Airbnb Hosts Fav Recipes Collection??

[Rachael26]

Hello All!

I just read the great article in the Community Spotlight about our fellow London hosts Gerry & Rashid - and they shared some great advice, tips and stories from their experiences with Airbnb. Check out the article (www.community.airbnb.com/t5/Hosts/Community-Spotlight/m-p/353454#M80274)

They also mentioned a couple of favorite recipes (Rashid enjoys cooking Uzbek food and a rice-based dish called plov) and I was wondering about other hosts in all the other countries Airbnb is in (I saw a post the other day from Mongolia - who knew?!) and wondered if anyone else thought it might be a cool idea to collect together hosts favorite recipes? As a starter idea - we could ask for two from each - a favorite dish provided for guests (breakfast, dinner, welcome snacks, pillow chocolates, whatever), and their own favorite dish or recipe - either personal or representative of their area/nationality. Or any other ideas? I wouldn't mind helping to collate ideas/recipes if anyone else thought it might be something to progress with - and who knows - it might become a best seller (and we can retire from hosting and live on royalties.... dreaming on.....)

Of course I am only a newbie host so this may have been done already - if so, will someone please send me the link. 🙂

Best Wishes.

[Rhonda34]

Cookies.

I used to just by then from the store, then I started making shortbread.  The bought cookies were ignored. Now I make chocolate chip and walnut cookies, Anzacs  and shortbread. Plus the odd carrot cake and muffins.Anzac biscuits are easy to make, just google how to make them. They are traditional cookie in Australia. 

Since I started Airbnb my  husband is getting fatter and so is my permanant lodger.  

For a business guest, I will make a little bag up for them to take to work the next day.  

My husband is a diver and sometimes if we are cooking cray fish or fish then we may invite a guest to a meal now and again. 

So home made cookies are just a small thing but has proved to be a bonus for out guests.

[Rachael26]

@Rhonda34

How fabulous! and thank you for sharing. I can just visualize a cookbook page with your contributions on it - the traditonal baked Anzac cookie and then a picture of your hubbie in a diving suit holding a large crayfish on the shore - alongside a desription for a Crayfish Supper. Yummy!

Best Wishes.

[Rhonda34]

I have an old book I write all my recipies in. The short bread has a range of flours and I change it sometimes, the last guest took pictures of my book. she loved the short bread, gets em every time.

[Kirstie]

Great idea for a topic @Rachael26! I don't think we have a thread collecting favourite recipes yet :). There are some good threads that discuss breakfast ideas, however, - I'll tag some of the members that got involved there so they can maybe share their recipes here too!

Here are a couple of the threads about breakfast - there are several more!

https://community.airbnb.com/t5/New-Hosts/Breakfast/m-p/168888/highlight/true#M16578

https://community.airbnb.com/t5/forums/v3_1/forumtopicpage/board-id/Community-Help-EN/thread-id/3815...

You've mentioned that you cook, @Karen77, @Marie3, @Zen1, @Alice-and-Jeff0, @Elaine-and-Duane0, @Stephanie18, @Emma152, @Huma0, @Lawrene0, @Julia66, @Momi0, @David-and-Fiona0, @Robin4 - it would be great to hear your favourite recipes!

Kirstie 

[Rachael26]

@Kirstie

Thank you so much!

Fellow Hosts - how about promoting your own listing whilst sharing your favourite recipe - as well as that special recipe/dish you may have tucked up your sleeve for treating your guests? 

I can visualize an online booklet - Airbnb Hosts Recipes & Treats - Around the World in 80 listings..... or similar

With a page for each worldwide host - brief profile and details of listing with pic then 2 sections underneath..... Treat/gift/idea for making their guest experience special, followed by a favorite recipe/dish/meal that is special to their location/region/country - or most popular with guests for that 5 star experience.

I loved @Rhonda34's story of her husband going diving and bringing home crayfish for supper - what a photo that would be!

Please Share!  And if you like the idea - please give the original post a thumbs up to keep it current in the community center so other hosts see it - I saw posts from Nigeria, Thailand, Japan, New Zealand and Iceland just last week  - so how cool would that be to go around the virtual Airbnb World!

Best Wishes,

Rachael 

[Lawrene0]

Okay, @Rachael26! I do make breakfast waffles, and my tips for that are to have the dry ingredients already mixed up ahead and stored, and to beat the egg yolks and whites separately, folding in the whites at the end. Then they are nice and fluffy and five-star. It is otherwise the usual recipe, unless vegan or gluten-free, and then I turn to the 'net. 

Because I say yes to hosting good dogs, and one was coming last month, I tried making dog biscuits. They turned out well, the right consistency and all. I put two in a labelled container and left them in the treehouse for the human guests to dole out. The dog liked them, but I won't let it go to my head, because that dog wasn't picky about what she ate. Believe me. 

They don't store well - perhaps in the freezer? - and I'll be more keen to make them once there is provision for a pet fee. There will be, right? Right? What's that? When what freezes over?

In the meantime, if you want to impress your freeloading dog guests, it is 2/3 c. pumpkin or squash puree, 1/4 c. peanut butter, 2 eggs, 3 c. whole wheat flour. Knead for two minutes, cut into shapes, bake for 20 min at 350F. 

[Rachael26]

@Lawrene0

Hello and thank you for your reply! 

I love the doggie treat story. I have a friend who makes them to sell at her local farmers market and she says they freeze very well. But her main problem is finding a doggie taster with a discerning palate.... not that easy in the canine world - so her husband steps in and samples the new recipes. !!

Now I have to divert slightly to your listing.... a treehouse on the river - and built by you and Harry. How fabulous! The reason John and I started hosting last year was so I could save enough money to build a treehouse on our mountain here - I have been planning and designing it for the last 18 months and can't wait to start building.

I think your page in the book will be great - the treehouse and the doggie treats what a great combo.

(PS you mentioned pet fees - might it be possible to make a small charge to the guest, once agreed, using the Resolution Center? This would enable you to make a variable charge according to individual situations - immediately - and without incurring the Airbnb and state fees that get added on to room and cleaning fees..... Doing it this way (through the resolution center) has been used by several hosts I know to charge for bikes, kayaks, extra beach towels, food etc.... Just a thought. 🙂

Best Wishes and I'll be back in touch again if we get this booklet idea off the ground!

[Lawrene0]

It is absolutely fine to use the Resolution Centre for that sort of thing, @Rachael26. I don't, and neither do I charge for things like firewood or the loan of a campstove - or even the title role Resolution things like losing a lantern in the river, or breaking a chair after throwing it over the railing to save carrying it down to the fire, or burning a blanket at said fire, or melting a camp bowl by using it as a candleholder, or axe marks on the bench from chopping kindling (one hopes it was kindling), etc. I cover what I need, and such contingencies, in my nightly fee. The pet fee idea is just one that I really like, and that seems to be popular amongst those who take pets. You are right that anyone who wants to charge for any extra can certainly do so on the platform. That's good advice.

I never call dogs freeloaders to their faces. 🙂

Also, come to think of it, it has never been a dog that has done the breaking, burning, melting or chopping. Should I rethink?

Good luck with that treehouse! People love them! And it really is fun to host a unique offering. For every hacked up bench there are hundreds of wonderful connections. Looking forward to seeing photos of what you end up building!

[Robin4]

@Lawrene0 @Helga0

Once I used to take pets...until a couple turned up here with two Burnese Mountain dogs that completely ransaked my garden so, now I have a no pets policy but, I used to love preparing treats for guests who had dogs that fell into the category of 'normal'!

I used to prepare a 'Puppachino' for them which the dogs just loved. It was a bowl of frothed milk from the espresso machine with some doggy biscuits and treats imbedded in it.

Might not have won over the guests but it sure won over their dogs!

Cheers.....Rob

[Helga0]

@Lawrene0, your dog busicuits, that takes the cake! I did not even know you can make them 😉

I'm offering breakfast, officially, but often they dn't eat it or just make some coffee or tea and head out. I serve dinner from time to time, when guests arrive late or in a downpour, like yesterday's guest. She flew in from Delhi, arrived late, tired and just at the moment I was thinking about dinner too. She had asked about restaurants before, but decided not to go out again and forego dinner. Without opening the fridge, I offered: "Noodles or salad?" and she jumped on the salad, having not had anything fresh in 2 weeks. Only there was not much in my fridge, as I'm going on a long trip in a few days. Some endive cut in chunks, black, red and green olives from the market, red beans, cooked chestnut, half a pear, which gave it an interesting touch, roasted pumpkin seeds. A dressing of olive oil, Dijon  mustard, 2 different vinegars and a few slices of bread - could be an anticipated breakfast 😉

We opened a bottle of red wine and had a discussion about different French tax options over dinner, real cost declaration or micro-company, Vat or no Vat, which made it a stranger visit than some.

I hope this thread stays open: I'd like to find some ideas and contribute some recipices, when I really cook 😉

[Rachael26]

@Helga0

Hello and thank you for your reply. I agree, let's keep this thread open to keep receiving these wonderful stories and recipes from hosts around the world..... so please hit that thumbs up in the original post to keep it up there in the Host section.

The more I think about this the more I think we could all bring together a fab production of 80 Listings Around the World.... so thank you for your ideas !

Best Wishes.

[Ethna0]

My house is in Iceland. I don´t have time to cook or prepare breakfast for my guests, so my house is listed as not providing breakfast. I can´t bear the thought, however, of guests leaving the house on an empty stomach. My compromise is to provide guests with a complimentary bowl of traditional Icelandic waffle mix. I prepare the mix from farm fresh ingrediants and put it in the guest fridge each evening. Guests are coached on how to prepare the waffle iron, how much waffle mix is just right and how to clean up afterwards. Every single guest has loved waffles for breakfast. I provide real maple syrup to drizzle and various jams to spread and when in season, fresh locally picked blueberries. No one has ever complained about having to make their own breakfast and they are very good at cleaning up afterwards.

[Helga0]

That's a lovely idea! I bet it tastes even better, if you prepare it yourself. The guests get a nice breakfast and an experience, they can talk about:" On our Iceland holidays, we made our own eafles every morning. With fresh blueberries!"

[Rachael26]

Hello @Ethna0 and Chris!

How fabulous - and I love your listing in Iceland. As the 'unoffical editor' 🙂 of this Around the World recipes from Airbnb Hosts - I have to say that you have definitely sealed up the waffles for breakfast section - I love your description and the uniqueness of the recipe - along with blueberries in season and your profile - will be hard to beat.

Thank you so much for replying - and I will be in touch again through the message section to get further details etc.. Maybe if you could think of a photo that shows the waffles, waffle maker and ingredients on a rock outside or in part of the kitchen that would be an excellent addition to your page.....

Best Wishes.