In the motorhome, you cook like at home... or almost

On the road

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In the motorhome, cooking is like at home... or almost

When asked how they cook on the road, many motorhome drivers give the same answer: "Just like at home". Well, almost. In a motorhome, you have a little less space than at home, and the kitchen is in the same room as the bedroom. Which means you need to take a few precautions and adapt.

Being organized

"The pleasure of travel is also on the plate". That's Corinne Bretinière's philosophy. As a camper and cook by trade, she never leaves home without her pots and pans. She also takes the opportunity to share a few tips with us. The first is organization. "Even if you have less space, a motorhome is still a stable, comfortable vehicle. You take things step by step, keep a clean work surface and always put each utensil in its place, so you can find it easily when you're looking for it". For Corinne, it's also a question of finding her own rhythm. With her husband, they prefer short trips to long ones. They stop driving at around 3 pm. "I take my time. I cook for the evening and lunch the next day. It allows us to get back on the road in the morning with peace of mind. For Lénaïg Maréchal, it's the day's errands that dictate the pace. "We run errands on the road, day by day, and it's these that set the tempo... and the menu".

Sourcing locally...

For Lénaïg, as for Corinne, eating on the road means eating local. Markets, local producers, the France Passion network, and even stores, they make do with what they find on the road, in France and abroad. "I'm planning a trip to Albania, Macedonia and Greece. I'm finding out about local dishes, recipes and typical products, so I can make do with what I find when I get there", says Corinne. For Jean-Yves and Martine Lainé, traveling by camper van means "drowning in the local population, adapting their codes, and eating like them. That's what traveling is all about!

Buying locally, especially abroad, also means saving money. Corinne cites the example of Angus beef or lamb from Ireland, vegetables from Spain, or fish from Scandinavia. "If you eat like the locals, it doesn't necessarily cost more. You have to be curious and adapt. You have to function as they do, in a way. Crossing the border, she often misses one thing: good bread. She also notes a difference between Spanish crème fraiche, which is slightly sweet, and French crème fraiche. To remedy this, she takes briquettes of cream with her. And when it comes to bread, she makes do... or rather without.

...and have the basics in your cupboard

Despite their specificities, all our travelers have one thing in common. They all have the "basics" in their motorhome: pasta, rice, semolina, oil, flour, canned food... " For canned food, the small rectangular tins are handy. For canned goods, the small rectangular tins are practical. They stack easily and limit waste when there are two of us travelling together", says Corinne. Lénaïg, who moves all year round, makes sure her motorhome is always ready to go. She makes sure that all the basics are there. "These are goods that can be stored for a long time. You just have to remember not to leave them in the vehicle when wintering.

The "just in case" freezer

Corinne makes great use of the freezer in her Autostar intégral I730, storing pâtés, cakes and more. This is what she calls "just in case", allowing her to improvise a picnic or whip up a cake-apéro to share with traveling neighbors. For the rest, she stores fresh food in her fridge, without overloading it to limit waste. Others store a few ready-made dishes in the freezer to make up for the unexpected.

Plancha in summer...

Once you've shopped, how do you cook? Claude and Claudine Kervot cook outside, as much as they can. "In a motorhome, everything is done in the same room. Cooking outside avoids smells," says Claude. Corinne and Lénaïg have a gas plancha for outdoor cooking. Claude and Claudine have a double-burner gas stove. To each his own. "In summer, and even outside, it's easy to cook outside, as long as it doesn't rain," says Lénaïg.

...Raclette in winter

All of them cook with classic cookware: frying pan, saucepan and stewpot. Corinne leaves her cast-iron casseroles at home, but always takes her paella pan with her. As far as she's concerned, you can cook anything in a motorhome. For example, she makes cakes in a frying pan.

She has just one reservation about the oven. "It's not really suitable for cooking roast chicken or quiche, for example, because there's usually only one fire rail. But you can easily make a gratin dauphinois or a small filet mignon. It's great for reheating or au gratin dishes", says the cook. She also has her own little pleasures: a fondue, or a raclette in winter, with a candlelit appliance. "You just have to air out your car after meals to avoid the smell," smiles Corinne. The best things are often the simplest!

What if you don't like to cook?

Not everyone likes to cook. Even so, travelers insist on being curious and eating local. Take advantage of your travels to sample local dishes, visit small bouis-bouis or more refined restaurants. Which brings us back to Corinne's adage: "The pleasure of travel is also in the plate".

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When asked how they cook on the road, many motorhome drivers give the same answer: "Just like at home". Well, almost. In a motorhome, you have a little less space than at home, and the kitchen is in the same room as the bedroom. Which means you need to take a few precautions and adapt.

Being organized

Sourcing locally...

...and have the basics in your cupboard

The "just in case" freezer

Plancha in summer...

...Raclette in winter

All of them cook with classic cookware: frying pan, saucepan and stewpot. Corinne leaves her cast-iron casseroles at home, but always takes her paella pan with her. As far as she's concerned, you can cook anything in a motorhome. For example, she makes cakes in a frying pan.

What if you don't like to cook?

Not everyone likes to cook. Even so, travelers insist on being curious and eating local. Take advantage of your travels to sample local dishes, visit small bouis-bouis or more refined restaurants. Which brings us back to Corinne's adage: "The pleasure of travel is also in the plate".

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