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Travellers' questions that don't fit anywhere elseThis is an opportunity to ask any question, and post any notice you wish that doesn't fit into one of the other sections.
Last week Chris Evans interviewed a guy called Arthur Boyt who cooks and eats roadkill. If you can get it, he’s on TV on Wednesday 23 January 9.50pm -10.30pm BBC 2 inWonderland: The Man Who Eats Badgers and Other Strange Tales from Bodmin Moor.
Last edited by MarkE : 10th January 2008 at 13:28.
Reason: I thought I'd deleted teh formatting
I've found a few hurdles to overcome when cooking on the road.
First: here in South America at least, whatever you can find in the stores, that's what you get to cook. What you'd like to cook, and what they have for sale are two different things. The best cooks are the ones that can make do with what's available - no recipes required. I had a cookbook years ago called "Impromptu Cooking" - it was about using what was available, suggesting how to add ingredients, flavorings, spices, to make a reasonably tasty dish/meal.
Second: with most camp stoves, you don't really "cook" - you heat and serve/boil and stir. Also, the cook kit one carries determines what is possible. The food you buy needs to fit the kitchen.
Third: building fires - outside of designated campground fire-pits is a no-no in many parts of the world (fire dangers, environmental degradation, no fuel - try building a campfire on the Altiplano). They also require a lot of work sometimes - especially for the solo traveler, who has to set up the camp, find something to burn, do the cooking/cleaning afterwards. I personally find campfires a waste of time and effort when traveling solo.
Fourth: I worked for REI - Recreational Equipment Inc. in the U.S. (outdoor gear and apparel retailer). They had an annual backpacker cooking/recipe contest. Nearly all the meals/dishes required considerable advanced planning and preparation - from obtaining the ingredients (mostly dry/freeze-dried/dehydrated) - to pre-mixing and packaging so that the 'on-site' cooking was a minimum of effort and fussing ('just add water'). That's great when you are sitting at home and preparing for a few days, a week or two at most. But that doesn't work so well when you are traveling the road for weeks and months on end.
Instead of recipes, you might want to know what "cooking ingredients" do overlanders carry - what recommended spices, flavorings, and such - for making a variety of flexible and tasty dishes. As to the recipes, you need to learn to cook at home, then apply knowledge of same out on the road. Or, stick to what's in the can.
Instead of recipes, you might want to know what "cooking ingredients" do overlanders carry - what recommended spices, flavorings, and such - for making a variety of flexible and tasty dishes. As to the recipes, you need to learn to cook at home, then apply knowledge of same out on the road. Or, stick to what's in the can.
Great, thanks for the input.... I agree with all you've said and will amend the title :-)
I think for practical reasons road kill is out.... I know it can be done and there was an excellent demonstration at the UK HU Meet a few years ago..
My meaning was really to focus on recipes of quick and easy food.......... recipes that ideally only need one cooking pot, tinned and or fresh ingredients and even better, suggestions of what local food to look for when on the road.... (relevant to where in the world you are !!)….
If you burn down a south American rain forest in the process – don’t blame me….
Cheers
Matt
Last edited by goodwoodweirdo : 10th January 2008 at 14:57.
Reason: Recipes and ingredients only !!!
Any of the following are as easy as falling off a Bike.....
Cous-Cous------ just add boiling water, then some flavouring, (garlic, chili, pepper, salt whatever...)
Pasta Boil in water till tender, strain, add sauce if desired,
Rice as above
Noodles as above
Improvise around the above "fillers" using Tuna, Tomato puree (handy in squeeze tubes) a few spices and essential stuff such as Pepper, chilli, Garlic (dried even) ginger, can be carried in 35mm film Canisters,
Sesame Oil livens up salads and can be used for stir frying, a little goes a long way so use with groundnut oil or similar for stir frying.
Tabasco sauce livens up mostly anything, helps disguise the crap taste of a MacD if you have to eat one...
Herbs
Depending where you go, and if you know what to look for.... they do grow wild!
Rosemary (Romero), Sage (salvia), Camomile, Bay Leaves (off a Bay Tree), Mint, Aniseed, Wild Garlic among others grow abundantly here in Spain and many other places throughout Europe too.....
I've recently discovered THE way to cook. They're probably available in the US/UK, but I bought this metal container in Ecuador like a pot, which has a lid which clamps down with a rubber seal. Basically, a mini-pressure cooker. Throw in oil, seasonings, cut potatoes, bit of meat/vedge, seasoning almost optional. Best meals I've ever made..... You know when it's done by the very first hint of a smell. You can also do this with foil, but it's extremely wasteful. Also, depending on hot the fire or coals (you have to do a bit of experimenting) it's done in about 15 minutes.
The only place I've seen them sold are the big Mega or Super Maxi.
Lorraine
I've recently discovered THE way to cook. They're probably available in the US/UK, but I bought this metal container in Ecuador like a pot, which has a lid which clamps down with a rubber seal. Basically, a mini-pressure cooker. Throw in oil, seasonings, cut potatoes, bit of meat/vedge, seasoning almost optional. Best meals I've ever made..... You know when it's done by the very first hint of a smell. You can also do this with foil, but it's extremely wasteful. Also, depending on hot the fire or coals (you have to do a bit of experimenting) it's done in about 15 minutes.
The only place I've seen them sold are the big Mega or Super Maxi.
Lorraine
I've recently discovered THE way to cook. They're probably available in the US/UK, but I bought this metal container in Ecuador like a pot, which has a lid which clamps down with a rubber seal. Basically, a mini-pressure cooker. Throw in oil, seasonings, cut potatoes, bit of meat/vedge, seasoning almost optional. Best meals I've ever made..... You know when it's done by the very first hint of a smell. You can also do this with foil, but it's extremely wasteful. Also, depending on hot the fire or coals (you have to do a bit of experimenting) it's done in about 15 minutes.
The only place I've seen them sold are the big Mega or Super Maxi.
Lorraine
If you are using an open fire just make a parcel in tin foil of vegetables, olive oil, seasoning and a little water. Lay the parcel in the embers by the fire and steam away - delicious and no pans to wash - you can save the foil and reuse. If the fire is in the desert mix some flour and water into dough - flatten out and bury in hot sand/embers and wait till it sounds hollow when tapped with a stick ( it won't rise) dust off and eat hot with casseroles or marmalade.
Last edited by silver G : 11th January 2008 at 22:16.
Reason: addition
I tend to use a lot of tinned stuff, partly because here in france there is such a range. partly because i use a small gaz stove, so limited to quick cook/heating. Try not to waste the liquid in cans. The stuff i like to cook from raw, i generally need a fire (embers) for, so not so easy. The foil wrapped 'bakes' are one thing.. also casserole type slow stews another ( for this drop the pan on the embers, then earth around teh base of the pan. this will give long slow heat.
OK, finally some pictures. I've got the benefit of travelling through places which have incredible tomatoes. What you see is Chicken Parmesan without the cheese. ;-)
Put the chicken in the bottom along with an onion and a whole globe of garlic. Toss in some salt, pepper and oregano, along with enough tomatoes to fill the container. Throw it on a low fire and it's done in 20 minutes.
You can do English roasties this way, as long as the fire is hot enough. Otherwise it's just cooked potatoes.
Recipes for the road !!! "cooking ingredients" do overlanders carry
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