
Cooking Outdoors with Gary House and Cooking-Outdoors.com
I have cooked many times outdoors but my meals have never been what one would call savory, adventurous or gourmet and so when I met Gary House through Twitter, I couldn’t wait to read his interview to see where his incredibly tasty outdoor cooking ideas have originated. Gary says, ”
I won’t be teaching anyone how to get rich but I bet I can make you just a little bit happier if you stick around and share my many adventures cooking outdoors…”. Enjoy his interview and get some good cooking tips!
How and where were you introduced to the outdoors and outdoor cooking?
I learned outdoor cooking from my step dad “Pops”, he was a spit cooker. 6 foot long steel spits loaded with marinaded meats and vegetable. From there I learned how to camp cook and I taught myself Backpack cooking. Pops always took us camping, we cooked everything on a grate or a camp stove. Nothing fancy just good basic foods, steaks, chicken, beans, vegetables, etc. Always had plenty to eat!
What has been your favourite hiking trail or outdoor area and what did you cook?
In the begining it was all about the Desolation Wilderness in the Sierras of California by Lake Tahoe. I don’t Backpack anymore so Camping is my main outing adventure, mainly camping anywhere in the Eastern or Western Sierras of California. My favorite cooking tool is a Dutch oven and I have cooked everything in them. I get the greastest joy in cooking over live fires and anything goes as to food.
Please share an outdoor story related to one of the above areas.
I would have to say that my best experience was cooking for all of my friends while camping. A bunch of us went to Cherry Lake, California to camp for an extended weekend. I volunteered to be the camp cook, plan the meals, bring the gear, etc. I cooked everything over a live fire and in Dutch ovens. We had BBQ Chicken, grilled corn, soup, beer bread, apple spice cake, Tri-tip, baked potatoes, beans, grilled vegatables, desserts, and much more. Lots of work for sure but everyone had a lasting memory of the food and thats what matters to me.
Have you ever been lost in the wilderness? If so please describe this adventure and any lessons learned.
Thankfully never.
Can you share any unique encounters with wild animals?
Been very lucky there also. Only one encounter with a Rattle sanke while backpacking in the Trinity Alps of California. I made a stupid mistake and was walking on a dry river bed, decided to climb a short embankment to look for a place to camp. As I went up the embankment without checking the trail I heard a short rattle and the sound of a strike (More sounding like a swoosh), now I had about 50lbs on my back and in a split second I had leaped ten feet backward on to the river bed. It was the most frightning experience ever! I have know idea how that snake missed me but I was 10 miles back in some very rugged country but if that snake had been more lucky that might have been it for me! My buddy couldn’t stop laughing at me, says he’s never seen anyone fly before! HaHa, funny guy.
What is your favourite outdoor hiking gear store? REI
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