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January 14, 2005
Having haute cuisine by the lake
Food served at Jewish camps has gone from being something that
is barely tolerable to fare that is a lot more appetizing.
PEARL SALKIN
No matter which alluring activities or awe-inspiring vistas the
brochure showcased, the food served at summer camp used to be basically
institutional. Granted, it wasn't exactly the gruel you'd expect
to find in a medieval prison mess hall. Perhaps it was a grade above
the grub given to green army conscripts during the Crimean War.
All kidding aside, it wasn't the fine fare any discriminating palate
could possibly classify as gourmet.
While what was served at camp a generation ago was rarely a topic
that took much time to determine, camp cuisine has gone from the
back burner to a top priority. Jewish camp directors are currently
being courted by companies that provide everything from buffalo
burgers to frozen pizza to packaged pita bread. Many are attending
food trade shows like New York's annual Kosherfest to learn about
the latest products and newest lines of the multi-billion dollar
business. Some are bringing over budding chefs from cooking schools
in Israel to give their menu some Middle Eastern flair.
With so many Jewish camps offering a well-rounded program and rich
array of wonderful activities at their first-class facilities, the
competition to register new campers is keen – and it's taking
place in the kitchen!
According to Kosher Today, the official trade paper for the
kosher industry, more than $60 million US is spent on food for the
approximately 70,000 kids at kosher Jewish summer camps in North
America each year. That's an average expenditure of more than $900
US per child – just for food – for an eight-week stay
in a kosher cabin in the woods, at the foot of a mountain, next
to a lagoon or on a lake. And when you add in the amount of money
it takes to stock the pantries and fill the freezers of kosher-style
kitchens at the dozens of other camps that identify themselves as
Jewish, we're talking some serious cash.
As a parent of a camper, you might find the above figures to be
interesting, at best. But the bottom line on just how significant
the move is from humdrum to haute cuisine really hits home –
your home. The happiness of the most important person in the world
– your child – is at stake. After all, when kids complain
about a meal at home, menus can be modified. Mom, dad or whoever
wears the apron at your house can delete foods with unfavorable
ratings and add selections that make the grade. When all else fails,
the family can carry in or dine out. But at sleepaway camp, kids
are a captive bunch at breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack time.
By asking camp directors a few questions about the food they serve
before you register your child, you can save a lot of grief later.
If the camp you're considering has an up-to-date, fact-filled website,
start clicking. Sites like www.campedi.com,
the cyber-home of Camp Edward Isaacs, a kosher, co-ed camp about
an hour north of New York City, make menu evaluation easy. A link
on their frequently asked questions (FAQ) page takes the virtual
visitor to a week's worth of sample menus.
While simple, longtime lunch favorites such as macaroni and cheese
and tuna salad are still offered, dinner choices now include more
complex dishes like pepper steak with herb rice and peas, and teriyaki
chicken with broccoli and fried rice. Although one of the epicurean
high points of each summer session of virtually all non-vegetarian
Jewish camps could be the special chicken dinner – with challah
– to celebrate the start of Shabbat, we all know that there's
chicken ... and there's chicken! And even with something as standard
as challah, 1,001 things can ruin this traditional staple. So having
someone who's capable, creative, productive and passionate about
cooking at the helm in the kitchen can really make a camper's week.
Rebecca Ets-Hokin is such a person. Camp Tawonga, a Jewish camp
in California near Yosemite National Park, was fortunate enough
to procure her services last year, and she hopes to make a return
engagement.
"This was my first year on staff at Tawonga and, although I
was a camper in the 1970s, I was the first "non-Tawongan"
to take over as food service director without having worked at camp,
let alone in the kitchen," said Ets-Hokin, who also writes
a food column for j. – the Jewish news weekly of Northern
California. "That being said, I have 20 years' experience as
a culinary professional as well as management experience. Most important,
however, I think my experience as a mother of three children provided
the best knowledge base as far as children's tastes."
So, how do you make sure all of the kids are happy campers? For
starters, you cook food in really big batches. A hungry kid cannot
be a happy camper. Kids need lots of protein, sufficient calories
and a generous amount of vitamins and minerals in their diet to
keep them growing and to keep them going all day and through the
evening activities. But meals have to be balanced, interesting,
wholesome and appetizing. And since some kids have food allergies
and/or dietary restrictions, some are watching their weight and
others won't eat any animal products, Ets-Hokin and her counterparts
throughout the continent have quite a juggling act to do behind
a camp's kitchen doors.
A head chef or food service director can't do everything. It takes
a dedicated culinary team to make a summer successful. For example,
a recent visit to Camp Tawonga's website (www.tawonga.org)
revealed that there were 19 openings available for cooks in their
kosher-style kitchen – everything from vegetarian to pantry,
and from prep to pack-out. Yes, specialized services are needed
to make sure those meals eaten on the trail or barbecued during
over-night expeditions are up to par.
"I have been a trainer and manager for many years, and I can
teach anything except for willingness and motivation, which is so
often lacking in most kitchen staffs," said Ets-Hokin. "Camp
Tawonga is different, however, because our kitchen staff is comprised
of willing, motivated college students who, for the most part, are
former campers or have worked at camp before. So, having a willing,
motivated staff was key in making my three months in Yosemite terrific."
But once a superior staff is assembled, do the kids want to just
sit back and enjoy the food? If Tawongans are typical, and I think
they are, no way!
"We make our own challah every Friday, which involves the campers
working with the Jewish programmer and the kitchen staff,"
said Ets-Hokin. "On occasion, a bunk [group] will come into
the kitchen and prepare breakfast – usually it's the younger
boys who like to wake up early; breakfast prep begins at 6:30 a.m.
Many of the special chugim [workshops] involve cooking projects,
like baking cookies, making smoothies or milkshakes or ice cream
sundaes." When asked which menu items were campers' favorites,
I was somewhat surprised by Ets-Hokin's answers – a combination
of both sophisticated selections and simple, fun foods.
"Setting my ego aside, I'll have to say the most favorite lunches
are corn dogs [turkey] and chicken nuggets. The most popular dairy
meal is ravioli with pesto or spaghetti with fresh mozzarella and
tomatoes. Favorite dairy dessert is, of course, crême brulée.
Berry pies and crisps are [among] the most popular desserts. As
for dinner, Shabbat is always the most special, with everyone eating
together. We offer challah, roasted lemon chicken with rice pilaf,
and roasted broccoli or spinach with toasted pine nuts and raisins."
Now that's a chicken dinner!
Pearl Salkin is a freelance writer living in Daytona Beach,
Fla.
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