cooking on short trips
 

I saw this comment in the dining alone thread but thought this was off-topic enough for it's own discussion:
http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...ML/008847.html

It got me thinking. I rarely cook on short trips, even if the room I'm in has a full kitchen. I do cook at home. I think one problem is that the kitchen is stocked with equipment but not food staples. So groceries for dinner that might cost $10 at home might run $20 or more. I might need a tablespoon of oil, two pats of butter, a pinch of salt and pepper, a clove of garlic, and one egg - I'm going to have to buy (or bring) full sized containers of all of these. And then throw them out after one or two meals, when I check out.

What's the answer? Do you splurge on all that stuff and then toss the extra? Do you travel with the basics carried from home? Do you simplify your recipes and leave out whatever isn't critical? Do you have favorite travel recipes that are simple to begin with?

if they have a pan,can opener, & cork puller, what else does a guy need? a scratch meal is when you open 3 cans or more.

sort of seriously...i like stewed tomatoes,green beans,corn[drain the beans & corn] heat together & eat w/table spoon out of pan. or cream style corn w/ drained green beans. both are wonderful when preceded by the appropriate dosage of single malt.

[This message has been edited by clacko (edited 11-23-2002).]

Pre-911, some coworkers were travelling to DC for a week and staying in a 2-bedroom Residence Inn. They wanted to cook, but had much the same problem: they needed a little bit of this, and a little bit of that.

Their solution was to pack just what they needed to cook with. They were baking a cake for someone so had some vanilla extract, some flour, some sugar, and so forth.

Well, chalk this up to 'seemed like a good idea at the time.' I can tell you that passing through airport security with bags of white powder does not endear you to security screeners. They nearly missed their flight with the half hour interrogation runaround they got. They do kinda look hippie-ish, like they might be potential drug runners, come to think...

If I am staying at a hotel that has a kitchen I have on occasion gone about the ingredients for a simple meal at the grocery. I make a very dumbed down beef stew.

Brown stew meat in pot.
Drain fat
add 3 cans of consomme
simmer
add pre peeled and washed baby carrots
cut up two baking potatos
cut up celery
cut up small onion
simmer and eat

buy "Bag O' Salad" and it's a meal.

This makes more than I can eat for dinner but the ingredients are still cheaper than what I would pay for dinner out. I toss the rest and don't worry about wasting food. I like being able to cook for myself at home. I also leave the dirty pots. It's nice to cook and not have to clean up.


[This message has been edited by prncess674 (edited 11-25-2002).]

For most of the small stuff, one egg, table spoon of flour, etc, I have had great success at calling down to the restaurant and asking for it. Most times it's free, sometimes a tip of a couple of dollars gets it.

Salt and Pepper are usually there, butter and some other supplies can easily be taken from breakfast, etc.

For small amounts of produce (onion, pepper, carrot, celery), if the store has one, use the salad bar. I even do this at home sometimes.

[This message has been edited by swag (edited 11-25-2002).]

If you leave the dirty pots, please tip the maid!

I enjoy brewing up my own pot of tea. I hate the way tea is served via room service. The same pots that coffee is served in carry the hot water--tastes oily.

I carry my own tea. I don't need much more that a kettle and I'm a happy non-camper.