So I Am Also a "KP" in My Own Home!

Full Story at:  http://www.schistory.net/campcroft/messhall.html 

According to Joe Lipsius, the "Kitchen Police" were nothing more than the kitchen janitors. He writes:
"I remember with much pleasure my first encounters with the Mess Hall of Co C, 32nd Inf Trng Bn, IRTC, Camp Croft, SC, just outside of Spartanburg, SC... 

The Mess Hall had its bad side, though. That was when you had to work kitchen police, better known as "KP."  By some magic formula which was never explained, we all had our turn working in the kitchen in various jobs such as "firing the boiler", working the "pots and pans" sink, etc.  After three or four turns at "KP," I finally earned Sgt. Stout's respect to the point he offered to make me a cook if I wanted to work in the kitchen.  I said, "No thanks, Sarge, Sir.  I like the food and I don't mind the kitchen work, but I like close-order drilling and marching better so I'll stick to doing it." -JL

In my house, the "magic formula" showed up on my kid's a chore chart when I wasn't assigning myself to it.

Feeding the Masses

Do you or do you not feel that cooking for anyone but yourself is like, 'feeding an army'?  I do. But now after reading this blog, I think that, I might not be feeling that way so much anymore! Pancakes for a thousand? At West Point? where everything is perfect and disciplined?

Check this out:



http://www.esquire.com/features/food-drink/huge-food/army-food-0311

FUEL FOR THE TROOPS

While scrambling to feed the family, we forget that our family isn't the only hungry bunch on the block...do you ever wonder about those who defend our freedom?
The military troops must be fed as well. Usually, when we hear the word "troops" we picture fighting, and explosions...but how do they fuel themselves with the strength that they need to withstand war? Who does that? what do they eat? How does the food get to them?

I will have stories about today's Military Mess Halls-but while searching,I stumbled upon Bob Hersey's K Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment site. He answered most of my questions about military dining experiences.
http://www.ktroop.com/messhall.htm

He is also featured here:
http://www.seabeecook.com/cooks/

Bob Hersey's stories put me right in the mess hall with him and his connoisseurs, even though it was years and years ago-during the Vietnam War. Bob's cooking experiences, (from the time he was 12 years old!), warmed my heart, made me laugh, and brought tears to my eyes. To my delight, I found a useful recipe! Large quantities, yes. But it won't take a rocket scientist to figure out how to down-size the portion.
The longer it cooks, the better it is:

My Not So Famous "S-O-S"
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"Shucks-On-A-Shingle" - you translate. Every GI since Hannibal crossed the Alps has eaten or at least encountered SOS. It is best described as a plate of mouse droppings in wallpaper paste served over burnt toast. It's actually quite good (but remember I lost my taste buds in the war).

Start with 10 pounds of ground beef (hamburger). The fatty kind is best. Brown the beef in a large saucepan with salt, pepper, finely chopped onions and a splash or two of Worcestershire sauce. This next ingredient isn't in any of the Army's cookbooks but I always added a generous portion of cooking sherry. If I didn't have sherry I would add cognac. Once browned, add a cup of water, a cup of whole milk and bring to a boil. Slowly stir in 1/2 cup of bread flour. This thickens the mixture. Lower the heat and cook slowly for about 5 minutes. If the sauce is too thick add more milk. If it's too thin add more flour. Hint: It's best if the final product is a little on the "thin" side because as it sits in your mermite can, it will thicken up. Serve over toast or better yet, hot biscuits. Any leftovers may be used as brick mortar by the engineers.
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Open Your Home

No matter if you "feel" adequate or not, have someone in this week. Offer baloney sandwiches and lemonade if you have to! ask a friend who doesn't care, and build a memory that you both will cherish. The food will probably be forgotten- but your hospitality will lodge in their heart forever.. Keep it Simple!

It's your Hall! Make your Mess, and your friend will be blessed!

Lemon-Limeade:
A refreshing summer sparkler for even the hottest days. Needed:
7 Lemons
7 Limes
1 c Sugar
Seltzer

Combine:
1 c sugar
1c water
bring to SIMMER while stirring (in small saucepan)until sugar is dissolved

Peel:
6 strips off a lemon
6 strips off a lime

Slice in circles:
1 lemon
1 lime

Squeeze:
lemons to get 3/4 c juice
limes to get 1/2 c juice...reserve them

ADD:
lemon and lime peels PLUS 1 c water to the saucepan; let sit 2 min

Transfer to a picture along with reserved juices, and slices

ADD:
1 c. Seltzer

Chill & Serve in Ice-filled glasses

A Modern Mess Hall

Mess hall dining dates back to the beginning of time when everyone gathered around a fire to eat the latest kill.

Today however, we have buildings and organizations that house the hall that the mess is made in: Soup Kitchens are charitable mess halls, there are restaurants serve mess hall style, colleges, schools and some corporations make use of large eating areas called, "cafeterias" and, of course, the Military is all-famous for the mess hall life.

Although in many of the examples above the focus is to, "get the job done", there are some who work at making the dining experience fantastic in a mess hall setting. So take heart, you can do it at home as well.

My favorite example of a traditional style mess hall diner which boasts hospitality and menu variety is, 'The Mess Hall', located in Springdale Township in Pittsburgh, PA. Their grand opening was, of course, Veteran's Day, 2006. Following is an excerpt from the debut article written by, Rebecca Killian for the Pittsburgh Tribune Review:

When a restaurant is called The Mess Hall, one might expect the items offered to be bland and uniform in military-like fashion. That's not the case. Each item the Lunch Bunch tried went beyond the call of duty.

Owner Sam Lane, who was in the military for 22 years and was a cook in the Army's mess hall for 17 of those years, fulfilled a lifelong dream when he opened his restaurant. He says the military ate well while he cooked for the troops and he takes the same pride in offering good quality and service to his customers.

The mess hall is decorated military-style, with stars in the wainscot and camo and Army jeeps in a wallpaper border. Even the servers and cooks wear flag-oriented clothing or their camo fatigues...

[examples from the menu]

Homemade soups are available, with different varieties featured every day. We sampled the Uncle Sam's Potato Soup ($2) and found it to be pretty much how we make the soup -- a thick, creamy base with a hint of onion and celery and chunks of potato. We also had the Southwestern Soup ($2), which was a tasty version of chili with kernels of corn mixed in. This would make a meal in itself.

The signature meal -- served for breakfast or lunch -- is the infamous S.O.S. Special ($3.95). You have to be in the military to know what it stands for (hint: It's not the signal for help), but hey, this is good stuff. It's ground beef (Lane says he uses only Black Angus beef) mixed with a mushroom sauce, spices and Worcestershire sauce...

Who would expect to see Crab Cakes ($6.95) in a mess hall? This lunch special included two thick crab cakes that were moist, tasty and lightly fried to a golden brown...

The Unkempt Joseph (more commonly known as Sloppy Joe) ($4) was another great lunch choice. A large, fresh bun is overloaded with a tasty, homemade concoction of ground beef, chunks of green pepper and a delicious sauce. Although Sloppy Joes are supposed to be sloppy, this one didn't soak through the bun and make a mess of things...

Appropriately, the Mess Hall celebrates its grand opening this Saturday -- Veteran's Day, of course.

Compiled by Rebecca Killian. Meals are paid for by the Valley News Dispatch and are unrelated to advertising. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_478944.html

So, you see...you, too can make a mess of your kitchen and do it in style!

Gone Are the Days...

Many of us grew up in the day where every dinner was a, "sit down dinner". Ah! those were the days. However, since then, things have changed, but there is no need to despair.

These days, evenings are full of hassles. Kids have more homework than ever. Dads work later than ever, moms work too. No one is around the kitchen at the same time, seven nights a week.
When did we go from evening dinners around the table to, dining in a mess hall?

Our kitchen turned into a messhall when I gave birth to five babies in four years (yes, two toddlers, twins, a baby) and then a sixth baby in the fifth year. I had four babies in diapers for two years straight. Planned? sort of; but not really. No more than when a mom who chooses a nice career that works with the family, then soon finds herself working overtime six nights a week to keep the career. No one says, "Why did you work in the first place?", but everyone asks, "Why did you have so many kids?".

Things change.

Don't feel like you are failing your family just because it is 'each man for himself' at dinner time. Just make sure dinner is nourishing and don't serve junk.

Instead of getting frustrated because you had other plans for family dinners when you first started a family, try to make a dining experience of the mess, instead of forcing the mess into a dinning experience! I'll tell you how...