Getting back to basics

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Posted at 12:02PM, 12 August 2009 by Lulu Grimes - Deputy editor, olive magazine

Self-catering always sound so promising, a cottage/villa/flat/mansion at a destination with a fabulous food culture. A chance to shop local, peruse markets (and even unfamiliar supermarkets) then return to your holiday kitchen with basket or bag stuffed to the gunnels with goodies and your mind full of plans.

But at this point, if you haven't already carried out a thorough inspection of the kitchen things can go horribly wrong.

What is it that makes the owners of some of these establishments think that a couple of giant casserole dishes, a blunt kitchen knife and a set of corn on the cob forks are enough to rustle up a meal or three?

I've lost count of the number of times there has not been a single roasting tin or baking sheet in evidence, there is no knife that cuts through anything tougher than butter or that the sole saucepan is either suitable for 500 or 2 but nothing in between. And let's not even mention the corkscrew.

I take precautions these days: a sharp knife, a potato peeler that works and a cork screw go into my hold luggage. Just in case. And I always check out what the kitchen cupboards hold before planning what to cook. I've left some kitchens better equipped than when I've arrived!

So have you ever had a nasty surprise when your holiday let has been less than adequately equipped? And what would you never consider travelling without?

Comments

Andy Lynes

12 August 2009, 6:27PM
Andy Lynes

The nastiest shock I got was a few years ago in a rented holiday cottage in Padstow. I'd bought a rather large and very lively lobster from one of the quayside fishmongers. When we got it back to the kitchen I discovered there wasn't a pot big enough to boil the thing in so I had to roast it. Which meant first cutting it in half. I'd seen it done a number of times in professional kitchens so I knew the proceedure, but actually doing the nasty myself was quite a different matter. I kept the beast in its box in the fridge in an attempt to send it to sleep, but no joy. I downed a glass of wine and plunged the knife in. The worst thing was the claws were still flapping about when the poor thing was in two halves. I eventually stopped shaking enough to put it in the oven and knock up a beurre blanc. It tasted fantastic but I've never cooked lobster since.

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Andy Lynes

12 August 2009, 6:28PM
Andy Lynes

The nastiest shock I got was a few years ago in a rented holiday cottage in Padstow. I'd bought a rather large and very lively lobster from one of the quayside fishmongers. When we got it back to the kitchen I discovered there wasn't a pot big enough to boil the thing in so I had to roast it. Which meant first cutting it in half. I'd seen it done a number of times in professional kitchens so I knew the proceedure, but actually doing the nasty myself was quite a different matter. I kept the beast in its box in the fridge in an attempt to send it to sleep, but no joy. I downed a glass of wine and plunged the knife in. The worst thing was the claws were still flapping about when the poor thing was in two halves. I eventually stopped shaking enough to put it in the oven and knock up a beurre blanc. It tasted fantastic but I've never cooked lobster since.

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James

12 August 2009, 7:02PM
James

I've never found equipment to be a problem. Having said that I do take my own as well because I like what I know, and all the holiday houses I cook in as a holiday chef tend to be on the luxury end of the market. Having said that if I had to rely on the the amount of baking trays they have I'd have a nervous breakdown. A reputable hoilday letting company will personally vet the houses and have checklists for the cleaners/ housekeeper to check everything is in place for each new letting. The houses I love have 2 ovens and 2 dishwashers. When you're cooking for 20 people or so it really helps. For holiday houses I haven't cooked in before I normally go and check the kitchen beforehand so I know what I am going to, if there's no time for that I peruse the photos on the houses's website carefully first. There's one house I know with virtually no work surface so I take a folding table.

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James

12 August 2009, 7:03PM
James

The successful houes are the ones where the owner has actually lived there for a time while they were refurbishing it & getting it ready for letting - or at least the owners should stay there at some point in the year to check all these niggles. A visitors book is useful too - one I saw quite a few people complained about not having a washing machine. If you're there for 2 weeks with a large group that's quite important (maybe not for cooking with though.....). If you write things in they get followed up.

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James

12 August 2009, 7:03PM
James

On the glasses front they are a nightmare for house owners - so many get broken replacements are a large expense. Toughened glass glasses are good - thin delicate champagne glasses get broken so easily. Did I forget salt and pepper? It's always the salt and pepper. When houses do actually have salt and pepper mills why are they always empty? I take my own. And one house never has sugar - what happens when you make tea on your arrival? I always have a back up jar in my van just in case.

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slippymark

12 August 2009, 7:21PM
slippymark

Whenever I rent a holiday home, whether hear or abroad, I normally leave it with every once blunt knife sharpened to within an inch of it's life on the buildings brickwork....

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poppysuze

13 August 2009, 8:42AM
poppysuze

I recently stayed in a Guest house in Jena, Germany and was pleasantly surprised to find a very small kitchen kitted out for 1 person to cook in, casserole, saucepan, cutlery, baking trays, coffee maker, etc. As there is such a wonderful choice of restaurants in Jena, and my very good friend and family were wonderful hosts, found that I had no need to use the facilities but ideal for people who did :o)

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SamCham

14 August 2009, 5:02PM
SamCham

When self catering abroad the one thing I really miss is a kettle! :) I have gone self catering on many occasions and always find the kitchen is lacking something. Usually as others have said, sharp knives, cutting boards, saucepans in useful sizes (and the lids are usually mismatched for some reason), corkscrew etc etc. I often leave places better equipped than when I arrived. But it's all part of the fun :)

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sioden

17 August 2009, 5:22PM
sioden

We went skiing in Les Gets about 2 years ago. The best way to go is self catering. The kitchen was great - fabulously equipped. We cooked dauphinoise one night. Halfway through cooking we went to open the oven to check on it. The oven door wouldn't open. No idea why and can't remember what we did - but for some reason the oven door decide to lock itself during cooking! very scary!

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lulu@olivemagazine

17 August 2009, 6:21PM
lulu@olivemagazine

James you sound amazingly well organised! slippymark that is a trick I'd like to learn.

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ali c

24 August 2009, 12:41PM
ali c

Like many others I always take my favourite sharp knife and a peeler. I have just come back from a holiday let and the first time there was no salt or pepper, something else to add to the packing list. The good this is that it makes you realise how essential really good quality kitchenware is for a keen cook. Inferior baking sheets etc make me appreciate what I have at home.

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Belinda

25 August 2009, 12:04PM
Belinda

I must admit that I have always been reasonably lucky as to the kitchen equipment but I have my kitchen box with me which includes the bare essentials for cooking; e.g. 1 pan, 3 pots in different sizes with covers, kitchen knive and bread knive, corkscrew, ovengloves etc. - all fitting into a A4 paper box! and that is topped up with a basic ingredient's box (another A4 box). Easy peasy and hubby happy as he knows that whatever disaster may strike, food will be on the table.

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Leigh

26 August 2009, 7:33AM
Leigh

The thing I hate most about the kitchens on the properties that we have rented, is the left over food that the previous occupants leave behind. Dodgy looking tea bags and half empty jars of things. The first thing I do is chuck the lot in the bin and then sharpen the knives!

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Polly58

9 September 2009, 12:51PM
Polly58

Last year we had our honeymoon in Sicily. On arrival at our beautiful apartment overlooking the sea we were greeted by the owner who showed us around. The kitchen was very well stocked although it didn't have an oven, only a hob. After apologising for this she then said 'But of course there are so many good restaurants around here that you won't be cooking much anyway'! On the contrary. One of the things we were most looking forward to was shopping in the local markets for fresh ingredients and cooking them and it really surprised me that the Sicilian owner did not share this passion.

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