January 1, 2018
Food blogger, Next Food Network Star finalist, and Firelight Camps cofounder Frisch proves campfire dining doesn’t have to mean eating cold food out of a can. Here she offers more than 75 camp-friendly recipes that, for the most part, emphasize flavor over fuss. Though the need to make from scratch one’s own graham crackers for s’mores is debatable, Frisch’s do-ahead approach makes a lot of sense in this collection. All the ingredients for Zero-Degree Chili, coal-baked potatoes with fixings, and rosemary corn bread with hard-cider butter are put into ziplock bags and brought to the camp site; all the cook has to do is prepare a fire, transfer them to a pan, and the meal is good to go. Other dishes—such as a smoked-salmon spread; praline bacon; and lemon, parsley, and potato salad—come together quickly and can be prepped at home. Salient tips on outfitting an outdoor kitchen, the art of efficiently packing a cooler, and, perhaps most importantly, building and maintaining a campfire go a long way toward ensuring success for novices and veteran campers alike. Those who love the outdoors and want to elevate the experience will find Frisch’s book as vital as a good knife and extra matches.
June 15, 2018
Frisch, owner of Firelight Camps, a self-described "glamping" facility in Ithaca, NY, more than meets the challenge of creating a great camping cookbook, offering varied, fun, and manageable recipes for a wide range of dishes, from cocktails to desserts. Each recipe provides a "Prep" section outlining the steps to be taken in advance of departing on a trip. Make no mistake, these recipes involve some serious cooking, but almost all of the work takes place in the home kitchen. The steps to finish a dish at mealtime are relatively simple and very clear. Gluten-free and vegetarian options abound, and are among the most interesting and delicious. Spiced sweet potato and kale tacos, for example, provide a memorable variation on a standby, made complete with a complex and satisfying flavor profile. VERDICT Beautifully illustrated, with welcome extras such as lists of recommended equipment, tips for efficiently packing your coolers, and engaging headnotes accompanying each recipe, this terrific resource will inspire outdoors enthusiasts who want to add flavor and flair to their camp meals.--Christopher Myers, Lake Oswego P.L., OR
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