Cooking in Lanikai: Spicy Monchong with Rice Noodle and Vegetables

The Foodie Arrives

Most of you know that when you arrive at your destination by plane, it is wise to know ahead of time your transportation, and hotel arrangements. Not knowing this essential information can result in unnecessary hassles and delays. Knowing what food options are available can be equally important.
When traveling to the hotel the best scenario is when you or a coworker have a rental car. If your business is at an airport hotel you will probably take the hotel shuttle. Some hotel shuttles can take you a few miles to a restaurant or store if you need them to. If you do have a car it is good to know grocery store options before leaving the airport. If there is a Whole Foods or a good grocery store on the way to the hotel it is best to know before passing it. A great web site to help plan your trip is http://www.eatwellguide.org. This site is dedicated to help people find organic and natural foods. You can enter your destination and then restaurants, stores, and farmers’ markets will appear along your route. Another option is using a GPS device. It is best to have an updated one because sometimes the information about local stores will be out of date. Most GPS systems also provide a phone number with the location so call ahead just in case. If your coworker is driving then they will probably be willing to stop at a grocery store. If the exact destination is known and if the store is on the way then it should not be a problem. Saving money and eating healthy warrants a trip to the store.
If a car or shuttle is not an option then you will want to prepare by bringing extra food with you. Many hotel chains now have microwaves and refrigerator units in the rooms. Many others will provide them upon request. If you call before hand then they can usually accommodate your needs. If a refrigerator is not available you should have a cooler, but after a trip to the grocery store it can get quite full. If there is not a microwave in the room there is usually one in the lobby area or even the employees break room. Hotel restaurants are sometimes reluctant about heating up food because of health violations but you can always ask. If there is no microwave to be found then resort to the coffee pot. Have extra ziplocs and immerse the food with two ziplocs in the hot water. Foods can reheat quickly this way.
There are many meals that can be prepared in the hotel room. Of course the best option is when staying at an extended stay hotel with a full kitchen and a vehicle to a grocery store. So many meals can be prepared from scratch on the stove top. In this case, oil or butter to cook with can be useful. Use this opportunity to find high quality meat or fish and fresh vegetables. If a kitchen is not an option then have prepared meat with you like baked chicken. Also you can bring items like cooked pasta tossed in olive oil or rice. If there is a microwave you can reheat what you brought with you and the items you may have purchased at the store.
You should take a microwavable ceramic plate and metal fork on your trips. There have been too many times when the hotels have only Styrofoam plates that will melt in the microwave. Having your own plate is less wasteful and you will always have a plate to eat on. The plate also serves as a cutting surface. Some packaged foods have containers that are reusable. For example, Anne Chun’s soup bowls come in a biodegradable bowl. You can use the bowl several times during the trip. Extra ziplocs and containers are essential. Items you purchase will need to be sealed once opened.
During your stay try to eat all the liquid items first since you cannot fly back with them. Yogurt, half and half, or any salad dressings need to be consumed before going through any airport security. That is why it is good to make some of your meals using all the liquid items you bought first so you will not waste anything.
At the end of your trip make sure you have something to eat after work for the plane ride or before you board the plane. On your return you might have to rush to catch the last evening flight. You never want to be stuck without food after a long day of work. Some airport restaurants close early or might not even exist so be prepared for your evening meal. In an earlier blog, How to Eat Healthy on the Plane, I mention the kinds of foods that work best on the plane.
When returning home you will feel much healthier since you will have stuck to your diet while on the road. Also, the money and time saved from avoiding eating out every meal is enormous, and it can actually be fun to cook on the road!
Stay tuned for the more blogs about recipes that can be easily prepared in your hotel room.

Eating on the Plane

The plane ride can go much faster when you eat a meal. And on long flights when they do offer a meal, your own food will probably be better. Also, you may not have time to eat before the flight and this will be the best opportunity to eat a meal.
Having room to manage your food can be difficult. Try to get an exit row aisle for that reason. Also if you are a frequent flier you might get upgraded to first class which makes it even easier. Remember that an aisle seat always gives you more room. Avoid the bulk head since you cannot stow your cooler under the seat. Also, sometimes a cooler will leak or condense moisture from the air so you do not want to stow it in the overhead with other peoples stuff.
Once the plane has taken off you can use your tray and spread out paper towels. The items in your cooler should be ready to put together for a meal. You may also bring your own ceramic plate and metal fork to lessen the carbon footprint. The easiest meal to make is a salad. Mixed field greens, tomato, avocado, nuts, baked chicken or chicken salad, boiled egg, and carrots are ingredients you can carry with you and easily make into a salad. Put your salad together on the plate. Take your own dressing in a small container that is less than three ounces or make some with a Dijon Mustard packet and a honey packet. Another easy meal is french bread, cheese, olives, pesto, and procuitto. Snacks are also easy to carry on the plane. Carrots, celery sticks, cheese and crackers, and hummus are great snacks. Neutral smelling foods are more respectful of your neighbors on the plane. Seafood and pungent cheeses should probably be avoided.
On the rare occasion there is a meal on the plane, the food for sale on some airlines are actually good and are made with high quality ingredients. Delta has a cheese plate and salad option that is good. But some airline food should be avoided. Even the peanuts will have added ingredients like msg. Read all the labels and remember free is not always the best option. In the first class cabin the food is getting better. For example Delta offers apples and bananas as additional snack options. Peanuts, cookies, and Twix bars are also available. Try to stick with the fresh fruit and peanuts. The meals in first class are also getting healthier. Salads and more vegetables are prevalent. So if the meal that is being offered is something you would eat then you can always save your food for later. But, if you are in coach and the meal is processed packaged food then you can eat the food you brought with you.
Eating healthy on the plane is possible. You do not have to grab a stale sandwich or a greasy burger at the last minute. Some food brought on board in a small cooler will make the trip more enjoyable. You never know when a scheduled forty five minute flight will turn into a three hour wait on the tarmac. That is when you will be glad you are a traveling foodie with your own food ready to eat!

The Foodie at the Airport

When a foodie travels by plane, planning is essential. What kind of restaurants are available at the airports and knowledge of the latest TSA rules are important. I do not want to be stuck an airport where a vending machine is the only option for food. Also some airport restaurants close early. And of course if you carry your own food you do not want to be the one holding up the security line because you do not know the latest airport security restrictions.
At the present time there is a 3-1-1 rule (three ounces of liquid, in one quart size baggie, one per person) There is talk of TSA lifting the ban on liquids. For now I just make sure everything is under 100 ml and in a quart size ziploc. Keeping the ice through security has been fine in 95% of the airports. I just make sure I drain any excess water from the ziploc bags that the ice is kept in before I go through security. If TSA does question the ice in my cooler I tell them I am on a special diet for medical reasons and then they usually tell me it is okay. If security does not allow the ice I will dump it and get more on the other side. But most of the time TSA does not even mention the ice in my cooler. TSA does not allow frozen bottles or ice packs, I have only been able to take ziploc baggies filled with ice. A flight attendant I met uses medical ice packs that have a screw off lid. They do not leak like ziploc bags.
After security I will usually go straight to my gate. But, there are some airports that have some decent choices for food. If I have time I will eat at a desirable restaurant or perhaps a restaurant may have something to offer that will supplement what I already have and I can put it in my cooler. Of course I save money when I have my own lunch or dinner. Some business travelers get to expense all their meals but you still want to make wise decisions. I am always looking for fresh non-processed foods. I try to avoid meat at the airport. It is probably not the highest quality and freshest. I also try to avoid sauces, soups, or anything that could have artificial ingredients, msg, too much sodium and sugar. Fresh vegetables, veggie wraps, and salads are most often safe.
There are some specific restaurants that usually have what I am looking for or items I can tolerate. Legal Seafood Test Kitchen at Boston Logan is great. On the way to the Delta terminal I like to pick up a seaweed salad and smoked salmon with capers and red onion. If I have time I will order a full dinner. They have different entrees all the time. French Meadow Cafe in Minneapolis is also a smart choice. They have an organic mixed field green salad with salmon that I enjoy. Puck’s full service restaurant is always good. If I am in a hurry I will get their Chinois Chicken Salad. But I love their pizza. It is fresh and all natural. I have also tried a couple of entrees at Puck’s when I have had time in Chicago O’Hare Airport. Recently I was at the Providence, Rhode Island Airport and the Puck’s there was very nice. I also discovered The Green Leaf Restaurant. It is in several airports and it is a “create your own salad or wrap” place. It was very fresh and they have some great selections on vegetables. In Pittsburgh they are next door to Five Guys Burgers. I thought that was an excellent location. Ground beef at an airport and french fries is not the wise choice. And if you are expensing the meal then cost should not be an issue. So go to Green Leafs instead and your flight will be more enjoyable. Some other options are baguettes from Au Bon Pain or Atlanta Bread Company. They are all natural and they charge under two dollars for a full baguette. Au Bon Pain sandwiches are also pretty good. Panda Express is also a good choice. Sometimes they have tofu dishes and they do not use msg or too much oil. Some airports have microwaves to use. I usually have something with me in my cooler or in my carry-on that I could heat to create a meal. Last time I was in the Detroit airport there was a microwave at the Coffee Beanery in the Delta/Northwest terminal. Some restaurants will have a microwave and they will heat the food for me.
Eating healthy at the airport may seem difficult but having a plan is one of the best ways to make it possible. If I know my options and I am prepared then I can eat what I want. Traveling through an airport can sometimes be stressful, but if you have good food on hand then it can be a more pleasant experience.

Planning and Preparing Meals for Traveling

To travel as a foodie one should always be prepared. Before I leave for my trip I do some research on the area and where I will be staying. Then, based on what I will have available when I arrive, I will prepare and pack some of my own staple foods. Better quality foods have become trendy so it has been easier to find good food when traveling on the road. Grocery stores are carrying better products around the country and even farmers’ markets are more available. I use http://www.eatwellguide.org to help me locate natural stores and restaurants. Airport restaurants are starting to catch on to the market for good whole foods. For the past year, eating on the road has become easier with a little preparation on my part.
Even though options are better, I continue to bring items for the plane ride and for meals when I arrive at my destination. Some cities will not have a grocery store that has everything I need or I might not have transportation to get to a store. Many business travelers find that available restaurants may be closed when they arrive late. For this reason they should always try to come prepared.
Before I leave home I will research what type of hotel amenities and transportation will be available. Some hotel rooms have microwaves or a full kitchen and I will prepare food at home based on my accommodations. The best scenario is when I stay at a hotel with a full kitchen like a Homewood Suites or other residence type hotel and I have transportation to a Whole Foods Supermarket nearby. Of course this is rare so I try a to prepare what I need before I leave. I prepare some foods that I can keep in a small cooler and consume in the first few days. The night before or early in the morning I will prep for my trip. For example, I will boil one egg for each day. I can eat them for breakfast or with a salad. I cook different meats that will reheat well. I bake a couple of chicken breasts and grill or broil beef like steak or london broil. The chicken can also be made into a chicken salad which is perfect for a snack on the plane. Carrots keep well the entire trip. I wash and cut the ends of the carrots and take one carrot per day. Celery, broccoli, and cauliflower are also easy to keep in the small cooler and great for snacks. I make my own hummus and pesto and they are both great with the vegetables and other meals. Cheese, prosciutto, and olives are usually in my cooler as well. I will bring any type of food I enjoy that can be consumed in the first few days or any item that is inconvenient to purchase at my destination.
There are dry goods I will also take with me. A few small potatoes, packaged cooked brown or basmati rice, a can of garbanzo beans, nuts, french bread, packaged dry miso soup, and coffee are items that are easy to put in my suitcase. I will bring a fork and a sturdy plastic knife. If you are checking a suitcase then you can bring items that you cannot take through airport security like knives. I bring a small microwavable dish and plate. If I am staying at a hotel with a kitchen then I take what spices I will cook with like turmeric, cumin, red pepper, ginger and garlic.
Before I leave for the airport I will pack my cooler with a few bags of ice and put the dry goods in my suitcase. Remember there is still a 3-1-1 rule at the airport (three ounces, one quart size baggy, one per person). So as long as your food is not a liquid or gel then it is fine. Sometimes food will have packets of sauce under three ounces and I will put them in the ziploc with my toiletries. When going through security I keep the ice in my cooler. Only a couple of airports have said no to ice. But if I mention I am on a special diet than it is usually okay. If the TSA agents object to the ice, I can always get more from a concession when I am through security.
At first the preparation may seem like extra work, but soon you will realize how easy it can be worked into your usual routine. If you try just a few of these suggestions than you will have more control over your diet. When you are at the airport you will no longer have to eat something you normally would not eat because it is your only option. When you arrive at your hotel you will always have a meal just in case the restaurant is closed or does not offer healthy selections. Also the amount of time to locate a restaurant when you do arrive can be frustrating and time consuming. During your busy day, breakfast and lunch are less rushed and more convenient then ordering from a menu at a restaurant. And of course the amount of money you save and the quality of food you will be eating will be the best incentives to start traveling like a foodie.
Stay tuned for the next blog about arriving at the airport and eating during the plane ride. I will share my favorite airport eateries and I would love to hear about other suggestions and tips.

What is a traveling foodie?

Hello. My name is Elizabeth and I am a traveling foodie. I am on the road about two hundred days a year for business and I love to travel for pleasure. I also am a foodie. The term foodie was coined by Paul Levy and Ann Barr in the book The Official Foodie Handbook, 1981. Wikipedia states that a foodie is an informal term for a particular class of aficionado of food and drink. I first heard it in a casual conversation with a foodie family my husband and I met at a music festival. They were camping next to us and both parties were being themselves playing games and preparing amazing gourmet meals and drinks during the weekend. We soon realized our common interest of food and board games and we all instantly became friends. They described themselves as foodies. They also traveled for business coincidentally as public speakers and spent many nights in a hotel room away from home.
When a foodie travels for a length of time for business their way of existence is compromised. I have traveled to some markets with only buffets full of fried foods and to grocery stores that only offer iceberg lettuce for produce. When my husband and I travel for pleasure it is often to music festivals or for camping. Food has always been a big part of our plans when we travel. But our new friends also made or brought their own food while on business. The father would tell me how he makes gravlax, salmon cured in salt and sugar, in his hotel room. I thought, "How creative and fun!". I love to cook and one thing I miss most about being on the road is not being able to cook. I became very curious and soon started creating dishes in the microwave or even the coffeepot. It became an adventure and something to look forward to on the lonely road. I started eating better and was enjoying myself. I became a traveling foodie.
I have worked on the road for ten years. In the beginning I always ate at restaurants. I never ate fast food or bad foods but I still had stomach aches, spent a lot of money, and would be stuck with what was offered by the hotel restaurant. Gradually I ate food I brought from home or made meals in my hotel room with ingredients bought at a grocery store. Now I eat my own food about ninety percent of the time. When I eat out at a restaurant it is now on my terms and I enjoy it even more because it is a fresh experience.
I am now a traveling foodie. I use that term to describe someone who eats good food and continues to adhere by those standards even on the road. And if you are one who travels for business you know that sometimes you have to seek out the good food and even create it yourself. I always try to stick with organic, local, fresh, and non-processed foods with no artificial ingredients. When I eat meat I try to stick with all natural, humanely treated and preferably organic. So if I want to stick to those standards even on the road I have to plan ahead and prepare some items at home. It is worth all the effort and it is possible to accomplish. If you also travel and want to continue to eat like a foodie even on the road then check back and I will continue to post how to travel like a foodie. The next post will be about how to plan ahead and prepare what you will need before you leave home.