food

[thaurer]

i've never been to BM before, i plan to go in 2010, i was wondering what kind of food do you all bring? i take it you can't bring anything really fresh because it would just go off in the heat, right?

[Fire_Moose]

People bring stuff from fresh fish to raman noodles. It's all about how well you pack and keep things separate. you can bring a bunch of steaks just dont keep them in the same cooler as yer veggies. Personally i bring canned food (ravioli-os, pineapple chunks, etc) and ramen noodles. There are also some dehydrated options that you can find at any camping store

[Nitevenus]

Thaurer, really depends on your camp situation, ie: cooler capacity, ice etc. Fresh food in quantities that you can readily prepare and consume. Most people find that they buy more than they need and once it goes bad it has to be stored and then carried out. Seeing that you are from London, you are probably at the mercy of buying everything once you get into the states. Plan on any fresh food that you do buy needing to be consumed rather quickly. Zip lock bags are the way to go,(cut fruit/veggies) to keep things in the cooler and out of the ice water. Of course, you can purchase ice everyday, you will just need a plan for using up the melted ice water in the cooler.(cannot dump on the ground).. I do bring fresh food, I just have to plan accordingly.

[Fire_Moose]

I thought cooler water was ok to go on the playa as long as it's spread out....

[thaurer]

guess the melted ice could be used for the ramen noodles...? :)

[Nitevenus]

the cooler water can be spread out but not dumped out in one spot. I found this really great portable mister (hand pump canister) with 10 ft. hose with spray heads, that I put cooler water in and dispurse that way. I've seen people use watering cans like used in gardens to dispurse water on the roadway in front of camp.

[Thecatman]

You'll find alot of folks bring BAKON bacon

[dinniebrown]

Evolution 2009 was my first burn and I camped with a friend on our own. We brought WAY too much food. You eat very little there b/c of the heat and "recreational" activities. Next year I'm only going to bring what I ended up consuming this year:


1 jar of peanut butter
1 loaf of bread
1 box of triscuits
sliced cheddar cheese
beef jerky
pop tarts
grapes

Gatorade
chapaigne
orange juice
vodka
energy drinks and coke zero

Maybe some power bars for extra sustenance. That's it!

[klondike_bar]

You eat very little there b/c of the heat and "recreational" activities.

seconded. youll probably only consume 50-70% of the food you would at home. Include a lot of simple, nutricious food to keep yourself going. (ie: beef jery, dried fruit, granola bars, etc)

[Elorrum]

I got one plastic foil packet of smoked salmon that bumblebee or starkist tuna packages. That was a winner! no refrigeration needed, salty and nice with crackers, not a lot of messy liquid to deal with. I'll get more of that next year.

[Captain Goddammit]

This is simple: EZ Cheese. One of nature's perfect foods. Needs no refrigeration, and comes in dust-proof spray cannister.

[dinniebrown]

I think I estimated about 500-750 calories a day (including Gatorade), and that's on the generous side.

[Token]

Huh? I tend to go high calorie on playa. Working the three days of early arrival on average 16 hours each day, I need my energy.

I estimate 3000 to 4000 calories, probably half of it from beer n whiskey, the rest from bacon and grilled red meats.

Even with all that goodness, I end up dropping 10 pounds by the time gate opens.

[Ugly Dougly]

Had to force myself to eat. Put everything in a bowl, sit down, and don't get back up until it's empty.
Breakfast: Coffee, oatcakes, apple, Ensure, Gatorade
Lunch: Mixed nuts, jerky, Ensure, Gatorade.
Dinner: Something recently dead and grilled, Ensure, Gatorade.

[Captain Goddammit]

Whatever you bring, you'll be happy when you're there if you pre-prepare as much as possible. Usually you don't feel like cooking or dealing with the mess afterward. Grab-n-go is great on the playa.

[ConnieH]

We brought dehydrated backpacking meals, instant mashed potatoes, foil tuna packets, salted nuts, Crunch-N-Munch (yum!!), Tasty Bite Indian entrees, pickles, box of cereal, 8-oz shelf-stable almond milk boxes, assorted flavors of Crystal Light-type powdered drink packets for drink mixers (Arizona Teas "Arnold Palmer" has become a personal favorite), and plenty of vodka. We bought ice for the cooler our first day there, but only needed it for drinks since none of our food needed refrigeration...after the ice melted we got used to drinks without ice and never bought another bag. We used the melted cooler water for showering later in the week.

It was really nice not to have to worry about keeping foods cold, and since the only "cooking" we did was boil water, we were able to get away with a one-burner stove and one pot that we never needed to clean since all it was used for was boiling water.

We were part of a large theme camp, so we also brought a case of beer to donate to the bar (plus several big bottles of vodka), which allowed us the opportunity to "exchange" for a few cold ones when the mood struck.

And being camped near people with large grills and an overabundance of food, we were always being offered tasty meaty treats.

[misfit]

canned,,, beef stew, raviolis, spagetti and corn... slim jims. pre-cooked sauage and bacon from costco. over-pasturized chocolate milk, (doesn't need to be kept cold). rice, (i love rice while on the playa).

[phil]

Louise and I eat more on the playa because we're more active. Louise has hypoglycemia, so we eat three square meals a day, and she snacks as the occasion arises. I know lots of people eat less, but be aware that some of us eat more.

My suggestion for your first year is to plan a menu for each meal and bring all the ingredients. (We bag each meal's ingredients in the plastic bag we take off our newspapers, along with a printout of the recipe.) If you eat all the meals and want more, you'll know you eat more on the playa not less. We have a plan for each meal, and we share any leftovers. In return, we get to share meals with others, so we end up not consuming the entire planned menu, but we'd rather be safe.

Many people are less interested in preparing meals because it takes time away from all the stuff going on. For information on quick meals, see here:
http://www.cieux.com/bm/quickMeals.html

[CapSmashy]

With Rev G as our Kitchen Overlord we ate like kings.

Steaks, grilled chicken, fajitas (with guacamole and sour cream), bacon, chopped steak with grilled onions and gravy, packed breakfast burritos, bacon, pancakes, fresh rice (not instant), mashed potatoes, bacon, meatloaf, green beans, fresh baked muffins, bacon... lots of wonderful food goodness. Its the result of bringing out a foodie with us that was horrified by the the thought of eating chicken spread, canned pastas, etc.

We're going to make a few tweaks in the kitchen for next year and with the edition of Mr. Satan to our camp, who is a veteran performance artist cook (SCA and other re-enactment venues), next year is going to be even better.

A few tips and tricks from our kitchen this year.

1. A vacuum sealer is a must have. Portion out the fresh meats, cooked pre-cooked entrees, veggies, etc and seal them up and prefreeze.

2 Dry ice is your friend. I'm pretty sure we spent close to $200 in just dry ice. Packed the fresh cooler on our departure and repacked it in Fernley on Friday before we rolled in. The dry ice lasted until about Tuesday and then we switched over to the 10 lb blocks from ice sales.

3. Bag everything. Everything that goes in the cooler that is not already sealed in its own container with a tight lid goes in a quart or gallon sized ziplock. Get the freezer grade ziplocks with the double seal. They aren't 100% water tight, but much better than the regular kind and made with a thicker plastic for more durability. We had a hummus explosion (popped the factory seal) and it was not pretty.

We also split up and bagged all of our wet ice to keep the ice melt clean for use in evap coolers and the shower. 2 to 2 and half one gallon bags per 7 pound bag of ice.

Planned tweaks for the kitchen.

1. Better side walls. We did not have too much issues with dust this year in the space, but I am going to either do a triple shade cloth or solid canvas for the walls on three sides next year with a pass through entry way.

2. Kitchen will be a separate space from the dining area.

3. A few years ago, if you said I'd be laying out $350 for an ice chest, I would have called you fucking insane. I might be laying out $700 for two of them for next year.

4. An additional two burner Camp Chief stove and a dedicated camp chef oven. Rev G was baking in the single burner roaster box add on for the camp chef stove and temperature regulation required constant attention.


Oh, the grandest tip of all that came from Robotland in 2008, put your pudding cups deep into the ice of your cooler and do not touch them for a day or so. When you pull them out, the pudding has the consistency of the good kind of cake frosting and is ice cold. Its a wonderful treat on a hot afternoon.

[theCryptofishist]

With Rev G as our Kitchen Overlord we ate like kings.

Steaks, grilled chicken, fajitas (with guacamole and sour cream), bacon, chopped steak with grilled onions and gravy, packed breakfast burritos, bacon, pancakes, fresh rice (not instant), mashed potatoes, bacon, meatloaf, green beans, fresh baked muffins, bacon... lots of wonderful food goodness. Its the result of bringing out a foodie with us that was horrified by the the thought of eating chicken spread, canned pastas, etc.

We're going to make a few tweaks in the kitchen for next year and with the edition of Mr. Satan to our camp, who is a veteran performance artist cook (SCA and other re-enactment venues), next year is going to be even better.

*fishy wonders if she should jump ship.*

[C.f.M.]

I will say, I was really megabummed that my (expensive gluten-free splurged on) baked goods all went bad. Biscuits and muffins. The packaging got all sweaty and they molded.

Although, a package of (expensive gluten-free splurged on) chocolate chip cookies turned hard as a rock in a day.

Next year I will bring a jar of pickles, more oysters. The Tasty Bites are just that (tasty), but I only ate one or two.

I grazed, mostly - like I do in real life.

The one thing I was NOT prepared for was thirst. It was about Thursday or Friday, before I stopped feeling thirsty all the time. That was really annoying.

[Sage Venkman]

A good playa cook goes everywhere. Have pan, will travel.

[teardropper]

I have an old RV, no a/c, and it has a stove. I was afraid it would heat up too much, so brought my MSR Reactor back pack stove. Boils water very quickly. Used it for coffee and one dish rice and pasta box meals. Added canned chicken and very tasty playa food with no refrig. Had a gas refrig working, but honestly could have gotten by without it. Except it was nice for beer and mixers. Didn't eat a lot, and ate at theme camps, too. Seems like there was plenty of food in camp. Another at camp brought frozen, grilled chicken breasts and kept them on ice, directly on block ice, and had them nicely into the week. We had some fresh garden produce, like tomatoes and they kept till we ate them all, probably Thurs. About Wed they started to become valuable, when I couldn't give them away on Mon.

[C.f.M.]

[Ugly Dougly]

The one thing I was NOT prepared for was thirst. It was about Thursday or Friday, before I stopped feeling thirsty all the time. That was really annoying.

Did you mistake desert for dessert?

Right-o, the first day you spend swallowing goldfishbowls full of water - and not peeing! Kinda pathetic when campmates are celebrating on the next day that they finally peed! I guess the human body goes into shock and retains water in desert conditions until it realizes that you have a full canteen and are going to keep drinking.

Gatorade or the like really helps, too.

[C.f.M.]

The one thing I was NOT prepared for was thirst. It was about Thursday or Friday, before I stopped feeling thirsty all the time. That was really annoying.

Did you mistake desert for dessert?

Right-o, the first day you spend swallowing goldfishbowls full of water - and not peeing! Kinda pathetic when campmates are celebrating on the next day that they finally peed! I guess the human body goes into shock and retains water in desert conditions until it realizes that you have a full canteen and are going to keep drinking.

Gatorade or the like really helps, too.

"Piss clear" got drilled into my head when I was young, and in the desert (of Africa) many moons ago. It's pretty rare for me to piss otherwise, ever since.

I pretty much drink only water (and gin and coffee) IRL, all day long. There wasn't any sort of adjustment as far as getting more water in. I was even craving soda, so bad, which I don't even like. Water - and coconut water, allll day long. And I was peeing, fine. No changes there.

Somebody at camp had a community cooler full of randomness, that saved me. Cokes and juices and milks.

That is something I would definitely do different. But, I mean, how would I know how happy a coke would make me, when I don't touch the stuff IRL?

[mudpuppy000]

[quote="C.f.M."][quote="Ugly Dougly"][quote="C.f.M."]The one thing I was NOT prepared for was thirst. It was about Thursday or Friday, before I stopped feeling thirsty all the time. That was really annoying.[/quote]

Did you mistake desert for dessert? :)

Right-o, the first day you spend swallowing goldfishbowls full of water - and not peeing! Kinda pathetic when campmates are celebrating on the next day that they finally peed! I guess the human body goes into shock and retains water in desert conditions until it realizes that you have a full canteen and are going to keep drinking.

Gatorade or the like really helps, too.[/quote]

"Piss clear" got drilled into my head when I was young, and in the desert (of Africa) many moons ago. It's pretty rare for me to piss otherwise, ever since.

I pretty much drink only water (and gin and coffee) IRL, all day long. There wasn't any sort of adjustment as far as getting more water in. I was even craving soda, so bad, which I don't even like. Water - and coconut water, allll day long. And I was peeing, fine. No changes there.

Somebody at camp had a community cooler full of randomness, that saved me. Cokes and juices and milks.

That is something I would definitely do different. But, I mean, how would I know how happy a coke would make me, when I don't touch the stuff IRL?[/quote]

Maybe you were low on electrolytes. I was drinking gatorade/beer most of the time and had water in my camelback when I was out and about. Worked out pretty good.

For food, I just had canned stuff, tasty bites, pop-tarts, etc. I found that I wasn't that hungry most of the time, but all of a sudden it'd hit me and I'd be starving. :) I'm not sure why, but this canned three bean salad from trader joes tasted absolutely spectacular out there. :)

[Elorrum]

trader joes three bean salad: one of my playa faves. good for a potluck, nice with barbeque.

[diane o'thirst]

Talk to me

My Playa favs:
Horizon milk comes in shelf-stable steri-paks, so you don't need to settle for almond milk. I used to grab cases of the chocolate stuff at Costco and gift them out.

Chai in the morning. Can't beat it.

Yo-to-Go smoothies, also in steri-paks. Anti M will testify, I go through them voraciously.

Granola bars but I avoid Power Bars owing to my aversion to high fructose corn syrup.

Starch: go for rice, but couscous is your first choice. It prepares in five minutes, one pot.

Tortilla chips. Indispensable.

You can make fresh tortillas in camp and they'll be great. It only takes fifteen minutes and a hot cast iron frying pan or griddle.

Pancakes are great, too. I like Krusteaz better than Bisquick, but those shake-and-pour bottles are tailor-made for Playa kitchens: nothing to wash up! Top 'em with fresh fruit, like peaches, blueberries or strawberries. Or even peaches, blueberries AND strawberries! Why choose?

Yes, you can have fresh peaches out there. We dealt with the MOOPy pits by painting them gold, drilling holes in them and making necklaces. I brought a whole case one year and it lasted our rather large camp several days.

Quesadillas, chicken or otherwise.

Frozen grapes! Now there's a treat.

Those toss-around ice cream makers are a great interactivity.

Bacon is great but I'm fond of sausage, too. I had a wonderful Moroccan lamb sausage with smash garlic red potatoes for Burn Night dinner last time I was out there. I wouldn't recommend mash potatoes for Playa food, though. They keep very well out there — as do onions — but the boiling water for potatoes needs to be evapped. Choose rice or couscous over potatoes.

We used to do a camp kitchen in Opera Camp, but that turned into a major pain in the tuckus. I think every dietary restriction known to humankind was represented in our camp. Nobody could agree on anything so our last camp Kitchen God fell back on — cauliflower in tomato sauce!! [vomiting] For damn near everything!

What happened after Opera Camp kitchen, and we splintered off into smaller chunks than 65, was each camper would equip and supply their own camp kitchen setups to their personal comfort level, and meals were potluck-style. Worked great. Don't provide a meal plan for your camp, save yourself a LOT of annoyance and trouble.

[AntiM]

Cauliflower in tomato sauce? Count me out... nightshade allergy. LOL.