Posts
We've all heard the expression before, but this weekend I'm taking it to a whole new level. After nearly eight years of reenacting, I'm finally establishing myself as camp cook and I LOVE IT! When I was in high school and not really sure what exactly I wanted to do with my life, I gave serious consideration to going to culinary school. I ended up deciding against it because I was afraid I might not like to cook as much as I did for a hobby to make a career out of it.
I am not a girly cook...or a girly diner for that matter. My mom used to say I look "like a healthy Polish girl." I like to say, "Yes, strong like ox" in a poor European accent. I cannot do the whole "oh, I'll just have a little hummus for dinner." Sorry, no, when I'm hungry, I'm hungry and I want to eat. Give me a sandwich or a casserole. I want FOOD, darn it! I can't tell you how many times I'll say, "I'm hungry!" and my mother replies with, "have a yogurt!" Don't get me wrong, I love yogurt, but when one believes she is starving, yogurt is not high on the Food That Will Satisfy Hunger list. (I'm realizing I should have gotten lunch before blogging now...oops.)
When I learned to cook it was for my family of six...three adults, two teenagers, and a preteen. We always had leftovers. I learned to cook from my mother who came from a family of eight...including two boys. I guess it was in my genes to cook for an army. I have a very difficult time cooking for a small number of people. I like to feed people. I love, love, love to cook for Teddy and Phil. I love it. It is seriously one of my favorite things to do to put food in front of them and know that they enjoyed a meal I cooked. However, I have tendency to over estimate how much people are going to eat, which is why it is great to actually have to cook for an army.
Cooking at a reenactment is a challenge. It is done over an open fire and involves a lot of guess work. Obviously, there are no dials for set temperatures and no timer to remind you when things are done. It seems so incredibly simple until you actually try it. I found that to be the case with a lot of things in reenacting. It was a simpler time, but a harder time too. You actually have to have talent and/or work to be good at something. There were no boxed mixes for macaroni and cheese or cans of soup that anyone can cook.
I'm cheating a bit this year. Tonight, I will be making soup at Teddy's house in the slow cooker and baking cookies and pre-preparing salad. Last year, with the exception of baking, I did all my preparing at the event. It may sound farby, that's reenactor slang for unauthentic, to have my food pre-cooked, but last year I was unable to hide the unauthentic utensils and prep-ware I needed to use from the public. That to me was much, MUCH farbier. Just in case any of my unit members read my blog, I don't want to tell you what I'm preparing for dinner Saturday night, but that is going to take some real work and it will all be done on site. This year, one of my "messmates" is a vegetarian hence the soup...I just don't have enough pots for two dishes.
In addition to cooking tonight, I've got to pack for me and Faith and I've got to go shopping for whatever other food/equipment we might need. I haven't gotten nearly enough sleep these past few nights and it's going to prove to be an interesting night. I'm going to TRY to get a quick note in tomorrow, maybe some pictures from the cooking escapades tonight? But I make no guarantees. Obviously there will be a blogging hiatus Saturday and Sunday, but oh boy will next week be fun!
I am not a girly cook...or a girly diner for that matter. My mom used to say I look "like a healthy Polish girl." I like to say, "Yes, strong like ox" in a poor European accent. I cannot do the whole "oh, I'll just have a little hummus for dinner." Sorry, no, when I'm hungry, I'm hungry and I want to eat. Give me a sandwich or a casserole. I want FOOD, darn it! I can't tell you how many times I'll say, "I'm hungry!" and my mother replies with, "have a yogurt!" Don't get me wrong, I love yogurt, but when one believes she is starving, yogurt is not high on the Food That Will Satisfy Hunger list. (I'm realizing I should have gotten lunch before blogging now...oops.)
When I learned to cook it was for my family of six...three adults, two teenagers, and a preteen. We always had leftovers. I learned to cook from my mother who came from a family of eight...including two boys. I guess it was in my genes to cook for an army. I have a very difficult time cooking for a small number of people. I like to feed people. I love, love, love to cook for Teddy and Phil. I love it. It is seriously one of my favorite things to do to put food in front of them and know that they enjoyed a meal I cooked. However, I have tendency to over estimate how much people are going to eat, which is why it is great to actually have to cook for an army.
Cooking at a reenactment is a challenge. It is done over an open fire and involves a lot of guess work. Obviously, there are no dials for set temperatures and no timer to remind you when things are done. It seems so incredibly simple until you actually try it. I found that to be the case with a lot of things in reenacting. It was a simpler time, but a harder time too. You actually have to have talent and/or work to be good at something. There were no boxed mixes for macaroni and cheese or cans of soup that anyone can cook.
I'm cheating a bit this year. Tonight, I will be making soup at Teddy's house in the slow cooker and baking cookies and pre-preparing salad. Last year, with the exception of baking, I did all my preparing at the event. It may sound farby, that's reenactor slang for unauthentic, to have my food pre-cooked, but last year I was unable to hide the unauthentic utensils and prep-ware I needed to use from the public. That to me was much, MUCH farbier. Just in case any of my unit members read my blog, I don't want to tell you what I'm preparing for dinner Saturday night, but that is going to take some real work and it will all be done on site. This year, one of my "messmates" is a vegetarian hence the soup...I just don't have enough pots for two dishes.
In addition to cooking tonight, I've got to pack for me and Faith and I've got to go shopping for whatever other food/equipment we might need. I haven't gotten nearly enough sleep these past few nights and it's going to prove to be an interesting night. I'm going to TRY to get a quick note in tomorrow, maybe some pictures from the cooking escapades tonight? But I make no guarantees. Obviously there will be a blogging hiatus Saturday and Sunday, but oh boy will next week be fun!
No comments:
Post a Comment