1

.aUxk \
..aeon artd eggs sizzling at '
■tL/dawn over a backpacking
stove. Fresh fruit, nuts, and a
granola bar for a midday snack.
I Dutch oven stew and cobbler
^ cooking over charcoal at the end
of a busy day of rafting. Food in
the outdoors powers you through
days packed with action. It helps ^
you stay warm at night. It cheers
you up when you get p^red or the
sky turns stormy. -
•: ' V ) Almost nothing is finer than bacon sizzling at
On a day hike, you can c®r^' dawn over c beJ of coals.

- and plenty of fluids. For longer adventures, prepare meals by cooldng over a
camp stove or open fire. You'll eaf well and have fun as you work with your
fellow Scouts to fix meals that are delicious, healthy, and filling.

'"V
f V ■' \ ''
 ADVANCEMENT; COOKING
If you and your patrol ore going to camp out, you're going to have to eati
That's one of the main reasons why cooking—outdoors and ot home—is
emphasized in Scouting. Many of the requirements along the trail to Eagle
have cooking at their core. As you devour this chapter, you will get a taste of
the skills needed to fulfill the following rank requirements. (See the back of this
book for the official text of all rank requirements.!
smmsk Assist In preparing a meal at a campout. Tell why patrol
members should share in meal preparation and cleanup. Demonstrate safe
cleaning of items used to prepare, serve, and eat a camp meal. Explain why
your patrol members should enjoy meals together as a group.
Explain appropriate times
^ for using a camp stove or a campfire to
cook or for other purposes. Plan and cook a
nutritious breakfast or lunch for your patrol.
Explain the importance of good nutrition.
Demonstrate proper transport, storage, and
preparation of foods.
MEm Plan a full day of nutritious
menus for a patrol campout. Budget for the
meals you planned and show how much
food will be needed to feed all those who
will be eating. Secure the ingredients and
show which utensils you will need to prepare
the meals. Show the proper way to handle
and store perishable food products and how to dispose
of camp garbage and other rubbish. Serve as cook on
one campout, supervising use of the stove or cooking
fire, preparing the meals, and overseeing cleanup.
I Cooking is one of the 21 required merit
badges you will earn along your trail to the Eagle
Scout rank.
Cooking

PLANNING CAMP MEALS

With good planning, you can take enough food on a trip so that everyone
in your patrol eats well and there are few leftovers to pack out. You'll also know
which pots, pans, and utensils to carry, and whether you'll be cooking over a
camp stove or a campfire.

290
 Begin making meal plans by answering the following questions:
How mony Scouts ore going on the trip, and how long will we be away
from home? Decide on the number of meals you will need and who will be
eating together. A patrol is often just the right size for organizing the food and
cooking gear for a hike or camping
trip. Scouting cookbooks usually
base recipes on eight servings. If
the number ofservings in a recipe
doesn't match the number of people
eating, scale the recipe up or down
as needed.(For example, if the recipe
serves four and you'll have eight
people along, double the amount of
each ingredient.)
Are there any special food needs? Discuss special food needs with patrol
members. You may have members who are vegetarians or vegans, who don't eat
certain foods for religious or health reasons, or who have food intolerances or
allergies. If a Scout has severe allergies, he might need to bring his own food.
The BSA's specific guidelines for helping keep participants with food allergies
safe during meals can be found at the Scouting Safely section of Scouting.otg.
What do we have planned? For days full of activities, choose recipes that
won't take long to prepare and that will give you plenty of fuel. If you will
have time to make cooking a focal point of a campout, take ingredients to
put together meals that are special. You could even arrange a cook-off between
patrols where teams of Scout chefs compete to create a feast using the same set
of random ingredients.
How will we reach camp? Backpackers can keep their loads lighter by
planning simple menus of nonperishable ingredients. (These are usually
dehydrated, making them very light.) When you will be traveling to your
campsite by car, you can bring along griddles, fresh and canned foods, and
even charcoal briquettes for a tasty Dutch oven meal.
What weather do we expect? Winter menus should contain more fats
and carbohydrates. Your body burns these substances to help you keep warm.
Include mixes for soups and hot drinks to warm you up. Summer meals can
be lighter. Whatever the season, menus should include plenty of fluids.
What is our budget? Sirloin steak will cost more than ground beef. Out-
of-season fruits and vegetables may cost more than they do in season (and
probably won't taste as good). Prepared foods typically cost more than those
you create from scratch. Plan a menu that fits your budget and shop carefully
to keep costs down.
 Food Allergies and Intolerances
Food allergies happen when the body's immune system thinks a harmless food
protein is a threat and attacks it. Food intolerances don't involve the immune
system, but they can still cause serious symptoms. The most common sources
of food intolerances are lactose, which is found in dairy products, and gluten,
which is found in most breads.

If someone in your patrol has food

allergies or intolerances, talk with
him and his parents about ways
to keep him safe. The best thing
to do, of course, is to avoid using
food items that cause him problems.
Usually, you can find an alternative
food in the same food group, like
pineapples instead of apples or
chicken instead of shellfish. Ninety percent of food allergies in tfie
United States ore to eight foods: peanuts,
Be sure to check ingredient labels tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish,
carefully, because problem foods and shellfish.
can be hidden in unlikely places.
For example, gluten can show up in soup, salad dressing, soy sauce, and
sausage (as well as in many foods that don't start with an S). Look for words
like wheat, barley, rye, graham flour, malt, brewer's yeast, durum, semolina,
and spelt.
Beyond avoiding problem foods, it's important to avoid cross-contamination. If
you're making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, don't dip a knife that's been
in the peanut butter jar into the jelly jar.

FOOD FOR THE OUTDOORS

Depending on the sort of trip you're planning, you can take along all sorts of
food. In fact, just about anything in the grocery store could find a spot on your
menu. Here are some meal ingredients you can choose for the outdoors.
Fresh. Fresh foods have the most flavor and nutrition of any menu
items. However, they can also be heavy, easily damaged, and prone to
spoiling. Some, such as fresh meats, must be kept cool until you are
ready to cook them. Carrots, apples, and certain cheeses will last
longer, though most fresh foods are best used on short trips or while
% car camping rather than during longer backcountry adventures.

292
 Nonperishable. Pasta, beans, oatmeal,
rice, flour, grains, and other foods that
won't spoil are ideal for short-term and
long-term camping. Stored in plastic bags,
they can be stowed in a backpack or duffel
bags on canoes and rafts.
Dried/Dehydrated. Much of the weight of many
foods is water. Dehydrated food has most of the
water removed from it, so it is very lightweight
and just right for backpackers. Camping
stores sell complete camp meals that require
only the addition of boiling water, but you
can also find many dehydrated items at
grocery stores, such as dried milk, cocoa mix,
potato flakes, and soup mixes. Dried soup mix

\
Making Healthy Choices
What you eat ploys on important role in how healthy you are. Plan balanced
meals that are heavy on fruits and vegetables and light on high-fat proteins
such as hot dogs, sausage, and bacon. Also, avoid empty calories that
come from the added sugar in drink mixes and many processed foods like
sugar-sweetened cereal.

Canned. Many foods can be purchased in cans. Canned

food is heavy to carry, and the empty containers must be
packed out for recycling or proper disposal. That's not a
problem when you are driving to a campsite. Sometimes an
ingredient such as a can of peaches for a special dessert might
be worth the effort it takes to carry it to your trail camp. Just
don't forget a can opener!
Convenience. Every supermarket has dozens of
convenience foods
that are ready to eat
or quick to prepare.
Those you might
want to try are pasta sauce mixes,
biscuit and pancake mixes, jerky,
and energy bars.
 The MyPlate diagram shows the relative amounts
of each type of food you should eat each day.
At home and in camp, try to eat a balanced
diet made up of the right amounts of these
food groups:
■ Fruits ■ Vegetables ■ Grains
■ Protein ■ Dairy
Limit the oils (fats) and sugars in your diet.
MyPlate

MENUS
Once you know how many meals you will need, write down what you want
to prepare and eat for each of those meals. The recipes in this chapter will give
you some ideas.
List every ingredient for each dish. Use the Size of Servings Chart that follows
to determine the amounts you will need for the number of people who will be
eating together. Include any guests, such as your senior patrol leader or an adult
leader. Don't forget seasonings and other items you might need such as cooking
oil, honey or sugar, salt and pepper, and other herbs and spices.

\
How Big Is a Serving?

= 1 cup =% cup '/a cup

'A cup 3 ounces , = 2 tbsp

DRINKING WATER
Active Scouts should drink plenty of water each day, in cold weather as well
as warm. Whenever possible, bring fresh water from home or get it from public
supplies. Remember, before drinking water taken from springs, lakes, or streams,
you must always treat it by boiling it, adding water-treatment tablets, or using
a filter.

294
 X
Size of Servings Chart
The "amount for one serving" shown here is an approximate guideline for
use when planning menus. For example, when your patrol is planning a
spaghetti dinner, you will need about 3 ounces of pasta per Scout. If there
are eight Scouts in your patrol, then:
8 Scouts X 3 ounces = 24 ounces of spaghetti
Check the weights on packages of spaghetti and put together the amount
you'll need to take to camp.
VEGETABLES AND FRUITS AMOUNT FOR ONE SERVING
Corn, fresh 1 ear
Fruit, canned 5 ta 6 ounces
Fruit, dried 2 ounces
Fruit, fresh 1 to 2 pieces
Juice 1 cup
Potatoes, dehydrated 2 ounces
Potatoes, fresh 2 medium
Soup mix 1 individual packet
Soup, condensed 1 to 2 servings per 15-ounce con
Tomatoes 1
Vegetables, canned 4 ounces
Vegetables, dehydrated '/2 ounce
GRAINS (BREAD, FLOUR, AND PASTA) AMOUNT FOR ONE SERVING
Biscuits and rolls 1 to 2 pieces
Bread 2 slices
Brown or white rice '/2 cup uncooked
Cold cereals 2 ounces
Cookies 2 ounces
Hot cereals jootmeal] 2 ounces
Instant rice 1 '4 ounces
Pancake mix 3 ounces
Pasta 3 ounces
Pudding mix 1 '4 ounces
MEATS, POULTRY, FISH, BEANS, EGGS, NUTS AMOUNT FOR ONE SERVING
Bacon 2 ounces (3 to 4 slices]
Chicken, on the bone 12 ounces
Eggs, dried '4 ounce
Eggs, fresh 2
Ham, cooked 3 ounces
Meat, canned 3 ounces
Meat, fresh 4 ounces
Nuts 2 ounces
MILK AND CHEESE AMOUNT FOR ONE SERVING
Cheese 2 ounces
Milk, fresh 1 cup
Milk, powdered 2 ounces
 HERBS AND SPICES
Herbs and spices bring out the flavor of your cooking. Good choices for
camp cooking include salt, pepper, chili powder, thyme, oregano, garlic flakes,
bay leaves, and cinnamon. Carry herbs and spices in small, resealable plastic
bags, then stow all the containers in a stuff sack. Many grocery stores and
camping stores sell organizers that include several herbs and spices in a
single container.

Some camp cooks plan ahead by

mixing the herbs and spices needed
for each meal and packaging them
with the other ingredients. That can
save you some time at camp and can
be a little less messy. You should still
bring along some basic items like salt
and pepper in case other Scouts want
to season the food on their plates.
Use herbs and spices lightly when
A clean pill organizer can make a great cooking. You can always add more,
herb and spice organizer. Just label each but you can't remove a spice if you
compartment with a permanent marker. use too much.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
Other items you might need for preparing meals include condiments such
as ketchup, mustard, relish, and salad dressing; baking ingredients such as flour,
honey, sugar, and butter or margarine; and spreads and toppings such as jam,
jelly, peanut butter, and maple syrup. Many patrols carry along a bottle of hot
sauce to spice up meals.
Useful nonfood items include aluminum foil, toothpicks, resealable bags,
paper towels, and trash bags.

COST PER PERSON

Once you have developed your menu, determine what supplies you have on
hand from previous outings and what you need to buy. Take your shopping list
to a grocery store and write down the prices. Figure out each Scout's share by
adding up the costs and then dividing the sum by the number ofScouts going
on the outing.

296
 UNIT PRICE TAG
item weight Item bar code

041548-34586 DSD
25216 56 OZ 48B 3 Item
DREYERS/EDYS LT CRML DELT ^ description

UNIT PRICE
Total price
Price
per unit 9.80^
PER OUNCE ^.49
Many grocery-store shelves include stickers that show the price per ounce or per unit
(such OS the price per gronolo bar in a box). Comparing these prices will help you
determine which product is the best value, but don't buy more food than you need just
because ifs a better deal. If you need only 16 ounces of jelly, it doesn't moke sense to
buy a 32-ounce jar, half of which may go to waste.

By comparing prices, you can keep your costs down. Store-brand products
or products in bulk containers are often less expensive.
Some troops allocate a
certain amount of money
for each patrol's food. In
other troops, the actual cost
is divided among those who
go on the trip. However
your troop handles money
for food, it pays to be a
thrifty shopper. Remember
how hard you worked
during money-earning
projects to raise the money
you are spending!
 ADVANCEMENT: FOOD LIST
For the First Class rank, you will plan a menu including at least
a breakfast, a lunch, and a dinner and then create a shopping list from it.
FHere is an example that assumes eight people will be eating.
Menu
Breakfast
Scrambled eggs
■ Two eggs per person = 16 eggs ■ Cooking spray ■ Salt and pepper
Ham —3 ounces per person = 24 ounces
Biscuits with butter and jelly
■ 2 biscuits per person = 16 biscuits
■ 2 teaspoons butter per person = 16 teaspoons ('/s cup|
■ 2 teaspoons jelly per person = 16 teaspoons ('/a cup)
Bananas—One banana per person = 8 bananas
Milk—8 ounces per person = 64 ounces
Apple juice—8 ounces per person = 64 ounces
Trail Lunch
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
■ 2 slices whole-groin bread per person = 16 slices
■ 2 tablespoons peanut butter per person = 16 tablespoons (1 cup)
■ 2 tablespoons jelly per person = 16 tablespoons (1 cup)
■ Sandwich bogs
Carrots— 1 per person = 8 carrots Apples— 1 per person = 8 apples
Trail mix— 1 packet per person Water
Dinner
Foil dinners
■ 4 ounces ground beef per person = 32 ounces(2 pounds)
■ 1 medium potato per person = 8 potatoes
■ 1 medium carrot per person = 8 carrots
■ 1 small onion per person = 8 onions
■ Salt and pepper ■ Heavy-duty aluminum foil
Bread and butter
■ 2 slices whole-grain bread per person = 16 slices
■ 1 tablespoon butter per person = 8 tablespoons (V2 cup)
Baked apples
■ 1 apple per person = 8 apples
■ '/scup raisins per person = 1 cup raisins
■ '4 cup brown sugar per person = 2 cups
■ '4 teaspoon cinnamon per person = 2 teaspoons
■ Vi tablespoon butter per person = 4 tablespoons
■ Heavy-duty aluminum foil
Sugar-free drink mix, 1 packet

298
shopping List
□ 2 dozen eggs (you need 16, buf eggs usually come in pocks of a dozen)
□ 1 con cooking spray
□ 1 salt shaker
□ 1 pepper shaker
□ 24 ounces of ham
□ 2 cans of 8 biscuits each
□ 1 pound of butter (you each need '/s cup plus Vz cup plus 4 tablespoons)
□ 1 16-ounce jar of jelly (you need '/s cup plus 1 cup)
□ 8 bananas
□ 1 half-gallon of milk
□ 1 half-gallon of apple juice
□ 2 loaves of whole-grain bread (you need 32 slices, so one loaf is
probably not enough)
□ 1 16-ounce jar of peanut butter
□ 1 box of sandwich bags
□ 1 bag of carrots (you need 16 carrots)
□ 16 apples
□ 8 packets of trail mix
□ 2 pounds of ground beef
□ 8 potatoes
□ 8 small onions
□ 1 box of heavy-duty aluminum foil
□ 1 box of raisins (you need 1 cup)
□ 1 small bag of brown sugar (you need 2 cups)
□ 1 tin of cinnamon (you need 2 teaspoons)
□ 1 packet sugar-free drink mix
Before you go shopping, check to see what supplies your troop or family
already has on hand. For example, shakers of salt and pepper last a long
time, so you don't need to buy new ones for each compout. And a box of
sandwich bags could last your patrol for years.
You'll end up with leftovers of some items because the packages contain
more food than you need. Some items will keep until the next trip, while
others should be used up, thrown away, or given to patrol members to take
home at the end of the trip.
 .KEEPING FOOD SAFE (AND FRESH) I
Nearly every food item will lost a certain amount of time before if
goes bad, gets stale, or loses its flavor. (A rare exception is fioney.
Because fioney is fiighly acidic—its pH value is between 3 and .4.5—
contains fiydrogen peroxide, and contains very little water, bacteria and Otfier
organisms tfiat cause spoilage can't survive in it.) To moke your meals as tasty
and safe as possible, cfieck food packages to determine wfien tfie food should
be used. Check the dates carefully, however, because manufacturers use
several different dates:

■ A seli-by date is the last date the food should be

offered for sole.

■ A best-before dote is the date when the quality of

the food will start to go down.
■ A use-by date is the last date on which the
manufacturer will guarantee the food's quality.
^^OCT
You probably won't get sick if you eat stale cereal
or a brown banana, but you will get sick if you eat
spoiled meat and eggs, which can contain dangerous bacteria like E. coli,
stophylococcus, and salmonella. To stay safe, follow these guidelines:

STAYS FRESH FOR...

Poultry 1 or 2 days
Beef, veal, pork, lamb 3 to 5 days
Ground meat, ground poultry or 2 days
Cured ham (cook before eating) 3 to 5 days
Sausage from pork, beef, or turkey; uncooked or 2 days
Eggs 3 to 5 weeks

Meat and eggs should always be refrigerated; meat can be frozen to make
it last longer.
Based on these guidelines, food you buy a day or two before your campout
should be safe to eat. If you need to shop earlier, freeze any meat and bread.

REPACKAGING FOOD
Many foods are sold in cardboard or plastic containers. Reduce the weight
and bulkiness of the items by getting rid of extra packaging before you leave
home. Measure only as much of each ingredient as you will need for one
meal and put it in a resealable plastic bag. Write the name and amount of the
ingredient on a label and tape it to the bag.

300
 Place the repackaged ingredients for each meal in a larger bag. Include the
recipes, too. Pull out the bag when you reach camp, and you'll have all the
ingredients and instructions together for a meal.
If you'll be cooking meat on a campout, cut it up at
home and put it in gallon-size freezer bags. This will help
you reduce the chance of cross-contamination at camp.
EATING KIT
A set of utensils and a lightweight unbreakable plate and bowl are all you
will need for eating most outdoor meals. An insulated plastic mug will keep
drinks and soup warm.
If you reach camp and discover you've forgotten to bring eating utensils, try
whittling a spoon from a piece of wood, or remove the bark from a couple of S
slender, footlong sticks and use them as chopsticks. In a pinch, you can make a
bowl out of aluminum foil or eat out of a can or even a clean flying disc.
FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES
If you aren't careful in the kitchen (at camp or at home),
you con end up with some serious food-borne illnesses,
such as botulism, hepatitis A, listerlosis, and salmonella
poisoning. The most common causes are bacteria
(including campylobacter jejuni, clostridium botulinum,
Escherichia coli, listeria monocytogenes, salmonella. Salmonella bacteria
and staphylococcus aureus), viruses (including hepatitis A
and norovirus), and several protozoans in the genus cryptosporid
In the Cooking merit badge pamphlet, you can learn more about these tiny
organisms that can cause big problems. To prevent the spread of food-borne
illnesses, always do the following:
■ Wash your hands after using the bathroom and before
end after handling food. MERtT BADGE SERIES
«■> -
■ Keep work surfaces and knives clean.
■ Thoroughly cook all meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs.
■ Carefully wash fruits and vegetables, including those COOKING
you are going to peel.
■ Consume water only from trusted sources.
■ Consume only pasteurized milk, juice, and cider.
■ Never use damaged cans of food or cans that show
signs of bulging, leakage, punctures, holes, or rusting.
■ Keep row and cooked meat, poultry, seafood, and
eggs at or below 40 degrees F.
 COOK KIT
An important part of menu planning is figuring
out which pots, pans, and utensils you will need for
cooking and serving your food. By taking only the
kitchen gear you will use, you can keep your load lighter
and help keep your camp free of clutter.
Many troops have cook kits made for camping. The
handles of frying pans can be removed, and the pots will nest
together for easy packing. You also can find cooking gear at
garage sales and surplus stores.

Cooking Gear Checklist

You won't need all these items on every outing—and you may need other
things for special purposes—but here's a checklist to get you started. Most
of these items would be unnecessary on a bockcountry trip where cooking
mostly involves adding water to dehydrated food.
Pots and Pans
□ 8-quart pot with lid □ Coffee/cocoa pot □ 4-quart pot with lid
□ Dutch oven □ 2-quart pot with lid □ Griddle
□ lO-inch frying pan
Utensils
□ Spoon □ Con opener □ Ladle
□ Kitchen tongs □ Spatula □ Measuring cups
□ Pancake turner □ Measuring spoons □ Paring knife
□ Baster □ Butcher knife □ Brush
□ Meat fork □ Hot-pot tongs □ Whisk
□ Dutch oven lid lifter □ Potato peeler
Other
□ Cutting board □ Clothespins □ Oven mitts
□ Charcoal □ Matches or lighter □ Charcoal chimney
□ Meat thermometer □ Water jugs □ Wash pots
□ Cooler thermometer □ Aluminum foil □ Scrub pads
□ Paper towels □ Soap □ Trash bags
□ Water-treatment filter □ Resealable □ Sanitizing
or tablets freezer bogs rinse agents

302
 Your cook kit should include hot-pot
tongs or gloves so that you can lift pots and
pans off a stove or fire without burning your .

hands. Pots and pans used over campfires

will get blackened by soot. Some Scouts
scrub off the soot after every use. Others
make sure the insides of their pots and pans
are washed clean but don't worry too much
If you'll be cutting up food at
about removing every bit of black from the camp,carry along a small cutting
outside. Stowing a pot or pan in a nylon board—and wash it and your knife
stuff sack as you are breaking camp will after cutting meat to avoid cross-
keep any remaining soot from rubbing off contamination. A rigid cutting board
works best because it gives you a
in your pack. firm surface to work on.

STOVES AND CAMPFIRES

Many Scouts use stoves on all
their camping trips. Stoves are
clean, quick to heat water and
cook food, and easy to light in
any weather. They leave no marks
on the land. A stove in your pack
can make it easier for you to camp
without leaving a trace.

Camp stoves often concentrate a lot of heat in a small area, unlike the
burners on kitchen stoves. You con keep food from scorching by turning
down the heat and stirring often.

Cooking on a camp stove is much like cooking on any stovetop. It's easy to
regulate the heat so food cooks at the right speed and doesn't burn. Camping
stores also sell portable ovens that can be placed over a camp stove and that
function like your oven back home. Grilling and Dutch oven cooking are two
other ways of preparing food at camp. Bring charcoal for a fast, consistent heat
and tasty meal.
Campfires can be used if you don't have a stove. The key to cooking over a
campfire is to let the fire burn down to a bed of hot coals. This can take 20 to
30 minutes, so be sure to account for that time. Flames will char the outside
offood while leaving the inside uncooked.(You've probably experienced this if
you've roasted marshmallows over a hot fire.)
 Lighting a fire brings with ir the responsibility
to protect the environment. The principles of
outdoor ethics will guide you in deciding whether
a fire is appropriate and then building it in a way
that minimizes its impact. Find out ahead of
time if fires are allowed in the camping area you
will be using. Even where fires are permitted, a
lightweight stove is often a better choice.
Many campers favor chemical-fueled cooking
equipment, which creates very different hazards
than traditional solid fuels. Before firing up any
of these camp appliances, become familiar with Before cooking over a compfire,
the BSA's Chemical Fuel and Equipment Policy, smear o film of biodegradable
dishwashing liquid on the
located on Scouting.otg in the Scouting Safely outside of your pots. This vdll
section. You should also become familiar with help soot wash off more easily.
your troop's Unit Fireguard Chart to learn the
best ways to stay safe around fire.

SHARING KITCHEN DUTIF.S

There might be times when you prepare a meal by yourself in the outdoors.
Often, though, you can share the joy and the work ofcamp cooking with
another Scout or with everyone in your patrol.
Cooking With a Buddy. When there are two of you, both you and your
buddy can pitch in and help with all the cooking and cleanup. For example,
one of you can act as cook while the other cares for the stove, brings water,
and washes the pots. Switch responsibilities next time so that each of you has
a chance to do everything.
Cooking With a Patrol. When your whole
patrol pitches in, cooking and cleanup
become much easier. Two of you can cook,
two more can fuel and light the stoves or
build and manage the campfire, and the
others organize the dishwashing and cleanup.
Your patrol leader should create a duty
roster that shows each Scout's responsibility
for each meal. On overnight campouts,
Scouts might change places on the chart every meal; during adventures lasting a
few days or more, Scouts might change places each morning. If you have patrol
members working on cooking-related advancement requirements or the Cooking
merit badge, they may need to take on extra responsibilities during an outing.
304
 Everyone should pitch in when asked, regardless of whose name is on the
duty roster. For example, the cook might need someone to stir the beef stew
while he gets the biscuits out of the Dutch oven or the cleanup crew may need
someone to bring some extra water.

SUPERVISING THE CAMP KITCHEN

when a meal requires more than one cook, one of the cooks should serve
as the head cook, fdis role is to do some of the cooking while supervising
the tasks of the other cooks. Serving as head cook is a great way to practice
leadership skills. Here are some tips:
■ Begin by developing a vision offuture
success—dinner on the table at 6 p.m.,
for example.
■ Figure out the steps that will help you
achieve that vision: When should you
start the charcoal? What dishes need to
be started first?

■ Think about potential challenges:

Does your assistant know how to chop
vegetables? Do you have enough pots
and pans? What will you do at crunch Only the head cook should seoson
time when you have two cooks and four the food. Thot keeps food from
tasks to complete? getting o double dose of seasoning.

I During the cooking process, assign yourself some tasks but make sure you
can still keep an eye on the other cooks and on your watch.
I If someone has a free moment—while the Dutch oven is heating up, for
example—have him set the table or start cleaning up. Even putting all the
dirty dishes and utensils in one place can be helpful to the cleanup crew.

SAMPLE DUTY ROSTER

MEAL COOKS FIRE AND WATER CLEANUP
Friday Denny La'Quon William
Dinner Jacob Carlos Roj
Saturday Williom Denny La'Quon
Breakfast Roj Jacob Carlos
Saturday Lc'Quon William Denny
Lunch Carlos Raj Jacob
Saturday Denny La'Quon William
Dinner Jacob Carlos Raj
Sunday William Denny La'Quon
Breakfast Raj Jacob Carlos
 BE FOOD-SAFE

Keeping a clean kitchen in camp and at home helps everyone stay healthy.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests four steps to be food-safe: clean,
separate, cook, chill.
Clean. Wash your hands, cooking utensils, and food preparation
surfaces often.
Separate. Keep raw meat separate from other foods. If you use a cutting board
to prepare raw meat, wash the board and utensils before other foods touch them.
Wash containers and plates that have touched row meat before using them to
hold meat that has been cooked.
Cook. Cook foods thoroughly. To kill harmful germs, meat, poultry, and eggs
must be cooked to certain minimum temperatures or conditions:
Ground meal (beef, pork, veal, lamb) 160 degrees F
Fresh beef, veal, lamb, pork, fish 145 degrees F
Poultry (chicken, turkey, etc.) 165 degrees F
Eggs and egg dishes Cook until yolk and white are firm
Casseroles 165 degrees F
The only reliable way to check temperatures is with a food thermometer. Insert
the thermometer in the thickest part of the food, away from bone, fat, or gristle.
Color is not a reliable indicator of doneness.
Chili. Refrigerate any leftovers right away. Meat, eggs, salads that contain
mayonnaise (like chicken salad), casseroles, soups, stews, and leftovers
should be stored at or below 40 degrees F. An appliance thermometer will let
you monitor your cooler's temperature. Here are some tips for keeping food
colder longer in camp coolers:
■ Chill the cooler for 30 minutes before you load it.
■ Freeze food at home that you won't need the first day of your campout.
■ Use blocks of ice rather than cubed or crushed ice. (To make your own, fill
clean half-gallon milk jugs two-thirds full of water and freeze overnight.)
■ Place meat and eggs closest to the ice.
■ Store the cooler in a shady place and open it as little as possible.

TIMING YOUR MEAL

when you're the head cook, one of your most important tasks is planning
ahead so that the whole meal is ready at the same time. If you're serving a one-
pot stew with crackers and store-bought cookies for dessert, that's pretty easy.
If you're serving grilled pork chops, roasted vegetables, homemade biscuits, and
Dutch oven cobbler, the planning will be more complicated.
A good way to approach this process is to look at each item separately,
working backward from your planned mealtime. Be sure to include prep time.
306
cook time, and the time it takes to get a fire or charcoal ready if you aren't
using a stove. After that, combine the schedule for each item into a master
schedule like this:

Noon Mix up marinade in resealoble bog. Put pork chops in

bog with marinade. Return to cooler.
5:05 p.m. Light first batch of charcoal.
5:15 p.m. Cut potatoes, carrots, and onions into small pieces.
Season and wrap in heavy-duty foil.
5:25 p.m. Prepare corn for roasting by opening husks, removing silks,
and replacing husks.
5:30 p.m. Preheat Dutch oven.
Mix up biscuit dough.
Light second batch of charcoal.
5:35 p.m. Place foil packs of vegetables on coals.
5:40 p.m. Put biscuits in the oven.
5:45 p.m. Put pork chops on grill.
Turn foil packs.
Put corn on coals.
5:50 p.m. Set table.
Turn foil packs.
Turn corn.
5:55 p.m. Remove corn and vegetable packs from coals.
Remove pork chops from grill.
Remove biscuits from Dutch oven.
Put cobbler in Dutch oven.
6 p.m. Serve dinner.
6:20 p.m. Serve dessert.

CLEANING UP AFTER MEALS

Whether you cook with a stove or over an open fire, put on a pot of water
before you serve a meal. You'll have hot water for cleanup by the time you
finish eating. As your meal is cooking, you can also do some other things to
make cleanup easier.
■ Separate clean and dirty pots and utensils. Put the clean items away.
■ Scrape excess food into a trash bag.
■ Pour some water in the pots you've used if they contain stuck-on food.
■ Throw away food wrappers, vegetable peels, and other waste.
■ Close and put away food packages you've opened.
 Begin cleanup by setting out three pots:

Hot Cold

1. Wash Pot. Hot water 2. Hot-Rinse Pot. Clear, 3. Cold-Rinse Pot.

with a few drops of hot water Cold water with a
biodegradable soap sanitizing tablet or a
few drops of bleach
to kill bacteria
Follow these steps to wash a pot:
1. Scrape excess food into a garbage bag so the pot is as clean as possible.
2. Dampen a scrub pad with water from the wash pot and scrub the pot to
loosen the remaining food.
3. Dunk the pot in the wash pot to remove the loosened food. Iffood is still
stuck to the pot, scrub some more.
4. Use hot-pot tongs to dip the pot in the hot-rinse pot. Be sure no soap
bubbles remain on the pan.
5. Dunk the pot in the cold-rinse pot. If the pot is too big, dip some water
from the cold-rinse pot into the pot and slosh it around.
Lay clean dishes, pots, and utensils on a plastic ground sheet or hang them in
a mesh dish hammock and let them air dry.
Each Scout can wash and rinse his own plate, cup, and utensils. If everyone
also does one pot, pan, or cooking utensil, the work will be finished in no time.

DEALING WITH LEFTOVERS

Carry food scraps home in a sealed trash bag.
Don't bury leftover food or scatter it in the woods
Animals will almost always find it, and it is not healthy
for them to eat your leftover food. Food scraps can also
draw animals close to campsites, where they may lose their
fear of humans. That can be dangerous for them
and for you. Wash empty jars and cans and
carry them home for recycling.
Save space by cutting out the
ends and then flattening cons.
308
GETTING RID OF DISHWATER
During campouts lasting just a couple
of days, use a sieve or piece of window
screen to strain any food bits out of your
wash water, then put them in your trash.
Carry wash water and rinse water away
from camp and at least 75 steps from any
streams, lakes, or other open water. Give it
a good fling to spread it over a wide area.
For longer stays at one site, check with the local land manager for preferred
ways to dispose of dishwater. One way is to dig a sump hole at the edge ofcamp
and at least 75 steps from streams, lakes, or other open water. It should he about
a foot across and 2 feet deep. Pour dishwater into the sump through a sieve or
piece of window screen to catch food particles and shake them into a trash hag.
Fill the sump hole when you break camp and replace any ground cover.

Keep Soap and Detergent Away

From Open Water
Many soaps, detergents, and shampoos contain
chemicals thot encourage algae to grow. Algae
can crowd out native plants, making it harder
for fish and other animals to survive. Soap and
detergent might also leave an oily film in the
water that can harm tiny water animals.

FOOD STORAGE
Plan how you will store food while you are in the hackcountry. Fresh
meats, dairy products, and other perishable items can he kept chilled by stow
ing them with chunks of ice in an insulated cooler. Other foods won't need to
stay cold hut could require protection from mice, raccoons, and even hears.
If your camp will he near a cabin or other building that is safe from
animals, you might he able to store your food inside. The trunk of a car is
another possibility. Some campgrounds have metal boxes where you
can leave your food and know it is protected from wildlife
and weather. You also can keep food out of reach
of animals by hanging it from a tree.

To keep food from spilling or getting

stole, close containers with clothespins
you've brought from home.
 COOKING SAFELY
Cooking is fun—until somebody gets hurt. The biggest dangers you face as a
cook are burns and cuts. Fortunately, they are easy to avoid.

BURNS
Fires, charcoal, and cooking stoves can burn you if you touch them. Hidden
dangers include stoves that have been turned off but are still hot, steam rising
from boiling food, and hot food that gets spilled. To avoid butns:
■ Use oven mitts when moving hot pans and hot-pot tongs when working
with Dutch ovens.

■ Keep cloth oven mitts dry. Wet mitts won't protect your hands.
■ Keep things that can burn well away
from camp stoves.
■ Make sure stoves are on level surfaces
and that pots are centered on top.
■ Wear close-toed shoes in case of spills.
■ Stand well back when you are cooking
with grease or butter, which can spatter.
■ Keep your face and hands away from
steaming pots when you open their
lids. Let the steam dissipate before
looking inside.

Dangers increase when the camp kitchen gets crowded. Everyone who's not
cooking should stay out of the kitchen.
J
CUTS
Like pocketknives, kitchen knives are serious tools. Treat them with respect.
To avoid cuts:

■ Keep knives and scissors sharp.

■ Use knives and scissors only for their
intended purpose. Don't, for example,
try to open a can with a knife.
■ When you're using a knife, cut away
from yourself and keep your fingers
out of the knife's path. (If you need to
hold down a piece offood while you
cut it, spear it with a fork.)

310
 'Place the item you are cutting on a flat, stable surface such as a cutting
board. Put a damp paper towel or dish towel under the cutting board to
help keep it stable.
'Never throw a knife or try to catch a falling knife.

COOKING AT HIGH ALTITUDES

:v
Recipes and baking mixes often include adjustments for cooking
at fiigfi altitudes. Wfiy is tfiot?
One reason is tfiat water boils at lower temperatures at liigher altitudes—
tfie difference is just under 1 degree per 500-foot increase in elevation. At
sea level, tfie boiling point is 21 2 degrees F, but at 7,500 feet it is 198
degrees F. Because water can't get any fiotter tfion the boiling point without
evaporating, food cannot get as hot at higher elevations. That means it takes
longer to cook foods that rely on simmering or boiling.
Altitude also affects baking. Because the air is thinner at higher elevations,
leavening agents like yeast and baking soda will expand more quickly, so
their amounts should be reduced a bit. And because the air up there is drier,
recipes need a little more liquid to keep the food from drying out.
Although changes in atmospheric pressure start as soon as you leave sea
level, you generally don't need to adjust recipes until you reach an altitude
of 3,500 feet.

MEALS
The best part of planning the menu for a backpacking trip, campout, or
evening meal is deciding wbat to fix and serve. The sky's the limit on what you
can do with nutritious ingredients. You could start with a familiar recipe or
use your imagination to combine ingredients in creative ways.
Once you've written down your menu for a trip, go through it to make
sure it meets everyone's nutritional needs. If the menu is heavy on protein,
consider going meatless one lunch. If you haven't planned to use many fruits
and vegetables, add a fruit salad or vegetable side dish to one dinner.

To quickly see how balanced your menu is, highlight proteins, fruits,
vegetables, grains, and dairy items in different colors.
 BASIC COOKING TECHNIQUES
Recipes assume that you know certain basic cooking techniques. Here are
some of them:

TERM/DEFINITION NOTES

Bake. To cook in dry Preheat the oven, then place the food in it so that hot air
heal, as in an oven can circulate around it. Baked items are usually done
when they have turned golden brown. You can test bread
for doneness by sticking a toothpick in it; if the toothpick
comes out clean, the bread is done.

Baste. To moisten food Use a boster to suck up liquid from the bottom
while cooking with a of the pan and then squirt it on the food. To
liquid such as broth; preserve heat, keep the lid on the pan JT
similar to brushing, but as much as possible. .^'Baster
with thinner liquids
Beat. To vigorously stir To make light and fluffy scrambled eggs, add a little milk
food with a fork until it's ('^ cup milk per 4 eggs) and beat thoroughly.
thoroughly blended

Boil. To cook in boiling To cook pasta, fill a pot half full of water and place it over
liquid, usually water heat. Once it reaches a rolling boil (the air bubbles are
breaking the surface of the water), add pasta. Stir once to
separate the noodles. Let the water return to a rolling boil.
If it threatens to boil over, reduce the heat a little. To test the
pasta, lake out a piece and bite into it. It should be tender
yet firm to the bite.
Broil. To cook food Broil over a bed of hot cools, not leaping flames. At home,
directly over or in front of you can broil in the oven by turning on the oven's upper
an open fire element and placing the food on the top oven rack in a pan.
Brown. To cook the Brown items such as sausage, ham, ground beef, and hash
outside of a food item browns in a pan over medium-high heat, turning or stirring
over direct heat often. Meat will provide its own grease to keep it from
sticking. With potatoes, first spray the pan with cooking spray
or odd a little olive oil. You can also brown larger cuts of meat
before cooking them further in a Dutch oven.
Brush. To add sauce or Brush on barbecue sauce only when the food
other liquid to food with is almost done. When a brush has come in
a brush during cooking; contact with raw meat, don't dip it bock in
similar to basting, but the sauce jar. Wash the brush thoroughly
with thicker liquids after use. Brushing
Chop. To cut raw foods The smaller food items are chopped, the quicker they
into smaller pieces before will cook. Chop garlic very finely (called mincing}; chop
cooking vegetables into bite-size pieces.
Drain. To pour cooking Use a strainer to safelv drain the water out
liquid out of a pan of a pot of pasta and the grease out of a J
pan of sausage. Set the strainer over a large
pot and pour in the liquid and food. The strainer
will catch the food and let the liquid go through. Strainer

312
TERM/DEFINITION NOTES

Fry. To cook in an open Pour a few tablespoons of oil into the pan and let it get hot.
pan with a small amount jit's hot enough when water sprinkled on it sizzles.) Add the
of oil food and cook until done, stirring or turning occasionally.
Cook at a moderate temperature so the food gets done all
the way through.
Grease. To coat the Moisten a paper towel with shortening or oil and rub it all
inside of a pan with around the inside of the pan to help the food come out of the
shortening or oil pan easily.
Grill. To cook food Cook over a bed of cools to allow for slow, steady cooking.
directly over an open fire Turn the food halfway through the expected cooking time.
Mash. To crush a food If you're making mashed potatoes, boil the raw potatoes for
item into pulp using a about 20 minutes. Then peel them (if desired) and mash.
fork or masher Add butter and milk to taste (2 to 4 tablespoons of each per
pound of potatoes) and stir thoroughly.
Mix. To combine food As you mix ingredients, scrape the sides and bottom of the
items with a spoon bowl so everything gets mixed up.
Peel. To remove the A vegetable peeler is safer than a knife |;
skin of food items such and includes a point for gouging out |;
as carrots, potatoes, potato eyes. Wash food items before
and apples peeling them. Peeler
Roast. To cook meat and Vegetable beef stew is probably the most common item that
vegetables with dry heat, Scouts cook by roasting, but you con do other foods as well,
as in a pan in an oven or such as wrapping corn on the cob in aluminum foil and
in aluminum foil covered placing it on a bed of coals.
by hot coals
Saute. To cook in oil or To saute onions, heat about 1 tablespoon of oil per onion
butter in a skillet over medium heat until it's hot. Add diced onions to the skillet
and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Stir frequently.
Sear. To brown a piece If you're making beef stew, heat up your Dutch oven over hot
of meat ot a very high coals while you cut the beef into pieces. Season the beef
temperature to make the with salt and pepper, then sear it in the bottom of the oven,
flavor more intense turning frequently. Before adding other ingredients, reduce
the heat by removing some of the coals from beneath
the oven.

Season. To add herbs Herbs and spices added during cooking pock more punch
and spices to food than those added at the table. Don't overdo it; remember
that diners can add more seasoning to their own plates.
Slice. To cut a food item Use a sharp paring knife to cut fruit and vegetables into
into slices slices. The thinner the slices, the quicker the food will cook.
Turn. To rotate a food Use a pancake turner, large spoon, kitchen fork, or tongs to
item to ensure even turn food. Generally, only one or two turns are needed.
cooking
 Cooking Measurements
You should become familiar with these measurements, which appear frequently
in recipes:

MEASUREMENT EQUIVALENT

Va teaspoon 15 drops
1 teaspoon '/j tablespoon
1 tablespoon 3 teaspoons
2 tablespoons 1 fluid ounce
4 tablespoons Va cup or 2 fluid ounces
8 tablespoons Vz cup or 4 fluid ounces
16 tablespoons 1 cup
1 cup 8 fluid ounces
2 cups 1 pint
1 pint 16 fluid ounces
4 cups 1 quart
1 quart 32 fluid ounces
2 quarts 1 half-gallon (64 ounces)
4 quarts 1 gallon (1 28 ounces)

Teaspoon is often abbreviated tsp. Tablespoon is often abbreviated 7or Tbsp.

A dash or a pinch is the amount of something (often salt) that you can hold
between the tips of your thumb and forefinger.

BREAKFAST IN CAMP
Get your day off to a strong start with a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast. Here are
some suggestions.

Fruit
Fresh Fruit. Apples, oranges, bananas, peaches, melons, and berries can all be
tasty additions to camp menus. Fresh fruit can be fragile, so use it early in your
campout.

Dried Fruit. Raisins, banana chips, apple chips,

and dried peaches, apricots, and mangoes are
delicious just as they are, or you can soak them
overnight or cook them with hot cereal.
Canned Fruit. Many kinds of fruit are available
in small and medium-sized cans. Plan on about
6 ounces per serving.

314
Cereal
Hot cereal tastes great on chilly mornings. In the summer, you might want
cold cereal or granola with milk. Avoid flakes and other kinds of cereal that
could get crushed in your pack.
Oatmeal. For each serving, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add a pinch of
salt. For extra flavor, drop raisins or chopped fruit into the boiling water. Stir
in V^ cup of rolled oats. Put the lid on the pot and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or
until most of the liquid is gone. Serve oatmeal with milk, brown sugar, butter,
cinnamon, or a spoonful ofjam.
Granola. Made of toasted oats, granola is terrific for outdoor breakfasts
when you don't want to cook. Many brands of granola also contain nuts,
raisins, or dried fruit. Try a bowl of granola with milk. By itself, granola is a
tasty trail snack.

Eggs
Boiled Eggs. Use a spoon to gently lower eggs
into boiling water. Cook eggs 5 minutes for soft-
boiled or 10 minutes for hard-boiled.

Fried Eggs. Heat a teaspoon of butter,

margarine, or cooking oil in a pan. Crack in
two eggs and fry over low heat until the white
becomes firm. Flip them if you like your eggs over easy, or serve them sunny-
side up. To flip an egg, slide a pancake turner under it, lift it off the heat, and
carefully turn the utensil until the egg flips back into the pan.
Scrambled Eggs. Beat two eggs in a bowl. Add a tablespoon of milk if you
have it and a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat a teaspoon of butter, margarine,
or cooking oil in a pan, then pour in the eggs and cook over low heat. Stir
occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula. For variety, add
chopped onions, tomatoes, green peppers, mushrooms, or shredded cheese to
the eggs before you cook them.

Get Cracking!
Here's an easy v^oy to crack an egg:
Tap the side of the egg gently on
the counter or table to form a dent in
it. Hold the egg in both hands and
push in on the dent with your thumbs.
The shell should separate easily.
 Bacon end Ham
Fried Bacon. Put bacon slices in a cold pan and cook over low heat, turning
them every couple of minutes with tongs or a fork. When the bacon looks crispy,
remove it to a plate covered with paper towels to soak up the extra grease.
Fried Ham. Heat a little cooking oil, butter, or margarine in a pan. Put in
slices of precooked ham and fry over low heat until the meat is lightly browned.
Turn and fry the other side.

Pancakes
Pancakes are a treat on mornings when you aren't in a hurry to break camp.
Follow the instructions on a box of pancake mix, ot make your own mix at
home. Fresh berries, chopped fruit, or nuts can be added to the batter for an
extra treat. Pancakes are best cooked on a griddle or in a heavy frying pan.
Heat the pan or griddle and grease it
with a little cooking oil, butter, or margarine.
Pour in jusr enough batter to form each cake
and fry over low heat. When the edges begin
to brown and bubbles break in the centet of
the cake, turn it with a pancake turner and
fry the other side. Serve with butter, syrup,
or jam.

Pancake Mix
You can moke your own pancake mix before leaving home by combining
V2 cup white flour, Vi teaspoon baking powder, a pinch of salt, and
16 teaspoon sugar. Carry it in a resealable plastic bag (which can do double
duty for mixing your batter). In camp, prepare the batter by stirring in an egg,
2 tablespoons of cooking oil, and Va cup of milk. The batter should be thick
but not runny; if it seems too thick, add milk a couple of tablespoons at a time.

French Toast
Beat together two eggs, a pinch of salt, and Vi cup of milk. Add a pinch of
cinnamon. This should make enough batter for three to four slices of French
toast. Dip a slice of bread in the egg mix, coating both sides. Then fry the bread
as if it were a pancake. Serve with butter, syrup, or jam. Try sprinkling on a little
powdered sugar.

Breakfast Drinks
Milk, cocoa, and fruit juices all go well with breakfast. If you use dried
milk, cocoa mix, or fruit juice powder, follow the package instructions and
stir thoroughly.

316
LUNCH
By the middle of the day in camp or on the trail, you'll be ready to rest
and refuel. You can assemble lunch right after breakfast and pack it along so
it's ready to eat wherever you are. When you will be near the camp kitchen,
though, you might want a hot meal, especially if the weather is rainy or cold.
Sandwiches
An easy way to serve sandwiches is to lay out the bread and fillings on a
sheet of plastic. Ask each Scout to wash his hands and then build his own
sandwich. Choose from peanut butter and jelly, cheese, lunchmeats, canned
tuna or salmon, sardines, sliced tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, pickles, and
lettuce. Round out the meal with milk, a piece offruit, and a few cookies.

Hot Dishes
A cup of soup will warm you on a
chilly day. Follow the instructions on
the label to make it from a can or a
mix. Try toasting a cheese sandwich by
frying it on both sides in a little butter
or margarine. If you have fresh foods,
light a stove and fry a hamburger or boil
some hot dogs.

Backpacker's Lunch
On longer trips or when you aren't able to carry fresh foods, you can take
along a lunch of crackers, jelly or jam, hard cheese, salami or summer sausage,
fruit, and small cans or foil pouches of chicken or tuna. Add powdered drink
mix and a dessert for a lightweight meal that's full of nourishment.

SUPPER
A one-pot stew is a satisfying evening meal that is easy to prepare. You
also can fix a main dish with meat, chicken, or fish, and some vegetables.
Bake some biscuits, add a dessert, and fix something to drink to complete
a memorable feast.

Cooking Red Meat

Grilling. Use a grill holding charcoal briquettes, or let a campfire burn into
a bed of coals. Place a wire grill so that it is 4 to 6 inches above the coals and
lay the meat on the grill. Cook hamburgers 3 to 4 minutes on each side until
the pink color is gone from the inside. A 1-inch-thick steak needs about 5 to
10 minutes on each side, depending on the heat of the coals. Cut into the
center to see if the meat is done the way you like it.
 Frying. Heat a spoonful of cooking oil in a frying pan. Add hamburger
patties, pork chops, or steak, and fry over coals or a stove until done. Pork must
always be thoroughly cooked.
Stew. For each serving, use Vi pound of beef cut
into cubes. Rub flour into the cubes or shake them
in a paper bag with a small amount offlour. Place
the meat in a pot with a few spoonfuls of cooking oil,
and fry until brown. Then add enough water to cover
the meat, put a lid on the pot, and simmer for 30
minutes. Add a chopped onion, carrot, and potato, and
simmer 30 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

QUICK ONE-POT STEW

It's hard to beat a one-pot stev^r for speedy outdoor dining. With o few
ingredients and a little imagination, you con moke dozens of different versions.
Just combine one item from each of the following lists. All amounts are for one
serving, so remember to multiply by the number of servings you will need.

3 to 4 ounces Add a 3- to Add 1 packet: Add:

cooked: 4-ounce can ■ Gravy mix ■ Cooked
■ Spaghetti or foil packet: or 4 to 8 ounces:
vegetables
■ Macaroni ■ Tuna ■ Shredded
■ Spaghetti sauce
■ Noodles ■ Chicken ■ Stroganoff sauce cheese
■ Ramen noodles ■ Tomato sauce ■ Chopped
nuts
■ Rice

Serve vegetables separately from the stew, or drain and stir them right into the
pot. Season to taste. Add a beverage and a dessert to round out the meal.

Cooking Chicken
Frying. Roll chicken pieces in flour or shake them in a paper bag with a small
amount of flour. Place the chicken in a pan and fry it in a few tablespoons of
cooking oil until golden brown. Add Vz cup of
water, cover the pan with a lid, and steam over
low heat for about 20 minutes more.

Broiling. Lay pieces of chicken on a wire

grill. Cook over coals for about 15 minutes
on each side. Keep the chicken moist as it
broils by brushing it with butter, margarine,
or barbecue sauce.

318
Cooking Fish
Frying Fish. Roll each fish in flour or cornmeal. Heat a few tablespoons of
cooking oil in a frying pan or on a griddle. Carefully place the fish in the hot
oil and fry until golden brown, turning the fish once. Keep your eye on the
fish. It won't take long to cook.
Grilling Fish. Using a grill placed over coals is a perfect way to prepare fish.
While the grill is still cool, brush it with cooking oil. Lightly brush the outside
of the fish with oil, too, before placing it on the hot grill. Let the fish cook a
couple of minutes, then turn it once. You'll know it is done when the meat is
flaky and no longer shiny. Avoid overcooking fish.

VEGETABLES
Fresh and Canned Vegetables. Many fresh vegetables can be washed
and eaten raw for maximum nutritional value. To cook vegetables, cover with
water and simmer over low heat until done. Corn on the cob cooks in about
10 minutes, while fresh carrots, peas, and green beans can take longer. Most
canned vegetables are already cooked. Pour them into a pan and heat them in
their own liquid.
Boiled and Mashed Potatoes. Wash
potatoes and peel them, or leave the
skins on for the vitamins and minerals
they contain. Cut the potatoes into
1-inch cubes and boil gently in a pot
of water for about 20 minutes. Test a
cube with a fork. The potatoes are done
when the fork goes in easily. Drain
the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and serve with a little butter or
margarine. If you wish, you can mash the cubes with a fork or potato masher.
Fried Potatoes. Boil several whole potatoes and let them cool. Slice the
potatoes and fry in hot oil until they are brown. For extra flavor, chop an
onion and fry it along with the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

PASTA AND RICE

Spaghetti. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a tablespoon of cooking
oil, butter, or margarine if you have it, then drop in 3 or 4 ounces ofspaghetti,
broken in half, for each person. Stir once to separate the noodles. Boil for 5 to
10 minutes until tender. Drain and serve with spaghetti sauce.
You can use packets of mix to make a basic spaghetti sauce, or put your
own twist on it by adding mushrooms, green peppers, and other ingredients.
When the weight you need to carry doesn't matter, try ready-made spaghetti
sauces from jars or cans.
 Macaroni and Cheese. For each serving,
stir 3 or 4 ounces of macaroni into a pot
of boiling water. BoilforlOtol5 minutes
until the macaroni is tender, then drain
the water. Stir into the cooked macaroni
2 ounces of cut-up cheese, 1 teaspoon
of powdered milk, and 1 tablespoon of
margarine or butter.
Rice. Both white and brown rice are rich
in minerals and fiber. For one serving, pour
14 cup of raw rice and 1 cup of cold water into a pot. Cover with a lid and bring
to a boil. Let it simmer until most of the water cooks away—about 20 minutes
for white rice, 30 minutes or more for brown rice. There's no need to stir rice
while it is cooking, but be careful not to let it burn on the bottom.
Ramen Noodles. Ramen-style noodles come in a 3-ounce package just right
for a single serving. Before you open the package, crush the noodles into small
pieces. Tear open the wrapper and pour the noodles into 114 cups boiling water.
Remove from heat and let stand a few minutes until done. If you wish, stir in
the flavor packet that comes with the noodles and add canned tuna or chicken,
canned vegetables, and other ingredients to make a hearty soup.

BREAD
Bread is good to serve in camp alongside dinnertime stews and soups. It's also
a great addition to all other meals. You can bring bread or crackers from home
or bake bread in camp. Fresh biscuits are hard to beat. If you bring store-bought
bread, choose a whole-grain or multigrain variety. Besides being more flavorful
and nutritious, it will be sturdier than white bread and less likely to get smashed
in your food box.
Biscuits. Follow the package instructions for preparing premixed biscuir flour.
Shape the dough into biscuits about 14-inch thick. Place them on a greased pan
and bake for 10 to 15 minutes in a stovetop oven or Dutch oven. Test the biscuits
for doneness by pushing a toothpick, matchstick, or wood shaving
into a biscuit. The biscuits are done when the wood comes out
without any dough clinging to it.
Dutch Oven Biscuits. Mix enough dough for eight
biscuits. Use a shovel to move a scoop of coals onto a fire-
safe surface, then place the empty oven on them and let it
warm. Arrange the raw biscuits in the oven. Cover with the lid,
then shovel coals on top—three times as many coals on the lid as underneath
the oven. Check in about 10 minutes. The biscuits will be ready when they are
golden brown. Gloves and hot-pot tongs will make it easier to handle a hot oven.

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 Dutch Ovens
A Dutch oven is a heavy iron or aluminum pot that's perfect for baking bread,
cobblers, and pies as well as for cooking stews and beans. In fact, anything
that con be cooked in a household oven can be cooked in a Dutch oven.
An iron Dutch oven must be seasoned before its first use and whenever it has
been scrubbed clean. A Dutch oven can weigh a lot—20 pounds or more, in
fact—so you'll want to plan ahead to minimize how far it has to be carried.
Season an oven by heating it over a fire
and then putting in several tablespoons of
cooking oil. Spread the oil all over the inside
of the oven with a paper towel and let the
oven cool. The metal will be protected from
rust, and foods you prepare are less likely to
stick. Soap strips away the oily layer, so it is
often best to wash out a Dutch oven with hot
water that contains no soap.
To help keep the inside of the oven clean A camping Dutch oven has legs
and a raised lip around its lid.
and to keep food from sticking to the
bottom, place three or four smooth rocks in the bottom of the oven, add a
metal plate or pan, then place the food on top of the pan.

Dutch Oven Tricks

The hardest part of using a Dutch oven
is removing the lid without dumping
coals on your food. One option is to
grasp the lid's lip with hot-pot tongs
and gently lift. The other option is to
use a special lid-lifter to lift the lid by its
handle. Either way, it's a good idea to
wear an oven mitt to protect your hand.
If you're just checking to see if your
food is done, don't remove the
lid —just slide it to one side. If you
do remove the lid, don't set it on the
ground; doing that could transfer dirt
When you need to move the whole onto your food. Instead, set it on a
oven, use the hook ot the end of one
of the lid-lifter's hondles to grob the clean surface or across a couple of
Dutch oven's bole. Hold the tongs by pieces of firewood.
the other hondle.

Stoveiop Oven Bread. Ovens for use with backpacking stoves are available
at camping supply stores. Use them as you would an oven at home, keeping
your stove flame low to allow for gentle baking.
 Frying Pan Bread. Almost any bread or biscuit recipe can be cooked in a frying
pan greased with a few tablespoons of cooking oil. Flatten the dough into a large
pancake, put it in the oiled pan, and fry it over the fire. A lid will hold in the heat.
Turn the bread with a spatula to allow both sides to brown. The trick is to cook the
dough slowly enough for the center to become done before the crust is too hrown.
Dumplings. Drop spoonfuls of biscuit dough on top of a one-pot stew when
the stew has about 10 minutes left to cook. Cover and let the stew simmer.
Steam from the stew will turn the dough into mouth-watering dumplings.

DESSERTS
Fruit or cookies finish a meal nicely. Pudding is another tasty choice. Pudding
mixes come in many flavors, and instant pudding requires no cooking. Gobbler,
brownies, and other baked desserts are always great in camp.

Ranger Cobbler
A traditional Scout dessert is peach cobbler
baked in a Dutch oven. Here's one recipe.
Ingredients:
■ 2 28-ounce cons of peaches in juice
(peaches in syrup add unneeded sugar)
■ 2 cups of dry biscuit mix
■ V2 cup sugar
■ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Heat a Dutch oven over a good bed of charcoal. Pour the juice from one can
of peaches into the oven. Use the juice from the other can in place of water
to mix up the biscuit dough in a bowl. Put the peaches from both cans into the
oven. Stir in the sugar and cinnamon and bring to a boil.
Drop spoonfuls of biscuit dough onto the hot peach mixture in the some way
you would make dumplings. Put the lid on the Dutch oven and move it onto a
fresh shovelful of charcoal. Scoop three times as many coals onto the lid of the
oven and let the cobbler bake about 20 minutes or until the biscuit topping is
golden brown.

COOKING IN ALUMINUM FOIL

Want to leave the pots and pans at home? Then give aluminum-foil cooking
a try. Wrap food in a piece of heavy-duty foil and fold ovet the edges to make a
packet from which liquids and steam can't escape. Place the foil packet on a bed
of coals and turn it at least once while it cooks. When you unwrap your dinner,
you can eat it right out of the foil.

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 Foil Packet Cooking
Three variations of foil packets are good for camp Handle wrap
cooking. The handle wrap is made from a doubled piece
of foil that is crimped and folded into a shape with o built-in
handle. A bundle wrap starts with the food placed in the
center of o piece of foil, then the corners are brought up
in the center and twisted at the top to seal (leave room for Drugstore
expansion). For the drugstore wrap, start with the food wrap

in the center of the foil as in the bundle wrap. Fold the

sides up, fold and crimp the tops several times, and
fold and crimp the open edges to finish. Again, leave
room for expanding gases as the food cooks.
Bundle wrap

Foil cooidng is possible because aluminum doesn't burn.(If you use foil
to cook, remember to carry used foil home to discard it.) Because most
ingredients needed for foil cooking are fresh, foil meals are best for Scout
cookouts or the first meal of a campout.
Ground Beef. Shape 4 ounces of ground beef into a patty. Cut a medium
potato and a carrot into thin strips. Peel and slice a small onion. Arrange all
the ingredients on a square of heavy-duty foil and sprinkle lightly with salt
and pepper. Close the foil and lay the package on the coals. Cook for about 7
to 8 minutes, then turn it over and let it cook for another 7 to 8 minutes.
Stew. Cut 4 ounces of beef into cubes. Thinly slice a potato, carrot,
and small onion. Place all the ingredients on a heavy-duty piece offoil and
sprinkle wirh salt and pepper. Add several tablespoons of water and fold the
foil to form a packet. Cook the packet on the coals for about 20 minutes,
turning it at least once.
Chicken. Smear chicken pieces with butter or margarine. Season lightly
with salt and pepper, and wrap each piece separately in heavy-duty foil. Place
the packets on the coals and cook for about 20 minutes, turning several times.
Potato. Pierce the skin of a potato in several places with a fork or your
pocketknife, then wrap the potato in foil. Bury it in the coals for 15 minutes
or more.

Corn on the Cob. Dab butter or margarine on an ear of corn, wrap ir in foil,
and roast on the coals for 10 minutes. Turn it several times while it is cooking.
Baked Fish. Wrap fresh fish in heavy-duty foil by itself or along with some
chopped onion and lemon slices. Bake on the coals about 3 to 5 minutes per
side for a small fish. Allow 10 minutes or more on each side for a large fish.
Fruit. Cut the core out of an apple and fill the hole with a pat of butter, a
few raisins, some cinnamon, and a teaspoon of brown sugar. Wrap in foil and
bake in the coals for 30 minutes.
 COOKING WITHOUT UTENSILS
The secret to cooking a meal without pots, pans, or aluminum foil is a bed of
hot coals.

Roasted Potatoes. Coat each potato with a thick layer of mud and bury it in
the coals. Bake 30 to 40 minutes. The mud will become caked and hatd, but the
potato inside should come out just right.
Kabob. Soak a bamboo skewer in water
(to ptevent it from burning), then slide a
1-inch cube of beef or chicken onto the
skewer. Alternate whole mushrooms;
chunks of tomato, onion, green pepper, or
pineapple; slices ofzucchini; or any other
vegetable or fruit you enjoy broiled. Broil
the kabobs a few inches above the coals for
10 to 15 minutes, turning often.
Fish. Run a bamboo skewer into the flesh along the length of a small trout's
spine. Another option is to tie the fish to the stick with several wraps of string.
Hold the fish over the coals and cook a few minutes. Fins and skin will pull off,
leaving the tender meat beneath.
Bread Twist. Roll stiff biscuit dough
into the shape of a long sausage. Twist the
dough around a clean, wooden broom
handle. Lean the handle over a bed of
coals and turn occasionally until the
baking is done.
Bread Cup. Mold thick biscuit dough
onto the end of a wooden broom handle,
then bake it over the coals. When it is done, slip it off the handle and stuff the
bread cup with sandwich fillings or stew.
Orange Cupcake. Cut an orange in half. Scoop out the contents and replace
with prepared cake batter. Place in a bed of coals and cook until a matchstick or
sliver of wood stuck in the center comes out clean.

Roasted Corn. Open the husks and remove the silks. Replace the husks,
dip the ears in water, and place them on the coals. Roast for 8 to 10 minutes,
turning them as they cook.

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MAKING CAMP MEALS SPECIAL
Mealtime is a terrific opportunity for you to sit down with your patrol
and enjoy good food and the fellowship of Scouting. Even a simple meal can
be turned into a special moment. With the
busyness of cooking behind you, you can eat
together and talk about what you've done on
this outing or share memories of past outings.
In many troops, the senior patrol leader,
assistant senior patrol leader, and adult
leaders take turns eating with each patrol.
Having a guest at a meal gives you the chance
to show off your cooking skills and also get to
know your guest a little better. A Scout is reverent. Remember
to soy grace—lots of versions
ore available—before every
camp meal.
COOKING AT HOME
The cooking skills you learn at camp work just as well at home. In fact,
cooking for your family is a great way to get better at camp cookery. And
when you get older and are living on your own, you'll be able to feed yourself
something tastier—and better for you—than ramen noodles and frozen pizza.
Home cooking allows you to be more precise. For example, you can set the
oven to a specific temperature rather than guessing if your Dutch oven is hot
enough. You'll also probably have access to more tools, such as a mixer with
which to prepare bread dough or a microwave oven in which to defrost meat.
Try your favorite camping recipes at home to get a feel for the difference.
Then, take a favorite family recipe to camp and try it. Your patrol may fall in
love with the food you've been eating all your life.

KEEPING A COOKING NOTEBOOK

Write your food lists and recipes in a notebook each time you get ready for
a campout. At the end of a trip, make notes about what worked well and what
didn't. Perhaps you needed a larger frying pan or more oatmeal, or maybe
you brought too much cocoa. As you plan your next adventure, your
notebook will remind you of changes you want to make.
Continue to try different recipes, too. Earning the
Cooking merit badge is a great goal to set as your skills
increase. Your biggest reward will be the smiles on
the faces of your patrol every time you sit down to a
delicious outdoor meal that you've cooked yourselves.