Trail mix 'n' match

Chef knows how to spice up dehydrated camping fare

Marty Meitus, Rocky Mountain News

Published July 12, 2006 at midnight

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The last time I encountered a powdered egg was in the year nineteen-hundred-and-never-mind when I was a Girl Scout.

The last time Sean Yontz encountered a powdered egg was, well, never.

Yontz, chef-owner of the restaurants Chama and Sketch, goes camping regularly, but dehydrated food isn't on his wilderness agenda.

If you remember those powdered eggs, you probably also remember that they weren't exactly gourmet fare. Since that time, though, dehydrated food has been elevated, much like other trendy food. Now, in the just-add-water pouches, there's not just chicken, there's Chicken Cashew Curry. There's not just instant pudding, there's Dark Chocolate Cheesecake With Chocolate Cookie Crumb Topping. A quick check of REI, Dick's Sporting Goods and Sports Authority found a handful of brands, such as AlpineAire and Mountain House, but more than 100 types of dishes, with chicken dishes the most numerous.

Still, I remained unconvinced. After all, a powdered-egg-type food could still exist - even under a trendy name. So we asked Yontz to help us do a little taste testing. Neither of us expected much: "If you're backpacking for four days, you're not there for the gourmet food," he says. "They're lightweight and you're eating on a log or while you're walking - it's food to get you through the day."

I chose a variety of foods - breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert - some familiar, such as a Mexican Omelette, and some not so familiar, such as Sierra Chicken With Chicken, Vegetables and Pasta (see list). Yontz placed all the food in bowls and then lined up seasonings that he thought might enhance them. But first we dipped our spoons.

Surprise No. 1: the generous portions in each package. Surprise No. 2: They weren't only good, they were really good.

They weren't five-star cuisine, but they were certainly of the caliber of better frozen dinners. Said the chef, "If I were a serious hiker, I'd rather have a Mexican omelette instead of oatmeal or a Power Bar every day."

If you're the kind who likes to play with your food - even in the wilderness - Yontz made a few suggestions to boost the flavors. Because backpacking is all about the weight you're carrying in and out, he limited it to just a few added ingredients. He was suitably impressed with the variety, quality and ease of preparing the food. "You don't need to do anything. They're easy: a fork, a spoon and water - and no cleanup."

Tested foods

We liked all the food except the Huevos Rancheros, which needed to be wrapped in a tortilla to hide their bland, paste-like texture. The best of the best that we tried was the Chicken Cashew Curry. Both chocolate desserts tasted like chocolate puddings. (Prices may vary.)

• Backpacker's Pantry, Huevos Rancheros, $3.15. Add dried cheese and hot sauce. Wrap in a tortilla, if desired.

• AlpineAire Foods, Santa Fe Chicken, $5.63. Add red pepper chile flakes and Mexican oregano.

• Backpacker's Pantry, Campfood line, Wild West Chili and Beans, $2.65. Add pickled jalapeños and dried cotija.

• Richmoor Natural High Mexican Omelette, $3.60. Add hot sauce and dried cheese. Wrap in a tortilla, if desired.

• Mountain House Pro-Pak Freeze-Dried Teriyaki Chicken With Rice, $4.90. Add Maggi seasoning and nuts for texture.

• AlpineAire Foods, Santa Fe Black Beans and Rice, at front right, $5.63. Add chile powder, dried cheese and pickled jalapeños.

• Backpacker's Pantry Chicken Cashew Curry, at far left, $5.85. Add dark or golden raisins.

• Richmoor Natural High, Chocolate Fudge Mousse With Toasted Almonds, back right, $3.83. Add more nuts and strawberry topping.

• AlpineAire Foods, Sierra Chicken With Vegetables and Pasta, $6.98. Add hot sauce.

• Backpacker's Pantry, Dark Chocolate Cheesecake With Chocolate Cookie Crumb Topping, $4.05. Add strawberry topping.

Sean Yontz's general tips for preparing the food

• Don't improvise with the water unless you've made the same meal a few times. Too much water can turn some of the entrees soggy; too little and you won't get the right consistency.

• Mix thoroughly in the bag. Otherwise you'll end up with clumps of unmoistened food mix.

• Don't forget to remove and discard the "oxygen absorber" in the pouches.

• If you have a kitchen facility available, fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic and cilantro are good additions to most foods.

• Most important flavoring ingredient: Tabasco sauce

• Easiest food to enhance: Mexican food

• Other suggested flavor enhancers:

Hot chile powder blend

Chile pepper flakes

Dried cotija (or other dried) cheese

Mexican oregano

Pickled jalapeños

Chile de arbol

Maggi seasoning or soy sauce

Valentino hot sauce

Golden raisins and nuts

Strawberry puree or sauce for desserts

Also . . .

Here are some tips from backpacking experts on other worthwhile foods to bring, compiled from a variety of sources:

• Bring tuna in a pouch instead of a can, to save weight and space.

• Dried mushrooms are a good addition to many dishes and only need to be reconstituted.

• Save old spice jars to use as containers for salt and pepper, honey or olive oil.

• REI offers a camping spice wheel, $9, for spices, matches and so forth.

• Try a French-press camping gadget; several models available. Coffee lovers will thank you.

• If you're taking other prepared foods, you may want to remove from boxes and use bags to save weight and space.

• Bring cocoa and tea for cold nights.

• Toast the outdoors with the Coghlan's camp- stove toaster, $4 at REI, a rack to hold the toast upright for even toasting .

• For the camper who has absolutely everything, pick up a set of REI compact chopsticks, $24.95.

S'more to the story

S'mores are as much a part of camping out as telling stories around a campfire. So it's no surprise that chefs-restaurateurs would bring the s'mores indoors with house-made marshmallows. The idea of making your own marshmallows has caught on, showing up in cookbooks and even in the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living.

After looking over numerous recipes, I chose one that's easy to make and doesn't require a candy thermometer. They have the chewy pull of a storebought marshmallow, and can be cut into fun shapes. You can also coat the marshmallows in chocolate. Note that these marshmallows are denser than Jet-Puffed, which means they will sink and dissolve in hot liquids. And they're not suited for conventional s'mores because the marshmallows will liquefy fairly quickly if passed over heat - and even if they stay whole, you can seriously burn your mouth on the hot melting sugar.

Instead make s'mores by coating the graham cracker with a layer of melted chocolate and press the marshmallow between the two halves of the cracker. (You can also use vanilla wafers.) Or use a chocolate-coated marshmallow. For the chocolate: Melt 2 cups of chocolate chips with a half-teaspoon of solid vegetable shortening. Dredge the marshmallows and allow to set up.

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