Home Like Cookin'

This is somewhat of a cultural thing. When we had Mexican crews on our construction jobs, they always had incredible hot meals at noon, and once in a while I'd get invited. They know how to do it right and it was more like a social event than just lunch. How it translates to trucking, I don't know, especially with a solo driver.

This is somewhat of a cultural thing. When we had Mexican crews on our construction jobs, they always had incredible hot meals at noon, and once in a while I'd get invited. They know how to do it right and it was more like a social event than just lunch. How it translates to trucking, I don't know, especially with a solo driver.

Well... that could explain the need for a 10 or 20 pound tank of LPG!

Foreman at my Father's cold storage warehouse used to put his sandwiches (wrapped in foil) on top of the forklift's engine 30 - 45 minutes before he was ready to enjoy his hot lunch. Not sure what he had against the office microwave but it was about another 15 feet and one door from where he parked his fork outside his office!

Can’t use foil in a microwave. That may have been his reason. Nothing wrong with “manifold cooking”, other than the fact that it takes a lot of practice to get it right.

Can’t use foil in a microwave. That may have been his reason. Nothing wrong with “manifold cooking”, other than the fact that it takes a lot of practice to get it right.

Yes but my assumption was the purpose of the foil was his chosen heat source.

Best guess was the previous owners didn't have a microwave or didn't make him feel welcome to use it.

He'd probably been doing it that way for about 25 years!

Hahaha When I worked on garbage trucks in the '80's, I can't count, how many times, tilting the cab forward to access the engine, I'd burritos, or tacos, etc in foil. They had forgot their lunch, who knows how old most of it actually was when I found it, I sure wasn't gunna open it!

I have a small (tackle box size) portable propane grill I carry in my sidebox. It uses the 2 lb. Canisters like you can buy at Walmart or wherever. Yes, the have a plastic protective cap and screw onto the side of the grill when its being used. I carry no more than 1 or 2 canisters, wrap them in a towel so they don't clink around and put them in a small laundry basket underneath my bunk. I've never been questioned about the propane. I know some drivers carry butane burners they cook with. Those use the small cans of butane which are also sold at truckstops. Personally I don't see much of a difference.

Just as an idea, why not get one of those small single burner multi-fuel camping stoves. Make a vampire pump and you are already carrying the fuel you need for your stove. Just siphon a little into your stove and then you have hot food.

Just as an idea, why not get one of those small single burner multi-fuel camping stoves. Make a vampire pump and you are already carrying the fuel you need for your stove. Just siphon a little into your stove and then you have hot food.

Cooking over diesel? A cousin gave me a multi-fuel torpedo heater. He ran diesel... I ran kerosene. Took a couple of tanks of K. run through it to where I was comfortable using it to heat an airplane hanger without letting most of the heat out to get the fumes out too!

Don't think I'd want to cook over it!

"Cooking over diesel? ---- Marc wrote

Marc, I think the fumes are high in vitamin D. No real trucker ever gets enough diesel! Lol

I vaguely remember a time when I ran out of lighter fluid and thought it would be a good idea to use diesel on the charcoal instead. At least the dog enjoyed the hamburgers.