Chef D: When on adventure assignment do you prepare food for yourself or go out to eat?
SG – When I am traveling on assignment, I ask the locals for their suggestions as to the best eateries. If it is a remote location then I look for the restaurant that has the most pick-up trucks, SUV’s with drift boats, or rafts in the parking lot. Locals and frequent visitors of the recreation area have already done the scouting so I take advantage of it.
When I have a group on a guide fly fishing trip I like to do the cooking. I do ask some key questions of the clients:
- What type of food does your group like and dislike?
- Anything that they can not or will not eat?
- Any dietary restraints?
- What are your favorite beverages?
Chef D: When on assignment, what types of foods do you prepare or seek out?
SG – Having spent nearly four decades enjoying great food and drink, I try to seek out what the locals have to offer. For instance, I
have some friends that own and operate the Quillisascut Farm School of the Domestic Arts in Rice, Washington. This world class goat cheese is a staple in my adventure cuisine.
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Chef D: What is your adventure kitchen comprised of?
SG – As I get older, backpacking is not part of my regiment so I do travel a little heavier than in days past. If camping is part of the trip, I have a 150,000 BTU three burner camp stove that takes two men and a small boy to move and set up but if you want great food, you have to have great equipment. I never travel without a couple of 9” ceramic egg pans and a 12 or 14” non-stick sauté pan. My ever-present travel knife case is comprised of 8” French Knife, 2 paring knives, Serrated Bread Knife, 12” Meat Carving Knife, Tongs, Meat Thermometer, Wine Opener, Chop Sticks, and a couple assorted Spatulas. When I am feeding lunch to fishing guests on a float trip in the drift boat, I do have small propane BBQ, Cutting board, Hand Sanitizer, Metal Camp plates that won’t blow off the table, cloth napkins, and lots of bar towels. Of course I do take a good salt and pepper mill.
Chef D: What is the biggest challenge of preparing food in the backcountry, and how do you accommodate for it?
SG – The biggest challenge is to get the portions right. How much do you take? And how am I going to prepare it? How much can I prepare ahead of time and just heat and serve? I ask my guests what do they expect and I send them a sample menu for them to review. If you are packing the food in you need to pack out the leftovers and wastes as well.