Virgin East Bay Playa Chef

[Impatience]

I'm a 42 year old fat computer nerd who defies the commonly-held BM hippie/raver stereotype in many ways. I like that most Burners would agree that stereotypes suck.

Originally from Texas, now living in Castro Valley, CA. Hoping to participate and gift in many ways, including my favorite hobby: gourmet cooking.

[JDCookMS]

Hey! Welcome to eplaya.

Make certain that you read the Survival Guide http://www.burningman.com/preparation/event_survival/ as it has A LOT of useful information for people. Oh and an extreme no-brainer, check out the stuff here on the forum as there is A LOT of useful information that you just can't find elsewhere. Also, please remember that the search button is your friend.

What cuisine do you enjoy cooking?

But, welcome to the forum and hope to see you out on the playa!

[lemur]

welcome!!

youll find that there are many cool things happening with food at burning man if you look hard enough

cooking is the thing i do most out there and it is totally fun.

hope ya have a fun burn and welcome to eplaya

[Impatience]

Hey! Welcome to eplaya.

Make certain that you read the Survival Guide http://www.burningman.com/preparation/event_survival/ as it has A LOT of useful information for people. Oh and an extreme no-brainer, check out the stuff here on the forum as there is A LOT of useful information that you just can't find elsewhere. Also, please remember that the search button is your friend.

Good ideas! Done, doing it now and will do! Thanks!

What cuisine do you enjoy cooking?

I like to borrow from all cuisines, but have strong tendencies towards French and Northern California. Alice Waters, Jacques Pepin, Tony Bourdain and James Peterson are all big influences. I'm the kind of chef who shops seasonally and locally, seeking out the best ingredients and then working hard not to screw them up.

My favorite original dish when I want to show-off is a veal chop with cape gooseberry reduction; served with fiddlehead ferns and thyme-roasted potatoes.
My favorite original dish for every day is "Jeff's Cast-Iron Leftover Pizza Trick".

I am excited about BM's potential to take my art to the next level so I want to participate and contribute in every way possible. At the same time, I realize that my limited resources and camping experience will make this first year more about learning than leading.

I suppose my first year goals are to:
1. Participate and contribute to the event in every way that my talents will allow.
2. Have the best "Virgin Playa Chef" learning experience I can, possibly by assisting a more experienced chef in some foodie-loving camp.

[jkisha]

Hey there, welcome to eplaya!

[lemur]

a veal chop with cape gooseberry reduction; served with fiddlehead ferns and thyme-roasted potatoes.

2. Have the best "Virgin Playa Chef" learning experience I can, possibly by assisting a more experienced chef in some foodie-loving camp.

youll probably find that while some folks out there are cooking super fancy stuff.. that for many people who are eating out of cans and prepacked foods that the idea of 'gourmet' takes on a whole new meaning at burning man... especially towards the end of the week when supplies may be waning.

real home cooked fresh food really hits the spot out there..

i cherish it because not everyone is getting anything close to that!

[Impatience]

2. Have the best "Virgin Playa Chef" learning experience I can, possibly by assisting a more experienced chef in some foodie-loving camp.

youll probably find that while some folks out there are cooking super fancy stuff.. that for many people who are eating out of cans and prepacked foods that the idea of 'gourmet' takes on a whole new meaning at burning man... especially towards the end of the week when supplies may be waning.

real home cooked fresh food really hits the spot out there..

i cherish it because not everyone is getting anything close to that!

Lemur-

Well said. Frankly, the challenge of defying everybody's expectations of "what-can-be-done" under the conditions is what appeals to me most.

Besides, women tell me there's nothing sexier than a man who can cook.

See you on the Playa!

[TaylorInMO]

I think men that know how to cook is definitely sexy. And if you can do it well under harsh conditions like BM, then even sexier! I'm hoping to attend with my BF, and not being the camping type (at all), I've worried about what types of meals I should pack that will survive the conditions. We don't have any type of RV or pop up trailer, so we'll totally be roughing it. Plus, it doesn't help matters that i'm on a diet, and most of the food I eat is fresh. I'll have to push myself to be creative and not eat a lot of pre-packaged crap. So, I may be looking for you!

[Savannah]

Hie thee hither to the Food & Drink forum. Three pages of threads, both general and specific.

viewforum.php?f=276

People don't mind answering questions if you dig a bit first!

Welcome to the board, Impatience.

TaylorinMO, you can start your own introductory thread if you want to (though you don't have to).

[JDCookMS]

I like to borrow from all cuisines, but have strong tendencies towards French and Northern California. Alice Waters, Jacques Pepin, Tony Bourdain and James Peterson are all big influences. I'm the kind of chef who shops seasonally and locally, seeking out the best ingredients and then working hard not to screw them up.

My favorite original dish when I want to show-off is a veal chop with cape gooseberry reduction; served with fiddlehead ferns and thyme-roasted potatoes.
My favorite original dish for every day is "Jeff's Cast-Iron Leftover Pizza Trick".

I am excited about BM's potential to take my art to the next level so I want to participate and contribute in every way possible. At the same time, I realize that my limited resources and camping experience will make this first year more about learning than leading.

I suppose my first year goals are to:
1. Participate and contribute to the event in every way that my talents will allow.
2. Have the best "Virgin Playa Chef" learning experience I can, possibly by assisting a more experienced chef in some foodie-loving camp.

That sounds really good. I have to admit that I just love food and although I'll try anything, I'm a little preferantial to Italian (especially Emilia-Romagna region)...but, that's mainly because my ex-boyfriend's grandmother is from there. Have you ever expirmented with molecular gastronomy before? There is some really cool stuff you can do with food. My favorite/easiest one is making frizzy fruit with dry ice...it's something about watching someone bite into an orange that tastes like champagne, or what have you. But, I'm sure that you'll definitely find some people on the playa that love to cook.

[illy dilly]

Woo Hoo!
More computer nerds!!!!!

You'll actually be delightfully surprised by how many burners are not the 'stereotypical burner'. Its a great place for everyone, no matter what your stereotype.

[AntiM]

The one year we tried dry ice for cooling, we ended up with fizzy cream puffs.

[Impatience]

Thanks for all the responses.

I'm happy to say that I was one of the lucky ones. I have my ticket confirmation.

[Savannah]

Congratulations!

[BirthChazz]

I have done a lot of camp cooking, but always in a wooded area, so I am used to wood fires, and digging pits. That just is not going to work in the desert. And I am sloppy cook, (lots of dishes etc, that is just not going to cut it either). I spent weeks on the food boards reading, I hope to strike a good balance of equipment, skill and expectations. Looking forward to hearing your ideas!