A word from our Chef…

      

      I invite you to embark on a culinary adventure with me as we discover flavors and cooking techniques of the past that are still thoroughly enjoyed in the present. The Fireside Suppers will be held after regular park hours (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.) and provide a unique experience for all who attend.

     

      Not many visitors outside of evening site rental events get to see the “other side” of the park. From huge hundred year old oak trees laden with Spanish moss silhouetted under a full moon, to the Jones Stock farm log cabin all lit up with the soft light of candle lanterns, beckoning across the open prairie with a promise of safety and comfort from a once wild and strange new land. Coyote’s serenade the cool of night as the resident nocturnal creatures come out from a day’s slumber to feed and frolic. Rabbits, armadillos, raccoons, bobcats, and possums are abundant within the park’s boundaries. Once the traffic of the day dies down, you get a much better understanding of how this ranch once was. It is much easier to “travel back in time” when all the day time distractions are gone or hidden behind the veil of night. It’s just magical! No tractors hauling trams, no crop dusters zooming by, just the crackling of the cooking fire in the silence and still of the night.

 

      The regular Saturday lunches are cooked by me and then narrated by me. The fireside dinners on the other hand, are a chance for guests to explore hands-on how the food was once cooked. Under my guidance they will take part in preparing the meal we will enjoy together. It’s a cooking lesson, a history lesson and a meal all in one.

 

      The premise of the fireside dinners is first and foremost to focus on the cooking methods used throughout our 100 year story 1830 to 1930. We explore the art and science of open fire cooking then progress to hearth cooking as kitchens moved into houses with the building of chimneys. Then we graduate into the art of wood burning stove cooking at the 1860’s. 

 

We will learn the basic laws of fire, the physics if you will. Once we understand how fire works it’s much easier to understand how to control it. Open fire cooking is all about control. We will cover all basic cooking techniques from, baking to roasting, poaching, sautéing, and grilling, to deep frying and smoking. In addition, we will discuss the ethnicity of our early settlers and learn the food culture that came with them that has helped to shape what is now South Texas cuisine.

 

I feel very strongly about showing people that just because we are cooking over fire, the menus can be diverse and somewhat higher end than our other meals. All of our great recipes were originally prepared over wood burning fires or stoves and ovens. Most people when they think of campfire cooking, they think hamburgers, hot dogs and smores. We’re bringing out true gourmet flavors with items like oysters a la Galveston, Indian fry bread with local honey drizzle, sauteed dandelions with fatback and onions, venison pot roast, and so much more.

 

Probably the most common thing all cultures and ethnicities have in common is food ways. That is why I became a chef; food is a global language. When we study and learn a people’s food culture it opens dialog about culture, ethnicity, religion, work life, home life, play time, etc. Our mission is all about teaching and passing down from one generation to another the history of our ancestors in the hopes that we can learn from their trials, grow from their examples, and appreciate all the hard work that laid down the very fabric that our modern society is built on.

 

I want them to see you can be creative and in complete control in a primitive kitchen. I see a lot of folks who tell me they can’t cook or are afraid to try new things in the kitchen. The whole motivation for this program for me is to get folks comfortable around a fire, cooking multiple dishes with none of our modern kitchen comforts. Once you achieve this, cooking in your modern kitchen is not at all intimidating, scary, or uncomfortable. All the doubt, stress and fear are gone and you can truly enjoy the art of cooking as it is meant to be enjoyed.

 

See you soon!

 

Sincerely,

 

Chef Nick Castelberg

 

 

 

 

P.S.

The next Fireside Suppers are

Friday, May 17 and 

Saturday, May 18 

from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

You can view the menu schedule for Fireside suppers by clicking here.

Tickets are $55 per person. Fort Bend Museum Association members received a $10 discount. Reservations are required and can be made by emailing or calling the George Ranch Historical Park at (281) 343-0218