Alpine Cuisine--Some Tasty Suggestions
by Paul Richins, Jr. (updated 9/5/05)

Topics addressed below: balancing carbohydrates and protein, drying meats, fruits, and vegetables, freeze dried vegetables and fruit, use of a hanging stove, menu planner, dinner favorites, and how to make a delicious Sierra Gatorade Slush.

Good food gives a festive touch to summit celebrations and lifts the spirits during stormy days. Good food improves the scenery and keeps the spirits high. Bad food makes the nights colder, the approaches more difficult and the weather unbearable. The key is finding cuisine that is tasty and easy to prepare. At altitude this is not easy. The following suggestions offer variety and are simple to prepare, inexpensive, light weight, and tasty. All the food items can be purchased at the local grocery store.

Backpackers and backcountry skiers/boarders may experience a lack of appetite when going to higher elevations. Others may be just too tired at the end of a hard day to be interested in food. Resist the temptation to skip a meal, whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner. Eating is essential for the sustained level of output required in the backcountry. Soup is always easy and enjoyable if nothing else sounds good to you.

During the course of the day, keep hydrated by regularly drinking water, Gatorade or the sports drink of your choice. For dinner, drink plenty of Gatorade or water along with a hot drink.

The Zone Diet of Dr. Barry Sears, stresses the importance of balancing carbohydrate and protein intake. Independent studies have shown that ones health is improved and the competitive performances of athletes are enhanced when the Zone Diet is followed. In the simplest of terms, a Zone-favorable meal balances protein, carbohydrates and fat in a ratio of 7 grams of protein to 9 grams of carbohydrates to 1.5 grams of fat. Dr. Sears believes that the near-epidemic rise of obesity, heart disease, cancer and diabetes will continue unless the public’s over consumption of high-density carbohydrates is drastically altered.

Your protein intake can be increased with dried meats and fish. Dried beef will be about 25% its original weight and home drying is about half the cost of commercially purchased jerky. Drying is the oldest method of preserving food. The early American settlers dried foods such as corn, apple slices, currants, grapes, and meat. Compared with other methods, drying is quite simple. In fact, you may already have most of the equipment on hand. Dried foods keep well because the moisture content is so low that spoilage organisms cannot grow. An excellent source of information can be found at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service web site. Drying Foods, Circular 1227, includes Food Drying Basics, Equipment and Methods for Drying, Drying Fruits, Drying Vegetables, Drying Herbs, Drying Meats, and Storing and Using Dried Foods. Their web site address is http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~vista/html_pubs/DRYING/dryfood.html

Mountain House is a good source of freeze-dried beef and chicken (#10 cans). These freeze-dried meats can be used in place of the meat noted in the recipes below and will lighten your load considerably.

The Just Tomatoes Company has a tasty assortment of freeze-dried veggies, tomatoes, bell peppers, black beans, onions, garlic. Add these nearly weightless goodies to soups and side dishes for delicious flavors. Consider their wide selection of freeze dried fruit that can be added to certain dishes or eaten as snacks on the trail or at home.

The advent of the hanging stove has revolutionized winter camping. I also use a hanging stove in the summer and fall on backpack trips because it is so convenient. A hanging stove that is safe to use inside your tent, such as the Bibler Hanging Stove, is a big improvement over the traditional white gas stoves. Over the years I have spent many a breakfast and dinner melting snow or cooking a meal outside the tent in subzero temperatures. Attempting to cook in the face of a storm, high winds or blizzard is not my idea of fun. With a hanging stove I now prepare breakfast and dinner in the warm confines of my tent while the storm brews outside. Make sure your tent is well ventilated and be careful when lighting the stove.

Below are some basic ideas on food that I have used over the years of mountain climbing, backpacking, and backcountry skiing. Other suggestions originated with my daughter, Sierra, who has spent many a climb complaining about the lack of an appetite and the awful food her Dad provided. At the end of the of the Menu Planner (below) are five delicious gourmet dinners developed by my sister Judi Richins that are quick and easy to prepare. Finally, a recipe for Sierra Gatorade Slush is included at the bottom.

As a general rule, plan two pounds of food per person per day. The following suggested menu includes weights of each item and totals two pounds per person per day. Adjust the portions based on the appetites of those in your party. Throw in a couple of extra soups for emergency rations.

On extended trips organize the meals into separate stuff sacks. Place all the breakfasts together in a single stuff stack, all the lunches together, and all the dinners in a third stuff sack. Colored stuff sacks will help you to keep track of your meals.

Breakfast (per person per day)

Weight	Food Item
2 ounces	Instant oatmeal, cream of wheat, or cup of soup (single serving envelope)
1 ounce	Add protein powder, powdered milk and any combination of raisins, freeze dried fruit, sunflower seeds and pine nuts to the cereal.
2 ounces	Balance Bar or Protein Bar—select a bar that balances protein, carbohydrates and fat in the ratios recommended by Dr. Barry Sears (many so called nutritional bars are heavily weighted with carbohydrates and contain little protein).
1 ounce	Powdered hot drinks such as Cappuccino, Mocha, spiced cider, eggnog, or Chai Tea Latte.
6 ounces	Subtotal--Breakfast

Lunch (per person per day)

Weight	Food Item
6 ounces	Bagel with cheese or crackers and peanut butter
2 ounces	Mixed nuts (cashews, almonds, pecans, brazil nuts, carob covered raisins)
1.5 ounces	M and M’s or candy bar
1 ounce	Dried fruit
1 ounce	Dried beef, turkey, chicken, or salmon
2.5 ounces	Gatorade or other sports drinks (powdered mix)
14 ounces	Subtotal--Lunch

Dinner (serves 2 persons, per day)

Weight	Food Item
2.5 ounces	Packaged Lipton or Knorr soup (5-7 minutes cooking time). Add a fresh carrot and bell pepper, or freeze-dried veggies, onions, and garlic.
5 ounces	Packaged Lipton or Knorr side dishes (5-7 minutes cooking time)
2 ounce	Add olive oil and freeze-dried veggies.
7 ounces	Add canned (or packaged) chicken, tuna fish, turkey or salmon
2.5 ounces	Gatorade or other sports drink
2 ounces	Hot drink—herbal tea, Cappuccino, Mocha, spiced cider, eggnog, or spiced Chai Tea Latte
3 ounces	Two candy bars for desert
24 ounces/2	Subtotal--Dinner for two—12 ounces each

Snacks (select any combination)

Weight	Food Item
1 ounce	Pringles Potato Chips, or
1 ounce	Beef/turkey/salmon jerky, or
2 ounces	String cheese and crackers (Air Crisp Ritz or Wheat Thins)
2 ounces	Subtotal--Snacks
34 ounces	Grand Total (per person, per day)

Dinner Favorites by judi richins
These 2-quart-pan dinners are plenty for two people. They can be cut in half for one person using a 1-quart. pan, or cut by 25% for two people using a 1.5-quart pan. To cut down on the weight of your backpack, use freeze-dried meats in place of the meats noted in the above and below recipes. Mountain House is a good source of freeze-dried beef and chicken (#10 cans). You can also substitute freeze-dried vegetables for the fresh vegetables noted below. Just Tomatoes is a good source of freeze-dried vegetables, berries, and fruit.

Noodle-based meal	Rice-based meal
3.5-4 cups water 1 small zucchini and ½ carrot thinly sliced Dried sliced mushrooms Boil about 1 minute, then add: 5-6 teaspoon Herb Ox chicken instant bouillon (or 5-6 cubes of bouillon) 2 packs Top Ramen noodles w/o flavor packets 3-5 ounces canned chicken (add later if pot is too small) Simmer 3 minutes or until noodles are done	3.25 cups water 1 package Knorr cream of broccoli soup 0.5 cup powdered milk Stir while bringing to a boil, then add: 1 cup instant rice 1 cup freeze-dried vegetables 3-5 ounces canned salmon Simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently

Three More Easy-to-Cook Backpakcing Dinners by judi richins

Judi's above-described meals have been modified below and a third gourmet meal added.

1. Chicken/Top Ramen/Fresh Veggie Dinner - soupy (2-quart pan)

To a 2-quart pan, add 4.5 cups of cold water, and 1-2 small zucchini and 1/2 carrot thinly sliced (use fresh vegetables on the first or second night of your trip, use 1-cup freeze-dried green beans or other freeze-dried veggies thereafter). Sliced mushrooms are also an option.

When this comes to a boil, add:

• 3 cubes "Herb Ox Garlic (or Regular) Chicken Bouillon"
• 3 teaspoons "very low sodium Chicken Bouillon Granules"
• 2 shakes of Garlic Powder
• 2 pkgs. Ramen Noodles, crumbled (w/o flavor packets)
• 1 cup freeze-dried chicken (or 3-5 oz. Canned/vacuum sealed packet of Chicken (add last if pan too full)

Boil 3-4 minutes or until noodles are done.

Let sit a few minutes until freeze-dried meats/veggies are fully hydrate.

2. Tomato/Beef/Fettucine Dinner - (2-quart pan)

Combine and continue stirring while bringing the following to a boil:

• 4 cups cold water (add more if soupy consistency is desired)
• 1 package "Knorr Tomato with Basil Soup/Dip/Recipe Mix"
• 12 thin, fresh asparagus or green beans, cut into small pieces (or freeze-dried green beans or other veggies

Then add:

• 6 oz. "al dente Garlic Parsley Fettucine" (the type that cooks in 3-minutes)
• 1 cup freeze-dried beef (or freeze-dried chicken or 3-5 oz. canned/vacuum packed chicken)

Simmer 3-5 minutes, stirring regularly (if you use a different noodle, the cook time may be longer)

Let sit a few minutes until the freeze-dried meats and veggies are fully hydrate.

3. Salmon/Rice/Corn Dinner - creamy

Combine the following into a 1.5-2.0-quart pan and bring to a boil:, stirring occasionally:

• 3.5 cups cold water
• 1 package. "Knorr Cream of Broccoli" Soup/Dip/Recipe Mix
• 0.5 cup dried milk

After boiling, add:

• 1 cup uncooked instant rice
• 1 cup freeze-dried vegetables (corn, peas, carrots, bell pepper, tomato)
• 7 oz. vacuum-sealed packet of salmon (or 3-5 oz. can or 1 cup freeze-dried meat) (add fish/meat later, if pan is too small)

Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally

Sierra Gatorade Slush
On a hot day, during or after a particularly hard climb, a Sierra Gatorade Slush is a tasty and refreshing treat. It is easy to fix provided a snow bank is nearby. Drink slowly--too much of a good thing in one gulp can cause your esophagus, chest, lungs, and ribs to feel as if they are being frozen. Make sure you bring plenty of powdered Gatorade mix. Below are the six easy steps to make this delightful and invigorating hot-weather drink.

1. Find a snow bank and clean off the dirty snow from the surface.
2. Fill a 1-liter water bottle with clean snow. Do not pack the snow into the water bottle. There must be adequate empty space in the water bottle for mixing of the snow, water, and Gatorade through shaking.
3. Add 1.0 cup of water.
4. Add enough powdered Gatorade mix (or your favorite powdered drink mix) to suit your taste.
5. Shake vigorously.
6. Drink slowly and enjoy. Shake again and drink.

Backcountry_Resource_Center--Paul Richins, Jr.
http://pweb.jps.net/~prichins/backcountry_resource_center.htm

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