Newsletter

Topic:  ASH CAKE COOKING

Food takes on a whole new meaning in the wilderness, and generally a whole new taste as well. Most people will eat things in the wilderness that they wouldnot even consider eating at home. Food that is burnt and hard or even cold seems appealing to them. And why not? It's different, most generally, unusual In taste and texture. Many times it even looks disgusting to some. Think how  many campers seem to long for bacon and eggs cooked over an open fire, in a  cast   iron skillet. Granola bars are good, and easy to pack, but lack that special taste that seems to say "hhmmmm, camp cooked'. In this letter I will be writing about different cooking methods, some easy and some a little unique. all work well. The photographs you are seeing show bread being baked on a hardwood stick and Ash cakes cooked in a pile of hot coals.

The above photos show the baking of bread being baked on a stick. When baking bread in this manner it will prove to be easier, if a forked stick is driven into ground and the baking stick is set in the fork. This method will allow easy rotation of the bread.This also provides bread that is more uniformly cooked. I have a tendency to over cook most foods, including my breads. If bread becomes a bit dark, simply scrape off the over cooked areas. It is possible to cook this bread into a golden brown and tasty treat. your baking stick should be made of hardwood and dry. Avoid resinous woods as they will impart an undesirable taste to bread

These photos show ash cakes being set directly onto the hot coals for cooking. This method will always burn the outer layer of the bread. This is not a problem for some people. The ash will wipe off the bread and the parts that become burnt can be scraped or cut away. Or you can simply break open and eat the bread inside. I like these cakes. Always, use only hardwoods for the fire and let burn to a bed of coals. By adding sugar and, or a touch of cinnamon the bread is a special treat. Kids love the taste of this bread.

As you can see in these photos, the bread is being cooked on aluminum foil and on a hardwood slab. both methods tend to keep ash and burning to a minimum. The bread likes to stick to the aluminum but I have discovered that a thin layer of flour seems to help and minimizes sticking. I must again stress, use only hardwoods. A flat thin rock that has a fire built on it is also a great cooking platform.The rock will hold heat a very long time. Build a large fire. Find a clean flat rock and set the rock on the fire. Place hardwood onto the top of rock. The wood will burn and heat the rock. Brush coals to the side, so a clean area is exposed in center of rock and place bread dough on rock. let bake until firm, then rotate often for even baking. I have baked potatoes in the same fashion.