hubby wants waffle iron for B-Day HELP please

[Joanne]

Dean, I'm right with you on this! I love teaching DO techniques, cooking and feeding folks, but I don't like competition. Don't know why but I never have. I think it would be fun to participate in some of the historical reenactments where campfire cooking would be featured.

The exchange that Doug and I had the other day about cooking with coals has got me thinking about making a fire ring in the backyard to practice in. I found a local place that sells cedar wood, so when it cools off I may have to start trying that style of DO cooking.

Joanne

Honestly Steve,
I really dislike competition cooking, not because of the pressure or anything like that... It's just that I tend to take it too seriously and it takes all the fun out of it...
(I tend to diagree with judges quite a bit...)
I do love cooking and feeding people and that's big fun...

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Joanne,
I've been keeping an eye on the coals... the discussion about it.
There's been some talk about it on the DO sites lately also...
I keep hearing folks say what an art it is...
I don't so much look at it as an art, but as a way to be more of a purist.
Lewis and Clark didn't stock up on Kingsford's before hitting the trail, that's for sure...
I'd reccommend using a good hard wood instead of cedar...
Softwoods do make nice hot coals, but they just don't last as long like say oak or madrone. (That's just my preference, but maybe the art of this is knowing which woods do what...)
It takes longer, unless you always keep a campfire going and already have a bed of coals to work with...
Some of my most rewarding meals I've ever cooked were back in my scouting days, using cast iron and a bed of coals... probably because it was at that time I started to learn how to not ruin my meals and mess up my cookware...
I think the fondest of memories from those days was making breakfast over coals from the previous night's fire....
I think it would be fun to do some wood coal cooking at IRG2.0.
Baking bread with wood coals sounds like the ultimate cast iron challenge...

[Joanne]

Hey Dean,

I would just like to expand my abilities and skills when DO cooking. Learning how to cook with coals would be a fun challenge. Plus I wouldn't look like a complete dork if I end up somewhere with pleny of firewood and no charcoal.

Unfortunately around Vegas there is almost no hardwood. If I was still living in Tucson, I would use Mesquite. Here, we just don't have anything readily available. I'm thinking cedar simply because it doesn't have all the soot that pine puts out.

One thing I've seen is campfire cooks using a shovel with a series of holes drilled into it. They use it so they can scoop up coals and shake out the ash. Makes sense to me. Oh, do you have a set of camp irons? I've been thinking about making a set but was wondering how much I'd actually use them.

I've been toying with some drawings of a portable fire pan that could be used for DO cooking or grilling. (Just big enough for two 10"s or a couple of steaks). The legs and grill would break down and pack inside the fire pan. If I get motivated enough I'll build a prototype and see how I like it.

Well, gotta run!

Joanne

[Dean in Eureka, CA]

Joanne,
I thought only Norwegians like myself booked it all the way out into the boondocks, jazzed to the max to get the DOs fired up... Only to find I've left the bags of briquettes setting out back at the house.
(I've done that recently too with some nice fat ribeye steaks...)
I know what the "Holy" shovel is, but not the camp irons...
Yaa mean a poker and things like that or something to hang your DO on???
I've got two nice thick stainless steel rings I've been wondering how to incorporate into something more useful than what they were intended to be... Remember those pizza rings?... Yaa, those.
I'm excited to see your drawings!

[rainjer]

Unfortunately around Vegas there is almost no hardwood. If I was still living in Tucson, I would use Mesquite. Here, we just don't have anything readily available. I'm thinking cedar simply because it doesn't have all the soot that pine puts out.

Do they sell "hardwood chunk charcoal"? That may be an option. Start a fire & throw some of it in to get your coals. Just a thought.

Like this.
http://www.kingsford.com/products/product_charwood.htm

[Guy]

Dear waffle Masters,

This taster is on his way to Vermont this week and will be back for SLO Contest. Would any of you like some Vermont Maple Syrup to go with your waffles. It is only fair that I try to level the grid iron since clearly Steve Tripp has the edge being a Vermonter.

I will be able to get all brands including some of the premium bottles. No extra charge for this service and I do not want your first born - just your third waffle.

[Joanne]

Unfortunately around Vegas there is almost no hardwood. If I was still living in Tucson, I would use Mesquite. Here, we just don't have anything readily available. I'm thinking cedar simply because it doesn't have all the soot that pine puts out.

Do they sell "hardwood chunk charcoal"? That may be an option. Start a fire & throw some of it in to get your coals. Just a thought.

Like this.
http://www.kingsford.com/products/product_charwood.htm

Hey Rainjer,

I can get chunk charcoal locally but was hoping to avoid the expense. I will probably end up having to go that route since real hardwood is unavailable.

Joanne

[Italia]

Hubby just won a waffle iron on e-bay. S.L.O. Gathering here he comes.

Thanks for all your help.

Chris

[doug hodder]

I do love cooking and feeding people and that's big fun...

Exactly Dean...when Lee posted the thing about a "challenge" that was what it was about...just some people cooking waffles, feeding the masses and razzing each other and having some fun while we did it...Doug

[cccamper]

Test this...

gee i've been wandering around trying to learn - loving to cook and excited to find something new. thought there was a special group involved.

never dreamed how cruel you could be...


I JUST ORDERED A WAFFLE IRON! maybe not iron but... i can't stand it.

i've got to find the one my mom had. maybe my sister has it. her mom from norway had it. reallly great looking.
also only cooked in cast iron skillets until about 10 years ago. got 2 or 3 ? of my skillets that were my great grandparents.. from sweden. don't know how old they are, either.
maybe my sister has the waffle iron. she's the type that would sell (no offense,just too career oriented ) but hopefully not.

truthfully, i'm vicariously enjoying the waffle. it is just beautiful.

elizabeth, new "mom" of her little 2 day old "guppy" tear - and too hot to even go play in it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!