A chef can make the space warm and inviting, but where you cook doesn't matter; what matters is how you cook the food and who you cook it for. Being in the Airstream made this trip around the country feel more festive.
La: With that in mind, are you itching to get traveling again? I mean, I know it's the height of the season now, but are you starting to think about where you're going to go next winter or the next time you have a chunk of free time?
EF: Yeah, that's something we talk about all the time in October. It's the height of the season right now, and it's really hard for anyone who works in the hospitality industry in a seasonal place like Maine. We're just trying to hang on through October.
And as soon as restaurants wrap up for the season, we start thinking about how to pick ourselves back up and prepare for the next season. Come October, we'll be dreaming big about where we'll go next.
La: I love what you said about how you get recharged. Travel sounds like the fuel you need to get back into the summer.
EF: Yes, we always say you should go out to eat at a restaurant where you know the chef has just gone on vacation somewhere, because then you're going to have the best food. The chef is home rested and inspired.
La: Great. Pro tip. I don't know how to access these chefs' calendars, but I'll dig into their favorite spots.
You've completed a pretty impressive road trip. For anyone looking to do something similar – I'm not sure if you'd be willing to spend three months traveling 10,000 miles – how did you find your destination and get it mapped out? Any advice?
EF: Ah, well. For me, I had dreams of places I wanted to see, places I wanted to go, and we started from those intersections, but left a lot of things open and loose to allow for those discoveries.
I didn't want it to feel like everything was planned and I had to go to X, Y, and Z. Of course there were places I had to go, but I also wanted a bit of freedom to be surprised and discover things along the way, and I think that's part of the fun of traveling.
La: Thank you so much, Erin, for sharing your travels and the story of “The Lost Kitchen.” Congratulations on such a great story and the development of your new show.
EF: thank you.
La: I would definitely write and send postcards and hope to be one of the 500 people who get to visit.
If people want to follow your travels and cooking, where can they find you on the internet?
EF: Our website is findthelostkitchen.com and on Instagram we are @thelostkitchen.
La: Thanks for listening to Women Who Travel. I'm Lale Arikoglu. You can find me on Instagram at @lalehannah. My engineers are Jake Lummus and James Yost. The show is mixed by Amar Lal at Macro Sound. This episode's producer is Michele O'Brien. Our executive producer is Stephanie Kariuki. Chris Bannon is Global Head of Audio at Conde Nast.
Tune in next week to learn how a seasoned backpacker fresh from a trip to Patagonia can help you get started on your first foray into the wilderness.
