boil a piece of salt beef for an hour till the
salt has got soaked out of it. Drain off the water and fill up with
fresh, cold water. Put in some chicken, a piece of pork about a quarter
as big as the beef, and boil till it all comes to pieces. Scrape off
the corn from the cobs and put in with about half as many beans, and
cook till the beans are tender. Season to taste. Of course green shell
beans are what is intended in the above.
_Boiled Beets_:--Wash the beets, but do not break the skin, for that
will make them bleed, and thus lose some of the sweetness. Put them in
boiling water, enough to cover them, and leave till they are tender.
Drain off the water and drop them in cold water, when the skin may be
easily rubbed off. If there are any left from the meal, slice them
into a shallow dish and cover them with vinegar. This is a splendid
relish.
_Pork and Greens_:--I am requested to mention the variety of plants
which may be used for this homely dish. No one needs to go hungry in the
country, for the fields are filled with edible plants. Their list would
be legion, but I will mention a few: Dandelion, nettles, milkweed,
spinach, beet-tops, turnip-tops, mustard, narrow dock, cowslip (marsh
marigold), kale, poke, brussels sprouts, cabbage, purslane, shepherd’s
purse, and a myriad others. Any of the above, cleaned and boiled till
tender with a generous piece of pork, and served with boiled potatoes,
is not only satisfying, but is an excellent corrective for the system.
Of course, it is understood that the young plants or shoots are the
portions to be used. You might as well try to get nourishment from a
piece of wood, if you try to use them after the hard fiber has formed
in these plants.
_Stewed Tomatoes_:--Peel by pouring boiling water over them, when the
skin will easily come off. Cut up in the stew pan, throwing out the
hard and unripe parts. Stew gently until they come to pieces; season
with butter, salt, pepper and a little sugar if desired.
_Baked Beans_:--This New England dish is almost a _sine qua non_ in the
Eastern woods camp, and is seen nowhere else in its perfection. Pick
over a quart of beans, discarding all poor ones. Parboil until the skin
starts. Drain off the water and throw it far away from the camp, for
it does not smell particularly sweet. Put half the beans in the bean
pot, then a generous junk of fat salt pork, then the rest of the beans,
so that the pork shall be bedded. A little salt and some molasses, the
quantity depending on the taste, will complete the list. Pour in enough
hot water to cover the beans. Put on the cover of the pot, and set in
the hot ashes of the bean hole, just before you go to bed. Rake the
coals over it, put a few sticks on top, so the ashes will keep hot, and
go to bed. In the morning rake out the bean pot, and you will find them
nicely baked, and redolent of that aroma so dear to every Yankee. If
you do not relish it, so much the worse for you, and so much the better
for the rest of the party, for there will be more for them.
_Macaroni_:--Break the sticks of macaroni into convenient lengths; put
in the stew pan with hot salted water and cook till tender. Stew half a
can of tomatoes till you can mash them up with the spoon and pick out
the skin and the hard lumps; put in a lump of butter, a little salt and
pepper, and thicken with flour and water, rubbed smooth. Pour this over
the macaroni and serve.
MUSHROOMS.
At the earnest request of a friend, but with fear and trembling at the
possible results, do I include this chapter in these notes. There is no
shadow of doubt that men have gone hungry in the midst of plenty, from
the lack of knowledge of the food that was all around them. But the
average camper, with his meager knowledge of mycology, generally feels
that eating wild mushrooms is much like living over a powder magazine.
If a person of average intelligence will take the pains so to educate
himself that he can surely identify the edible varieties, and it needs
no more than that, there is no more danger than is present in eating
the fish you catch from the lakes. But if you are not positive that you
can identify each specimen as you gather it, let it go, and confine
yourself to those that you do know are harmless. My experience in this
direction has been so limited, that I am obliged to copy, in most
cases, from the experience of others. There is no space here to go into
descriptions of species, but the literature on the subject is so easily
obtainable, that there seems no need to do so.
_Broiled Russula_:--Thoroughly clean the top or peel off the skin;
place the cap on a gridiron over a hot fire, gills downward, and heat
through, but do not scorch. Turn over and repeat the process; lay on
a hot plate, gills upward and drop on a piece of butter with a little
salt and pepper.
_Vegetable Oyster_--_A. ostreatus_:--This species grows out of the
sides of trees and stumps. Broil the young and tender specimens the
same as in the last instance; or they may be fried in butter, or in
batter, or in fact any way that the real oyster is cooked. As a stew it
is delicious.
The Elm Mushroom, a species of the last named family, is cooked in the
same manner, but the flavor is decidedly that of fish.
_Shaggy-mane Coprinus_:--Put in a stew pan with a little milk, add a
piece of butter, a little pepper and salt.
Or, put about two ounces of butter in the stew pan with a teaspoonful
of salt and a little pepper, with a slight pinch of powdered mace or
nutmeg. Put in a pint of mushrooms and stew for a few minutes; then
add a little milk and stew for about twenty minutes, or till they are
tender. Thicken the gravy with a little flour rubbed up in milk.
_Stewed Chanterelle_:--Soak the mushrooms in milk over night; chop up
some boiled meat, chicken, veal or lamb preferred; mix and stew till
tender; flavor with salt and pepper.
_Vegetable Beefsteak_:--Slice young specimens and broil over the coals,
the same as you would a nice cut off the rump. Do not spoil it with too
much condiment.
_Fried Clavaria_:--This delicious fungus is very common and so free
from insect enemies, that pounds of it may be gathered in almost
any woods. Simply fried in the pan with butter or oil, and properly
seasoned, it has furnished an addition to many a meager meal of the
ones who understood its value.
_Puff Balls_:--Pick out the specimens with white meat (they turn black
as they grow older), fry in butter and serve on toast. They are as good
as eggs.
After you have tried these and have become a confirmed mycophagist, you
will have obtained literature on the subject and know how to adapt the
cooking to the characteristics of the species.
Warning:--Be sure that you have young specimens, clean and free from
the ravages of insects.
DESSERTS.
_Rice Pudding_:--Boiled rice, about a quart; one can of condensed milk;
one-half cup of sugar or molasses; ground nutmeg or mace to taste;
sufficient water to keep it from burning; one or two eggs, if you have
them: stir together and cook over a slow fire for fifteen minutes,
stirring occasionally to keep from burning. Good, hot or cold.
_Corn-starch Pudding_:--Heat three pints of milk to boiling, and watch
it that it does not boil over; have three tablespoonfuls of corn starch
rubbed up in a little cold milk; add two eggs and a little salt, beat
it together, and when the milk is boiling stir the mixture into it.
It will immediately thicken up, when it must be taken from the fire,
turned out into a dish, and set one side to cool. Serve with sugar and
milk.
_Tapioca Pudding_:--Buy the “minute tapioca”; it saves time. If you
have only the other kind, soak it in milk till it swells up soft. Stir
into a quart of the jelly, or the advertised allowance of the “minute”
brand with enough milk to make the quantity, two eggs, a little salt,
spice to taste, and set over the fire till it comes to a boil. Set off
the fire, and just before serving, put in a dash of lemon juice or 1/2
teaspoonful of essence of lemon.
_Apple Slump_:--Fill the kettle half full of sliced and cored apples;
sprinkle on a little spice, one cup of sugar or molasses; cover over
and cook for a few minutes. Prepare a crust the same as for bread or
biscuits, stirring 1/2 teaspoonful of salt and two of baking powder
into a pint of flour, and wetting with milk or water till it makes
a stiff dough. Lay this dough over the top of the apples, cover and
steam till the crust rises and you can thrust a sliver into the crust
without the dough sticking to it. Set off the fire and keep covered
till needed. Serve with pudding sauce, or with milk and sugar.
_Pudding Sauce_:--One pint of water in the stew pan; mix three
tablespoonfuls of flour in a little cold water and rub it to a smooth
paste: when the water boils, put in a small lump of butter, a cup of
sugar, a little spice, and when the sugar is dissolved stir in the
flour paste. If the water is boiling when the flour is put in, it will
thicken up into a jelly. Just before serving stir in a little lemon
juice or extract. If this flavor is put in too soon, the savor will
evaporate. This sauce may be made of milk if you have it. If condensed
milk is used, dilute it with water, and do not use so much sugar.
_Plain Flour Pudding_:--Mix a quart of flour, and a tablespoonful of
baking powder, and a teaspoonful of salt in water enough to make a
thick dough. Dip a cloth bag in hot water, dust the inside with dry
flour, put in the dough, and tie up, leaving room for the pudding to
swell. Place in boiling water enough to cover the bag, and boil for
two hours. Serve with syrup or pudding sauce.
_Plum Pudding_:--One quart of flour, three-fourths of a pound of
raisins, three-fourths of a pound of fat salt pork well washed and cut
into small pieces, two tablespoonfuls of sugar or a little molasses.
Mix in just sufficient water to wet it well. Some think it is improved
by the addition of a tablespoonful of baking powder stirred into the
flour before mixing. Boil in a bag, as in the case of the plain flour
pudding. The pudding will come out of the bag easier, if it is plunged
into cold water for an instant, as soon as it is taken out of the
kettle. Do not let it set in the bag. All bag-puddings must be kept
covered with water and kept boiling violently all the time they are on
the fire. Also they must be mixed with as little water as possible.
Otherwise they will either be soggy or will be a mush from absorption
of the water in the pot.
_Fig Pudding_:--Cut 6 figs in pieces, cover with cold water and let it
come to a boil over a slow fire; put into a dish and add 2 teaspoonfuls
of sugar. Beat up an egg with a pinch of salt and a tablespoonful of
sugar, one of flour, and stir it into a half pint of boiling milk.
As soon as it thickens, pour the mixture over the figs in the dish. I
have forgotten where I saw this receipt, but I am going to appropriate
it and the author will please accept my thanks right here, if he sees
this, for it is good.
DRINKS.
_Coffee_:--The finest drink for the camper is good coffee, but there
is more coffee spoiled in making than would drown all the fraternity.
Coffee boiled is coffee spoiled. The simplest method is to put in the
can one tablespoonful of finely ground coffee for each person to be
served, and one more for the pot. When the water is boiling hard, turn
in a cupful for each person and one more for a possible extra. Cover
tight and set where it will keep hot and not boil, for fifteen minutes.
The grounds will settle of their own accord. If wanted in a hurry,
let it set a few minutes and then stir with a clean stick. This will
saturate the grains more quickly, but it is at a slight expense of
aroma.
_Black Coffee_--(Café noir): Have a percolator or large strainer;
put in one cupful of ground coffee to each quart of water. Have the
water boiling and pour it slowly through the percolator. The surface
of the water should be just above the coffee in the strainer, when the
allowance is in the pot. Keep it hot, but do not let it boil. A good
strainer is made of a piece of gauze sewn on to a ring of wire a little
larger than the mouth of the pot. Keep the pot covered tightly.
_Gloria_:--Make the same as _café noir_. Sweeten well and pour a little
fine brandy over the bowl of a spoon, into each cup. Set fire to the
spirit, and when half consumed blow out the fire and drink. A good
quality of brandy must be used or it will not blaze.
_Tea_:--Use a teaspoonful of tea to each cup. Have the water boiling,
and use fresh water. Put the tea in the pot and pour the water over it.
Let it set for a few minutes, in a warm place, to “draw.”
And now, in the hopes that these records of camp experiences may save
some unlucky wight, who spoils the dinner because he did not know how
to cook, from the “cobbing” that he richly deserves, we will close
with the line of the poet who had just had a square meal:
“--_But where is the man who can live without dining._”
APPENDIX
SICKNESS IN CAMP
This subject was not forgotten in the design of this little camp
companion, but the danger from the administration of drugs by
incompetent hands is great, and the author felt that a _little_
knowledge _is_ a dangerous thing, and something that should be avoided.
However, some of the readers have expressed opinions in the matter,
and requested its insertion. In the preparation of a new edition of
the book, a good opportunity presented itself, and a little advice
is herewith offered. The author still advises that a physician be
consulted, if it be possible, not only on account of the danger of
taking a wrong medicine or too much of a proper one, but because few
people are really competent to make a proper diagnosis.
In the list of supplies, a harmless laxative and a convenient
stimulant, both familiar to every one, were included. In the majority
of cases, these, with plenty of hot or cold water, will suffice for a
remedy until proper medical advice can be obtained. It is considered
only common sense that a convalescent or semi-invalid would come
provided with remedies furnished by his medical adviser; but it is the
unexpected that confronts us, and it is hoped that the same common
sense may be used in such cases.
Illness in camp is generally due to one of three causes: _injuries_,
_disturbances_ of the _digestive_ functions, or _exposure_. In the
first case, accidents are generally due to carelessness, and perhaps in
the other cases the same fact may be true; so, perhaps, the advice to
observe proper precautions and KEEP WELL, may be thoroughly applicable.
Dislocations and broken bones are the province of the surgeon; but if
the reader thinks he will ever need the knowledge, “First Aid to the
Injured” is easily acquired before leaving for camp.
Simple cuts sometimes become inflamed, and should, then, be kept
wet with cold water bandages. If a disinfectant is needed, Seiler’s
Antiseptic Tablets are preferable to either Carbolic Acid or Corrosive
Sublimate, both of which are exceedingly dangerous.
Burns and scalds should be bandaged and kept wet with cold water. A
poultice of scraped raw potato will relieve inflammation. Sprinkle
flour over the surface of the wound. Especially remember that it is
needful to keep the air from the inflamed surface, therefore do not
remove the bandages often. For Sunburn, apply linseed oil and limewater
(Carron-oil). Bruises and sprains should be treated with hot water,
applied with a cloth as hot as can be borne. I have used Haynes’
Arabian Balsam for many years and it has seldom failed. It works more
quickly than the hot water and is more convenient when on a tramp.
Blistered feet are a nuisance and may generally be avoided by using
proper foot-wear and ordinary attention to cleanliness. If a blister
come, prick it, wash with hot water and cover with a tallowed cloth.
Rub the inside of the sock with dry soap.
For choking, a sharp blow between the shoulders will usually dislodge
the obstruction. If a fishbone lodges, which cannot be reached, swallow
a bit of dry bread. A gargle of vinegar is said to soften a fishbone,
but I have never tried it.
Stings and bites of insects are more troublesome than dangerous,
and the irritation will generally be alleviated by salt and water.
Pennyroyal leaves will allay irritation and also keep away the pests.
Ivy or dogwood poison will generally yield to any astringent wash like
soda or ashes. An infusion of the leaves and twigs of the _Spicebush_,
when it can be obtained, will cure the worst case. For inflamed eyes,
use hot water bandages.
Nosebleed can generally be stopped by dashing cold water on the back of
the neck. If serious, plug the nostrils to form a clot; but see that
the blood does not run down the throat to cause suffocation. If the
case is obstinate, put the feet in a pail of _warm_ water and add _hot_
water to it until it is unbearable.
Among the digestive troubles, disturbance of the bowels due to change
of water and diet is the most common. In the case of constipation, a
good dose of physic, followed by plenty of fresh water, will generally
suffice. For this purpose a dose of Salts is as good as anything. Or
mix a teaspoonful of Cream of Tartar with as much sugar, put in a glass
of water, stir it well and drink. If taken before breakfast or on an
empty stomach, relief will ensue in a short time. If the bowels are
loose, a dose of Rhubarb will generally suffice as well as for the
contrary condition. The principal point to be gained in any case of
bowel disturbance is to clear the tract of any fermenting matter. If a
diarrhœa becomes troublesome, make an infusion of blackberry vines and
roots. I have found the running variety best. But be very careful not
to check too quickly or a worse condition may be induced.
Occasionally a case of ptomaine poisoning appears, which may be caused
by canned goods, especially if you are not careful to empty the can at
once. Clear the bowels thoroughly and feed on milk and eggs for a day.
If the patient does not recover at once, consult a doctor.
Headache is generally due to a disordered stomach, but may be induced
by a cold or by getting over-heated. In the first case a dose of
physic, and a good night’s sleep, will effect a cure; the ordinary
treatment for a cold will fix the second; and in the last case, pack
the head in ice or very cold water. If the patient gets stupid and
breathless, take him into the shade, strip the upper body, douche the
head with cold water and fan vigorously to induce respiration.
Heartburn (so called) is a common result of too much fatty food, and
the handiest remedy is to pound up a little charcoal, mix with water
and drink. Another troublesome result of a disordered stomach is the
eruption known as Hives. Wash with saleratus and water, and take Cream
of Tartar as directed in a former paragraph. Do not put on any greasy
salve.
Exposure or carelessness in changing the clothing often results in
what is commonly called a “cold.” A few hot drinks and a night under
warm blankets will usually bring relief; but if it get troublesome,
drink plenty of hot water or tea, wrap in blankets and sweat it out. If
the stomach revolts at the hot water, make an infusion of the leaves
and twigs of the snapwood (_Benzoin odoriferum_) or of checkerberry
leaves (_Gaultheria procumbens_). When the disturbance is seated in the
bowels, it often results in a colic, for which there is nothing better
than black-pepper tea. Pour hot water over a teaspoonful of pepper to
make a large cupful and drink as hot as possible. The remedy is nearly
as bad as the disease, but not as fatal.
Neuralgia may generally be eased by cloths wrung out in hot water and
applied to the affected part. If in a tooth that is decayed, a hot
raisin will often soothe the pain. In earache apply a roasted onion as
hot as can be borne. I cannot recommend _any_ of the popular headache
remedies. They should never be used except by a physician, and even in
that case are often dangerous. I shall not explain this as it may be
considered libel by the doctor.
If there is sore throat, a cold water bandage will generally relieve it
by the next morning. For an aggravating cough an infusion of Mullein
leaves (_Verbascum_) drunk freely will afford relief. Nothing is really
necessary except to allay irritation and hot water slowly sipped will
often be sufficient.
A combination of exposure, indigestion and fatigue, that often comes
to the camper, sometimes results in an inflammation of the pleura,
indicated by an excruciating pain in the side. This may be allayed by a
mustard plaster. Watch that it does not blister; for in camp that may
prove very serious.
Muscular cramps generally affect the legs, and in this case, get the
feet warm, rub the part affected briskly, and straighten out the toes,
forcibly if necessary. Hot stones wrapped in cloth or even cloths wrung
out in hot water will serve to warm the feet.
If a medicine case is considered necessary, a box containing the
following materials is suggested, in addition to the remedies mentioned
on page 15.
Cream-of-Tartar.
Carron-oil (Linseed oil and Limewater).
A small vial of 1/8 grain Morphine pills.
Package of Seiler’s Antiseptic Tablets.
Roll of bandages.
I cannot recommend Carbolic Acid nor Corrosive Sublimate as
antiseptics. The tablets are better and perfectly safe.
Above all, mix all remedies with common sense. If you carry drugs, be
sure to know their action before you start from home.
The suggestion was made that I give instructions for the use of
Nature’s Remedies as found in the herbs and bushes, which would be
very _apropos_ if it were not for the fact that it would require a
special botanical knowledge, instruction in which has no place here,
and more time would be required in preparation than can usually be
spared in camp. As well, an amount of space which the publisher would
probably hesitate to provide. A few of them, however, are very useful
and generally easily obtained. If a person has the necessary botanical
knowledge, a remedy for any illness could, I have no doubt, be readily
obtained near at hand in almost any camp; and if the reader wishes to
charge his mind with the subject, the following list, with the aid of a
little previous study, may be valuable.
Ginger-bush; spice-bush (_Benzoin odoriferum_) will break up a cold,
relieve the irritation of ivy or dogwood poison, and incidentally cure
the worst case of erysipelas. Steep the leaves and twigs in water and
apply internally, externally and eternally.
Checkerberry; boxberry; teaberry (_Gaultheria procumbens_) will make
a pleasant drink that will help break up a cold or cure indigestion.
It is a fact, however, that almost any aromatic herb, (not poisonous),
will make a good _tea_, the principal effect being due to the hot water.
Climbing wax-work root (_Celastrus scandens_) seethed in lard, will
make a salve that will prove almost magical in case of burns either of
fire or sun.
Bayberry root (_Myrica cerifera_) or Barberry bark (_Berberis
vulgaris_) makes a good gargle for sore mouth or a wash for inflamed
eyes. Do not be alarmed if you swallow a little of the infusion, it
will do you good.
Blackberry root (_Rubus Villosus_) is valuable for bowel complaints.
Boneset or thoroughwort (_Eupatorium_) cures a cold; but be careful not
to use too freely.
Dandelion root (_Taraxacum dens-leonis_) stimulates the appetite and
aids digestion.
High-bush Cranberry bark; Cramp-wood (_Viburnum opulus_) is used for
cramps in the stomach and bowels.
Mullein (_Verbascum thapsus_) allays an aggravating cough.
Partridge-berry vines (_Mitchella repens_) relieves retention of the
urine.
Pennyroyal (_Hedeoma pulegioides_) is a remedy for the stomach-ache or
wind in the bowels.
Yarrow (_Achillea millefolium_) or Prickly-ash berries (_Xanthoxylum_)
is a remedy for ague.
Of the common household materials, pepper-tea is a convenient irritant
for bowel trouble. Mustard poultice is too well known to need comment.
A roasted onion is a good poultice for a boil or abscess, and a
poultice of tobacco leaves, generally common in any camp, will serve to
apply to boils, stings, poisonous bites, etc. Use this latter carefully
for it is a powerful poison, and the external application may produce
an unpleasant result.
The preparation of these remedies is usually by infusion, which should
be prepared from a handful of the leaves, bark or roots, placed in a
dish and about a pint of boiling water turned over it, allowed to stand
in a warm place to simmer for a time and drank warm generally.
Sweet Fern (_Comptonia asplenifolia_); Wild Cherry (_Prunus
Virginiana_) bark or fruit; Hardhack or Steeple-bush (_Spiraea
tomentosa_); or Mountain Cranberry (_Arctostaphylos uva-ursi_) are
all remedies for diarrhœa which may be used on occasion. Nearly any
astringent is useful in this case, but should be used only when the
case refuses to yield to the action of a cathartic.
Poplar bark (_Populus tremuloides_); Spearmint (_Mentha viridis_) or
almost any kind of mint which may be found in the nearest low land; or
Button-bush (_Cephalanthus occidentalis_) will serve as a febrifuge in
case of a severe cold from exposure.
Gold-thread (_Coptis trifolia_) which is usually common in swamps: or
Oak bark (_Quercus sp._) are valuable in checking the canker or sore
mouth which often comes after a diet of salt meats.
Witch Hazel (_Hamamelis virginica_) is a common remedy for irritated
skin and many other ills, but I have never seen that it did much good
other than to lubricate the surface.
Sweet-flag root (_Acorus calamus_) relieves the pressure of wind in
the stomach and bowels, due generally to fermentation. This is a
disagreeable condition and I have known obstinate cases to be cured by
nibbling a bit of the root occasionally.
Labrador tea (_Ledum latifolium_) when the camper is far enough north
to find it, makes a pleasant drink and is preferable to coffee or
“store” tea. It is tonic and pectoral, giving the habitual user a
sensation of comfort and cleanliness of the system.
INDEX.
Apple slump, 106
Bacon, fried, 76
Bags, for holding food, 20
sleeping, 19
Baker, 18
Batter-cakes, 61
Barbecue, dressing, 79
meat, 78
Beans boiled, 95
baked, 101
soup, 72
Bean-hole, 101
Bedding, 14
Beds, 36
canvas, 38
browse, 37
pole, 37
Beef, boiled, 77
Beets, boiled, 99
Black flies, 43
Blankets, 19
Boots, 20
Broiler, 15
Bread, baked, 60
frying-pan, 40, 61
Cakes, batter, 61
oatmeal, 62
rice, 62
spider, 61
Camp beds, 37
fire, 38
making, 33-35
permanent, 12
shelters, 22
temporary night, 53
Canvas clothing, 20
Cat-fish, cleaning, 49
Cereals, cooking, 64
Chowder, clam, 71
fish, 69
Southern style, 69
Daniel Webster, 70
Chanterelle, stewed, 104
Chimney to log house, 32
Clams, baked, 90
chowder, 71
fried, 89
Clavaria, fried, 104
Clothes, 14, 20
Coffee, black, 109
can, 17
Gloria, 110
to make, 109
Companions, choice of, 33
Compass, use of, 52
local variation, 52
Cooking in camp, 59
utensils, 15
Coprinus, shaggy mane, 104
Corn, boiled green, 98
meal mush, 63
Curry of rabbit, 82
Desserts, 105
Eggs, boiled, 91
fricasseed, 93
fried, 91
on hash, 79
omelette, 92
sandwiches, 91
scrambled, 92
Fils-d’une-chienne, 65
Fire, camp, 38-41
cooking, 38
on rainy day, 41
Firearms, 13
Fireplace, 38-39
Fish balls, 90
bag, 45
baked, 86-88
boiled, 85
broiled, 87
care of, 45
cleaning, 44
cooking, 84
fried, 85
knife, 46
planked, 88
preparing, 84
sauce, 86
skewered, 87
spoiled, danger from, 49
Flapjacks, 61
Food, cooking, 59
preparation, 21
quantity needed, 15-16
Fricassee partridge, 83
Fried bacon, 76
bread, 61
clavaria, 104
eggs, 79-91
fish, 85
ham, 76
meats, 18-75
mush, 63
potatoes, 96
pork, 75
rabbit, 81
squirrel, 80
sausages, 77
Frypan, 17
Game, cooking, 79
dressing for food, 80
Grouse roasted in clay, 82
fricassee, 83
Ham and eggs, 76
Hashed, meat, 78
Hats, 20
Health, care of, 20, 35, 50
Hornpouts, cleaning, 49
Hut, built of logs, 29
Insect repellent, 43
Kettle, 16
Knife for cleaning fish, 46
Lean-to camps, 27-28
Liquor in camp, 36
Lob-scouse, 68
Lost in the woods, 51
searching for, 54
Macaroni, 102
Meat, barbecued, 78
cooking of, 73
dark, cooking, 74
white, cooking, 74
Mosquito netting, 42
repellent, 42-43
Mush, 63
Mushrooms, 102
broiled, 103
Elm, 103
selection of, 102-105
Nessmuk, 12
Omelette, egg, 92
ham, 93
aux fine herbes, 93
Outfits for camping, 11
for permanent camp, 15
for trip on foot, 14
Oven, 18, 41
Oysters fried with bacon, 89
stew, 73
vegetable, 103
Paymaster, 34
Perch, yellow, dressing, 47
white, dressing, 48
fried, 85
Pickerel, dressing, 48
Pillow, 19
Pork, broiled, 76
choice of, 76
chops, 75
fried, 75
and greens, 100
Potatoes, baked, 96
boiled, 95
boiled-fried, 96
lyonnaise, 97
mashed, 96
salad, 97
stewed, 96
Preparing for camp, 33
Pudding, apple, 106
corn-starch, 105
fig, 108
flour, 107
plum, 108
rice, 105
sauce, 107
tapioca, 106
Puff-balls, fried, 105
“Punkey dope”, 43
Quail, roasted, 81
Rabbit, curry, 82
fried, 81
Rain, effect on tent, 23
building fire in, 41
Rations for camp, 15-16
Rice, boiled, 63
pudding, 105
Roasting in the ashes, 18
Roast grouse, 82
meat in clay, 82
Rubber blanket, 19
Russula, broiled, 103
Salad, vegetable, 100
potato, 97
Sausages, fried, 77
Shelters, 22
Size of party, 34
Skunk stew, 67
preparing for cooking, 68
Sleeping bag, 19
Soups, bean, 72
pea, 72
turtle, 67
meat, 65
Spider-cake, 61
Squirrel, 67, 73, 80
Steaks, broiling, 74
vegetable, 104
Stew, beef, 65
camp, 65
oyster, 73
rabbit, 66
skunk, 67
tomato, 100
venison, 66
Succotash, 98
Cape Cod style, 99
Supplies, list of, 15-21
Tapioca pudding, 106
Tea, 110
Tent, A, 23
dog, 26
effect of rain on, 23
pitching, 24
shanty, 24
wall, 23
Toast, milk, 64
Tomatoes, stewed, 100
Trench around tent, 24
Trout cleaning, 49
Vegetables, selection of, 94
time required to cook, 95
Walking trips, 12-14
Woodcock, roasted, 81
Wood, choice of, 40
APPENDIX
Ague, 121
Antiseptics, 113
Bites of insects, 114, 115
Blackberry, 116, 121
Blistered feet, 114
Bruises, 114
Burns, 114, 120
Carron-oil, 114, 119
Charcoal, 117
Checkerberry, 117, 120
Choking, 114
Cold, 117, 120, 121
Constipation, 115
Cough, 118, 121
Cramps, 118, 121
Cream-of-Tartar, 115, 117, 119
Cuts, 113
Diarrhœa, 115, 116, 121
Earache, 117
Eyes inflamed, 115, 120
Haynes’ Balsam, 114
Headache, 116
Heartburn, 116
Hives, 117
Infusions, 120, 121, 122
Ivy Poison, 115, 120
Medicine-box, 119
Mullein, 118, 121
Neuralgia, 117
Nosebleed, 115
Pennyroyal, 115, 121
Pepper-tea, 117
Pleurisy, 118
Poultices, 113
Ptomaine Poison, 116
Rhubarb, 115
Saleratus, 117
Salts, 115
Salve, 120
Scalds, 114, 120
Sore mouth, 120
Sore throat, 118
Spicebush, 115, 117, 120
Sprains, 114
Stings, 114
Sunburn, 114
Sunstroke, 116
Toothache, 117
Yarrow, 121
Transcriber’s Notes
Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.
Small capitals are changed to all capitals.
New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the
public domain.
Illustrations have been moved so they do not break up the paragraphs.
Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected
after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and
consultation of external sources. Except for those changes noted below,
all misspellings in the text, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have
been retained.
The following corrections have been applied to the text (before/after):
(p. 16)
1 lb rice
1 lb. rice
(p. 19)
... enough apart so so that it ...
... enough apart so that it ...
(p. 21)
... respectable flap-jack and ...
... respectable flapjack and ...
(p. 21)
... while flap-jacks, johnny-cakes ...
... while flapjacks, johnny-cakes ...
(p. 82)
... the kettle, with ...
... the kettle with ...
(p. 93)
... smoked halbut, gives ...
... smoked halibut, gives ...
(p. 100)
... No one need to go ...
... No one needs to go ...
(p. 104)
Stewed Chantarelle
Stewed Chanterelle
(p. 105)
... to taste: sufficient ...
... to taste; sufficient ...
(p. 119)
... of 1-8 grain ...
... of 1/8 grain ...
(p. 120)
... or dogwool poison ...
... or dogwood poison ...
(p. 127)
“Punkey-dope”
“Punkey dope”
(p. 128)
Sore-throat
Sore throat