January 2012/Prepared Foods -- Where there’s smoke, there just might be some great campfire cooking going on. While campfire cooking has evolved, utilizing new equipment, recipes and cooking techniques, the basics of campfire food essentially remain the same. Campfire food is usually prepared over a roaring wood-burning campfire or, perhaps, over the hot coals for a delicious dessert, like s’mores. This type of cooking tends to involve simple, easy-to-prepare items that are quick-cooking, portable and typically are comfort foods. This tends to be the all-American fare many fondly recall from childhood, and they are tied to holidays, such as the 4th of July or Labor Day, or just wonderful, warm and sunny summer days and crisp fall evenings.
Memories of camping as a kid may evoke the look, taste and smell of overcooked hamburgers, “flaming” hot dogs or meals that were burnt on the outside and cold on the inside. After all, cooking over an open fire tends to be a little less precise than a stove in the kitchen, where one does not have to worry about lighting the wood or battling wind, rain or the flames. Remember the ooey-gooey s’mores that made up for it all at the end of the meal? Or, the cornmeal-coated trout that was just caught hours ago, cooked in a cast-iron pan? And, do not forget the smell of fresh coffee percolating on the fire, while hot bacon sizzles and pancakes cook on the griddle for the perfect camping breakfast