Ok, so the collapse of civilization is coming soon, and I want to be prepared for it with delicious recipes that can be made with the food that will be available. Since I don't know the precise details of this approaching doom, I've come up with a few arbitrary conditions:
1.) Farming still happens, but with reduced resources and minimal infrastructure.
2.) Everything has to have been grown within 50 miles of where you live, or plan to live after the shit hits the fan. No processed food.
3.) Refrigeration is impractical and unreliable. No frozen goods, or products that have to be refrigerated. Drying, canning and root cellaring are still viable storage options.
4.) Animal products are scarce. Use sparingly.
5.) Nutritional value is a high priority.
If I have time before doom sets in, I'd like to start a post-apocalyptic themed automated food kiosk franchise.
My main recipe formula goes something like Dried food product + water + heat --> food. These are mainly soups, breads, and homemade pastas/dumplings.
It's meant to simulate post-apocalyptic wintertime cuisine when fresh produce will not be available, mainly because I don't want to have to worry about food spoilage, and I don't want to have to check the machine more than once or twice a month.
Migrate south.
Cockroach and boiled leather, with muddy water.
Quote from: LMNO on August 04, 2008, 07:20:11 PM
Migrate south.
I'm already in Tennessee. How much further south do I need to go?
Quote from: Cain on August 04, 2008, 07:22:46 PM
Cockroach and boiled leather, with muddy water.
Chipped dog on toast.
Quote from: Jerry_Frankster on August 04, 2008, 07:24:43 PM
Quote from: LMNO on August 04, 2008, 07:20:11 PM
Migrate south.
I'm already in Tennessee. How much further south do I need to go?
The gulf coast is a good idea.
At your kiosk, what part has patrons being attacked by roving gangs?
Quote from: Richter on August 04, 2008, 07:44:42 PM
At your kiosk, what part has patrons being attacked by roving gangs?
Um, the outside part?
Seeing as it will be open 24/7, be parked in an empty lot and have little to no security, the chance of being attacked is real, not simulated.
Very authentic.
Quote from: Jerry_Frankster on August 04, 2008, 08:04:05 PM
Quote from: LMNO on August 04, 2008, 07:28:08 PM
Quote from: Jerry_Frankster on August 04, 2008, 07:24:43 PM
Quote from: LMNO on August 04, 2008, 07:20:11 PM
Migrate south.
I'm already in Tennessee. How much further south do I need to go?
The gulf coast is a good idea.
I could use rice there!
And access to fresh seafood.
If you also live near a river, you have access to fresh, non-stagnant water.
Forgot about potable water, didn't you?
Quote from: LMNO on August 04, 2008, 08:07:17 PM
Forgot about potable water, didn't you?
There are plenty of wells around here. I'm sure we could figure out a way to get water out of them, even without electricity.
Also, I have a still.
post apocalyptic America
Eat the obese "there's plenty to go around".
Quote from: fnord mote eris on August 04, 2008, 09:50:51 PM
post apocalyptic America
Eat the obese "there's plenty to go around".
:sodamonitor:
:lulz:
Fact: Human fat can be made into biodiesel, and you can heat your home with it in the wintertime.
top advantages to eating the obese
1 they are slow moving and easy to catch
2 they can live on their own fat for extended periods (no refrigeration ) just add water
3 there is a large enough supply to meet the demand
4 they float well, just scoop them up during disaster flooding
5 "Fact: Human fat can be made into biodiesel, and you can heat your home with it in the wintertime."
Quote from: fnord mote eris on August 05, 2008, 12:49:09 AMtop advantages to eating the obese
1 they are slow moving and easy to catch
2 they can live on their own fat for extended periods (no refrigeration ) just add water
3 there is a large enough supply to meet the demand
4 they float well, just scoop them up during disaster flooding
5 "Fact: Human fat can be made into biodiesel, and you can heat your home with it in the wintertime."
6 They migrate naturally to where they are needed most.
Yeah, what's up with that. I always have a bunch of them on my stoop. It's, stoopid.
so the fat stoop on your footstep?
stop that! It's only 9am! You're gonna make my brain fall out my ear!
if i make a brain fall out your ear, will all fear break out in maine?
Only if that corresponds with a tax hike, or it somehow makes the state's supply of Coffee Brandy disappear.
I think it's time to invest heavily in dried beans, y'all.
Beans? Shiiiiit.
We band together, employ some good old crop rotation, and live off fresh in-season foods.
While we're at it we could farm deer for meat, bone meal, and leather. There are still deer in urban areas.
Fresh water? Use plastic jug condensation.
Heat? Build a simple solar furnace or two.
Energy? See heat. Build a Hero engine powered by said solar furnace. Voila.
Naturally, live in abandoned buildings.
And your beans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_7eRdIv_oU&feature=related
Sure, why not.
I like that stove. I've built a MIDGE before, which is similar, but smaller.
http://www.repp.org/discussiongroups/resources/stoves/midge/THE_COMPLETE_MIDGE.pdf
Nifty, saved.
Quote from: Jerry_Frankster on September 30, 2008, 11:44:15 PM
I like that stove. I've built a MIDGE before, which is similar, but smaller.
http://www.repp.org/discussiongroups/resources/stoves/midge/THE_COMPLETE_MIDGE.pdf
Thanks!
Felix: If they are available, raise goats too. Sheep if you have the land to graise them.
Also, stirling engines are one of the most efficient kinds of engines. In fact, I believe it's THE most efficient.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUrB7KRvxUk
That is freaking nifty. A few of those could give enough working power for a small community to do all sorts of work during the day.
Okay... I'm living under similar restrictions as I'm waiting for a fridge and stove to be delivered.
Assume that there are a lot of dead bodies. This means lots of wood to burn and lots of areas to forage/plant that were formerly other people's houses and yards and fruit trees.
A wood stove could easily be constructed from scrape worth about $150 in today's currency. I forgot who came up with the design, but it's a pretty nifty design that uses sound to transfer heat from a wood fire and also make ice. Of course, you have the simpler franklin stove. I have one boiler operator friend who heats his back porch with a wood burner made from industrial scrap.
Second, without ice (which you could make with a fire if you had the right equipment), you would be best off not eating meat unless you killed it fresh and knew how to make jerky.
Third, go vegan. Rice, fresh green beans when in season, yams, tomatoes, potatoes, pears, apples, cabbage, etc.
Pasta and dishes which require boiling water will likely be out of the question or luxury meals.
Nuts will be needed for protein.
Yams, as in actual yams, are a very important food in subsistence economies. Sweet potatoes have a lot of vitamin A and a good form of carbohydrates.
If you can set it up, a pound of bread was a common component of medieval diets.
Without a doubt, beer will be necessary. Fortunately, it's not that difficult to make. Similarly, anyone with half a brain could make a still and produce cheap sherry, vodka or whiskey from fermented grapes, potatoes or grains.
Spices will be mandatory to break up the monotony. Naturally, if you're suffering from monotonous tastes, you need to vary your diet.
I would expect greenhouses to be constructed to ensure fresh veggies year round by those in the know. It takes about an acre of land to subsistence farm for one person for one year.
Why no pasta?
It isn't hard to make and it isn't hard to boil water.
Flour, salt, eggs, water. *Shrug*
Parched Corn and Hard-tak
Standard reenactment/encampment foods. Easy and quick to make, filling, semi-healthy. Also great for hiking trips.
It's hard to make flour, I would assume.
Quote from: LMNO on October 09, 2008, 12:50:03 PM
It's hard to make flour, I would assume.
Yeah, it used to be on par with salt, if I recall.
Pasta would probably be a luxury item. You could still have it, but there's easier ways to get your starches.
Note that I noted that beer would be necessary.
I'ma get medieval on your ass.
Solution: Gnocci.
Quote from: LMNO on October 10, 2008, 06:39:22 PM
Solution: Gnocci.
That takes care of the eggs and salt, but flour is still a tough one. Takes farming and work.
Gnocci is potato based.
If you live on the North American continent, it is highly likely that you are almost always within a mile or so of edible food. Obviously there are some exceptions (desert etc), but in general, there is always some edible food available. The trick is in identification of veggies/fungus/etc... even lichens and mosses are edible for the most part.
Other things to keep in mind. You cannot live on Rabbit alone. If the s*it hits the fan and you have to get your own food... do NEVAR have a diet solely of rabbit. Rabbit doesn't have enough fat to keep you alive. If you eat only rabbit, you will starve to death.
Also, refrigeration:
You need two clay pots a big one, and a smaller one that fits inside the big one. Put sand in the bottom, so that the lips of the pots are at the same height. then fill in the area around the smaller pot with sand. This results in a bog pot full of sand and a smaller pot. Now, soak the sand with water and place a cloth over the top. The inner jar will stay cool and you can refrigerate some stuff in there.
Also, keep in mind that we've been spoiled by variety. Greens grow everywhere, but most people ignore them... they're very healthy. Many other 'weeds' are good to eat, even if they taste like... well weeds.
I highly disagree with the 'Go Vegan' concept. Vegan is tricky enough with all of our modern amenities. To try to remain healthy with no meat and no easy access to supplements and regular checkups... that sounds like a recipe for disaster. Even in nations where veganism is common, its only because of the abundance and type of crops available that they can remain healthy.
Humans are omnivores thus our creed should be:
When the shit hits the fan,
Eat whatever you can.
:lulz:
Quote from: LMNO on October 10, 2008, 08:38:34 PM
Gnocci is potato based.
I'm stupid based. :)
(Never made it before, my bad.)
refrigeration?
man, i wonder what we did 60 years ago without it.
oh. we just didn't use it.
you don't have to have refrigeration unless you plan on storing food for long periods of time.
Quote from: LMNO on October 10, 2008, 08:38:34 PM
Gnocci is potato based.
yeah, it is.
but just try making it without flour.
Quote from: Squiddy on October 12, 2008, 04:35:49 AM
refrigeration?
man, i wonder what we did 60 years ago without it.
oh. we just didn't use it.
you don't have to have refrigeration unless you plan on storing food for long periods of time.
And then only if you plan on storing it fresh, not dried.
re: refrigeration - a protip i learned from the amish community:
1 - get giant pieces of styrofoam, or lots of insulating material
2 - build a building out of it
3 - cut ice all winter long and put it in there
4 - enjoy your fridge.
enough ice and insulation and it'll last you all summer.
Is this an actual apocalypse where radiation kills everything, god rains meteors on us, or is it a zombie apocalypse? If it's a radiation or zombie apocalypse I hope you have a basement with 60 years of food in it.
Quote from: TheScarletReaper on October 12, 2008, 12:40:38 PM
Is this an actual apocalypse where radiation kills everything, god rains meteors on us, or is it a zombie apocalypse? If it's a radiation or zombie apocalypse I hope you have a basement with 60 years of food in it.
Zmobies only live 60 years?
It's an unspecific kind of apocalypse, but let's say for now that it's an economic apocalypse cause by overpopulation, overconsumption, and widespread incompetency.
Quote from: Jerry_Frankster on October 12, 2008, 03:43:25 PM
Quote from: TheScarletReaper on October 12, 2008, 12:40:38 PM
Is this an actual apocalypse where radiation kills everything, god rains meteors on us, or is it a zombie apocalypse? If it's a radiation or zombie apocalypse I hope you have a basement with 60 years of food in it.
Zmobies only live 60 years?
It's an unspecific kind of apocalypse, but let's say for now that it's an economic apocalypse cause by overpopulation, overconsumption, and widespread incompetency.
So, basically, the way things are IRL?
Quote from: Jerry_Frankster on October 12, 2008, 03:43:25 PM
Quote from: TheScarletReaper on October 12, 2008, 12:40:38 PM
Is this an actual apocalypse where radiation kills everything, god rains meteors on us, or is it a zombie apocalypse? If it's a radiation or zombie apocalypse I hope you have a basement with 60 years of food in it.
Zmobies only live 60 years?
YOU try adapting to new food sources when you're dead.
Quote from: East Coast Hustle on October 12, 2008, 04:56:04 AM
Quote from: LMNO on October 10, 2008, 08:38:34 PM
Gnocci is potato based.
yeah, it is.
but just try making it without flour.
isn't it a gluten thing maybe?
i'm not sure, do potatoes even have gluten?
Potatoes do not have gluten.
Starch, I believe.
starch and gluten are not the same thing, and are not interchangeable.
Quote from: Felix on October 12, 2008, 09:46:18 PM
Starch, I believe.
Yes, starch.
Gluten = protein
starch = carbohydrate
Quote from: Cainad on October 12, 2008, 05:53:49 PM
Quote from: Jerry_Frankster on October 12, 2008, 03:43:25 PM
Quote from: TheScarletReaper on October 12, 2008, 12:40:38 PM
Is this an actual apocalypse where radiation kills everything, god rains meteors on us, or is it a zombie apocalypse? If it's a radiation or zombie apocalypse I hope you have a basement with 60 years of food in it.
Zmobies only live 60 years?
It's an unspecific kind of apocalypse, but let's say for now that it's an economic apocalypse cause by overpopulation, overconsumption, and widespread incompetency.
So, basically, the way things are IRL?
Basically, but that's not to say that some kind of cataclysm won't push us over the edge.
Asteroid, supervolcano, plague, nuclear attack/war, energy crisis, something's bound to happen sooner or later. Maybe it already has.
(http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb163/wompcabal/forum/INTERMITTENSNOMINATION.png)
yatto would like to reserve this topic for his :pax: issue of intermittens. to go alongside crazy prepared