Outdoors with Pontus

How to prepare for cooking outdoors?

There are rules to obey in life and the cooking outdoors is no exception! Make sure that the area you are visiting allows to light a fire or even light the gas kitchen. National parks and forest rules differ between countries so make sure you are up to date. In some countries you are't allowed to actually boil water with fire with a gas cooker or a fire place.

So here's my easy three step list that will take you a long way when you preapare for outdoor cooking.

1. Make sure to cook as much as possible at home and just finish the food at campsite.
2. Cook stuff like pasta and potato before you go out. You will save from 15 minutes up to 30 minutes in the woods. No one likes to stare at pasta cooking.
3. Plan your cooking before you go out. Try the dish first at home. Then it will be easier for you to cook outdoors as you've walked through it already before. First time is always the hardest and if you are cooking with fire, you are not getting second takes if you burn the only stash of ingredients you brought.

Equipment when cooking outdoors

I recommend that you decide on what kind of adventure you intend to do. Is it a short trip to the place you gonna cook such as a ready spot along a known trail or somewhere close to home? If you can't run back to kitchen or car you will need to be careful that you pack everything.

I like to improvise but I'm also a big fan of lists and cooking outdoors is all about being prepared so do make lists. It will help you from shopping to packing and all the way to recipe you want to execute.

If it's a short trip, bring the cast iron or hard steel frying pan!
If it's a long hike before camp site bring the Primus storm kitchen or similar.

A favourite tip from me if you wanna impress?
Bring the real tableware if possible! Nothing beats a good meal served on a nice plate out in the forest.

What ingredients and dishes go well when cooking outdoors?

EVERY meal you eat at home can be cooked outdoors. What you need to have in consideration is the weather, temperature, how long ingredients will be out of freezer before cooking.

Great food for outdoor cooking are definitely:

• SMOKED N SALTED = Can endure the heat longer before cooking.
• SALTED = When salted the food actually becomes conserved so the product doesn't go bad and its already seasoned.
• DRIED = If you dry food, you can actually have it in your bag for weeks.
• FRESH = Fresh caught fish in the mountains are the best. (But you should add some Le Gruyère AOP, butter and vegetables to it).

What to think about when you are cooking outdoors?

Be kind to nature! Every trash you bring out, you should take home!

Every place you visit, you should leave it they way you found it.

And last but not least, never ever rush. Cooking outdoors is the best meditation. You will find peace, calm, soothing feelings and in the end.. you also get a great meal.