Might this be the start of a new trail? Books about outdoor cooking that is not grilling, which is so popular these days? Could be! First up is Come an' Get It: the Story of the Old Cowboy Cook, by Ramon F. Adams, illustrations by Nick Eggenhofer. Just how did the camp cook keep all those men well fed using few ingredients and working in all kinds of weather, battling dust and mud, bugs and snakes, and changing location twice a day? And why was the last job each day to point the tongue of the wagon towards the north star? A wonderful look back at jobs that no longer exist (at least not like this).

Here's some of those cowboy meals updated, and prepared in the comfort of a kitchen: The Cowboy's Cookbook: More Than 50 Trailblazing Recipes From the American West, by Beverly LeBlanc. Most entries include a bit of history (many from the Ramon Adams book above), and pictures to make your mouth water!

Cowboys weren't the only ones that needed feeding, lumberjacks needed to eat, too. Here's something from what looks like a fun series: Exploring History through Simple Recipes. The title I'm using here is Nineteenth-Century Lumber Camp Cooking by Maureen M. Fischer. It's a nice combination of archival photos, history and recipes for meals to feed a hungry crew (but on a smaller level). ;-)

I almost didn't include Campfire Cookery: Adventuresome Recipes and Other Curiosities for the Great Outdoors, by Sarah Huck and Jaimee Young because it is 'camp cooking' at a level far above what I did when I camped! (Check out some of the utensils you're to bring along!) What won me over was the section at the very end with chapters on stargazing, telling stories, singing around the campfire and more.

Reading Hermit With Dog