Bigfoot's Dutch Oven Cookbook

Hearty meals. Open fire. Unexplained encounters. Bigfoot's Dutch Oven Cookbook and Short Stories brings together two traditions that have always belonged around the same fire—good food and a great story. Inside, you'll find a collection of hearty, casserole-style recipes created for the outdoorsman, the backyard cook, and anyone who appreciates a meal done right. From Cajun Jambalaya and classics like Meatloaf to a slice of Chicago Style Pizza, there's plenty to choose from. Start the morning with a Giant Cinnamon Roll, or, if you have a sweet tooth, try the classic Peach Cobbler or step into the French Quarter with Bourbon Street Bread Pudding—and be sure to try the double-chocolate option. The recipes are designed around traditional cast-iron Dutch oven cooking using hardwood coals or charcoal briquettes. Recipes include cooking temperatures, times, and ingredient quantities for different Dutch oven sizes, while a detailed briquette temperature guide takes the guesswork out of charcoal cooking. Practical Dutch oven tips explain how to manage hardwood coals, position heat above and below the oven, and use the author's "envelope" method to help maintain consistent heat. And despite the name, you don't need a campfire—or even any experience with Dutch oven cooking—to use this cookbook. Every recipe includes instructions for making it in a conventional oven at home. So whether you're cooking over wood coals at camp, using charcoal briquettes in the backyard, or simply looking for a collection of hearty one-pot and casserole-style meals to make in your own kitchen, these recipes are designed for you. But when the cooking is finished and the fire begins to burn low, the book takes a different turn. Woven among the recipes are true stories of outdoor adventure and unexplained encounters from the mountains and forests of Maryland and West Virginia. Travel into Maryland's Savage River State Forest, where a day of fly fishing leads to an unexpected adventure deep in the mountains and the unsettling possibility that something may be moving through the forest. Spend a fall night beside Owens Creek on Catoctin Mountain, where the peaceful sounds of the stream and surrounding woods give way to an encounter with a large, mysterious figure moving through the darkness. Then venture deep into West Virginia's Cranberry Wilderness on a backpacking and fly-fishing expedition into the Monongahela National Forest, where an unforgettable journey turns into a harrowing chase through the wilderness and raises the question of just what might be sharing the forest with you. These aren't campfire legends retold from someone else. They are personal accounts of experiences in the wilderness—stories of fishing, backpacking, exploration, fear, and encounters that still leave unanswered questions. Part cookbook, part outdoor adventure, and part journey into the unexplained, Bigfoot's Dutch Oven Cookbook and Short Stories belongs beside the campfire, in the kitchen, at the hunting cabin, on the coffee table, or in the collection of anyone who loves all things Bigfoot—anywhere people gather for good food and a story worth telling. You may come for the food… …but you'll stay for the stories. And when the fire burns low, you might just find yourself listening a little closer to the woods.