Paraphernalia for the Peripatetic Gourmet
Food, glorious food--and wine--are even more enjoyable on the go, thanks to these innovative products, which I’ve tested. They’re available in stores or direct from the manufacturer. Prices do not include shipping.
Cool music: Any cooler can store food; this one also plays music. The Collapsible Music Cooler from California Innovations is a soft-sided, insulated thermal bag with a built-in amplified sound system that turns the cooler into a boombox.
Plug the input line into your portable CD or tape player, radio or MP3 player and crank up the volume, using the earphones if you like. Or plug the input line into the tiny (cigar-size) FM radio, which has a scanning button for zipping to a favorite station. The speakers, which are housed in an external padded compartment, operate on one 9-volt battery; the FM radio works on two AAA batteries (not included).
The cooler comes in two sizes--a 40-can and a 24-can model.
The 40-can Collapsible Music Cooler is about $50; 24-can Music Cooler, $40. To find a store that carries the products, contact California Innovations, telephone (888) 413-2665, Internet https://www.ca-innovations.com.
Wine master: You need never be without a corkscrew, thanks to the tiny Wine Companion. The size of a credit card and just one-fourth inch thick, the nifty plastic case houses a small but solid corkscrew, a stainless-steel knife, a can and bottle opener, a minuscule cocktail stirrer and a two-prong fork. Each tool pulls out from its own slot in the “card.â€
The Wine Companion is $24.95 from Tool Logic; tel. (800) 483-8422, https://www.toollogic.com.
Goblets to go: Sure, you could drink wine out of paper cups, but goblets are so much more festive. Although these 10-ounce, heavy-duty-plastic wine “glasses†will never be confused with crystal, they may be the next best thing for picnics. The stems unscrew for easy packing.
Travel Wine Glasses (item FP598) are $19.85 a pair from Magellan’s; tel. (800) 962-4943, https://www.magellans.com.
Pop-up pantry: The Mission Kitchen measures a portable 26 by 18 by 8 inches when collapsed. But assemble the lightweight metal frame inside the Cordura nylon shell and attach the plastic tabletop, pouches, dividers and towel rack, and you have a 3.1-cubic-foot container that neatly combines storage and work surfaces.
Stash pots, pans, dishes, clothes or dry goods inside. Use the plastic board for preparing food. The movable internal divider system accommodates items of different sizes. The Mission Kitchen has a waterproof molded plastic base for added stability, and two padded handles. It weighs 10 pounds when assembled.
The Mission Kitchen is $99.95 from Montane Inc.; tel. (877) 666-8263, https://www.montane.com.
Cutting edge: Serious cooks hate to be without a versatile knife, even when they’re on the road. The Chef’s Caddy is a 12-by-8-inch flexible plastic sheath with three slots for safely transporting knives (up to a 6-inch blade). The sheath and its nylon cover can be buckled together to form a lightweight knife stand. Three stainless-steel knives are included: a 6-inch chef’s knife, 5-inch utility knife and 3-inch paring knife. Or substitute your own.
The Chef’s Caddy is $19.95 from Montane Inc.; tel. (877) 666-8263, https://www.montane.com.
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