Hi! My name is Mary Zalmanek and I love to cook. My husband Jim and I also love to travel in our motorhome, which means I cook a lot of meals in the tiny one-butt kitchen in our motorhome. My recipes come from various sources: my family and friends, successful experiments, inspiration from restaurant meals enjoyed during our travels, various cookbooks, and food blogs. All of my recipes are gluten-free.
When I say I have a one-butt kitchen, I mean it. In our 31-foot class A motorhome, the maneuverable floor space measures roughly 3 feet by 4 feet. I don’t mean to imply my butt is 4 feet wide, but I do like to have a little room to move about without stepping on toes.
All of our food is stored in an RV refrigerator with about one-third of the storage space of our home refrigerator. Our motorhome has a convection microwave, an oven, and a 3-burner cooktop that can accommodate no more than one skillet and one pan at a time. Our pans and appliances are squeezed into a few drawers and cabinets.
In spite of the tight quarters, I am absolutely delighted to cook in my one-butt kitchen. If we are on the road, my husband Jim and I are having fun. That includes enjoying tasty home-cooked food, ranging from very easy to extra-effort preparation for special occasions, and from simple meals for two to crowd-pleasers. Most of the meals we have on the road are the same ones I make at home, where admittedly my kitchen could accommodate two or three butts.
In an RV kitchen (or small kitchen in an apartment or house) equipped with basic essentials — dishes, pans, and utensils — a moderately motivated cook can whip up some delicious meals. Check out these lists of basic kitchen essentials and specialized kitchen utensils. All recipes in this blog will assume you have the basics and point out anything you’ll need from the specialized list.
Of course, the real reason we have a motorhome is that we love to travel and explore new places. I also like sharing our adventures, and I’m able to do that as a freelance travel writer and frequent contributor to MotorHome magazine. Check out some of my favorite destinations on their website. (Articles from MotorHome and Trailer Life are now found on RV.com)
