Hi everyone,
Hope you’re having a great week! Doug and I were just in Sicily, and I posted a little vlog about how we travel together. Someone commented that they’re heading to Europe for the first time in a few weeks and asked if I had any travel tips. So today, I thought it would be fun to share my top tips for planning (and enjoying!) a long travel day, including my favorite hack for making the time fly by and getting ahead of jet lag.
First, here’s a recipe for crispy chicken thighs with spicy lime sauce I recently made. The secret to getting the crispiest chicken is starting it skin-side down in a cold pan and cooking it slow and low so the fat renders and the skin crisps up. I serve them with a tangy, sweet spicy Vietnamese-inspired sauce. The result is mind-blowingly good. I hope you give them a try!
As always, my cookbook Maxi’s Kitchen is now available for purchase at your local bookstore or online:
Thank you so much for your support 🤍
What I Cooked Last Week! ↓
Crispy Chicken Thighs with Spicy Lime Sauce
The secret to the crispiest chicken thighs is starting them skin-side down in a cold skillet. Serve with a bright, tangy Vietnamese inspired cilantro lime sauce.
You can download the PDF recipe above and watch the video here :)
Grandpa's Benihana Ginger Dressing
My grandpa was a flavor chemist, in charge of formulating the taste of medicines at Abbot Labs. Years ago, he recreated this Benihana dressing at home. I’m proud to share it with you in his honor!
Healthy Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry
This stir fry is the perfect healthy weeknight dinner. It’s deeply savory with the flavors of soy sauce and fresh basil. Serve it over steamed Jasmine rice to soak up the delicious sauce.
How to Survive (and Thrive) on a Long Travel Day ✈️
I’ve always found travel days fun and exciting, and I don’t really dread long flights. Here are a few things I do to make the whole process easier and smoother.
Pack light (if you can) 🧳
Of course, if you’re someone who likes to have a ton of stuff when you travel, you can disregard this one. But Doug and I always bring just a carry-on suitcase, even if we’re going on a multi-week trip. We both have international carry-on-size suitcases that meet the requirements for most airlines.
Not checking a bag makes the travel day so much more seamless because you cut out the time it takes to check a suitcase and wait for it at baggage claim. It’s also nice not having to haul a heavy bag around if you’re making multiple stops during your trip.
I find that the less I pack, the more likely I am to pick up souvenirs and clothes along the way. I love looking for unique clothing when I’m outside the country, especially pieces you’re less likely to see other people wearing back home.
One hack I swear by: I always bring my Tumi Just In Case tote bag. It folds down into a tiny pouch and takes up almost no space. Even if my carry-on is completely full when I leave, I know I’ll have some extra room for anything I buy. On the way home, any overflow goes into the tote, along with my backpack, which I then collapse and squeeze into the tote.
Sometimes, if I really end up with a crazy amount of stuff, like I did in Japan, I’ll check a bag on the way home.
In addition to my carry-on, I bring a backpack with everything I’ll want access to during the flight since it goes under the seat in front of me: phone charger, snacks, glasses, and so on.
Download entertainment before you leave 📺
The night before a trip, I always do a full sweep of the streaming platforms to figure out what I’m excited to watch. (I have all the subscriptions because I love TV, lol.) I download a mix of scripted shows and reality TV so I have a nice balance between something immersive that requires more attention and something casual I can half-watch. I never know what I’ll be in the mood for.
Of course, you can always watch whatever is available on the plane, but I find that having shows I’m genuinely excited about makes the time go by quickly.
This time, I downloaded a bunch of episodes from season three of Couples Therapy on Paramount+ because I’d heard it was the best season. You basically get to watch other couples’ therapy sessions, and I’ve found it so fascinating. I loved it so much that I ended up downloading two more seasons while I was on the trip for the flight home, and somehow watched three full seasons over the course of a week. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for something binge-worthy!