↓ Giveaway Entry From at Bottom of Article ↓

During the last decade, there’s been something of a revolution when it comes to backpacking food. Bland, questionably nourishing freeze-dried meals made by big brands have has been supplanted with delicious, nutrient-dense dehydrated meals made by small companies. As the founder of the Bend, Oregon startup Food for the Sole, Julie Mosier is squarely in the currents of this changing tide.

And, now, she’s upping the ante even more with her new book, The Dehydrator Cookbook for Outdoor Adventures!, which features more than 35 recipes as well as a full primer on food dehydration. 

“I was able to make things I wouldn’t be able to put into production,” Julie said of the recipes featured in the book. “That was a lot of fun. It was a chance to be free with my creativity. Pennies didn’t matter — if I spent 10 more cents on nuts, no big deal.”

The recipes in Julie’s book cover everything from breakfast and snacks to dinners and desserts, including: cold-soak spinach artichoke dip, salmon and roasted sweet potato hash, porter-infused chili with bacon, and even bread pudding. 

“I’ve always liked pushing the envelope in terms of dehydration,” Julie said. “But I really didn’t think bread pudding would work, but it did. It tickled me that you can successfully dehydrate and then rehydrate bread pudding.” 

Julie envisions two types of people resonating with her cookbook: people with very specific food restrictions who are better served by preparing their own backcountry food, as well as people who just love to be in the kitchen and want to get creative with backcountry cuisine. 

Julie acknowledged that dehydration is often a mystery to people, and for good reason. “It’s a very strange process. It’s different than cooking,” she said, adding that she hopes her book makes it both a more approachable and more enjoyable process. 

The book’s publisher, Callisto Media, actually approached Julie about the project, “because what crazy fool writes a book while opening a business,” Julie only half-joked. 

But Julie pulled it off by leaving Food for the Sole in the capable hands of the others on her team, and for seven weeks devoting herself entirely to writing and recipe creation. She had a detailed daily schedule for those seven weeks that included making three to four dehydrated meals each day. 

“You have to firing on all cylinders all the time,” she said. “Writing it was the easy part because I have a lot to say.”

The beginning of the book features this dedication: In memory of my mother, Denise, and mother-in-law, Diana, two remarkable women both in and out of the kitchen.

“I’m kind of sad they didn’t get to see it,” Julie said of these two central figures in her life. “I thought of them the entire time I was doing this. And all the influence, the decades of influence. They were both amazing cooks. I had them with me the entire time.”

The Dehydrator Cookbook for Outdoor Adventures! will be released Sept. 24 (pre-sales are currently live). The publication date constantly flashes in the upper corner of Julie’s brain inspiring a range of emotions.

“It’s gratifying. It’s somewhat surprising — ‘Dang, that’s my name.’ To be honest, it’s a little bit stressful,” Julie said. “It was a remarkable experience. I had a lot of fun. I was grateful for the opportunity and the chance to just be creative.”

WooWoo … GIVEAWAY!!!

We’re super excited to be able to give away copies of The Dehydrator Cookbook for Outdoor Adventures! to three lucky winners! Use the entry form below to put your name in the digital hat. 

A few notes: 

• Entering your email address will sign you up for newsletter updates from Garage Grown Gear (you can unsubscribe at any time). 
  
  
• Entering your email address will unlock opportunities to earn bonus entries, including by making a purchase on Garage Grown Gear (use the code 'GOODEATS' for a 10% discount), referring friends and following Garage Grown Gear and Food for the Sole on social media.
  
  
• A big apology to our international folks, but this one is open to U.S. residents only.
  
  
• Haven’t tried Food for the Sole meals? They’re available on Garage Grown Gear, and we simply can’t recommend them enough!