The Outdoor Dutch Oven Cookbook

A Dutch Oven is a crucial piece of cooking equipment for any camping enthusiast, dating back hundreds of years. Author Sheila Mills turns her 20 years of experience feeding river runners into a cookbook full of great dutch oven recipes. Some of the recipes include:

* Avocado frittata
* Eggs Benedict
* Parmesan popovers
* Stuffed mushrooms
* Nachos
* Pork chops and dumplings
* Coq au vin
* Cobbler
* Brownies
* and even ice cream!

The book is well-organized, making it easy to find the recipes you want, and the food is delicious. It’s obvious that Mills has many years of experience cooking with her dutch oven. She combines traditional dutch oven cooking with more contemporary cooking styles. Each of the 200 original recipes has been tested and refined by Mills, who is one of America’s top outdoor cooks. The recipes are healthy gourmet recipes, not your usual campfire meals of meet and beans.

Don’t be fooled by the gourmet recipes, however. Each recipes is designed to be easy to prepare, even in a remote camp setting. The recipes originated as indoor cooking recipes, then Mills adapted them for dutch ovens. The book includes instructions for cooking indoors using a conventional stove or oven as well.

Because of the author’s concern for the environment, this cookbook also includes information about low-impact cooking at camp, such as rules for gathering firewood, disposing of your waste water, how to keep food cold and safe, and practicing catch-and-release fishing. Also, the book is small and lightweight, making it easy to pack and use for camping.

About the only drawback for this cookbook is that it does not include introductory information for beginners. If you have never cooked with a dutch oven over a campfire, you may need more basic information, such as the number and placement of briquettes for temperature control.

Also, some of the recipes take quite a bit of time to cook, especially if you have to start the coals from scratch, so don’t expect to come back from your hiking or rafting and throw dinner together in 20 minutes. It’s best designed for times when someone stays back at camp for the day or when your activities end a few hours before dinner and you have time to kill. Other recipes are quick and easy to prepare, so just make sure you’ve planned ahead when choosing your recipes.

Overall, this is an excellent cook book for anyone who wants good food, even while camping!