Cooking on the Road

[TCS]

Occasionally you find yourself in camp with no other food, no food sources nearby, it's already dark, and you thought you were going to pass a store or restaurant in the last 20 miles of the day but you didn't.

"Be prepared." - Boy Scout motto
"Expect the unexpected." - Tao aphorism that keeps young Kwai Chang Cain from being dismissed from the Shaolin monastery after he is attacked and robbed

Some cycletourists carry an emergency dehydrated meal.  Others carry jerky, nut butters and/or boiled eggs.  Then there's Huel, Kachava, Sans¹ bars and Soylent.  Being prepared with calories for an unexpected end-of-day is wise.


1.  Sans is a titanium level sponsor of Adventure Cycling!

[BikeliciousBabe]

Always a pack or two of Ramen in my pack.

The last time I was on a portion of the Trans Am in Montana (2016) I ended up staying in Jackson with some people who had met up on the road. One of them literally had a case of Ramen strapped to his rear rack.  Dozens of individual packs. He had eaten maybe 3 or 4 of them.  I so wanted to take a photo, if only to document what looked like an unstable load.

[HikeBikeCook]

When I hiked the AT there was a often told tale of a hiker the year before me that ate nothing but Ramen, often dry right out of the pack. AT hikers tend to become a scruffy lot, and some start out that way. Anyway, this fellow had a long beard and when he ate Ramen dry from the pack noodle crumbs would often catch in his long beard. Mice and not bears are the real menace on the AT and one night in a shelter hikers awoke to mice activity only to discover a mouse sitting on this (still sleeping) fellow's chest eating noodle crumbs from his beard. I am sure his trail name was changed after that, but I cannot remember what he was called.

Perhaps New Jawn heard the tale as well since he was on the trail the same year that I was.

[Codetalker]

That's wonderful to hear about the 40th anniversary of the publication of 'Cooking on the Road' by John Rakowski! It sounds like a truly unique cookbook that caters to road touring and provides practical advice for cooking while on the go. The fact that it focuses on settlements with grocery shops or convenience stores makes it a valuable resource for travelers who pass through such areas.

It's impressive that the book covers a wide range of topics, including tips for stoves and cooking equipment, purchasing fresh and healthy ingredients in small quantities, and even recommendations for spices to enhance the flavor of meals. The emphasis on cook crafts, from shopping to cleaning up, shows that Rakowski considered every aspect of cooking while on the road. The inclusion of 30 minute meals would be a great addition for those who are looking for quick and easy recipes during their travels.