Hi,newbie here saw mention of a food forum,I like the idea as its a huge interest of mine.

So FWIW,I would contribute to it,and learn from it.

Is management interested? Members?

I would be interested

I'd be interested as well.

well, if we had a food forum, it would wind up being moderated by Blast, and all the recipes would include weeds and bugs. His favored cooking technique involves heat and pressure levels that involve encapsulating the entree in concrete and steel containment vessels. This ain't gonna be no Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking School enterprise...

from Florida, with Love

Key Lime Pie
(slight modification of the Nellie and Joe's recipe)

preheat oven to 350

thoroughly mix
14oz can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks, no whites (the original recipe is for 3)
1/2 cup of Nellie and Joe's Key Lime juice (be careful they bottle lemon juice in the same colored bottle)

I use a +2 slice pre made Graham cracker shell

original bake time is 15min... I add at least 10min to this
cool, refrigerate

top with 1/2 tub of Cool Whip....

you can thank me later...

+1

Would I get to talk about sous vide cooking and molecular gastronomy?

Hmm, for some reason I am hearing echos of John Belushi - "FOOD FIGHT!"

Seriously, I think a food forum is a good idea. Not only to share the best of field dressed game and emergency food but campfire receipes and methods of preserving.

I'm on the fence. I like the idea of a food forum too, but one of the things I like about ETS, though, is that we don't have a gazillion sub-forums. Around the campfire works for me.

It is nice to not have a bazillion sub forums.

I like the dedicated forum so storage,recipes,weeds,etc.....you can find a bunch of gems that may otherwise get lost.

Food is a really important topic.

OT,one thing that really appealed to me here was the lack of shoot em up,kill em all,keyboard commando stuff found on other forums.Plenty of gun fighting/end of world zombie forums to address that at any level you like.

I like your mindset, it is a positive take on things,I was thinking food as a positive subject matter.

I don't think that a food forum is neither required nor is there a real need for it. Overall, this is a low volume forum and with the 4 main forums listed, any discussion on food is very low in those forums as compared to general survival topics which is the main focus of ETS.

Last year there was a similar thread on re-organzing the forum and the overall consensus was not to fix something that is not broken. In that thread, I mentioned that I would like to see a general camping forum and Hikemor made a very good observation that I have quoted below. His thoughts why there should not be separate camping forum, IMHO, can easily be applied to why ETS should not have a food forum.



Lastly, if we ever did have a food forum, I can see thread locks when the discussion inevitably degenerates on which company makes the best tactical mixing bowls or do muffins turn out and taste better in a stainless muffin pan as compared to a titanium muffin pan....

Wherever it appears, I would like to see some of Blast's recipes for the stuff he finds in the woods.

Some lightly grilled salmon steak and wasabi, with a side of wild onion, miners lettuce and a balsamic vinaigrette?

I have repeated a gazillion times my wish for some dedicated forums ( medical, gardening, prep gear ..etc.) and want to add that there are two ofrums in teh bottom that do not get much traffic ( Lending Library and The Market place ) . These two can be served by stikies in the (Around the campfire ) forum, and the space can be better used - IMHO - for something better. There is a 3rd low traffic forum ( photo gallery ) which I personally would prefer to re-purpose to soemthing else like (survival stories) with positive or negative outcomes.


FWIW,
Just my 2¢

I think around the campfire is fine. Here's why.

This is not a "survivalist" site - the basic tone and mission here assumes that the situations encountered are short-term for the most part (stuck on a mountain, ditched in the tundra), longer term for natural disasters (weather emergencies) and there's a bit of entertaining the "collapse of society" scenarios in the Urban forum.

Food applies in all of those situations, and differently. The food I pack in a briefcase for "surviving" in an airport for 3 days is different than the food I keep in the house for "surviving" a winter storm vs the food I bring on a road trip. Similarly, my ongoing pathetic attempts at meaningful harvests from gardening are interesting (did you know Tomatoes can have a calcium deficiency?), but discussing ways of attempting to be wholly "self-sufficient" in food you grow and eat has this interesting tendency to steer into TEOTWAWKI territory.

Finally, there's the structure of the site itself. We've been reticent to add sections because the more sections you have, the less community you get. Being "forced" into a place like Around the Campfire for all of the "other" topics actually increases the value of this site, by accidentally exposing you to topics that you didn't know you wanted to know about or maybe wouldn't have thought to discuss.

In conclusion, I think that Around The Campfire is perfectly suited to this topic.

And for those still reading - any neat soil prep tricks to prevent bloom-end rot? About 25% of my tomatoes were lost to it this year. I have basically no limits to the things I am willing to do to prevent it next year, up to and including buying soil for a 30'x30' garden, but simple would be better.

I see why you dont want to add more sections,I like the setup you have now too,it DOES work.I was only thinking a lot might get lost otherwise.

So a pantry,a year or 2 supply like everyone did until just in time delivery became norm wouldnt work here? I do have lots of interest in that as it just seems normal to me,how to do it therefore seems normal too? How to can would work here,wouldnt it,or is it only 3-14 day food type stuff you'd rather see?

See,I see this as economic survival in our journey thru life,we wont have this great income vrs what we will have in retirement,to do up food cheaply is an issue for us,not end of world thing on our end,so thats how I see it.

Just clarify so I dont mess up with inappropriate posts that arent your focus or desire.

But what you have is good,no doubt about it,keep up the good work,its a winner.Small and nice,thats a good thing in a preparedness forum.Everything doesnt need to begin at the survivalblog level then more extreme levels,in fact some of that gets pretty out there/overwhelming real fast for many folks,me included.

Nice forum,thank you.

About tomatoes? All I know is our season very short and the chicken poo level was finally right,we will get some winners this year,but still wind up with too many greenies.We are learning ways to prepare the greens though.

FWIW,we try to use no chems at all (what if we cant get em? Doesnt have to be end of world,could just be end of disposable income),a personal choice on many different levels (NOT greenie extremists by any reach),so chick poo/mulch/compost is about as far as we go gardening wise.We plan on losing a third anyhow to nature.

Martin,

I grow my tomatoes in pots. I started with pure compost. This worked well except for Roma tomatoes--they got blossom end-rot. After I found that it was due to a calcium deficiency, I just added some lime and all was well.

Ack!! More pressure to finish my book!
At this point it's still going to be years. I figure not until my daughters have become surly, parent-hating teenagers.
-Blast

It'll stay on my shopping list until then adn we can review it together in parental therapy!!

Don't really see a need for the food forum....just like all the other devices/equipment/thing-a-mabobs we all have, there is an inherent level of knowledge that's needed on how to use such items. That can be said about food items as well. Knowledge on how to best utilize/prep your food items is just as important as what food items to take in the first place..if your a reasonable cook you'll be fine. If not, practice. Don't expect five star dining in the wilderness, unless your with an outfitter (best gazpacho soup I ever had was on the Green River after a resupply). How many times have we all had campfire food thats outrageously good, while at home that same fare would be just ok. There's a book called "Storm Gourmet" that goes over food to fix when the power is out that I've found helpful. My 2 cents.

I'm with bacpacjac on this one. I'm kind of on the fence. I do have a suggestion however. Is it feasible to have a subject under the "Around the campfire" forum titled, oh, I don't know...... "All matters food" or something like that? Then make it a sticky that always stays at the top. Kind of like the "Introducing the new sherriff". That way it's not another sub-forum but still allows for food discussions to not get lost. I could see that becoming a HUGE topic over time however.

LW

I got a couple books,will post what they are later...wifey has em somewhere.

They are about how to actually use the stored preps type staples,found it really good info.One is a Morman lady who cooks regular looking meals from preps,not boiled rice and bean end of world type cooking.

So might want to look into having a couple of those around.

Here they are....

I Can't Believe It's Food Storage
Crystal Godfrey

Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Family Safe in a Crisis
Peggy Layton

Found both at amazon and worth the purchase price.IMO.

I can see where this is leading....How about an Equipped to Survive Cookbook, "Better Living in Hard Times" or something like that, featuring 101 ways to make oatmeal tasty......

I posted this under the urban topics too... might come in handy

http://allaboutfoodstorage.com/wp-content/uploads/EVERYTHING-UNDER-THE-SUN-2010-word.pdf

Thanks Les,some nice recipes.

She completely changed the way I approach food storage after viewing her videos...

Hehehe...in food related news I did just order a Smokin-It Model 2 smoker today! Can't wait til it gets here.

Thats really nice! Ever make buckboard bacon,mighty fine stuff,I wont use regular bacon anymore.Not quite the same,but once youve made a couple ....well,Im not going back.

Not sure how the smoker part works but for cold smoking this is the cats meow,I have NO financial interest in device.Its made by a fellow at SMF forums. Makes smoking foolproof,Im living proof.Runs somewhere in the 70 dollars range.

You may like it a lot,most do.12 hour cold smoke times... I have the sawdust style,it is amazen for sure.




The 6x6 and 6x8 A-MAZE-N-SMOKERS(AMNS) are light weight, durable and portable smoke generators, that produce great quality smoke for cold and hot smoking. They are versatile enough to be used in just about any smoker or a grill. The Original A-MAZE-N-SMOKERS were designed to burn sawdust for cold smoking, but customers quickly found them useful at higher temps up to 180°.

The “NEW” A-MAZE-N-PELLET-SMOKER(AMNPS) is also a light weight, durable and portable smoke generator, but it’s designed to burn pellets or sawdust. The new AMNPS will produce smoke during cold smoking and hot smoking, tested up to 275°!

The latest addition to my smoking arsenal is the A-MAZE-N-TUBE-SMOKER(AMNTS). The AMNTS uses the very same materials as my other smokers, but it's in the shape of a tube. It was designed to burn pellets and supplement smoke at higher temps, in Pellet Grills/Smokers. This is where most pellet grills/smokers do not produce much smoke. The AMNTS adds additional smoke at cooking temps, regardless if your pellet grill/smoker is burning pellets or not.

It can also be used in many other types of smokers or grills, where grate space is limited. Just like the other smokers we sell, the AMNTS will produce great smoke for cold smoking as well. The 12" AMNTS will burn up to 4 hours and the 18" AMNTS will burn for up to 6 hours, depending on the smoker temps, type of pellets and draft inside your smoker.

BONUS: Included with every 6x6 or 6x8 AMNS is a 1 lb. bag of Hickory A-MAZE-N-DUST!!

Included with every AMNPS is a 2# bag of Oak A-MAZE-N-PELLETS!!

Included with every 12" AMNTS is 3/4 lb. of Oak Pellets!!

Included with every 18" AMNTS is 1 lb. of Oak Pellets!!

Sunday's supper:

4 oz. of dried cuttlefish, one can of chunk chicken, one can of chicken broth and one diced, medium onion simmered in a pot.
In a blender, puree five large handfuls of sweet potato leaves with 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, and 1/2 teaspoon "Liquid Smoke". Add puree to simmering chicken/cuttlefish mix.
Finely dice 1/2 of a large burdock root and ring-slice eight medium-sized okra pods and add to the pot. Simmer uncovered with stirring for 40 minutes. Serve over rice, add hot sauce to taste.

This was based on an African dish using cassava leave which I replaced with the sweet potato leaves. It was awesome.

-Blast

Sweet potato leaves? Can you buy those?

Yes...in the landscaping department of most big-box hardware stores such as Lowes or Home Depot. But they come attached to the rest of the plant!

Sweet potato vines are used as a landscaping plant all over the Houston/Gulf Coast area because they are one of the few plants which can handle our summer weather. They form the groundcover of my front flower beds and grow really fast so I have an almost endless supply. When conditions are right I also end up with sweet potato tubers just in time for Thanksgiving.
-Blast

Martin,

You may find the information at the link, below, helpful for your tomato blossom end rot problem. This page explains the hows and whys of using Epsom Salts to prevent and even treat blossom end rot. Also, in future, try planting tomato plants in holes that have been given a nice scoop of bone meal or some such that is usually recommended for planting bulbs. HTH.

Don't generally have much to add to the discussions here but certainly learn a lot and appreciate the info/ideas!

http://suite101.com/article/prevent-garden-tomato-blossom-end-rot-with-epsom-salt-a238452

From what I understand, blossom end rot is often caused by an interruption of the transport of calcium due to lack of water, rather than strictly a deficiency in the soil. I missed a few days of watering in a row and some of my tomatos got blossom end rot. I picked them off and the new ones are just fine, with no additions to the soil other than water.

That actually looks like it would be very handy for use with my smoker. It's able to go down to 100 F but that would be handy to use inside of it for cheese and stuff. I googled it and there are some really cool youtube vids!

Yes it rocks,going to store right now to get 10lbs boneless pork shoulder for bacon,I cold smoke about 14 hours at 90 degrees or so after a 10 day brine,and that amazin will do it in one fill,amazing!!!!!