Hotel room cooking

Because I got to work from the hotel today instead of going to the jobsite. I sauted a thinnish boneless porkchop with crimini mushrooms in butter, seasoned with salt and black pepper. Unfortunately, I stocked up on junk food at the grocery (comfort foods: ice cream in various formats, Dean's guacamole dip and Tostitos, Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls, Kettle Chips and a big tub of sour cream) and need to do better if I'm going to survive another 1.5 weeks here.

Just posting about this made me want to eat better today. (Also, I finished off the Swiss Cake Rolls for breakfast.)

Tonight, I poached two chicken thighs, reserved the broth, shredded the meat from one, boiled some cheese tortellini in the broth, then mixed the meat and pasta together with a spoonful of tomato herb spaghetti sauce and some of the broth. Garnished with some grated parmesan. Tasty.

I found I've also been provided with 3 pyrex storage/microwave bowls as well as a 2 cup liquid measuring cup and a strainer. The remaining thigh and broth now reside in the medium-sized one.

I dont trust those hotel bar fridges though! They always seem really not-cold. I think if I had to stay somewhere a week or 2 I'd spring for a serviced apartment, with a proper kitchen. Stayed in one like that in Sydney for work a year or 2 back. Man. It was way better than my own kitchen! Central island with stove and sinks in, dishwasher (!), a whole gamut of tools. It was a damn shame I was only there overnight.

That would be great! But I have to stay where work puts us :( They have a block of 10 rooms at this hotel for 1 year, so I think I'm stuck with it. The fridge isn't one of those mini bar fridges though, just a 1/2 sized apartment fridge (with an icemaker, whoohoo). Also, a dishwasher, but I would so much rather have an oven. There's a gas grill outside we use to bake frozen pizzas on, which works okay once we figured out to use a low flame.

how about one of these

http://www.sportsliquidator.com/imagesproducts/3691b.jpg

which you can, of course, refill with whatever you like. they usually hold 6 spices, and can be found in camping goods stores/sections.

Hotel Hot Dogs, by Laurie Anderson:

(I invented this recipe when I was on a press tour in Germany. Usually the interviews went on all day and into the night and by the time they were over all the restaurants in town would be closed. So here's how to cook a pretty good dinner right in your hotel room.)

HOTEL HOT DOGS

The ingredients: 2 bratwurst (Oskar Meyers will also do). The utensils you'll need are: one lamp, a pocket knife, and wire strippers. Unwrap the bratwurst and place on bedside table. Unplug the floor lamp. Using the pocket knife, cut the lamp cord approximately 3 feet from the plug. With wire strippers, peel the insulation from the cord, leaving about 10 inches of exposed wire. Thread the wire through the bratwurst and tie off the wire at the end. Then, just plug it in! Cook until the bratwurst is crispy on the outside (approximately 2 seconds)* Make sure the cooking time doesn't exceed 3 seconds since the meat will explode at very high temperatures. Then just relax and enjoy! This dish is excellent accompanied by a glass of cool tap water. *In the US or other territories where 110 is used, add 2 additional seconds to cooking time.

Risotto is your friend here, I think.

Could you cook bacon in a Kirby Trouser Press? Possibly.

LOL @ exploding wire dogs

There's been rumors afloat that Laurie Anderson doesn't know how to call room service. This confirms my suspicion.

That 6 spice camping thing looks brilliant. Also, yes definitely on the risotto (I bought arborio rice yesterday, will make chicken stock from thighs tonight, still must buy wine (screw-top? or giant box)). Also, found some wonderful spice blends for sale in small packets at a cafe I visited with Ned and those have been great - sea salt w/ lavendar, very hot 7 spice blend, medium hot and toasty spice/seed blend.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

ps. one of my coworkers who's an electrician type set the smoke detectors for the entire hotel off the other day, by frying fish. The firemen who showed up declined to stay for dinner and beers. I'm tempted to tell him about the quick cooking hot dog wire technique right before I leave for home.

ha. you need a hot dogger, jaq (that 70s contraption that cooks weenies by electric current). i've seen one in action - much safer than the diy method.

OMG! We had one of those when I was a kid! I had totally forgotten - it had a row of metal spikes along each side of a tray that you used to hold the ends of the dogs; they kind of curved upward when impaled correctly. Then you closed the lid and they sizzled away.

The front desk rents toaster ovens for $20. Total highway robbery.

Jaq, I jes' emailed you.

!

I haven't got it yet :(

Oh, there it is!