From: gt3930b@prism.gatech.EDU (NICHOLS,STEVEN MALCOLM)
Newsgroups: rec.backcountry
Subject: Dutch Oven Summary
Keywords: dutch oven cooking, cookbooks
Date: 24 Jul 92 18:53:18 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

I want to thank everyone who replied to my question about using dutch
ovens in the backcountry; I got quite a few replies.  The replies
fell into roughly two categories: recommendations for dutch oven
cookbooks, and dutch oven cooking tricks.

Dutch Oven Books
================
>From dadams@cherry.cray.com Mon Jul 20 11:21:16 1992
>I have the book, "Dutch Oven Cooking", by Dick Stuki, which book I really
>like.  It has a lot of good recipes, good advice on care of cast iron,
>tips on making a nice camping kitchen etc.  I recomend the book. 

"Dutch Oven Cookin'", Stucki, $8.95, ISBN 0-317-93166-0

>From blazekm@a.cs.okstate.edu Mon Jul 20 20:40:40 1992
>I have a wonderful book, _Cast Iron Cookbook_, by Hester Harris, 1969, 
>Nitty Gritty Productions, Concord, Ca. ISBN 0-911954-04-X
>It is probably not in print anymore, but it has great recipes for all types 
>of cast iron cooking, dutch ovens included.

I checked "Books in Print" and this does seem to be out of print, though I
did come across a book entitled "Cast Iron Cooking", by A. D. Livingston,
ISBN 1-55821-115-2.  I don't know anything about it.

>From jmcc@ticipa.pac.sc.ti.com Tue Jul 21 09:43:39 1992
> The BSA advertises and sells a small booklet (70 pages) called
>"Dutch Oven Cooking" by John G. Ragsdale, published by Lone Star Books
>out of Houston.  It seems to be an excellent resource and includes tips
>on selecting, seasoning and cleaning, as well as recipes.
>Happy eating,
>John McCollum
 
>I picked up a dutch oven cook-book from my local Boy Scout supply store.
>It has a lot of info as to use and maintenance of the oven, even though it
>is a rather small book ( relatively low price too ).  The oven is excellent

"Dutch Oven Cooking", Ragsdale, $4.95, ISBN 0-88415-224-3.  There were quite
a few replies endorsing this book, I only included two.

Finally, one more book which I know nothing about:
"Dutch Oven Secrets", Hopkins, 0-88290-372-1, $8.95.


Dutch Oven Tricks
=================

If you got the cast iron one, I'd suggest "seasoning" it - wipe down the inside
with peanut oil, leave a little in the bottom of the dutch oven, and then place it
in a warm oven for a while to let the iron soak up the oil - makes it easier to
clean later.

Regardless of which type you've bought, lining it with aluminum foil makes the
darn things easier to clean - usually don't use it myself though, especially on canoe
trips. 

Other than that, I guess the things I usually find are:
	- The top (of a cast iron one - the aluminum one warped) works fine
	  for a griddle for pancakes, eggs, burgers, etc - leave the fry pan at
	  home.

	- I find that the following sequence of events works best for my
	  baking endevours (pies, cakes, cobblers):
		- build a fire with the goal of having a warm ground & some
		  good coals after the flames have died down
		- clear the ground where the fire was and set the dutch oven
		  on that.  It should stay hot enough for quite a while
		- place some coals on top of the cover - not too many as it is
		  suprisingly easy to burn the tops of things
		- keep some coals/logs close to the sides to keep the heat even

I've used dutch ovens for 10+ years - we basically figure if you can cook it in
a stove with out much difficulty, you should be able to do it in a dutch oven.
We've done pies, cookies, brownies, cakes, cobblers, turnovers, breads - usually
just borrow mom's Fanny Farmer cookbook and see what looks good.

You may want to check out "Camper Kitchen's" for long distance things.  The dutch
ovens are a bit much for a long haul - the CK is sort of like a miny version of
a dutch oven - local Boy Scouts / High Adventure should be able to tell you where
to take a look at them.

bon eating dude

rick


From eugene@nas.nasa.gov Tue Jul 21 13:58:21 1992

Just about anything, great stuff.  Brownies, gingerbread, etc.

From: smmyers@pbhyg.PacBell.COM (... .. ...)

In article <1992Jul20.224125.24856@src.dec.com> reimer@src.dec.com (Dean Reimer) writes:
>I use to bury the dutch oven under the fire before I started it.  You can bake
>apple pies, cakes, ect.
>
>Dean

     Don't forget Backcountry Pizza.  Mmmmmm.
Sean

From jamesc@scotch.nic.ddn.mil Tue Jul 21 17:44:04 1992

I picked up a dutch oven cook-book from my local Boy Scout supply store.
It has a lot of info as to use and maintenance of the oven, even though it
is a rather small book ( relatively low price too ).  The oven is excellent
for cooking, but awfully hard to pack -- it's better for a base camp.
A small one can be made using three pie tins. It would be packable but
not as good as an iron one.

As for cooking, almost anything that can be cooked in a home oven can be
adapted to a dutch oven.  Anything from apple cobbler to fried chicken.

On a side note, we've made a simple oven in the field by using a plain
cardboard box, grill, and coals.  Use it once, then burn the oven :-)
`
Jim Camp
jamesc@scotch.nic.ddn.mil

From: johnf@Auspex.COM (John Fereira)

One of the best backcountry meals I've ever had was done through the use
of an "oven" this guy made.  We were sitting around camp after a long day
of stream fishing and this guy grabs a cook pot and, without a word walks
away from camp.  A little while later he came back with the pot full of
ripe blackberries.  The he went off in a different direction with his "Rambo
knife" and came back with a handful of "green" sticks.  He wrapped the sticks
with aluminum foil, tied them together to form a shelf and cover and then 
covered the whole thing with aluminum foil and pushed it up near the fire.  
Then he mixed up some bisquick and poured it and the berries in a shallow
pan.  He put the pan in the "oven" and after 10 minutes or so he had a
cobbler with a golden brown crust.  We didn't say a word the whole time the
was doing this.  We just watched and when we saw the results we just looked
at each other and grabbed a cookpot and headed down to the berry bush.  Yummm.

I've also made an oven by taking two identical folding backpack grills and put 
one on top of the other and then covered the whole thing with aluminum foil.
Get one of those little six-packs of biscuits and put them in a pan and put it
in the oven.  After a few minutes they turn a golden brown.    


From teshima@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu Thu Jul 23 01:48:17 1992

My husband said he'd always take a dutch oven with him when he as in
the scouts, and he said his favorite recipe was for pizza (no
kidding). He says it was the best, and always, without fail, had all
the other scoutlings drooling! I can get the recipe for you if you
wish.


From mailrus!sharkey!caen!plex-1!caen!sharkey!mailrus!uunet!bellcore!troy.cc.bellcore.com!mpb@gatech.gatech.edu Thu Jul 23 10:12:03 1992

The only two things you have to be careful with are:

1) Keep the oven WELL oiled.  It will RUST badly if you don't keep
a layer of oil on it.  (Vegitable oil is best, but I usually use
oleo, or even PAM.)  My Son's Asst. Scoutmasters insist on burning
everything out of the oven, in some cases they've actually gotten
the oven to glow!  They look nice when they come out of the fire,
but the following month they wonder why they are covered with rust.
I've gotta talk to them about that.

2) Don't use soap or brillo pads when cleaning.  The soap, I've been told,
will soak into the pores of the oven and will come out the next N times
you use the oven.  The brillo is bad because it scratches off the
patina that should be developed to keep the oven from rusting and
food from sticking.

Most of the above only applies to CAST IRON Dutch Ovens, with Al. you
don't have as much to worry about (other than Alzhiemer's).

Check out Herman's or other Sporting Goods stores, they should have
some books that cover Camp Cookery, and usually include a few pages
on Dutch Ovens.


Marc Bunz


From: ajs@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Alan Silverstein)
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 21:46:41 GMT
Subject: Re: Leather Boot Care / Welt Protection
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA