The Campstove Cookbook

Christy Conte is a member of the Parents Advisory Committee at the
YMCA’s Parent and Child Enrichment Centre and a journalist.

The Campstove Cookbook is targeted at the typical camper—the couple
or family who like to drive into a campsite, use a campstove, and sleep
in a tent trailer—and is not for trail-blazers or outdoor gourmands.
Author MacDonald is a practical sort. She says in her introduction that
to be a purist (i.e., one who cooks over a campfire exclusively) is
nice, but not all that realistic. She uses a stove (or a fire, if the
weather cooperates), canned food, and real meat. The book itself is
utilitarian, being small, spiral-bound, and wipeable. You won’t find
Possum Braised in a Cilantro Vinaigrette here; MacDonald’s advice is
to “relax, and have some fun.”

The recipes themselves are, as promised, easy and fairly nutritious.
“Beat the Rain” Stew is a typical dinner. It has three ingredients:
one can of “cream of anything soup,” one can of fish or meat, and
one can of vegetables. Other dinners include casseroles, simmered
chicken dishes, and such unusual items as cornmeal pancakes that are
rolled enchilada-style around tasty fillings. Desserts are more
inventive, with such offerings as Campstove Fruit Pies and Dessert
Dumplings. Most of the recipes use fewer than six or seven ingredients.
Where the recipes work well in combination due to shared ingredients,
the author notes the fact.

The “Helpful Hints” section is, well, practical. The author has
included lists for food and equipment, substitutions (did you know that
one large marshmallow equals six mini-marshmallows?), and dieting
information, as well as information on bathtime equipment and sundry
camping tips.

This is a serviceable compendium for the average camper—not
particularly creative, but useful nevertheless.