Camping, Princess Style

[rotuts]

your 'new' store looks wonderful.   I hope they succeed.

 

In general, for similar quality, how do their meat prices compare to your area's other markets ?

 

I see the FlapMeat is $ 7.49

 

does that cut look like whole sirloin tips or the fall that covers the 'prime rib' cuts ?

[Smithy]

I think the meat costs less per pound than in surrounding stores for the same apparent quality.  The ribeye we bought would easily cost $1 - 2 dollars more per pound.

 

That's a good question about the flap meat.  It wasn't at all like sirloin tips.  Honestly, I assumed it was akin to flank steak or plate steak, but it may have been too thin.  Are you saying it might have been peeled away from an inner cut?  That would make sense.  It was thin and very strongly grained with easy separation.  If I can find my photos of the unwrapped meat I'll post them for discussion.  

[rotuts]

Im very pleased you found this store

 

'flap meat' is a lot of things

 

I get whole sirloin 'tips'  as they are not tips unless cut up

 

they are full flavored, and fantastic vis SV either for an evening 'steak' or more often for me

 

as an eventual RoastBeef Sandwich.

 

there is a 'cap' on the prime rib section, and that's also referred to as 'flap meat'

 

it you pay big bucks for a truly Prime standing rib   : its one there.

 

if you get a 'rein-eye'  probably not prime, its taken off  many times.

 

if you go there again, and have some time, Id be very interested in the other meats they have

 

and next time  chicheron      take some home

 

Taco ? Burrito ?

 

it does not look like what I might get here which is deep fried.

 

lucky You.

 

! 

[Smithy]

Here's what the flap meat looked like after I'd seasoned it and before I started cutting:

 

The entire piece.  What do you think?  Is this sirloin tips before being cut?

 

Closeup of the texture

 

It was delicious meat.  If we get there again I'll take more photos and ask more questions.  Today at another market I saw a package of chicharróns and saw them translated as pork cracklings.  They were deep fried, dry (no doubt crispy) and packaged in a room temperature bag like potato chips.  Not the same treatment at all!  I had asked him about the meat and he'd said that sometimes he does beef and sometimes pork.  Our sample tasted beefy to me.  I agree they'd be wonderful in burritos, tacos, enchiladas, salads, or simply eaten out of hand.

 

[gfweb]

On 12/13/2015 at 2:17 PM, Smithy said:

We finally found weather nice enough to make cooking outside pleasant, and set up the camp stove for the event.  Way back in Alabama, an excellent grocery store meat clerk convinced us that - despite our small shopping list and still-full refrigerator - we needed to check out some of the local products.  We had come away with 2 types of sausage, both made within 50 miles of our location, and a bottle of "Southern Seasoning" that she assured us carried the flavor of true Alabama-style barbecue.  

 

 

I can't say we've been excited about the seasoning blend, but the sausage has been good.  The DeRamus sausage is long gone.  Now we opened the Conecuh to make hash out on the camp stove. There isn't anything elegant about this meal, but it's good camping comfort food.

 

 

 

By the light of the lantern we sipped our beer, enjoyed the clear skies, and gave the pan contents an occasional turn:

 

 

Those of you who followed along last year may remember that DH never thought the potatoes crisp enough; the eGullet consensus here seemed to be that the pan was too crowded to get proper crisping.  We've had a running disagreement since then about how many potatoes and onions to cook for two people: he wants the pan filled to capacity, to maximize leftovers; I want enough space to be able to spread and turn the contents.  I won this time.

 

 

He complained that there wasn't enough, but the texture was just right.

 

 

 

get a bigger pan!

[Lisa Shock]

I don't know how much room you have, but, at home when I make a hash, I will brown onions alone then transfer them to a separate pan or dish and hold them warm until the end, when I toss everything together just to mix. I have done this with several ingredients in various hashes, cooking each item on its own allows a lot more control. You don't need a separate holding container for each item, I usually use the serving bowl that everything will eventually wind up in anyway.

[Smithy]

On 12/19/2015 at 9:46 PM, gfweb said:

 

get a bigger pan!

 

How practical! 
 

Here is the pan that we use, stored in our largest trailer drawer:

 

I guess the drawer could accommodate something larger, but here is that skillet on the stove:

 

 

The green thing is a ruler, for (heh) scale.

 

We used to visit friends at their former resort in the Canadian bush.  They no longer ran the resort but still spent their summers on the lake and cooked with their original resort equipment.  Shore lunch, usually with the day's fish and with potatoes and onions from the garden, was a standard dinner.  The skillet was big enough to fry fish and potatoes for a dozen people at once, and when the cooking was done the cleanup was easy: pour the grease onto the fire and douse the skillet in the lake. We'd both love to have a pan like that, but have no idea where we'd put it.  Anything much bigger than we already have, and I'd be posting to the Cleaning things that don't fit in your sink topic.

 

There is also the problem of Leftovers Discipline: the more leftovers we have, the less discipline we exert.  Something's gotta give - either the size of our servings, or our waistbands.  

 

Edited December 20, 2015 by Smithy
Added forgotten issue about sink size... (log)

[Smithy]

23 hours ago, Lisa Shock said:

I don't know how much room you have, but, at home when I make a hash, I will brown onions alone then transfer them to a separate pan or dish and hold them warm until the end, when I toss everything together just to mix. I have done this with several ingredients in various hashes, cooking each item on its own allows a lot more control. You don't need a separate holding container for each item, I usually use the serving bowl that everything will eventually wind up in anyway.

 

Thanks for that suggestion, Lisa.  On this particular occasion we dumped everything in at once, but we usually chop things separately and add them in stages: potatoes first, then onions when the potatoes are almost done, then the pre-cooked sausage when the onions have nearly sweated.  We use separate containers for each item until it's thrown in, but serve from the skillet.  Your method would save the 'mise' dishes but require a separate serving bowl.  It sounds like it would take the guesswork out of exactly when the potatoes are 'almost done' enough to add the onions, and so on.  I'll try that next time.

[Smithy]

Another Tucson visit was to the wonderful Babylon Market.  I've posted about them before, here. We stopped there for lunch and to make a few purchases, trying not to get too crazy because we hope to be back in a few months.  For lunch we selected beef shawarma for him, chicken shawarma for me, and tabbouleh for later.

 

 

His beef was good; I preferred my chicken.  He isn't crazy about the spices typically added to chicken shawarma, so I see trips like this as a chance to get something I greatly like without having him give me the fisheye for contaminating his food.

 

 

This time, in addition to the warm spices (allspice, a touch of cinnamon perhaps) there was an extra tangy ingredient that really surprised me and made the wrap special.  You can see it at the left of the sandwich interior.  I had to go back inside and ask about it and tell them how much I liked it.

 

The tabbouleh was delightfully bright, flavorful and lemony.  The pink strip, shown more clearly in the tabbouleh, is what I had to ask about.  Any guesses about what it is?

 

We picked up a few boxes of the Greenland feta cheese mentioned in my earlier postd.  Here's the rest of our haul:

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Thanks for taking us back to the Babylon Market and on the rest of your adventures, Smithy.

 

Could the mystery pink ingredient be pickled turnip colored with beet?

[rotuts]

what does one do with the dried limes ? and how does one use them ?

 

is the jar next to the limes lemon peel , in a jar ?

 

is the mustard oil hot ?

 

Ill have to make a list and go on a hunt for these three things.

[blue_dolphin]

8 hours ago, Smithy said:

This time, in addition to the warm spices (allspice, a touch of cinnamon perhaps) there was an extra tangy ingredient that really surprised me and made the wrap special.  You can see it at the left of the sandwich interior.  I had to go back inside and ask about it and tell them how much I liked it.

 

The tabbouleh was delightfully bright, flavorful and lemony.  The pink strip, shown more clearly in the tabbouleh, is what I had to ask about.  Any guesses about what it is?

 

I'm guessing the pink stuff is prickly pear fruit.  Tipped off by @FauxPas's great post about the Desert Rain Cafe.  

 

By the way, @Smithy, I am amazed at the meals you turn out in your mobile kitchen - lots of creativity going on there!

Edited December 20, 2015 by blue_dolphin (log)

[ElsieD]

I'm with Thanks for the Crepes.  I used to get sandwiches from a place that used to put pickled turnip on them.  Loved the stuff.

[Lisa Shock]

16 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

Thanks for that suggestion, Lisa.  On this particular occasion we dumped everything in at once, but we usually chop things separately and add them in stages: potatoes first, then onions when the potatoes are almost done, then the pre-cooked sausage when the onions have nearly sweated.  We use separate containers for each item until it's thrown in, but serve from the skillet.  Your method would save the 'mise' dishes but require a separate serving bowl.  It sounds like it would take the guesswork out of exactly when the potatoes are 'almost done' enough to add the onions, and so on.  I'll try that next time.

The other added benefit is that new ingredients aren't adding moisture back into things that were crisp and will now get soggy. Like, I used to fry up some potatoes (cooked or raw) with herbs until crispy, then add some raw onion (because if I cooked onion first it disappeared into nothing), then finish by tossing some eggs in to scramble. By the time I was done, the browned potatoes were no longer crisp. Now, I cook the onions, set them aside, cook the potatoes til crispy, set them aside, then turn down/off the heat and quickly scramble eggs. Then I just toss the onion potato mix back for a minute, flip a few times and serve. Getting the water out of the onion early really helps, as does cooking the egg separately. If you want to cook other items, like sausage, or peppers, cook them before the potatoes which should always be last except when eggs are also involved. (because the potatoes have some moisture inside and will make themselves less crispy, plus, they act like sponges) Yes, ditch the mise bowls, you can go from cutting board to pan. Then, it's pan to serving bowl, or another pan/pot. Hope this helps!

[Smithy]

@Thanks for the Crepes and @ElsieD, you got it.  In fact, the mystery ingredient is pickled turnip.  It never occurred to me to wonder why it's pink - well, I wondered but I didn't ask; I just assumed turnip would turn that color when pickled.  I didn't buy any this trip but I intend to next trip, and then I can report on the coloring.

 

@rotuts, the stuff in one jar is a "Bengali Lemon Pickle" packed by the Shan Company.  The list of ingredients says "Fruits & Vegetables (Mango & Lemon) 55%, Sunflower Oil, Mixed Spices, Salt, Acetic Acid, Citric Acid.  Contains: Mustard."  Not very detailed, is it?  Last time we came through we picked up a jar of Arabic Pickle (that contained green mango, as I recall) and thought it delightful.  Babylon Market had many choices of pickle, but not that one; I picked this.  I'll report later on it.

 

I've read many times about the virtues of dried limes - they feature heavily in Persian cuisine, as I recall - but I confess this was an impulse buy and I have no firm plans.  I'll be soliciting ideas after the holidays!  Same thing goes for the mustard oil.  I have read about it here in eGullet, way back when, but it was a new opportunity.  For a couple of bucks I figured I could try it.  I'll report later.

 

@blue_dolphin, thank you very much for the compliments!  That's high praise, considering what comes out of your kitchen.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

17 hours ago, rotuts said:

what does one do with the dried limes ? and how does one use them ?

 

is the jar next to the limes lemon peel , in a jar ?

 

is the mustard oil hot ?

 

Ill have to make a list and go on a hunt for these three things.

I, too would love to hear ideas about the dried limes. I was in the local Mediterranean (such a bear to spell for me) grocery yesterday and ran across many of the same items depicted in Smithy's post, including those little dried citrus, only I thought the ones I saw were lemons.

 

I picked up extra course bulgur. They offer at least five different grinds from extra fine to the extra course I got. I also got Sadaf brand "unpelted" wheat for sprouting, and am looking forward to that experiment, as well as soaking it for inclusion in breads because it looks like wheat berries to me.

 

They also have home-baked lovely breads. Last time I got a great version of pide that was pointed on both ends. It's leavened with yeast, as is the "Family Bread" I picked up yesterday which printed out on the receipt as "lavash". I looked up "lavash" on Google, and it seems to be usually unleavened, but the version I have is round, a weench over 12" in diameter and contains flour, water, salt, yeast and calcium proprionate. Not real crazy about the last ingredient, but the bread is fantastic. There are four pieces in the 17 oz. package, so it's pretty thin. Like really, really good flour tortillas on steroids.

 

I also got some Sadaf citric acid just because I could. Now I have to figure out what to do with that.

Edited December 21, 2015 by Thanks for the Crepes (log)

[Lisa Shock]

I have seen the whole dried limes used in stews.

 

The ground ones, I occasionally grind a bit finer in a mortar and pestle and then use in a basic under-the-skin rub for roast chicken. (butter, salt, pepper, paprika, chopped parsley, crushed garlic, dried limes - black lemon)

[Smithy]

One more Tucson post, for now.  We went to visit Old Tucson, which is a movie set/movie museum/amusement park of sorts.  If you've ever watched the original "Wild, Wild West", "The High Chapparal", "The Big Valley", "Bonanza", "The Little House on the Prairie" or almost any John Wayne movie, you've seen something filmed at Old Tucson.  The place was set up in 1939 (IIRC) and was used for movie shooting for many years; there was a bad fire in the mid-1990's, but they've rebuilt where necessary and have museums with mementos that did not burn in the fire.  They still shoot movies there: 3 this year, and 3 scheduled for next year. They have at least one 'living museum' sort of person, who does leatherwork - keeping the tack in shape for the horses that draw wagons through town, and keeping costumes in order.  She enjoyed telling us about their research to be true to the time of a particular show, and how those in the know enjoy catching anachronisms in movie costumes. 

 

You can see fairly well documented information about the history of the Wild West, along with replicas or original artifacts.  There's some wonderful Indian beadwork and jewelry associated with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and Chief Sitting Bull.  Now I can't remember whether any of it came from the characters in question or from that time, but it's impressive either way.  You can see costumes and posters from TV shows and movies shot there. You can visit a railroad museum with a telegraph (try your hand at Morse Code here, pick up the message there) and photos of early mining camps in the area.

 

It's an interesting place to wander, and it has its share of kitsch.  Instead of stop signs where visitors should not trespass, they have signs like "Whoa, Pardner!" They have a Saloon/Dance Hall where the performers are presumably earning their chops for careers dancing or singing.  They're pretty good, but tend to overact.  There are staged shootouts and skits on the streets.  

 

The staff try to steer you in the direction to see said shootouts, with a caution to 'be careful'.  We wandered through the Chinese Alley and were warned, after we got through (with nobody in sight) that we were lucky to get through without trouble.  Darn, I'd been hoping to find someone to explain the exotic (fake) foods in the market stalls. The gentleman telling us that was trying to get us to come pan for gold.

 

Some of the places are shops where you can buy merchandise, food or drink, but others are show pieces.  We were taken with their 'winery' and liquor store.

 

The sign below made us wonder whether some of the product really does go to the places in question (all of which are real food and drink vendors there) but we suspect it was more for show; the ramp didn't seem really set up for regular commerce.

 

We wandered around trying to decide where to eat.  There was a pizza place with some excellent-looking sandwiches, wings and the like.

 

In the end, we went for Big Jake's.

 

 

At first we assumed that the restaurant was supposed to belong to John Wayne, but as we wandered and looked we learned that "Big Jake" is the name of the smoker.  Maybe it was named for a John Wayne character.

 

 

At any rate, we do love our 'cue and smoked meats, so in we went.  We settled on a sampler platter to share.

 

 

This monster plate included 2 sausages, enough brisket for a meal in itself, a half-rack of ribs, cole slaw and a biscuit.  It was more than even two of us should have managed, but we tried.  My picture of the ribs didn't do them justice (too blurry).  They were maybe a touch too chewy, but the bones came out dry and the flavor was excellent.  The brisket was perfect even before adding sauce, and the sausage was the stuff we'd love to learn to make. We took home leftovers.  I don't remember whether they lasted the night.

 

We waddled back home to our campsite and took a roundabout route so that the mile's walk came closer to 2 miles.  It wasn't enough to offset the calories, but it was an enjoyable walk.

 

 

Edited December 21, 2015 by Smithy
Spelling and clarification that Chinese 'food' was fake (log)

[Smithy]

Quote

49 minutes ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

I picked up extra course bulgur. They offer at least five different grinds from extra fine to the extra course I got. I also got Sadaf brand "unpelted" wheat for sprouting, and am looking forward to that experiment, as well as soaking it for inclusion in breads because it looks like wheat berries to me.

 

They also have home-baked lovely breads. Last time I got a great version of pide that was pointed on both ends. It's leavened with yeast, as is the "Family Bread" I picked up yesterday which printed out on the receipt as "lavash". I looked up "lavash" on Google, and it seems to be usually unleavened, but the version I have is round, a weench over 12" in diameter and contains flour, water, salt, yeast and calcium proprionate. Not real crazy about the last ingredient, but the bread is fantastic. There are four pieces in the 17 oz. package, so it's pretty thin. Like really, really good flour tortillas on steroids.

 

I also got some Sadaf citric acid just because I could. Now I have to figure out what to do with that.

 

@Thanks for the Crepes, that sounds like really good bread.  

 

I'm fond of making tabbouleh with bulgur - usually I go for a middle grind instead of the most coarse, but I've been known to use anything.  Do you have something in mind for that grind?

 

Your citric acid sounds like a good seasoning where you don't happen to have (or want) liquid lemon juice.  Doesn't Sadaf provide interesting things? 

[Smithy]

8 hours ago, Lisa Shock said:

I have seen the whole dried limes used in stews.

 

The ground ones, I occasionally grind a bit finer in a mortar and pestle and then use in a basic under-the-skin rub for roast chicken. (butter, salt, pepper, paprika, chopped parsley, crushed garlic, dried limes - black lemon)

 

Thanks, @Lisa Shock.  Black lemon?

Edited December 21, 2015 by Smithy
Added 'mention' (log)

[Shelby]

I love reading your adventures

 

THAT is a plate of BBQ.  Looks good!

[Lisa Shock]

7 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

Thanks, @Lisa Shock.  Black lemon?

 

Synonym for dried lime. Thought it might help you to search for recipes.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

23 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

I'm fond of making tabbouleh with bulgur - usually I go for a middle grind instead of the most coarse, but I've been known to use anything.  Do you have something in mind for that grind?

 

Your citric acid sounds like a good seasoning where you don't happen to have (or want) liquid lemon juice.  Doesn't Sadaf provide interesting things? 

 

I was just going to cook up the bulgur with some broth and serve it hot as a side dish like our local excellent Turkish restaurant does. I like the coarse texture.

 

Yes, our little store carries quite a range of spices by Sadaf. I need to carry a notepad with me next time so I can research some of the stuff next time and go back and buy it later with some idea of how to use it. I was intrigued by an herbal dried mix of parsley, cilantro and something else I'd never heard of.

 

I love tart flavor, so I'm certain I can find good uses for my citric acid. Salad dressing? At any rate it's a new ingredient to play with, and I delight in that.

 

Old Tuscon sounds like a fun place to spend the day, and the BBQ looks mouthwatering. Thanks for taking the time to share the experience with us.

 

[Smithy]

 

 

The Salton Sea: largest lake in California, important stopover for migratory birds, yet many (even nearby Southern California residents) don't know it exists.  The annual Pelican Days Festival is intended to help remedy that, and by accident we arrived to camp there in time to participate.  Last year's events had included a tour of the Oasis Date Gardens (who rarely offer tours) and a wagon-ride tour of another desert area that included a chuckwagon dinner.  Both tours had sold out before I could sign up.  This year, my hopes of a culinary education were dashed again: the tours weren't offered.  The culinary fun arose from a chance meeting.

 

I met a couple on a birding walk who had also discovered the festival by accident.  Their English accents caught my ear; their lively interest and good humor held my attention.  They were touring the Southwestern USA on a 3-month holiday, having rented a small camping van.  They had stayed at several of the same places we had, dodging or inconvenienced by the same wet, cold effects of El Niño. We conversed a few times during the day. That evening I came home to our trailer contemplating a dinner party. I gave the trailer a long-overdue cleaning, pulled chicken from the freezer, mixed a marinade, found some things I'd been saving for a special occasion. If they didn't come over, we'd still benefit.  Sometimes it takes a special incentive for me to do housework.

 

I saw them again the next afternoon, and as we talked I hoped they were getting the same good vibe I was.  "Would you like to come over for dinner with us?" I asked. "We're 2 campgrounds down." "Really?" they said, "that would be brilliant!"  I asked careful questions, wondering whether I sounded considerate or neurotic.  Were they vegetarians?  Did they have any food allergies?  Did they have problems with dogs or cats?  They tended toward vegetarian meals but were not firm on it and had no issues with chicken; the rest of the answers were all 'no'.  We made our plans to meet later that evening, and I gave directions to our campsite.

 

5:00 came, Anne and Glyn came, and Russ and I laughed when we recognized their van by its distinctive rock 'n' roll paint job, not at all what we'd expect of a rented van.  We'd noticed it at Death Valley only the previous week. We  poured drinks and gave a quick tour of our trailer.  The grill was lit, the conversation and laughter blossomed.

 

I have no photos of the evening.  These pictures are either from previous posts or from the evening's  leftovers.  Dinner that night included specialty California and Minnesota items, things I'd been saving for a special occasion, and food I knew I could cook without disaster.

 

Drinks:

• Shock Top beer or Tecate for those of the beer persuasion
• Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc, nicely chilled, that I'd been saving for a special occasion
• Water, of course, knowing that someone had to drive later

 

First course:

• Fresh green salad of good lettuce and spinach from the nearby Imperial Valley (source of much of our winter produce) and cherry tomatoes from somewhat farther south
• Optional garnishes of grilled artichoke hearts in olive oil; my favorite central California (Lindsay Naturals) green ripe olives; and croutons (from a bag)
• Vinaigrette of Meyer lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and a few herbs - for those who liked garlic and lemon
• Bottled Caesar dressing - for those who didn't (there were no takers)
• Warm sourdough bread - my garlic rosemary olive oil sourdough, along with the commercially-produced sourdough after which mine is modeled

 

As we ate and talked, skewers of meat and vegetables were cooking on the grill outside. The main course:

• Boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat grilled after marinating in yogurt with spices, loosely based on @Shel_B's recipe
• Grilled red bell pepper and onion
• more bread
• Pilaf using some of last summer's wild rice (photo shows fresh package and leftovers from the party)

 

Dessert:

• Medjool dates filled with walnuts, purchased recently and saved for a special occasion
• Coffee brewed in the Keurig pod coffee-maker I'd given my darling for Christmas (for the first time I appreciated its value: each of us could pick a flavor)
• Chenin blanc, or cognac, or coffee spiked if people wished

 

 

The conversation flowed as freely as the food; it's a gauge of fun that our evening started at 5 p.m. and went something past 11.  When they left, one forgot a sweater - which gave me a reason to go visit the next day without seeming a pest.  What could have been a short visit lasted easily another half hour.  We've all moved on to different locations, but we may be able to connect again before they return home.  If not - well, we have an invitation to Devon!

 

There's a certain social risk involved in having strangers over for dinner.  Suppose you don't like each other after all?  Suppose they don't like the food, or someone has an unexpected allergic reaction, or a violent disagreement breaks out over the pronunciation of 'tomato'?  Isolation is even easier during extended travels like ours: faces pass by, yet connections are rare.  I'm glad we didn't let those 'supposes' keep us from a fun evening and a new friendship.            

 

 

                                  

[Anna N]

Beautiful pictures. Lovely story so well told. Thank you for sharing both with me and with your guests.