| "Put down the hangi," the counselor sang out. | | | | and a New England clam bake - are all related by their |
| With great ballyhoo, half a dozen campers wielding | | | | manner and style of preparation. They are all based |
| shovels dug into the sandy shore of Lake Enemy | | | | on digging and preparing an earthen fire pit used as a |
| Swim in the Coteau Ridge of northeastern South | | | | cooking chamber. |
| Dakota. | | | | Cooking a meal underground might appear quite novel |
| I'd never imagined when I left home for Camp | | | | to a modern-day world, but the roots of such cooking |
| Nesodak with a suitcase and duffel bag full of stitched | | | | are perhaps as old as man. |
| "Kathi" labels on all my new camp clothes that I would | | | | If the concept of cooking a sunken treasure captures |
| be digging a pit in the ground. | | | | your imagination, then the next step is as easy as |
| "The thrill is in the experience and in knowing that there | | | | unearthing a theme. |
| is always something new to discover just ahead." My | | | | For a New Zealand Maori-inspired soiree, lay a hangi. |
| dad's words were ringing true. | | | | For a Peruvian celebration, follow the old Inca tradition |
| "Keep an open mind. You'll have a wonderful time," my | | | | with a Pachamanca. If a Hawaiian flavor is desired, go |
| mother added in those final moments before shipping | | | | with a sun-kissed tropical Kalua, or if an American |
| me off. | | | | theme is more your style, why not throw a New |
| Visions of splashing in canoes through icy waters, | | | | England clam bake? Perhaps, you could make it your |
| crafting handmade treasures in rustic Western cabins, | | | | very own Gulf Coast interpretation that marries our |
| trekking through the woods and roasting | | | | regional cuisine with this unusual cookery style for an |
| marshmallows while the sound of Kumbaya or ghostly | | | | upcoming summer shindig. |
| tales filled the night-time sky had danced across my | | | | How to put down a hangi |
| imagination during the weeks of preparation. | | | | 1. Dig a hole in the sand. |
| I had been to several summer camps, so I had a | | | | 2. Light a fire in the hole and heat up the rocks at the |
| pretty good idea of what to expect. I knew what I liked | | | | bottom. Don't tarry at this point; you'll need to work |
| and what I didn't like. I didn't like KP. Kitchen patrol was | | | | fast. |
| not my idea of fun. In fact, any time I was told to help | | | | 3. Place prepped food inside a soaked muslin or |
| my mom wash the dishes at home, I became a | | | | white-cotton bag, then place it inside a wire basket. |
| master at conjuring up excuses to slip away. But at | | | | Chicken, meat, potatoes, onions and corn all taste |
| camp I was cabin-smart enough to understand that | | | | delish cooked in this manner. For more recipe and |
| the things I could get away with at home with my | | | | menu ideas sign up for Kathi Dameron's How To |
| liberal softy mom wouldn't work with my peers at | | | | Create The Wow newsletter at |
| camp. Carrying your own weight was just an unwritten | | | | 4. Cover the food, as well as the entire fire pit, with |
| law. | | | | sand. |
| It was the artistic side of camp chores that floated my | | | | 5. Allow the food to cook for two hours. |
| boat, and hangi fit the bill perfectly. Hangi was fun and | | | | 6. Don't forget where you buried your dinner. |
| totally different from other camp meals. Digging a hangi | | | | 7. Check local ordinances and be responsible when |
| didn't even feel like KP. | | | | playing with fire. |
| Hangi and its culinary cousins - Pachamanca, Kalua | | | | |