In March we've got a condo reserved down south for
a vacation. We'll have a full kitchen and I'd like
to make some quick and easy meals to save us having
to go out for every meal. Breakfast will definitely
be a serve-yourself affair, so I'm targeting lunch
and dinner. We could easily just go to the grocery
store and buy cold cuts and bread and hit the deli
for potato salad etc, but I'd like to at least have
a go at a few simple but different meals.

I've been browsing both the quick-meal and the few-
ingredient cookbooks and have pretty much found that
I need to stick with the few-ingredient ones.
Although we are not against packing a small variety
of herbs and spices to take with us, we do not want
to have to go to the expense of fully stocking the
kitchen. The number of ingredients needs to be
somewhat limited.

Anyway, I've come up with a few ideas: angel hair
spaghetti and just about anything, chicken quesidias
(sp?), and Moroccan chicken. Do you have any good
ideas for something quick and easy to fix and maybe
just a bit off the beaten track?

Thank you, Michael

Michael wrote:
> In March we've got a condo reserved down south for
> a vacation. We'll have a full kitchen and I'd like
> to make some quick and easy meals to save us having
> to go out for every meal.

How about fish? Salmon, or any white fish that you like - pop it under the
broiler, a bit of butter and lemon and a sprinkling of dill, a little salt,
and there you go.

Roasts are easy, if not terribly quick. Steaks or lamb chops, if you have
a grill available.

Cheers,
-C

On 20 Dec 2004 12:54:16 -0800, "Michael" >
wrote:

>In March we've got a condo reserved down south for
>a vacation. We'll have a full kitchen and I'd like
>to make some quick and easy meals to save us having
>to go out for every meal. Breakfast will definitely
>be a serve-yourself affair, so I'm targeting lunch
>and dinner. We could easily just go to the grocery
>store and buy cold cuts and bread and hit the deli
>for potato salad etc, but I'd like to at least have
>a go at a few simple but different meals.
>
>I've been browsing both the quick-meal and the few-
>ingredient cookbooks and have pretty much found that
>I need to stick with the few-ingredient ones.
>Although we are not against packing a small variety
>of herbs and spices to take with us, we do not want
>to have to go to the expense of fully stocking the
>kitchen. The number of ingredients needs to be
>somewhat limited.
>
>Anyway, I've come up with a few ideas: angel hair
>spaghetti and just about anything, chicken quesidias
>(sp?), and Moroccan chicken. Do you have any good
>ideas for something quick and easy to fix and maybe
>just a bit off the beaten track?
>
>Thank you, Michael


May I suggest you try some basics for the main course (so you can
broil or grill them quickly) and add some local veggies as sides.

Depending on where you are down south, the fish & seafood should be
plentiful & as inexpensive as they get, so you might want to avail
yourself of that and bake a few potatoes or yams, add a salad and
some fruit for dessert and you have a meal that is very fresh and
very simple to prepare.

If you are in parts of the south that are known for pork and hams, try
a local ham or some sausage or bacon and you can have leftovers with
the ham or can make omelets for dinner (a mushroom or two, some onion
& a tomato are a breeze for add-ins). Whip up some biscuits (Use
Bisquick for speed - all you need is a fork & liquid) and again, some
fruit and you have what we call BFD - Breakfast for Dinner.

You are on vacation and even if you enjoy cooking, why not take
advantage of fast prep items using fresh and local ingredients? You
get the flavor of the area you're visiting and still get to enjoy
your vacation, too.

Boron

"Michael" > > wrote:


>In March we've got a condo reserved down south for
>a vacation. We'll have a full kitchen and I'd like
>to make some quick and easy meals to save us having
>to go out for every meal. Breakfast will definitely
>be a serve-yourself affair, so I'm targeting lunch
>and dinner. We could easily just go to the grocery
>store and buy cold cuts and bread and hit the deli
>for potato salad etc, but I'd like to at least have
>a go at a few simple but different meals.

>
>Thank you, Michael

Shrimp or clams scampi. Broiled red snapper or grouper with whatever
spices you'd like. With a full kitchen just hit the local stores and
see what looks good. Then take it back and either toss it in the
refridgerator or freezer depending on what it is and when you think that
you'll fix it.

I usually have few if any pre-thought out ideas when I go grocery
shopping. My main thing is "hmmm, what do they have that looks good, and
fresh".

I'm sure that you're counting the days. Enjoy the h*ll out of it when it
arrives.

--
Steve

Why is it that most nudists are people you don't want to see naked?

Michael wrote:

>In March we've got a condo reserved down south for
>a vacation. We'll have a full kitchen and I'd like
>to make some quick and easy meals to save us having
>to go out for every meal. Breakfast will definitely
>be a serve-yourself affair, so I'm targeting lunch
>and dinner. We could easily just go to the grocery
>store and buy cold cuts and bread and hit the deli
>for potato salad etc, but I'd like to at least have
>a go at a few simple but different meals.
>
>I've been browsing both the quick-meal and the few-
>ingredient cookbooks and have pretty much found that
>I need to stick with the few-ingredient ones.
>Although we are not against packing a small variety
>of herbs and spices to take with us, we do not want
>to have to go to the expense of fully stocking the
>kitchen. The number of ingredients needs to be
>somewhat limited.
>
>Anyway, I've come up with a few ideas: angel hair
>spaghetti and just about anything, chicken quesidias
>(sp?), and Moroccan chicken. Do you have any good
>ideas for something quick and easy to fix and maybe
>just a bit off the beaten track?
>
>Thank you, Michael
>
>
>
This is sort of side stepping your question, but I thought I'd offer an
idea that I've found enjoyable. I have done the condo/cottage/cabin
thing a bit and always found it fun to do some research into the
culinary history of the area and then try to create those types of meals
using local products. It's probably a bit odd, but I find that it adds
a dimension to the vacation. Kinda cool sitting in, say, a cabin in the
Okefenokee Swamp eating gator tail, swamp cabbage, and cornbread.
Just "food" for thought.

Bubba

--
You wanna measure, or you wanna cook?

Bring a crockpot along. Always love being outside all day and coming
in to these wonderful smells! I like Bubba's thoughts about
researching the local area for unique items for the area. Great idea!

Thanks for all the great ideas. We'll be located on Smather's
beach on Key West, Florida. We will definitely be looking to
do some local cooking. I'm going to try a key lime pie soon,
and we will try and find a small grocery store that specializes
in the local foods. I understand that since they outlawed
netting as a fishing method, fish is harder to find and more
expensive. Gator tail sounds exotic and exciting. I'll keep
an eye out for that.

Thanks again, Michael

Michael wrote:
<snip>

> I understand that since they outlawed
> netting as a fishing method,
<snip>
>
> Thanks again, Michael
>

Really?!? You can't even net shrimp for bait any longer???

--
Steve

Why is it that most nudists are people you don't want to see naked?

Michael: Fish didn't go up that much in price! What is hard to find
is fresh mullet with the net ban. You MUST do a key lime pie. Enjoy!
Key West is one of my favorite places in Florida to visit. (we've
lived in Florida for over 40 years now!!!). Be sure to walk through
Ernest Hemingway's house. It is really neat!

>Michael: Fish didn't go up that much in price! What is hard to find
>is fresh mullet with the net ban. You MUST do a key lime pie. Enjoy!
>Key West is one of my favorite places in Florida to visit. (we've
>lived in Florida for over 40 years now!!!). Be sure to walk through
>Ernest Hemingway's house. It is really neat!
>

Is that the house with all the cats? I saw a documentary on cats a few years
back and they profiled one of Hemingway's houses, I think it was in Florida,
where about 100 cats live there with humans who care for them. Animal
psychologists from all over the world visit this house to study the cat
behavior as the cats have developed cliques within the group, and several of
the cats are "leaders" within the tribe who make the rules for the other cats
to follow. It was a very interesting show. I'm not sure if this house is open
to the public but I would love to visit it.

Michael O'Connor - Modern Renaissance Man

"The likelihood of one individual being right increases in a direct proportion
to the intensity with which others try to prove him wrong."

Steve Calvin wrote:

> Michael wrote:
> <snip>
>
>> I understand that since they outlawed
>> netting as a fishing method,
>
> <snip>
>
>>
>> Thanks again, Michael
>>
>
> Really?!? You can't even net shrimp for bait any longer???
>
Don't throw your castnet away just yet. We voted in the "Net Ban" in
'94, but for commercial fishers only. And it wasn't a net ban....not
sure how it got that name. It did restrict the seine size, mesh size,
net material, number of nets on the boats, etc..




--
You wanna measure, or you wanna cook?

Mpoconnor7 wrote:
>> Michael: Fish didn't go up that much in price! What is hard to find
>> is fresh mullet with the net ban. You MUST do a key lime pie.
>> Enjoy!
>> Key West is one of my favorite places in Florida to visit. (we've
>> lived in Florida for over 40 years now!!!). Be sure to walk through
>> Ernest Hemingway's house. It is really neat!
>>
>
> Is that the house with all the cats? I saw a documentary on cats a
> few years back and they profiled one of Hemingway's houses, I think
> it was in Florida, where about 100 cats live there with humans who
> care for them. Animal psychologists from all over the world visit
> this house to study the cat behavior as the cats have developed
> cliques within the group, and several of the cats are "leaders"
> within the tribe who make the rules for the other cats to follow. It
> was a very interesting show. I'm not sure if this house is open to
> the public but I would love to visit it.
>
> Michael O'Connor - Modern Renaissance Man
>
Yep, that's the place. Hemmingway was eccentric as hell and did indeed have
cats; decendants of the ones he was owned by still live there In fact,
he had polydactyl cats - those with 6 toes to a paw. It's more common than
you may think

Jill

I did not go by to see the Hemingway house the last
time I was there, but we were only in Key West for
a few days and then traveled back up to stay in Key
Largo and do some diving. This time we will be in
Key West for the entire 9 days, so I will make it a
point to go by his house. It will probably have to be
a quick trip through, though. I'm allergic to cats.

I'm a big Hemingway fan. I've read all his novels
except Across the River and into the Trees. I can't
bring myself to finish it. It's not very good. Heming-
way lived in Key West with Pauline Pfeiffer, his
second wife.

Michael