Camping, Princess Style

[Smithy]

Last night we arrived in Columbus, New Mexico: a small village that was raided by Pancho Villa's men in 1916, from which Black Jack Pershing launched a raid into Mexico after the Villistas. He never caught them, but he developed a lot of "new" technology (tanks, early jeeps) that because useful during WWI. Pancho Villa State Park has an excellent museum; across the way is another museum run by the local historical society. (The historical society's museum is particularly deadly to me, because they always stock books and I have yet to get out of there without buying another cookbook I tell myself it's for a good cause.) If you wander far afield you can find the rubbish heap where materials were bulldozed to make room for this park. I've found fragments of dishes labeled "USQMC" (United States Quarter Masters Corp), and other dishes with dates from the early 1900's. It's all been picked over so it's difficult to find anything intact, but it's fun to look anyway.

Along the walk we saw ripe coyote gourds, which I seem to recall have some medicinal qualities but are otherwise inedible; the book I just checked says they're very bitter and can be toxic in large quantities. Nonetheless they're pretty at this time of year: unlikely-looking yellow balls, more or less the size of a large orange, lying on the ground or else draped from low mesquite shrubs.

Columbus is an area with abundant birds; there are thousands of sandhill cranes nearby, and they clatter and clack and croak to each other as they fly in tangled skeins. You can hear them from at least a half mile away.

I'd hoped to be able to show photos from one of the local restaurants, but Tres Salsas was locked up. Tomorrow we're planning a trip to Deming and one of our favorite restaurants. Tonight we feasted on an edible cousin of coyote gourd: carnival squash brought from home, cleaned, scored, drizzled with olive oil, filled with a meat sauce, then baked. The finished product was topped with grated parmesan and chopped parsley.

[Darienne]

What about visiting the restaurant, The Curious Kumquat, of former eGullet member Ron in Silver City? We'd love to be able to do that. Say hello from all of us who remember gfron.

[Smithy]

Silver City isn't on our itinerary this trip, but I'll remember it for the next time we come through, presumably in the spring. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Jaymes]

Tomorrow we're planning a trip to Deming and one of our favorite restaurants.

Which restaurant is it? I'm planning a road trip out that way pretty soon, and would love to know.

Also, you're past Las Cruces and Old Mesilla, but I'm wondering if you've ever stopped in there. They have two of my favorite restaurants in the state, La Posta and Double Eagle Steak House.

http://www.oldmesilla.org/

And, what's your route from there?

Perhaps through Douglas? If so, you must see the remarkable lobby of the famous Gasden Hotel, and hear its stories: http://www.thegadsdenhotel.com/

Or maybe charming Bisbee, with its old world funky charm, and the Copper Queen Mine:

http://www.cityofbisbee.com/queenminetours.htm

Or Nogales, and a quick dash across the border for a sublime Chicken Mole at La Roca?

In my personal view, you're traveling through some of the most interesting regions in the entire country. I'm a little jealous.

Although, I once again should be on my way through there pretty soon.

And I can hardly wait to hop into mi coche, slap on my sunglasses, and head west.

Edited December 2, 2013 by Jaymes (log)

[Smithy]

James, we'll be eating at The Adobe Deli, http://adobedeli.com/, which is a few miles east of Deming. It's a funky steakhouse/ribhouse/burger joint built in what used to be the one-room school house. The place is decorated with stuffed animals of all types, ranging from alligator (they call it the Deligator) and various antelope to, I think there may even be a jackalope. Strung around the room is also various memorabilia: the first time we went, we were greeted by a full-size free-standing photo of Henry Fonda as Tom Joad (Grapes of Wrath). I think we've seen Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne at various stages, too. Outside the building are a bunch of old farm implements, always good for speculation about what they used to do (sometimes we get answers).

They get a little crazy with some of their presentations: one year I had marinated beef kabobs on skewers that must have been 2' long, arranged in some elaborate holder. It's way too much food, and fairly pricey, but we figure we're getting 2 meals for the price of one since we inevitably take some home.

The way we found the Adobe Deli in the first place was about 8 years ago, when we were traveling on company business and staying in a hotel. When we asked the clerk where we could find a good steak house, she named one place in Deming (now I've forgotten what), then hesitated and said, "That's for fine dining. If you're adventurous and want a place with more attitude and just as good food, go to the Adobe Deli." We've managed to get there almost yearly ever since.

We've bypassed Las Cruces every year, due to schedule pressures and/or weather, but I appreciate the suggestions as to good places to go. Bisbee is a fascinating place, isn't it? We have to stop at just about every mining operation, active or not, that we see. And yes, we'll probably go that way again.

[Kerry Beal]

What about visiting the restaurant, The Curious Kumquat, of former eGullet member Ron in Silver City? We'd love to be able to do that. Say hello from all of us who remember gfron.

That would be Rob! Might have trouble getting reservations as there have been some pretty significant write ups and folks are coming from all over the US and further to eat there.

[Smithy]

What about visiting the restaurant, The Curious Kumquat, of former eGullet member Ron in Silver City? We'd love to be able to do that. Say hello from all of us who remember gfron.

That would be Rob! Might have trouble getting reservations as there have been some pretty significant write ups and folks are coming from all over the US and further to eat there.

We ran into another camper a couple of days ago who lives in Silver City. I asked him about The Curious Kumquat. "Oh yes," he said, "I've been there a couple of times." He went on to make some comments that made it clear it isn't really his speed, and probably is mine. I'll have to try to get there!

[Smithy]

The Adobe Deli is about 8 miles east of Deming along NM 549 (turn right on Lewis Flats Road and go another mile) in what used to be a one-room school house. The owner began the deli when he moved from Brooklyn; looking around at the building, my darling commented that the chef is clearly "old-school". The place has a lot of attitude and funky atmosphere, and we've always enjoyed it in the past. We amused ourselves with the menu entries and the taxidermists' exhibits along every wall and on every shelf. Having said all that, I'll admit that this trip was a disappointment. We arrived hungry, after a hard day of doing town-type errands (including mountains of laundry). The bartender was excellent, and the selection of draft beers more than adequate. On the other hand the waiter seemed to be in over his head with no help; sometimes it took him so long to reappear after taking an order or going to ask a question that we wondered whether he was also the cook. There were also off-putting odors: mixed with good food smells were a strong smell of cigarette smoke and an even stronger smell of disinfectant. I hope they were just having an "off" day, and that this isn't the sign of decline. If this had been our first visit, it would have been our only visit.

I was curious about the appetizers, and we split a plate of Santa Fe Shrimp: shrimp coated in cream cheese and roasted peppers, then breaded and deep fried. The cheese oozed messily and hotly from every bite, and was thick enough that my darling questioned whether any shrimp were involved. We could have settled for that as a meal, but were determined to pig out and order an entree each. We've had steaks there in the past, and they were good; this time, we settled for burgers, and they were excellent: juicy, done just as we'd asked, with almost all the condiments we'd ordered. (Someone forgot the bacon I requested on mine, but with roasted peppers and cheese it took me a while to miss it.) We had to ask for mayonnaise (the waiter wasn't sure there was any to be had!) and mustard. I think this time I've learned to avoid the house fries, though: they're wedges of potato, cut lengthwise into 8ths and fried; unfortunately they were soggy. I remember thinking the same thing last time. Note to self: avoid the "house spicy fried potatoes" in the future. My darling's onion rings were good. I took a picture of the shrimp, but unless I can get a photo editor working it isn't worth posting. I didn't keep any of the shots of the burgers.

The place is very dimly lit, with candles at each table. I am reluctant to use a flash in a place where diners are enjoying quiet conversations, so settled for ambient light and a slow shutter, not anticipating the moody look that would result. It really doesn't look as sinister as this! Kinda looks like the animals are getting ready to pounce, doesn't it?

The menu boasts a broad selection of steaks, ribs, fish (and other seafood), and poultry. They also offer, tongue in cheek, other fare:

"Roadkill Rabbit Reuben (sandwich): Fresh off 549. Price TBD"

"Big Foot: Rare find in the Florida mountains. Served the same way."

"Your meal may not be what you expected, but it's what Van thought you damn well need. Visitors to the kitchen will be charged 20% extra."

The next day was a travel day. We moved from Columbus, NM to Tucson, AZ; from Chihuahuan Desert with its scrubby creosote and arid landscape to Sonoran Desert, green and lush by comparison. Just don't get off the trail and into any of the dozens of varieties of cactus. Along the way we passed a lot of farmland: pecan orchards and pepper fields and cotton. At one lonely intersection we realized that the red things along the road were spillage from a truck hauling red peppers. Talk about picking up local ingredients! We stopped to collect some of the better spillage for our own use. A man who stopped to make sure we were all right said that yes, they'd come from the pepper farm down the road. He didn't know the variety, but said they weren't hot.

So... anyone recognize this variety? Each pepper is 4 or 5 inches long. What are they good for? I did use some in last night's food, which was unremarkable in flavor and definitely not photo-worthy. They weren't hot. They are pretty.

Edited December 6, 2013 by Smithy (log)

[Smithy]

We've been working on leftovers lately. One aspect of my cooking is that I almost always make more than we need for a given meal, and we usually eat lightly at breakfast and lunch. Occasionally some small bit of leftover pork roast and sauerkraut may call so strongly that one of us pulls it furtively from the refrigerator at an off-time, without even offering to share.

The smoked prime rib from Thanksgiving gave us 2 good full meals, with some to spare. Two nights ago it was time to use more. I had the wonderful beef gel from the original roasting. I had prime rib begging to be cut into chunks. I had baby potatoes. Chopped parsley.

The only thing to do in addition was to braise brussels sprouts with bacon, and that's what I did. Voila, dinner in our last night in Tucson:

[Smithy]

We waved goodby to the saguaro cactus that look like congregations of orators and celebrants,

and the barrel cactus with their rosettes of "pears" that something eats - I don't know what -

and moved westward. The desert has changed again, and water makes a more stark difference than ever before.

Water districts out here make a point of saying, "Food Grows Where Water Flows". Wars have been fought, and may be again, over water. I grew up playing in irrigation ditches and taking canals for granted, and only in my teenaged years began to realize how different my local landscape would be without it. I wonder how many people actually think about where their water comes from, and how it relates to our food?

Last night's meal was a rescued leftover. Sometime last week I'd tried to make chicken breast rollups with a filling of sweated onions and spinach and something else - I forget what. The whole roulade thing didn't work at all, and it turned into a very nonphotogenic meal of skillet chicken over a pilaf of wild rice and brown basmati. The flavor wasn't bad, but the whole thing was dry. Last night I gave the leftovers a Southwestern twist.

We had bought chilies at the grocery store: poblano, jalapeno and a third type I've forgotten. I blistered them on the stove top, finished softening them in the oven, then peeled, deveined and chopped them. A couple of the "New Mexico Road Kill" red peppers went through the same toasting and chopping routine. The lot was added to the chicken/rice/tomato/sauce simmering in the skillet.

The finished burritos didn't get photographed - perhaps we were too hungry - but the chicken, rice and peppers, along with sour cream and grated cheddar (decidly un-Mexican) showed that sometimes, leftovers can be better than the original.

We're hunkered down, out of the 30 mph wind in a brake of trees. The weather forecast indicates that the wind will be dying later this week, so perhaps we'll be able to cook over an open fire. For right now, we're grateful to be in a snug trailer.

Edited December 9, 2013 by Smithy (log)

[Smithy]

The weather hasn't been conducive to outdoor cookery for much of this trip. Finally, we were able to cook over a campfire during a brief warm period when the wind died down. I'm learning that my old point-and-shoot Nikon camera handled campfire shots better than my fancy digital camera; in order to get the exposure right I'll have to give some thought to shutter speeds and actually tell the camera what I want.

We cooked chicken thighs that had been rubbed with honey and a mix of spices: paprikas, smoked and not; cumin; various ground chilies. The skin got a bit too charred for my taste (I was too busy fooling with the camera to control the fire properly) but that didn't stop my darling from enjoying it. The chicken meat itself was tender, moist, delicious!

We also cooked eggplants, tomatillos and various chili peppers over the fire, so that today they can be turned into salsas and dips. I only got as far as skinning them. I love the way they set up thickly as a result of this treatment. Tomatillos seem to have a lot of pectin, and the resulting salsa is satisfyingly thick. I'll post a photo later.

[annabelle]

I'm enjoying virtual camping with you, Smithy. It's the only way anyone is going to get me to camp, except at gunpoint.

[Smithy]

I've been participating in the Harvard/MIT/Berkeley MOOC, "ABOUT SCIENCE & COOKING: FROM HAUTE CUISINE TO SOFT MATTER SCIENCE" that was announced here: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/144767-harvardx-class-about-science-cooking/ It's fascinating, a lot of fun, and a lot of work. One night we were serenaded by coyotes as we enjoyed my first-ever attempt at flan:

Last night's dinner was shrimp ceviche. My darling was skeptical about a cold collation for dinner, but we went to be well-satisfied. This is going to become a summertime favorite, for those hot muggy evenings when it's just too darned hot to cook.

[Smithy]

I'm enjoying virtual camping with you, Smithy. It's the only way anyone is going to get me to camp, except at gunpoint.

[gfron1]

James, we'll be eating at The Adobe Deli, http://adobedeli.com/, which is a few miles east of Deming.  It's a funky steakhouse/ribhouse/burger joint built in what used to be the one-room school house.  The place is decorated with stuffed animals of all types, ranging from alligator (they call it the Deligator) and various antelope to, I think there may even be a jackalope.  Strung around the room is also various memorabilia: the first time we went, we were greeted by a full-size free-standing photo of Henry Fonda as Tom Joad (Grapes of Wrath).  I think we've seen Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne at various stages, too. Outside the building are a bunch of old farm implements, always good for speculation about what they used to do (sometimes we get answers).

 

They get a little crazy with some of their presentations: one year I had marinated beef kabobs on skewers that must have been 2' long, arranged in some elaborate holder.  It's way too much food, and fairly pricey, but we figure we're getting 2 meals for the price of one since we inevitably take some home.

 

The way we found the Adobe Deli in the first place was about 8 years ago, when we were traveling on company business and staying in a hotel.  When we asked the clerk where we could find a good steak house, she named one place in Deming (now I've forgotten what), then hesitated and said, "That's for fine dining.  If you're adventurous and want a place with more attitude and just as good food, go to the Adobe Deli."  We've managed to get there almost yearly ever since.

 

We've bypassed Las Cruces every year, due to schedule pressures and/or weather, but I appreciate the suggestions as to good places to go.  Bisbee is a fascinating place, isn't it?  We have to stop at just about every mining operation, active or not, that we see.  And yes, we'll probably go that way again.

Adobe Deli is classic for steaks.  There's a relatively new pizza joint Feggetaboutit that's doing some decent NY style pizzas.  Las Cruces remains a food wasteland.

[Smithy]

Greetings from Death Valley!

 

Those of you suffering in the cold may wish to stop reading Right Now... unless you'd like a diversion.    Once again we're mobile snowbirds, having left northern Minnesota in the late fall, going somewhere - anywhere - south and generally west to stay warm.  In past years we've left the trailer in California and gone home for January. This year we're staying away: we have house-sitters, and by all reports the snow and ice have not been severe enough to need our personal attention.  We'll come home when the snow melts or 4th of July, whichever comes first.

 

At present we're in Death Valley, the lowest point of the United States at 282 feet (86m) below sea level at the deepest.  My darling thinks it's still too cool, with temperatures ranging from the mid-40's to the mid-60's Fahrenheit.  The highest mountains around us have a dusting of snow, which is no surprise for elevations as high as 11,049' (3368m). The desert is being blessed with a light sprinkling of rain as I type, and radar shows that outside this valley the rain may amount to enough to measure.

 

When we came to Death Valley we'd planned a lot of campfire cooking, and we came loaded with appropriate supplies.  (I'll write about our supplies in a later post.) The campground with fire rings was full, and we wound up at a campground with hundreds of sites but no fire rings: outdoor fires aren't allowed here.  Campfire cooking will have to wait until another stop.  In the meantime we've had such culinary delights as hot "Louisiana style" sausages (made in California and unavailable in Arizona) with homemade pita, our version of tuna noodle hot dish, citrus marinaded chicken, and grilled cheese sandwiches.  The sandwiches were the result of my serious jonesing for this flavor combination, since I can't get the bread where we live and haven't yet learned to make it myself:

 

  

 

I like these sandwiches so much that I had one for brunch this morning.

 

 

Most mornings, I've been indulging in fresh avocado on that toast.  The bread won't keep anyway, though I wish it would.

 

 

 

 

We've also enjoyed a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables: green beans with bacon, brussels sprouts, green salads, and lots of fresh citrus.  I'll write more about that later too.

 

Last night we "splurged" on dinner at one of the local restaurants. This place is not the highest-end restaurant in the area, but looked good.  They bill their burgers as a special blend of ground chuck, brisket and rib meat from certified Black Angus, on a grilled pretzel bun with their own "Dante's sauce" (named for an overlook here), fried onions, other accompaniments.  Mine arrived with a not-grilled, cold-from-the-refrigerator bun; by the time they'd heated it my "medium rare" burger was well done. I didn't bother with pictures. Ah well, the decor was a lot of fun; there are photos of the area from the early to mid 1900's (including a long-gone grove of date palms) and posters from movies shot in Death Valley. There's also a wonderful painting of a 20-mule team hauling its load of Borax out of the Valley.  The beer was good.

 

Over the next few months I'll post as time and connectivity permit about life on the road for people like us who love to cook (and eat).  Glamping is a great way to see different parts of the country, learn something about local specialty foods, and escape the winter cold.  If anyone else is doing this sort of trailer touring and cooking or eating out (winter escape in my hemisphere, summer adventures in the Antipodes), I hope you'll chime in with your own travels and meals.

[caroled]

So glad you are back out on the road , cause I definitely need the diversion from the cold ( we are under a winter storm warning w/ ice possible tonight).

Looking forward to your adventure!

[Smithy]

Thank you, caroled!

 

This travelogue begins in the San Joaquin Valley of California, where I grew up.  We spent the New Year week there visiting friends, family and old stomping grounds, gorging on navel and mandarin oranges, and getting various trailer repairs completed.  Our friends allowed us to park near their shops in the orange groves.  There we wandered freely, our dog and their dog visited each other and wandered freely, our cats pointedly did not visit their dog but otherwise roamed freely, and we celebrated a lovely variety of ripe fruit.  A cold snap arrived when we did, and the wind machines that pull air from aloft to protect the groves and crops ran nearly every night.  I grew up with that thrum of large propellers during the coldest winter nights and find it very soothing; nonetheless it's an expensive lullaby. This lullaby is almost inevitable when what I like to call "Chamber of Commerce" weather comes around and the view looks like this:

 

The obvious motivation for our travels is looking for milder winter weather than we'd have in northern Minnesota, while we see various parts of the country and learn a thing or three.  Two other, less obvious driving (heh) forces are in direct conflict with each other: discovering and celebrating local foods and cuisine, and my tendency to stock up whenever I find something interesting that can't be found at home. Consequently we left with a well-stocked trailer, and it will be a challenge to work my way through most of these goods before we arrive home in the spring.  Dry goods can stay in the pantry if necessary, but it's really a pain to unload the refrigerator and freezer. This will not stop me from stocking up on more goods as we work our way back!

 

 

In the fridge: as many good local cheeses as I could lay my hands on, a surfeit of cured meats and hot sausages, the usual stock of (grocery store) green vegetables and commercially grown fruits for my darling's morning salads, and a selection of condiments, milk and other beverages.  Nothing interesting, but one must be careful - despite the restraining bars - opening the door after travel, lest things jump out as from Fibber McGee's closet.

 

(One might think we're going for weeks without a decent grocery store.  It's usually once a week, and at most 10 days, although some places' stores don't qualify as 'decent' unless one squints.    )

 

In the freezer:  chicken, various ground meats, fish, and - oh, bless our friends - many packages of salmon from their trip to Alaska.  They prefer the halibut.  If I'd known that they had it and wanted to unload it before my shopping expedition, I'd have gotten much less of the other meats and left more room for the salmon.  There's also a fair amount of persimmon puree in there, from some of the fruits I stocked up on from friends and family. I have some sourdough starter in there too, preserved from home in case I killed my active starter.

 

This all normally sits on the counter, but I took the photo as we were getting ready to travel:  potatoes, onions, pomegranates, a couple of intact persimmons, avocados, garlic, salamis that were Christmas presents, and assorted dog and cat treats. 

 

I can't pass up interesting beans, canned goods, boxed goods or spices, and I keep a variety of flours on hand for baking lessons.  This pantry is completely out of control, with cans and bottles and spices to allow food from almost any cuisine that strikes our fancy: curry mixes, enchilada sauces, quick rice dishes for when we're too tired to cook (Zatarain's is a favorite).  There are jellies given us by friends, our stock of coffee and tea, and pastas..as well as some "00" pasta flour.  How I'll get through this before we arrive home is anyone's guess.  That won't keep me from stocking up on more mystery ingredients as we travel, and I'm hoping some reader(s) will be able to offer ideas.

[gfweb]

I'm enjoying virtual camping with you, Smithy.  It's the only way anyone is going to get me to camp, except at gunpoint.

[annabelle]

A man after my own heart, gfweb. 

[gfweb]

Smithy, whose kitchen is bigger, yours in the trailer or Weinoo's?

[Smithy]

Smithy, whose kitchen is bigger, yours in the trailer or Weinoo's?

That's a good question, gfweb. Probably Weinoo's, but judging by 'typical' NYC apartments it may not be by much. ;-) When we stepped up from a pickup camper to a trailer and I realized we were looking at weeks to months on the road, the kitchen was my main criterion. By the time we'd found one that suited me we were up to a 40' trailer. Still, I have things squirreled away in unlikely corners and cabinets. Spaces that for most families would be devoted to board games are occupied by extra storage containers, large aluminum mixing bowls and small appliances.

[Smithy]

The internet connection here is tenuous - i.e. very good considering what it was 2 years ago and where we're actually located, but not great for blogging. :-) My photos are suffering.

rotuts and FauxPas: our trailer is about 40' long. Our coterie comprises 3 very attached (to us) cats and 1 very sociable (to anyone) dog. In past years we've constrained ourselves to 2 cats, but this year we took the leap and brought along a third who is very sociable and (by all past years' reports) lonely when left to the wiles of the sitters. The travelling cats all seem to have worked out the idea that the trailer is home even though its surroundings change after it shakes for several hours.

The rain blessed the desert for much of the day, and it's a much-needed blessing. We stepped out late in the day for a walk, and drank in the smells and sights. Later, I pulled together the fixings for this evening's meal: enchiladas filled with a blend of sweated onions and red bell peppers, lightly browned ground beef and chorizo...all wrapped in tortillas and topped by Hatch green enchilada sauce (from a can of indeterminate age), baked, and served with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese to our tastes.

Now, just before signing off and doing dishes, I have this report: the sky is dark, the stars are bright, and the air smells like rain and creosote-bush...a magical desert smell.

Crappy photos, best I can do until the computer and modem decide to 'play nice' with each other.

[Shelby]

YAY!!!!!  We're camping with Smithy again!!!!  I will now be able to forget the cold and live vicariously through you.  No pressure, but I'm going to need a lot of pictures and updates to do this

 

I just love your camper. We used to have one. I remember what a load of work it was to load and unload.  We would leave Friday from work with our loaded camper and come home Sunday evening.  Not a very long time to camp, and I liked to have all my food goodies just like you do so it was a lot of taking in and out.  The one plus was that whenever we would run out of something at my house (like pasta or some other dry good) we would just go "shop" in the camper and usually find what we needed lol.

 

Whenever I think about camping, I always think of this movie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047191/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

The Long, Long Trailer with Lucielle Ball and Desi Arnaz.  

 

The taking of your cats totally intrigues me.  I would be scared to death that my cats wouldn't come back--though I know that my cats would find camping extremely fun.  Do you ever have to wait on them to return before you can leave?  Do they have indoor litter boxes?  

 

The enchiladas look delicious!

 

I will shut up now   

[Porthos]

So happy to be vicariously traveling with you. The enchiladas look tasty.