Som Tam

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Ingredients:

2 cups of shredded green papaya (or rutabaga)

2 T roasted peanuts (unsalted probably)

2 cloves of peeled garlic

1-2 small Thai chili (optional)

½ piece of palm sugar

7 cherry tomatoes

juice of ½ lime

1 ½ Tbs fish sauce

5-10 fresh green beans, cut into 1 inch sticks

Directions:

1.     Roughly crush peanuts with mortar/pestle. Set aside.

2.     Peel and shred the papaya. Soak strips in cold water while you prepare the rest

3.     Smash chilies, garlic and palm sugar with mortar/pestle. There should still be large bits and pieces- not a puree.

4.     Add peanuts and papaya and continue bashing, just enough for the papaya to soak up the flavors.

5.     Add tomatoes, beans, lime juice and fish sauce. Continue to bash, shifting mixture with spoon to mix. You aren’t trying to break up the ingredients too much, just enough to release the flavors.

Banana Cream Pie

• 1 (9 inch) pie crusts, baked
• 3 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 bananas

Directions:

1. 1
   Have baked 9-inch pie shell ready.
2. 2
   In a large saucepan, scald the milk.
3. 3
   In another saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt; gradually stir in the scalded milk.
4. 4
   Over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook until thickened.
5. 5
   Cover and, stirring occasionally, cook for two minutes longer.
6. 6
   In a small bowl, have the 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten, ready; stir a small amount of the hot mixture into beaten yolks; when thoroughly combined, stir yolks into hot mixture.
7. 7
   Cook for one minute longer, stirring constantly.
8. 8
   Remove from heat and blend in the butter and vanilla.
9. 9
   Let sit until lukewarm.
10. 10
    When ready to pour, slice bananas and scatter in pie shell; pour warm mixture over bananas.
11. 11
    If desired, make whipped cream.

Reliable Pie Crust

Great Grandma Stott's Never Fail Pastry (makes enough for one double-crust pie or two single-crust pies)

Mix together: 2.5 c flour

1 tsp salt

Cut in:

1 c shortening, until the mixture is part meal, part pea-sized.

To the side, combine:

1 T vinegar

0.5 c cold milk (maybe a touch more than 0.5)

After a few minutes pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir. Divide, roll out, etc.

Creme Brulee

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk

1/4 vanilla bean (split) or some vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoonish?)

3 egg yolks

1 whole egg

1/4 cup sugar

White sugar (brown sugar will catch on fire and make a real fine mess)

1. Preheat oven to 325 F

2. Combine heavy cream, milk (and vanilla bean if using) in sauce pan; heat to boil. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Scrape bean seeds into the milk mixture or add vanilla extract.

3. With an electric mixer, combine eggs and sugar. Add the milk mixture in a steady stream. (After fully blended, strain mixture through a fine strainer if you used the vanilla bean.)

4. Divide mixture into 4 ramekins. Set ramekins in baking dish and pour hot water around the ramekins so they are 1/2 submerged.

5. Place in center of oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until just set. Remove from oven and chill for several hours.

6. Set ramekin on a flame resistant surface (such as large cookie sheet). Cover top with white sugar and caramelize the top with torch, using a smooth motion working from outside towards the middle until golden brown.

foil wraps

i wanted to note down some ideas for different camping (or stove) foil dinners.. just keeping record for future use.. you can make all these ahead of time and take them out with you.

enchiladas.. tortillas w/ cooked chicken, etc, wrapped in foil

cooked apples- core apple, stuff with brown sugar and cinnimon, raisins and even oats.  wrapped and baked

breakfast - sausage, hashbrowns, peppers, onions.. not sure about some scrambled egg, and seems like the sausage ought to be cooked first..

chili cheese fries- frozen fries w/ chili on top with cheese. a baked potato would work too.. just heat up and eat

loaded baked potato -

dinner- sausage, potato cubes, grean beans.. spices?  sauce?

refrigerated cinnimon rolls, in a hollowed out orange peel.  yum.

grilled s'mors banana.. wrap in peel/foil, add choc and marshmellows after hot

apple crisp.. you know what time it is.

fish - a bit of oil, lemon pepper, s/p

Horchata sucess

I've had good and bad horchata, so I was worried it would be tough to get something that was satisfying.  This recipe did the trick.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/lolas-horchata/
Upgrades:
I used cream instead of milk and I put in a cinnamon stick with the rice overnight.  so tasty.

Rocky Bread

It's called Rocky bread because our friend, Rocky, made it up.  It's delicious and fast and has worked for us 2/2 times, which is a record.

Mix 4 c. warm water with 1 1/2 tbsp each of salt, yeast and sugar.  Let stand for 10 minutes.

Add flour to bowl, mixing with hands until dough no longer sticks to side of bowl,(approximately 8-10 c of white flour).

Let rise 1 hour, until double in size, split evenly into 3 loaves and baste loaves generously with melted butter.

Bake at 450 for 18-20 minutes until golden.  Baste with butter again.  Eat.