Our Philosophy on Food, Wellness, and Joyous Tastebuds!
We love food! Or, more specifically, we love GOOD food! Part of the vision of Q&M Travels is sharing delicious, nurturing food with our guests while we take them on epic adventures. I want to explain a bit about our philosophy behind why we eat what we eat, why it matters to us, and how we hope to share with others.
First and foremost, food must be enjoyable to eat. Otherwise, whats the point? Healthy (real) food can, and should, be an enjoyable experience! We find great joy in exploring new flavors, textures, and different cooking methods. In order to make food taste great, we start with sourcing the freshest and best quality ingredients. Q is a bit of a spice-hoarder, and our repertoire includes a variety of spices from snappy black pepper to more exotic blends like Ethiopian berbere. (Don't like the heat from spicy food? No worries! We can accommodate our cooking to everyone on the heat-tolerance spectrum.) We seek out the freshest produce, organic when possible, and the same goes for any meat, seafood, and eggs.
While M and I have been vegan/vegetarian in the past, we consider ourself mostly plant-based. Seafood and meat are special occasions for us, for a variety of reasons. Firstly, we just feel better eating mostly plants! Personal health reasons aside, we strive to create a low-impact lifestyle, and that includes the food we buy. We chose to eat less meat to have a lower impact on the environment by doing our part to reduce the demand for meat. When we do buy meat, we want to know that our money goes to farms who show resect for their animals by feeding them well and providing a humane existence. Not only does that feel good from an ethical standpoint, but the meat from healthier animals is actually healthier for US! We also realize the importance of supporting local farmers and fishermen for the health of the community as a whole.
We recognize that not one way of eating is right for everyone. Thats where Q's nutrition skills come into play. Whether you be vegan, Paleo, AIP, or dairy just doesn't agree with you, we've got you covered! Several times in my nutrition consulting practice I've come across clients who feel limited with their choices of travel because they fear not being able to find suitable food options.
Our final core principle is: Eating good food is best when shared with others! Back when Mitch and I started dating, we started a tradition; every Thursday night, we would host a dinner party in his tiny studio apartment in Salt Lake City. He did not have a table, or chairs, so we fashioned a wooden pallet with a small tapestry "tablecloth", strewn a few floor pillows around, and enjoyed some wonderful meals on the floor with friends! Later, when living with some of our best friends in Pacifica, we would stay up late into the evening preparing epic meals! These are some of my fondest memories, spending quality time with great people, catching up with long-time friends, and getting to know new ones. In addition to adventure and learning to sail, we strive to provide that intimate and meaningful time shared around meals.
