A new edition to celebrate the 30th birthday of the classic outdoors cookbook! When it appeared in 1982, The Hungry Hiker was the first cookbook for backpackers (and canoeists and campers) that made possible superb meals on the trail. At the time, the renowned food writer James Beard summed it up: "There are all kinds of simple but delicious soups, camp breads, main dishes, salads and even desserts." Since then, tens of thousands of Hungry Hikers have become happy eaters -- and more than a few stay-at-homes have discovered how to make simple, delicious meals quickly and easily. What's more, The Hungry Hiker features extensive information about planning hikes, with suggested menus and packing ideas for one to 10 campers. The author describes sources of packable food -- and tells how to make delicious meat jerky, dried vegetables and tasty fruits and snacks. The Hungry Hiker is ideal for outdoors teachers, guides and group leaders, in addition to all individuals who want to eat well in the outdoors. This newly republished edition contains all the features of the original, plus some updated information and comments on food and equipment sources. Writing in The Adirondack Almanack recently, John Warren praised Gretchen's straightforward approach. "Thanks to the book’s emphasis on skills and mostly natural foods, the book is as relevant today as it ever was.... The book’s focus on whole foods, simply and tastefully prepared, echo the values of today’s urban homesteaders, locavores, and young farmers." The Hungry Hiker's Book of Good Cooking was first brought out by the publishing house of Alfred A. Knopf, which teamed Gretchen with editor Judith Jones (who brought French cuisine to the US via the works of Julia Child) and illustrator Susan Gaber, whose whimsical drawings add zest to the humor and good sense of the author.
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A cookbook that tells you how to prepare your own delicious fresh foods ahead of time at home and then cook them outdoors over a camp stove or fire. Over 135 recipes.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
Gretchen McHugh has been an avid adventurer, hiker and canoeist, traveling with her dogs, two children and friends on wilderness trips to Northern Quebec and Southern Mexico, throughout the upper Midwest, the White and Green Mountains of New England, New York’s Hudson Valley, Catskills and the Adirondack Mountains. The rigors of raising children and preparing tasty, inexpensive food in the wild led her to study cooking and, finally, to write The Hungry Hiker’s Book of Good Cooking, which was published in 1982 by Alfred A. Knopf. The book remained in Knopf’s catalog for 25 years and is now available through Amazon.com. A native of Michigan, Gretchen worked in publishing in New York before joining the staff of The Riverdale Press in The Bronx, where she was a reporter, photographer and Life Style editor. She also taught English literature at Bronx Community College. She spent many days sailing the Hudson River as a volunteer editor and photographer for Pete Seeger’s Clearwater Foundation and traveled to Northern Quebec and Southern Mexico to document the wild rivers and lives of Native Americans there. Her love of the outdoors eventually drew her out of New York City to settle in a 200-year-old farm house with a pond, barns, fields and 100-plus acre woodlot on a hilltop in the Slate Valley, sandwiched between New York’s Adirondacks and Vermont’s Green Mountains. She restored the barns and the house and enrolled her forest land as a Certified Tree Farm.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this for my Appalachian Trail hike and the recipies and techniques work every time! I'll never have a boring meal on the trail again! It tells you step buy step how to prepare and package your food before you hike to elminate cooking time and weight....it's the best of all worlds!
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Teaching backpacking classes at Grand Canyon NP, as well as backpacking for pleasure, has given me a true appreciation for good food on the trail. I am amazed at the books that are supposedly geared to backpackers that talk about cooking in a dutch oven! This book is written specifically for people who actually backpack and must be very careful with the weight they carry on their backs. You don't have to be a gourmet cook to prepare these meals either. This is THE book that belongs in every hungry backpacker's library.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Am an Appalachian Trail section maintainer. This was the best "gear" purchase I ever made. I really did almost wear out the local library's copy.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simple and Good Food
This is a great book at how to get started making your own camping food. Simple, less expensive, and better food!
Published 5 months ago by Kelly S. Shipp
5.0 out of 5 stars
James Beard was Thrilled
The noted food writer James Beard, writing when The Hungry Hiker first appeared, said author Gretchen McHugh is "blessed with a charming sense of humor and more than a fair share... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Jersey John
5.0 out of 5 stars
New Edition Soon Available
My own biased view (I'm Gretchen's husband) is that this is one of the best cookbooks of any kind. I'm grateful that others think it's good, too. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Jersey John
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the finest.
Without a doubt, one of the finest backcountry cooking books on can buy. Timeless.
Published on July 21, 2010 by MightyMax
5.0 out of 5 stars
HUNGRY HIKERS GOOD COOKING BOOK RATHER TASTY!
I'VE BEEN PLEASED TO DO PRE-TREK PROVISIONING WITH THE HELP OF GRETCHEN MCHUGH'S "THE HUNGRY HIKER'S BOOK OF GOOD COOKING" FOR MANY YEARS. Read more
Published on November 20, 2008 by S. KERNS
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book on the subject.
I have been doing in depth research on this subject and this is one of the few books I would suggest having in your personal library.
Published on July 14, 2008 by Una
4.0 out of 5 stars
A must have!
Our group of 6 is going to the Boundary Waters for the first time and to save money, it was decided that we would dehydrate our food, etc. Read more
Published on May 14, 2007 by Rookie Packer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good grub
My sisters and I have used this as our bible for the last 15 years or so when we head to the Boundary Waters or the Quetico for a week of wilderness canoeing. Read more
Published on January 31, 2004
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Advice and Meals for the Trail!
Gretchen McHugh provides practical advice and guidelines on dehydration, equipment and meals for the backpacker who enjoys eating. Read more
Published on September 27, 2000 by Paula Snellgrove
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE VERY BEST HIKER'S COOKBOOK THAT I HAVE SEEN
This book was instrumental in the culinary delights that I experienced while on the Appalachian Trail. Read more
Published on January 23, 1999
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