View Full Version : Bread and Cheese
dennisartrip
12-20-2006, 19:32
Whats the story on bread and cheese on the AT? How come no body carries them? I hate mac and cheese. so whats a good substitute?
Trudger
Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,
A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse--and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness--
And Wilderness is Paradise enow.
--Rubiyat of Omar Khayyam
Been known to take bread and cheese (and wine, of course) on day hikes.
http://www.pmags.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=36&g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=10135
Can't say I've done it on thru-hikes though as much. Do bagles and string cheese count? :)
Who doesn't carry cheese??? What are you, NUTS???
Never leave town without cheese!!!!!
OK, so I lost my editing abilities.
Smoked Gouda
Asiago
Smoked Cheddar
On my last hike I brought some kind of goat cheese. The harder the cheese, the better it will hold up.
Rock on cheese lovers!
Spirit Walker
12-20-2006, 20:21
For lunch we carry bread and cheese. The problem on the AT is that some of the stores have limited bread selection (do you like Wonder bread?). As to dinner - rice, couscous, bulghur, pasta of all kinds, ramen . . . Mix it with tuna, salmon, ham, sausage, Spam, chicken, cheese, etc. We only eat mac n' cheese about once every two weeks, and never eat Ramen - but we haven't starved. We tried going cold, but were much happier when we had a hot dinner.
I love a loaf of fresh baked foccacia bread and a slabo of swiss cheese. Yum!!
On a lot of trips I know where all the good bakeries are out here.
On a lot of trips I know where all the good bakeries are out here.
DWG had one of the best I've ever seen, for a trail town. Amazing stuff. But I was in the mood for protein. Bacon and eggs at the diner next door.
Paul Bunyan
12-20-2006, 20:53
For boy scouts, cheese, hard salami, and pita bread is a traditional hikers lunch. Never go out without it.
I don't know if the situation's improved over the years but I recall the bread selection was pretty lame down south. Cheese, I'd never hike without. But I can live without bread on the trail.
Pita, tortilla's or crusty french bread rolls (bulky but oh so good) add to that hard salami, pepperoni or any hard cheese adn i am good to go.
One dinner I never get sick of on the trail is Pasta Formaggio con Frutta di Mare
Sounds fancy..no?
Fancy way of saying "Mac and cheese with tuna" :) I seriously love this trail meal. Throw in some crushed up chips..mmmmmm Poor man's tuna casserole!
Another favorite is Lipton's Rice with stovetop stuffing. Yum.
Squeeze butter to ANYTHING. Bacobits at times.
For lunches, tend to do summer sausage and bagles...and string cheese on the side.
I'll still take my wine on non-thru hikes, though!
Two Speed
12-20-2006, 22:04
Smoked Gouda: I'm all over it. Just gets better as it ages, too.
Asiago: What's this? Haven't heard of it, but it sounds interesting.
Smoked Cheddar: Well, if you can't get smoked gouda.
The way I understand it the lower the moisture content the better the cheese resists spoilage. Does that track with everyone else's understanding or have I missed something?
Last, can you really hike without a chunk of cheese of some kind in the pack? I thought the Trail Police would write a ticket or something. :D
SalParadise
12-20-2006, 23:04
One trick I learned from a friend about the Wonderbread-style of loaf, which worked great for me, is to squish it yourself end-to-end before you pack it. It resists squashing inside the pack better and you can just peel the slices off for lunch and they stay flat.
I kinda got to like that generic spray cheese on the Trail, too. I probably won't be allowed back in Wisconsin for saying that, though. Made good mac and cheese, too.
Fancy way of saying "Mac and cheese with tuna" :) I seriously love this trail meal. Throw in some crushed up chips..mmmmmm Poor man's tuna casserole!
These meats-in-foil have opened up a lot of possibilities for hiker meals. But beware of those salmon steaks. They're yummy, but there's a fair amount of oil in the packet... it can make a mess if you're not careful. ;)
I know some people are concerned with the energy level versus weight of a food item, but I'm hoping to be able to find these really great tasting microwavable meals by Simply Asia. The noodless are actually already cooked. The container has the noodles in an air-tight plastic package, a tiny foil pack of dehydrated veggies, a tiny foil pack of topping (which is usually peanuts or sesame seeds), and a small liquid pack of sauce. They taste really great, and you wouldn't need to boil water to cook it. You could use a tiny amount of fuel to just warm it up (I'd add a little water to keep it from burning in your pot though).
Here's the nutritional info for the Roasted Peanut Noodle Bowl:
(for the whole bowl)
680 calories
12 g fat
1080 mg sodium
120 g carbs
19 g protein
Here's a link to a pic of these:
http://www.carmensmall.com/index.cfm/fa/items.main/parentcat/9002/subcatid/31728/id/163387
Appalachian Tater
12-21-2006, 12:48
Bagels travel well. I ate bagels and cheese for lunch until I got sick of them. There are square "bagels" that come in a bag, Earthgrains or something.
Footslogger
12-21-2006, 12:56
Whats the story on bread and cheese on the AT? How come no body carries them? I hate mac and cheese. so whats a good substitute?
Trudger
============================
Not sure where you heard the NOBODY carries them ??
I carried a block of hard cheeze and a bag of bagels quite often during my thru. Bread can get pretty schmushed (technical word) in your pack but it still tastes the same.
'Slogger
headchange4u
12-21-2006, 19:00
I almost always carry flour tortillas, bagels, or Pita bread when I hike. I love a Spanish Rice with big chunks of cheese, add a couple of packs of salsa, roll into a tortilla and enjoy!
I sometimes carry a block of cheese, like that Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar.
Likewise. I usually carry "durable" breads such as pita bread and bagels.
When ever I went into town to resupply I would come away with either pita bread, tortioes or bagles. Would also get a block of cheese.
My hiking buddie, Texas Jack, would always buy a loaf of sliced bread, a pound of sliced cheese and a pound of cold meat. It would last 3 or 4 days and the stuff never went bad before you ate it.
Who says you cant carry bread on the trail ? I have always carried it and of course cheese is a permanent part of my food bag, but of course I am a RAT :-)
RAT
mweinstone
12-21-2006, 22:33
if i see you out there with no cheese and bread, i swear, your a dead man.
LOL Then I have nothing to fear !!!!
RAT
little bear
12-23-2006, 01:28
I always take cheese and pita bread or tortias, the bagels sound good never though of them, thanks for that suggestion.
fiddlehead
12-23-2006, 06:16
When we hiked the Pyrenees, we always carried a baguette, strapped to out packs like a sleeping pad. Also, goat cheese was bought right from the shepherds and goat herders up in the mountains. Best lunches i've ever had on the trail.
In the states, i usually carry bagels, bear claws and/or tortillas. Cheese is ok until it gets hot in july and august. I've had it go bad in the desert once and that REALLY smells. And it is heavy. It is not so easy to get GOOD cheese in the states. (easier in the north or CA)
Frolicking Dinosaurs
12-23-2006, 06:27
Bread, cheese and a protein source (meat sticks, sausage, nut butter, dried beans) are a staple lunch for dinos on hot days - with fruit for the first day or two.
The female dino often makes pan breads on the trail - especially for breakfast when coals from last night's fire are available. Practically any biscuit, muffin or pancake mix can be mixed to the consistency of pancake batter and fried - so can most cake batters and dry cookie mixes. You can do this with your stove, but it takes lot of fuel so we often fix our first cup of coffee (dinos can be dangerous without it) at our stealth camp and hike on to a shelter to fix breakfast. The male dino airs out the quilt, tent, any damp laundry and tarp (inside the shelter if it is raining) while the female dino cooks. He packs it all back up while the female dino cleans the dishes and puts the lunch food and trail snacks where they can be easily reached.
We often stop at shelters to cook dinner before moving on to a stealth camp for the night and use the left over coals from the previous night's fire to cook.
Fannypack
12-23-2006, 07:50
One trick I learned from a friend about the Wonderbread-style of loaf, which worked great for me, is to squish it yourself end-to-end before you pack it. It resists squashing inside the pack better and you can just peel the slices off for lunch and they stay flat.
Nimblewill Nomad pointed out to me that if u squish "white bread" that the slices tend to stick together & tear :mad: when trying to retrieve a slice to be used. He said to try wheat bread instead.
He seems to be right about the tearing (sticking together ) of the white bread so I tried wheat & it works great... Squish a loaf to less than half the original size before packing.
Also I would like to add that I use the wheat bread for a lotta of crunchy peanut butter sandwiches. I recently have stopped using jelly, just peanut butter, um um good.:banana
White bread is to bread what cheeze whiz is to cheese.
White bread is to bread what cheeze whiz is to cheese.
That may not be so bad then....the best Cheesesteaks in the world use the "whiz"
No accountin' for taste... or lack thereof. But hikers in general are rather poorly endowed in that department, so maybe it all works out.
.the best Cheesesteaks in the world use the "whiz"
Amen to that !
RAT
TurkeyBacon
12-27-2006, 10:21
I had a trail recepe for biscuits. Not a true bread but close enough. You will need a pan with a lid/fry pan with non-stick coatings (GSI anadised aluminum for me) and an alcohal stove or similar heat. In a bag add bisquick/jiffy, powdered milk and I added garlic. On the trail, crumple up cheese into the bag add water till doughy. Add butter too. Stick dough into pot. Not easy, but every few minutes take the pot off the fire, flip it over and put it back on upside down, then flip it right side up, then upside down... till done. It may take some practice but its possible. The hard part is the first flip. Its gotta be solid biscuit or else it won't hold shape, and it cant burn or else it will stick. If I remember right, check on it a few times and pry it loose before flipping. The subsequent flips are much easier.
With all the cheese and butter adding calories, this was a complete meal for me.
I also carried pitas, tortillas and bagels and on two occasions, a subway sub attached the outside of the pack (turkey and bacon of cource).
TB
I always thought there should be a way to adapt this recipe to make trail bread. It is an English Muffin recipe. The cooking is done on a griddle or pan and a tuna can is used to shape the muffin.
1/2 cup non-fat powdered milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon shortening
1 cup hot water
1 envelope dry yeast
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
Non-stick vegetable spray
Special equipment: electric griddle, 3-inch metal rings, see Cook's Note*
In a bowl combine the powdered milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, shortening, and hot water, stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Let cool. In a separate bowl combine the yeast and 1/8 teaspoon of sugar in 1/3 cup of warm water and rest until yeast has dissolved. Add this to the dry milk mixture. Add the sifted flour and beat thoroughly with wooden spoon. Cover the bowl and let it rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
Preheat the griddle to 300 degrees F.
Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt to mixture and beat thoroughly. Place metal rings onto the griddle and coat lightly with vegetable spray. Using #20 ice cream scoop, place 2 scoops into each ring and cover with a pot lid or cookie sheet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the lid and flip rings using tongs. Cover with the lid and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a cooling rack, remove rings and cool. Split with fork and serve. *Cook's Note: Small tuna cans with tops and bottoms removed work well for metal rings.
hopefulhiker
12-27-2006, 15:24
I really l liked augmenting my diet with a hunk of hard cheese and a few bagels. A hunk of parmesagn is really good too. I would get these on my way out of town.. They usually would only make it a couple of days though before I would eat it all...
You can bake biscuits, cornbread, muffins, pizza`s etc in a cooking bag with the use of a bakepacker inside a 2 qt billy pot. very easy very delicious.No clean up.
RAT