May Wah

I haven't eaten meat in many years. There, I said it. And getting lightweight protein isn't always the easiest thing (or tasty) for non-carnivores.For that reason, May Wah, located in New York City's Chinatown, has seen my credit card many of times before a big trip. Beef and Chicken flavored TVP (textured vegetable protein), vegan jerky (I like the spicy squid) and an array of other weird things (the mock lobster, which is obviously not trail food, comes shaped like a lobster) are wonderful for vegetarians, vegans and even meat eaters while out in the wild. I'm not usually a huge fan of these types of foods while back in town, but out in the woods, it sure is nice to have around.I hadn't seen the article until a few weeks ago when I made a pit stop in the store, but the New York Times wrote an article about May Wah in September, citing it as a great place for campers to buy snacks. Wild.In any case, have a look around their website, learn more and thank me later. Or never.

HARDTACK

Hardtack (also known as Pilot Bread, Ship's Biscuit, Eskimo Cookies, Pilot Crackers etc.) refers to a simple cracker of flour and water. These bland little things will last for a long long time and were common fair for sailors, soldiers, and yes, campers back in the day. Today, most hardtack is made by Interbake Foods under the "Sailor Boy" label, pictured above. 98% of the their production goes to Alaska, where the crackers can be found just about anywhere.

Camp Food: Nutritional Yeast

Whether you're a vegan (Thank you, Scott Jurek), a vegetarian or a steak every night kind of person, Nutritional Yeast is a damn fine thing to have along in your backpack while out for a couple of days. If you haven't tried this stuff, it tastes like a nutty powdered cheese. Which is good. Believe you me.Around these parts, we put the stuff on most sandwiches (save almond/peanut/cashew butter), pasta, tacos, or if we're around the campfire, a pan of Jiffy Pop. (That's a lie, I haven't had Jiffy Pop in years.) And, hell, it's a complete protein. Who woulda thunk it?MP3: The Amazing - International Hair

Larry The Quaker Guy

You know the iconic Quaker dude that looks you in the eye as you're making granola at home or eating a hot bowl of oats after waking up from a night under the stars? OF COURSE YOU DO. Well, Larry (That's what insiders know him as, which is just, well, weird) is about to lose a little weight and get a haircut. Read more about it at the WSJ.MP3: Amy Milan - Skinny Boy

TRAIL FOOD: AAA SANDWICH

Wednesday is "Trail Food Day" here at Cold Splinters...This post might seem lazy, but like the food we eat for breakfast before taking down a tent, it's more about efficiency. Sure.The Triple A Sandwich. Easy as pie. Ideal if you're camping with one other person:1. Cut the avocado, take out the pit, and use a spoon to get the meat out in one swoop. Place each piece on a pita and smoosh.2. Cut the apple in half. Slice lengthwise. Place on top of avocado.3. Sprinkle generously with sliced almonds.4. Top with a small amount of maple syrup/honey (optional) MP3: Paul Westerberg - AAA

Trail Food: No Cook Chocolate Pudding

Seems like Wednesday has turned  into "Trail Food Day" here on Cold Splinters. I apologize in advance..Sure, dessert in the backcountry is usually a Snickers, but if you want something a tad more fancy (though this is probably less fancy than some of those crazy expensive chocolate bars out there these days), then try some no-cook chocolate pudding.- 1 block of Mori-Nu Firm Tofu (Not the last time you'll see this on the menu)- 2 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder (put some in a bag before you leave)- Grade B Maple Syrup (empty out your hotel shampoo bottles for maple syrup)- Bag of salty pretzelsMix up the first three ingredients until it develops into a puddin'-like consistency, divvy it up with your hiking partner-in-crime, then top with crumbled pretzels. Sweet and salty round the campfire.

TRAIL FOOD: UPSTATE TOFU BREAKFAST BURRITO

Whether you eat meat or not, Mori-Nu Silken Tofu is pretty great for the trail. Protein that comes in a tetra pak and doesn't need refrigeration is always a plus. Next time you're Out There, try using the stuff to make a breakfast burrito in the morning. (The "Upstate" part of the recipe comes from Kalen. It's one of her favorites.) And yes, the tofu is taking the place of eggs, so you can leave your Coghlan's at home.What you'll need to feed two:

- 1 pack of Mori Nu Extra Firm Silken Tofu- 1 Apple- 1 small onion- A few cloves of garlic- Turmeric (It's mostly just to make the tofu yellow like eggs, so it's not imperative.)- Cinnamon (I put lots of cinnamon on everything, savory or sweet, so I usually have a bottle of the good stuff on every trip. Whenever I'm in Boulder, I stock up at Savory Spice.)- 2 wraps (I use the Tumaro's pumpernickel wraps pictured above. Yeah, yeah, they're low carbs or whatever, but pumpernickel is the best kind of bread and you can't put a loaf of the stuff in your backpack. Plus, they're cheap and the grocery store around the corner from me has them right by the checkout line.)-  Small can of green chile (Not the best use of weight, but it's hard not to buy green chiles with a pop-top when I'm out shopping for food. Hatch brand if you can find it.)

Cook the onions and garlic with a little oil in a pan, and when they're softening up, cut up the apple into small slices and throw that in. Add a heavy shake of cinnamon and one of the packets of salt you took from the gas station when you stopped for coffee while the apples get a little brown. Cut open the pack of tofu and squeeze it in your hands over the pan to get it to a scrambled egg consistency. If your little heart desires, now would be the time to add a few shakes of turmeric. When everything seems like it's ready to go, add the green chile, mix it around for a few seconds and pour half over each tortilla. Wrap it up, eat it down and get hiking.

RICEMELLOW CREME

Fluff might not be the greatest use of space in the ol' backpack, and hell, most of you probably don't even like the stuff, but I've got a major soft spot for it. I NEVER had marshmallow creme growing up, so this is a rather recent development, but a peanut butter and Fluff tortilla (a rare occasion if the go-to crunchy peanut butter, Corn Nuts, and apples/bananas aren't around) can really hit the spot. And yes, it's hard to find, but if you're ever jonesin' for a little of the gooey white stuff, I want to point you in the direction of Suzanne's Ricemellow Creme, the version that uses brown rice syrup instead of egg whites and sugar. I prefer it to the original. Best for an overnight jaunt when a stove isn't imperative.Have at it here.

Trail Food: TVP

Whether you're a vegetarian or just looking for an alternative to tuna/salmon/sardines/freeze dried beef stroganoff, you may (or may not?) want to try Textured Vegetable Protein the next time you're on the trail. Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) is made from defatted soy flour that's been cooked under pressure and then dried. It's high in protein (12 grams per 1/4 cup serving) and, because it's soy-based, takes on the tofu-like characteristics of tasting like whatever your season it with. But unlike tofu, it's got the texture of ground meat and doesn't need to be drained. All you have to do is quickly rehydrate it, making it a perfect camping companion. And the kicker? It's wildly inexpensive. If you can't find it at your local grocery store, you can buy it here for around $2.50 a bag.*Recipe for Curried Sloppy Joes after the jump...Ingredients (Makes 2 sandwiches):-1 cup of TVP-A little less than a cup of boiling water-2 pitas-Chopped cilantro-Chopped onion-Small can of tomato sauce-1 or so tbsp of good curry powder1) Boil the water2) Pour the water into a bowl filled with TVP. Cover the bowl and wait 5 minutes.3) While the TVP is rehydrating, dice the onion and chop the cilantro.4) When the TVP is ready to go, pour in the tomato sauce and curry powder. Mix.5) At this point, you can either put the sloppy joe mixture back in the pot/pan with the onions, but, if you're like me and enjoy raw onions, throw the goods into the pita, top with onions and cilantro and eat dinner.

CORN NUTS: TRAIL GARNISH

As a young person at summer camp in northern Minnesota, Original Corn Nuts were just about the greatest thing you could find in a package sent to you by your parents. And while these days I'd take the bargain bin variety (corn, olive oil, salt if you can find it) over the ubiquitous Planters-owned bags, it's a sure bet that you'll find Corn Nuts at one of the gas stations en route to whatever trail it is you're driving to. (And of course, making your own is always the best option.) Most of the cooks on television will tell you to finish off a meal with some freshly chopped herbs, but when most of your food consists of sandwiches for lunch and noodles for dinner, there is no better garnish than the Corn Nut. Just a few sprinkled on whatever it is you're eating (Almond Butter, bananas, and Corn Nuts on a pita? Yes, please.) and you're golden.Only thing better? If you've got a Latin Food market near you, try to find Peruvian Cancha. Heat it up in a little oil with whatever seasonings you're hip to and put a big ol' bag of them in your pack before you leave. And speaking of corny...MP3: Fleetwood Mac - You and I, Part II