Open Tuesday-Friday for pre-booked field trips and tours. Open Saturdays for General Admission.

Fireside Suppers: Historic Foodways Cooking Classes at George Ranch

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Embark on a culinary adventure and discover flavors and cooking techniques of the past that are still thoroughly enjoyed in the present. Fireside Suppers are an exciting new Historic Foodways program presented by Chef Nick Castelberg, AKA “Cookie”, at George Ranch Historical Park.

Chef Castelberg said, “The Fireside Suppers are a chance for guests to explore hands-on how 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 the George Ranch Historical Park’s 100 year story (1830 to 1930). Guests will be given the opportunity to explore the art and science of open fire cooking then progress to hearth cooking as kitchens moved into houses with the building of chimneys as well as techniques for cooking on a wood burning stove. 

Castelberg explains, “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.”

Most people when they think of campfire cooking, they think hamburgers, hot dogs and smores. However, the Fireside Suppers bring out true gourmet flavors with items like oysters a la Galveston, Indian fry bread with local honey drizzle, beef tenderloin with cognac cream sauce, wild rice pilaf and so much more.

“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,” Castelberg said.

During the dinners, Chef Castelberg will also discuss the ethnicity of the early settlers and teach about the food cultures that have helped to shape what is now South Texas cuisine.

“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,” said Castelberg.

Chef Castelberg says the goal of the Fireside Suppers is to prove to guests that they 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,” Castelberg said.

Fireside Suppers are to be held after regular Park hours, starting at 6 p.m. and concluding at 9 p.m., giving guest a special peek a the beauty of the Historical Park after dark. Experience the sights and sounds of the Texas night among huge hundred year old oak trees laden with Spanish moss silhouetted under a full moon, 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, and the serenade of Coyotes. As the resident nocturnal creatures come out from a day’s slumber to feed and frolic, guests are sure to get a glimpse of the abundant wildlife within the Park’s boundaries, such as rabbits, armadillos,  raccoons,  bobcats, and opossums.

 Once the traffic of the day dies down, you get a much better understanding of how this ranch once was,” Castelberg said. “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 Fireside Suppers will kick-off with Open Fire Cooking on Thursday, May 30 and Friday, May 31. The menu will consist of sautéed dandelions with fatback and onions, cream of pinto bean soup, venison pot roast with assorted vegetables, corn bread and Indian Fry Bread with local honey drizzle.

Each Fireside Supper will be offered two nights in a row. The Fireside Suppers schedule and menus can be viewed online. Reservations are required and can be made by calling George Ranch Historical Park at (281) 343 – 0218 or emailing education@georgeranch.org. Tickets are $55 per person. Members of the Fort Bend Museum Association receive a $10 discount.

Close
loading...