culinary scene

The Campout Cookbook

Inspired Recipes for Cooking Around the Fire and Under the Stars

By Marnie Hanel and Jen Stevenson, Artisan $25

ITH RENEWED INTEREST in staycations, camping, and RV-style touring, it’s time to up your culinary game W when getting away from it all. (Hopefully) gone are the days when grocery shopping for a camping trip involved buying a small army’s worth of hotdogs and baked beans, or little boxes of single serving (yeah right!) breakfast cereals.

Starting from the basics, including some terminology, what to pack, and how to pack it – those things you always wanted to know, but were afraid to ask – or thought you knew, it certainly isn’t a substitute for backcountry survival knowledge, but for the occasional or even regular camper, the authors cover a lot of ground.

Wisely, illustrations are used throughout rather than photos, as surely only the best backcountry gourmand will make dishes look professionally staged, so there won’t be any latent inadequacy for not living up to the book’s depictions.

Things start off with Trail Snacks from granola bars to lowmess rations for your march, moving on to Sides and Salads, including Sautéed Chanterelle Mushrooms (p.69), and camping staple, Bacon Molasses Baked Beans (p.76). Campfire Mains and Morning Meals make up most of the remainder of the book (though libations and desserts get plenty of attention too) with Dutch Oven Roast Chicken (p.114) and Pedal-to-the-metal Migas (p.200) perfect for brisk evening meals and to fuel up for the day ahead.

Many recipes have sections on steps to make ahead of time, and several complete meals are included, adding breadth and depth to your culinary options on your next outdoor adventure.