Maybe not cooking, but we all have to eat, even on the road. Cooking, grilling and baking on the road?
An important topic in our lives in general and of course in a free, location-independent lifestyle is food intake, i.e. eating.
I would like to say at the outset that I do not want to promote any particular form of nutrition here, but would like to report exclusively on my personal experiences on the road. I myself had tried many different diets. I was vegetarian for almost 5 years, vegan for 9 months and came to a low carb diet with healthy and pure animal products via keto and carnivore, because I don't want to have any chemicals in my food and I feel best when I eat few carbohydrates. But maybe more on that in a separate article.
I would also like to say in advance that I have always liked to cook for myself, because I can decide for myself which ingredients are in my food and which I do not want to have.
With a few exceptions, such as noodles, for example, I hardly ever buy processed food that contains additives (most of which I simply don't want to add to my body). Instead, I prefer to buy from direct suppliers, such as farmers, beekeepers, etc., or markets.
And so we are already in the middle of the topic. For the most part, I cook for myself and I eat out relatively rarely.
Instead of cooking, restaurant visits and local specialties.
Cooking, grilling and baking on the road - not every day. There are also exceptions.
I visit restaurants when there is a typical dish in the area where I am staying that appeals to me and that I simply want to try and enjoy.
I tend to look for simple places with honest, authentic cuisine; pure with few frills.
Partly I google for restaurant tips, partly I get recommendations from others on the road.
As I said, I like to go out to eat to try local specialties. However, only then and not simply because I want to eat something and just do not want to cook myself.
Sometimes I have a pizza if it is very good. And then I usually prefer to take it with me and eat it on the beach or some other nice place.
Recently I was a small fishing village in the Algarve in Santa Luzia, which calls itself the capital of the octopus. And of course I went there to eat, because you do not get fresh octopus every day.
Cooking, grilling and baking on the road - the man is himself in the kitchen
However, most of the time I cook or grill. And almost exclusively in my outdoor kitchen to avoid the cooking smells in the camper.
That means I set up a table and connect my two-burner gas stove or gas grill to the outside connection of my gas system and cook or grill outside.
Inside, I have a spacious kitchen with a three-burner gas stove that I use to boil water for tea or coffee and to heat food.
Cooking, grilling and baking fresh ingredients
Being mindful of my diet and the environment, I buy fresh and largely local. I avoid supermarkets for groceries whenever possible and prefer local vendors, farmers' markets and weekly markets.
Here I get local products that have not been transported hundreds or thousands of kilometers through area and where I have no insight into the cultivation, production. Besides the positive effect on the environment, I support local farmers and suppliers and not large corporations. So my shopping behavior has a direct positive impact on the environment. And my body gets pure, not processed and with the most diverse chemicals added food.
I also met nice people during many a chat with vendors at the markets, was often invited to visit their farm, and learned a lot about sustainable farming and ranching.
Pre-cooking on the go
On the subject of reheating food or pre-cooking: what I love to do is buy goulash and ground beef from pasture-raised beef (I only eat so-called grass fed beef) in larger quantities when I come across a local supplier and then pre-cook larger quantities of goulash, bolognese and chili con carne.
Then I vacuumirre it in smaller portions and freeze it. I have an additional freezer box for this in the garage of my camper, which freezes to minus 20 degrees Celsius. Then, when I'm free-standing on the road and camping is prohibited, meaning I can't set up my outdoor kitchen to grill or cook, I eat my pre-cooked fresh meals and just heat them up inside. That's my way of cooking.
What do I cook now? As already described, pasta with Bolognese, Viennese goulash with potatoes, chili con carne, which I pre-cook and eat from time to time, because I don't want to eat too many carbs.
I like to cook dishes like Indian curries with fish or vegetables.
And for breakfast very often grounded beef with eggs and cheese or bacon with eggs.
BBQ - A passion for barbecuing
And barbecuing is my great passion. Earlier in the finca I had grilled exclusively on coal. Is somehow more archaic for me and tastes better. However, since this is prohibited on campsites and very often in nature because of the fire hazard, I use a gas grill from Weber.
Mostly steaks, preferably tomahawks or chuletons, and burgers
In addition, sometimes corn on the cob, peppers, etc..
Salads & Soups
I love to eat on warm days simply salads, which I prepare with fish, boiled eggs etc..
On very cold days and when I get good beef bones, I really like beef broth.
Baking bread is fun too
And I have started to bake. Sometimes I have a craving for carbs like bread. Since I don't have an oven in my RV, I do it in my Omnia. And that works really well.
I use ready-made bread baking mixes without additives from an Austrian organic mill, which are simply mixed with warm water, salt added and then baked on the gas stove with the Omnia for 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the dough.
A great way to eat fresh chemical free bread. You can do a lot more with the Omnia, like casseroles, bake up rolls, etc., but that's not my world.
And in the future I will also bake cakes from time to time, because I have collected wonderful fresh blueberries in the forest. Let's see.
This is more or less my eating behavior on the road. As I said, everyone has their own preferences and should simply try out what is best for the individual.
Today I had fresh prawns from the local sea. Tomorrow I will cook again and also bake bread again.
Bon appetit
