Gimme s’more!

McWay Falls at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Gorgeous.

Last month, I went camping at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park with three girlfriends. In addition to hiking, we ate a lot, and we ate well. I admit, I felt trepidatious when we initially planned the trip. It wasn’t my first time camping, but I’ve always been fairly passive (read: lazy) when it came to camp cooking. So, I was counting on our ability as a group to brainstorm and figure out a menu for the weekend.

Breakfast and lunch were straightforward: bagels, cream cheese and avocados for breakfast, and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for lunch. Snacks included trail mix, fruit, hummus and pita. And of course, there was booze. To save cooler and bladder space, we brought whiskey instead of beer. What can I say? We’re rugged outdoorsy women! (That said, we did mix the Makers Mark with Vernors ginger ale to make a most excellent cocktail…)

But then, there were the dinners! What is it about cooking by a campfire that makes everything taste so fantastic? Is it the wood/smoky flavor? Is it “primal” process of cooking food over a fire? I think my friend WD had a great theory about this when he said, “I think it’s because you’re out in the middle of nowhere. You don’t think you’re going to eat anything, let alone something hot. And if it tastes good… then it’s going to be the best meal ever.”

Friday night, we made foil packets with chicken and onions. Even though it wasn’t the most visually pleasing meal, it was delicious. It was like hearty chicken soup in a foil packet, and the chicken was so moist and tender. We also made potatoes in a cast-iron pan that we borrowed from JG and AW. This pan was the best — it made everything taste wonderful. For dessert, we had s’mores, of course! This was the first time I took the time to actually melt the chocolate, and it was worth it (even if I did end up with chocolate all over my face and fingers…what can I say? I’m a slob). We implemented a key deviation from the traditional s’more recipe: we used Trader Joe’s dark chocolate instead of Hershey’s milk chocolate and it was a million times better.

Saturday night, we went with the sausage/hot dog theme and fancied it up with some peppers and onions off the cast iron skillet. We also threw the corn into the fire. The peppers and onions were so good that we all kept sneaking extras from the pan until it was all gone.  We all had such a great time; I hope we go again soon!

McWay Falls at Julie Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Gorgeous.

The fire makes everything taste so good!

The last 2 kick-ass Ranier cherries.

Potatoes + olive oil + rosemary = delicious!

Chicken and onions. This was much tastier than it looks!

This portabello is almost as big as my head!

S’more fixings, getting ready to be put over the fire.

So messy but so worth it…

Peppers and onions, to go with the sausages.

Roasting weiners by the campfire. Showing us how it’s done!

More like peppers with sausage than vice versa.

Some like corn on the cob…

…while others like their kernels neatly cut.

Food for Twenty

Every year, our lab takes a weekend trip to Tahoe.  We rent out a huge cabin with a hot tub (though last year, the hot tub didn’t work, hence the nickname “not tub”).  It’s a lot of fun, but also sort of crazy logistically, as we try to coordinate meals as a group.  This year, two of my colleagues did a great job organizing and buying all of the food and drink.  We ate like kings and drank like fish, all for a very reasonable fee.  Best of all, I didn’t have to do any of the cooking!

Cuddling up with a giant bottle of bourbon...

... while I cuddle up with a Costco size box of Cheez-Its. Bigger than my head, of course.

Yes, we ate extremely well.

Mashed potatoes (one of two pans).

Hitting the "meat ceiling" and food coma, simultaneously.

On the way back from Tahoe, we stopped in Fairfield for lunch at the Blue Frog Grog and Grill.  I got a soup  and a chicken caesar salad (not pictured) which was good, but the best part of the meal was the fresh baked bread.

Warm bread and cold beer. Mmm...

An overflowing mushroom cheeseburger

SP's steamed artichoke, served with roasted garlic mayo (not pictured)

Oodles of Noodles

While I was in Maryland, my sister would ask me everyday what I wanted to eat for lunch.  The reply was always the same: noodles!  She took me to a couple of noodle places that were pretty solid.  The first place, Michaels Noodles, is right around the corner from my sister’s house.  We ordered fried noodles (sort of similar to lo mein) and Chinese rice cake “noodles”– what I refer to as the Chinese version of gnocchi.  For lunch noodle dishes, it was pricey (I think each dish was around $8 or $9), but the rice cakes were really flavorful and had great texture, without being too oily.

Our two noodle dishes, side by side, at Michaels Noodles.

The next day, we headed to China Taste.  My sister took me there so we could pick up some of the “tastiest fried chicken” (according to her and my brother-in-law).  Of course, I was excited because I love fried chicken.  Also, she said the two of us could probably share one bowl of noodle soup and leave with leftovers.  And all for $7.  I was very skeptical, but also extremely curious.  How big was this bowl of noodles?  Was it going to be Bigger Than My Head?  (Y’all know I’m obsessed with that…)  Well, the bowl came, and I was not disappointed.

This bowl of noodles was way bigger than my head!

The ginormous bowl of mushroom and pork noodle soup: Before.

The ginormous bowl of mushroom and pork noodle soup: After. Seriously.

The noodle soup was good, but not great.  However, for $7, it was a very good value considering it could feed a family of four.  We also ordered some aforementioned fried chicken, which was drenched in teriyaki sauce and pretty tasty, and the skin was carmelized and crunchy sweet.  As with the noodles, the chicken was also a good value (I don’t remember the exact prices, but it was very reasonable.)

They don't look super appetizing, but trust me when I say that this fried chicken was good!

"I'm gonna show this chicken who's boss!"