Be on the ‘Lookout’ for cookbook

The Museum of North Idaho has released a new book that weaves recipes with history, personal stories and photos collected from the folks who have worked in forest fire lookouts of the West.

The “Lookout Cookbook” features rustic home cooking, innovative backcountry meals and, of course, some wonderful ways to showcase everyone’s favorite forest delicacy. (I’m thinking huckleberries, but there are a handful of Spam recipes in it, too.)

The book includes fun excerpts from old Forest Service cookbooks, including one printed in 1938 that relied only on ingredients that were in the lookout rations. Author Libby Langston says she hopes to raise awareness of the historic lookouts and their preservation with the book, which includes a brief history of lookouts and information on how to help preserve them.

Proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit the Forest Fire Lookout Association and the Museum of North Idaho, both nonprofit groups. The book can be found at local bookstores, ordered online at www.museumni.org or requested by mail for $14.95, plus $4 for shipping.

Write to: Museum of North Idaho, P.O. Box 812, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83816-0812 or the Forest Fire Lookout Association, Gary Weber, 32145 A Highway 57, Priest River, ID 83856.

Quick cooking winner

Delia Kennedy of Deer Park won the grand prize in the Taste of Home’s Quick Cooking magazine’s Beat-the-Clock-Breads Contest. She wowed the judges with her Marmalade Monkey Bread recipe and won the $500 prize.

A short story about Kennedy and her recipe appears in the March/April issue of Quick Cooking magazine.

The recipe uses refrigerated biscuits and can feature whatever kind of jam you have on hand. Kennedy uses orange marmalade. It has just 5 ingredients, takes 15 minutes to prepare and bakes in a half hour.

She said she enters recipe contests once or twice a month. She’s even won before, but never first place. “I always worked my whole life and I never had time for any of this… That’s what I do now for some extra fun.” Kennedy says.

Look inside today’s IN Food section for Kennedy’s recipe.