Basic cookbook to take with me overseas?

[Chris in VA]

I'm not much of a cook--

 

I'm feeling a little anxious about our 3mo trip to Jerusalem. We will grocery shop about once a week, near or in the Old City, so small stores.

 

I just need some ideas using basic ingredients, for dinners and stuff. I've heard varying things, but we won't be making usual standby food like chili, tacos, etc.

 

I have a Betty Crocker cookbook, and a Joy of Cooking, and Taste of Home, but I want...something else.

 

Any recs for me? I will have a complete kitchen but probably no extra things like food processor or blender or crockpot.

Maybe some ideas for basic meals?

 

My tummy hurts--I'm not good with change *whine*whine

[Mergath]

I would probably go online and print out recipes that I know would work, then put them in a binder with page protectors.

[JudoMom]

 

How to Cook Without a Book was the first thing that came to mind.

[Lily_Grace]

Skip the cookbook. :)

 

We have a weekly market here. We've had to learn to use things like arugula, pecchorino, procciutto,speck....and none of that is in our cookbooks. And what is in them is often unavailable to us or comes in a different form. Over the past several years, dh and I have found that it's easier to ask how to use X ingredient or look up a dish online that goes with what we can buy. We did finally find an Anglicized regional cookbook that has provided amazing dishes, but that's about it.

 

 

You'll do fine. :) Eat good, feel good.

[justasque]

The More With Less cookbook is perfect for such situations.

http://www.amazon.com/More-With-Less-Cookbook-World-Community/dp/083619263X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367168223&sr=8-1&keywords=more+with+less

 

When we travel, I usually will get some veg from the market or a greengrocer, saute them, and serve over pasta. Throw in a bit of meat, or fish, or a can of beans. Top with some nice grated cheese. Maybe some basil or other herb. This dish can vary just by varying the veg, the protein, and the pasta. Change it up to rice now and again. Your veg will naturally change based on what's in season and what looks good in the shops, so this dish will be a bit different every time.

 

For even more variety, learn to do a basic white sauce and how to change it up - use milk, or coconut milk, or beef broth, or chicken broth for the liquid. Add onions, or mushrooms, or peppers, or paprika, or basil, or make it into a cheese sauce.

 

Serve immediately over pasta or rice, or make into a casserole with potatoes or biscuits or pie crust on top.

 

Now and again, make a quiche to change things up.

 

Fruit crumble or cobbler for dessert - I particularly like the cobbler recipe in More With Less.

 

Lunch is good cheese, good bread, fruit, nuts, hummus, cream cheese, jelly, maybe some meat.

 

More With Less is great because it includes variations on each recipe, so you begin to learn to wing it. If you learn *methods*, and *combinations*, rather than recipes, you'll be able to cook with anything you may find in your travels.

[Crimson Wife]

There are a number of "5 Ingredient" cookbooks. I would go check out the selection at your local B&N and see which look like they'd work for your situation.

[Annie]

Will you have the Internet? If so, I'd skip the cook book, and save the weight in your bag for something else. Bring home a couple more souvenirs. :)

[SarahW]

Will you have the Internet? If so, I'd skip the cook book, and save the weight in your bag for something else. Bring home a couple more souvenirs. :)

 

Yes.

 

If you have internet access just look up recipes that fit the food you bought on allrecipes.com. And if your kitchen measuring tools are only in metric you can use the conversion button to help you figure it out.

 

When I lived in Jerusalem most of the food in the supermarkets was European-style. So just something simple like making a pizza like you're used to will have you banging your head against the wall.

 

If you want to prepare before you go, learn a few good methods for cooking rice by heart.

[Amira]

Agreeing with other posters to rely on the internet if you can. It is so different cooking in other countries and I've never really found a cookbook that I'd recommend for going overseas because there are so many variables. But I can find things online, and it's great if you can ask people around you how to cook things.

 

I'd take some of my own kitchen utensils (especially measuring cups and spoons) over a cookbook.

[Chris in VA]

Thank you so much--I don't know how reliable the internet is in the particular place we are going, but I'm thinking it'll be pretty good. DUH--I use it for everything else, of course I can use it to look up food related questions.

 

I guess it's just getting close and I'm getting nervous! I am not complaining in any way, and hope it doesn't sound like that.

 

Out of my comfort zone, which isn't a bad place, just a...well, uncomfortable one! LOL!

 

I appreciate your patience and understanding.

[Amira]

Thank you so much--I don't know how reliable the internet is in the particular place we are going, but I'm thinking it'll be pretty good. DUH--I use it for everything else, of course I can use it to look up food related questions.

 

I guess it's just getting close and I'm getting nervous! I am not complaining in any way, and hope it doesn't sound like that.

 

Out of my comfort zone, which isn't a bad place, just a...well, uncomfortable one! LOL!

 

I appreciate your patience and understanding.

 

 

Even if you're an experienced and confident cook, cooking overseas can be daunting. But it can also be a lot of fun if you're willing to be creative and try new things. Learning to cook in another country is actually one of my favorite things ever, but it takes time. If all else fails, there's great street food in Jerusalem. :)

[Jaybee]

The More-with Less Cookbook mentioned above, and Whole Foods for the Whole Family http://www.amazon.com/Whole-Foods-Family-Cookbook/dp/0912500433/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367179976&sr=8-1&keywords=whole+foods+for+the+whole+family

are my go-to cookbooks overseas.

 

Many US cookbooks are useless overseas, because they call for so many processed ingredients that are not available. These two books call for basics.

[Starr]

I think focusing your nervousness on food is excellent. :D You may come back a fabulous cook. And a trip to the internet cafe to look up recipes is fun. See what's at the market and google for a recipe.

[Bootsie]

There are a number of "5 Ingredient" cookbooks. I would go check out the selection at your local B&N and see which look like they'd work for your situation.

 

We were traveling internationally a few years ago and my husband purchased one of these to take along--the problem was that almost every recipe had a "can of cream of mushroom soup" (or a similar ingredient) which wasn't available where we were traveling. He said "We'll just susbtitute!" But, we found that we often had to substitute two ingredients--0r 40% of the recipe! Not only are different products available, measurements are different, temperatures are measured differently, equimpent is different, etc.

 

It is helpful if you can find out what a few main ingredients are that will be readily available and find recipes that will work for those items. Two things we have found that we can usually make wherever we travel are spaghetti and scrambled eggs.

[elfgivas]

the really cool thing we've discovered is that so many countries have food that has been raised on the land, left on the tree to ripen, etc, etc.... ie. you may never have tasted food so good.

 

we cook from scratch at home, so when we travel, we just go. occasionally i end up emailing one of our dds or my dear mom for a favourite family recipe, but mostly the internet will provide anything we end up needing.

 

in england, the butcher would come to our door to take our meat order, and then deliver it the next day. after several hilarious outcomes, we decided it would be best for me to tell him what i was making, and he would choose the cut of meat. (the names of the cuts were different). this turned into a highly successful team effort :).

 

and mostly, i've found folks very helpful when i've asked what something is, and what i might do with it.....

 

hth,

ann

[SarahW]

Thank you so much--I don't know how reliable the internet is in the particular place we are going, but I'm thinking it'll be pretty good. DUH--I use it for everything else, of course I can use it to look up food related questions.

 

I guess it's just getting close and I'm getting nervous! I am not complaining in any way, and hope it doesn't sound like that.

 

Out of my comfort zone, which isn't a bad place, just a...well, uncomfortable one! LOL!

 

I appreciate your patience and understanding.

 

 

Oh, I just saw that you said you might be shopping in the Old City.

 

You may want to brush up on your meat skills. You can buy packages of cut meat. But you can also buy meat straight off the carcass. You could get a book about cuts of meat so you know what kind of meat to ask for, shoulder or etc. If you have an actual butcher shop nearby you may want to stop in there a few times before you go and ask some questions.

 

And poultry usually only comes bone-in. If you know someone who is an expert at deboning a whole chicken you may want to ask for a demonstration or two.

 

And I was serious about the rice. White rice only. There are potatoes around, somewhere, but they're definitely not grown in Idaho, iykwim.

 

But the fruit and veg stands were always good, ime. But, yes, be open to new things. Good apples and strawberries are rare or expensive, but pears and cucumbers are everywhere.

 

If you have any questions, just smile and ask a local. It's a social culture, so they won't mind as long as you're polite.

 

I understand being nervous about it!

[Shamzanne]

I agree with the More with Less Cookbook recommendations. It will have more recipes using ingredients found overseas rather than just American ingredients.

[mumto2]

I brought copies of some of my favorite recipes with me. Things like our favorite bread, my grandmother's cookies, brownies from scratch. Things we would miss and not find on the Internet. There is a substitution chart on the inside cover of Betty Crocker which I brought--how to make baking chocolate from cocoa etc. A copy of that is handy. Also the measuring cups are different in England not sure about Israel but a cheap plastic set has made my life easier when making my US recipes.

 

I totally agree with the pp about butchers. I was spending a lot of money on grocery store meat which was frequently pretty bad because I did not understand the cuts as soon as I started discussing my meal plans with my butcher things became easy. I haven't noticed much of a cost difference and we are eating much better.

[justasque]

...

When I lived in Jerusalem most of the food in the supermarkets was European-style. So just something simple like making a pizza like you're used to will have you banging your head against the wall.

...

 

I'm curious - when you said "European-style" I assumed you meant "similar to the US", but then I read the next sentence. What do you see as the differences? Why would making a pizza be different? Surely it's just flour, yeast, sugar, toppings, cheese, yes? The mozzerella might be a bit tricky to find, but Europeans are all about the cheese, so you can substitute?

[SarahW]

I'm curious - when you said "European-style" I assumed you meant "similar to the US", but then I read the next sentence. What do you see as the differences? Why would making a pizza be different? Surely it's just flour, yeast, sugar, toppings, cheese, yes? The mozzerella might be a bit tricky to find, but Europeans are all about the cheese, so you can substitute?

 

 

European is quite different from American.

 

If you want a fluffy crust you'll have to make that from scratch. Pepperoni is hard to come by. It's a place that mozzarella forgot (but according to that Panda commercial, there may now be pizza cheese, but it probably won't taste the same).

 

But that's if the OP shops at Israeli supermarkets. The Arab markets in the Old City are even more different. Ask them for a pizza and they'll be sure to cook an egg on top of it.

[justasque]

If you want a fluffy crust you'll have to make that from scratch. Pepperoni is hard to come by. It's a place that mozzarella forgot (but according to that Panda commercial, there may now be pizza cheese, but it probably won't taste the same).

 

 

Gotcha. I was assuming the crust from scratch, and that you'd have to be non-traditional with the toppings. I guess my everyday cooking is a bit more European to start with than most.

[TheReader]

Echoing everyone else, and also suggesting Jamie Oliver recipes. We've had great success in using his stuff internationally and he writes very well for even a beginner cook to follow.

[TravelingChris]

I will second How to Cook without a Book. Very easy to use anywhere since it doesn't involve any cream of mushroom or anything like that. Just very basic templates of recipes that are super easy and tasty.

[Heather in Neverland]

 

 

Even if you're an experienced and confident cook, cooking overseas can be daunting. But it can also be a lot of fun if you're willing to be creative and try new things. Learning to cook in another country is actually one of my favorite things ever, but it takes time. If all else fails, there's great street food in Jerusalem. :)

 

Yep! I swear we ate out about 5 nights a week when we first moved here because I was so overwhelmed with our new lives and new jobs. Honestly, eating out at local places here is WAY cheaper than trying to cook our favorites from home. Western grocery items cost a mint!

 

Also, make friends with your neighbor and learn to cook the local favorites! My amah has taught me a ton.

[J-rap]

If you have internet, you can always see what's fresh at the market, and then google the ingredients you have and how to use them, instead of lugging recipe books.

 

My husband and I lived in the Middle East (Egypt and then Jordan) for 6 months, and the best things I packed regarding cooking were some of my tried and true spices. They are light and easy to pack, and I was so glad to have them when I was there. Of course they will have spices there too, but often not the same ones, or they are much more expensive (since many are imported), or else since the labels are not in English, you have no idea what they are. :)

 

When do you leave?

[Cafdog]

I adore the America's Test Kitchen cookbooks that collect all of the seasons' recipes to date (I think they're at 12 seasons now). Excellent recipes and step-by-step advice. I use mine all the time. Basic and more exotic recipes.

[Chris in VA]

If you have internet, you can always see what's fresh at the market, and then google the ingredients you have and how to use them, instead of lugging recipe books.

 

My husband and I lived in the Middle East (Egypt and then Jordan) for 6 months, and the best things I packed regarding cooking were some of my tried and true spices. They are light and easy to pack, and I was so glad to have them when I was there. Of course they will have spices there too, but often not the same ones, or they are much more expensive (since many are imported), or else since the labels are not in English, you have no idea what they are. :)

 

When do you leave?

 

Dd and I are leaving the first week of June.

Still anxious.

But I'll be ok. :-)

[J-rap]

 

Dd and I are leaving the first week of June.

Still anxious.

But I'll be ok. :-)

 

 

What a great experience!! Yes, you'll be fine! :)

[Deb in NZ]

I traveled a lot when dh & I were just married. I found it easiest to make my own cookbook to take with me. I bought a small blank hard-bound book & copied into it my favorite recipes. Over the years this book has become priceless as it containsmemories as well as recipes. I left the first 3 pages blank to use as a table of contents & numbered the pages as I added recipes. I note at the top of each page where/who I got the recipe from. This is invaluable as different ingredients can have the same name in other countries. (ie "Tomato Sauce" in America is tomato puree, while in New Zealand it is ketchup) Most basic spices I have been able to find wherever I've traveled, but spice mixes vary greatly from country to country. Things like Poultry Seasoning & Pickling Spice I stock up on when visiting family back home or I have my parents send it to me.

 

I nice side benefit to having my own personal cookbook is that I don't need to remember in which cookbook I found that great recipe for _________. To make it into my cookbook, a recipe must pass my family's taste test & it must be fairly cheap & easy to make.

 

JMHO,

[Giraffe]

Measuring cups and spoons were infinitely more useful to me when I first moved overseas than a cookbook. And the Internet to figure ingredient, volume, and temperature conversions.

[YaelAldrich]

OK, what do you like to eat? I've lived there but NOT in the Old City. Like someone said upthread, the Old City (especially the Arab part) is pretty...basic. Hunks of meat, fresh, in-season veggies (when will you be there?), cheeses cut to order, spice shops (in the Arab areas probably in Arabic and Hebrew, not English) and the like. There will be bakeries with Arabic breads (all white flour)

 

If you go to a grocery store, you will find European foods and some American foods (more American foods each time I go) and mostly frozen packaged meat and fresh meat and cheese and bakery in the back of the store.

 

If you go to Machne Yehuda Market (the main shuk in town) you will find a larger amount of fruit and veggie stands (no haggling), meat cut to order, cheese and herring likewise, bakeries ( there was a bakery with spelt and whole wheat breads that last time I was there across the street from machne Yehuda, otherwise white flour with one or two choices in whole wheat. Whatever veggies and fruits are there will be local (and SOOO tasty -- try a cherry (pronounced sherry) tomato and be amazed!). Be aware that the meat in Machne Yehuda is all kosher (as far as I know) and will taste different to you) -- it's also expensive. If you like cheese, you'll be in heaven!

 

Please let me know if you have any other questions!

 

I hope to go for a couple of weeks this winter.