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Tip #2
Look Before You Buy
You just came back from the market with everything you need to make the best three-cheese-macaroni known to man.
You’ve got the gorgonzola, a block of swiss, and one of sharp cheddar. Now you’re ready to impress everyone in the hostel kitchen tonight!
You look around and realize the kitchen is equipped neither with a colander, nor a cheese grater, nor a pot large enough to mix the whole thing anyway.
Oh. Boy.
This is going to be interesting.
FACEPALM.
Your first step when you check in, if you plan on cooking for yourself, is to check out the kitchen.
Look around and take a mental inventory of the tools at your disposal.
If it aint there, ya can’t use it!
Don’t just check the utensils. Take note of what condiments and spices are available for communal use also.
Is there any cooking oil?
Is there salt & pepper?
Is this hostel especially well stocked with an array of spices?!
You’ll also want to test a few things. For example:
- Is running water potable or do you need to get a distilled gallon?
- Does the gas stove actually work? how about the oven?
- Is there electricity 24/7 or is the power out for parts of the day?
- Is there a curfew on common area hours? How early is it?
- Is there any room in the fridge for leftovers? What day does the fridge get cleaned out?
- Are the knives sharp? (if they’re not we’ll show you how to get around that next week) Are there any serrated knives?
- Is there a cutting board?
- Is there dish soap and a sponge?
Also, have a quick back up plan, such as trail mix, to tie you over just in case you had planned to make food at the same time everyone else decides to use the kitchen.
Once you know what you have to work with, you’ll be able to start forming an idea of what is and is not possible to make while you’re browsing the veggies at the local market.
[Tweet “The more hostel kitchens you frequent to better you will get at this mental activity.”]
Also, don’t forget to check back in in a few weeks because we’ll be teaching you how to get around a not-so-well stocked kitchen and make gourmet meals with few utensils.
We hope you enjoyed this week’s hostel kitchen tip.
Do you have hostel cooking horror stories? Or tips I’ve forgotten?
If you missed any, check them out right here:
As usual, Jade, sound advice. You aren’t going to believe this, but Jim and I bring two kitchen things with us when we’re traveling, a good frying pan and a good spatula. You see, I love fried eggs, but if you’ve ever noticed the frying pans available to you, they’re always, always crap! I know, weird! Happy week to you!
It is REALLY hard to make good fried eggs in a sticky pan, that is true! I guess a little frying pan doesn’t take up much space!