on the flybridge (under seats) to safely
store extra propane tanks. My fantasy
is a home-sized gas grill installed in the
flybridge!
Breakfast On The Hook
I enjoy rising early, taking a cup of strong
black coffee and ripe fruit up to the flybridge at sunrise, then later in the morning sitting down to more substantial fare
to start the day. While landlocked, we
usually don’t have time for a second
breakfast, but while cruising Jim and I
often indulge in a 6:30-7:00 a.m. coffee with fruit, followed at 8: 30 or 9:00
a.m. by eggs, pastry, or cereal. Like the
Hobbits in author J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy, I call this meal “second breakfast.”
and inspired all of us to be more creative
on hot days aboard!
When the Chesapeake Bay’s languorous spells of hot, humid, and hazy
days take hold, cooking seems a burdensome chore. Jim and I just want to
retreat into cool, shady places on the
boat, drink iced drinks, and eat cool,
soothing foods. At mealtimes, I typically
wander around opening the fridge and
freezer, or “shopping” in the cupboards
seeking a light meal that won’t warm
us, or the galley unnecessarily. Some
of our favorite chilled creations include
cold cucumber soup and open-faced
sandwiches; fish and steak tartares and
carpaccios; French crudité and
charcuterie platters; Italian antipasto platters and
fish cooked without heat.
BILL PARLATORE
Many a pile of vegetables have disappeared into Lori
Ross’s galley only to reappear as a tasty meal.
Stewing Up A Storm
My first ocean voyage took place in
a Beneteau 30 entered in the Annapolis to Bermuda Race. As the
least-experienced crewmember, I was assigned the role of cook and
celestial navigator. A propensity for seasickness and lack of offshore
experience required I spend as little time in the galley as possible,
so I produced home-cooked gourmet dinners that I froze, packed
in dry ice, and then, once under way, reheated. I still remember
the best of these meals: whole tenderloin with mushroom, bacon,
red wine sauce, and twice baked potatoes; Brunswick stew with
corn bread; stir-fried Asian chicken and wild rice with pineapple;
sausage and spinach lasagna with garlic bread; and
beef stew with vegetables
and hot biscuits. Although
the weather was warm and
pleasant at the start of the
race, as we approached the
Gulf Stream, the weather turned stormy, so we
decided to bear off, and
heat up the homemade
stew I’d frozen as backup
should the trip take longer
than expected. The beef
stew I served was dark,
tip!
SPICY FRUIT PLATTER
For a quick fruit platter, lay out
contrasting colored fruits, side
by side, for a beautiful display
or top one ripe fruit (melon,
mango, pineapple) with fresh-ground pepper or a pinch of
chili powder, salt, and a squeeze
of lime as they do in West
African and Latin American
countries to awaken the sweetness of the fruit.
savory, smooth, and rich with tender chunks of beef, soft onions,
potatoes, carrots, and garlic — so satisfying and delicious I can
almost taste it today!
Lose 10 Pounds On A
Two-Week Cruise
The only time I ever lost weight on a cruise was during
the spring I took our Fleming 55 from Ft. Myers, Florida, to
Annapolis, Maryland, while learning to handle the boat without my husband through SeaSense, “The Women’s Sailing and
Powerboating School.” Because I planned to do all the cooking for
the trip and was training to walk the Marine Corps Marathon at
the time, I needed to keep my training program going during the
trip north. I decided to make an effort to drop a few pounds during
the 17-day cruise.
First, I cleaned out the boat before we left, stocked it with
lots of fruits, veggies, lean meats, seafood, pasta, rice, beans, olive
oil, and whole grains, and planned a menu around the popular
“Mediterranean Diet.” Underway we tried to shop for fresh tasty
foods a little at every port and waited until we ran out of fresh
foods to break into the processed or prepared foods. The trip was
delightful and, to my surprise, I lost nearly 10 pounds!
Cool Cooking On Hot Days
While in the Bahamas on a group cruise in 2003, the participating yachts gathered dockside one sweltering afternoon for
cocktails and nibbles. Every boat cook brought a favorite cold
food and cocktail. Bombay Bellinis got us started. Fresh chunky
guacamole with taco chips and fresh conch ceviche followed some
creamy, cool dips with raw, iced veggies. Smoked salmon, smoked
halibut spread, and a hard-boiled egg, sour cream and caviar dip
along with cold melon and grapes completed the memorable feast
Cooking Aboard For Special Diets And Allergies
The most challenging menu I ever created was a dinner we
hosted aboard for business acquaintances we wanted to get to
know better. I asked my guests in advance whether they had any
dietary restrictions, food preferences, or allergies. One couple
was on the Atkins Diet; the other guest told me that he was on a
low-cholesterol and low-fat diet and his wife was a vegetarian who
ate eggs, milk, and cheese, but she had a severe allergy to ground
pepper and the nightshade family of vegetables! Understand that
these are delightful people who would never have asked us to make
any special accommodation for them; they simply responded to
my request.
Jim and I were baffled. What would we serve that would be
delicious and avoid calling attention to their conditions? Online
we learned that the nightshades were a family of plants including
potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, chilies, paprika, tobacco,
and petunias. Creating a menu would require some imagination!
We decided on a Mediterranean theme that would incorporate all
the foods our guests could eat. We started with a Pinzimonio — a
platter of fresh, tasty raw vegetables (none from the nightshade
