Cooking

I recently started doing some cooking for events in the SCA. I also really like cooking at camping events. Here are some recipes/menus and links for the different types of cooking I like to do.

SCA Cooking:
A Saturday with Shakespeare 2011
I made a feast for a Carolingia Shakepeare event. The menu and recipes are here.

Duello 2010:
I made a dayboard for a Quintavia fencing event. The menu and recipes are here.

Quintavia Hafla 2010:
I made my first feast, a three-course middle eastern feast that sampled foods from different areas. The menu and recipes are here.

Quintavia Hafla 2008:
My first time cooking for an SCA event! The menu is here.

Camp Cooking
My favorite type of camp cooking is using a Dutch oven. If you are unfamiliar with it, a Dutch oven is a heavy cast iron "pot" with a lid, that is surrounded by charcoal on top and bottom, to cook things in a way similar to an oven at home. Anything you would make in an oven, you can pretty much make in a Dutch oven, with some adaptation.

How much charcoal do you use? A general rule for charcoal is to take the number of inches in diameter of the Dutch oven and place two more briquettes than that number on top and two fewer briquettes on the bottom. For example, for my 14-inch oven, that's 16 briquettes on top and 12 on the bottom for a typical meal. That puts the temperature close to a moderate level of 350°. If the meal is going to take longer than an hour to cook, the charcoal will need to be replenished after about 45 minutes. To cook with a hotter temperature, each two briquettes (one to top and one to bottom) adds about 25° of heat.

To actually bake (as opposed to roasting), like you might need to do for cakes, cobblers, pizzas, etc., there needs to be more heat on the top than the bottom, by a 2-1 or 3-1 ratio. So for the 14-inch Dutch oven, for 350°, that would be about 8 briquettes on the bottom, and 20 on the top.

I really recommend getting or making a chimney starter. It makes it much easier to get your charcoal going quickly. As far as types of charcoal, the matchlight kind is certainly easier to light, but tends to burn out more quickly than regular. Personally, I prefer ease in lighting over endurance.

Here are some of my favorite Dutch oven recipes:

Lasagna I first made this dish for my patrolmates at Wood Badge, and it was definitely a success. The no-boil noodles eliminate storing soggy noodles, and the cheese mixture can be done ahead of time (and stored in a cooler) if you use Egg-Beaters, because they are pasteurized. The meat can can be eliminated if you want vegetarian. You can add in extras as you like, such as mushroom, spinach, etc, and spices to your own personal tastes.
Ingredients: 1 box "no boil" lasagna noodles 1 28-oz. jar spaghetti sauce 1 lb. meat (ground beef, sausage, etc.) 16 oz. ricotta cheese 16 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese 2 eggs or equivalent in Egg-Beaters 1/2 c. parmesan cheese spices to taste (garlic, oregano, etc.)	Preparation: Cook the meat (with onion and garlic to taste) in advance or on site, and drain off the fat. Can be stored in a ziplock in a cooler if made ahead. Just before cooking, mix the meat with the spaghetti sauce. Mix the ricotta with all but about 1/2 c. of the mozzarella, the parmesan, and the eggs. Can be mixed ahead of time and stored in cooler if using Egg-Beaters (pasteurized). Assembly: Start with a layer of about 1/2 c. sauce of the bottom. Layer 1/3 of the noodles, then 1/2 of the cheese mixture, and then 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Continue with another layers, cheese mixture, and sauce in the same proportions. Finish with a layer of noodles, the remaining sauce, and the 1/2 c. of mozzarella that was kept out. Cooking: I generally cook the lasagna a little hotter than 350°, so use the diameter for the number of briquettes on the bottom, and diameter+4 on top. It takes about an hour to for the noodles to get soft, the coals need to be replenished as they burn out.
Chili and Cornbread I've made this recipe for my Cub Scout families on several campouts now, and it's always a favorite. Nothing quite says camping like chili with beans! The recipe is for my 14-inch Dutch Oven. Adjust up or down depending on the size of the oven. For the beans, you can use your favorite, or mix a couple of different kinds.
Ingredients: 3 lb. ground beef 3 envelopes taco seasoning 1 onion, minced 4 16-oz. cans beans (kidney, black, or red) 3 12-oz. cans tomato sauce 2 lb. shredded cheddar cheese 4 boxes cornbread mix (the kind that makes one 8' x 8' pan) eggs and milk according to cornbread mix instructions	Preparation: Cook the meat and onion in advance or on site, and drain off the fat. Mix the cornbread mix according to the instructions on the box, or use your own favorite recipe to make from scratch. Set aside. Assembly: Layer the meat/onion mixture on the bottom of the oven. Sprinkle evenly with the taco seasoning, which comes in mild or hot for personal taste. Layer the beans next, without draining. Pour the tomato sauce over the beans. Layer the cheese over the mixture. Spread the cornbread batter on top of the whole thing, being careful not to mix it in with the layers underneath. Cooking: The 350° formula for briquettes works pretty well, but adjust the number of briquettes on top to be about 2x the number on the bottom, to bake the cornbread. Check and rotate the lid often to bake evenly. When the cornbread is baked all the way through, and the tomato sauce is bubbling up around the outside, it is done. This generally takes about an hour. You may need to replenish the coals as they burn out.
Mountain Man Breakfast I originally had this when camping with my son's troop, and then one of my patrolmates in Wood Badge is the son of the woman who created the recipe for them. He made it for our last breakfast together at Wood Badge, and I've since made it for the Sunday breakfast on Cub campouts. It is incredibly hardy and dense, and will keep you going through a busy morning of packing up and heading home. I have had good luck making it with Egg-Beaters, because they travel well in a cooler and don't have to be scrambled. For vegetarian, you can eliminate the sausage and bacon, perhaps substitute vegetarian sausage, although I've never tried that. However, in that case, I would probably recommend starting out with a little oil in the oven, since the grease from the meat keeps the bottom from burning.
Ingredients: 1 lb. ground sausage (or if using links, cut into small pieces) 1 lb. bacon, cut into pieces 1 sweet onion, sliced (separate layers) 2 lb. frozen hash brown (shredded) potatoes 2 doz. eggs or equivalent in Egg-Beaters 1 lb. shredded sharp cheddar cheese salt and pepper to taste	Preparation: Brown the sausage and bacon together, and then remove to drain on paper towels. In the remaining grease, caramelize the onions. Both of these can be done in advance and stored in ziplocks. Assembly: Layer the meat on the bottom of the oven, and spread the onions evenly over it. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread the hash brown potatoes (still frozen) in an even layer. Scramble the eggs (although I really recommend Egg-Beaters), and pour egg mixture over everything. The egg should completely cover the meat/potato mixture, at least. Cooking: Use the 350° formula for briquettes, but adjust the number of briquettes on top to be about 2x the number on the bottom. Cook until the eggs are mostly set (about 30 minutes), then spread the cheese on top. Replace lid and cook for about another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted. Slice like a quiche and serve.