On any given day, you can see a line of trucks exiting the highway and heading to the local greasy spoon truck-stop diner. But the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent supply-chain shortages have forced some truck stops to offer only abbreviated menu items.
These factors — along with the desire to eat more healthfully — created an uptick in the number of truck drivers who found ways to prepare restaurant-quality meals right in the cabs of their semitrucks.
Taking Advantage of Tiny Spaces
One might wonder how it is possible to create home-cooked meals that are equally nutritious and delicious from the interior of an 18-wheeler. But as 56-year-old trucker Dina McKinney learned, a bit of creativity and organization can turn the extra space in the cab into a kitchen that is fully functional, if small .
McKinney’s big rig boasts amenities that include a walnut Boos block countertop complete with backsplash, a microwave and an air fryer. She manages to contain all of this in the seven feet of cab space she designated as her kitchen on wheels.
A Taste of the Holidays Even When Far from Home
One of the unavoidable hardships of the trucking life is spending holidays away from family and friends. Instead of gathering ’round a groaning table, OTR truckers typically have to settle for fast food and truck stop fare for their holiday meals.
McKinney was again far from home on Christmas, hauling a load of kitchen cabinets up the northeastern corridor. But she did not let that deter her from preparing an ambitious menu of brie-stuffed puff pastry, sauteed Brussels sprouts with bacon, sweet potato soufflé and a turkey breast and leg rubbed with savory spices, then grilled on her rotisserie.
Semi Truck Cooking Incorporates Cultural Favorites
When it comes to celebrating holidays like Diwali or Ramadan, finding traditional ethnic menu items on the road can be a real challenge. The CEO of the North American Punjabi Trucking Association, Raman Dhillon, acknowledged that the “supply chain issue [put a damper] on the holiday season.”
Devising ways to prepare their traditional holiday foods within their truck cabs allows these truckers to remain connected to their cultural traditions and favorite family recipes even when home is far away.
A Good Meal Can Stave Off Feelings of Isolation
Often, truck drivers who cook prepare enough food to share meals with other grateful truckers parked nearby at rest areas and truck stops. Breaking bread with their fellow drivers inspires camaraderie and dispels some of the inherent loneliness of life on the road.
Do you have any favorite meals that you prepare inside your rolling kitchen?
Source: standardspeaker.com
I’ve been cooking in my semi since 1994!…Tell me something new😵💫