Montana and Wyoming's Food Flair by Ruth Paget

Montana and Wyoming Food Flair by Ruth Paget 

On vacations to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier National Parks in Wyoming and Montana, I have seen the Big Sky with feathery cirrus clouds and cumulus clouds heavy with rain that sometimes made my vacations wet or snowy depending on the temperature. 

With the cookbook Best of the Best from Big Sky – Montana and Wyoming edited by Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley, I can experience some of the life of Big Sky residents who shop once a week if weather permits. 

I liked the following recipes in the cookbook, because they are easy to recreate in other states: 

-white bean dip made with garlic, white kidney beans, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, cayenne, and cilantro leaves 

-black bean salsa made with red peppers, onion, cucumber, celery, tomato juice, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, thyme, cumin, and cilantro 

-cheese and chile bread made with French bread, mayonnaise, Monterey Jack cheese, green chilies, and jalapeños 

-oat biscuits made with eggs in addition to traditional ingredients. Oats contain all of the 9 essential amino acids needed to make a full protein. They are also relatively inexpensive. 

-oatmeal sunflower millet bread made with honey, whole-wheat flour, safflower oil, oatmeal, sunflower seeds, and millet 

-cranberry walnut scones made with milk and maple syrup in addition to the main ingredients 

-old-fashioned potato pancakes made with eggs and flour 

-turkey-wild rice soup 

-Norwegian fish chowder made with carrots, onions, and cauliflower 

-Russian scalloped potatoes made with onions, sour cream, potatoes, ham, and Parmesan cheese 

-pierogi casserole made with lasagna pasta, potatoes, cheddar cheese, onions, and butter. Pierogis are a Polish dish. 

-Bourbon pork tenderloins made with bourbon and brown sugar and topped off with mustard sauce 

-Dutch oven chicken dinner – a one-pot meal made with potatoes, zucchini, carrots, cabbage, garbanzo beans, onions, and chicken. 

Cooks interested in finding out more about the cuisine of America’s great national parks will enjoy Best of the Best from Big Sky – Montana and Wyoming edited by Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Wyoming's High-Altitude Food by Ruth Paget

Wyoming’s High-Altitude Food by Ruth Paget 

On the way to and from Wisconsin, my Californian family drove over the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming to go to a family reunion. The top of the Rockies around Laramie, their highest point, have rounded, black peaks devoid of snow and antelope grazing way up high in the 2020s. 

On visits to Yellowstone National Park, my family has also discovered that the high altitude whets the appetite, especially after hiking and alters baking times. 

I found several dishes that all go well with coffee, the always acceptable drink in Wyoming, in my souvenir cookbook entitled A Taste of Wyoming: Favorite Recipes from the Cowboy State by Pamela Sinclair that might interest other cooks: 

-blueberry kuchen or coffee cake brought by German immigrants to Wyoming, who make up the largest immigrant group in the state 

-ten-grain pecan pancakes with sautéed apples 

-mushroom risotto to go with the states beloved meat dishes 

-roasted garlic mashed potatoes to go with meat dishes -wild rice salad 

–a Native American dish made with chicken, celery, apple, cranberries, and walnuts 

-Basque lamb stew made by descendants of immigrants from the Basque country in Spain and France 

-Yellowstone drug store vanilla shake – a great way to end a day of hiking 

Cooks interested in expanding their repertoire might enjoy A Taste of Wyoming by Pamela Sinclair to relive grand moments in Wyoming and eat well, too. 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Wyoming and Nevada Trip by Ruth Paget

Wyoming and Nevada Trip by Ruth Paget 

After my daughter Florence and her friend went on a spring camping trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and got snowed on, my husband Laurent and I set out on a trek to these two parks with a reservation for a park hotel. 

It takes two days to get to Yellowstone from Monterey (California). We stopped overnight at my request in Elko, Nevada. I learned that Elko hosts the West’s largest Cowboy Poetry Gathering when I worked as the Youth Services Librarian in Monterey County California. This event includes many Western singers, food, and merchandise and book sales events. It fills hotels up in town and in surrounding towns. The Cowboy Poetry Gathering is a big event. 

A Basque Festival was being advertised when we were there. Many people of Basque origin settled in the American Southwest as shepherds. The Basques come from the Northwest corner of Spain and the Southwest corner of France originally. They are famous as intrepid cod fisherman, but also graze sheep. There is probably a debate going on somewhere as to whether or not they are Latino or white people. 

Laurent and I went to Dos Amigos Mexican Restaurant for dinner. I ate shredded chicken enchiladas with tomatillo sauce with rice and beans for dinner. I love Mexican comfort food. I also loved the restaurant’s air conditioning in the desert. Using solar panels to run air conditioning is okay in my book. 

Back at the hotel, we slept soundly in our cool room. We woke up while the desert was still cold. The hotel served biscuits and gravy, bacon, and scrambled eggs for breakfast. I love those items and ate heartily. The trip was already a success for me. 

Laurent listened to Western music as he drove, but then put on Sirius FM, so we could listen to Jay Z and Kanye West as we drove to Yellowstone. 

We arrived at Yellowstone and did our first foray in the park to find out where things were, notably the Old Faithful viewing building. The roads in Yellowstone are tricky. You can start out on a flat road and turn a corner and than find yourself on a rising cliff for several miles. We are used to driving Big Sur, but this road situation can be surprising for campers, so expect some slow traffic. 

We ate at a diner in the park. I had a cheeseburger with fries and a vanilla shake. 

“The pure air here is making me hungry,” I told Laurent. (Oink! Oink!) 

We checked in the hotel. Laurent went hiking. I opened the windows to smell the honey-scented wildflowers outside. I took a nap that lasted till the next day. 

Next day, we went to see the Old Faithful geyser erupt for about an hour in the morning. As a native of flatland Detroit, I do find geysers and sulfur springs extraordinary and smelly. 

From Old Faithful, we drove along Rockefeller Parkway to Grand Teton National Park. There is a huge lake in front of these snow-capped mountains that makes this area more tranquil than Yellowstone. I thought it was perfect for writing. 

We ate lunch at a bar outside the park. I had what I called a fajita burger. I ate sautéed peppers and onions on my hamburger instead of cheese and thought it was great. I liked the Idaho home fries I ate as well and drank a bitter, hoppy beer. 

We toured Yellowstone some more and got ready to go back to Elko and then Monterey. 

The trip was perfect the next day when we saw some buffalo as we exited the park. 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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