"DUTCH OVEN COOKOUT: Step by Step," by Michele Pika Nielson, Hobble Creek Press, $14.99, 201 pages
With more than 30 recipes, “Dutch Oven Cookout: Step by Step” tells how to successfully eat outdoors using very little equipment other than a Dutch oven.
The recipes, which range in skill level from "super-easy" to "intermediate," have detailed instructions and multiple ingredient measurements for various sizes of Dutch ovens. Tricks such as mixing ingredients in a plastic bag and pointers for cooking in the rain are just a few of the tips author Michele Pika Nielson shares.
This book could be viewed as a Dutch-oven encyclopedia with its wealth of information. Nielson explains, with the help of black-and-white photos, the steps of cooking with the pots. She also tells how to successfully season, store and mend the cookware. Almost every Dutch-oven problem and question is also addressed and answered.
“Dutch Oven Cookout: Step by Step” can help Dutch-oven cooks of all skill levels.
A Utah native, Nielson is a linguist who graduated from the University of Utah. She and her husband live in Salt Lake City and her website is at dutchovencookout.com.
Hot Fudge Cake
1. Preheat & Season. Meanwhile, mix chocolate cake mix with evaporated milk in zip-seal bag and set aside.
2. Pour water into the preheated Dutch oven. When the water is steaming and bubbling, stir in chocolate frosting. Cover lightly with foil and Simmer until mixture starts to steam and bubble. Make sure water-frosting mixture is nearly boiling before you add the cake mix.
3. Tear or cut off a corner of the bag and squeeze cake mix over the hot frosting mixture in a layer. Do not stir.
4. Bake 20–40 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
For an 8-inch Dutch Oven
Heavy Duty zip-seal bag: quart size
Evaporated milk: 1 5-ounce can
Chocolate cake mix: 7-8 ounces or ½ box
Water: 2 milk cans or 1¼ cups
Chocolate frosting: 8 ounce or ½ can
Serves: 5-7
Charcoal (uses "extra"): 18
For 10-inch or 12-inch Dutch oven:
Heavy Duty zip-seal bag: gallon size
Evaporated milk: 2 5-ounce cans
Chocolate cake mix: 16-18 ounces or 1 box
Water: 4 milk cans or 2½ cups
Chocolate frosting: 16 ounces or 1 can
Serves: 10-14
Charcoal (uses "extra"): 27 for 10-inch and 39 for 12-inch
For 14-inch Dutch oven:
Heavy Duty zip-seal bag: gallon size
Evaporated milk: 3 5-ounce cans
Chocolate cake mix: 24 ounces or 1½ boxes
Water: 6 milk cans or 3¾ cups
Chocolate frosting: 1½ pounds or 1½ cans
Serves: 15-22
Charcoal (uses "extra"): 53
Notes:
This recipe has moist cake on top with hot fudge sauce underneath!
• Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy frosting recommended.
Use the other half can of frosting to make s’mores — spread the frosting on a graham cracker and add a toasted marshmallow.
You can also do the three times the 8-inch recipe in a 12-inch and a times the recipe in a 14-inch. It will take longer to bake and you may need to add new charcoal partway through.
— “Dutch Oven Cookout: Step by Step,” by Michele Pika Nielson
Elizabeth Reid has bachelor's degrees in economics and history. She has worked in retail, medical billing, catering, education and business fields. Her favorite occupation is that of wife and mother. She blogs at agoodreid.blogspot.com.