Complete Kupilka Starter Kit Giveaway - today is the last day

I just sent in my entry answers (see below) to Brian's Backpacking Blog to try and win a complete Kupilka Starter Kit (I believe today was the last day to enter and I just got the email off at 11:35 PM - cutting it close I think.)  http://www.briangreen.net/2011/04/complete-kupilka-starter-kit-giveaway.html

My love of backpacking, and the rush one gets from being up in the mountains, started many moons ago as a Boy Scout. I was never very good at sports but, I loved the outdoors. It was a place of wonder and beauty. However, after making Eagle Scout, and for reasons I can't remember, I stopped backpacking. A good amount of time passed before I got the bug again and hit the trails. This time  it was with one friend or another hiking bits of the Catskills and bits of the Adirondacks. Those friends moved on though and my equipment begun to collect dust again as it hung in the garage. Then the bug came again. My hiking buddy is now my 11 year old son. I may not be able to take him down the sports path but I can certainly take him down a mountain trail.

As far as "going lighter" yes, well, at 55 I think differently about the Boy Scout adage, "Be Prepared." To be prepared use to mean (to me any way) having everything I could ever need or want with me on my back. That kind of always made my pack pretty heavy (40 - 50 lbs.) And guess what, I never used even half the stuff I packed. OK, to the point, when I began to gear up again I learned about all this light stuff that actually worked. Wow! This is great! As far as restrictions, it is pricey! Especially for a father of four (LOL!) I'm not a gram counter but, I do try to lighten the load.

Right now I'm using a Eureka Forte Sq 2. I purchased this tent primarily base on price and weight. I found it on sale and squeezed it into the budget. It is reasonably light with room enough for my son and me and our gear. I do have a one man bivouac type shelter that I use if not camping with Aaron.

I live on Long Island. Right now most of my backpacking takes place upstate in Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks. We usually hike during the Spring and Fall. My goal is to get up into the High Peaks in the Adirondacks in the near future. I did do some subzero camping way back when. I not sure that'll happen any day soon. It was a rush back than though (maybe 25 years ago.)

Our trips, so far, have only been over nighters. As time allows, that will change. There is nothing like getting away for a week or more in the beauty of nature! Away from it all. Not to mention it is a perfect way of spending quality time with my son. No T.V., no computer, no Game Boy, etc. if you know what I mean.

Camp cooking use to be hobo meals, mickies in the coals, s'mores, eggs and bacon, salami and cheese, gorp, etc. Now I try to go simpler. Yes, the salami, cheese and gorp still comes with us but, I also try to use more freeze-dried. It means less clean up, less time and less weight. It also makes for more time for better things like the trails. Mountain House has some pretty good stuff. I am still looking into this idea of freeze-dried since I'm concerned sodium and cholesterol. I do love to eat too so this still needs some thought.

The stove I now use is a simple MSR Fast & Light Pocket Rocket canister-fuel stove which I light with my SL3 - Fire - with Magnesium Fire Starter / Whistle. That almost sound like an advertisement doesn't it? This truly is a great little stove and it'll boil 1 liter of water in about 2 minutes, which is just enough for my son and I. It's quick, it's light, it's easy and it works! It sure allows for plenty of time for bigger and better things.

I use canister primarily for ease of use and ease of stowing in the pack.

To date I have never used a wood burning stove. That being said, I would love to try a Backcountry Boiler. As far as soot, I would think the storage sack would help with that. As you say, "it's a trade off for a readily available fuel source."

I can't say enough good about my GSI Outdoors Halulite Ketalist Cook set. Wow, does it ever perform really well.  On the last hike we took we used it to heat up water to make hot cocoa and coffee, which I might add really hit the spot after a good day of hiking. We sat on one of the rock ledges in awe while we sipped our drinks. As I said before, it took only about 2 minutes to boil 1-liter water. It sure allows for plenty of time for bigger and better things like spend time with my son.


~Mofongo

West Mountain (Timp-Torne / A.T. and Beechy Bottom Road) Loop from Anthony Wayne to The Village

Yesterday we had a dynamic day of hiking on the West Mountain Loop, which we grabbed, from the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area. An excellent description of the trail can be found at the following address: http://www.nynjtc.org/hike/hudson-river-and-hills-views-west-mountain-harriman-state-park. Although the whether was a bit on the gloomy side, hiking with family in the great outdoors plus a hint of Spring all around us soon dispelled that gloom. What a paramount day! There were plenty of rocks to scramble up and numerous striking panoramic views. At the end of the day we were tired but pumped. The awe of it all left me wondering how some can says there is no God?

We even got the chance to try out my MSR Fast & Light Pocket Rocket canister-fuel stove which we lit with my SL3 - Fire - with Magnesium Fire Starter / Whistle. Wow, they performed really well.  We used it to heat up water in my GSI Outdoors Halulite Ketalist Cook set tea kettle to make hot cocoa and coffee, which I might add really hit the spot! How’s that for an advertisement? Too bad I have no sponsors. By the way it took only about 2 minutes to boil 1-liter water.

Now as for today… well today I spent another day with other family members. This time hiking in NYC (how’s that for extremes?) It was wet and rainy and we were cold and soggy. We went to the Village (the west end of lower Manhattan) by way of the east end of upper Manhattan. I think I’ll leave that one alone. In years to come it will be remembered and laughed about for sure. Today we will just say it is an inside joke. So, anyway, we went to see about possible summer acting classes for my oldest daughter. Although nothing went as planned (since there really wasn’t a plan) and we didn’t come away with classes, I hope we do find something for her. More importantly I think she knows we really took her seriously and want to help her in this. Dear Lord, your will be done and please provide the means.

~Mofongo

Spring has sprung...



Magnified natural snow crystal



I woke up at my usual 4 AM this morning and was out to my Jeep by about 4:30 only to find a coating of snow… my first thought… RATS what happened to Spring! Then I was reminded of the conversation I had with my wife last night… Dorcas had shown me photos she had come across on the internet. They were of natural snow crystals. We were commenting on how beautiful and intricate their symmetrical designs were; as if a master artist hand-crafted each one with great care and precision. Each one with its own special pattern, each one so different from the next, each one just as striking. Exquisite!

Magnified man-made snow crystal

And then we looked at a photo of a man-made snow crystal… well, you tell me...

Of course there's always Designer Snow Flakes made in a lab under controlled conditions...


Check out: http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/

Another reason for me to emrace the theory of Intelligent design.

~Mofongo

A wise old owl

“A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?”

I visited to the Owl Bar in the historic Belvedere in downtown Baltimore on my last business trip.

Besides the good food and good company, I couldn’t help but imagine the stories that old owl could tell… my mind continually wondered pondering as my eyes scanned the joint.

The Owl Bar has been around from the early 1900s when WWI officers frequented the bar in their off hours, to the days of prohibition, when it became a speakeasy… so, I’m told.

The only thing missing was a piano man.

~Mofongo

Pernil... just like I promised

So, here's the buzz on pernil... just like I promised.

Pernil is pork shoulder and although it's a cheap cut of meat I personally think it's one of the tastiest... that is if you cook it right. The trick is to cook it low and slow baby. I usually cook mine throughout the night and keep vigil while sleeping on the couch (which is close to the kitchen.) My wife always accuses me of keeping her up when I make a pernil... not because I'm making so much noise (however, I've been known to do that too) rather it's because she say it smells so good. Man does it every too... the aroma of that roasting pernil wafts all through the house making everyone hungry. My wife's family always says I make it better than the Puerto Ricans. That's not true though... maybe just as good but, no better (boy, that was a meager attempt at humility... ha, ha, ha!) Any way OK... so, here we go... oh, BTW, all amounts are approximate...

10-15 lb Pernil (Pork shoulder)

2-4 heads of garlic

salt / pepper to taste (at least 4T / 2T)

1/4 cup or so olive oil

a splash red wine vinegar (about 2T)

dry oregano (about 1T)

4-5 limes

Mash pealed garlic with salt and mix in pepper, olive oil, red wine vinegar and dry oregano (making a paste) - set aside

Rise pernil and separate the layer of fat and skin from the meat with a sharp knife leaving a bit still attached at the bone end - pierce the meat all over on both sides

Rub the whole pernil with lime juice letting it soak in to where you have pierced as well

Place the pernil in a baking dish and rub the entire pernil (bottom and top) with the garlic mixture making sure to get it into where you have pierced (you could also stuff the piercings with garlic cloves)

Pull the skin and fat layer back over the top and cover the baking dish tightly with tin foil - bake covered at 275 for around 8 hours (or until the meat has becomes fork tender) then remove the foil and raise the heat to 450 and bake until the skin become hard and crispy - remove from the oven and let rest about 10 minutes and then 'pull' the pernil with a fork - ENJOY

~Mofongo

Mofongo Con Pernil

OK, so here's the deal...

My blog name Mofongo Con Pernil (in case anyone was really wondering) comes from two of my favorite Puerto Rican dishes... Mofongo and Pernil. Just thinking about that stuff makes my mouth water!

No, I'm not Puerto Rican... but my better half is. I like to think of myself as Puerto Rican by osmosis. My love for the Puerto Rican cuisine comes from hanging out with my wife’s family and from having spent a fare amount of time in Puerto Rico working.

This week I’ll give you my take on Mofongo...

Mofongo is an extremely (and I mean EXTREMELY) delicious Latin comfort food. It’s so tasty and fulfilling that after having eaten it you’ll find yourself saying, “MAN! Was that good!” and then kicking back to relax! 

It’s quite easy to make. You make Mofongo with plantains which you have pealed, cut into inch long pieces, fried 'til golden and mashed up and mixed with lots of garlic, chicharrón (toasted pork skin), olive oil, salt and pepper. You then shape the mash into a ball. You could then serve in a garlicky broth or just dig into it as it is. You may want to stuff it.  You could stuff it with all sorts of things such as Pernil (pork shoulder, which I’ll talk about next week), chicken, shrimp, vegetables, or beef. My favorite... of course... is PERNIL!

Here’s a recipe:

4 green plantains, peeled and cut into inch long pieces

3 T Olive oil 

3 - 5 cloves of garlic, minced 

1 cup chicharrones, crushed (store bought or make your own... I say make your own! It makes all the difference in the world. Bacon is an OK substitute.)

Salt and pepper to taste

Soak the plantain pieces in a bowl of salted water for about 15 minutes. Drain well.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Let the oil get hot and then, working in batches, fry the plantain pieces until they are cooked through and golden, 10-12 minutes.

Add the plantains (while still hot), garlic and a little bit of olive oil to a large mortar (pilon) or bowl and mash with a pestle or potato masher until fairly smashed up. Stir in the pork cracklings, salt and pepper to taste.

Form into 3-inch balls and serve warm and dig in.

Yum!

~ Mofongo

Saturday

OK, so it's Saturday morning, I'm off from work (I'm currently employed by Kawasaki Rail Car in Yonkers) and here I'm sitting in the service center at Toyota. Woopie! Normal people might be sleeping in given the opportunity... not me. Not today. Ha, like I'm normal... who is normal... what is normal... and who determines what normal is any how? I remember hearing or reading about this clan in deepest darkest who knows where... they all had 6 fingers on each hand and that was normal... go figure. Well now, that's a subject for a blog isn't it... maybe, maybe not. Not today though. Where was I going with this? Let's see... Saturday, Kawasaki, Toyota, sleeping in, normal... O yes... It sure was extremely windy last night. There was even some thundering and lightning going on. I hit the sack about 9:30 PM, since I normally get up at 4 AM I was tired (there's that word normal again.) I lay there listing to the howl and bluster accompanied by a bit of classical music playing on the radio. With the covers tucked around me I was warm and comfortable. I do not usually sleep very well, so the added sounds helped me drowned out the thoughts and concerns running through my head. As a rule I'd have glass of red wine before retiring for the night. I find it soothes and relaxes me. However, I've been on a self imposed diet lately. No meat, no dairy, no alcohol, no caffeine... OK, OK, you're thinking that's not normal. I did suggest I wasn't quite normal. Any way, I finally drifted off to sleep I don't know when and woke at about 3:30 AM or so. I lay there until I final fell into a semi-sleep. An hour and half later I finally got out of bed and by a quarter to 7 AM I was off to Toyota. So, here I sit... blogging  my first blog... I'll be here at Toyota for quite awhile... but, I won't belabor this entry any further. OK, Mike-san (http://phattire.blogspot.com) I gave it a try. Next time I'll have to find something more interesting to post... for now I'm signing off. 

~ Mofongo