Best Things I Ate On My Trip
Including a Breakfast Recipe
I recently got back to LA from a week long trip in NorCal with my boyfriend. Our itinerary involved a nice mix of nature and city life. We started with a few days of hiking and car camping in Yosemite - sat by the water for a couple hours in Lake Tahoe - spent a night and morning in Reno, Nevada - and ended with a few days in the Bay Area. The bulk of my excitement for traveling centers around food so I want to share with you my favorite meals from this trip— along with a simple recipe of our favorite breakfast we cooked while camping.
Spam Breakfast Tacos
YOSEMITE, CALIFORNIA
We spent a few days in Yosemite so we cooked most of our meals at the campsite. I brought a portable gas stove along with a pot and grill pan to give ourselves a proper cooking experience in the woods. From vodka pasta to Korean pork belly ssam to ramen— these simple one-pan breakfast tacos ended up hitting the hardest for us. I know people are divided over Spam but it’s a nostalgic ingredient that I love. It gives so much flavor and saltiness to a dish that can’t be replicated. Highly recommend this recipe for a weekend brunch at home or for your next camping trip.
RECIPE— SPAM BREAKFAST TACOS
SERVES 2
frying pan
flour tortillas
6 eggs
12oz can of Spam: regular or low sodium
2 stems green onion
1/2 - 1 red bell pepper
mozzarella cheese
neutral oil
salt
pepper
garlic powder
hot sauce of your choice: we used Tabasco chipotle
PREP
Slice your spam into small cubes. Set aside.
Thinly slice green onions into uniform pieces. Set aside.
Dice your bell pepper. Set aside.
Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk gently until marbled. It doesn’t need to be fully whisked. Season with 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of black pepper and 2 tsp of garlic powder. Whisk and set aside.
COOK
Heat your pan on medium high heat until hot. Add 1 Tbsp of neutral oil.
Once your pan is hot, add the cubed Spam. It should sizzle if your pan is hot enough. Stir occasionally until the Spam is browned on sides and edges. Check photos above for reference.
Add red bell peppers and green onions. Season with a pinch of salt and garlic powder. Stir occasionally until bell peppers have softened and the green onions are slightly charred.
Adjust heat down to medium. Slowly pour the eggs onto all the ingredients on the pan. Let the eggs cook and curdle slightly before stirring them around. Stir occasionally until eggs are fully cooked. Add mozzarella and cover with some of the egg to melt the cheese. Take the pan off heat and set aside.
On a medium high open flame: warm up tortillas until they’re charred on both sides. Continuously flipping to get an even char.
ASSEMBLE + EAT
Grab a charred tortilla and place on a plate. Fill the tortilla with as much scrambled egg, spam, bell pepper filling as desired. Fold like a taco, add your favorite hot sauce and enjoy!
Cup Ramen
YOSEMITE, CALIFORNIA
I had to add this because nothing beats ramen while you’re camping. It’s a necessity. We boiled some water in a pot on our portable gas stove and were able to enjoy this a few different times while camping. I had mine with a can of Korean canned tuna. If you know you know. If you don’t, try it.
Pine State Biscuits
RENO, NEVADA
I had Pine State Biscuits for the first time in Portland a couple years ago and was so surprised to see that they had a location in Reno [the only one outside of Oregon]. I remember loving their fresh biscuits, housemade gravy and jams— plus my boyfriend grew up in Virginia so we had to have some Southern comfort to start our morning. I recommend their reggie deluxe with both sausage + mushroom gravy, biscuit with a side of butter + strawberry jam, & their hash browns. It’s food for the soul. This was hands down probably our favorite meal from the entire trip. If you’re ever in Reno or Oregon, definitely put them on your list.
Spicy & Sweet Bagel from Poppy’s Bagels
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
We wanted a simple breakfast one morning and landed on Poppy’s Bagels. They started as a popup at farmers markets so I was happy to support and see their brick and mortar space. Our favorite was their spicy & sweet bagel— jalapeno serrano cream cheese paired with local honey. It was so simple but the perfect pairing. I’ll definitely be re-creating it at home.
Marufuku Ramen
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
Our last dinner in the Bay was at Marufuku Ramen on Telegraph Ave. I went to school at UC Berkeley and this was the ramen spot my friends and I would come to often. They’re known for their rich creamy broths and their most popular item: the chicken paitan DX ramen even comes with a side of grilled chicken thigh [limited to 15 a day]. We ordered their new spicy chicken baos, the mentaiko bowl and the chicken paitan ramen. Everything was delicious. They have locations all over now [Irvine, San Diego, New York] so check them out if you’re near one.
