Improvements In Milwaukee Schools, Cooking Around The Campfire, Wisconsin Life: Citizen Stream Monitoring

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Just because you’re cooking over a campfire doesn’t mean you have to skimp on flavor and creativity. Rob Ferrett and Veronica Rueckert get some campfire cooking tips from a self-proclaimed expert. Wisconsin Life focuses on one writer’s experiene being a citizen stream monitor, and then Rob and Veronica learn about the importance of the citizen stream monitoring program in Wisconsin. They also look at a new report showing improvements in Milwaukee schools.

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  • A Short Guide To The Craft Of Campfire Cooking

    For hundreds of thousands of years, humans have thrown their food onto the fire. That equates to millennia of burned dinners, but also plenty of time to perfect the art of campfire cooking.

    Noah Ovshinsky, the assistant news director for Wisconsin Public Radio, has logged some serious hours over a campfire. And while he has, like most of us, scorched a few hot dogs in his day, he’s also learned a thing or two about preparing really tasty fare.

    The first thing Ovshinsky recommends for campfire chefs is to bring along a cast-iron Dutch oven, preferably one with a flat lid and small legs on the bottom. This is ideal for campfire cooking, he said. Ovshinsky noted that Dutch ovens allow the cook to add coals to both the top and bottom, thereby providing much more flexibility in terms of the dishes one can prepare.

    One easy way to fix a meal in a Dutch oven: Fill the pot up halfway with some kind of protein and then broth, wine or beer, and then add vegetables near the end.

    To bake or roast, Ovshinsky recommended placing three quarters of the coals on top and one quarter beneath the Dutch oven. That ensures uniform heat and prevents food burning on the bottom.

    To fry, simmer or boil, put all the coals underneath the Dutch oven, he said. The lid could be kept on or off as required. (If one needs help determining how many coals they’ll need for any particular task, Ovshinsky recommends trying out the nifty coal calculator at www.dutchovendude.co.)

    Here are some other tips Ovshinsky shared for a successful campfire cookout:

    • Bring hand sanitizer
    • Bring hot sauce – it’s one of the simplest ways to add flavor or a little heat.
    • Save bacon fat. It has many uses in the campsite kitchen.
    • Invest in a multi-spice shaker so you have salt, pepper and flavors like garlic, chili, curry and paprika in one compact, easy-to-use container. If you can’t find one, use a daily pill organizer.
    • Make sure knives are sharp. Sharp knives are much safer! The last thing you want to mar your camping vacation—and your campfire meal–is a painful wound.
    • Bring corn if you can find it. “It’s easy to cook, cheap, and delicious,” says Ovshinsky, “And you can harness the smoky flavors only a campfire can provide.”
    • Prep individual ingredients at home and store them in freezer bags. This makes for ease of cooking and cleanup.
    • Bring a muffin pan to make eggs. Ovshinsky suggests adding chopped onion, pepper, or pre-cooked bacon or sausage.
    • Don’t bring poultry on a camping trip unless it’s pre-cooked and kept cold. “Campsite sanitation is hard enough without bringing chicken into a situation where hygiene is key in order to prevent illness,” Ovshinsky said.

    Todd’s Beans

    “This is a recipe developed by my friend, Todd Abrams,” said Ovshinsky. “It’s simple and lends itself to campfire cooking. It can also be cooked ahead of time and reheated in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven.”

    Ingredients:

    • 2 Tbsp Olive oil
    • 1 lb pinto beans
    • 1 or 2 smoked ham hocks (depending on size and how much meat you ultimately want in the beans)
    • 2 medium onions (diced)
    • 1 Tbsp of Mexican Oregano

    Directions:

    Sauté onions in olive oil until translucent in a dutch oven.

    Add ham hock(s), beans, 2 quarts of water and Mexican Oregano.

    Cook at a low simmer in a covered Dutch oven for 2 ½ – 3 hours.

    Give the beans a good stir every 15 minutes and take it off the heat as soon as the beans have reached the desired consistency.

    Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

    Add water and cook a few minutes longer for those who prefer soupier beans.

    Now, sit back, enjoy, and remember to count the stars!

  • New Report Shows Educational Improvements In Milwaukee

    A new report from Milwaukee-based educational improvement collaborative, Milwaukee Succeeds, shows that Milwaukee students are advancing in eight of eleven key indicators of educational success.

  • How To Cook Great Campfire Meals

    Cooking over a campfire doesn’t mean you have to skimp on flavor and creativity. Tips on how to make the most of your campfire fare this summer.

  • Wisconsin Life: Citizen Stream Monitoring

    In this episode of Wisconsin Life, a writer shares her experience monitoring a stream by her house. Then the state’s Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program Coordinator explains the importance of having citizens help to monitor the health of Wisconsin’s streams.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • Marika Suval Producer
  • Galen Druke Producer
  • Veronica Rueckert Producer
  • Amanda Magnus Producer
  • Noah Ovshinsky Guest
  • Mike Soika Guest
  • Kris Stepenuck Guest

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