What do you cook - with recipes if poss.

[billwilson]

Originally Posted by durangatangs

Damn right you're a lucky man and don't you forget it. Do you think she'd let you post a recipe or two?

Two weeks and 1,200 miles
only Gringo food we had was one In&Out and 2 Burger kings

She is willing to do recipes, but in Thai (only way she knows to write the recipes)

[durangatangs]

I can't read a word of Thai. I guess we are condemned to a lifetime of Trader Joe's Thai sauces. Not bad, but not up to your standards I bet. At least with the SMB some of the more international and exotic cuisines are on the possible list. The dry mixes we are accustomed to as backpackers can become wearisome over a longer trip.

[Nomadcat]

You all will think I'm barbaric, but here's what I usually take and make. I do a lot of miles, so it's become kind of a honed thing, but anyway, here goes.

It has gotten to the point where I mainly eat out of the fridge. Yes, I said you'd think I was barbaric, but when you drive all day, sometimes the last thing you want to do is cook when you pull in. I'll get to camp cooking in a bit, but this is road trip cuisine.

In the fridge, I always pack good OJ, organic milk, good guacamole - kind of like veggies in a tub, in my head, at least - an assortment of cheeses, some good Greek yogurt, some type of tofu or seitan stuff that keeps well, maple syrup, some lemons to flavor the water, and I always leave space for stuff I pick up along the way, such as sandwiches or take-out food. I have a mental map of good food places in many parts of the country, so that helps, especially if you're a veg-head, such as I.

I do carry a book lately that, if anything were to get me to eat meat again, this would be the thing, but I have not yet tried it out. http://www.amazon.com/500-Things-Eat-Be ... 301&sr=8-1

Outside the fridge, I will carry crackers, cookies, bread, granola, pistachios, and a tub of Ultimate Meal powder. Yes, I am a barbarian. I *do* like to eat good food at home, and I like to cook, but when I'm on the road, I'm a fairly gross, utilitarian guy.

There is other stuff, as well, but I'll leave it at that for the moment and I will share at least one recipe so that I can say I posted a relevant thing to this thread.

When I do take the time to cook - and I carry a two-burner Coleman in the van for those occasions - one of my favorite things is as follows, and it's very easy and delicious.

1 package of good polenta
Some butter or olive oil - either one will work
Some good cheese that will melt - Taleggio is nice, but cheddar works, as well, or swiss or many others.
Some cherry or grape tomatos.

Heat up a frying pan and either the butter or the oil.

Have the polenta sliced into half inch by two inch rounds and put them in the pan to heat up, even lightly brown on one side. Flip them, put some cheese on each one, then cover the pan, if possible, and let the cheese melt. Just before serving, put half a mini tomato on each one and devour. It's very tasty.

Okay, that's my bogus post, but it's all true, I swear. I'll try to remember my tofu scramble recipe in a coherent way so that I can post that another day.

[durangatangs]

OK and in the spirit of sharing recipes, here is one of the most delicious dishes you will ever eat, whether made at home in a food processor, in an rv, or on a backpacking stove in the wilderness. If made in the backcountry, this must be the first night's meal, because if not made with FRESH parsley and garlic it's simply not the same dish. The only thing that needs cooking is the pasta.

Opera Spaghetti (Makes you want to sing an aria!)
one bunch FRESH parsley, chopped fine
3-5 cloves FRESH garlic, chopped fine (more is better, depending on taste)
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 c water
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1 lb dry linguine (or pasta of your choice)

Mix together all ingredients except pasta. Let sit at least 1/2 hour at room temp. Cook pasta to al dente, mix with sauce. Garnish individual servings with more parmesan, provide more crushed red pepper to taste. Damn this is good!

SING!