CATERING

Preparing for the ultimate road trip food and cooking adventure

One of the best parts of any road trip is the culinary experience and the food adventure possibilities along the way. Before embarking on a road adventure, read on for an unforgettable gastronomic ride.

The essentials

Whether your road trip is a spontaneous adventure or a well-prepared occasion for the family, there are some essential things to bring for an unforgettable culinary adventure. You can be ready for a picnic or outdoor cooking in a moment’s notice when you have an outdoor grill that can be folded small for easy storage and mobility. The Coleman Road Trip Grill is one of the best portable outdoor grills in the market. Its full-size opens into a generous cooking surface area of 285 sq. inch. You can cook with it in your backyard, tote it to a picnic in a park, or take it on the road and use it to camp in the wild or off the beaten path. It also comes apart for easy cleaning. Coleman Road Trip Grills also have removable Mix & Match surfaces to let you use it as a grill, stove, or griddle.  You can use it on the stand or cook with it on your tabletop.
You can cook virtually any kind of meat and vegetables in this grill. It is also great for stir frying! Simply use a pan and put it over the griddle. Other essentials are reusable gel packs you should always have stocked in your freezer, a cooler for your beverages, hand sanitizers or moist towelettes, trash bags and paper towels for clean-up, a bottle opener and a corkscrew, a multi-purpose knife, tongs, serving utensils, eating utensils, a picnic blanket, and a first aid kit.

Food storage

You can estimate the quantities of ingredients and spices beforehand, and even premix and measure what you can. You don’t have to bring a whole bag of flour if you only need a few cups.  Food containers should be lightweight and strong with water tight lids. They should not break easily, and are preferably transparent and have wide necks for easy access. You don’t have to buy new bottles of herbs and spices. You can measure the amount you need and get ingredients from your own kitchen or garden. Use plastic bottles instead of glass jars to reduce your load and also to avoid breakage. For powdered foods such as flour and coffee, screw-on tops are better to avoid spilling when opening (as opposed to those pull-off types). A great space saver for storing ingredients is mini Ziploc bags! Small quantities of herbs and seasonings can be carried in 35-mm film containers, which have airtight lids. Remember to label each container appropriately so you don’t have problems identifying the ingredient when you start cooking. Masking tape and permanent marker are handy for labeling any type of container. Pack small items in a single container for better organization and easier access. In between spaces, you can insert useful items such as teabags or cooking instructions folded neatly.  Another invaluable technique in storing food on the road is stacking. Use small plastic tubs (or Tupperware) with airtight lids that have the same shape and size, and are designed to be stacked on top of each other.

Taking advantage of local food

To fully experience the essence of your destination, eat what the locals eat. If you’re not so keen about spontaneously incorporating surprise ingredients in your cooking or inventing a new dish as you go along, you can research the available local foods in the place of destination even before leaving the house. 

There is always the internet or your local bookstore to give you an idea what the abundant ingredient in the place is.  If the ingredient is unfamiliar and you’re willing to take the risk, check out available recipes from the internet and comments from other people. Local food and the region’s specialty sold in the street, markets, or restaurants, prepared and ready-to-eat, will also bring color and fun to your road trip, as well as a great way to learn about the local culture of a new place.

You can also take advantage of local herbs, spices, mushrooms, and wild berries, picking them on the road, for more fresh and flavorful seasonings.  A lot of the herbs such as oregano, mint, lemon grass, and basil grow in the wild. Fresh herbs also make great water infusions for a refreshing hot drink. You can also add them to your tea for more flavor. Before picking herbs and wild plants, however, you have to make sure of their identity and that local law permits picking. You can research on this in the internet beforehand.  Be very cautious about picking wild plants, berries and fungi because they can be poisonous, even deadly. In general, you can rule out harmful plants with a few tests. First, break open the plant and sniff it, then reject anything that smells of almonds or peaches. Rub the broken plant on the inside of your elbow to check for irritation, rash, or allergic reactions. Place a piece of the plant on your lips for five seconds then do the same in the corner of your mouth, then the tip of your tongue and then under your tongue to check if numbness or burning occurs. Swallow the piece and wait for five hours for any adverse reactions. If no reaction occurs, then the food is most probably safe.

Cooking meats

If you can’t bring herbs and spices, the barest minimum of seasonings you should have with you is salt, pepper, and olive oil. With these three, you’ll be able to cook flavorful and delicious meats on Coleman Roadtrip Grills. Before cooking meats, as much as possible, allow it to reach room temperature first.

Pat it dry with a clean towel before preparing. Use a dry rub of salt and pepper and a little extra virgin olive oil (and whatever extra seasonings you prefer) for chicken and steaks. For fish, cook it immediately on catching, or keep it alive in a pool or water. Fish cook very quickly than meat and most vegetables. Grill the meat over an open fire on your Coleman Roadtrip Grill for a pleasant and smoky flavor.

For more information on Camping Supplies or coolers go to http://www.coolersforcamping.com

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