Camping, Princess Style

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Smithy,

 

I also am seriously coveting your tomatoes. I do love the perfume of a sun-ripe tomato.

 

How do you make your great-looking shrimp/pasta dish? I make a similar one with long pasta, mushrooms and shrimp sauteed in garlic butter and garnished with Parmesan and flat leaf parsley. I first had it many moons ago in my early twenties when a roommate made it for my birthday, and it's been in the rotation ever since. Leftovers are even delicious. Some people (certainly not me  ) have been caught sneaking cold midnight snacks.     

 

Good to hear they're getting some rain in Texas. I understand they really, really need it, although I know rain is never ideal for vacation plans.

 

ETA: I can't improve on your idea of garlic/butter/lemon sauce for your king crab, except to add that with some of your lovely homemade bread and a nice salad,  that fits my idea of one of the ideal dinners available on earth.

 

My battered 1997 copy of "The Joy of Cooking" says all crab sold in the U.S. must be either live or cooked, so unless regulations have changed, yours is cooked. I always treat crab as already cooked, and have never had a problem. I don't have access to live crabs, but sure would love to.

Edited April 25, 2015 by Thanks for the Crepes (log)

[Shelby]

I am glad you didn't run into any tornados!  We had some just north of us yesterday evening.  Not close enough to chase, though

 

No improvements from me either on the crab legs.  Savor a bite for me

[Smithy]

 

How do you make your great-looking shrimp/pasta dish? I make a similar one with long pasta, mushrooms and shrimp sauteed in garlic butter and garnished with Parmesan and flat leaf parsley. I first had it many moons ago in my early twenties when a roommate made it for my birthday, and it's been in the rotation ever since. Leftovers are even delicious. Some people (certainly not me  ) have been caught sneaking cold midnight snacks.     

 

Good to hear they're getting some rain in Texas. I understand they really, really need it, although I know rain is never ideal for vacation plans.

 

ETA: I can't improve on your idea of garlic/butter/lemon sauce for your king crab, except to add that with some of your lovely homemade bread and a nice salad,  that fits my idea of one of the ideal dinners available on earth.

 

My battered 1997 copy of "The Joy of Cooking" says all crab sold in the U.S. must be either live or cooked, so unless regulations have changed, yours is cooked. I always treat crab as already cooked, and have never had a problem. I don't have access to live crabs, but sure would love to.

 

Thanks, Thanks   for the insights and information! (Alas, there's more rain than needed in East Texas, and much less than needed in West Texas.  The dry line runs right through the state.)

 

The shrimp is pretty similar to what you describe. Several years ago I started experimenting with pasta cooked in minimal water (compliments of Harold McGee) and with fresh shrimp.  When I get it right we call it "Shrimp Bolivar" for the site where I first made it.  Fettucine or linguine, cooked until nearly done, drained and tossed with olive oil, garlic, butter if I'm feeling decadent.  Meanwhile, saute the shrimp in butter and/or olive oil, dried parsley and oregano; toss all together with grated parmesan and fresh parsley.  Salt and pepper to taste.  When it's right, it's stellar; otherwise it's still good.  The secret seems to be having the best shrimp and garlic possible.

 

I am glad you didn't run into any tornados!  We had some just north of us yesterday evening.  Not close enough to chase, though

 

No improvements from me either on the crab legs.  Savor a bite for me

 

Tornado watches formed ahead and behind us, but not at our current location.  We were glad not to have delayed moving on to northern Arkansas; we've had rain but today it's finally clear and sunny.  We had planned on campfire cooking yesterday, but it didn't clear quickly enough.  We chickened out and used the stovetop instead.

 

 

 

A question for the bread bakers who might be reading: when a loaf collapses as soon as it's released from its proofing basket after the final rise, does that mean it was overproofed?  I had 4 loaves going yesterday (a huge batch of bread for a class I'm taking).  Three formed beautifully and rose well in the oven, but the final one - which had to wait for oven time - collapsed into a sad flat frisbee as soon as it was out of its bowl.  I tucked it in on two sides to make it look like a long loaf, and it did spring up some in the oven, but it's still pretty flat compared to the earlier loaves.

 

 

I consoled myself with a new wine.  Not bad: a little light-bodied, but with enough petite syrah backbone to stand up to the chicken spices.

 

[Arey]

One of my recipes from King Arthur warns not to let the bread overproof or it will collapse. but will rise a little in the oven.

Maybe sticking it in the fridge while it was waiting to get into the oven, would have slowed down the rising so it wouldn't have collapsed.

Edited April 25, 2015 by Arey (log)

[Smithy]

Saturday evening, pretty forest, beautiful weather.  The campfire was laid but not lit.  We sat out, enjoying the energy and creativity of children in nearby campsites.  (One camp had run out of water and 'hired' the children from another camp to bring them water - one 1-gallon bottle at a time, a buck a bottle.  One little girl was using her scooter to speed the process.  As she rolled she sang a ditty about "I'm on my scooter with a bottle of water, and when I'm done I'm going to have a DOL-LAR!" with new lyrics at every pass.) Just as we lit the fire, a neighbor came by with a plate.  

 

"Do you like grilled chicken?" he asked.  Well, of course we did.  He looked relieved.  Their day's fishing had been so successful that they had cooked too much of the backup meal.

 

 

What a windfall! 

 

 

[rotuts]

sounds like you are in a wonderful place 

 

wonderful story.

Edited April 26, 2015 by rotuts (log)

[Smithy]

Eureka Springs, Arkansas is nestled deep in a valley in the Ozark Mountains, protected by twisty roads marked with signs like "steep grade, sharp curve, 20 mph" followed by "very steep grade, very sharp curve, 15 mph". The town began as a resort area during the Victorian era, and parts of it retain that over-a-century-old feel while the updated, newer developments sport touristy shops and ads for zip-lining. It is not a place for a large pickup to maneuver, much less park, but there is a trolley car near the top with adequate parking. I think one could eat oneself happily senseless given the variety of food places - everything from Mexican (reputedly very very good) to Tex-Mex to Jamaican to barbeque - there are many, many barbecue joints, and the locals tell me they're also very good.

At the edge of town closest to our campground sits the Bavarian Inn Restaurant and Resort. This place was established some 20-30 years ago by a pair of Czech immigrants, and German-Czech food is their specialty.

This young lady greets you just before you enter:

The interior is quiet and comfortable, and continues the Bavarian/Swiss motif. I'm afraid I can't show any interior photos. The greeter, who I think is one half of the founding couple, very firmly and emphatically said "no interior photos" when I asked. She doesn't trust the way photos get out on the internet and what they might be used for, and would not give me a chance to explain my purpose. So...if you want to see their food as they serve it or some interior shots, take a look at their web site.

We ordered wiener schnitzel and a sampler platter. The schnitzel was very nice, and the bratwurst on my sampler was probably the best bratwurst I've ever had: nice snap to the skin; well-balanced flavor; not too salty. The biggest surprise of the evening for me was the wine I selected:

This pleasantly dry Hungarian wine is worth seeking out: flavorful, well-balanced, and at 12% alcohol not the sort of wine to knock one flat. It probably isn't very expensive, either; it's one of their house by-the-glass wines, and the restaurant charges $16 for an entire bottle.

I can provide this wine photo because we were able to bring the bottle home. Their liquor license does not allow them to sell an unopened bottle, but diners can take the opened bottles home with them! (We are endlessly bemused by the variations in liquor laws from state to state - and in some cases, county to county.) I had already bought one glass of it and liked it. I ordered a bottle, had the waiter open it and pour me half a glass; the rest came home to be savored later.

We also brought home desserts: apple strudel and a lemon buttercream cake with raspberry filling.

They jealously guard their recipes. Two years ago at our last visit we were able to confirm that caraway and brown sugar go into their sauerkraut, and we've tweaked ours to suit since then, but it took a lot of wheedling to get that basic information. This time when we left, I asked whether she plans to write a cookbook when she finally retires. "Oh," she said, "there are all sorts of cookbooks that tell about German and Czech food. We carry some in our gift shop." Away I went, inspired; I came home with these:

I know already, however, that her very popular sauerkraut soup is not in there. I'll just have to start messing around to figure our what we like.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Bull's Blood has been a favorite wine of mine for many decades -- well, not to exaggerate, forty five years or so.  Sadly it seems to have gone downhill (to my taste) in recent times.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Smithy,

 

Thanks for the link to the Bavarian Inn Restaurant.

 

I love exploring restaurant's websites and reviews. They never fail to inspire me, although it can take some time for me to act on that inspiration.

[rotuts]

Im also a fan of BB.  I first had it at a hungarian rest. in Chicago in ....   probably at least a month before JNW   

 

and I didn't have to pay for it, a Professor from the school I was attending sent it over as a gift.  

 

a very nice guy.  wrote a very famous textbook at the time, so Im sure I actually paid for at least 1/2 glass.  and he had a Nobel Prize, so presumable could afford

 

the rest of the bottle.   all of the above is true 

 

BTW I took a look at the menu on-line

 

it would have been difficult for me to leave the place, maybe in a wheel-barrel  

Edited May 1, 2015 by rotuts (log)

[Shelby]

Oh, you've brought back some good memories for me.  I used to go to Tablerock Lake with my best friend and her family in the summertime.  We would always go into Eureka Springs and shop.  I learned how to water ski there.  

[Smithy]

Bull's Blood has been a favorite wine of mine for many decades -- well, not to exaggerate, forty five years or so.  Sadly it seems to have gone downhill (to my taste) in recent times.

 

Do you think the wine has gone downhill from all wineries that you've tried?  What was/is your preferred brand?

 

Your comment reminded me that Sangre de Toro was one of my early favorite red wines. At some point I lost my taste for it. After a quick search it appears that the blends differ by more than just language.  Hmm, a side by side wine tasting may be in order if I can get the Egri Bikaver at home: a Multicultural Bull's Blood taste test. I have my next party idea!

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Do you think the wine has gone downhill from all wineries that you've tried?  What was/is your preferred brand?

 

No, I don't think all wine has gone downhill, though as far as red wines I suspect there has been a change of style wherein wine these days is not made to be laid down for any length of time.

 

My everyday wine for the past few years has been Folonari Soave.

 

Now I'm wondering if I have any old bottles of BB hidden away somewhere.

[rotuts]

love to see a few pics of those ! the BB.

[Smithy]

So would I like to see those bottles, if you find them. Better still would be a report on their quality and age!

[suzilightning]

That's the plan, rotuts.   

 

 

suzilightning, you'd have gone crazy here yesterday.  We were downwind of the preparations for a major event today (stay tuned ) and from a half mile away the smells drifted to us.  Wonderful!  I wonder if pit bosses ever burn out on the smell?  Maybe I should ask.

 

Do you mean truly open pits?  I'd like to know more about that.

At the time 1982-83 YES!!!!  They truly were open pits that you could go out back and check out.  From what my feeble old mind can remember they were like cinder block and brick pits that had grates over top and used mesquite and lump charcoal.

 

And in Texarkana the churches were on the Texas side of Stateline Boulevard and the drive through liquor stores on the

Arkansas

Edited May 1, 2015 by suzilightning (log)

[andiesenji]

I don't drink alcohol myself but for those traveling through the southern part of New Mexico, I can recommend the St. Clair winery east of Deming.

When I used to visit my dad there, I would visit the winery and order wines shipped to friends and family.

The folks there are extremely friendly and helpful, throughly explaining the flavors - very important when I could not taste it myself.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

So would I like to see those bottles, if you find them. Better still would be a report on their quality and age!

 

 

I went spelunking.  Unfortunately no really old BB bottles left but I did find years 1992, 1997, 1998, and 2000.  I had been hoping I still had a bottle dating back to the Hungarian People's Republic for comparison.

 

Somewhere I have a scrapbook of old wine labels from the 1970's.

[SLB]

I admit, I'm missing Smithy's reports from camp.  

 

What prompted it was a recent [relatively famous] blogger's post about peanut-butter brownies with chocolate ganache as frosting; and then me thinking how totally entirely perfect those would be for hiking; then me organizing to make them before I go trekking in New Hampshire next weekend where I will otherwise dealing with freeze-dried drek; and then me remembering Smithy *burnin"* in the camper . . . sigh.  

 

Smithy, where are y'all heading next season?

[blue_dolphin]

I'm looking forward to hitting the road with Smithy, too - where ever we go, there is sure to be something good to eat!

[Porthos]

Yes, indeed. I am looking forward to new installments.

[Shelby]

I'm all packed up and ready to roll.     

 

*shelby adjusts her tiara (well, we are going princess style, you know)*

[rotuts]

Soooo

 

there will be a New Thread ?

[blue_dolphin]

I'm all packed up and ready to roll.     

 

*shelby adjusts her tiara (well, we are going princess style, you know)*

 

I find it best to keep my gear packed in its own traveling case and ready to go…..

 

I wear it whenever reading this thread.

 

(I'm sure this post should be deleted for silliness but I couldn't resist 

[Smithy]

Wow, thanks! Yes, we'll be heading south again in about a month. I'll try to see whether I can come up on a new spin that isn't just a rehash of our usual routine.