Camp Food!

During our one triumphant night camping (sans rain) I managed to make fire. There is something almost divine about successfully building a camp fire; I am reminded of Prometheus, and then Pandora, and eventually Zeus himself. Our little campfire didn't let loose too many evils, and there was no lightning, but we did conjure up some darn good camp food.

When I think of camp food I think of six things:

(1) Potatoes, baked in the coals to a crisp black then smothered in butter and salt

(2) Hot dogs, roasted on sticks and again smothered in some sort of tangy sauce

(3) Baked beans, heated in a fire-safe pan and enjoyed on tin plates that can double as accompaniments to campfire songs

(4) Hot cereal, concocted in a fire-safe pan and amped-up with walnuts, cream, and dried apricots or raisins

(5) Bananas stuffed with peanut butter and chocolate chips (and, perhaps, marshmellows), baked in tin foil boats

and, of course,
(6) S'mores.



On the night in question -- the first dry evening of our escapade -- we attempted options (2), sort of (3), and the quintessential (6). We roasted vegan hot dogs, then roughly chopped them into a tin of (cold, delicious) vegetarian baked beans. I considered a punnet of cherry tomatoes, but allowed myself to be distracted by the planning of dessert.



Two notes on the preparation of proper campfire s'mores:

1) Melt the chocolate. Come on, people, if you are going to make s'mores, go hard or go home. I propped the graham crackers, topped with chunks of dark chocolate, on the edge of the fire pit, balanced on one of the remaining logs. Yes, one batch melted right into the fire (who knew graham crackers could liquify?) , but overall the effort was absolutely worthwhile.



(2) There are two approaches to the toasting of the marshmellow:
A) Puncture marshmellow with stick; thrust stick in coals/flames; wait 2.3 seconds until marshmellow ignites; blow out fire and enjoy blackened marshmellow product. (Not preferred).
B) Puncture marshmellow with stick; hold an appropriate distance from coals/flames, watching assiduously; rotate when pasty white turns to golden brown (like you're tanning the marshmellow); when all sides are browned, slide marshmellow off stick to waiting warmed graham crackers. (Preferred, because the marshmellow is warm and melted all the way through).



Either method you choose, the final step is most important: Enjoy.