Some info from the official burning man website: http://www.burningman.com/preparation/event_survival/kitchens.html

 

Keep in mind the following things when it comes to feeding yourself at burning man and you will be successful:

• You are in burning man for many reasons, but usually not to spend the day in the kitchen preparing food in a difficult environment.  There are many ways to make it easy on yourself (explained here).  If you neglect these you will end up wasting time, food, energy, or all three.
• DON’T FORGET YOUR PROTEIN!!!  People think meat is hard to bring so rely heavily on starches and fruit.  This is a huge mistake.  Bring protein in many forms, and your body will be thankful.  Besides, it’s easy to cook meat.  If you are responsible for a “meal” for your group, make sure it is well balanced nutritionally and includes vegetables, protein and carbohydrates.
• Make a plan for your liquid and food waste, and a cleaning plan/schedule if you are camping in a group. 
• Piles of Dirty Dishes + Smelly Water + Rotting Food Scraps + Lots of Garbage Bags = Bad Playa Mojo

 

How To Eat Easy at Burning Man:

 

1) Bring foods that require little to no preparation or refrigeration (read: no daily trips to buy ice, eat when you’re hungry).  These foods can still be good and you can eat in style.  You are in the dessert… What do people in the dessert eat?  Think Africa, the Middle East, Arizona…

 

Things that don’t need refrigeration and are ready to eat & easy to store (I like milk crates – they are easily stackable and breathable):

·         Dates

·         Nuts, Nut Butters

·         Honey

·         Olives

·         Pickled Veggies

·         Dried/Dehydrated Fruit

·         Crackers

·         Flat Bread

·         Whole Grain Sliced Bread

·         “Hard Breads” suck as pumpernickel, German black, rye

·         Salami/Beef Jerky

·         Salted preserved fish (Salmon Jerky, Canned Herring, etc.)

·         Canned Beans/Tomatoes

·         Cereal/Granola

·         Snacks – Potato/Tortilla Chips, Peanut Butter Crackers, Fruit Snacks

 

Sturdy Fruits and Vegetables (Store in milk crates or other breathable storage container, covered with burlap:

·         Lemons, Limes **(I highly recommend putting a fresh wedge of citrus in your water bottle/camelback daily – keeps your water tasting fresh)**

·         Onions/Shallots

·         Garlic

·         Potatoes

·         Corn on the cob (a bit moopy though)

·         Apples/pears

·         Avocado (bring them unripe)

·         Tomatoes

·         Bananas (bring them green)

·         Coconuts (put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up)

·         Prickly Pears

·         Melons (not recommended for moopyness but oh so delicious)

 

Things that don’t need refrigeration but require some preparation:

·         Rice

·         Bulghur wheat/other grains

·         Beans/Lentils

·         Couscous

·         Pasta – (not really recommended since it requires disposing of a considerable amount of waste water, but people like it anyway.  Couscous is a great alternative – it absorbs all the water!)

·         Oatmeal/Grits/Polenta/Cream of Wheat

 

Things that need cooling but don’t require preparation and keep fairly well:

·         Salsa

·         Hummus
Yogurt

·         Milk Curds

·         Cheese

·         Olive Tapenade

·         Other dips

·         Jams/Jellies

 

Don’t Forget the Staples:

·         Water!! (with easy dispensing)

·         Olive oil

·         Soy sauce/Braggs

·         Salt

·         Pepper Mill

·         Sugar (cubes work well)

·         Vinegar (Red wine/white wine/balsamic)

·         Dried Herbs

·         Honey

·         Maple Syrup

·         Mustard

·         Ketchup

·         Butter (Salted butter keeps at room temperature if kept well wrapped – try using a “butter bell” that creates a watertight seal)

And the Drinks:

·         Tea

·         Coffee

·         Hot Cocoa

·         Gatorade/Energy Drink Mix

·         Canned or Boxed Juices/smoothies (Hansen’s are good)

·         Boxed Milk & Chocolate Milk (throw them in the cooler as you need them)

Think you can’t have a satisfying meal with only these items?  Guess again:

·         Sliced Cured Meats with pickles, olives, mustard, Hummus & Flat Bread; Mint Tea

·         Cheese & Crackers with Honey, Dried and Fresh Fruit, Dates, Nuts

·         Couscous with tomatoes, beans, Lemon juice and a side of Yogurt

·         Avocado-Corn-Tomato-Bean-Onion Salad with Lemon Juice & Olive Oil, Chips & Salsa

·         Slow roasted onions & potatoes (wrapped in foil and left on the grill/thrown in a fire pit) with Beef & Salmon Jerkey, Fresh Fruit

·         Hot Oatmeal (or other cereal) with bananas, nuts, dried fruit, honey

 

2) Take Advantage of Arrival & Departure Dates: Bring something fresh for the first day – pick up sandwiches/wraps/burritos on the way in.  As camp-mates arrive on subsequent days, have them bring fresh meals.

 

3) Bring Pre-Prepared Foods that are ready to eat or can easily be reheated in a pot/pan or boiling water.

• Order takeout (Indian works great for this) – let the food cool, cryovac it if you have access to a machine and freeze it.  Bring it frozen and let it defrost on the playa.
• When cooking in the weeks before Burning Man, make extra food, cool/freeze/cryovac as indicated above
• Make food especially for burning man – have a cooking party in the weeks before Burning Man, cool/freeze/cryovac as indicated above
• Prepare all ingredients you do bring as much as possible to reduce MOOP unless they keep better in their original form.
• Crudite – Carrots, Celery, Fennel all keep well in salted, acidulated (lemon juice) water.
• Buy frozen meals – (but that’s no fun!)

4) So you still want to cook on the Playa?  Keep it Simple, Stupid!!

• Breakfast:
• Pancakes – buy or make a pancake mix before you get thre.  Bring buttermilk, eggs, butter and mix when you get there.  Don’t forget the syrup.
• Bacon/Sausage– so easy!  But don’t forget to bring extra Tupperware for your bacon fat
• Eggs – Scrambled/Sunny Side up/Egg in a Hole (bring bread too)
• French Toast – Brioche/Challah sliced and soaked in an egg/milk/cinnamon/vanilla mixture and seared in butter.  Don’t forge the syrup.
• Grilled Items
• Meats – these are so easy and so satisfying in the harsh conditions.  Just keep them iced down, pull out as you are heating the grill, season with salt & pepper and grill.  If you plan in advance, cut portions of the meat, marinate and freeze.  Make or buy some BBQ sauce in advance.
• Skirt steak is good for quick cooking.  Chicken breast or boneless thighs are easy and produce no waste.  Higher end cuts of meat are just as easy and can be a fun (but expensive treat)
• Fish – only bring enough for the first day or two unless you are extremely diligent in your cooling situation and keep the fish well wrapped in several layers of plastic wrap (or cryovac them)
• Hot Dogs/Gourmet Sausages/Hamburgers – don’t forget the fixings! (buns, condiments, sauerkraut, relish, cheese, etc.)
• Corn
• Wraps
• Burritos/Tacos – get creative – you can use shredded cheese, sliced meats, beans, rice, grilled veggies, etc.
• Chinese Chicken Salad – Shredded cooked chicken, carrots, cabbage, Sesame-Rice wine vinegar dressing, plum sauce for rolling
• Snacks/Fun Desserts:
• Hot fruit with whipped cream – slice apples/pears/bananas, sauté in some butter.  When soft add some honey or sugar.  Serve with whipped cream from a bottle.
• Smores – a camping classic – Assemble graham cracker, marshmallow and chocolate, wrap in foil and place on grill to warm up
• Fruit Salad
• Gourmet Meals – These can be fun if you love to cook and want to do something special for your camp or the playa community.  My only recommendation is to plan this well in advance and account for ALL of your needs - from ingredients, to time required for preparation on site to special equipment.

 

5) Organize!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Remove all moop and packaging before arrival – store food in easily stackable, same size/shape containers (black google to-go boxes or Tupperware work great for this!) and/or Ziploc bags
• Pack all non-perishable packaged items in sealable buckets or Tupperware containers.  Remember the wind & dust - Sealed, stackable buckets rock!
• Build a functioning kitchen complete with: Sink/Cleaning Area, Milk Crate Pantry, Coolers with iced down product, Prep Table, Cooking Table, Seating for Tired Cooks
• Label Areas with Bins for:

1. Dry Garbage
2. Compost
3. BMRecycleables
4. Default world Recyclables
5. Waste Water

• Make an “ice run” schedule for your camp
• Use coolers with bottom drainage, store food at least 2” above the bottom of the cooler to prevent sogging
• Use multiple coolers; one for frequently used items, one for drinks, one for leftovers, one for items planned for a meal on a particular day, and don’t open it until that day, etc.  Or have each team member take care of his/her own cooler only.

 

Kitchen Needs:

 

Each camp member is responsible for bringing & cleaning:

Silverware

Plate

Bowl

Cold cup

Hot cup

****All items labeled with your name (use a sharpie!)******

Communal Kitchen:

 

Heating Elements:

2 two burner camping stoves – Coleman is good (not backpacking stoves)

2 Propane tanks for stoves – usually come with the stoves

5 gallons Stove fuel (propane)

1 Grill with a full propane tank

 

Cooking Implements:

1 coffee filter set (large filter cone that fits on top of pot), filters

2+ Large cooking pots (with lids)

1 medium pot (with lids)

2 small pots (with lids)

2 skillets

Spatulas, mixing spoons, slotted spoons, tongs, pastry brushes, grill tools etc.

Grill tools (grill brush, long tongs, spatula, etc.)

2-3 Large mixing bowls

Large Strainer/Colander

 

Prep:

2 large cutting boards

Knives (at least one chef’s knife, large serrated knife, small sharp knives)

Measuring cups

Measuring Spoons

 

Serving & Storage:

Pitchers (for Gatorade, special tea, etc.)

5-8 Serving Trays & Bowls

Tupperware

Aluminum foil

Plastic wrap

Ziploc bags

Extra cups, plates, bowls for guests / irresponsible people

 

Sink & Washing:

Dish Soap (Dr. Bronner’s peppermint ok) (we can fill sponges with shower soap)

Sponges (sponge on a stick with a reservoir for soap would be perfect; brushes on a stick also good)

Dish Rack

2 Basins (1 for washing, 1 for under dish rack)

Spray bottle for water

Paper Towels

Dish Towels

 

Organization:

2 tables (one for cleaning, one for cooking & prep

Long wooden plank to go over milk crates & create more prep space)

Cable ties

Masking tape

Duct tape

Milk crates

Bulletin Board

Matches

Long safety lighter

Bungee cords

Buckets for gray water & food waste

Drawers for cooking tools