Culinary Considerations For Shiloh

[Charles Heath]

Fellers!

Once in a great while the kettle kickers come up with such legendary event menu busters as:

Farina Pucks
Bull Run Peach & Tomato Stew
Donelson Mule Feed
Gray Coffee a la McDowell
Solid Shot Biscuits
Ray House Punkin' & 'Tater Mash
Essence of the Green Bottle
Hoosier Roast Goat a la Bentonville
Shiloh Curry El Grande
Frozen Pears & Coffee
Comrade Schwarz' Biled Bacon
Sumter Nutmeg with Just a Hint of Rice
Horsecock & Cheese
McCarthy's "Gravy"
Watson's Ethiopian Tonic
Yoder's Bottomless Haversack O'Ribs
Pogue's Hot B*tch
Waverly's Blue Beans & Purple-Gray Stucco
Myzie's Condi-Kraut
Gouge's Cartridge Box Strap Soup

...ostensibly to warm the hearts of participants and stoke the boilers of that legendary fellow otherwise known as "the inner man." The upcoming SCAR Shiloh NPS LH is no exception, however, let's turn the tables on the particpants.

Yes, that would be you. Through that occult activity which begins with an "R," we have learned a few things about the vittles the lads at Pittsburg Landing were enjoying, and those items they'd truly like to have shipped in from Uncle Sam's larder. Fact is, the boys in blue sampled some of Jeff Davis' team's victuals, which boosted morale in more ways than one. So, we have more food references than we can possibly prepare for one two-day event. What to do? Or, more appropriately, what to do to you?

Nothing kills a thread like the phrase "let's start a discussion," so without further ado and wasted bandwidth, we know the federals lounging about Pittsburg Landing were enjoying:

apples
bacon
baked chicken
beans
biscuits
bread
butter
cakes
canned cherries
canned tomatoes
cheese
coffee
desiccated potatoes
flapjacks
flour
fruit
ham
hardtack
oysters
pickled oysters
potatoes
preserved meats
sorghum
switchel
vegetables
vinegar

Naturally, the enlisted folks were not enjoying all of these items, since some show up as officer fare, but if the lads had a chance to choose their vittles for this event, what items would you like to eat? How would you like them prepared? Burned? Raw? Medium rare? On the hoof? Fresh off the boat? Hominy in your hat?

Not that what you want will show up on the menu, and some are going to enjoy the Catfish Hotel's local and delicious offerings come Saturday evening, as highly recommended by the Hostile Third Party Mess. :p

WARNING: Certain combinations of foodstuffs and their after effects could prove deadly within the tightly sealed and highly populated confines of a Sibley tent.

[26th NC]

Re: Culinary Considerations For Shiloh

I got a chuckle out of this. For those of you who may have been there and remember the rain at the 1997 Shiloh national event, three of us in my mess had what we called swamp rat stew that night.

Layton Pennington

[Michael Comer]

Re: Culinary Considerations For Shiloh

Well, if we really get to put in a request I would go with baked chicken, biscuit and butter, beans, cheese and some fruit. However, I won't be surprised if I only get bacon and hardtack and the chance to dream about the other.

[Chihuahua]

Re: Culinary Considerations For Shiloh

Charles,
I'll vote for a second helping of that Bull Run "Irish" Stew. It's been nearly ten months since I've had such.
Mark Warren
Bloomfield, Iowa
Hairy Nation Boys
Proud Ancestor of Emanuel Castleman, Co. C, 33rd Iowa and
John R. Castleman, 43rd Batt. VA Cavalry, "Mosby's Rangers"

[Spinster]

Re: Culinary Considerations For Shiloh

Hominy in your hat?

.

Charles! You told me I had until at least Vicksbug to get the worms going good in this 100pounds of hominey!:confused_

[henionjd]

Re: Culinary Considerations For Shiloh

Charles,

Let us not forget Coldfoots now legendary "food whose name cannot be spoken in polite company". Grey with a hint of blue is always good in the morning.

[JLHurst]

Re: Culinary Considerations For Shiloh

Mmmm Oysters. . .nice and raw, juicey.
Just a bit of hardtack and hotsauce and you've got a true meal. At least for this Louisianian ya' do!

Enjoy boys!

[Charles Heath]

Re: Culinary Considerations For Shiloh

Let us not forget Coldfoots now legendary "food whose name cannot be spoken in polite company". Grey with a hint of blue is always good in the morning.

Sparky,

Ah, Winter 1864 2006 seems as if only yesterday, yet CRS Syndrome has already beset us.

That being said, I was having trouble figuring out a way to politely name his dual purpose masterpiece of the culinary and concrete patching arts otherwise well known (and loudly at that) as "Fu--ing F--k F--k". Truly, it would seem as if Coldfoot and Erasmus had the same English teacher back in grammar school. It's a crying shame we didn't parody "Hardtack Come Again No More" with the moniker of that dish.

Jeremy,

Mmmm, oysters. Had 'em for supper with a spot of Crystal on 'em. No Trappey's Bull or Tabasco available this far north into the frozen tundra of Yankeedom. The bivalves probably came from the Gulf Coast, too. Didn't have any hardtack, but that would be a good addition. Mmmmm. I wonder if Corinth MS or Savannah TN has any bulk seafood sellers? This late in the season the prices are usually pretty good. I don't want to sound too much like Bubba Gump, but pickled oysters, pickled okra, pickled peaches, pickled beets, pickled cucumbers, pickled eggs, pickled farina, pickled potatoes, pickled beef tongue....well, you get the picture.

Terre,

Get them hominy worms fatted for Vicksburg. Those CS boys may not eat the other issued protein if they are a bit squeamish. Come to think of it, Holly_Mule has learned to say "Landrum is the debbil!" in three different languages.

[Spinster]

Re: Culinary Considerations For Shiloh

Terre,

Get them hominy worms fatted for Vicksburg. Those CS boys may not eat the other issued protein if they are a bit squeamish. Come to think of it, Holly_Mule has learned to say "Landrum is the debbil!" in three different languages.

Honey, a couple of Hardcore for Christmas ate rats and cowpeas the last time I served them. These boys will have no problems with the menu.

Come to think of it, I need to lay those leftover cowpeas out with the hominey....

[Charles Heath]

Re: Culinary Considerations For Shiloh

Honey, a couple of Hardcore for Christmas ate rats and cowpeas the last time I served them.

Rodents are not a problem. I've seen these lads eat some serious varietal rodentia, and I don't mean sanitized lab rats, either. Of course, mentioning the dreaded word vegetables" can, and will, send some of them hiding behind the Sibley tent looking on with horror as their comrades dine on leafy green stuff, carrots, 'taters, beans, etc. It's like a Civil War version of Fear Factor...."Today, some of these brave men will actually eat buttered parsnips, and live to tell about it. Stay tuned."

Already heard cries of "what, no pie?"

Okay, just one cry, but you know how those ONV fellers like their pie.

And the Vicksburg vittles will be yet another horrific subsistence thread. I'm enjoying the research thus far, and maybe little \../ in the pasture will get an executive pardon after all. Can you imagine good federal men tired of eating poultry, and demanding hardtack? My, Gawd, that flies in the face of conventional wisdom.

[Coatsy]

Re: Culinary Considerations For Shiloh

Heef, both of us know that Corbin loves fattened maggots. Keep them fed and ready for Vicksburg.


As for "What's on the Menu?" at Shiloh......well.....some pie would be nice.

[Rmhisteach]

Re: Culinary Considerations For Shiloh

Mr. Heath,

I would very much like to say that I trust you and your judgement for vittles for the event.

But I won't .

Might be because of the Mule Chow.

RM

[Charles Heath]

Re: Culinary Considerations For Shiloh

Rod,

I have the distinct feeling you are going to have one hate-filled Saturday morning, but you will be in good company. Now, this is just a little intuition based on what those boys were actually eating at that time of inadequate river transportation, poor subsistence planning, generally crappy logistics failures with reference to a large build-up of troops in the middle of nowhwere, and some other early war lessons learned considerations.

Finding a bulk quantity of low priced lard would help the pie situation immensely, and may relieve some of the gastronomic agony inflicted upon you by T.S.'s special Saturday evening alternative menu plan. I cannot say precisely what that is, but it has nothing to do with the piscatorial delights scant rods away. (Terrible pun, but it works.)

What a shame it is we can't drag Marse Woodburn down there with his fabulous Fort Granger tested bake ovens. NPS would probably flip out, but that's okay.

[Rmhisteach]

Re: Culinary Considerations For Shiloh

Charles,

The midwestern boys of the ONV will eat what is put in front of them.

But not Mule chow.

Rm

[Charles Heath]

Re: Culinary Considerations For Shiloh

But not Mule chow.

Boil up some stale mule feed for breakfast just one time, and they never forget.

Well, I suppose when compared to that specific meal on a certain frosty Tennessee morning, maybe Saturday morning's planned offerings at Pittsburg Landing won't be but so bad, but you'll be glad to get paid and visit the nice sutler man. I mean y'all really had some hurt puppy dog eyes when that piping hot kettle of goo was served at Fort Donelson, complete with simulated mouse droppings.