Momofuku (translation: lucky peach) is David Chang’s New York Restaurants creation.  I watched an interview with him, and whatever humility he shows, there is no doubt in anyones mind that he is a trend setting chef.  Currently he’s got three places in New York City, and next time I’m there, I’m in.  His menu’s are constantly changing and can feature just about any type of fusion food imaginable.  I’m adding it to my list of world restaurants to visit.

Often found in Santorini, Greece.  Tomatokeftedes are tomato balls with onion, zucchini, pepper, paprika, eggs, covered in flour and fried.  It’s basically like a tomato meatball with a light coat of breading.  Fairly easy to make, as the ingredients aren’t all that hard to find.  You can get the recipe from a favorite site of mine, Greek-recipes.com.

Cultures getting meshed together is something I favor. When East meets West you end up with products like this…A fork/chopstick. The DesignGostudio.blogspot.com brings you Choplery. So they may be a brooklyn based design team…either way, I can appreciate the work.

So many backpackers I know who care about their budget are always coming up with good eats, maybe more importantly, good eats cheaply. While most of the time it will depend on where you are travelling, and the resources available, Ramen and Tuna is a cheap and filling meal. Me and a buddy were eating this just about every other day in the Dominican Republic. We got lucky by staying in a hostel that had a microwave. After that, it’s pretty simple nuke the ramen noodles first in a bowl, then lay out on a plate and throw on your canned tuna. Heat it up quickly in the microwave and then mix. You will be full before you finish, and best of all, it’s usually no more than a $1.00 - $1.25 per meal. It’s really all about using the resources around you, find out what your hostel has, and from there, go track down ingredients. If a hostel has no refrigerator, no microwave and even more importantly, no utensils…you’re eating out. I found a very well done ramen blog created by Matt Fischer, that has numerous ramen recipes for anyone interested.

Sure it may not be “travel” related or within a backpacker budget, but it does have a little plane on the can…which I feel qualifies it for a post. Airforce Nutrisoda is yet another drink for those concerned about their well being. I’m still debating wether I’m in that category or not, I’m back and forth between excercising and drinking…What can I say, I like to do both when I’m not travelling, and one when I am.

If you have a spare $1800 laying around, then you might want to pick up one of these. Bordbar.de is reusing/reselling old beverage carts that have traveled up and down aircraft aisles for years. They have dents and scratches, but the designs are new. You can even design your own. I like any idea that involves design and recycling, but I don’t like the price. Seriously, who has that kind of money. Travellers and Backpackers don’t…I know that.

Rum and Coke my friend….Rum and Coke. Otherwise known as a cuba libre (more lime juice is usually involved though). Travel to any bar and order one it will cost you at least twice as much as what you can make one yourself.

Gathering the ingredients is easy. There is hardly a country on this planet that doesn’t have readily available Coca-Cola, and rum is generally not too far behind. The hardest part is usually finding a glass in the hostel. To save yourself money, buy a small bottle of rum from a grocery store or corner market when you first arrive. Packing rum on a plane is not a good idea and it will usually be confiscated. A small bottle won’t cost you all that much if you buy local product. From there, any time you want a good drink, just go find a cold coke. If your hostel has a refrigerator that makes it even cheaper, as usually you will end up paying a little more for a cold can or bottle than buying off a shelf of room temp. I usually put about a small shot in a glass and just fill the rest with coke. If you desperately desire lime, pick one up from a local vendor as it won’t be all that much. Some of my favorite nights are just hostel bumming with fellow travelers sharing cheap drinks.

Supposedly, this 100% organic formula helps jet travel. Each organic liquid herb has a purpose to prevent a specific symptom of air travel. Fatigue, stress and anxiety, lack of mental clarity, poor circulation etc. each has an ingredient added to combat the feeling. I wouldn’t mind trying a bottle myself before it gets to be the pop hollywood thing to do. You can check it out and purchase through their site at jetlagformula.com

I thought I would continue the water bottle article with a slight offshoot just briefly mentioned. Flavor Packets. Flavor Packets are the newest additions to my pack while traveling. Drinking water saves a lot of money, and when you get tired of plain old water, it helps to have a low cost alternative available wherever you go. In addition to cost, it’s never a bad idea to lay off the soft drinks and chug the agua. That’s where these flavor packets come in handy.

The typical flavor packet can be used for about 12-20 ounces of water, depending on how strong you want it. A few different companies make these flavor packets and the number of flavors has dramatically increased.

Crystal Light is kind of leading the way with marketing, and at last check they had 12 flavors available. Great Value also makes a cheaper alternative. Kool-Aid and Lipton are also just entering the market as well. Lipton seems to be pushing their green tea, which I have yet to try. Kool-aid obviously has kid friendly flavors such as tropical punch, cherry, grape, and orange. Actually, when you think about it, Kool-Aid has been doing this for years, now, they just put it in a smaller packet and call them singles. Airborne is a new provider as well, trying to corner the immune conscience consumer, and marketing it as a dietary supplement.

I added these to the packing list because they almost force me to drink more water, which saves money, and they are so small and can pack anywhere with no problem or worry about additional weight. The downside I suppose would be the cost, I just know that buying things in smaller quantities is never a good value. So, for the extreme shoe-string budget traveler, think about buying a larger supply, or see what’s available in your kitchen, and instead of individual packets, dump the powder in a 35mm film case. Those hard plastic, well sealed containers are small and sturdy and can probably hold the equivalent of 3-5 flavor individual flavor packets.

Folding cups, bowls, and complete dinner sets from a company that apparently loves to travel. Actually, the guys who developed the Orikaso product line are more utah outdoorsmen. But as a traveler, I appreciate this kind of product. If you can’t tell by the picture, they are designed to pack down flat, so you aren’t taking up precious backpack cc’s. They fold into cups, bowls or dinner plates so you can take them anywhere and have a meal just about anywhere. Plus, the company is just plain eco-sweet.