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ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON THE TOPICS COVERED in Part 1

III. A. Why? The three food groups must be in balance to be satisfying. You can have too much soup, too many vegetables, and an over abundance of the main dish, yet people will still be eager for dessert.

III. A. 2. a. Why liquid soup? People need to rehydrate.

IV. A. 1. Essential condiments. Do not make trip members suffer the lack of Salt, Garlic, Tabasco, or Onion just because you do not like these condiments. Also, do not serve Oatmeal every morning because you eat it everyday for breakfast.

IV. A. 2. k. Eggs! Again note: Wakefield dried eggs can be tasty! The mixing directions (2 tbsp. of egg plus 3 tbsp. of water) on the front of the package are correct; however, the directions on the back of the package (l.5 cups egg mix and 1.5 cups of water) are wrong! Without enough water, the eggs burn and cook to an unappetizing firm blob. With the proper amount of water, or even an excess amount, it is easy to keep the eggs from burning and they cook up light and fluffy.

IV. B. 1. d. Why 2 oz. per person for Grapenuts and Granola? Grapenuts and Granola are concentrated and trip members serve themselves by volume. Think of how light our packs could be if all food was to puff up prior to serving.

IV. B. 2. a. Why whole milk? People need the fat and calories of whole milk.

IV. B. 2. h. Why butter? Flavor! There is no problem with butter melting in the Sierra if it is kept in a soft-side cooler (or an ensolite container inside a pot) and out of the sun.

IV. C. Light weight. Where does the 4 oz. of fat come from when we only take .6 oz. of butter? Many food items contain fat: crackers, cookies, nuts, chocolate drink, salami, candy bars, milk, etc.

V. The ultimate complaint was expressed by a trip member after my 1967 trip when we cooked on stoves for the first time. I was too well organized! I now try to guide the cooks so the meal is served in order (we don't want the main dish before the soup) and there is a break between courses.

SALT

I recommend salting dry ingredients when repackaging whenever possible.

MENU

I give everyone a Menu with the cook crews and bag numbers on the back. I almost always serve a four course dinner and a three course breakfast. Soup is always liquid not gumbo. I serve juice in the morning and use fruit as a lunch item.

Flank steak in gravy is made at home and frozen in a plastic bag in a 1 gallon plastic ice cream container. The container is then used as a garbage can for non-burnable foil and cans.

Carrots are the small kind in a plastic bag. Munch on them raw.

Stew Craisins in a small amount of water to make a topping for Cheesecake.

Canned Roast Beef is a big hit.

Pesto is always a treat. Use good expensive Olive Oil. The recipe is included.

Chanterelles-what are they? They are very expensive dry mushrooms, but they are worth the expense.

Sweet & Sour Sauce. I use Kikkoman sweet & sour sauce mix with fresh onion and fresh green bell pepper. Also a can of pineapple chunks. Directions are included.

MASTER SHOPPING LIST:

Soups: one cup per person, but in the directions I add extra water.

Freeze-dried fruit: I use as a garnish on top of cheesecake, pudding, or Jello.

Staples: I prepackage milk for hot and cold cereal.

Spreads: When repackaging I keep count of the amount of butter or margarine I will use. It does average about .6 oz. per person per day. NOTE: Squeeze bottle margarine is high in water content and low in calories.

Condiments: A plastic bottle of lemon juice is worth its weight. Be sure to ration its use.

Cured meat: Smoked salmon is a treat. Be sure it is the kind that does not require refrigeration.

Freeze-dried meat: The meat from one source was frequently very poor so I started using canned chicken and tuna; however, the freeze-dried meat from Backpackers Pantry has been very good.

NOTE
The quantities per person in the shopping list is based upon the number of courses I serve. I do not plan one pot meals.

REPACKAGING FOOD BY WEIGHT

Repackaging food by weight saves time, effort, and it eliminates the potential for many mistakes.

RECIPES

Quantities are per person and in terms that are easy to multiply for the size of the group. Also, the cooking directions are separate from the Recipe. NOTE: there is almost unlimited room for many additions to the Recipe File.

FINAL NOTE

The following is a flexible timeline on food planning and preparation that must be observed to enable you to meet the objectives of Basic Food Planning.
  1. You plan a menu and prepare a shopping list at least two months before trip time. If your trip is not yet full, estimate the number of people you are likely to take with you.
  2. One month before departure: Send food order to supplier(s) for special food items. You must know and confirm the supplier's schedule. Few suppliers will welcome last-minute orders.
  3. Two weeks before departure: Purchase grocery store items, except those that must be bought fresh just prior to leaving. Use the Master Shopping List!
  4. One week prior to departure: Make corrections in Menu because some items were not available and you made substitutions as you did your shopping.
  5. Two to Five days prior to departure: With a (hopefully) stable trip roster in hand, repackage and insert directions with the food.
  6. Day before departure: Lay out food in Menu order to ensure nothing has been forgotten.
  7. Day of departure: CHECK REFRIGERATOR TO SEE IF YOU FORGOT ANYTHING!!

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