It was definitely not peppercorns. I got 5 little pieces of rock in my share of pork. The kitchen folks handling that have got to figure out some change to the logistics of getting the pork in and out of the ground that won’t allow dirt/gravel to come in contact with the meat at all.
[quote=“Koinu, post:21, topic:340”][quote author=Arxphox link=topic=333.msg2789#msg2789 date=1313124712]
I liked the pulled pork, but found I was biting into a lot of grit… maybe the peppercorns or whatnot. It’s tasty, but I would preferer not to have to have a crown done in the states 
[/quote]
It was definitely not peppercorns. I got 5 little pieces of rock in my share of pork. The kitchen folks handling that have got to figure out some change to the logistics of getting the pork in and out of the ground that won’t allow dirt/gravel to come in contact with the meat at all.[/quote]
Yeah. Then doubly so about not wanting to have crowns done in the states. (christ, wtf is with any sort of professional health care costs in the states? -.-)
I bit into some bone when I had some pork in my burritos the next morning. All in all it sucks sure, but I love that pork too much to let that stop me.
the potato salad was delicious, the chicken and peanut sauce was exquisite and could be made better with some optional veg. but my biggest question is… Recepies available?
Maybe it’s just me… but I’d like to see a night of traditional camp food or something. Dogs over the fire or maybe some chili… I dunno. I’m a bit of a traditionalist, and while all the food was very nice and exquisite, some part of me missed traditional stuff.
Overall, I think the food was really good! I have massive amounts of respect for what it takes to feed a group that size, having worked before in kitchens, catering, and living with a chef for awhile (and helping him with his catering business), so, serious props to you guys for pulling it off. 
I loved the salads (and I too wish there was more), flatbread, hummus, pasta salad, and peanut sauce! It all seemed very gourmet, and lovingly prepared, and I know you guys worked your asses off for us, so thank you.
That said, I would like to register my opinion about the vegetarian options, if I may. First off, I know everyone has different reasons for following whatever diets. In my case, though, I simply dislike the texture of meat, and have trouble digesting large amounts of dense protein because it’s been so long since I’ve eaten it (~23 years). Thus, I really don’t like “fake” meats, or anything trying to specifically replace meat. Unfortunately, the seitan made me sick, because it was almost equivalent to meat in texture and density. 
I should have known to avoid eating things I don’t usually eat (my meat-eating friend ate some too, and was fine, so it was not a sanitation issue) and probably just asked instead for a double helping of the hummus and flatbread, which was delicious!
My favorite veggie entree was probably the tofu skewers - and that’s saying something because I don’t generally like tofu! I’d have liked to see some more variety in what was on them, though, other than just tofu and green pepper. Additions like red/orange/yellow peppers, onion, cherry tomatoes, zuccini and pineapple would have been awesome.
I would also like to suggest there be more veggie-based vegetarian options, rather than the heavy reliance on the fake “meats.” At home my meals are usually a collection of side dishes - I don’t require a big chunk of protein to feel satisfied! I’d have loved to see some kind of potatoes… mashed or roasted?.. on the fried chicken night, and perhaps something like a stew or ratatouille with lots of beans, lentils, tomato and veggies, and more rice and pasta dishes (maybe a risotto, and/or pasta with alfredo, plus roasted veggies?). I also loooooove falafel with tzatziki sauce, and that would have been awesome with the hummus/flatbread.
All that said, I know I’m a fairly picky eater, so I came prepared with stuff to make my own meals as I always do. I ended up bringing more food than I needed, which means I was decently satisfied by what was available. It would be nice to see some more starches/grains next time, though, if that’s possible. Otherwise, I think you guys did an amazing job!
Paying the minimum and being fed for days on end without any effort on my part brings no complaint, only a run-on sentence full of damn that was good… damn that was good, and I particularly enjoyed the pork, though next time its pulled off (pun-tastic!) I suggest a hearty, awesomely sweet sauc, but that’s just my southern BBQ talking: fat, fat, sugar… damnthatwasgood.
I think that it wouldn’t be a bad thing to add a bit more balance to the greenery next year too. Certainly this year had more greens than last, and I applaud X for that, but I think it’d never hurt to add a bit more this year.
As far as the vegetarian options go - Perhaps this could be worked into the side dishes, so that they become entrees unto themselves. Beef up a salad with beans/tofu/some other vegetarian protein (not necessarily meat substitute), might work well. Avocados and nuts too in that regard.
There were cherry tomatoes on most of them but after grilling they unfortunately didn’t want to stay on the skewers 
Even as someone who didn’t take part in them though, I was a little disappointed to not see more variety to them as well. Part of the reason why they even got tomatoes was when I made mention that they seemed plain and we had a buttload of those cherry tomatoes.
Also I agree with all that there should be more salad, it’s a great balance for most meals.
I like that alfredo idea too, we could work that as a sort of double hitter for veggies and carnivores. Have a side of chicken to throw with the alfredo and pasta for the carnivores and some sort of suitable steamed or grilled vegetable for vegetarians
Thanks a bunch for the veggie suggestions! I’ve been experimenting with making indian food, so next year may see tikka masala and some saag dishes or curries with potato and chickpeas. Also if you have any favorite recipes that are relatively simple in construct, feel free to send them in to noms@campfiretails.org!
Crowley, I’m gonna hella dig through my recipes
Look what have you wrought
:o
the only thing i would “say” is possibly have subsitute meal options. for example, if you cant have chicken, have a beef or pork as an alternative. if you cant have rice, subsitute noodles. if you are cant have cheese (due to sencitivity to lactose) substitute goat cheese for regular cheese. i know that Helena and i put in our foods we “cant” have, but a lot of the meals had those ingredients in there, therefore either leaving us to have a very small meal, or having to pick out the stuff that was in there (which was a hassle). another “option” to get around this (it might have been mentioned in prior posts) would be to have meal “vouchers” and you can pick and choose what you get. for example, if the meal plan is to have chicken, rice, salad, and macaroni salad, and you cant have chicken or rice, you can “double up” on salad and macaroni, or any combination of the sort. of course that would mean that somethings might run out faster than others, but to get around that, X (or whoever) could post the menu before hand, and then people who cant have certian things can tell him (or whoever) what they want to substitute or have instead, therefore it can be better planned.
I second Maras post about fruit of any kind. I think I went home and ate some greens and citrus like her too. Roll the meat fund into registration cost (raise the price a few bucks, just an idea) and have the fruit and veggies be from the suggested donation fund. Meat is non optional! NOMNOMNOM
Also, RECIPES PLZ
that chicken satay was badass, and the garlic/onion rolls even more so. I want to make onion rolls in my life. Now. Today!
I love all you cooks. So much :3 It turned what could have been the worst part of camp into something I genuinely was looking forward to each meal, because you proved I wouldn’t be let down!
Maybe it’s a bit of a an ambitious idea when it comes to planning the amount of meals, but what if a different team of meal prepators simultaneously made dinners of entirely different sorts? Then the demands of preparing 100 meals get split, and campers get a choice of foods. Perhaps some of it can be made to order.
That requires a lot of work for staff, because not only would we have to double our staffing numbers but on demand food is wa difficult, it was hard enough finding everyone and informing them of food as it was. Can you imagine having to find them and ask what they wanted to? The only way I could see this maybe working was to have a before con survey of sorts and get it prepped out that way but I don’t think it’s possible for such a large scale event
I will try to track down a cheap but very loud “dinner” bell that we can use to announce meal times for next year. I think that would help people know when to come and eat, as some people found out way too late.
just get a triangle we can ring for meals, that should be loud enough for everyone if we get someone enthusiastic enough to ring it
“SOUP’S ON”
I still like my Beacons Of Gondor idea I had, with multiple triangles spaced around the camp. We ring the kitchen one, someone rings the next one, and so on, to make sure they hear it down the farthest camp. 