Recipes For The Campfire

 One of the best vacation experiences is camping. There's something about being out in the fresh air, enjoying all the aspects of nature. Another plus is food cooked out on the fire. There are some great recipes that are satisfying and tasty, perfect for the great outdoors.

Before you go make sure you have the necessary utensils and cooking apparatus. Pots and pans are a must as are spatulas and stirring spoons. A small chopping board is another must bring and a good chopping knife. You could bring a paring knife too.Also pack a colander for rinsing and pot holders  for lifting red hot pots and pans. Bring matches too. Sometimes rubbing two sticks together doesn;t always bring about a fire. A cooler to store drinks and perishables like eggs and bacon is also necessary. as for food yourself, look into the local farms. They not only will have fresh fruit and veggies but also honey, eggs, and a wide variety of baked and pickled goods. some may even have dairy like fresh milk, butter and cream. A plus is writing down eveyone's requests. You know s'mores are going to be on the list as hamburgers. Chopped meat is a must. You can not only make easy to cook  hamburgers but also loaded nachos. This is a great dish cooked in a Dutch oven.This also has easy to carry black beans and cheese.It's hearty and tasty, perfect after a day of kayaking or hiking.Mexican street corn and tacos are easy makes too and fun for a lunch.

Grilled foods are a must on a camping trip. Try chicken layered with cherry tomatoes and chunks of  bell peppers and onions. Marinate in a mix of olive oil and lemon  juice and serve with Greek tzatziki sauce. Foil packets are excellent for campfire cooking. Cleaning is minimal because these are made in aluminum foil packets. (and please bring that and Saran wrap too for storing). You can create one with shrimp and andouille sasuage for a Cajun twist. Try one with chicken ,black beans and chili powder for a tasty spicy dinner.Surprisingly you can also make a tasty pot of pasta on your camping holiday, Baked mac is the perfect dish on a cool night.It has steamed pasta with cheese poured over it. The cheese mixes with the water to form a sauce. You can also make a yummy pasta primavera too.It's first chopping up veggies such as tomatoes , squash and zucchini and lightly sauteing them. They're taken out and then the pasta is cooked with water. the two are combined once the pasta is all cooked. Add a creamy cheese like a goat one  to creat the Alfredo sauce.Desserts can also be made. Bananas boats are an easy make.Split the fruit in half and fill with eveyrhing form chocolate to fruit to caramel. Top wiht nuts for crunch. You can also make an easy peach cobbler too using a Dutch oven.

Cooking on the campfire is a fun, tasty adventure. You can make anything, from savory to sweet. The food is fresh and good, perfect for those al fresco meals.

Super Bowl's Super Restaurants

Atlanta will be buzzing this weekend, thanks to the Super Bowl. The town will be filled with  not only Patriots and Rams fans but with fans of the city's sparkling dining scene. Down home Southern cooking will have its' own battle against Nouvelle Southern cuisine.

A Southerner herself, Kim Severson wrote about this vibrant city in today's New York Times Food section. Atlanta, she writes, has always been a city about money. It's a thriving metropolis, not a sleepy Southern town and it attracts all sorts of workers from around the globe. There are immigrants from Mexico, India, South Korea and Vietnam. The influx feeds a mix of cuisines many of them represented along a stretch of road, Buford Highway. Two favorites are Yet Tuh where diners can feast on homey Korean grandma food such as bubbling pork soup and Food Terminal where diners can have a wide variety of Malaysian soups and barbecues. Next to it are a Chinese barbecue joint and a Viet-Cajun seafood restaurant along with a tofu house So Kong Dong that features Korean soups and barbecues. Atlantans also go mad for the heavily Cuban influenced seafood heavy Watchman's

Many of the city's biggest names in food have a presence here, Hugh Acheson,a Canadian born chef who adapted well to Atlanta has Georgians hooked on his coffee and fat squares of toast slathered with fresh local cow's milk cheese and jam at his Spiller Park. There is Anne Quatrano who brought  the farm to table movement to Atlanta  twenty-five years ago who now is bringing Gulf seafood to the area thanks to her second eatery W.H. Stiles Fish Camp. Atlanta is also a big breakfast town. Ms. Quatrano will open Pancake Social sometime soon but there are also much loved Java Jive, Highland Bakery and Homegrown, the last serving the ever popular pancakes and chili cheese grits. There is also the classic Waffle House. The original has been turned into a museum in nearby Avondale Estates. There is still traditional Southern food.For those who crave barbecue there is B's Cracklin Barbecue where pit master Bryan Furman turns out whole hog barbecue using heirloom breed hogs. Traditionalists will like The Busy Bee Cafe which has been around since the 1947 and has every kind of down home dish from fried chicken to peach cobbler.

People will be heading to Atlanta for the big game this weekend. They should take a break ad discover the city's vibrant restaurant scene. The town is chock full of amazing restaurants from traditional to exotic  a sure victory with food and restaurant lovers.