By Keith Fisher
Now that the holiday is over, It’s time to get into your backyard and do some serious cooking. The weather has been great where I live, and for those in Warmer climates, I can hear the call of the camp cook. Can you hear it? It sounds like the clang of a cast iron lid placed on the pot.
Cold weather can make things harder, but it’s not impossible to cook marvelous meals in your backyard or campground. In fact, I’d like to invite you to check out these pictures. They were taken at a Dutch oven cook off called Klondike.
Now that the holiday is over, It’s time to get into your backyard and do some serious cooking. The weather has been great where I live, and for those in Warmer climates, I can hear the call of the camp cook. Can you hear it? It sounds like the clang of a cast iron lid placed on the pot.
Cold weather can make things harder, but it’s not impossible to cook marvelous meals in your backyard or campground. In fact, I’d like to invite you to check out these pictures. They were taken at a Dutch oven cook off called Klondike.
In 2002 I organized this cook off as a challenge for Dutch oven cooks. That first year, it was 9 degrees when we started cooking. By afternoon, it had warmed up to a tropical 20 degrees. We had cold extremities, but the food was world class.
The cooks found it hard to keep butter from freezing. One team wiped a table top with a wet wash cloth and left the rag on the table. When they came back moments later, the cloth had frozen to the table. Another year, I saw ice being scraped from a marble bread board.
In 2003 someone else directed and me and my wife won. This cook off continued in front of Sportsman’s Warehouse in Provo, Utah for six years. Due to time constraints I wasn’t able to direct the cook off last year, but this year, well stay tuned.
The pictures will show that great looking, great tasting food can be prepared in adverse conditions. I’m sure you will be invited to dozens of Christmas parties this year. Just think of the praise you’ll get if you show up to the potluck with a Dutch oven full of good food, cooked in your backyard. It will be all the better if you had to shovel snow to make room for your Dutch oven table.
I think it’s contest time again. Come back next time and get the details about how you can win a Lodge chuck wagon dinner bell. The outdoor symphony continues . . .
Return to the Neighborhood.
4 comments:
I know for a fact that many people missed the 2007 Klondike Cook-Off. I have heard many tall tales of Klondike's of the past. I do hope you continue the tradition.
I noticed Jon Larson in one of your pictures. Jon allowed us to do our Last Chance Cook-Off at the Midvale store a couple of weeks ago. I was hoping you would have been one of our judges.
Speaking of judges... I've heard rumor that there is some big World competition coming up in a few months and someone has been looking for someone like you to possibly judge. Interesting how those rumors come about...
Ranes
=0)
I would be happy to judge. sorry we missed the other one. send me an email with your phone number.
Yeah Jon is a great guy. as is Blaine Murray. I went to him in 2001 with a sponsorship proposal he offered to give me a Dutch oven and I said no you don't understand, I want to do it in front of your store. the rest is history. Sportsman's love the idea and it opened the door for a great partnership with them.
and by the way, the tall tales are all true.
Those cakes are beautiful! How do you get them out of the oven while maintaining their shape?
Are you going to do a Klondike in January? This weekend would have been a perfect weekend to watch fruits and veggies freeze on the cutting board!
=0)
Post a Comment