A cook's travel essentials

We love to cook in our travel destination kitchens, especially in Europe where we have access to the fresh seafood that we can't find in Seward. The produce markets in Spain, France and Italy are highlights of every trip as are the cheese shops, gourmet emporiums and bakeries. The colors, smells and presentation are the result of the traditions and careful thought of people who really care about their craft... be it masterful cheese making or growing a beautiful tomato. Food shopping in the markets and thinking about what we may find to cook is always an adventure.

Just like many vacation rentals here in the U.S., European apartment kitchens are usually stocked with the basic cooking supplies, pots, pans, utensils, dishes, cups and glasses. The knives are often disappointing though and for that reason, we always pack our own. This trip I put together a cook's survival kit that should meet most of our needs; it's a lot more than I usually pack so it will be interesting to see if it was worth the extra effort! Here's my arsenal:

I love this tiny grater, the natural fiber sponge, and the Himalayan salt and pepper combo... finds from HomeGoods. Also, decided we needed:

A small nonstick pan
Whisk for bullet-proof coffee
Wooden spoons – one flat edge
Plastic cutting board
Knives
Silicon spatula
Mesh vege bag
Aleppo pepper
Pepper mill - whole Tellicherry Indian Black peppercorns
Zatar (sumac/thyme/sesame seed/salt blend
Basiks Blend (herbs and spices)
Sea salt – Kosher and pink Himalayan
Cinnamon
Vanilla bean
Italian seasoning
Minced dried onion
Herbs de Provence
Coconut oil



Our destination is Seville, Spain where I know saffron, paprika (sweet and smokey) and fresh garlic are readily available so no need to pack those. The new knives with blade sheaves were a gift to Jack for his birthday on the 9th... can't wait to try them out. I'll post more from the apartment when we arrive, stay tuned!