By Barbara Albright
The Associated Press

When the weather is right, the call of the outdoors has Americans on the move, whether it's backpacking, camping or touring by bike. We also roam by car, recreational vehicles and boats. When we're out there, we also eat and cook, of course, in styles that range from campfire basic to ambitious take-alongs.

As a Girl Scout leader and outdoor lover, I decided to check out Chef in Your Backpack: Gourmet Cooking in the Great Outdoors (Arsenal Pulp Press; $16.95) by Nicole Basset.

Raised in British Columbia, Bassett has hiked and biked in Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, Canada and the United States. Now she resides in Toronto.

In the book, Bassett describes her first revelation that camp food didn't have to taste bad, when hiking buddies made pancakes that were every bit as good as if they had been made at home.

Inspired by this meal, Bassett started figuring out ways to make her favorite recipes camping-friendly. Her thoughtful and detailed book is a collection of these recipes that she has been preparing to delight trekking companions.

A first major advantage: "Chef in Your Backpack" helpfully and clearly divides the recipes into steps that are completed pre-outing - "In the Kitchen" - and then steps that are done "At Camp."

Bassett also advises writing simple preparation directions on plastic storage bags containing ingredients. Another recommendation: "Having spices and condiments at your disposal can make the difference between an OK meal and a great meal." She suggests using empty film containers to store and carry your spices.

As an experienced outdoor enthusiast she gives great tips on packing. She points out what knowledgeable backpackers will already know, but that bears repeating: The heaviest items should be packed at the bottom center of the pack. In the case of food, which tends to be heavy, it should be stored in the center of your bag or near the surface where it is accessible and it won't get squished.

She also adds information on cleaning up and leaving your campsite as you found it.

The book is structured around menus for complete meals, with several recipes that use sturdy canned beans as a key ingredient. She also includes a snack section with baked goods such as cranberry and white chocolate biscotti, zucchini spice muffins, and peach apricot oat bars.

When I test recipes from cookbooks, I frequently involve friends and family to get their points of view. For this project, I invited several 13-year-old girls from my Scout troop along on a hike.

As directed by the book, I prepared parts of the recipes for our menu at home and packed them to bring to the campsite. A fire pit existed at the site we headed for, but we added extra stones to make a level surface that would hold the pots (we used pots from my husband's childhood Boy Scout troop.)

We started the log fire with the paper egg-carton and wax fire starters that we had made as a Girl Scout project. Soon we had a blazing fire and the water came to a boil fairly rapidly.

Each girl brought along mess kit and silverware in her backpack, and the cooking items and water necessary for the adventure were divided up among us all for carrying into the location. (We made do without items such as pot holders that we forgot to pack.)

When it came to eating time, I noted that even girls with a previously declared aversion to some of the ingredients used in the recipes ate the finished dishes anyway. Perhaps being in the great outdoors made them hungrier and less picky?

We had enough water with us to rinse the dishes and, as we left, to make certain that the fire was completely out.

Outdoor cooking tips

• Write simple preparation directions on plastic storage bags containing ingredients for a dish.

• Use empty film containers to store and carry spices.

• When packing a backpack with food, store heavy items in the center of the bag; lighter items near the surface where they won't get squished.

Sweet Chickpea Salad

14-ounce can chickpeas, drained

1 cup mango, diced

1/2 cup chopped cucumber

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/2 cup red pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Pinch cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

IN THE KITCHEN:

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Store in a plastic container or plastic bag.

AT CAMP:

Serve on its own or as an accompaniment. Makes 2 servings.

Shrimp and Feta Spaghetti

11/4 cups chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup ripe black olives, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried dill

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 handfuls uncooked spaghetti (6 to 8 ounces)

1/2 cup feta cheese, or more to taste

6-ounce can shrimp, undrained

4 cups water

IN THE KITCHEN:

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, green onions, olives, garlic, dill and oil and mix well. Store in a plastic bag.

Store the spaghetti in a plastic bag, breaking strands in half to fit if necessary.

Store the feta cheese in its own plastic bag.

Bring the can of shrimp.

AT CAMP:

In a pot over high heat, boil the pasta for 10 minutes, rinse, and set aside.

In a pot over medium heat, saute the shrimp and tomato mixture in oil for a few minutes until warmed through.

Add the pasta and feta cheese. Mix until cheese starts to melt. Makes 2 servings.

Adapted from "Chef in Your Backpack: Gourmet Cooking in the Great Outdoors"