Take a lifelong passion for cooking, oodles of imagination, and the desire to make adventure taste better. Mix with delicious recipes from every continent, useful advice, inspiring stories, and superlative photography. Spice with originality and humour. Marinade patiently for 14 years on the road around the world, stirring often with fresh ideas and new experiences, then serve as a glorious feast for the senses.
It’s been a long time in the making, but undoubtedly worth the wait. ‘Dirty Dining’ by Lisa Thomas really is a treat – and one whose appeal will reach far beyond the motorcycle travel community.
Having had the pleasure of tasting Lisa’s cooking ingenuity on a number of occasions, I can vouch for quite a few of the recipes included in the book – all of which are quick to prepare and simple to make. Lisa emphasises that adventurous travel (whether by motorcycle or otherwise) doesn’t have to involve sacrificing nutrition or the enjoyment of delicious food, and she offers plenty of down-to-earth advice about how to achieve a practical, low-cost balance.
In her introduction, Lisa explains that the book, “gets down to the nitty-gritty of how to make do when there is nothing much around to eat. The recipes… are for when you are out in the ‘boonies’ where fresh produce is scarce to non-existent… or perhaps you are just too plain broke and tired to engage your imagination…”
Thanks to the design work of Lisa’s husband, Simon, every one of Dirty Dining’s 162 pages is visually stunning and easy to read. Covering everything from essential ingredients and utensils, to making a campfire and the best ways to pack everything on a bike, the opening chapters are a perfect starter to whet your appetite before the main course. Then comes an eclectic, yet very carefully chosen selection of tried and tested recipes with accompanying travel anecdotes. They range from “make-do Mongolian stew” and “meat-fest Asado” from Argentina, to versatile sauces, all manner of rice dishes and vegetarian options, interesting ways to enjoy chicken and pork, and some fruity sweet diversions.
‘Dirty Dining’ may well transform your travelling eating habits. It’ll certainly change mine.
You can learn more about ‘Dirty Dining’ and Lisa and Simon’s journey around the world at 2RideTheWorld.com
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8”x10” Paperback $26.99 (USA)
Published June 2017 by Misadventures Media
ISBN: 978-1-945703-06-5
Review by Iain Harper