Geoff says I can’t just write one article and then "swan around" calling it “our website.” Jeez. Tough crowd. So here I am again. This time let’s talk about food and kitchens.

 

We typically find ourselves in Airbnbs for long-term stays. These places always have a kitchen (because we mark that box in the filters—I mean, it’s not random), but they’re not always equipped at the same level or utility. Also Geoff is unnecessarily picky somewhat particular about his kitchen tools. So if we want to eat in, which is immeasurably cheaper than eating out, we carry with us some essential accoutrements.

 

Knives

For the first six months of our new life, we schlepped several of Geoff’s expensive kitchen knives around with us. You might be surprised at just how universally non-functional Airbnb knives are. But then we got on a ship for a cruise to Dubai.

 

Guess what you simply cannot have in your luggage on a cruise? Knives! Not even in your checked bags, because there’s no such thing as checked bags on a cruise.

 

We still have a lot to learn about cruises.

 

So we had to send them home, despite Geoff’s tears. Now we buy an inexpensive chef’s knife every time we change cities. They’re not great, but at least they’re (initially) sharp. By the time they go dull, we’re in a new city with a new inexpensive knife!

 

Cutting boards

Closely associated with the knives are cutting boards. And believe it or not, you just can’t count on these places having any normal cutting boards. Really. I can guarantee they all have at least one fussy little appetizer-size wooden cutting board of some sort, but good luck chopping up a bushel of onions, garlic, and bell peppers on that.

 

So we travel with three ultra-thin, flexible plastic boards for cutting. They weigh nothing and pack easily. Like three sheets of paper! Except sturdier!

 

Mixing bowls

We don’t actually pack these. Like the knives, we keep buying them and leaving them behind. But they don’t need to be fancy or even all that sturdy. You can find them at Kmart or wherever cheap, inferior home goods are sold.

 

We’ve discovered that even the Airbnbs that came with a nice set of cooking pots and pans, virtually none of them have ever had mixing bowls. Which leaves you wondering, how will you scramble your eggs? Or make banana bread? It’s a bit of a luxury, but worth the few bucks.

 

Insulated coffee mugs

For reasons that escape me, some countries drink only filthy water tea. From tiny, precious cups. Small enough to ensure that their liquid contents are ice cold within two minutes.

 

Trust me, devote some bag space to bring your own mugs. We love these ones (hi Krista!).

 

Miniature vise clips

Geoff’s brother, Michael, hipped us to these, and They. Are. Amazing. Hey, even if you’re not traveling the world and living out of a suitcase, go buy a bunch of these at Home Depot (where they call them "mini spring clamps"). You’ll thank yourself later.

 

We carry five of them around and use them constantly to close food packages. You will too.

Other seemingly insane things that we allow to take up precious space:

Spices

We’ve had some real trouble finding American grocery stores in our travels, likely because our travels have not been in America. And the selection at the local 7-Eleven (or equivalent mini-store) is sad—so, so sad. So we bring the important spices with us.

 

Ziplock bags

When we started out, we had no idea how useful these would turn out to be. Indispensable. Some Airbnbs have no plastic wrap or aluminum foil. At all. ?!? So we carry a couple different sizes with us. The freezer kind so we can wash and reuse them.

 

Reusable grocery bags

Three of them that we carry with us everywhere in case we randomly stop at a grocery store or whatever. Speaking of which, here’s a bonus—shopping lists!

Arrival day shopping list:

 

Day 2 shopping list:

 

These food basics get us avocado toast for breakfast, sandwich fixins, grilled ham-and-cheese toasties, and a chicken dinner with leftovers. Mmmm…I think I just made myself hungry.

 

Can you believe that we originally brought even more kitchen stuff? But after just a couple Airbnbs on the third floor of elevator-less buildings, Geoff was easily persuaded to consider some dramatic reductions. So no more fleur de sel, linen napkins, foldable whisks, etc. But you know what? I think we’ve found the right mix.

 

 

 

 

posted May 2024