The holiday season is surely upon us! Last month Ramona Creel shared about her best tips for cooking a big meal in an Airstream. From Thanksgiving dinner to holiday meals, this season is one of lots of delicious food and time with family and friends. Today Ramona shares a bit more about hosting a dinner in your Airstream:
Q: What is the best way to host a dinner for multiple people in a tight space?
A: First, be sure to utilize ALL of your space -- and that includes the patio. Most of us have awnings that turn a concrete pad into a covered (if not entirely enclosed) entertaining room. When it's warm enough (and not raining), set up tables and chairs (and possibly a portable fire pit), so you can move the eating part outdoors -- saving your inside area for cooking and serving. If it's too nippy for that, you might be able to switch things around and shift some of the food prep (via a grill, turkey fryer, or electric pan and crock pot plugged into your external outlets) outside -- the lanai also makes a great place to store cold items (like drinks in ice buckets and non-heated deserts), leaving your indoors free for seating.
I'm also a fan of BYOE entertaining -- Bring Your Own Everything! As a full-timer, I only own two camp chairs and four place settings (plus, I'm diametrically opposed to the waste that comes with disposable plastic cups and paper plates). So folks know that when they get a dinner invite, they need to bring something to sit on, something to put their food on, something to eat with, and something to drink out of. As of yet (and I've been making this request of my guests for more than 6 years), no one's ever fussed, no one's ever refused, and I always have a lot fewer dishes to wash!
Q: How do you keep the cooking space clean when there is a lot being made?
A: You must, must, MUST clean as you go! Actually, if you've spent any amount of time in an Airstream (or any other rig), this should have already become a habit -- RVers simply can't afford the luxury of piling up a huge sink full of dishes to be washed "later." (Especially when you only own two pots, three pans, and four bowls -- and you're cleaning them all by hand!) Get in the habit of rinsing that utensil or piece of cookware as you finish with it -- then it's ready for re-use during the next step in the creation of your culinary masterpiece. And the same goes for ingredients -- put 'em away as you're done with them, so you don't end up with a ridiculous pile of clutter all over your extremely limited countertops!
Q: What’s your go-to recipe for entertaining in an Airstream?
A: I love making a huge pot of white bean and chicken chili with cornbread -- either that or a gigantic heaping vegetarian Mediterranean frittata (stuffed full of artichoke hearts, black olives, spinach, and feta cheese). I've had as many as 20 people over at one time (outside, of course), and kept them fed quite nicely with these easy one-dish recipes. Yummers!
We’re thinking we’re ready for dinner at Ramona’s house! Who’s with us? What are you looking forward to most about entertaining and enjoying this holiday season in your Airstream? We’d love to hear on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Photo by Ramona Creel
