Q: How did you get started as a backcountry chef?
A: I learned to cook at home and at school in home economics. I started cooking in the backcountry as a student on a 27-day canoeing course at Outward Bound in Minnesota.

Q: What is the best way to begin?
A: The best way to begin is to go with friends and learn from them. If you like to cook, get a good backcountry cookbook as well. (See Resources.)

Q: What are some common mistakes that beginners make?
A: The single most common mistake is inadequate planning resulting in too much, too little, or unpalatable food. Three meals a day — for the length of your trip — do not fall into place magically, and there's no fast food restaurant to back you up.

Q: What sort of advance planning do you do?
A: When I plan a trip, I follow these steps:

Q: What changes when you are cooking for a large group?
A: When cooking for a large group, I put on the menu tasty meals that are easy and quick to prepare. I also go light on spices. Hot sauce, for example, is optional.

Q: What's the most important thing you need to enjoy cooking?
A: I'm a practical cook. I like to eat well in the backcountry, but I don't want to spend every evening slaving over a hot stove. I'll take the time at home to prepare food in advance so that when I get on trail, meals are a snap to cook. I use dehydrated food available in supermarkets and health food stores (and you'd be surprised at how much there is) and home dehydrate whatever I can't buy.

Q: What's involved with dehydrating food?
A: You can either use a dehydrator or use your oven. You can also buy dehydrated food; you don't have to put the time in yourself if you don't want to. You can also find freeze-dried food which is good, but it's cheaper to dehydrate food yourself.

It's a really simple process. You do need to get the temperature right. If you put a vegetable in, and the temperature is too high, it'll dry outside without drying the inside. It will feel like it's dry but it can mold. Some vegetables you should blanche beforehand. You need to be more careful with meats and poultry products. There are specific ways to dry cooked meats; just follow the instructions.

I've got it down to certain things I can do. For example, I dehydrate spaghetti sauce. It turns into a leather, like fruit leather. To re-hydrate, you just add water. You really can eat like normal.

Q: What foods dehydrate and rehydrate well?
A: I wasn't impressed with cauliflower. Frozen peas work well, as do shredded carrots, tomatoes and onions. Kiwi is wonderful and it's very hard to buy dried kiwi. Also, with its brilliant green pattern, it's nice to look at. It has a crisp taste and just a couple in a lunch will add a lot of pizzazz.

Q: What words of advice or pearls of wisdom do you give to beginners?
A: Plan, plan, plan. Write down your menus and recipes, then annotate them when you get home so you know what worked and what didn't.

Q: Do you keep track of nutritional values, levels of calories and protein, things like that?
A: Every once in a while I do that. In my cookbooks, I include information on protein, fats and carbohydrates like you would get on the back of a box.

Q: Would you bring different food for high-energy activities?
A: For really high-output activities like kayaking or a big hike, I'll cram in more calories. First, I would bring more food — more of everything. Second, I'd make sure there are sources of fats in each meal and snacks. For instance, for winter camping or high-output activities, if we have bacon, I'll take the bacon grease and pour it right in my oatmeal. It sounds repulsive but boy, does it taste good.

Q: Are there other things to consider if you are winter camping?
A: The major difference is you just have to pack in a lot of calories. You have to plan things that have lots of calories which basically means you have to increase the amount of fat that you are getting in all your meals and snacks.

Q: What are your luxury items? Do you indulge?
A: I highly recommend indulging. It's a real morale booster. For me, it's Earl Grey tea in the morning — that's how I start. If I don't have it, I'm kind of grumpy. On some trips, chocolate is the thing.

Q: Do you recommend testing recipes at home?
A: I test meals at home that I want to take on trail so I know how they're going to work. If someone hasn't done a lot of trail cooking, then it's a good idea to try it at home just to work out the kinks. If it's really straightforward then I'd say not to bother. Of course, I try to only use recipes that are very straightforward.

Q: What do you look for in a cookbook or recipe?
A: What I look for is two things: one, do the recipes make sense; and two, would this be easy to do on trail. If it's long and complicated, then I'm not interested. If it uses a whole lot of ingredients that I don't have or have to make a really big effort to get, I'm less likely to use it.

Q: Is it really possible to eat well in the backcountry?
A: Yes, it is possible to eat "real food" on trail. With a nonstick cookie pan or a commercial dehydrator, anyone can dry spaghetti sauce, salsa, fruit leather, fruit, and vegetables to use on camping trips.

— Interview by Melissa Kim, MaineToday.com (September 2001)

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One of Dorcas Miller's favorite recipes: Cashew-Ginger Chicken The toasted cashews provide needed calories, a wonderful nutty flavor, and a crunchy texture that is missing in many trail dinners. Check the dried fruit section (I like "Melissa's" brand dried fruits) of your local supermarket for freeze-dried corn. Or, order from an outdoor food supplier (see below). At home, combine:   1 cup instant rice   1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms, broken into small pieces   2/3 cup freeze-dried corn Pack separately:   1/2 cup toasted cashew pieces (To toast nuts, place them in a skillet with a few drops of oil over medium heat, or in a 350-degree oven for 10 or more minutes, until they are slightly browned. Do not over-cook.) Also pack:   1 five-ounce can chicken   1 packet Thai ginger-lemon seasoning (or 1 packet lemon chicken seasoning mix or 1 tablespoon lemon-pepper seasoning) On trail: Put rice mixture in a pot and add water until ingredients are covered. Bring to a boil, then simmer until ingredients are rehydrated, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken and seasoning mix and cook for an additional minute. Serve into bowls and top with cashews. Salt to taste. Makes a little more than 3 3/4 cups, or almost 2 cups per person. To round out the meal, Miller says, "I'd probably take pita bread or a sort of bready thing. For all one-pot meals, even if it's really good, it's still just one thing so it's nice to balance a meal. Pita bread is good because it's flat. For dessert, since this isn't a high calorie dish, I might serve a high-calorie dessert. I've served a back country type of s'mores - crunched up graham crackers, toasted nuts and chocolate that you warm up and mix all together." Click here for a printer-friendly version of this recipe To top of page

Dorcas Miller's gear recommendations: Because I do most of the food prep at home, my gear is very basic. For two people I take:   3 pots (1 1/2 quarts, 2 quarts, 3 1/2 quarts) and lids   1 pot lifter   1 one-cup measure   2 spoons (one Lexan, for stirring)   1 knife   2 plastic bowls   2 insulated travel mugs   1 small Army-type can opener   salt and pepper   1 scrubby   1 one-cup coffee funnel and filters   1 stove   matches and a lighter For a larger group, I take larger pots; more bowls, mugs, and spoons; and:   1 anodized aluminum (very light) Dutch oven   biodegradable soap for dishes   a small spice kit On canoe trips and when dead, downed wood is plentiful, I cook over a fire. With fires, I'm more likely to bake biscuits or a dessert. On sea kayaking and car camping trips — or when fire danger is high — I use a camp stove, of which there are several types: Canister stove: These stoves burn butane that comes in a prefilled canister. The advantage is that you never have to handle liquid fuel. The disadvantage is that you never know exactly how much fuel you have left. Liquid fuel stove: These stoves burn white gas or other liquid fuels. With some, the fuel tank is part of the stove; these are extremely user friendly, but can be heavy. In others, a fuel bottle serves as the reservoir; these need to be connected to and disconnected from the stove each time you use it, but they are light because the bottle doubles as the tank. Resources: Supplies: Bulk freeze-dried corn and other backcountry food supplies can be ordered from Adventure Foods or AlpineAire. Cookbooks: Backcountry cooking: From Pack to Plate in 10 Minutes (Mountaineers Books, 1998) by Dorcas Miller includes recipes and instructions on dehydrating food. Good Food for Camp and Trail: All-Natural Recipes for Delicious Meals Outdoors (Pruett Publishing, 1993) by Dorcas Miller has recipes, instructions on planning and cooking, resource lists and more. To top of page