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In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking with accomplished chef and St. Louis area resident Josh Galliano. We talk about his path to becoming a chef and the family and cultural influences. He grew up in southern Louisiana near the Mississippi River, where he had regular access to fresh, seasonal products. Mostly, though, we talk about campfire cooking. Galliano prepares memorable meals on sandbars for a local outfitter, Big Muddy Adventures, and just generally loves the outdoors.

We talked about the importance of advance preparation, what foods do and don’t lend themselves well to campfire cooking, essential equipment, and maintaining cleanliness and food safety. We get distracted talking about paw paws, and Galliano offers some tips for breaking out of the hot dog and burger routine. We wrap up with a discussion about river-themed foods, which is the subject of a new cookbook he is working on.

Whether you camp from your car like I often do, or hike or paddle for longer trips, you’ll find Galliano’s thoughts and tips helpful.

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In 1964, four members of the Ku Klux Klan killed two African American men in Mississippi. The story of their murder and the following decades of stops and starts in the prosecution of their killers inspired my latest Frank Dodge mystery: Murder on the Mississippi. In this episode, I give some background on the murder of Dee and Moore and how their murder influenced my latest book. Murder on the Mississippi takes place on a Mississippi River cruise from New Orleans to Memphis. The story centers around the story of three African American sisters whose father was killed in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in the 1970s by a gang of white men. They got a tip that the killers would be on the riverboat, so they booked a cruise to find them and hold them accountable. Their father’s murder, though, impacted each sister differently, which is one of the main themes of the novel. And while trying to find the killers, Dodge and his friends learn that some people on the boat aren’t who they claim to be. The book is already available for pre-order and officially releases on April 8, 2005.

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Living out of an RV or van seems more possible than ever before, and, based on what’s out there on social media, a lot of people have already taken the plunge. If you’re someone who is curious about what it takes to make the switch to full-time RV life, this episode is for you. I talk with Patti Hunt, host of the RV Life podcast, and someone with plenty of first-hand experience. We focus mostly on her personal story as she and her husband made the switch from living in a house to living in an RV.

Patti describes how they prepared to make the switch, the priorities that guided their choice of RV, and how they eased into RV life. We talk about the challenges of getting used to living in a much smaller space, when it’s advantageous to plan, and when it’s not. She passes on a few tips she learned about the etiquette of RV life, managing health needs on the road, and dealing with emergencies. Finally, she shares how, above all, the community she connected with in the RV world has been the most meaningful part of the journey for her.