Thursday was a good day. This writer met a builder. They still exist. He was happy his fingers were not frozen sausages for a change. The sun was shining and his soul said spring. His mood brought thoughts of barbecues and dreams of new potatoes. Later that evening a you-tubing opportunity – not owning a tv does that to you!   The internet foray eventually landed upon trucking. Strange but true. You can’t help wondering how truckers nourish themselves on the road. Is it all truck stops and fast food? Not for some. It seems the most dedicated cook in their cabs. Cooking is good for the soul  – and headspace  – on long journeys. ‘Convenient recipes save time. Cooking on gas grounds you. Electric is better than microwave’, said one. He was an expert in small kitchen cooking. His video camera was on the dash mostly. But sometimes on his two ring gas stove as dinner was being prepared. Good steak. Fresh vegetables. Simple techniques. Proper food represented real life for this man – a place away from the pressured time driven existence on the motorways. His musings and cookery demos evoked fond remembrances of a London bedsit and it’s two ring cooker with grill.  Those were the days. Sometimes guests passed through. There was always a budget. A recollection of feeding ten people on chilli and rice and grilling boiled potatoes with butter to make them brown like roasts for lack of an oven. Small doesn’t rule out entertaining.  Necessity is the mother of invention.  Think of other situations where you have little cooking space. Camping is one. Any sunny day off is worth a venture outdoors with a camping stove.   All you need are the freshest ingredients, which need little preparation and have all the taste. Conjure up a curry with fresh fish and herbs. Skillet a steak stir fry in minutes. Summer is almost upon us. Grab the camping stove and take to the countryside or beach. Live life small.