By Guest Blogger Emily Nielsen, Dirty Gourmet
Being outdoors is an opportunity to discover what life is really about. Stripping away the conveniences of the modern world has a very special effect on the body and mind that is hard to fabricate. There are obstacles, however, that can easily keep a new outdoorist from going on their first adventure. One of the biggest obstacles is food. “What is “camp food” and why would I want to eat it? How can I cook without a standard stove top and refrigerator? What if I need some sort of extra accommodation relating to food, such as an allergy or restrictive preference?” These are questions that we women of Dirty Gourmet have dedicated our careers to. They are questions we’ve had to answer many times for ourselves, and we did so mainly through mistakes and struggles.
Dirty Gourmet was born from a lifetime of outdoor adventures that helped us build an arsenal of motivating recipes. I have been working in the outdoor industry most of my adult life and my partner Mai-Yan had just completed a bike tour across Canada when we began. Food is what connected us, and a common connector for most outdoor experiences, no matter what type or how epic.
As our recipe database has grown, we have realized how intimidated many people are to cook for themselves outdoors. We also realized how unlikely it was for people to try and integrate the dining experience into the overall experience they are going outside to find. Our mission became hyper-focused on ensuring that our recipes felt approachable and adaptable so that everyone would make food a little more of a focus. We started out with a blog that has grown into teaching nationwide workshops and our first cookbook, Dirty Gourmet: Food for Your Outdoor Adventures, available here and wherever cookbooks are sold.
We don’t create our recipes by elevating standard “camp food” like hot dogs and instant oatmeal (although that’s a fine place to start if you like those sorts of things). We think about what we actually enjoy eating, and then attempt to adjust the method of preparation to accommodate our particular trip’s necessary considerations. Though survival is, of course, the most important aspect of eating well in the outdoors, we also want to be comforted by our food. After a long day exposed to the elements, there’s nothing better than eating something you really love while finally snuggled at camp.
If you’re looking to improve food for yourself in the outdoors, it is essential to do as much planning and prep at home before your trip. You will definitely run into unforeseen issues on your trip, so eliminating as many surprises as possible will help you ride them out. First consider your trip”s specifics including elevation gain, daily mileage, weather, access to water and who you’re cooking for. Use this information to start to recipe building. To figure out what specific recipe to cook, think of foods you and your fellow travelers love to eat. Are there allergies, vegetarians, or people who hate spicy food coming? These answers will help you hone in on the perfect meal. Will you and your gluten-free partner be exhausted and cold by the time you’re expected to cook dinner? If so, make sure you choose a quick and brainless recipe to execute. Maybe it’s our homemade dehydrated Thai Panang Curry that can be whipped together in less than 20 minutes with just one pot. But if you are planning to relax by a lake all day, you may have the time to rise your own made-from-scratch Dutch Oven Cinnamon Rolls for dessert. The fun of picking recipes is to start with something you like to make at home and then try and simplify it (less ingredients, less dishes, less steps involved in the method) to make it fit into your outdoor setting. If you are car camping, you’ll have access to more things like coolers and gear than if you’re backpacking, so you may not need to adjust the recipe as much. Oftentimes, recipes can be adjusted to work with virtually any type of trip.
Make an a menu for your entire trip broken down into days. It can always be adjusted on the fly if you forget the peanut butter or if you are surprised with campsite fire restrictions. Thai Panang Curry can easily become Thai Red Curry in a pinch, and Cinnamon Rolls work fine individually heated over a camp stove in a waffle iron (we’ve been there).
An often overlooked factor relating to camp food is presentation. If it looks like slop, it will always be a harder sell at the end of the day. Bright, textural toppings and a lovely description can transform a meal. People are often concerned with getting the right amount of calories in, but our motto is that it’s much easier to eat enough calories if the calories look and taste appealing enough to clean your plate. Adding something as simple as a beautifully designed bandana and a vintage utensil (cut the handle short to lighten the weight) to your place setting will change your mindset around outdoor eating as well, and remind you to have a look around at the extraordinary ambience while your belly is being warmed. We also love a tiny LED tealight candle to elevate it one more notch.
Gear can be intimidating, but stick to the simple and light mentality. We have gear “Basekits” for each general type of outdoor adventure in our cookbook that lists the basic items you should almost never be without. Some recipes require specialty items that can be added on a per trip basis. You don’t have to be a millionaire to gather enough gear to cook outdoors, a roll of aluminum foil can get you pretty far.
The most important thing about cooking outdoors is not being afraid to try. Our cookbook will arm you with a great start on information to help with all of the preparation and recipes for every type of activity. These recipes are starting points and we encourage you to adapt them to your own needs and desires. Get out there, enjoy yourself, and don’t be afraid to get a little dirty!
About Emily Nielsen:
I’ve never been much for compromising. I majored in both Biology and Philosophy, lived in the snowy mountains of sunny Southern California, and am now incorporating my love of both dirt and being fancy into one idea. I have been working in the outdoor industry for nearly 15 years, and am currently a Sales Manager at REI. My hope for this project is that it will inspire new experiences and discoveries for those who would have only found excuses before, without feeling like it has to be a compromise. You can wear sparkly tights in the desert! They act as a great base layer.