more than s'mores and not a weenie in sight

I love food. I don't just mean I like to eat. I am borderline obsessed, like a proper love affair. I love talking about food. I love shopping for food, discovering new flavor profiles and techniques, sharing dishes and recipes. I love growing food, visiting farms and gardens. Whilst eating, I'm talking about food, food preparation, and what's next.  Not that I don't enjoy what I'm feasting on at the moment, but I'm always plotting, planning, and preparing for what's to come.

Food and meals are the perfect excuse for a party. Not that you need a good reason in the first place. 

For me, cooking is a way to honor the people and places I love, keeps memories and legacies alive, and takes you on a journey of adventure, excitement, and love. 

When I was younger, my family was involved with Boy Scouts. Most would be surprised to learn that I love camping, being outside, and I'm actually quite handy and proficient in the wild. Spending many weekends camping, you learn to be creative. From pizza and pineapple upside down cakes to piping hot coffee and cobblers, simple stews to exotic rattle snake, it was definitely a culinary adventure. The more we camped, the more daring our culinary exploration. 

As I've grown older, so too have my tastes. My love of camping hasn't changed, but my food expectations have become a little more specific. 

I think the idea of "glamping" or "glamorous camping" might be a little over the top, but the idea of bringing foods you love is absolutely a must.  Your favorite cheeses, charcuterie, dried fruits, olives and other pickled produce, and nuts make for easy antipasti.  Make cooking easy on yourself by preparing as much as possible from the comfort of your kitchen before you leave by washing, peeling, and produce and storing in sealed bags.  Similarly, butcher, trim, and cut your meat products as well.  This will minimize the need to find flat surfaces, cut down on cooking tools you'll need to pack and cart off the beaten path, and make for speedier meals in general.

What's your favorite campfire meal?

Considerate Travel

I've had a pretty hectic travel day. I woke up this morning in the suburbs of Chicago, flew from O'Hare to Detroit, transferred to New York where I met up with a client for an hour to deliver some fabulous wares, and then headed home to Florida. And I must tell you - when you travel in the future, please be a considerate traveler. Especially when it comes to eating.

It all started whilst waiting in the Delta Sky Club. It's only ironic, because I was just conversing with my longtime friend Janet. You see, one of Janet's biggest pet peeves is when people make sounds whilst eating. I don't just mean the natural, minimal sounds either. I mean when people chomp on crisp apples like cows eating grain. That obnoxious smashing of teeth and gums against fruit, with the sloshing of the juices, and the laboured breathing - it's terrible. A few of Janet's coworkers even weighed in on the subject with particular instances of other coworkers chowing down on apples while in close quarters in the workplace.

Well, shortly after this conversation, a woman came into the Sky Club and sat next to me. What was in her purse? Not just an apple - but a giant Asian pear as well. And she proceeded to chomp away on her fruits. Apparently my "f*** you" look said more than words could articulate - because she gathered her belongings and moved to another sitting area in the club.

As if the loud eater in the Sky Club wasn't enough - seated in the same row, but on the other side of the aisle, was a woman who feasted on TUNA FISH mid-flight. TUNA! Could you possibly pick another malodorous food option?!

So it got me thinking - maybe people don't take into account their fellow travelers before selecting their food options. So I'm saying it here, in plain language, for all to see. "Before you board your next train, plane, hovercraft, ferry, or any other form of public transportation, kindly leave all loud, fragrant foods at home."

Here are some suggestions:

-- when you travel on planes, overnight ferries, and trains, the air is often recycled and the quarters are often cramped. Avoid foods with heavy scents. This includes seafood, garlic, and anything fried. While your love of McDonald's french fries is unending, your guilty pleasure is multiplied in close quarters in the form of horrible smells. Save them for open air environments. The same goes for garlic and fish dishes as well.

-- speaking of recycled air - the environment is often quite dry on public transportation. consider packing a fruit salad. I make sure to pack a small plastic dish so the fruits don't get smashed or squished, and am sure to de-seed and cut the fruits into bite-sized pieces, as to refrain from squirting passengers with fruit juices or seeds. Small containers of mixed nuts are not only mess-free, they're also protein packed and healthy!

-- stay away from overly stick or seasoned foods as well - any food that would necessitate you washing your hands is something to leave at home. As much as I love Garrett's popcorn - their cheese flavoured variety is so cheesy that your fingers end up turning orange. Not the best travel snack.

Follow these tips, and you're sure to be a fabulous traveling companion. Arrive alive. It's always en vogue!