Camp cooking has taken a turn to the gourmet, and walking around the NASCAR garage area any given weekend will prove that.
Up until a few years ago, crewmen from NASCAR's upper echelons were forced to dine on hot dogs, hamburgers and other less-than-healthy food. Since then, thanks to guys like Ken Enck, much of that has changed.
Enck spent some time years ago as a weekend warrior with a team owned by Ray and Diane Dewitt with Jimmy Hensley as the driver. Enck saw the poor eating habits of most crewmen and decided to do something about it.
Today, caterer Enck, owner of Enck's Catering & Treasures in Manheim, Pennsylvania, cooks for close to 350 people on race weekend. He prepares breakfast and lunch for the crewmembers and sponsor representatives of the Nos. 2, 12, 36, 10, 32, 96, 7, 4, 33, 55 and 02 Winston Cup teams. He even has his own sponsors, including Weber grills and Pierce Chicken/Gametime Wings.
Wander through the garage area at a race and you are bound to see grills set up outside the teams' haulers. In many cases, the truck driver cooks for the team, but some teams have people hired just for that task.
Gloria Ray spends her weekends cooking for the Evernham Motorsports camp of the Nos. 9 and 19 teams. "It is very primitive cooking because you don't have your kitchen sink right there. I do much of the cooking at home on Saturday and then carry it on the airplane Sunday morning," Ray says. "Whatever I do at home I freeze and bring to the track still frozen. I use a lot of ice, and I even buy those cold packs to help."
Ray usually sticks to the easy stuff. Spaghetti is a favorite amongst both the drivers and the crewmembers. To jazz things up each time she serves it, Ray will use a different type of noodle. Other favorites of the Evernham group include grilled chicken, pork chops, macaroni and cheese and Ray's annual turkey and fixings meal in the fall.
Teams cooking more than the typical hot dogs and hamburgers will use chafing dishes (serving dishes heated with a small can light) to heat up spaghetti or other dishes that have been prepared in advance.
While garage chefs know all of the tricks of the trade, their ideas can easily be duplicated in the infield campground or out in the woods. With plenty of cold storage space, whether it is a fridge in a camper or a simple cooler, you can cook plenty of healthy and delicious dishes ahead of time.
With the use of a grill and a few disposable tinfoil pans, you can cook just about anything when you're camping. How about some eggs, bacon and home fries for breakfast? Just place a pan on the grill and crack away at the eggs. Add some bacon and heat up the home fries all in the same pan.
For lunch why not try your hand at grilled ham and cheese sandwiches using the grill? Dinner is always a favorite. You have so many choices, from grilled chicken marinated beforehand served with grilled vegetables, to favorites like steak, a baked potato and salad. With a little tinfoil and some pre-made salads, you too can eat like a champion!
Easy Recipes For Race Fans
Courtesy of Enck's Catering & Treasures
Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad
4 cups of broccoli
4 cups of cauliflower
4 hardboiled eggs
1 cup grated cheese
Bacon pieces
Minced onion
Dressing
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 cup of sugar
11/42 cup of vinegar
Mix and toss with dressing.
Chicken Corn Soup
4 pounds of cooked chicken cut into small pieces
4 quarts of water
1 onion chopped (optional)
11/44 cup celery chopped
211/42 cup frozen corn
2 hardboiled eggs
Salt and pepper
Butter and parsley
Cook chicken
Cut up chicken and add to water for stock.
Add rest of ingredients and bring to boil.Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes
Grilled LemonPeppered Chicken
8 to 10 eight-ounce skinlessboneless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon fresh ground
pepper 1 cup of fresh lemon juice
1 cup of Golden Italian dressing
2 tablespoons lemon
pepper seasoning1 teaspoon Rosemary
Marinate for 12 hours
Finish on grill
Serves 8