Cookbooks

Beef tenderloin is very lean and cooks quickly. Cooking over wood enhances the flavor of the meat as well as the vegetables. You can substitute small potatoes if you can’t find parsnips. This can easily be made in a conventional oven, though the smoky flavors will be missing. The Horseradish sauce is a version my mom always made to serve with prime rib at Christmas.

This great-tasting dish from Joanne Weir takes you back to medieval times and spit-roasting at the hearth. You can also roast it over a grill or roast in an oven. This version is flavored with Greek herbs and served with a yogurt-cucumber sauce. Accompany with Pita Bread (page 44).

My dad enjoyed few desserts. For him, they needed to be simple and not very sweet. This uncomplicated cake, which he dubbed hobo cake because making it at campfire represented the simple life of a hobo, was one of his favorites. We enjoyed it at the campfire as well as around the comfort of our fireplace. You don’t have to be an accomplished baker to make this cake; it’s very easy and quite tasty. You can top each serving with a dollop of crème fraîche to bring it into the present time.

When I was growing up, my mom made this magical chocolate cake that doesn’t use eggs and is mixed in the pan it’s baked in. It’s the most moist chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted, and because no refrigerated ingredients are used, it’s perfect for camping. Crazy cake dates back to the Depression, but I don’t know where my mother found this recipe; it’s always been in her handwriting.

This is a very simple bread to make either at the campsite or at home. it requires no kneading, and is baked in a Dutch oven or clay baker. This bread’s flavor is developed through extended fermentation.

What could be more fun than popping open oysters on the grill or on the coals of a fire? Large oysters work best for the grill. Or you can nestle them in a skillet lined with rock salt. In either case, the cooking skill needed to make mouth-watering oysters is minimal. The basic rule: Don’t overcook the oysters! here, they’re served with an Indian-spiced barbecue sauce that’s cooked over the fire for added flavor.

This recipe is simple but packed with flavor. You can substitute other shellfish, such as mussels or shrimp or cracked crab, or a combination of all of these. This version gives a nod to Provence, using herbes de Provence and Pernod. The rich liquor created by the combination of the shellfish, garlic, wine, and herbs is the best part! Bake up some No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread (page 85) to accompany this delightful dish.

The best way to serve this northern California specialty is on a table lined with newspapers. Here, boiled Dungeness crab is roasted in the shell in a cast-iron pan over a wood fire. It is equally wonderful roasted in a wood-fired oven. The deep, rich flavor of the roasted crab is extraordinary, especially when served with Wood Roasted Artichokes (page 105).

This recipe from author and cooking teacher Linda Carucci is a family favorite that she and I adapted for the wood-fired environment. The smokiness imparted is a great match with the ham. Use the ham bone to make a batch of this thick, satisfying soup to eat for supper during the week.

In Spain, the native land of paella, this classic dish is often prepared over a live fire. Georgeanne Brennan and I adapted this recipe from The Mediterranean Herb Cookbook on a wood-fired grill at her home, using onions, garlic, peas, and fresh herbs from her garden. You can use fresh or frozen calamari. The quality of the ham and chorizo is very important, so shop for the recommended types. If you can’t find them in your local store, shop online at The Spanish Table or La Tienda (see Resources). One of the secrets to this dish is that the herbs are added in layers. The second secret is to cook it over a wood fire!

Panini are pressed and griddled Italian sandwiches that can be filled with any number of simple fillings. They can be made with focaccia, soft rolls, or other breads. My favorite bread for this nutty, smoky combination is multigrain. Smoky Romesco Sauce flavors the bread and is also used for dipping.

This chowder is easy to make and requires only one pot! The salmon comes out tender and is a good match with the dill and potatoes. For a smokier flavor, roast the ears of corn directly over the fire before removing the kernels. If you don’t have fresh salmon, frozen will work fine, or you can use smoked salmon. If using smoked salmon, cut back on the salt for seasoning.

Many camping menus include pork and beans. You can use ham, salt pork, bacon, or leftover pulled pork to season the beans. If using canned beans, rinse well and add for the last half hour of cooking. An excellent source for dried heirloom beans is Rancho Gordo (see Resources). Chipotle powder adds a little kick to this recipe.

My mother often cooked this dish when my family camped out. If you have leftover cooked chicken, use that instead of the smoked chicken, though the smoky taste is great in this dish.

In this campfire version of an Italian classic, the steak is cooked on the coals, though bistecca fiorentina is traditionally cooked on a grill over the coals. Of course you can make it on a very hot grill or griddle pan if you choose, but it’s fun to watch your steak cook directly on the coals. Choose the best steak you can afford. Add a side of creamy White Tuscan Beans with Sausage (page 119) and you’ve got a magnificent yet simple meal. Buon appetito!

Salade niçoise is traditionally a composition of tender seasonal lettuces, green beans, baby potatoes, olives, and the best-quality tuna packed in olive oil. This version features tuna steaks grilled perfectly, then broken into chunks. You can substitute your favorite seasonal vegetables if you choose. This salad should not be chilled.

Who doesn’t love crispy, salty potatoes? This simple Spanish-influenced dish is a fine accompaniment to grilled fish. The saffron-scented aioli dressing is also wonderful tossed with pasta or on other seasonal vegetables. This dish is even more stunning when made with Peruvian purple potatoes.