Sunday, March 13, 2011

Maps on Kindle

Having been using Google Maps via 3G on my kindle fairly regularly for some weeks, I feel I can tentatively call it reliable enough for touring. It's not a replacement for a good state map, but with I don't feel the need to copy down every placemark on my camping maps to paper. Have a screen shot; looks nice, no?



Saturday, March 5, 2011

Damper

Spend yesterday in the kitchen trying different damper recipes. Turned out damn good. Much better than the rock-hard-but-still-somehow-doughy loaf I made last time. Here're the details:


Wonderful moist bread with parched corn, dried onion, chives, walnuts and cheddar cheese

Damper with chocolate chips, pineapple, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, banana, walnuts, pecans, and pecan meal.

Simple Damper
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2-3/4 cup water, milk, or reconstituted milk.
  • 1 tsp butter
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • Optional: blueberries and/or raspberries, strawberry slices, pineapple chunks, parched corn, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, dried onion, almond meal - just about anything you have on hand, and don't worry about using too much! Mine was heavy with fruits and nuts and it still rose perfectly.

Mix dry ingredients. Rub in butter, then add milk or water. Mix slightly, and add any optional ingredients. Knead only until dough sticks together. Add more flour if necessary. Do not over-knead, or the damper will be too dense and tough. Wrap loosely in foil, giving it room to expand, and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Note: I'd advise against putting any fresh fruits or berries into the dough. The juice saturate the dough and cause you to knead more, resulting in a very dense, tough loaf with lots of smashed up berries. You need fruit dry enough to hold it's shape and juices when squeezed.

Thus far, I've only made damper in an oven, and that is all I include on my directions. When I make it over a fire, I'll try a few methods and post what I find to work best. Here are some of those methods I'm planning on trying:

  • Wrap dough loosely in foil, giving it room to expand. Bake on a grill over a low fire. Easy to burn it, this way.
  • Wrap dough in foil, and put the bundle into a larger pot or other metal container with a few rocks at the bottom to keep the foil from touching. Dig the larger container into hot coals.
  • Probably the easiest way - wrap the sticky dough around a stick and roast it like a marshmallow. Might not work with a lot of stuff in the dough, as it would be heavier.