10
One option is paper candy cups (or foil if you're feeling fancier). This is how chocolates are "nestled" in place in many candy boxes when there's no pre-molded tray, there's flexibility in the size of candy that can fit in them, and they are pretty widely available.
Image below is from an Amazon listing. I've also seen them in craft stores and some ...
9
I may not get a vote for this (hell, possibly a downvote), but....
Can't you just buy some bamboo steamer baskets from a chinese grocery and figure a way to stabilize them while they are stacked together? They are available in many sizes, and I am sure this little hack would work just fine.
Also, having checked google, there are very few inexpensive ...
8
Refrigeration! They should be cooled to refrigeration temperature as soon as possible after pick up. You can do this in a cooler with ice, if you don't have a refrigerator. A portable cooler will allow you to take the dinners home on the bus.
7
Assuming you really do a crisp/cobbler, you can do any of those. If having it fresh and hot is the most important thing, but you want to avoid the inconvenience of cooking too much at your destination, your best choice is to prep first and cook later. (This all changes completely if you decide to bake a cake instead.)
Assuming you like it served hot, it'll ...
7
I think in general it is much safer to transport food cold (frozen, even) than hot. You can buy soft-sided insulated bags with straps - I see them in the grocery store - that should be ok for a trip of that length. I buy frozen food and then drive home for an hour with it, put it straight in the freezer, and would laugh at the thought of there being food-...
7
Fried foods neither hold nor transport well. They are best served directly from the frier. If they do need to be held, a slow oven which will keep them dry (by allowing steam from the food to leave) is the best way.
There simply is no good way to hold, transport, and serve fried foods that will maintain the crispy quality. Think of every delivery meal ...
7
I've just recently started making my own chocolate confections and have been pondering this very problem. The only thing I've come up with so far is to get some soft tissue paper and scrunch it up and place it in the container. The chocolates can then be pushed into the various crevices and the paper holds each one in place and keeps it separate from its ...
7
This actually works: Egg Cartons. If you call around, you will likely find people willing to give you hundreds of them.
6
I've done option 3 for a christmas dinner party, even with the egg-yolk trick. In one night I learned both that it can be done, and also that it can be a complete disaster.
I made three large pieces of ravioli per person, each with a different filling. I was most worried about the yolks breaking during transport, so I those in a separate tupperware box, ...
6
That's actually just about perfect, since meat should rest before you slice it. Start the roast at 3. Cook it for 2 hours. Wrap it in aluminum foil. Put it in something to retain heat (a cooler, or even just a box with some towels). Drive 1 hour to your destination.
The muscle fibers will re-absorb the moisture, making it perfectly juicy. Without resting, ...
5
There are several major types of mousse, made from different bases, and with different flavor elements.
Depending on which one you are using, they may have varying requirements. As MandoMando mentions in the comments, assuming you are using a mousse based on whipped cream or whipped egg whites or a freezer-stable thickener (neither gelatin, agar agar, nor ...
5
You can get 6 pizza boxes and use them to transport the pies.
4
First of all, starting with a critical info; since 2 hours and above is very critical, in case your trip takes more than 2 hours please refer to the table in the following link
in order to see when to save / when to throw it out
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/keeping_food_safe_during_an_emergency/index.asp
To keep cold foods cold; you need to create ...
4
For your situation I would recommend packing the burritos individually (or 2 at once) so this does not happen. You can achieve this by using foil, plastic wrap, or bags. Alternatively, you may try putting a sheet of wax paper (or foil/plastic wrap - but remove before microwaving) between each layer of burritos.
If this does not work for you, try the ...
4
I often take burritos for lunch at work. It microwaves great and it's filling.
What I do is wrap the burrito in foil and put it in the freezer this way I can take it in a plastic bag with the container for the other ingredients of the meal (rice,salad,etc')
I found putting the burritos in the freezer overnight and then putting them in the fridge at work ...
4
My dad uses fresh bay leaves because he has a bay plant in his yard but, in general, when a recipe calls for bay leaves, it means dried bay leaves. They're cheaper and much easier to find and - in general, considering how they're used - they provide the same results in the end.
To quote Cook's Illustrated:
Fresh vs. Dried Bay Leaves
Fresh bay leaves ...
3
It sounds like there's going to be some time between when it is cooked to when it is served, in which case the last thing you'd want to do is pre-carve it as it will dry out. Beef should rest after roasting, some chefs recommend roasting it as long as you cooked it, so don't worry if it takes 2-3 hours.
The important thing is to make sure you keep it warm ...
3
Ravioli and all fresh pasta for that matter work really well frozen. you just need to keep an eye on the cooking time as it will obviously be different. when i go to Vialeggio i always fill up of ravioli and tortellini, freeze and use over many months with great results.
http://www.gardalake.com/place/valeggio-sul-mincio/
3
For crispiness: keep the fish on a cooling rack and well ventilated no matter what - even when using steam tables, which should be fine for this purpose.
For warmth: I have no idea how the fish will fare depending on how you transport it, but do not let the time between cooking and eating be longer than two hours unless you can reheat the fish with a fryer ...
3
While ideally Parmesan may be stored (at home) in refrigerated environment, there is no harm done to it (assuming nothing else like condensation occurs) by allowing it to sit at a warmer temperature for a few days. It is, after all, aged at ambient temperature for 2 years.
At least where I live, stores do not even put Parmesan in a refrigerated case; it is ...
3
This is probably more expensive than you want to go, but Peterboro Basket does a rather nice three tier pie carrier, recommended by NYC's own piemasters, Bubby's:
http://www.peterborobasket.com/p-950-peterboro-3-pie-solid-lid.aspx
If you're on a budget, perhaps try getting 6 regular pie/cake boxes and 'lashing' them together with string (2 stacks of 3), ...
3
Assuming that you want to serve the casserole hot and the streusel crispy, keep the casserole and the streusel separate until almost serving time.
This means you will have to bake the streusel on a cookie sheet until crisp and ready, then let them cool uncovered and transport them in a separate container.
Your casserole base contains eggs, so it must be ...
3
Most folks rely on smoked or cold salmon when travelling. It's a special treat getting hot salmon brought in.
Cooking it right before you leave and keeping it warm will be the challenge. You might look at pizza delivery carry bags with the foil interior or create your own foil wrapped fish, wrapped in old towels and placed in a covered box with heated foil ...
2
Here's a stackable pie carrier that will carry up to four pies or 1 cake and 1 pie.
http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Keeper-Dual-Food-Tote/dp/B0039MDTDG/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hg_1
2
Shrimp, especially pre-cooked ones you get from most supermarkets, are full of water so they are the most likely culprit. The only sure-fire way to avoid a soggy burrito is to avoid ingredients that may make them soggy, this limits the list of ingredients somewhat but there's still loads to chose from. Otherwise you will have to pack the ingredients ...
2
Cook as close the the presentation as possible. Then separate into a batch for the presentation, and another batch to be immediately refridgerated (or placed in a very cold cooler). Reheat that batch when it's ready to be eaten.
Otherwise.. good luck, glad I don't have to judge that contest.
2
I take the question to mean how you can best preserve the fresh-made texture with microwaving?
I would make, cool and store ravioli in single layers on parchment/waxpaper in a container for transport. Separately, the sauce transported in largest microve-safe container that will fit in office micowave.
Heat sauce to boiling then gently add in ravioli and ...
2
Pretty much everything.
Pasta and Rice dishes are the easiest to bring to work
Vegetable dishes can also be fun (either cooked or raw (salads)
Cooked chicken is also very easy to prepare in advance and can be eaten cold or hot; other meat.
Fish/seafood is maybe an exception, I tend to prepare and under cook a portion the night before to finish cooking ...
1
Beyond 4 hours your risking potential food poisoning either refrigerate it or cook it at the location. Beside food poisoning, keeping fish hot for that long will over cook it, its not gonna be good.
Suggest you prep everything out then cook it at the location. It'll taste and look better.
1
Option 3 cooked 3/4 of the way is your best bet. When you drain the ravioli, coat with your oil of choice so they don't stick together. I would choose olive oil.
Then when onsite you can Blanche them to finish cooking them, and serve them fresh out of the pot.
Alternatively, if you are using a steam tray, cook them fully and coat with oil, put into your ...
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