“This cookbook helps you cook luxuriously with the simplest kitchen set-up…tempting recipes and hard-won wisdom.”
– The Wall Street Journal

“A beautifully illustrated cookbook with over 50 recipes much more sophisticated than grilled hot dogs and s’mores…”
– The Huffington Post

An adventure-rich collection of easy, flavourful, beautiful recipes to make over a campfire and enjoy in the great outdoors.

Out There: A Camper Cookbook presents the story and recipes of Lee Kalpakis, a professional cook who returned home to the Catskill Mountains after 14 years in New York City to live in an off-grid camper in the woods.

Along with delicious, sophisticated recipes, Lee shares how to get the most out of an unconventional kitchen. This is a guide for pairing down kitchen clutter and stocking up a versatile pantry while maximising the efficiency of any small cooking space.

75 RECIPES: Delicious and beautiful recipes for entertaining–in the wild–from a professional chef and food stylist

ADVENTURE: Adventure-style dishes include open fire entrées, batch cocktails, one pot meals, and the perfect backpacking food

EXPERT TIPS: Lee shares practices she’s learned through her time out in the woods to help others who love to cook in the great outdoors

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Mussels in Red Sauce with Fried Garlic Bread

A big pot of mussels cooked over the fire is such a treat. But the idea of mussels without a large hunk of crusty bread for soaking up the sauce makes me sad. I love the idea of dumping them over bread so it soaks up every bit it can. One of my favourite restaurants in the entire world, Hart’s in Brooklyn, does this famously with clams. Their clam toast is one of those plates of food I always have in the back of my mind—the kind that every time you’re about to cook something makes you ask yourself, “Can anything I make ever be as good as that?” And now, under that influence, nine times out of ten when I’m eating shellfish, I dump it over fried bread. Luckily for me, it’s a fantastically cosy thing to prepare on the grill or over the campfire. I bet you’ll agree.

Makes about 4 servings

Olive oil for cooking and finishing

4 slices good bread (such as sourdough or peasant)

2 cloves garlic

1 pint cherry tomatoes (about ¾ lb)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons capers, drained

1 cup dry white wine

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

2 lb mussels, rinsed, scrubbed, and errant beards removed

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Prepare your charcoal or gas grill for direct cooking over medium heat. Or light a campfire and place a grate over a section of the firepit with medium heat.

Set a Dutch oven on the grill or campfire grate. When the pot is hot, coat the bottom with oil. When the oil is shimmering, add 2 bread slices (or as many as will fit in a single layer) and fry, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides. It should take no more than a couple of minutes on each side. Remove from the pot and rub each slice on both sides with a garlic clove. Repeat with the remaining bread, adding more oil if needed, then set the bread aside.

Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and burst, 5–10 minutes. When the juices from the tomatoes are bubbling and beginning to thicken, add the tomato paste and stir. Let the tomato mixture cook, stirring occasionally, for 1–2 minutes, then add the capers and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 1–2 minutes. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pot, stirring to dislodge any browned bits from the pot bottom, then simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the mussels, discarding any that are cracked or fail to close to the touch. Cover the pot with its lid (or a sheet pan if you don’t have a lid) and cook for 1–2 minutes. Uncover, stir gently to move any unopened mussels to the bottom, re-cover, and continue to cook until all the mussels are open, 2–3 minutes longer. Discard any mussels that failed to open.

Arrange the garlic bread on a large platter and pour the mussels and their sauce over the top. Finish with the lemon zest and juice, a drizzle of oil, and a dusting of parsley. Serve right away.

Recipe published with permission from Insight Editions.