Linda Ly

With jaw-dropping photography, mouth-watering recipes, and a smidge of intriguing history about the national parks, this cookbook is a must for traveling foodies!
I loved that the author was able to get some very specific recipes to fit the vibe of each national park, some even dating back decades and using quite localized ingredients. If you're not able to get precisely those ingredients, she suggests substitutions.
A gorgeous addition to the bookshelf!

Thanks to Edelweiss and Harvard Common Press for this digital review copy!… (mais)

The National Parks Cookbook from Linda Ly is both attractive and full of intriguing recipes.

When I say attractive, I don't just mean nice pictures of the food. Some of the other photographs, of the parks, make this more beautiful than most cookbooks. With wonderful recipes and some great anecdotes, this is a fun book to have on your coffee table or in your kitchen.

I tried two of the recipes, one of which I scaled back since I didn't need as much as the recipe called for, and both were very good and easy to follow. I hope to try a few more, though the recipe I scaled back is going to be a regular from now on.

Okay, this is really going to date me, but my first thought when I saw the book was of Euell Gibbons. If you're young, or even middle-age, the name probably means nothing to you. While he may well have enjoyed this book, it is not quite as "back-to-nature" as he was. Which actually makes this a more useful cookbook.

Highly recommended for both cooks looking for new recipes and those of us who have frequented many of these parks and enjoyed the cuisine. I also think it would make a nice coffee table book. I use them as much for conversation starters as anything, and what starts people talking better than food?

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (mais)

If you are one of the new types of campers who take their vehicle to a drive up tent site, or who uses a trailer/RV, then this is exactly the kind of book you need. The New Camp Cookbook – Gourmet Grub for Campers, Roadtrippers, and Adventurers by Linda Ly, is not for the wilderness, hike to the middle-of-nowhere camper. Covering all the necessary cooking techniques, like using a camp stove, a grill, a Dutch oven, or even an open fire, this book has a little bit of everything for the gourmet camper.

Starting with “Setting Up A Camp Kitchen”, the book explains everything about gathering your gear. It includes what essential equipment you need to take, what’s great to have but you don’t really need, and stocking your pantry. The detail for setting up your camp kitchen is excellent, it covers everything you’ll need to know and need to take with you. Trying to find knick-knacks and an extra bowl or that essential piece of kitchen equipment while you’re at your campsite might be difficult, so this is an essential read.

“Setting Up A Camp Kitchen” even includes a section on how to properly build a fire, which anybody who’s gone to Scouts or Guides has learned, but everybody else needs to master. Essential grilling techniques and toolbox are covered thoroughly. Cooking in foil is also covered, an excellent way to create several dishes which would otherwise be difficult over a campfire or cook stove. “Cooking In A Dutch Oven” will give you the information you need for baking, roasting, and stewing, as well as steaming, browning, boiling, and cooking anything that requires high heat.

Lastly, you will find “Cooking On A Camp Stove”, short sweet and to the point. For those cooking in high-altitude, there are a couple of quick tips. Of course, any good camping cookbook would not be complete without an excellent “Food And Forest Safety” guide. This book even comes complete with “Safe Storage Times For Chilled Foods” chart, and “Safe Internal Temperatures For Cooked Meats”. You even get tips on washing up and camping in bear country.

The next chapter, “Rise And Shine”, covers all of your breakfast related recipes with lots of lovely full-color pictures. These are not your typical camp related recipes. The first recipe being Blueberry Skillet Scones with Lemon Glaze is absolutely delicious looking and certainly not what I would have considered camping food before now.

Many of the recipes include tips which are especially helpful. Some of the tips fall under the “Use It Up” category which advises how to make the best use of your ingredients. For instance, rather than buying an entire tub of cream cheese just to use in one recipe, the tips advise what other recipes make use of it too. Other tips cover the “Mix It Up” category, which explains where to use your own ingredients to personalize your recipes.

“MidDay Meals” is exactly as it sounds, lunches. There’s an excellent selection of sandwiches, soups, salads, and vegetables. That’s not all though, there are lovely wraps, pizzas, tacos, and so much more, even a lovely chart “The Go-To Guide For Grilling Vegetables”. This guide gives you the vegetable preparation method and approximate grilling time so you’ll know exactly what it will take to cook them to perfection.

The “Small Bites” chapter covers trail mix, snacks, happy-hour late night nibbles, and other deliciousness. “Grilled Guacamole” is the first recipe. It just gets better from there. There’s even a recipe for “Grilled Watermelon With Gorgonzola And Pistachio Crumbles” which is extremely surprising. Who knew you could grill watermelon? And I had no idea pairing Watermelon with Pistachio and Gorgonzola could work.

The “Camp Feasts” chapter is next, covering everything from skewers to stews, stove top skillets, and so much more. Six different flavored butter recipes get their own page. If you want a gourmet meal at your campsite this is your go-to chapter.

Six Types Of Smores!

“Sips And Sweets” offers cocktails and desserts. The recipe for Honey Bourbon Lemonade looks absolutely decadent and comes with excellent variations. “Sips And Sweets” even offers six different ways to make Smores with lots of little tips! I only ever thought there was the one method. I guess you learn something new every day.

The very back of the book includes a small “Resources” section for everything from Espresso Makers to Charcoal Grills.

For the recipe, I was going to choose one of the pizzas. The pizza dough itself was kind of confusing though. In the recipe, it calls for letting it rise at room temperature for an hour or an hour and 1/2. I was kind of wondering how one achieves room temperature when one is not in a room. It would be somewhat difficult in the great outdoors. Apparently is it something you make at home and freeze to take with you. Because I wouldn’t be able to make all of the recipes at the campsite, I was disappointed.

In all, take this book with you if you’re planning on a trip with a vehicle to lug your stuff.

See the full review with autumn inspired Sweet Potato, Apple, And Pancetta Hash recipe at the RecipesNow! Review and Recipes Magazine.

This review is based on a hard copy of the book sent to me by the publishers in return for an honest review.… (mais)