I always have a couple of emergency pastas with me, the stuff that you just add water too, so if I can't find anything better I've got something to eat. They are not the tastiest thing on the planet, but they fit in the bottom of a pannier, last forever (because anything else is preferable - except pot noodles, beetroot, celery or goats cheese) and cost bugger all. A well planned mission means these are not eaten. Remember the Five P's - Properly Pissed Prevents Puking Pasta.
Any of the big rallies have plenty of food stalls, from basic chips and burgers to, I hate to say it, veggie and vegan fayre. If holy joes coffee tent is on site then stoves and food supplies are unnecessary weight to haul around.
I've always liked camping cooking. I've recently recommissioned my old Coleman stove, it's useful cos it runs of petrol so I never have to worry about the stove expiring mid brew. It's hardly lightweight but I'm on a motorbike not backpacking.
When I first started going to bike rallies the best you could hope for was sludge coffee and a 'hoof and ring piece' burger (not much use to a veggie). The food and the toilets are the two things that have improved so much at rallies over the years. The first time I came across the stall serving freshly squashed orange juice I was amazed, the guy must have made a fortune that weekend.
I bought a vacpac machine and boilabe pouches so curries, sweet nshour, bolognaise even a roast dinner and a full cooked fry up have been put in them and eaten up to 4days on with no refrigeration and best bit, no washing up trying to experiment with mylar bags to get up to a week without chilling
We recently got a jet-boil similar to Yorkie Mick's and have a couple other lightweight burners to screw on to gas canisters. We're camping this weekend, but at Moffat which is virtually in the town so probably won't 'cook' much. Essentials are the makings for tea and coffee and, since we're practising going as light as possible for trip to Spain/Portugal later, those and a couple of cereal bars is all we're taking from home. We do have a wee cook set and/or mess tins so if we get inspired and rustle up anything exciting I'll report back.
I use the FINK camp cooking set very good food and never lets me down The FINK has been known to turn out the odd home made flat bread and cheese and the occasional stir fry.
Well, since it is a long time that I was in Fink's company, that statement only begs the question, Does Fink have fingers missing? She had a full compliment the last time I saw her. pmsl.