What's in YOUR kitchen?

[Zehra Rizvi]

Nothing beats a home cooked meal in a foreign country with exotic ingredients (bought at the super expensive expat store).  There is a pleasure (for me) to have friends sitting around the table instead of at the 'Chinese' in Ampara, Khana Khazana in Kampala, or Mocca in Khosar Market in Islamabad. I am pleased to say that I have managed a Thanksgiving dinner of some sort while away from home.  First one away from home was in Sri Lanka and my drivers brought me five wild turkeys (alive and probably possibly perhaps mayhaps someone's pets).  They were small turkeys so five was a good number.  The other American in town was from Texas and therefore, two of the turkeys were fried...whole.  Luckily he was not industrious and adventurous enough to find all his ingredients for a turducken. Me and thanksgivings around the world is another story.

I digress...

People travel with their different must have's (a teddy bear, photos of family, yoga mat, kindle, favourite pair of PJs) and my must have's ALWAYS include kitchen items. Chances are if I am living in a house that has a kitchen and a stove, I will be cooking.  My must have's that I don't leave it up to chance that the local markets will have, include:

A proper knife.  If you don't own one, being in a kitchen sucks.  When you DO have one, oh my oh my oh my.  BRING IT.  I have dreams of all my knives one day being only Wusthof but that day is still far away.  Good luck explaining it at customs if you get caught going through the green channel.

Salt and Peppercorn mill.  These are separate devices for separate spices.  I love the Drogheria & Alimentari line of products since they are easy to carry and they really can transform a meal.  Plus, the pepper corns are all such pretty colours that they just make you happy.  Just look at that photo...it's like a private fiesta in a bottle.

Sesame Oil.  This is only necessary to travel with OUTSIDE of South East Asia, obviously.  Quick, easy meals that have a certain j'ne c'est quai to them.  You can find them in expat super markets (you can in Khosar market) but I prefer the organic and non generic type. 

Agave Nectar. I have a thing against white sugar and really love using the agave as a sub.

Tea--Two Leaves and a Bud.  So just by the pretentious name you already know this isn't just ANY kind of tea...it's...pretentious and really good.  Love that it's organic and strong and the chamomile is the best I've had (and I know my chamomile tea...)

Herbes de Provence.  This is a great catch all spice.  Simply Organic makes a range of spices etc which are awesome because they can come in v pretty larger glass bottles (long term mission) or v handy small plastic thingies (short term mission).

That's my short mission (three month) list.  Curious to know if people travel with kitchen/food items as well (or am I the crazy person?)  or what are some of the challenges they have to eating healthy while on mission.  I am taking nori with me on my next mission/travel.  Chock full of amazing minerals and nutrients and like crisps/chips.  Sure as hell beats eating the ubiquitous Pringles...

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I am studying to be a health coach and my target market is humanitarians.  Plan is to post on AidSource regularly with tips and hints and ways in which we can all keep healthy while in the field.  Like anything, you need to make sure your kitchens have what they need in order to actually function...in my book, cooking comes first, nutrition second.

Please do leave comments as I really am curious to see what people take with them for kitchens/cooking...I am convinced if I do, others do!

[Zehra Rizvi]

You know Karen...I was just on a three month mission and my housemate (who is on a year or longer contract) had a coffee grinder and holy cow, it makes a big difference!  I loved having one around.  I think next time I move somewhere long term, I want to take two...one for coffee and one for spices.  My mom used to use one a long time ago when I was growing up for spices and things just tasted...better.  What kind of knives do you take?  They keep coming up as something people WILL take with them... a good whisk is something I didn't mention but is in fact, on my list...will post a veg curry recipe soon.  Trick that I learned is to NOT add water...depends how much curry you want but the veg always 'leaks' water and more can be added later...easier to add in then take out in my experience.. thanks for your comments! xx

[Karen Hampson]

Quick veg curry recipe .... yes please!! My veg curries are always accused of being "watery" ...

for this posting we brought favourite spatula, two decent knives, plus sharpener, plus meat thermometer, plus foldaway tongs (from camping equipment shop!) and various other utensils I've picked up on travels eg rice spoon made of coconut from Philippines, wooden eggcups from Brazil. Part souvenir, part useful item! Always hope we will not get stopped at customs and have to explain full kitchen paraphernalia. This time we also brought coffee grinder... and it has been used a lot :-)

[Margaret (Maggie) Janes-Lucas]

only travel with spices...mostly chilli-related, rosemary, oregano, "taco" (ok, don't judge, it's easy :-) and I bought a HUGE bag of berbere from Ethiopia in August while I was there, which I love to use in beans, chilli, lentils and plov (Uzbek pilaf)--such a nice flavor. Otherwise, knives, bought in the bazaar, sharpen regularly in bazaar, good for me. Also use honey as often as possible instead of sugar. Fresh chillis whenever possible; homemade chicken or turkey stock I always have on hand for soup base (I made a ton and freeze, if possible); vinegar (apple and regular), soy sauce, walnuts and raisins, home-canned tomatoes and apple sauce, corn and wheat flour and local yogurt.  That's my usual at least here in Kyrgyzstan. While we were in Cambodia, totally different group of goods (but I ALWAYS find chillis wherever I go!), but knives always bought and reg sharpened in bazaar. 

[Alanna Shaikh]

I'm not picky about knives, but I do carry a knife sharpener. If I can get an edge on it long enough to chop, I am happy. I carry green curry paste, fish sauce, sesame oil, molasses (great for baking) and good paprika. When I am in a long term post, I also bring good cheese back with me.

[AidSource]

Zehra, Michael, Louisa... 

Please check out the latest page: "The Teamhouse Kitchen" (currently also featured in The Teamhouse). Right now The Teamhouse Kitchen includes links to a new "Foodies" working group, and all blog posts with the "cooking" tag.

Hope to see you guys there soon!

[Zehra Rizvi]

Knives are in the lead so far...

Should post my quick veg curry recipe on here...(indian one). 

And do tell more in this English sea salt...can one buy it or do u guys go and harvest it yourselves...and I'm facetious but who knows, you might...and if you do, take me with you next time!

MK:  Totally about to get onto your recipe stash and see what's there.  Thanks for sharing.  Where do you live?  I am pretty good about inviting myself over for home cooked meals where ever I end up/visit/live.

Thanks for the comments guys. 

[LCD]

I take two good knives (chef's and vegetable), the English sea salt my family has always used, a tortilla press (if it's long term and masa is available), tofu in heat sealed packs, and both Thai and Indian curry pastes. Loooots of curry paste!

[Michael Keizer]

I am a bit of a hobby cook, so I have a whole range of recipes up my sleeve. You can see some of them here.

[Zehra Rizvi]

Thanks MK...will have to check out these knives.  Do you cook a lot by yourself?  Your best dish?  

[Michael Keizer]

I normally bring one or two carbon steel clasp knives with me (usually Opinel). Dirt cheap, they carry an absolutely wicked edge, easy to sharpen on almost any stone surface. They are the best travel replacement of my beloved 20-year old Sabatier knives that I use at home.

Otherwise I tend to make the best of what I find locally.