cover image The Great American Camping Cookbook

The Great American Camping Cookbook

Scott Cookman. Broadway Books, $17.95 (268pp) ISBN 978-0-7679-2308-8

Roughly one third of American families go camping at least once each year, according to longtime Field & Stream contributor Cookman (Ice Blink, Atlantic), and they've all got to eat. In this breezy and informative collection, part cookbook and part camping lore, Cookman proves time and again that healthy, tasty food and camping are not mutually exclusive. Eschewing processed foods for the real thing, Cookman offers a list of staples to pack (apples, lemons, cheese, ham) as well as lighter, smarter alternatives-for instance, why bother hauling soda when powdered Kool-Aid will do the trick? His provisions lists will cover most outings and are scaled for various group sizes and lengths of time. Operating from that basic stock of ingredients, he offers recipes for everything from campfire classics like Biscuits and Gravy, Pan-fried Trout and Baked Beans to Squash Fritters and Wild Rice Pancakes. Given the breadth of his recipes and their ease of preparation, this will be a welcome resource for camp cooks.