Everything but the sink, or absolutely nothing

Tag : Grain Powder

Salt? Pepper? Swimsuit? Circulator? We asked chefs and authors whatthey pack -- or don't pack -- to go on vacation.
• Mario Batali: ''When I head out to my Lake Michigan house for the summer, Ialways stop at Zingerman's in Ann Arbor (Mich.) to pick upessentials for entertaining: Crespone salami, Greek feta, balsamicvinegar, Pedro Jimenez vinegar, eight to 10 kinds of cheeses . . .,killer dried sweet corn to rehydrate for salads, ``fleur de sel,''capers from Pantelleria, (Italy), saffron from La Mancha (Spain)and Bomba (a Spanish short-grain) rice for campfire paella, a fewItalian olive oils, Spanish ''boquerones'' (anchovies) . . . a boxof fire starter cubes for the pizza oven and a new grill brush.
• Paul Bertolli (Fra' Mani Handcrafted Salumi, Berkeley): 'I always takeanchovies, olive oil, a sharp knife, coffee, a couple of dry`salame,' and a case of wine per week.''
• Anthony Bourdain ( No Reservations ): ``I don't take anything with me but a good attitude. And myfeeling on vacation is to either have others cook (as, presumably,they know how to make the local food far better than I do), or makedo with what's there.''
• Michael Cimarusti (Providence, Los Angeles): Two years ago when I vacationed with myfamily in Hawaii we shipped two cases of assorted wines, foie gras,lobsters and some knives. On past trips, mainly to Kentucky when myfather-in-law was still alive, we shipped everything from foie grasto stone crabs to Maine lobsters.''
• Josiah Citrin (Melisse, Santa Monica, Calif.): ``When I go to Mammoth, I take mycirculator (a temperature control device) and all my meat.''
• Naomi Duguid ( Beyond the Great Wall with Jeffrey Alford): ``We love working with whatever we find. Insouthern Thailand once we rented a small house by a deserted beach.We bought a gas cylinder thing for cooking on, and bought a wokfrom a person in the market, the one she was using, so it wasold-style and heavy, and very well seasoned.''
• Paula Wolfert ( The Cooking of Southwest France ): ``I bring gifts . . . bringing a gift and a kiss seems to putthe women at ease, then I'm part of the family. I brought garlicpeelers to Tunisia and someone wanted to go into businessdistributing them.''
• Dorie Greenspan ( Baking: From My Home to Yours ): ``Mrs. Meyer's geranium-scented liquid dish soap. I also bringReynolds Plastic Wrap (France needs to make a technological leap inthe plastic wrap department) . . . nonstick aluminum foil,double-acting baking powder and ground allspice. It's easy to findwhole berries, but the ground stuff is elusive.''
• Thomas Keller (The French Laundry, Yountville, Calif.): ``I take a bathing suit,suntan lotion, a stack of magazines and a few good books. My iPod,of course, as well as a good pair of sneakers.''
• Sang Yoon (Father's Office, Santa Monica, Calif.): ``I never leave the housewithout my measuring cup. What kind of question is this? Why wouldI take kitchen equipment with me on vacation? I could take thecirculator with me and when I get questioned at security I can tellthem I like to soak my feet in exactly 92.6-degree water. Makesthem baby soft.''