Camp cooking article in OC Register today

[dkutz]

I will post the whole article so that you don't have to register to see it...

Thursday, July 19, 2007
Campfire cuisine made easy - and better
Simple preparation and big flavors are the keys to outdoor-cooking success.
By ALETA WATSON
THE SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
For many families, it's just not a vacation unless there's camping involved. Last year, more than 7 million people pitched their tents and parked their rigs in California state parks alone. Far too many of them made do with a diet of hot dogs, canned chili and assorted junk food.

Not that I have anything against an occasional hot dog. But camp food can be so much more interesting. With a little advance planning and some judicious shopping you can cook memorable meals from fresh ingredients on that old camp stove. Even simple baked goods are not out of the question.

Unless I'm just making a quick overnight stop on a long road trip, I consider cooking part of the entertainment. After hours on the trail or combing the beach, it's relaxing to putter around outdoors and linger over a nice meal. For once, I have nothing but time and there's no question that exercise and fresh air make everything taste better.

We're talking car camping here. Backpacking poses extra challenges, making it hard to get by without resorting to dried ingredients and a lot of packaged foods. Weight is not an issue, though, when you're traveling by car. And a new generation of coolers can keep meat and produce chilled for days if you don't open the lid too frequently.

The secret is to go for simple preparation and big flavors. I tend to favor classic one-pot meals so there's not too much clean-up afterward. That might mean a basic chili (made from scratch, although with canned beans), Italian sausages saut