Meet the camp cook

You may have noticed the new menu bar just under the masthead. It currently lets you quickly access the homepage and contact information for 'Round the Chuckbox. I just posted a page titled, "Meet the camp cook." In the future, I plan to add one or two more links to the menu bar, including a description of my services as a camp cook. Enjoy ...

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or

whatever you do, do all to the glory of God”

1 Corinthians 10:31

Sauteing fajitas at Upper Blue Lake, Eldorado National Forest, Calif.

I've long envisioned myself a nineteenth century camp cook. I can see myself cooking for an El Dorado County ranch as it drove cattle drive to summer pasture in the Lake Tahoe basin each spring. Everything about the job appeals to me: family atmosphere, outdoors and good old country cooking.

Chuckwagon cookin' in the rain

Yet, I've one problem: I was born 50 years too late. And I grew up in Fresno and Bakersfield. Those who know me will tell you that I'm a city boy who’s loved the Sierra Nevada high country ever since his father carried him to Peter Grub Hut in 1954.

I’ve only ridden a horse three times in the last forty years and have never driven a chuckwagon or fed a beef-centered diet to cowboys on the Western prairie. Nor have I piled flapjacks onto chipped enamel plates meant for hungry Sierra Nevada lumbermen or slopped biscuits and gravy on trays for a railroad gang.

At this point in my forty-year cooking career I could never call myself a “wagon cook.” While I've cooked in the shadow of one or two chuckwagons, it takes a special breed of cook to wrangle pots like Ramon F. Adam's “Sultan of the Skillets.”

The first time I cooked near a chuckwagon was at Leonard “Wagon Cook” Sander's 50th birthday bash in December 2002. Since that experience – cooking Dutch oven scalloped potatoes and baking bread in driving rain on a porch – I’ve only had the honor to view a couple other chuckwagons.

Seabee cooks of NMCB-17

I prefer Seabee Cook, a moniker earned after years of service in the U.S. Navy Construction Battalions. Like the wagon cook, who was at home on the range, feeding Seabees was special skill developed over a two-decade-long career in the Naval Reserves. I was known as the “field mess guru” during my tour with the 3rd Naval Construction Brigade and Pacific Fleet Seabees.

My large chuckbox, stained in a reddish hue and built to impeccable detail, draws folks to my camp. Since 2001, it has been the signature item in my camp cooking reparatory. Like the back end of the chuckwagon, the chuckbox has become the center point of my camp kitchen.

While the label of wagon cook may be something to aspire, I can only accept the moniker “chuckbox cook” (somehow “box cook” doesn't run off the tongue like Seabee Cook). I'll certainly answer to camp cook any day of the week. The title has an unpretentious ring to it. It's as if you’ve described me as a cook who harkens back to a simpler time, one born in the wrong century.

The chuckbox

For years I compensated on our annual camping trek to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I lived out a week-long fantasy each summer. You'd think I was fixin’ to feed a crowd of hungry hunters and fishermen. My outfit carried enough cookware to feed a baker's dozen or more. Give me a canvas A-framed cook-tent, a swamper and hungry outdoorsmen that appreciate good old camp grub, and I'm in the right setting.

In the end, my life will have spanned the back end of one century and front end of another, far removed from the glory days of the chuckwagon. As a retiree, I’m free from the day-to-day drudgery of a career. I now can pursue my life-long ambition to be a camp cook.

Each spring, my lovely bride and I journey to Oakland Feather River Camp in Quincy, Calif., where I’m the camp cook and chef for three and one-half months. Around the time I tire of 12-hour days and six-day work weeks, we return home to eight months of relaxation. I’m then free to cook for the El Dorado Western Railroad or camp at my leisure.

Artisan bread in camp

I bake bread in cast iron camp ovens just to give it away. While my camp may not always lodge under canvas, family and friends benefit from camp cuisine. Those that eat vittles ‘round the chuckbox share in my forty-year quest to replicate the life of a camp cook.

Welcome to my camp. From one camp cook to another, enjoy ‘Round the Chuckbox, where we cook delicious camp meals in frying pan, Dutch oven and grill. Cook with passion and “Come an’ Get It” will draw hungry diners to your chuckbox. Give thanks to God, settle into flavorsome grub and take pleasure in good companions.

MSCS Steven C. Karoly, USN, Retired
Camp cook and editor of ‘Round the Chuckbox

New masthead image

For the first time in nearly 10 years, 'Round the Chuckbox has a masthead image. The photograph was taken in Eldorado National Forest during one of my many campfires up Iron Mountain Road in January 2009.

I originally developed this image last year to use as a business card. As shot, the Dutch oven was on the left side. I cannot remember the reason that I flipped the image, although I'm certain it was for some obscure artistic reason. 

Here's a peak Inside the Dutch oven. My cooking journal didn't reveal any details about this pizza. It looks like a take-and-bake pizza from a local shop.

1,500 posts on 'Round the Chuckbox

The 1,500th post on 'Round the Chuckbox nearly slipped away without notice! My picture of the US Foods truck arriving at Oakland Feather River Camp that was posted Monday takes the honor. Though a random picture, it represents my post-retirement career as a summer camp chef.

While I enjoy the long hours and seemingly chaotic atmosphere of the commercial kitchen, laboring in the outdoor camp kitchen has been my true love for decades. I share a common interest in outdoor cooking with the readers of 'Round the Chuckbox. Together we enjoy cooking in cast iron Dutch ovens, grilling over a campfire and smoking in the barbecue.

When I look back at the articles I posted while away from home this summer, those that relate to outdoor cooking were the best performers. Of the 36 pieces between late-April and mid-August, two standout. This means they performed significantly better than the thirty or so articles on cooking in the camp kitchen.

It seems readership declines whenever I shift focus from outdoor cooking to my work as a camp chef. The statistics show more readers would rather read my thoughts on locating the massive Lodge 20-inch skillet last April than to view a picture of my baked apple pancake. These two were the best and worst performing posts of the spring and summer.

The second highest performing blog of the season was a series of images of a Dutch oven cookout last May. And the two Dutch oven recipes that I've posted since returning home (baked orange French toast and layered cabbage and potatoes with bacon) are above the others.

Not everyone goes away when I place emphasis on cooking for large numbers of campers. 'Round the Chuckbox draws readers from those interested in cooking for groups as well as outdoor cooks. But the pool of those interested in outdoor cooking seems to be somewhat larger than the group of quantity cooking enthusiasts.

I plan to continue posting articles on cooking for groups and outdoor cooking. As I see it, both types of cooking fit within my calling as a camp cook. Since many folks enjoy reading Dutch oven articles, the focus for the fall and winter will be towards outdoor cooking. While I may post one or two more articles from Oakland Camp this summer, I'm ready to put the modest cast iron collection to work.

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Click here to see what I had to say when I posted my 1,000th blog article. "As long as I'm able to cook and write," I said on February 5, 2010, "I trust that you'll continue to find the blog interesting. Please drop a note. I always enjoy hearing from my viewers."

Comments on 'Round the Chuckbox

I turned Google+ comments off today on 'Round the Chuckbox. As a result, the original comment form is once again visible at the end of each article. You may post a comment by typing it into the comment box and clicking the publish button. Your comment will be visible as soon as I approve it.

You may have noticed that you were forced to establish a Google+ profile in order to post a comment. This happened when I switched to Google+ comments last September. It sounded nice at the time. However, I quickly learned that the blogger commend mechanism was shut down in the process. Plus I lost the ability to moderate comments.

The most noticeable result of using Google+ comments was the sudden drop in comments. While 'Round the Chuckbox has never inspired a flood of comments, readers have had their moments. Every month or so an article would inspire interactive conversation.

You'll notice that Google+ comments from the last seven months have disappeared. Please return and comment if you'd like to re-join the conversation. Comments on 'Round the Chuckbox are subject to moderation, as they were prior to September. I'll approve comments for publication as quickly as I see them. (Please note that I delete spam and inappropriate remarks.)

Thank you for being a loyal 'Round the Chuckbox reader. I appreciate your readership and would love to see a vibrant exchange of ideas on the blog.

CSCS Steven C. Karoly, USN, Retired
Chef-blogger on 'Round the Chuckbox

Scoutmaster Clarke Green's overview of 'humble' chuckbox design

Keyword searches for "chuckbox" and "chuckwagon" bring a significant number of visitors to 'Round the Chuckbox. It's natural when you consider the name of the blog. Articles that address these topics routinely pull in several thousand page views, more than any other topic.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't post many articles on chuckboxes and chuckwagons. As the owner of a beautiful wood chuckbox, I have an affinity for the outdoor kitchen cabinet, especially in view of its humble beginning on the Western range.

While I have no claim to the title "wagon cook," something about my chuckbox, stained in a reddish hue and built to impeccable detail, often draws folks to my camp. Built in 2001 by then International Dutch Oven Society president Kent Mayberry, it has become the signature item in my camp cooking reparatory. And since February 2005, the centerpiece and gathering place to this blog.

To those in the market for a chuckbox, numerous designs and styles boggle the mind. The Rubbermaid Action Packer offers a quick solution to the one who doesn't need an elaborate design. My brother-in-law packs his complete camp in a half dozen Action Packers. Manufacturers like Blue Sky Kitchen and Grub Hub USA sell ready-made mobile kitchens for campers.

Many campers prefer a design built to personal specifications. Complex boxes -- such as Boy Scout "patrol boxes"-- feature numerous cubbies and drawers. Each item has its place. There are drawers for the utensils, a cubby for the two-burner Coleman stove, rollers for paper towels, plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and a special spot for the indispensable coffee boiler. Compact for transport and storage in the garage, it opens into a practical camp kitchen.

Before you purchase or build a chuckbox, take a look at "More Camp Kitchen Permutations" by Scoutmaster Clarke Green at Scoutmastercg. "I find the different solutions folks come up with for setting up a kitchen in a campsite fascinating." Green periodically features one or more chuckbox designs under the "cooking" category.

With little commentary, Green lets you make up your own mind. Numerous photos of chuckboxes give you an idea of the options out there. Links to chuckbox drawings give the do-it-yourself camper the plans needed to build his own. (Note most chuckbox plans must be purchased.) I even saw images of trailer-mounted chuckboxes.

Blog readers at Deer Crossing Camp



Last weekend Debbie and I hiked into Deer Crossing Summer Camp, located on the southeastern shore of Loon Lake in Eldorado National Forest. We worked in the camp kitchen during the summer of 2009. As the chef , I cooked nearly 2,700 meals over the 10-week season.

The fact that both cooks had read my blog impressed me the most about the visit. I learned two years ago that camp owner and director Jim Wiltens routinely uses the blog to screen prospective cooks. He likes it because I've "pulled no punches" in describing my experience at the wilderness leadership camp.

In 2010 a classically trained cook backed out when he saw the daily challenges at the camp. In contrast, one of the cooks from that season returned for a second summer in 2011. The cooks hired in the intervening years have done a good job.

Both cooks recognized Debbie and me from the blog. It felt good to meet cooks who had read the blog in detail. Click on the label "Camp 2009" to follow my journey that summer.

Just as I do in my current job, I've always enjoyed teaching my craft to others, especially when I can demonstrate culinary technique in person. Saturday, I showed Jenny how to season her chicken skillet dish in layers. She welcomed my assistance and let me help with the meal.

'Round the Chuckbox lets me reach a much wider audience. As much fun as it would be to travel throughout the country helping others cook, I don't have that luxury right now. Work, family and railroad obligations limit travel at this time.

The blog gives me a venue to share recipes and production techniques for small to medium sized kitchens. I've dedicated the past two and one-half years at my current job developing a set of recipes for 25 and 50 persons. When possible, I share the recipes on these pages.

Occasional feedback tells me that I'm on the right track. So, until I'm able to travel more and meet some of my readers, I plan to continue writing about my culinary journey. Please let me know how these pages have helped. Thank you.

Chuckbox video

When I check the stats for 'Round the Chuckbox, it comes as no surprise that two of the top five pages (in terms of viewers) look at chuckbox plans. This makes sense because the chuckbox has been the center of my camp cooking ensemble since May 2001. Many of these clicks come to the blog via Google and other search engines.

The second highest rated page asks if a Griswald 20-inch cast iron skillet is worth $340, while my recreation of lemon aid pork chops from Diners, Drive-ins and Dives is the third. (For the record, the skillet in question sold for $510 on eBay in February 2009.)

The video, posted on YouTube by dracona70, features a medium-sized chuckbox, built mainly for car camping. He "designed and built (the chuckbox) few years ago to make car camping a little easier." In the seven and one-half minute video, the narrator explains each section and drawer in the chuckbox. He also offers several design alterations that he would make to lighted the box.

New 'Round the Chuckbox page on Facebook

'Round the Chuckbox ventured into the social network arena last week with its new page on Facebook. The page will enhance the ability of the blog to interact of its reader base. You can add your own status updates and comment on what others have said.

The ability to post your personal photo is one of the best features. You'll be able post personal camp cooking photos. All the normal Facebook features in photo albums, including the ubiquitous "Like" button, comments and tagging, have been turned on.

If you enjoy reading articles on ‘Round the Chuckbox, please click on the “Like” button below and join our Facebook team. I'll be using Facebook to post periodic updates and to follow up on your comments.

Welcome aboard. We'll see you on Facebook. And leave a comment or two.

1,000 articles and counting ...

While one-thousand blog articles in five years may not form the basis for an earth shattering record, it's a significant milestone for me personally. 'Round the Chuckbox represents my longest running writing project.

Prior to the establishment of 'Round the Chuckbox on February 4, 2005, my average writing project would fall apart in its second year. I was beginning to worry if I had it in me to stick with one project for the long term.

I pulled the plug on each of a dozen projects for various reasons. Lack of capital forced me to cease publication of my most ambitious project in early 1999.

I published the Seabee Log, a journal that "celebrated Seabee wit and ingenuity through history," between 1997 and 1999.

Some, like the Seventeen Stewburner, a quarterly newsletter for the cooks of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 17 in 1992 and 1993, came to a close when I moved on to my next assignment.

But most projects fell for less valid reasons. I usually lost interest and quit writing or contributing to the project around the 18-month mark. That's what happened when Suite101.com stopped paying its contributing editors in 2001.

When I conceived the idea for 'Round the Chuckbox in late 2004, my concern was that I'd loose interest sometime in 2006. Another writing project would fail.

But something happened. Writing for 'Round the Chuckbox. I posted a steady stream of blog articles for the next eight months. Even after my productivity fell off in the winter, I surprised myself.

I kept writing and posting recipes. I currently have no plans to let 'Round the Chuckbox die a premature death. I'll keep writing as long as I'm able.

'Round the Chuckbox has become a natural extension of my work as a chef and cook in the world of non-commercial food service. I enjoy cooking for residential populations (like my current position in a drug-alcohol treatment program).

As long as I'm able to cook and write, I trust that you'll continue to find the blog interesting. Please drop a note. I'd always enjoy hearing from my viewers.

5th anniversary

Today marks the fifth anniversary of 'Round the Chuckbox. And I'll post my 1,000th blog article tomorrow, which is the fifth anniversary of my first blog article. See you then.

In the meanwhile, enjoy a photograph of me that was taken last summer at Deer Crossing Camp.

Don Mason's Dutch Oven Newsletter

Here's the latest issue of Don Mason's Dutch Oven Newsletter from Northern California. Email Don at iron_kettle@hotmail.com to receive an electronic copy.

Don said in a recent email: "Your Blogger site is working. I am getting requests for our newsletter from Utah, Kansas, Michigan, New York and Vermont."

Stay Tuned ... 'Round the Campfire is Having Technical Difficulties

Either Blogger or I'm having technical difficulties right now (Saturday, February 12 in the a.m.).

It only seens to be my blog as other Blogger hosted blogs are publishing without a problem. As soon as the problem is resolved, I'll clean up Friday's post and add my thoughts from the weekend.

Currently, I can only publish via Hello software (which doesn't allow for titles, formating, HTML links, etc.).

Note: The problem seems to have been cleaned up as of 5:30 p.m. today. More to come on today's campfire and picnic in Eldorado National Forest.

May Your Campfires Sizzle

I re-wrote the Blogger profile this afternoon as promised -- it's much better.

Just in case you can't get enough of me, here's a few thoughts that explain what 'Round the Chuckbox is all about.

I've always envisioned myself as a nineteenth century camp cook. I would've loved cooking for an El Dorado County ranch as they made their annual cattle drive to summer pasture in the Lake Tahoe basin. Everything about the job appeals to me: family atmosphere, the outdoors and good old country cooking.

I've got one problem: I was born 50 years too late. And I grew up in Fresno and Bakersfield.

Those who know me will tell you that I'm just a city boy who's loved the Sierra Nevada high country ever since my father carried me to Peter Grub Hut in 1954.

The closest I came to camp cooking was feeding Seabee construction warriors during a 20-year stint in the Naval Reserve.

That's me, CSCS Steven C. Karoly, USN, now retired. My assistant, CSC Bob Voigt, stands behind me. The food service officer of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 17 is to my right. The photo was snapped during Operation Bearing Duel at Fort Hunter Liggett, June 1994.

I haven't ridden a horse in over 30 years, and I've never driven a chuckwagon or fed a beef-centered diet to cowboys on the Western prairie. Nor have I piled flapjacks onto chipped enamel plates meant for hungry Sierra Nevada lumbermen.

That's what happens when I take my family camping in the Eldorado National Forest where I live out a week-long fantasy each summer. You'd think that I was prepared to feed a crowd of hungry hunters and fishermen.

I carry enough cookware to feed a baker's dozen or two. Just give me a white A-framed cook-tent, an assistant or two and outdoorsmen who appreciate good old camp cooking and I'm in my environment.

Steve's Café, located just south of the Visalia, California airport, on Hwy 99.

Tweaking ‘Round the Chuckbox

You'll see changes to 'Round the Chuckbox over the coming weeks. As I learn to operate blocker software, I'll occasionally make minor adjustments to the look and feel of the blog. (For the record, I've already switched to a more appealing template -- my next project is to re-write the repulsive profile that's posted under my mug.)

Please bear with me. This blog is a work in progress. Much like a young culinary student who's searching for his cooking style, 'Round the Chuckbox will grow as the months pass. I'll do my best to cook up blogs in an environment where the ingredients meld into a form that's appealing to the eyes, doesn't offend the senses and enhances effortless navigation.

The beauty of a blog is you're not bound by the linear restrictions of paper. Nor do you have to publish your thoughts in chronological order.

Take the chili recipe: As days pass, the picture might bring to mind the 750 words that I missed with the first post. I'll able to post these thoughts in 100-150 word portions for easy digestion. Shorter articles make for easier reading. As I blog -- and you read and comment -- all 1,000 words will ultimately emerge on 'Round the Chuckbox -- in one form or another.

Enjoy ...

Chef Steven's camp kitchen at the Winter Camp Cookoff, January 22, 2005 in Colusa, California. My son and I competed under the name Steve's Café.

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Chuckwagon Chili Photo

I'm still learning to use the Blogger software. So, you'll have to bear with me as I figure out how to import photos directly into the body of the article.

This photo doesn't exactly match the recipe that I posted this morning. At the cookoff two weeks ago (more to come in the next week or so), I had a hard time scraping the pulp from the reconstituted ancho chilies. In the end, I made an ancho broth and added it to the chili. It didn't give the chili the body or extra flavor you'd expect from the pulp.

So to boost a rather weak tasting chili, I minced 4 or 5 jalapino chilies and chopped a bunch of cilantro. The addition of the pepper and herb helped make a great bowl of red.

Enjoy ...



Chuckwagon chili at the Winter Camp Cookoff in Colusa, California, January 22, 2005