Cooking for You + 1

JOURNAL ENTRY: BLUE MOUNTAINS, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 17, 2001


"Today was a gorgeous day. We took the train out to Blue Mountains National Park in Katoomba. It was a beautiful ride and we were super excited to see the Three Sisters rock formation that everyone had told us about. When we got there, we were not surprised to see so many tourists but it did annoy us that we weren't the only ones!

Near the lookout there was a staircase that seemed like it went down forever. We had heard that there was a scenic train that would take us back up the hillside which sounded really cool. We started to walk down and it was breathtaking. I think in all, it took us an hour and half to get all the way to the bottom. When we finally reached flat ground, Karine, Nathalie, Christine, and myself almost died when we saw a sign for the train that read: "CLOSED"!!!! We had no choice but to walk all the way back up the stairs which seemed like they went forever up this forested mountain! It was beautiful but there were times where we thought we weren't going to make it! Moral of the story...always read the signs!

When we got back to our hostel, we made a delicious meal all together. It was the first time that Karine and I cooked with the girls and we ended up saving at least 15 dollars. This is what we will be doing from now on when we are all together. After dinner, we decided to sit by the fireplace in the hostel and just chat. I didn't think that backpacking would be this cool. I have met so many different people that I would have never had the chance to meet."


TIP #2: COOKING FOR YOU + 1

When you are cooking in a hostel it is always important to think about three things:

• Budget

• Waste

• Leftovers for the next day

When possible, it will always be cheaper to cook for more than one person at a time. If you are alone, you can always cook for two and that way, your leftovers become tomorrow's lunch. This is a great way to save time and money. If you make a big pot of chili one night, you can definitely save it for lunch the next day and maybe even dinner! Another cool thing about leftovers is that sometimes you can use them the following day in a new recipe. For example, if you made chicken one night and you have leftovers, you can use it on a salad, or in pasta, or to garnish a soup. Many options can be made from one meal.

Staying in youth hostels is a fantastic way to travel... because it is almost 100% a social way to travel. Cooking is a great way to meet people and a fun activity to do together. Why not take that pot of chili and share it with some new friends? There were many times that I would be cooking in a hostel, and a random stranger would come over to see what I was making. We would end up sharing the meal and getting to know eachother. I met a lot of people this way, and am still in touch with them to this day.

Here are some tips about leftovers:

• Make leftovers for lunch. Plan to cook a bit extra for each dinner, so that you’ll have leftovers for your lunch. Pack it right away, after dinner, so you don’t have to worry about it in the morning.http://zenhabits.net/2007/04/50-tips-for-grocery-shopping/

• Refrigerate or freeze any leftovers within two hours of their preparation. Store in a covered container in your fridge. Don’t reheat leftovers more than once. Eat leftovers within two days. WHEN IN DOUBT - THROW IT OUT.http://sgfoodfad.blogspot.com/2009/06/food-safety-tips-handling-leftovers.html

• Some suggestions for leftovers: http://gomestic.com/cooking/some-suggestions-for-leftovers/ Cute ideas that might spark something in you and inspire you with your own leftovers.
  

Don't forget to have fun! Food is not about stress. Take your leftovers and try something that you never thought would work. Worse comes to worse, you order in a pizza... lol. Good luck and keep me posted!

The Hostel Chef