With planning, you can eat well while camping. The food must be relatively easy to prepare, not require kitchen appliances and be able to be cooked on a grill, camping stove or open fire, like this recipe for Orange-Herb Salmon.

The freeze-dried era is over — if you're willing to put in a little work.

After years of just adding water to bring your camping feast to life, refinement has come to eating in the wild. Fresh fish, meat, veggies and savory sauces no longer are restricted to areas with four walls and a ceiling.

Though when she first camped, Robin Donovan wasn't so sure.

"I thought it would be cold and unpleasant and that we would eat gross food," Donovan said. "But I went with friends who were good cooks, and we ate really well — chicken kabobs and veggie kabobs."

Donovan was inspired enough to become a regular camper and to write "Campfire Cuisine" in 2006.

These days Donovan still is as devoted to eating well in the outdoors. Her secrets aren't complicated: thought, preparation and fresh meat, fish, vegetables and herbs. She aims high while remaining practical.

"One rule when writing the book was that I wouldn't put a recipe in that I wouldn't serve to guests at my home," said Donovan, who will release a follow-up, "The Lazy Gourmet," next year. "I wouldn't compromise because I was camping."

But there are rules:

• The food must be relatively easy to prepare, not require kitchen appliances and be able to be cooked on a grill, camping stove or open fire.

• Dishes must be kept to a minimum.

• Ingredients should ideally be no more than five or six.

Even such rules can produce dynamic fireside meals, whether car camping or attempting a short backpacking trip.

"I've always been astonished by people who consider themselves foodies at home and eat boxed macaroni and cheese every night while camping," Donovan said.

The two recipes on this page are from her book (found at usual online booksellers). They will help turn the outdoors into a gourmet kitchen.