2016 Cooking Merit Badge Requirements Set

[perdidochas]

To be honest I don't see much difference. The "myplate" thing is silly. Had to dumb down the food pyramid? I read somewhere how much money was spent on that and just sighed.

 

Still would like them to make the trail meals a bit more difficult. These days it is mostly boil and eat.

 

Not much of a difference, but it was nice to put the verbage "myplate" or the lastest USDA guidelines.  I like the requirement of explaining the methods of cooking and requirements to use different methods of cooking.  

[TAHAWK]

As a Type 2 diabetic, I can tell you that the  "plate" replaced the pyramid at the U.S.D.A. in 2011.  The "plate" emphasizes fruit and vegetables and reduces the carbs in the old "pyramid."

[John-in-KC]

Well, both the USDA and the CDC have been doing some really stupid stuff recently, but discussion of that belongs in a different forum...

[Krampus]

Not much of a difference, but it was nice to put the verbage "myplate" or the lastest USDA guidelines.  I like the requirement of explaining the methods of cooking and requirements to use different methods of cooking.  

 

When we teach the class we even go over knife skills (chopping, dicing, mincing) as well as hands-on on work with broiling, grilling, sautee, blanching, etc. We even did a section on smoking meats. All "extra credit" and not mandatory, but we had 100% attendance....and you got to eat afterwards.

[Hedgehog]

I was talking with a couple of scouts about having a cooking merit badge session in May.  We do it in one day in my backyard (with the exception of the home and trail cooking).  Make omlettes, grill sausages over a fire and then cook four different dinners and desserts for the parents who join us for dinner.  The dinners, which were cooked in Dutch Ovens, have included chicken caccatori, beef stew, barbarqued spare ribs, italian braised short ribs, lasagne and chili.  The desserts, also cooked in Dutch Ovens, included brownies, apple pie, cheesecake, upside down cake, two layer chocolate cakes and cobblers.  

 

As for trail cooking, I talk to them about a variety of inexpensive meals to cook that are not freeze dried.  If you have a pot to boil pasta, you can make Kraft Maccaroni and Cheese.  If you can boil water, you can make instant mashed potatoes, instant polenta, instant couscous.  Foil pack chicken (add pesto or other seasoning) or tuna is great for backpacking.  I've dehydrafted ground beef with a variety of sauces -- pasta sauce for meatball sandwiches, sloppy joe sauce for sloppy joes and taco sauce for soft tacos.  I did buy some dehydrated turkey, added some gravy mix and then made mashed potatoes and stuffing (with a small container of cranberry sauce) on the 50 miler over the summer.  Best dinner of the week.  I also show them how to make muffins or cupcakes using a backpacking stove an a pot.

 

Now I'm hungry...

[Krampus]

I was talking with a couple of scouts about having a cooking merit badge session in May.  We do it in one day in my backyard (with the exception of the home and trail cooking).

I prefer my guys to do their cooking on Scout camp outs for the patrol-based cooking. They can do the home requirements at home on a stove or grill. For the patrol cooking it really should be on a camp out.

 

Otherwise, for the "trail meal" they could go to the city park around the corner and eat their meal there rather than on an honest to God hike or backpacking trip.

[Hedgehog]

I prefer my guys to do their cooking on Scout camp outs for the patrol-based cooking. They can do the home requirements at home on a stove or grill. For the patrol cooking it really should be on a camp out.

 

Otherwise, for the "trail meal" they could go to the city park around the corner and eat their meal there rather than on an honest to God hike or backpacking trip.

 

The requirement is "In the outdoors, using your menu plan for this requirement, cook two of the five meals you planned using either a lightweight stove or a low-impact fire."  The last time I checked, my backyard is "in the outdoors."  The boys use the same equipment that the patrols use on campouts -- they set up four tables and four stoves, pull out the four patrol boxes and use eight dutch ovens.    They use water from the water jugs we use at camp and wash dishes using the three basin method.   Their food for the day is stored in pastic bins and in coolers -- just like on campouts.  The only difference is that there are no tents in my back yard and they can use the flushie in my house.  

Edited February 9, 2016 by Hedgehog

[Krampus]

The requirement is "In the outdoors, using your menu plan for this requirement, cook two of the five meals you planned using either a lightweight stove or a low-impact fire."  The last time I checked, my backyard is "in the outdoors."  The boys use the same equipment that the patrols use on campouts -- they set up four tables and four stoves, pull out the four patrol boxes and use eight dutch ovens.    They use water from the water jugs we use at camp and wash dishes using the three basin method.   Their food for the day is stored in pastic bins and in coolers -- just like on campouts.  The only difference is that there are no tents in my back yard and they can use the flushie in my house.  

 

I get that. If that's how you want to do it, then it surely meets the requirement.

 

I'd prefer for our scouts to build these skills on camp outs. If they know they have to go on camp outs to get cooking done, guess what? They go. They also have a totally different set of preparation and logistics when planning to be away rather than driving to a leader's house.

 

There are more differences than just being in your backyard. But like I said, it meets the requirements. I'd just prefer my scouts to do it while camping....just like I'd like them to actually be hiking or backpacking and not in the city park using a jetboil or white gas stove. Sure, it's outdoors, they have to pack the food and carry it, clean up, etc...but it is still not really "on the trail", is it?

[Stosh]

And one also has to take into consideration that while the MB requirements are being met, the opportunity for a weekend of camping is lost.  I guess I think a weekend of camping is probably better for the boys than meeting the requirements of a MB.  I'm thinking that hiking around my house 900 times might make a dent in the Hiking MB, but there's gotta be a better way of doing things than just meeting the requirements.

[Krampus]

And one also has to take into consideration that while the MB requirements are being met, the opportunity for a weekend of camping is lost.  I guess I think a weekend of camping is probably better for the boys than meeting the requirements of a MB.  I'm thinking that hiking around my house 900 times might make a dent in the Hiking MB, but there's gotta be a better way of doing things than just meeting the requirements.

 

I am all in favor of what @@Hedgehog is doing. His heart is in the right place and it sounds like he's really making this a special event. Our unit does something similar BUT it does not take away from troop events. For example, we have a special event that runs through cooking techniques from grilling to blanching to smoking to steaming. We also cover knife techniques (how to slice, cut, chop, mince) properly using the proper knives (e.g., don't use a paring knife for chopping). We also hold a TopChef patrol cooking competition. Much fun. It is all optional from the MB but we always get 100% attendance...and we don't cannibalize any unit events.

[Hedgehog]

I'd prefer for our scouts to build these skills on camp outs. If they know they have to go on camp outs to get cooking done, guess what? They go. They also have a totally different set of preparation and logistics when planning to be away rather than driving to a leader's house.

 

 

And one also has to take into consideration that while the MB requirements are being met, the opportunity for a weekend of camping is lost.  I guess I think a weekend of camping is probably better for the boys than meeting the requirements of a MB.  I'm thinking that hiking around my house 900 times might make a dent in the Hiking MB, but there's gotta be a better way of doing things than just meeting the requirements.

 

 

First, the logistics of doing it on a campout would be difficult in coordination with the Tenderfoot through First Class cooking requirements.  When the BSA made cooking a required badge, we had 12 older scouts who needed that badge.  Add that to the fact that prior leadership did not do a lot of campouts that required patrol cooking, so we had around 8 guys who had been in the troop for a couple of years needing the Tenderfoot through First Class cooking requirements (which must be done on a campout) as well as the cooking merit badge.  Add to that another 10 new guys just joined and 10 more joining later that year.  If you add up the cooking merit badges and the Tenderfoot through First requirements we would need 68 (12 + 2x8 + 2x10 + 2x10) opportunities to allow everyone the chance to complete the T-1st requriements and the cooking merit badge.  We have activites 11 months of the year.  One is summer camp and they don't do a good job with the cooking merit badge.  Two to three are backpacking or float trips where the boys cook in pairs.  One is a day hike -- either an urban hike or a backpacking shakedown.  So we have 7 opportunities for cooking. Assuming three patrols per campout, that is 21 opportunities per year.  Add 10 new guys per year, which require 20 more opportunities.... you get the idea.

 

Second, this allows the boys to focus on cooking skills and spend more time cooking.  The dinner usually takes 3 hours to make.  In addition to what I listed in my earlier post, he boys have made applesauce from apples, home made cole slaw, home made ceasar's salad dressing (with anchovy paste and shaved parmesan cheese), cornbread, etc.  I'll put the cooking skills they learned up against anything the scouts in another troop learn doing the merit badge on a campout.  Those skills have trickled down to the patrols on campouts where the quality of the food has improved.  The older boys who have done the merit badge now guide the younger boys doing the Tenderfoot through First Class requirements.  I'd put my guy's cooking skills against any boy who completed the merit badge on a campout.

 

Third, I really don't see ANY difference in planning or logistics.  The set-up is identical to what is done on a campout.  The boys joke that my backyard (which is two acres) becomes "Cast Iron Chef Stadium."  That analogy is perfect -- the Iron Chef Stadium on the television show is not the kitchen in a restaurant, but completely replicates the restaurant kitchen.  I'd really like to know what skill the boys who do the cooking merit badge on a campout learn that my boys don't.

 

Finally, an opportunity for camping isn't lost.  Our program has one outing a month. The merit badge session is in addition to the schedule of outings.  We did the first one on Memorial Day a couple of years ago.  The boys took a break to march in the Memorial Day parade with the rest of the troop.  Our troop has 20 nights of camping a year.  In the three years since my son and I joined, we've will have camped out 60 nights.  I'd really like to know how many more nights the boys who do the cooking merit badge on a campout have.

[Krampus]

@@Hedgehog

 

Sounds like your unit is smaller and closer in age/rank categories than ours. We have no issues with T2FC guys getting their cooking in AND the cooking MB guys getting their turn. In fact, there are many times the two can help each other. We have 3-4 unit based trail opportunities a year, 10-12 patrol based opportunities and 2 high adventure opportunities. Could be my unit is just different.

 

Sounds like you have a good set up that works for you. Should post picsof the iron chef stadium.

[Stosh]

My point being.... If one is having difficulty fitting in all these cooking requirements into the camping routine, maybe one ought to increase the camping opportunities as well. 

 

The comment was made, everything was there but the tents.  My point was, why not have the tents and sleeping bags too!  There's no such thing as too much camping and no such thing as too much camp food.  One can always camp twice a month or maybe instead of retreating from Moscow on Sunday morning, stay Sunday and give another boy a chance to cook.  I'm sure that if there were things to do on Saturday, one could also do them again on Sunday.  That might be too out of the box to accommodate some troops.

[Krampus]

My point being.... If one is having difficulty fitting in all these cooking requirements into the camping routine, maybe one ought to increase the camping opportunities as well. 

 

The comment was made, everything was there but the tents.  My point was, why not have the tents and sleeping bags too!  There's no such thing as too much camping and no such thing as too much camp food.  One can always camp twice a month or maybe instead of retreating from Moscow on Sunday morning, stay Sunday and give another boy a chance to cook.  I'm sure that if there were things to do on Saturday, one could also do them again on Sunday.  That might be too out of the box to accommodate some troops.

 

Sounds like his unit already does a ton of camping too.

[Stosh]

Maybe it's not enough...