On the stove, it all depends on what kind of camping your doing. Jennmonkey mentioned elsewhere contemplating some backpacking. Most of my camping is on a motorcycle, some in a car. On the bike, I use a single burner Coleman Dual Fuel 533 stove (gas), and actually we manage fine. For backpacking there are even smaller single burner stoves available. When we go in a car, we use a dual burner propane stove, and I'd agree if you can manage the weight and space, it has definite advantages. Occasionally, we've used both to have a total of three burners, and/or used a portable grill. I personally prefer a propane stove to the gas stove that I usually use, and prefer two burners to the one that I usually have available, but what can be carried depends on how one is camping, and we always manage fine with what circumstances dictate.

You are convincing me that I need to purchase that book for myself! I think vegetable recipes probably lend themselves to "process" over "recipe" because of amounts and such. Stretching our brain is a very good exercise and I need to do it more often! The pictures are lovely and glad you are happy. Boy, I was lucky to you as a partner!

India is such a huge country, with such a diversity of cultures, races, ethnic origins, available ingredients, outside influences, historical events...basically such a diversity of everything, that the term "Indian Cuisine" shouldn't even be used, except in the broadest sense. To know that the British held sway in India for as long as they did, one can't really credit that cream was not adapted as a culinary ingredient. Even if it had been completely unknown prior to that era, which can hardly be the case in any culture where milk is utilized, it surely would have worked it's way into usage by now. Yogurt is much more common (which isn't surprising, considering the lack of refrigeration in a primarily warm country)of course, but I have seen quite a few recipes calling for cream. And, though considering the antiquity represented by the cuisines of India, I am but the merest novice (I've only been playing with it for about 10 years), I think I can trust myself to recognize recipes that have been re-written for the non-Indian cook. Potatoes are quite the popular ingredient, used by many of the Indian peoples, both in meat dishes, vegetable dishes, and alone. In fact, one of the things I love about the use of the potato in India, is that with the creative and judicious use of spices, herbs and other vegetables, the potato as cooked by an Indian housewife can be the nutritious, healthy food that it so often isn't in Western cooking, by the time we lace it with butter, cream, or cheese as is so often our wont. Jessica, Indian cooking can be very healthy indeed! (Leaving out the tendency toward deep fried snack foods!) While many recipes call for ghee (a form of toasty, clarified butter), you needn't add it with a lavish hand as the flavor is quite rich and distinctive. In many recipes, you can substitute olive oil quite easily, if you prefer. The use of so many spices and herbs, and the various methods in which they are used lends such flavor to meats, vegetables and grains that the addition of copious amounts of fats or yet salt, becomes unnecessary. Naturally, there are those curries that include fatty coconut milk, but then, if you eat the way a person in India eats, you won't be eating a big bowl of it, but a small portion along with vegetables, legumes and grains. My love affair with the cuisines of India began with Dal. The lowly lentil, which was to my knowledge just something one made a pot of soup with sometimes, has been transformed into a magical food ingredient by the hands of Indian cooks. I have read that it is a rare meal in India that does not include some version of legume. What we classify as lentils, peas and beans are all, "dal." Dal can be served in soups, porridge, breads, crackers, chips, snack nibbles, fritters, used as a base for thick sauces, toasted into crunchy bits to add texture, as a base for curries and stews...gosh, I'm sure I've left some uses out. And they are so good for us! High in fiber, satisfyingly filling, cheap sources of protein, minerals and vitamins. Okay, enough of my raptures...:D Earlier in the thread, someone mentioned wanting a Southern Indian cook book? I've a wonderful book that introduced me to the Vegetarian cuisine of Southern India, a style of eating quite different from much of what we Westerners think of when we think Indian foods. The recipes are mostly excellent but I must caution that the use of hot chilies is quite lavish. I have been accused of having an "asbestos mouth" by friends, but still I cut back quite a bit on the number of green, hot chilies and dried peppers the recipes call for. I figure, I can always add some hot sauce at table if needs be. Here is a link that might be useful: Dakshin-vegetarian cuisine from south India

I am making an 8.5 x 11 postbound one called "Vintage Family Recipes." I decided to feature each woman in the family that my son is directly descended from. I include a snapshot of the woman, a little family tree diagram showing the line of descent, two or three family favorite recipes from that woman, and my own personal journaling about her. I plan to include my paternal and maternal grandmothers, my husband's paternal and maternal grandmothers, my mother, my husband's mother, and myself. I think that about covers everyone, right? LOL It's a fun project. So far I have three pages done. No deadline, as it's just for me.