Reading Matters: Cool Recipes & Camping Hacks for VW Campers
By Dave Richards – Veloce Publishing – www.veloce.co.uk – ISBN 978-1787117-45-7 – £14.99 + P&P
The buzz word of 2021 is undoubtedly ‘Staycation’. Every scenic spot along the coastline is dotted with caravans, campervans and tents, while the caravan parks are fully booked out for months ahead.
Living within confined spaces means that many standard items from the kitchen cannot be carried, with the number of cooking utensils kept to a minimum. When it comes to meal times and preparation of same, there are limitations. Outdoor adventures bring with it big appetites, which must be satisfied. And thanks to one of the latest books from Veloce Publishing, it will certainly help. It’s called Cool Recipes & Camping Hacks for VW Campers. Contained within the 128 pages of the A5 sized softback, written by experienced author Dave Richards, are 184 pictures to present the reader with numerous options for breakfast, lunch and dinner or breakfast, dinner or tea, whichever is the preference. All tastes are catered for within the 50 recipes outlined, with clear indications whether its vegetarian or gluten free etc. It’s right up to date also, written during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Subtitled “The Barefoot Chef”, Dave produced a series of comedy cookery sketches on the web, which led to a regular column in one of the Volkswagen campervan magazines.
“The whole point of the book is that everything can be done in a field or in a campervan. You will find no instructions here that involve ovens, microwave, or draining rice under a steam of boiling water.”
Alongside each section are handy tips and general advice on the practicalities of operating and living in a compact campervan like the VW T Series, hence the camping hacks and anecdotes section, which also contains the ins and outs of tenting whether its at a festival or in a remote field somewhere.
One negative aspect of this book is that the print is rather faint, proving difficult to read, especially if the light is fading.
Whether in a camper or camp, this is a very useful companion to have on any trip and not too heavy to carry! Jarlath Sweeney
