Cooking on Vacation

This article, about what to bring with you on vacation when you know you will be cooking, could not have come at a better time.

Right now, Phin and I are in Martha's Vineyard, sharing a small house with my sister, Calliope, and her two sons, Orpheus and Linus. Calliope is a fish-eating vegetarian. Orpheus, who is six, is an avowed carnivore; he burst in to tears the first time he tried carrots. His brother Linus, who is 3, is basically an air plant. All he needs is a little humidity to thrive, although he has occasionally been known to eat pizza and goldfish crackers as well.

So, as we were planning the trip, Phin and I spent no small amount of time talking about what to cook and what to bring. In addition to trying to come up with meals that everyone would like, you never quite know how well outfitted a rental kitchen will be - will there be a coffee pot? A chopping board? What is the pot and pan situ? Anyway, here are the items we decided we could not live without: coffee, salt, pepper, sugar, parmalat (for the coffee), a sharp knife, peanut butter and jelly, and - to ease any tensions - a case of wine to marinade the chefs!

Wish us luck as we try to cook for this gang in a strange and potentially under-outfitted kitchen. I hope your week has some adventures, too.