cooking System

[TCS]

Was I being hopelessly old school recommending books?  Here are some recipes to practice before the big trip:

https://www.trail.recipes/recipe-collection/one-pot/

https://www.backpackingchef.com/best-backpacking-recipes.html

https://www.jetboil.com/recipes

https://seatosummitusa.com/blogs/camp-kitchen-recipes

https://www.spam.com/recipes

https://www.freshoffthegrid.com/one-pot-camping-meals/

https://blackwoodspress.com/blog/14385/backpacking-dinner-recipes/

Watch out for exotic ingredients you can't find in small stores! 

Not all of these will appeal; but there's something here for nearly everyone.

Unlike the recipes in the suggested books, these are mostly 'backpacking' recipes.  When cycletouring, you're not out in the wilderness, you're out in the world.  Most of these will need to be adapted accordingly.

Recipe translations for cycletourist cooks:
dehydrated or powdered xxx = fresh xxx
7 oz package of fresh xxx = can of xxx
rice or pasta or potatoes or couscous = couscous or pasta or rice or potatoes, subject to preference and availability
spring harvested essence of pui-nui nectar from the eastern slopes of Fiji = which ever spice you have you think is closest
bread crumbs = you were at the store yesterday and the only bread they had was a gigantic loaf of white so you bought a box of crackers instead and haven't eaten them all yet
pre-prepare at home = prepare at the campsite shortly before you chow down
available from url = available at the last little store you pass before you camp
Dutch oven = skip this recipe no matter how yummy it sounds unless you want to get into the esoteric world of lightweight camp baking
couldn't buy ingredients in small quantities = "Anything you can eat for supper you can eat for breakfast." - Maureen

[BikeliciousBabe]

Was I being hopelessly old school recommending books? 

Not a all, especially with the proliferation of companies selling "Lego kit" meals in a box.  There is even one now that sells not only the prepared meals but the mini-oven to cook them in. I think more and more people at home engage in "food assembly" rather than cooking.  Harder to do on the road.  Reading can give one ideas that may help them come up with meals on the fly using what is available at the moment.

[HikeBikeCook]

I think learning to cook at home before you set out is critical. I have been cooking for years and cooking for big crowds for multi-day events as a hobby. With the increase of people with special dietary needs I often have to whip up a special meal without X, Y, or Z due to allergies. It forces you to get creative with what you have. Practice making meals for a few days with what you have on hand in the house or in the fridge. You will be surprised how creative you can be. Also, make as many "one pot" meals as you can.

Go shop at a few gas station C-stores BEFORE your trip and go home and make a meal before you life depends on it.

[TCS]

Plenty of folks have set off across country on their very first cycletour having never fired up their stove or erected their tent.  In fact, that even seems to be a requirement these days to get a publisher to print your travelog!  Yeah, okay, whatever, but...

I think learning to cook at home before you set out is critical...Go shop at a few gas station C-stores BEFORE your trip and go home and make a meal before you life depends on it.

...this is just really, really good advice.

[j1of1]

I'm a WarmShower host and the MAJORITY of riders cycling across the US that stay with us carry a Jet Boil or MSR pocket rocket BUT most of them do not use them telling us "although not the most nutritious or appetizing, there are plenty of places along the TransAm to eat." One rider had NO cooking gear at all!  On those rare days when they aren't close to something they eat raw food or something cold out of a can.

I, when touring, are partial to the Jet Boil and on rare occasions my MSR Whisperlite, both of which I use to boil water only  - nothing else (otherwise I have to worry about cleaning everything which means carrying extra stuff).

[vitabuel]

Cookbooks are still relevant. Quite often, famous chefs publish books with their signature recipes. Of course, it is much easier to find a recipe on the Internet, but cookbooks have more value. I really like the service https://costcofdb.com because you can find a lot of interesting recipes and immediately order products for cooking dishes. Such services are very popular now, especially if they provide food and meal delivery services. I like cooking and learning different cooking methods, so I am improving my skills and knowledge daily.

[Ty0604]

I travel pretty light so my cooking kit consists of a JetBoil Stash, collapsible cup, collapsible bowl and a utensil that’s a spork on one end and a knife on the other end.

I pretty much only boil water in my JetBoil and mix it with food. If I cook chili or soup I leave it in the can and cook it in that. Less cleanup.

[froze]

My question is, why carry two different stoves?  One is more than sufficient, that's all backpackers and bike packers ever carry.  And weight does add up as the days and miles go on and on weight becomes more of an issue.

I would decide on which one of the two that you have to take with you, and go by total weight to decide.

Some people mentioned stoves but I don't see why you need to buy another one.  The one I carry is the Optimus Crux, it has a good dispersal flame pattern so it doesn't burn the food in the center of the pan.  The Optimus works great for me.

 I did buy a Huhu windscreen, which I have never used, but maybe someday when the wind is strong I might have to, but in light winds the Optimus hasn't needed a windscreen.

Pots and pans I don't carry anything fancy just an Ozark Trail 5 piece aluminum set I got from Walmart for $5! (now it's $7)  This is the lightest cook set I could find no matter the price.  Sure, it's aluminum, and yes it dents easily but you can also undent it easily.  This cook set is so cheap that you could simply replace it every year if it gets too ratty looking, though mine lasted 2 seasons till I burned something on it using the old stove, and I couldn't get the stain off, so I bought a new set last year.  I didn't use the plastic cup it came with so I tossed it and instead got another Ozark Trail 18 ounce stainless steel cup for $5, I heat my water for coffee in it and use it to drink out of.  I also don't carry plates; I eat out of the cook set.  By eliminating the plastic plate and cup I eliminated a little weight.

I do carry along fire starting stuff, so I can make a campfire if I want to, of course you can cook over the fire but you would have to buy a hot pad holder or glove so you can hold the handle without burning yourself.

[RobertMelton]

It's so cool that you like to cook when you travel. I usually never cook because I'm taking a break from my routine. Most of the time, I stay in all-inclusive hotels. If I book an apartment, I go to local cafes and restaurants where I get to know the local cuisine. At home, I love to cook and delight my loved ones with delicious dishes. Recently, a new favorite product in our family is granola. I think you know that granola is very healthy and nutritious. Moreover, now you can find a variety of variations of granola, peanut butter pastes, and the like. I order granola at https://michelesgranola.com and make preparations for delicious breakfasts.

[froze]

I did change my pots and pans from AL made ones to Ozark Trail 5 piece Stainless steel, they're a tad heavier than the AL ones but they seem more durable and clean up better; those Stainless steel mess kit cost me $9.  The only problem with that mess kit was the pan I wanted to use came with a lid, the other pan that I'm not going to use also came with a lid but it's too small for the other pan I'm taking, the lid for the pan I take did not come with a knob to remove the lid when cooking so as not to burn your fingers, but the smaller pan the lid for it came with a knob, weird, so I hacked it; I drilled a hole into the lid I take, unscrewed the knob from the lid I don't take and installed it on the lid I drilled the hole into.  I guess that's what I get for buying a $9 mess kit!  LOL!!

If for some reason I decide to take both pans and lids I will have to go to a home improvement place and find a knob I can attach to the lid that is now missing a knob.

[marquezdl]

Another vote for the trangia alcohol stove, or a homemade version.  Cheap, extremely compact, simple, light, and very easy to find fuel anywhere in the world!

[CoMandy]

I'm currently riding the TransAm (Eastbound). It's late in the season and I've had cool weather, so I've definitely wanted hot meals and morning coffee.

I started with my Solo Stove Light. I love this because it's light, I can fly with it, and I don't have to take or buy fuel (though alcohol fuel is an option). The problem was that campgrounds and forest rangers asked me to put it out, even when in a fire pit, due to the high fire hazard especially between Oregon and Colorado. Solo stoves are supposed to be allowed. But I was chastised too many nights. It also takes a good bit of time to gather the wood, tend the flame, wait for sufficient heat, wait for the boil, etc. It was fun the first week. Then as the days grew shorter, I found it a stressful rush to need over an hour to cook dinner and breakfast.

So I mailed that home and am now using a small handheld immersion heater with my Solo Pot 900. It's much faster after a long day on the road. I mostly stay at established campgrounds, city parks, churches, or hostels so I borrow power from a picnic shelter, a bath house, or an RV site. I started selecting simpler meals, mostly things that just require boiling water (still plenty of options). A few times I put it directly in a can of stew. On the rare occasion that I didn't have access to power for the 10 minutes to boil the water, I just ate a room-temperature meal instead. Honestly, I'm pretty tired and ravenously hungry at the end of every day, so even as a foodie, it's not such a big deal if I miss a warm meal occasionally. But if your main plan is primitive camping, that wouldn't work unless you stop and prepare your meal at a convenience store or city park along the route.

The rest of my kitchen kit: a titanium spork, a collapsing silicon bowl with lid/plate, a polypro cup, a pocket knife, and a mini can opener.

I also had a skillet with removable handle. I didn't use it. The solo pot is sufficient. So I mailed that home too (with a bag of fascinating Montana rocks that a kind camping neighbor gifted to me...yikes!).

For cleanup I started carrying a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It works to remove grease (always a problem with bullion cubes) & flame char (if you care) on the stainless steel, even with cold water. It drys quickly. They're "squish-able" and lighter weight than a washcloth.

Solo Stove:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007DBD3IU/

Solo Pot:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008W0DRNM/

Immersion Heater:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XJSWBJP

[dkoloko]

Good report. I carried a similar immersion heater., but just to heat a cup of tea. If I had to replace it on route I found a replacement was not easy to find. Maybe yesterday's technology, but I found it useful. As far as the magic eraser, I wonder if it leaves scratches. Scratches hold bacteria.

[ray b]

Scratches hold bacteria.

(Sometimes - but irrelevant for surfaces exposed to hight heat.)

[BikeliciousBabe]

I started with my Solo Stove Light. I love this because it's light, I can fly with it, and I don't have to take or buy fuel (though alcohol fuel is an option). The problem was that campgrounds and forest rangers asked me to put it out, even when in a fire pit, due to the high fire hazard especially between Oregon and Colorado. Solo stoves are supposed to be allowed. But I was chastised too many nights. It also takes a good bit of time to gather the wood, tend the flame, wait for sufficient heat, wait for the boil, etc. It was fun the first week. Then as the days grew shorter, I found it a stressful rush to need over an hour to cook dinner and breakfast.

Where did you hear that?  It's usually the type of fuel source that determines whether it's allowed during certain conditions.  Often, wood-fired=bad.  Things like white gas and butane=good. The latter do not produce embers and are more easily controlled.