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THE
RV COOK
Getting the Most from Your Spices and Space
By Carrie Springer
Face it. There just isn't enough room to have every spice and condiment in
your RV kitchen. You want to cook, but you want it to be easy, and you must be
efficient. There are some basics you need in your RV kitchen just to make the
simplest dishes, but most of what you will find at home doesn't need to travel
with you to create delicious meals.
When you're on the road, remember that
you can purchase fresh herbs as you need them from local markets. If you happen
to have a bit left over, leave them out to dry by using a clothes pin (an
invaluable RV tool) to hang them from a hook on the inside of a cabinet door.
Hooks on suction cups are inexpensive and provide a quick solution for hanging a
sprig of thyme to dry. Once the herb is dry (usually 2 to 4 days), seal it by
rolling it into some plastic wrap and close the ends. Put it in the freezer
until the next time you need it.
Packaged brown gravy mix makes a delicious
sauce that can be made in a number of different ways to create different
flavors. By adding mushrooms, it's a super sauce for pork, beef or chicken. By
using red wine instead of water, you get a gourmet wine sauce. Dress it up more
by adding that leftover thyme from the freezer. The mix can be used to thicken
soups, season a roast (sprinkled on dry) or add a depth of flavor when added to
pasta sauce (easy does it).
Worchester sauce is a flavor enhancer that is
good for all meats. Soy sauce for easy stir-fries, salad dressings, fish, sauces
and soups. Garlic comes in many forms, but the best for travel, flavor and
health is fresh. Small jars of pre-roasted, pre-chopped garlic are the most
convenient.
Salt and pepper are staples, but don't get carried away. If you
keep both in small mills to be ground when needed, they are always fresh when
you need them.
Basil ranks number one on my list of herbs. It works wonders
in everything from scrambled eggs to soup. Cilantro is another favorite.
Especially important for salsas and Tex-Mex dishes that are quick and
easy.
Dehydrated Onions are a space-efficient way to get onion flavor without
the whole onions. You'll still want fresh onions for some things, but you won't
have to carry as many if you substitute the dehydrated onions where texture and
appearance are not at issue-anywhere that "finely minced" onions are called
for.
Montreal- or Canadian-style steak seasoning, Old Bay Seasoning, Cajun
spices and other blends can be used to great advantage on both meats and
vegetables. They save on space, are multi-purposed and pack a lot of flavor. Try
sprinkling the Old Bay Seasoning over yellow squash split in half lengthwise and
lightly buttered. Broil for about 10 minutes for a wonderful easy side
dish.
Be creative. I personally carry a number of other things in dehydrated
form. Mushrooms, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, vegetable mix and salad dressings
are all readily available in dried and conveniently packaged form. Since my
family drinks skim milk, ours goes with us in dehydrated form as well, which
saves a lot of room in the refrigerator.
Another space-saving idea is to make
sure that all your containers are the same size so that they stack efficiently.
Round bowls and other containers do not use space efficiently. Plastic storage
containers are hard to store, whether empty or full if they are all different
sizes. Go ahead and splurge and get all new ones that are consistently shaped
and share the same size lid, no matter how tall they are. They're well worth the
investment.
If you have glass or pottery items in your pantry, use "Dish
Savers" from www.campersfriend.com
to stack them without breakage.
For many
fabric items, try rolling. Towels can be folded lengthwise to match the depth of
your cabinet and then rolled to utilize space available. Casual, no-iron
garments such as t-shirts and underwear can also be rolled, and they will stay
more wrinkle-free. Things that need no ironing, such as nylons, can be tucked
into an empty roll of paper towels. They'll stay together, won't get snagged and
take up less room in precious drawer space.
Space bags are a modern marvel.
You don't even need a vacuum to draw out the extra air. Pack the bags with coats
and sweaters, bedding or other bulky items. Close the bag and lay it out on the
floor or a bed. Use your full upper body to gently press the air out through the
exit valve, and you've reduced the volume by half or more. The contents will
stay dry and clean until you need them. You can even store them in exterior
holds as long as they don't get water directly on them.
Happy RVing!
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