Instagram Ramen

A few months ago B and I took a mini climbing vacation. I had just gotten a new job, and had only three days off between the last day at my old job and my first day at my new job. I still wanted a break...something to signify the change. A short rock climbing trip out to Owens River Gorge did the trick!

In addition to some rest, relaxation, and super fun sport climbing, I also got to try out a new recipe: Pork & Vegetable Ramen, and my recently downloaded Instagram App. The last three photos are courtesy of B and the originals can be found here.

Owens River Gorge is a steep 10 mile long canyon on the eastern edge of the Sierras. People say it is one of the best sport climbing destinations in the US - but I have not been to a lot of sport climbing destinations so cannot validate this, however, it certainly offered the most accessible amount of climbs in one location I have ever experienced. I could climb for years here and never get bored.

The weather was overcast and a bit windy, but it never rained on us, and the temperature was perfect for climbing. At midday, I was thankful for the hot noodles and coffee we brought with us. A little salty broth, long noodles, and the fresh flavors of veggies made for a mentally and physically fortifying lunch. Even if you are just out for a day at the crag, it is sometimes worth it to bring along the JetBoil and a hot lunch.

This recipe is quick and easy and relies on instant ramen as the base. Most instant ramens are pretty high in salt and lack any real nutrition or substance. I found some high quality baked ramen noodles at Ranch 99 Market and fortified them with dehydrated vegetables and ground pork. The result ended up being a success. So good in fact that we have tested it with friends on a backpacking trip and it went with us on our Alpine Climbing class this summer.

If you are not in the Bay Area and do not have an Asian grocery close by you can find them online here.

Pork and Vegetable Ramen - Serves 1

1 package instant pork flavored ramen (look for high quality brands at Asian markets that are baked, not fried)
1/4 cup dehydrated ground pork
2 Tbsp dehydrated carrot
2 Tbsp dehydrated celery
2 Tbsp dehydrated cabbage
1 Tbsp dehydrated green onions
1 packet soy sauce

At home:
Put all the ingredients in a Ziploc bag and write 1 1/2 cups H2O on the bag with a sharpie.

On the trail:
Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Put noodles and vegetable/pork mixture in boiling water (reserve season packet and soy sauce). Boil for two minutes. Poor boiled noodles into an insulated bowl and stir in seasoning packet*. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add soy sauce to taste. Enjoy!

*Adding the seasoning at the end will keep your jet boil or pan from becoming greasy and pork flavored - if you do not mind this, you can add the seasonings at the same time that you add the noodles and vegetable/pork mixture like I did in the pictures.

You could vary this recipe by adding the following: dried shiitake mushrooms, seaweed, dried shrimp, or you can use BBQ pork instead of dehydrated pork on the first or 2nd day out. If you try some other additions be sure to let me know!

A Change In Plans

On Sunday, B and I headed out to South Tahoe to try and get in one last snowshoe trip of the season. We had been sick with the flu and colds for most of February and were really feeling very angsty about the need to get out. We planned on hiking up Pyramid Peak - but the route turned out to be too melted out already. We drove back and forth along Highway 50 looking for a spot with enough snow to begin. All we found was dense brush and light snow. Finally, we headed down in to Tahoe proper as it began to rain. We sat in a parking lot and tried to think of an alternative. With the cold raid beating down on the car, it seemed like maybe we would have to turn back.



I sat in the car as B looked at maps on his iPhone and researched alternate trails. It seemed like such a waste to drive all the way out from the East Bay and then just turn around again and go back. It also seemed like a bad idea to do something that was unfun and unsafe just because I was too pig headed to accept my circumstances.

As I learn more about mountaineering and alpine climbing, I realize that I need to learn when to change my plans. I need to learn when to turn back, go a different way, admit defeat, evaluate, and let go of my expectations. I thought about the quote I read from a guide who had just led a team of Everest, "going up is optional, coming down is mandatory."

As the wind blew outside the car, I thought about the day when I would face having to turn around - possibly after flying half way across the world and climbing 2/3 of a mountain. I would have to be OK with it. Maybe today could be a day I practiced that skill?

"I found a hike we can try," B said.
"Where is it?"
"Mount Tallac. Just a little ways down the road."

It could be more of the same. It was raining. It was windy.

"Ok," I said, "let's go check it out."

As we drove to the new trail-head, I wondered if I was making a mistake. I told myself we should at least check it out, and I promised myself if I felt any twinge of "bad idea" I would tell B we had to turn around. As we pulled in to the snow park lot, the rain stopped. We got out of the car and geared up. We decided to follow one of the cross country ski trails and use the markers would keep us on route.



We got about 15 minutes out and the sun broke through the clouds. I went to put my sunglasses on. I had left them in the car. This sucked. I did not want to have to go back, it looked like we were really going to get a trek in despite our late start, and I really wanted to have a new blog post.

"I don't need them."

"Yes you do. We are going back."

"Uhg. Ok."

We headed back to the car, got my sunglasses and then, as we started off again, noticed a nice snowshoe track heading the opposite direction we had originally chosen. We decided to follow that trail instead. It turned out to be the best change of plans we had made in a long time. We found a new training hike for our summer mountaineering class, a new snowshoe route to share with our friends, and I got to test a new recipe out in the wild.



We ended up hiking the trail to Mt. Tallac. Even though the wind blew, the weather was warm, and we had some beautiful views when the clouds cleared.



The wind blew too hard along the ridge for us to sit and take a break. We ate snacks quickly on our feet and kept moving. I decided we could test the stew recipe on our way back to the car, back down in the aspen groves.

We got back to the groves around 2:30pm. It was the first time we had sat down all day, and it felt good to be out of the wind.

B started up the JetBoil and I took the insulated camp bowl and stew mix out of my pack. B poured the stew in the boiling water.



I stirred it for two minutes while it boiled.



I poured the stew into our insulated camp bowl, then we let it sit for about five minutes.



B took the first bite. "How is it," I said.
"It is a keeper." B said, as he ate a few more bites. I had a few too.



The warm hot stew tasted so good after being in the wind all day. It warmed our hands, and our bellies. We both felt revived, and I felt a little redeemed. For what I am not sure, maybe for staying flexible all day? I had been willing to keep changing my expectations - and somehow it felt like I had been rewarded for the effort. Hopefully you can enjoy this recipe under less trying circumstances.

This recipe was a long time in the making. It requires that you make a leather out of a homemade stew base and dehydrate some vegetables in advance.

Beef and Vegetable Stew - Serves 1

1/4 cup freeze dried roast beef
1/4 cup freeze dried potato dices
1/4 cup dehydrated veggie mix*
1/4 dehydrated Homemade Stew Leather
1/2 Tbsp beef bouillon
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 cup boiling water

At home:
Put all ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Write 1 1/2 H2O on the bag with a Sharpie.

On the trail:
Boil 1 1/2 cups of water in a pot or JetBoil. When the water begins to boil, stir in the stew mix. Let the stew boil for two minutes, stirring the entire time. The stew will thicken as it boils. After two minutes, pour the stew into an insulated mug or camp bowl. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Check the consistency. If veggies are still a bit stiff, put the lid back on and let sit for another 3 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste. Enjoy!

*If you don't have time to dehydrate the vegetables, you can buy Just Veggies instead.

She's Crafty

A rainy day does not make for good outdoor adventures, but it does provide a great reason to stay inside and prepare for the warmer weather ahead - and the backpacking and climbing that goes with it.

Last weekend S and I got together to make insulated bowls for the recipes we are preparing. I have made these before for several trips. S is planning all the food for an upcoming trip to Utah and asked me to show her how to put them together.

You can easily buy insulated mugs and bowls at stores like REI or online, but I have found that they are often too small for the recipes I create. I have been experimenting with the JetBoil lately and creating recipes that require no cooking. The insulated bowls work really well for these types of recipes. If you are simmering recipes over a stove and serving them in bowls, these may be more than you need.



Insulated Camp BowlsMakes 2
2 2-cup plastic containers with screw top lids (Ziploc brand work the best)
1 cheap foam camping sleeping pad
1 roll of duct tape
Sharpie or other marker
Scissors
At home
Start by cutting a piece of the foam pad to fit around container. To do this, wrap the pad around the container, mark where the sides meet, and cut the pad at this mark. You will have one piece of pad that you can then cut several strips from for several containers.



Next, you will want to cut a piece that will fit the height of the container, as well as wrap under the bottom. To do this, place your recently cut piece up against the container. Mark where the container begins to sharply curve on the foam. Measure one inch beyond this and mark the foam again - one inch below this portion of the container. Repeat this process to make two fitted strips of foam - one for each plastic container.

You will want the foam to curve around the bottom of the container so it is insulated as well. To do this, you will need to cut triangles out of the foam along the bottom edge. Cut triangles that are about 1/2 inch apart and 1 inch deep all the way across. Remove these pieces of foam and discard.



Now you are ready to assemble! Grab the duct tape, one container and your piece of foam. Wrap the foam around the container and secure the edges with duct tape. Put a few more pieces over the joining edges until they are covered, and the foam is securely wrapped around the container. It should stay on by itself. If it does not stay on, undo the tape and adjust until it is snug.



Once you have your foam secure on your container, turn the container upside down, with both hands bring the triangle edges together until they wrap over the bottom of the container and meet in the middle. Hold these pieces together with one hand while you place a piece of duct tape over them with the other. Wrap more pieces of duct tape across the bottom to secure the triangles in place.



You can also make a lid for your container. If you are going somewhere cold or winter camping, I recommend the lid. To make a lid, cut a circle out of the foam about 1/4 inch larger than the widest part of the new foam covered container. Then cut a 1 inch wide strip that is long enough to wrap around the circle. Wrap the 1 inch strip around the circle and secure with duct tape. Tear of multiple pieces of duct tape and wrap the over the lip of the 1 inch foam strip, across the top of the circle and secure on the other side. Crisscross the new "lid" until it is covered with duct tape.

There and Back Again

It has been a little over two months since our Alpine Climbing class and our summit of Mt. Baker. It's hard to describe something you never imagined doing - after it has happened. Before I begin sharing my adventure I want to say Thank You to the American Alpine Institute and to Erin Smart our guide, and my husband for one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

I woke at 2:00 am, put on my crampons, grabbed my ice axe, tied in to my climbing partners and headed out on to the glacier of Mt. Baker. For more than five hours my world was a little pocket of light created by my headlamp and the sound of ice crunching under crampons. Just putting one foot in front of the other, controlling my breathing, and repeating the mantra: “out of balance, in balance, move the axe.” At dawn, we reached the crater – I had just 1,000 vertical feet of icy snow called the Roman Wall standing between me and my summit. I also found I had more than a bit of anxiety and doubt about my ability to make it safely up and down that last pitch. Pushing through that wall of doubt was as much of a struggle as physically pushing myself up the Roman Wall. On August 12 at around 9:00 am I reached the summit of my first mountain.

Here are a few things I learned:
1. I am a natural with an ice ax.
2. I can tie knots one-handed.
3. It still rains in the Northwest in August.
4. I can hike for 16 hours.
5. I can catch my husband from falling and haul him out of a crevasse.
6. I can get up at 2am and summit a mountain.
7. You can double insulate your food mugs and dry your socks at the same time.
8. Mountaineering is a 24hour a day activity with little time for fancy meals.

It seems that every moment on the mountain is spent keeping yourself safe. You are constantly adjusting your clothing layers to maintain a consistent temperature, applying sunscreen, drinking enough water, taking care of blisters, monitoring the weather and the terrain, and eating every hour. I found out there is not a lot of time for "relaxing" and even less for preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner. Food on the mountain is about fuel.



While our meals that we brought were tasty - they took longer than we wanted to prepare in the cold and wet - and took time away from other activities like sleeping and drying out our gear.



There were some successes though. My Pasta with Meat Sauce re-hydrated quickly, was super tasty and easy to clean up.

Pasta with Meat Sauce
Makes 2 servings

2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce - dehydrated
1/2 cup ground beef - dehydrated
2 Tablespoons diced red pepper & green pepper - dehydrated
1/2 cup instant pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Ziploc bags
2 insulated mugs or camp bowls with lids
3 cups boiling water

At home
Mix marinara sauce, ground beef, diced peppers and pasta together in a bowl. Distribute evenly between two Ziploc bags. Put Parmesan in it's own Ziploc. Remove excess air and seal.

On the Mountain
As water boils, place the pasta mixture in each insulated mug or bowl. Divide water evenly between meals. Place lids on and let sit for 10 minutes. Be sure the meals are insulated while the reconstitute or heat will escape and you will have a cold dinner. After 10 minutes, stir pasta mixture and let sit another few minutes if needed. When ready, divide Parmesan between meals and enjoy!




My challenge for our next summit is to make tasty, quick fuel. My new partner in crime in this endeavor is the Jet Boil. Stay tuned for more Jet Boil friendly recipes.

With a Little Help From My Friends

Last weekend a group of friends and I went out to Donner Summit in North Tahoe for some climbing, camping and some of the best campfire cooking I've had in a long time. My friend W. and I cooked tacos on Sunday night, but this blog post is dedicated to S. and K. who came back from a recent trip to the Middle East inspired to cook a Bedouin Desert style dinner for us all.



So many of my friends are foodies - and a few are new climbers. It was not until this weekend I realized how much cooking and climbing have in common. Both require an attention to detail - whether it is tying a knot or setting an anchor, or driving all over town to find kaffir lime leaves. Both also take a great deal of creativity, patience and invention. Knowing how well my friends cook - they are destined to be great climbers.



Saturday was the first time S. and S. climbed outside. We took them to School Rock and set some top ropes on the practice slab. They were pretty easy for everyone - but it was a nice warm up. I had forgotten how hard it is to climb in the heat and sun. We ended up hiding in the shade for a good portion of the day. It was our first time out to Donner Summit, so even though we did not get much climbing in we did learn a lot about the routes out there - and the best times of day to climb them! It was a good enough day to get everyone excited for climbing up at Big Chief the second day. We headed back to camp and rewarded ourselves with a swim in Donner Lake.



After swimming, K. and S. got to work on making our Bedouin style meal. Dinner included a chicken dish cooked in a cast iron pot, babaganoush, bread baked in the fire, and a cucumber-tomato salad. A sincere thanks to S. and K. for sharing the recipes below and to B. and A. for the great photos!




Bedouin Desert Chicken
For this meal you will need a hot coals from a wood fire and a large cast iron pot w/ lid. Start the fire about an hour before cooking, let the wood burn down to nice red coals. While the fire is going, prep the ingredients for the chicken and make the babaganoush and salad.

8 - 12 boned chicken thighs or 1 whole chicken cut up into pieces
1 lb. baby potatoes (red, yukon or fingerling)
1/2 lb.carrots cut into big chunks
2 red onions cut into chunks
1/2 lb. Anaheim or bell peppers
4 cloves of garlic chopped
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne (or more if you like spicy)
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 medium tomatoes peeled seeded and chopped or 1 20oz. can of whole tomatoes (drained and chopped)
Beer or water
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare a good, hot fire of coals and lay a grate over the coals. Mix all ingredients together and place in a doubled large foil packet (fold the long ends together first and roll several times, then roll each of the ends towards the middle so all the folds are at the top) or place in the cast iron pot (If using a pot add beer initially and keep adding so ingredients don't burn on the bottom). Cook over coals about 40 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Babaganoush
6 small eggplants (clean and dried)
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt

Roast the eggplants over campfire until soft and the skin is charred completely. Remove the skins and mash the eggplants in a bowl. Add the tahini, salt, lemon juice and olive oil to taste.

Bedouin Fire Bread
2 cups white flour
1 cup wheat flour
2 Tbsp kosher salt or 2 tsp table salt
1 Tbsp baking powder



Blend all ingredients and add enough water to make a soft dough. Knead dough for 5 - 10 minutes with your hands, dipping your kneading hand in water periodically to work into the dough. This should make a soft and pliable dough. Cover the dough with a cloth and set it aside to rest for at least 15 minutes. While dough is resting, clean fire pit of debris and build a fire with small sticks or small pieces of kindling to create small coals. When the fire is ready, work the dough into a round about 1/2 inch thick making sure the thickness is pretty even throughout. Push the coals aside and place the dough on the cleared space, then push the coals over the dough so they cover it completely.



Let the bread cook 10 - 15 minutes under the coals. Scrape the coals off the bread and flip, then cover the bread with coals again to bake the second side. After 10 minutes, pull the bread out of the coals and dust it off scraping a bit to get any dirt or large coal pieces off the surface. Break apart and serve with hummus or Babaganoush and salad.

A Recipe for the Playa

I have many friends who are getting ready for Burning Man. Over the years that I have been, I have taken many different approaches to eating and cooking in the desert. My first year I ate canned beans and pasta heated on a propane stove. Other years I was fortunate enough to have friends who brought entire kitchens with them and cooked communal meals - and once I lucked out and camped next a group who had brought an industrial sized grill and cooked up meat all week long!



This latest recipe was inspired by a pasta salad I used to make and eat on the Playa. That of course reminded me of all the adventures to be had there. While people bring out a wide variety of contraptions to simulate a real city - there is something enriching about going without certain creature comforts for a week. If I were to go back, I would take a similar approach to the one I do backpacking. I hope this recipe is useful for some Burners - unless you are running a cooking camp, quick meals leave more time for play and art gazing.



Chicken Pesto Couscous - 2 - 2 person servings

For pesto
1 1/2 cups packed basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 Tbsp pine nuts
2 Tbsp water
1/4 cup herbed feta cheese



Puree the basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, pepper and water in blender or food processor. Spread pesto mixture out on to fruit roll sheets and place in dehydrator. Crumble herbed feta evenly over pesto mixture. Dehydrate at 95% for eight hours or overnight. When dry, distribute evenly between two Ziploc bags. Set aside.

For rest of salad
1 cup whole wheat couscous
2 can or pouch of chicken (packaged similar to tuna)
6 sun dried tomatoes, diced
4 Tbsp pine nuts
2 packets olive oil

Put 1/2 cup couscous and 2 Tbsp pine nuts in each Ziploc bag containing the pesto. Divide sun dried tomatoes evenly between the two bags. Remove as much air as possible from each bag and mark 3/4 cup H2O on each bag with a Sharpie.

On the trail:
Boil 3/4 cup of water for each bag of pesto salad. When water boils, pour in contents of bag, chicken from pouch and packet of olive oil. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir with a fork and enjoy!

Note: you can also make this in the morning and then pack into containers to eat at a lunch break.

Climber's Curry

On Sunday I went out to Indian Springs in North Tahoe for some climbing. It was a perfect day. Warm and sunny. The snow was melting and there were even a few waterfalls. Flowers were beginning to bloom and small black lizards came out to sun themselves on the rocks.



I managed to pull down two 5.9s and practice my first rappel. I ALSO got an opportunity to test another recipe for our Alpine trip in August.

In the past, we often just snacked all day on odds and ends while climbing. Sitting down to a hot lunch was actually really nice and gave us an opportunity to talk about the climbs we'd done. Share what we had learned, share beta, and gather our strength for a few more.

I call this recipe Climber's Curry in honor of our trip out to Indian Springs. If you are willing to bring a stove and a small pot, this recipe will reconstitute in a plastic mug or Tupperware type container.

Climber's Curry - serves 1
1/2 cup instant rice
1/2 cup freeze dried chicken
1/2 of one dehydrated jalepeno, diced
1 Tbsp dehydrated roma tomato, diced
1/4 cup dehydrated chickpeas
1 Tbsp dehydrated onion
1/4 cup coconut cream powder
1 Tbsp crushed roasted cashews, no salt
1/2 tsp salt
1 star anise
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1 1/2 tsp curry mix*
1 packet lemon juice
1 Tbsp cilantro, diced
1 1/4 cup of boiling water

*I make this from scratch but store-bought will work.

At home:
Add all ingredients to a zip lock bag, except lemon juice and cilantro. Write 1 1/4 cup H2O on the bag with a Sharpie.

On the trail:
Empty contents of into a mug or Tupperware type container. Bring water to a boil. Pour boiling water into dry mixture and stir well. Put lid on container and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir again, adding lemon juice to taste. Top with cilantor and enjoy!