Camp & seasonal kitchen
Cooking over a fire or a camp stove, and simple recipes that follow the seasons.
- A secondhand cast-iron skillet: what to check, how to restore it, and how to keep it going
How to find a good used cast-iron skillet at a thrift shop or yard sale: cracks, warping and pitting, rust versus crusty buildup, stripping and re-seasoning in the oven, daily care at home and at camp, and what to leave on the shelf.
- Campfire and camp stove safety: a practical checklist
Setting up a camp stove, choosing a fire ring, keeping a fire small, putting it out cold, carbon monoxide in tents, and what to do if oil or fuel catches fire.
- Canned biscuit campfire doughnuts: a complete camp guide
How to make doughnuts at camp from a tube of refrigerated biscuit dough: gear, oil depth and temperature, frying safely outdoors, coatings, no-fry variations and cleaning up the oil.
- Fresh mint chip ice cream, made with real mint leaves
A fresh-mint chocolate chip ice cream recipe with a cooked custard base (or an egg-free version), how to steep mint for clean flavour, chocolate shards, and churning with or without a machine.
- Grilled cheese with crispy sage butter, at home or on a camp stove
A grilled cheese sandwich with brown butter and crisp sage leaves: choosing bread and melting cheeses, getting a golden crust without burning, cooking it in a cast-iron pan at home or over a camp stove, and easy variations.
- Growing mint and using it all season
How to grow mint without letting it take over: choosing a variety, pots versus beds, watering, cutting back, dividing, and ways to use a big harvest in drinks, food and the freezer.
- How to choose a bottle of wine when you don't know the words
A plain-language guide to picking wine in a shop or for a dinner: the few words that matter (dry, body, acidity, tannin), how to describe what you like, matching wine to food, budgets, reading labels, and what to bring as a guest.
- La Chamba black clay cookware: seasoning, cooking and care
What La Chamba black clay pots are, how to season them before first use, cooking on the stove, in the oven and at the table, avoiding thermal shock, lead questions about clay cookware, and cleaning and storage.
- Spiked hot cocoa for a cold evening out (and a version for everyone)
A rich stovetop hot chocolate made with real chocolate and cocoa, how to spike it sensibly with bourbon, rum or liqueur, an alcohol-free version, keeping it hot in a flask for a winter lights walk, and toppings.
