Adventures Of A Latter Day Coosie

I have been looking back at some of my files and found an accounting of a couple of cook-offs and some of the trials and tribulations that went on several years ago.  I hope that you are enjoying my adventures and hopeful too that if you are new to chuck wagon cooking you get some ideas about what goes on around the campfire and behind the wagon.  This writing was done nearly eight years ago.  Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of Desert USA

March 2006

For some time now I have been thinking about writing an essay on the ins and outs of one of the chuck wagon cook offs that Skip Clark and I attend each year.  The next one we have scheduled is The Festival of the West and it is in March of 2006.  In conjunction with the cook off, there are many vendors, reenactors, SASS Shooters and the like who make the pilgrimage to Scottsdale, Arizona each year.  This invitational chuck wagon cook off event is being held this year on the Gila River Indian Reservation.  The site should prove to be very picturesque.  The desert is going to be pretty with its springtime blooms.  This will be the first time for us to compete in Arizona.

Our friends John & Sandy Sullivan have convinced us that this is one event we need to attend.  They say that it has a real laid back atmosphere and the organizers don't get too excited about competition rules.  In other words, they don't get their shorts in a wad over the little things.  After several calls to Silky, (she runs the cook-off for the festival) I thought it sounded like a pretty good event and fun.  When  skip said, "let's do it", I fired off the registration form and started the process of being accepted to their gathering.

This particular festival is one that has had several bits aired on the Encore western television channel.  Thereare always many entertainers like Rex Allen Jr., Buck Taylor, and Dennis Weaver who, by the way, passed away this past week.

I tried to find out as much as possible about the little things like:  where is the water supply, is there hardwood available, is there security, does the event furnish all the food items for lunch and breakfast, what are some of the food items people enter in the competition, do the judges like to see all the accoutrements, when  do we setup, when can we leave, and other things I'm sure were important at the time that I can't remember now.  I thought the more information we had the better off we would be since we have to take so much stuff.  If we can get

by without taking wood and water that would be a big help.  You never no for sure what a new event is looking to portray in their "festival" such as:  do they want all the fluff, because some events want just the bare essentials as far as accoutrements are concerned. And if you turn in some real fancy dish at some events you will sort of get of get your feathers clipped because they may want you to serve just "trail" food.

Being able to show off some of the things we have collected over the years was of great interest to both Skip and me.  Now i get tot display some ites I inherited from my Dad and Grandfather.  I'm really proud of some of the tools and especialloy the Cx brand that was registered by my Great Great Grandfather Elija Clayton Calk in Atascosa County, Texas in 1876.  Ship has some old firearms that came off Patty's (his wife)  family ranch in Sonora, Mexico.  They go back to the Pancho Villa days and one particular revolver that dates to the American Civil War.

This section of "Adventures..." will be the 1st of several and will be continued over several weeks.  Please check in again on this blog and see what happens during the event as some of the things unfold at a "new" competition for us.