Perfect for raft guides on their days off or looking to try something new on the river, adventure writer and land activist Morgan Sjogren inspires dirtbags across the West how to embrace an authentic off-road adventure survivalist lifestyle in her new outdoor cooking guidebook.
With pro tips to explore more, easy recipes to fuel you along the way, the stunning Southwest as a backdrop, and a yellow jeep for a home, Sjogren shares her experience of living in the wild to inspire others to find their own epic adventure. Outlandish will be available in bookstores and outdoor specialty shops and online at TheRunningBum.com.
Outlandish is equal parts fuel for the body and food for the soul. Sjogren’s new book, published by VeloPress, will stoke your sense of adventure and inspire you to launch your own epics.
Outlandish is a sun-soaked recipe book, interspersed with personal essays on how outdoor adventure can become your lifestyle. Through her riveting personal stories, flavorful recipes, and real-life photographs, Sjogren shares advice and lessons learned from years exploring the desert Southwest.
In Outlandish, Sjogren shows how to sleep better in a car, build a cooking fire, overcome calamity, repurpose bacon grease, leave no trace, sun-dry tomatoes on your car hood, cook burritos on a hot engine block, and select practical gear for your tailgate kitchen. Sjogren offers up dozens of recipes that draw from the places she’s been and tell intoxicating tales of exploration and mishap. There are taco recipes remembered from the highest mountain in Mexico and “50 Shades of Burritos” with flavors taken from around the Four Corners region.
Here’s a sample of just one of her outlandish recipes from the new book:
CHILAQUILES
Makes 2–3 plates
This adaptation on the classic Mexican breakfast dish is every peak bagger’s dream. A few eggs, salsa, and the remains of a bag of smashed tortilla chips are all you need to stoke your fire with a zesty morning meal. Of course, you can class it up with cheese and avocado too.
Cooking tools: Propane stove, Pan, Spatula
2 Tbsp. fat
3 large handfuls tortilla chips
2 cups red or green salsa
4 eggs
Optional toppings: Shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro
Heat the fat in the pan over medium. If the chips aren’t already smashed, break them up into bite-size pieces. Add chips to the pan and toss in the fat until golden.
Pour in the salsa and bring to a simmer.
Once the salsa begins to be absorbed into the chips, crack the eggs into the mixture. Using a spatula, scramble the eggs until they are fully cooked.
Remove the pan from the heat. Divide between two or three plates, sprinkle with cheese, sliced avocado, and cilantro if you have them, and devour immediately.
Morgan Sjogren is a writer, adventurer, and former elite track athlete turned trail runner. In 2017, Sjogren moved into a sunshine-yellow Jeep Wrangler and hit the road. She devoted her days to running and adventuring across the Southwest—from Sedona, Arizona, to Bears Ears National Monument, Utah, to Silverton, Colorado—writing about her experiences along the way and living on simple, tasty meals that kept her energized and healthy. The two-time track-and-field NAIA All-American trained with the Mammoth Track Club before discovering her passion for writing and exploring wild places on foot, which has led to extensive work documenting, investigating, and advocating for public lands. Her book, The Best Bears Ears National Monument Hikes, is the first and only guidebook devoted to the original monument boundaries. Beyond running, she loves to test her limits summiting mountains and experimenting with new sports. She is known to her followers on social media as the “Running Bum,” and she uses her social media accounts to share her wilderness adventures. She has written for Trail Runner, Runner’s World, Backpacker, Patagonia, Gear Junkie, Sidetracked, SnowSports Industries America, Adventure Pro, and REI.
VeloPress is the leading publisher of books about endurance sports. Focused on cycling, triathlon, running, and swimming, VeloPress books help athletes achieve their goals of going faster and farther. VeloPress authors are top experts in their fields and their clearly illustrated books help athletes develop the knowledge, fitness, and skills to meet any challenge.
Outlandish is flexibound with a full-color interior and 100 photographs throughout (6″ x 7.5″, 248 pp., $24.95).