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Vacation rentals aren’t always ideal for home cooking, but it’s definitely possible to prepare some tasty dishes even with limited tools. Here are some essential tips to keep in mind.
Cooking while staying at a vacation rental sounds like the perfect idea, doesn’t it? Imagine cozying up with a home-cooked meal after a day of hiking, biking, or skiing. But then you open the cabinets and discover a tiny pan, a set of dull knives, a glass cutting board, a can opener, and a bottle of expired oil. If you’ve experienced cooking mishaps while on vacation, don’t worry. It’s still possible to make delicious meals, even in the most underwhelming kitchens. It just takes careful planning, prepping in advance, and smart packing. After 10 years of trial and error, I finally perfected it on a recent ski trip. I cooked for a group of 9, twice a day, and it didn’t interfere with the fun activities I had planned.
Here are the valuable lessons I learned the hard way:
Avoid cooking dishes with specific doneness requirements (like steak, fish, etc.). Cooking for a crowd with varying doneness preferences is challenging, especially when dealing with unfamiliar equipment.
Stews and braises are your best friends. They can be made ahead of time and reheated with no hassle. If you anticipate a busy schedule right before your trip, consider making them well in advance and freezing them.
A stovetop pressure cooker is an absolute game-changer. It may seem like it takes up space, but you can stuff it with food. If you’re more of a slow-cooker person, feel free to bring that instead, but the stovetop pressure cooker has many benefits: 1) it takes up less space, 2) it doesn’t require advance planning, and 3) it doubles as a large pot, which is often missing in vacation homes. Bonus: If you didn’t get a chance to start dinner in the morning, don’t worry—your meal will be ready in no time.
Always pack a cutting board, knife, and tongs. Depending on your menu, I also bring a spatula and a microplane grater.
Don’t forget the essentials for your pantry. Bring your own salt (they may have some, but it’s probably not what you prefer), some acidic ingredients (like lemons, dijon mustard, or pomegranate molasses), freshly ground black pepper, butter, and a squeeze bottle of olive oil.
Ingredients that lose moisture during cooking are best made ahead. These items are easier to transport and generally require chopping, stirring, and attention (e.g. mirepoix for soups, caramelized onions, braised meats, roasted veggies, etc.).
Ingredients that expand in water should be cooked on-site. Beans, grains, and pasta are compact when dry, so it’s easier to prepare them at the vacation rental.
Bring a large non-stick pan with a lid. Non-stick pans are ideal for eggs, frying veggies, and reheating stews. While I typically use stainless steel in my home kitchen, it doesn’t work well for egg dishes, and its biggest perk—creating fond for deglazing—is less important on vacation. Convenience is key. I stopped trying to make steak with a red wine reduction while away. Instead, I opt for braised short ribs— even in a kitchen with only a microwave, dinner is served.
Save the final pinch of salt for reheating. Most vegetables lose some of their flavor after being pre-cooked. But adding a pinch of salt and a splash of lemon juice will bring them back to life.
If you’re looking for some inspiration on how to put this theory into action, here’s a glimpse of what we prepared during our last vacation:
Grilled cheese with caramelized onions, apples, and pecans (the caramelized onions were pre-cooked and the cheese was pre-sliced)
Split pea and ham soup (carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and thyme were pre-cooked, and I used a pressure cooker to turn the whole dish into a 10-minute miracle)
Lentils with Bulgur, Caramelized Onions, and Roasted Tomatoes (Lentils cook quickly in a pressure cooker, and bulgur only needs 30 minutes of soaking. I did both on-site. The caramelized onions and roasted tomatoes were pre-cooked)
Braised pork shoulder with osso buco style sauce, pasta, green beans (the pork was pre-cooked and just needed reheating, while the pasta and green beans were cooked on-site)
Farro mushroom risotto, roasted cauliflower (the onions and mushrooms were pre-cooked, and the cauliflower was pre-roasted, just needed reheating. I used a pressure cooker for the farro, so no stirring, and it was ready in 10 minutes)
You can probably tweak some of your favorite recipes for the trip using the tips above. Don’t stress too much about achieving the level of perfection you aim for at home—unless you’re cooking for professional chefs, your friends will likely be seriously impressed anyway!
Photo by Carly Lesser & Art Drauglis.
Helen Rennie teaches cooking techniques and food science at Helen's Kitchen Cooking School in Natick, MA, and also on her YouTube Channel.
