camp cooking — Recipes — gondirtin - Outdoor Cooking, Overlanding, & Camping

Bulgogi, traditionally enjoyed with rice or as lettuce wraps, is to Koreans what phở is to the Vietnamese, matzo ball soup to the Jewish, the taco is to the Mexicans, and spaghetti and meatballs are to Italian-Americans. It’s the single Korean dish that has transcended far beyond its humble, and also some royal roots. Everyone has their own rendition of this sweet and savory meat dish, there’s no single “this is it” recipe. It’s even been popularized by Korean-American chef and restaurateur, Roy Choi, when he opened up the Kogi BBQ Taco truck in Los Angeles where he combined the City of Angel’s two favorite foods, Mexican and Korean, together into a taco. And now, you too can enjoy this unique blend of cultures at camp.

beefgondirtinJuly 30, 2022korean food, korean camping food, camp cooking, camping food, camp foodComment

CAMP RECIPE: Korean BBQ PIZZA

Pizza at camp? Yes you can. With the portable and versatile pizza ovens out there these days, you can easily transport one to the campsite. And with some smart prep at home, assembling and baking up that pie in the open air is a breeze.

beefgondirtinJune 29, 2022korean food, korean camping food, camping food, camp cooking, camp cookComment

Backpacking Friendly KOREAN ARMY STEW, Budae Jigae

Long days on the trail should always be rewarded with a good, hot meal. Especially those days where it’s been the perfect hiking temperature —you know what I mean, those not to hot, not too sweaty, blue sky days. But as soon as the sun starts dipping, it gets a bit chilly. Nothing hits that chilly spot harder than a noodle soup. Not many noodle soups touch the inner soul as like budae jjigae, Korean army stew.

pork, vegetariangondirtinJanuary 31, 2022korean food, korean camping food, camp cooking, camping foodComment

Backpacking friendly Apple Cider Chai: It Ain't FALL Camping Without THIS

Ordering a chai at a coffee shop usually amounts to about $5 of disappointment. They’re normally 98% milk with just barely a dash of spiced tea flavor. It’s actually very rare to order a chai that is actually a dark, robust, a punch of masala spices, milky, and sweet. Even actual Indian restaurants are just okay tea affairs. I’ve resorted to making chai’s at home thanks to Shruthi….

drinksgondirtinOctober 30, 2021fall camping, autumn camping, camp food, camp cooking, jetboilComment

Cold Camping Beverage: Backpacking friendly Mulled Wine

The leaves start changing color, the air get just a little crispier at night, and when the chill penetrates into your thin jacket a little deeper, you know it’s fall —it’s finally puffy time.

Just like how the pumpkin spice latte (PSL) is what coffee is for the fall season, mulled wine is what camping is for the fall season. It’s the PSL of chilly camping beverages.

And, let’s be real, PSLs are freaking delicious.

drinksgondirtinOctober 27, 2021fall camping, autumn camping, camp food, camp cookingComment

How to make TikTok BAKED FETA PASTA at CAMP

This dish has become a staple of ours when we’re on the traveling on the road. It’s incredibly simple to prep, ingredients are easy, and readily available at pretty much any grocery story, and well, its delicious. Contrary to the viral TikTok videos, you don’t need to bake this. Baking only double caramelizes the feta cheese and makes it “social media friendly”. I mean, who doesn’t like looking at some perfectly browned cheese?

Here’s my version of this (now) iconic dish and how, very easily, camp-ify it.

vegetariangondirtinAugust 8, 2021camp cooking, camp cook, camp food, camping foodComment

Camp Vietnamese Hot Pot, Lẩu Thái

Hot pot. It’s a phrase that is synonymous with parties, get togethers, celebrations, and good times for many people around the world. Ever wonder how to feed a bunch of people delicious food without breaking the bank? Hot pot is the answer. Growing up, the lẩu thái (thai-inspired) variant of Vietnamese hot pot, was the go-to dish for my mom to serve whenever we knew that the rest of the massive Nguyen clan was coming.

Camp Friendly Japanese Breakfast Raw Egg Over Rice, Tamago Kake Gohan

In western countries, breakfast has become the excuse for desserts first thing in the morning. Don’t get me wrong, I’m ALL about desserts —especially breakfast desserts. I thoroughly enjoy the early morning western staples of pancakes, waffles, french toast, yogurt, açai bowls, and, of course, the sugariest of sugared breakfast cereals like everyone else. But, if I can choose to enjoy these desserts during non-breakfast times, that’s makes enjoying those sweet delights even better…

Camp Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup, OXTAIL PHO!

Phở is the spaghetti of the Vietnam. It’s the country’s most known dish, the most talked about, and somehow translated extremely well to non-Vietnamese people when made the leap over the pond to western countries. And, like spaghetti, mom always makes it best. The next best thing while you’re traveling on the road? Make phở yourself and have a full on chill day at camp.

Camp Vietnamese Iced Coffee, Cà Phê Sữa Đá

It’s a well known fact that camping and coffee go hand-in-hand. The fact that we make the choice all leave our day-to-day grind to slow down and appreciate what’s around us for a few days, a week, a month, or indefinitely. That very cup filled with that black soul nourishing liquid is the exact catalyst for many of us to take a step back, breathe in a little deeper, and turn down the go-go-go clock.

One Pot Vegan White Bean Chili -- Camp Edition

Plant-based or vegetarian are phrases that could make some scrunch their nose. I am very guilty of this. Vegetarian, or healthy meals, are, from my experience, bland affairs with very little depth. The dishes that try to have some kind of identity are usually barely passable versions of extremely gentrified curries hailing from southeast asian countries….

Camp Vietnamese Grilled Pork with Rice Noodles, Bún Thịt Nướng

There’s power in food. One bite of something and it can transport you straight back into a single moment in time. It could be the smell, or the faint taste of something very familiar during the after taste. Whatever that trigger is, Karissa and I usually find ourselves holding onto it for a fleeting moments.

porkgondirtinApril 23, 2020vietnamese food, outdoor kitchen, outdoor cooking, camp cooking, viet cooking, vietnamese camping foodComment

Camp Vegetable Polenta

I’m down for eating healthy. I’d be lying if I said I don’t need to. My roundness would be my Pinocchio nose if I was. I would eat a wonderful salad, or a hipster-tastic ancient grain bowl filled with all the millennial healthy buzz words and the latest of alternative ingredients, only to dig for snacks no more than half an hour later…

CAMP RECIPE: Summery Soba Noodles with Cod Fish

I have a simple philosophy for our on-the-road cooking: keep it under two cooking pots, have no more than ten ingredients, and a max of two exotic/harder to get ingredients. I tend to follow this self-made line of reasoning with very few variations. On the day-to-day, we have fairly simple meals….

CAMP RECIPE: Thai Beef Salad, Yum Nua

There’s never a right or wrong way. Especially with food. We’re all so fixated on this notion of authenticity that it almost blinds us from actually enjoying meals. If the food is delicious, and if it has all the right hints and notes of the culture it derived from, it’s authentic because the cook made it that way…

Camp Indian-inspired Chickpea Curry

One of the many misconceptions about Indian curries is the idea that they’re stews which take a very long time to simmer away. But in reality, they’re quite the opposite! From start to finish, you can be done and eating in 20 minutes. A little bit of extra-ness goes a long way when you’re on the road…w

Camp Birria de Res, Mexican Beef Stew

A little bit of effort goes a long way. Camp Mexican-style beef birria on a warm-in-the-sun-but-chilly-in-the-shade sort of day hits the spot like very little else. Marinade the night before, toss it into a dutch oven in the morning, and you have incredible soul touchingly good tacos and soup by lunch…

Food has this crazy way of transporting you back instantly to a specific moment in time. Memories of the place you were at. Memories of the people with you. Memories of the flavors. Memories of the smells. Memories of your reaction to a first taste….

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