Eating in Style for Celebrations

Sonya Muhlsimmer

Not only is it spring when the trees are starting to bud, the weather is getting warmer, and the days are getting longer. Also, it's celebration time - BWA is celebrating three years of a brilliant magazine. Well done and congratulations to the team. A lot of hard work and effort has gone into this and it is time to celebrate. I took off into the bush to have my own celebration for BWA and this is what I came up with. Here are two stylish dishes that can be shared with friends when celebrating either an anniversary or birthday. Luxurious eating in the bush, you can have your cake and eat it too.

Horseshoe Falls in Hazelbrook

74 | BWA October 2016

Antipasto is traditionally the first course of a formal Italian meal and is a great dish to share with friends. Antipasto dishes are generally reserved for special occasions, and seen as a start to a coming feast, or celebration. The choices are endless. But for bushwalking and carrying things in your rucksack, well perhaps you can be somewhat limited.

Here are a few simple staple ingredients for bushwalkers that can make a luxurious, colourful and delicious dining experience, wherever you may be. Salami, cheese and beef jerky can be spruced up a bit with a few other ingredients.

Prosciutto is a cured meat and can be taken with ease, just buy a few slices from the deli. Savour brand, Spicy broad beans are available in any good supermarket; a tasty addition to any platter. Sun dried tomatoes can come dried or in oil. If you make sure you wrap them well the tomato in oil is delicious and really compliments the other ingredients in this dish. Sun dried olives are available online, yum ... oh and don’t forget fresh flat bread, cut up to share with friends.

At home preparationPlace all ingredients into the allocated bag. Cut out a piece of grease proof paper to fit the pan. Print out Method at camp label and place with the bag.

Method in campIn a bowl add the contents of the bag (bread mix). Slowly stir ¼ cup of water into the flour, bringing it together to make a dough. Halve the mix and in your hand roll the half amount of dough into a ball. Using your fingers push out onto a disc. Place the piece of grease proof paper in the bottom of the pan and then spread the dough mix over the paper. Place a pan over a low heat, add the flat bread and cook for about 2 minutes on one side. Flip and cook again for about 2 minutes. Serves three people.

Bag 1 (bread mix)

Water¼ cup for preparation

BWA October 2016 | 75

Yes, as I said you can have your cake and eat it too. This chocolate cake can be a bit tricky to cook but it is so worth it. Try it out at home to get it right; the bottom of the cake can burn easily, so be careful. Use the greaseproof paper, and use your spondonicles on the side of the pan to move the pan around the flame, to help even the cooking of the base. I made this cake half way through my cross country skiing trip recently. My friends and I were trying to reach the summit of Mt Jagungal, and this was going to be our celebratory cake at night. But the rivers were raging and the snow was (too) plentiful, we did not make the summit, so it became our commissary cake. The warm cake with gooey chocolate blobs inside and crunchy nutty pieces, it is a cake that stimulates all the senses, and soothes wounded egos. It made everything better. A perfect cake for any celebration (or not!).

At home preparationCut out a piece of grease proof paper to fit the pan. Use enough paper to overlap the sides of the pan so you can use the paper to pull the cake out easily. In a food processor pulse the chocolate and nuts together for about 20 seconds. Label the bag and place all ingredients into the allocated bag. Copy or print out Method at camp and keep together with the bag.

Method at campIn a bowl, place the contents of the bag (cake mix) and add ½ cup of water slowly to the ingredients, stirring constantly to make a paste. Place the piece of grease proof paper

in the bottom of the pan and then spread the cake mix over the paper. Set the stove to a low heat and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes until bubbles appear in the batter all over the top and the cake becomes brown on the bottom. Take off the heat, cover the top of the cake with grease proof paper and taking your hand (or chopping board) on top and flip over, place the cake back in the pan. Put the pan back on the stove and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until the cake is set all the way through. Serves three people.

Bag 1 (cake mix)

Water - ½ cup