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Whitewater Association's
On the Eddyline, Feb., 2005, report on annual Dutch Oven Cookoff
"In a violently fought duel of the
Dutch Ovens, the two-year rule of King Bob Newman and his Queen Brenda
was overthrown. The new junta, led by and consisting of Maria
Eschen has taken over as the all-powerful Ruler of the Dutch Ovens....1st
place--winner of $75--Maria's Enchiladas Verdes--for 12
(See River Otter handbook, pp.262-3 for details).
Slideshow Available on CD and 35 mm Format
Stan Kolby, co-owner of
Idaho River Sports with Jo Cassin, asked Maria Eschen why a paddler should
buy River Otter and how to use it. Maria's answer was to
create the PowerPoint Slideshow: "River Trip Planning: A
Humorous Approach to a Serious Subject." Now available as a
lending library 35 mm
slideshow as well as in CD format, the show summarizes high points of river
trip planning action shots and humor. Viewers will learn why River Otter is the top
handbook to save riverrunners TIME, MONEY, and ENERGY and protect our
river corridors for future generations of river otters. Contact us
if your paddling club is interested in the show.
Yes, it's the same show that premiered at the Idaho Whitewater Association
meeting. For their review, contact Ron Myers, Editor, at
rpmyers@cableone.net. For copies of the CD slideshow
or to borrow the 35mm slides,
contact us
(free to paddling clubs and newspaper reviewers, $8.00 to all others
to cover our costs please).
Big Wholesalers Join AlpenBooks to Distribute River Otter Nationwide
If you are a river gear dealer or a
university outdoor program, you know you can contact our distributor AlpenBooks
directly at 1-800-290-9898. What if you're a bookstore or
library?
Baker&Taylor and Quality Books have established a contractual
relationship with Anotter Press for the greater ease and enjoyment of
our friends in bookstores and libraries.
More Middle Fork Hints
Don't
forget your Lunch Clean-Up Kit (see p. 63 of River Otter). Add
the scrimcloth or other ground cover and the chipmunks will never know
you were there.
If
you're troubled by odors in your portable privy, old-fashioned lime
works, but also try a small amount of RV Toilet freshener.
Remember, synthetic fiber sleeping bags are warmer when wet than down
sleeping bags. Use a sleeping bag compactor bag to decrease bag
volume while floating, but store your bag after the trip all fluffed
out on a hanger to maintain its loft.
Remember to increase number of Dutch oven coals and cooking time when
your weather is cold or if your recipe has grown to accommodate your
large group. Many recipes are for 12" ovens serving 6-8,
so plan your fuel and time accordingly.
The
David Norell Memorial Braided Sourdough
"So
like a river of braided channels is the course of our lives, weaving
together and apart, yet always onward-flowing.” --
Maria to Rae
Ann, 4/28/04
Sourdough
Starter: Mix
equal parts flour and water (two cups each works well) plus a teaspoon
of sugar. Let it sit out, covered only with a cloth for a day, then
keep cover with a lid in fridge until you need it.
Mix
for One Large Braided Loaf:
Stir
together and leave out to warm up for several hours:
2 cups sourdough starter
plus 1 tsp. sugar plus 1 packet dry yeast
dissolved in 1/8 cup warm water
When
you’re ready to go, mix the following into your starter:
2 cups flour
with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 tsp. kosher salt
Knead
5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Let dough rest in a warm place
in a lightly oiled bowl, covered with a cloth (a sink full of warm
water is nice).
Punch
down the dough and divide into three ropes. Braid them and pinch the
ends under. Spritz with olive oil on a greased baking sheet and cover
with a towel to let rise in a warm place. After an hour or so, spritz
with more oil, then sprinkle with rosemary for remembrance and kosher
salt for life’s zest.
Bake
in the center of a preheated oven at 450 degrees with a pan of water
on the lower rack. Check on it at 18 minutes for a golden color and
the delightful smell of fresh bread. It may take up to 25 minutes to
bake.
Remove
from oven and baking pan. Cool on a rack. Sprinkle with more
rosemary and salt as you wish.
Enjoy!
Popular Radio Show Interviews Author
Maria discussed
Dutch Oven Cooking with Chef and Restauranteur John Mortimer on KIDO 580 am radio. To obtain a cassette of the show, contact
us.
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Photo by Pete Zimowsky, copyright Idaho
Statesman
Discover Deer Run Camp Breakfast Bars
Created by Maria on 6/22/04 before leaving
for the Green River in WY, these served as a fast breakfast before we
floated to Little Hole. Try it out!
Beat 7 eggs with 2/3 cup honey, 2/3 cup butter, 1/3 cup oil. Fold in
1 cup of flour to which you've added 1 tsp. soda. Mix in 8 cups good
granola (complete with nuts, raisins, oats, etc.) and press mixture in
your parchment-lined Dutch oven. Sprinkle 1/4 cup lemon juice over
the top. Bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes in your home oven or the
equivalent in your Dutch (for a 12" D.O., put 15 coals on the lid and
9 underneath, for a 14", make it 21/11, etc. See p. 242 of the River
Otter Handbook). Cut into bars, 2 x 3 inches. Makes plenty for 12
people who want breakfast "on the go."
Paddler Magazine Publishes Book Review of River Otter:
"Find Your Way..."
In the March-April
issue of Paddler Magazine (p. 86) Eric Hermann writes, "trip
planning can be like kayaking with an armload of pots and pans, or herding
ringtails. Where to begin?" River Otter "enables a
trip planner to sort out the pile and fit the plan tightly together."
Thanks, Paddler, for the great review and excellent issue devoted to rafting.
Idaho
Rivers United named River Otter's Conservation Charity and
establishes David Norell Memorial
One of Anotter Press' goals is to
"see and raise" Patagonia by a percentage point. This means donating
not one percent of every sale, but two percent to conservation
efforts. River Otter copies were donated to the 2003 9th
Annual IRU Auction that drew 235 people and raised $25,000 for IRU's
conservation efforts.
http://www.idahorivers.org/
Maria Eschen, author of River Otter, signs off on cover art
at Pacific Press, giving her okay to the printed form of the cover
designed by Joshua Hindson, SWM of Pudding (www.puddingcreative.com)
which recognizes Idaho Rivers United as the book's designated charity.
Every copy of River Otter sold will benefit Idaho
Rivers United, a nonprofit conservation organization. As a former
board member, author Maria Eschen describes their work as "invaluable
to the health of wild rivers and local water quality. IRU is a model
in the national family of river advocate groups."
Since 1990 Idaho Rivers United has been saving rivers
including the Payette, the Salmon, the Priest, the Bear, the Snake,
and the high desert rivers of the Owyhee uplands. They defend our
rivers from unnecessary new dams, diversions and and over-development.
They are building a legacy for future generations: the opportunity to
fish, boat, and be personally rejuvenated by Idaho's free-flowing
rivers. For more facts about Idaho Rivers United, call (208)
343-7481 for Executive Director Bill Sedivy, or
http://www.idahorivers.org. Fact: he helped edit
River Otter, wrote the book's Foreword, and encouraged Maria to
write the chapter on "caring for rivers." To be an IRU Business partner
and receive a complimentary book, contact Development Director Jessica
Hixson at
jessica@idahorivers.org. Also contact Jessica
if you wish to donate to the special memorial fund established to
honor the memory of David (Dangerous Dave) Norell, who died tragically
on April 24, 2004 in the Pole, Pedal, Paddle marathon near Boise,
Idaho. See article on Anotter Press' Index-Home page for
details.
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Vince's Whitewater Page features River Otter
Vince Thompson runs one of
the premier whitewater boating websites in the US and has chosen River
Otter as his index page feature. This means front page exposure
to thousands of Vince's devotees. Visit Vince's for all the up-to-the
minute boater news at:
http://www.idahowhitewater.net
Cascade River Photography on the Main Payette Captures Your Memories!
To contact them, call 1-800-292-7238.
Extreme Kayaker Norell
Dies in Pole Pedal Paddle Marathon in Idaho
(Special to AP by Maria Eschen)
David ("Dangerous Dave") Norell died suddenly during
the biking portion of the Treasure Valley's Pole Pedal Paddle marathon
near
Bogus Basin.
He will always be
"front and center" in our hearts as he is in this Eschen family photo from
1995: 
At twenty-four Dave had just begun his promising
career as a videographer and leaves us with countless memories of his
"Broke, Hungry, and Happy" style of adventure paddling around the world.
You can visit his site at http://www.therevolution.cc
Paddling friends since 1994, Maria and her
husband Barry took Dave on the Lower Owyhee in Oregon for his first
overnight river trip with his dad Mike (namesake of the Payette's famous
hole), only a few days after he turned sixteen.
As his dad said, "Dave packed 74 years into 24."
He will be missed by Paddler magazine friends and readers, as well
as by those of us who had the opportunity to paddle with him.
Especially me, who helped him establish his business LLC and way
before that helped him portage his boat in springtime on the Upper Middle
Fork of the Payette when he was fifteen. He later returned to run
not only this rapid, but many more higher up. Yes, he was a big part
of "the revolution" we know today as extreme kayaking.
A memorial in Dave's name has been set up to benefit
Idaho Rivers United:
http://www.idahorivers.org/
"River Otter's Dutch
Oven Corner" featured in Western States Sportsman
Check out the
free newspaper your fishing and hunting store pops into your next sack of
purchases. It's Dave Langston's brainchild (email:
idahuntandfish@aol.com) and
now features a "River Otter" column showcasing a new tip and a recipe
every month. Lottsa news "For the Sportsman From the Sportsman."
Find out what you need to know about fishing while floating online:
www.westernstatessportsman.com
Everybody loves Errata
Thanks to info from Bill Latta, the
cartridges in cans of Guinness (p. 139, "Can cans of frozen beer sub
as ice?") do not contain CO2 but rather nitrogen.
Cool stuff, Bill..
Thanks to Caroline Tan, Program
Director of the River Management Society (http://www.river-management
.org ), the Recipe Adjusting Table (p. 237) needs a "c"
instead of a "t" in row 1T, column 10. Wow, no wonder RMS does
such great work with Caroline at the helm! By the way, the RMS
fund-raiser cookbook is now ready. It uses tips from River
Otter in a well-organized $10 format that includes great recipes
from river rangers all over the U.S.
Who
has Copies of River Otter Now ?
These Treasure Valley dealers can provide you an immediate copy of
River Otter: Handbook for Trip Planning when you are in their
buildings: Idaho River Sports (1521 N. 13th St.,
208-336-4844), Log Cabin Literary Center (801 S. Capitol Blvd.,
208-331-8000, www.logcablit.org), Cascade Outfitters
(604 E. 45th in Garden City, 1-800-223-7238,
www.cascadeoutfitters.com).
Bookstores in Boise, Salmon, Ketchum, Twin Falls, Spokane, Missoula
are among the first to feature the handbook. For details,
contact us.
River Otter went a-floatin'
the Middle Fork of the Salmon in Idaho
Even a
newborn book needs a river trip. River Otter left on a
permitted section of the Middle Fork of Idaho's Salmon on August 6. The author's copy was tested in its bound form: mylar cover got wet, binding
stressed, and pages dog-earred--all in the name of product testing and
a little fun--but the handbook worked great! The
"copy-if-you-like" pages worked fine for our trip that included four
teenagers.
Only one update in the text was requested.
Several paddlers with advanced degrees (heh, heh) determined the
aluminum foil "tray" for the monkey bread recipe (p. 196) can be more
clearly described. So, here's what to do to make the tray:
Duct-tape together two sheets of aluminum foil (1-ft. by 2-ft.) to make the first layer
(now 2-ft. x 2-ft.).
Make a second layer the same way and place one layer on the other
(with duct tape inside so it doesn't contact food). Crimp edges
up an inch or two, making a classy double-thick tray. Then follow the
directions as in the book, only put "the tray" with crimped edges DOWN
on the D.O. so it'll catch all the caramel sauce when you flip it
upside down. Happy monkeys! 
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