Wanapitei: Canoe Trippers' Cookbook

Kathy Lea is head of learning resources at the Buchanan Resource Centre,
Lethbridge Community College.

Carol Hodgins’ experience planning meals for others’ canoe trips through Wanapitei (a wilderness canoeing organization), as well as personal experience cooking on trips of her own, gives the material in this book the ring of honed experience. High anxiety topics are covered first in detail, followed by actual techniques in the order they would happen naturally. For example, to give the cookbook meaning to the uninitiated, the author quite sensibly starts with a 28-page “how-to” section. Setting up her parameters at the beginning (nutrition, cost, weight, taste, and attractiveness), she uses these to order and focus the material. Instincts about the readers’ needs and interests seem very much on target and welcome. There is an emphasis on such issues as eliminating refined sugar and saturated fats, and on complete protein substitutes for meat.

The consistent use of both English and metric measure in the explanations and throughout the recipes is appreciated. Also welcome is discussion of vitamins, protein requirements for the physically active, calcium needs, and a whole range of substitutes (such as carob instead of sugar) for convenience, economy, or nutrition. There is advice on such topics as dehydrated versus freeze-dried foods, preferred meat selections for the trip and their preservation, margarine versus butter, and baking powder breads versus yeast breads.

The author covers many more important topics in a straightforward, manageable way (such as packing, baking, introducing fresh foods at the end of the trip, etc.) Suffice it to say that it’s almost surprising this book doesn’t float. . .that seems to be the only detail missing.