Authors Phyllis Hinz and Lamont Mackay are full-time motorhomers who present their stovetop
recipes with tasty travel anecdotes in this unusual cookbook. Former restaurant owners,
“The Cooking Ladies,” as they call themselves, have put together a complete menu, from
condiments to desserts. But that’s only half the story. Facing each recipe page is a tale
about the place of either the recipe’s origin or the authors’ inspiration, complete with
photographs. For example, opposite “Papaya Marinade and Chutney,” we read about south
Florida’s “football-size” papayas.
The authors’ RV adventures range from Alaska to Mexico,
but perhaps the most intriguing recipe springs from no particular locale. “The RV world has
introduced us to Nail Soup,” they write. The name comes from a story about a woman who was
so hungry, she fainted while boiling water; the dry pot’s rattling loosened the nails in
the ceiling, and they fell into the pot. When the woman revived, she found soup made of
leftovers, fresh produce and canned goods, contributed by her neighbors. Sound familiar?
Some of these recipes are complicated, but all are prepared on top of the stove, which
means they’re doable in an RV galley. When you’re not in a cooking mood, just reading this
book will entertain – and maybe inspire – you. Leave it out for others to enjoy, too; with
more than 100 recipes – and the same number of interesting one-page sidebars – it’s more
entertaining than many coffee-table travel books we’ve seen.
Recipes From the Road ($19.95
U.S. or $29.95 Canadian) can be ordered directly from thecookingladies.com.
