What’s Hot in Food and Cooking: Things to Take on the Road
When hitting the road for travel whether by car, train or air keeping kosher on the move can present some challenges. Below are some items that may make your travels less stressful. When traveling by commercial means, if you have to check luggage try to have a very deep, hard-sided suitcase to hold all of your travel cookware. Remember that knives and anything with a blade cannot be carried in carry-on luggage. If you have the luxury of traveling in your own vehicle, rather than a deep suitcase for your travel cookware, have a box or two with handles that you can stow in the trunk of your vehicle.
Knives with Covers:
Having the correct tools when on the road is no less important than when cooking at home. Yes, a plastic knife will do in a pinch, but today it is relatively easy to get knives that come with blade covers, and having at least one good knife will make food prep that much easier. If you are going to be preparing more than pareve meals make sure to have designated knives for dairy, meat and pareve
Cutting Boards:
This is an activity that may sound silly but can be a great way to get to know people. With adults this can be a team-building activity and a great way to get to know co-workers or members of a club. This is also a great beginning of a cooking party for teens or younger children as well. As the planner, make sure to pick a great recipe that has enough ingredients for each team to be able to find. With a complicated recipe, each team could have a different list of ingredients so that in the end everyone needs to find all of the ingredients to complete the recipe, or have each team find the complete list of ingredients to make multiple batches. Beforehand, you should also make sure that the place your teams will be shopping has all of the required ingredients. Keep it light – it isn’t about being competitive, but about getting to know the person/people that are working together. For a playful competition, have small prizes for the team that finds all of the ingredients first; or even for the team that finds the fewest ingredients or finishes last. This can be modified to be done in a grocery store setting, or a farmers market, or open market like a shuk. Make sure that adults are paired with younger children. Set a time limit and pick a meeting spot.
Collapsible Measuring Utensils:
You may not be baking when on the road but these are convenient and will make following recipes while traveling so much easier
Collapsible Bowls:
These are indispensable when preparing meals on the road. Pop open a large bowl for making a salad. Use these to mix batter for pancakes or even to make scrambled eggs. They are plastic, lightweight and pack flat.
Electric Sandwich Maker:
This is an indispensable travel item for easy hot meals. From toasted cheese sandwiches to pancakes and eggs, this little wonder is capable of cooking so many more things than sandwiches. There are many models to choose from. Hamilton Beach makes a classic sandwich maker that is easy to pack in luggage. Cuisinart makes a model that has interchangeable plates for different cooking surfaces and a broader range of cooking.
Rice Cooker Steamer:
This is the bulkiest item on this list but if you are able to fit this in your luggage you will be thrilled with the range of meals you will be able to prepare while traveling. Make sure to purchase a steamer with a steaming basket that will fit above the rice. You can cook any grain in these versatile steamers and if you utilize the insertable steam basket you can prepare a full meal. Fish and vegetables steam to perfection above the grain you are cooking. Kosher fish and fresh produce are very easy purchases regardless of where you travel. Ask your LOR about purchasing kosher fish from a non-kosher seller. Depending on your destination you may also be able to pack frozen meat or chicken in your luggage. Aroma makes a great model that will cook 3 cups of dry grain (6 cups cooked) and can be packed safely in luggage.
Portable Mini Grill:
If you will have a place to grill over coals or with propane, a mini grill or a disposable grill makes another great addition to your travel kitchen equipment. ISUMER makes a great compact grill that is easy to travel with but does require coal. Another option is this little compact kettle grill by Cuisinart. If propane is more your style then this Char-Broil model might better suit your needs.
Miscellaneous Items:
Unless you will have access to a place to purchase paper goods and disposable items at your destination, you may want to make sure you have the following in your travel kitchen supplies. Disposable cutlery and plates, or reusable plastic cutlery and plates if that is your preference. Paper towel rolls, napkins, assorted sizes of zipper bags (these are wonderful to mix a salad in or to marinate food for the grill), vegetable peelers, tongs, small spatula, aluminum foil and any dry spices you may want.
For more travel cooking tips and ideas follow my blog, The Out of Town Cook.
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