Growing up, my family’s version of camping didn’t entail going into the middle of nowhere, unplugging from society or digging up holes to use the restroom. We didn’t eat hotdogs, burgers or s’mores over a fire. When we went camping, we brought the entire house with us, or at least whatever we could fit into the car. I’m talking about air mattresses, portable toilets, kettles, gas stoves and multiple coolers filled with marinated meats, veggies and fruit. Trust and believe, if there were a way to plug in a refrigerator out in the wilderness, my family would do precisely that.
Last semester, my sister Ailin and friends Linh, Emily and Rachel sought to relive what we remembered about camping when we were little. Only this time, it was a tad bit more tame than what we were used to. I voluntarily took charge of meals for our three-day, two-night stay in Shenandoah National Park. Let me show you some of the things we ate on that beautiful mountain.
While the lovely ladies of the mountain set up the tent and firepit, I set up the gas stove. After about a two-and-a-half-hour drive, we were famished and needed a snack ASAP. I concocted a makeshift steamer and laid out these delicious pork and veggie bao buns I bought at the Vietnamese market at Eden Center in Falls Church, Va. Soon after they finished cooking, we were eating like animals.
Our first dinner in the mountains had to be a spectacular one, so we busted out the marinated meats and veggies. We also weren’t sure how well the meats would hold up in the cooler, so we decided to eat everything we were wary of keeping overnight. I grilled short ribs with a Vietnamese-inspired lemongrass marinade, pork belly, king mushrooms, zucchini and corn. Let me tell you, there were no leftovers.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so I made sure not to skimp out. Most of us had just watched a showing of “Howl’s Moving Castle” in theaters for Linh’s birthday. With this cinematic masterpiece in mind, Emily requested that I recreate the breakfast seen in the movie, fried eggs and bacon. If you’re wondering, yes, I delivered. And of course, we had to have coffee. Thank you, Linh, for the condensed milk packets … lifesaver.
Lunch isn’t pictured as it was just sandwiches we made for our hike. Also because Linh argued my sandwich preferences weren’t normal because I didn’t pack any mayonnaise or ketchup. Anyways … for dinner, I made fried rice and ramen noodles. We desperately needed this after the hike, and yes, I delivered again.
Enjoy this awesome picture of the Milky Way Galaxy we were fortunate enough to witness. There was a family with a humongous telescope that allowed me to look directly at the ginormous Jupiter protruding from the rest of space. Total nerd moment.
Growing up, camping was always a nice escape for me, even if it didn’t include rustic meals and unplugging. It was an excuse to eat ramen whenever we wanted, hammock among the trees, play in the dirt and be okay with not showering for days at a time. My parents didn’t have a lot of time off from work, so taking those few days out of the weekend to find somewhere to set up camp was an excitement for all of us. My sisters and I were down for almost anything as long as there was food. So when my friends and I brought up the idea of a camping trip up in the mountains, I was extremely glad my mom’s impulsive nature to pack more food than clothes rubbed off on me.
