May 14, 2008
A variation on the desert island question, only for real: If you were moving yourself to a boat for two months and knew you had limited kitchen space, what items in your pantry would you not be able to do without? I have a pretty standard cupboard of condiments and spices, and have to decide what to pack and what to give away/throw away.
I don’t need to bring any cookware, since we already have the basics on board: cast-iron fry pan and a couple of sauce pans. There will be no baking, and we have limited and erratic refrigeration. So far, my list contains:
-cornmeal (for frying fish and other things)
-bouillon cubes
-any pasta, beans and canned goods I have in my pantry
May 14, 2008 at 8:16 am
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder are the holy trinity in our house. A bottle of Sriracha Chili Sauce is also necessary.
May 14, 2008 at 11:53 am
Powdered salad dressing? Might be good for adding different flavors to any food you have. Are there other powdered condiments? A small amount of tabasco goes a long way if you like that stuff. Prescription narcotics are never a bad idea either.
May 14, 2008 at 12:40 pm
We definitely have the salt, pepper and garlic powder covered.
Sriracha sauce and powdered salad dressing are strokes of brillance.
May 14, 2008 at 1:20 pm
ash beat me to it with “Prescription narcotics are never a bad idea either.” Don’t rule out non-prescription too. Along with silica gel to keep things dry.
May 14, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Disclaimer… You’ll be in international waters right?
May 14, 2008 at 1:24 pm
We’re pretty much sticking to the US coast this summer, so we’re going to stay on the right side of the authorities.
May 14, 2008 at 4:07 pm
My goto for seasoning has been a seasoning salt similar to old bay. Salt in a traditional salt shaker cakes up quickly, even with rice added to the shaker. I think that liquid spices like tabasco and soy sauce are the easiest on a boat.
May 15, 2008 at 7:34 am
I’m a fan of any cajun / creole seasoning, but that depends on how much havoc spicy stuff wreaks on your system
Spicy food has the added effect of helping to curb hunger.
For a liquid spice, you can’t go wrong with Jerk!
May 15, 2008 at 9:25 am
Oops - I posted this on Scott’ site - obviously it should go here… (Maryanne on Footprint)
Oh – here is one I may be able to help with – or at least give my opinion for what it’s worth!
Firstly think again about any extra hardware! There are two things I LOVE aboard our boat that save time and energy.
1) A Large pump action thermos flask (the kind they use to serve coffee in the conference room) – I boil water in the morning for our coffee/tea and boil extra for the thermos – and this keeps water steaming hot for the full day. I can make HOT tea even in the evening with this (or start off with hot water for pasta) – without having to use any extra propane. We keep ours on the counter with some non-slip draw liner beneath and lashed to an eye so it can’t topple over. I think these are under $20 at some place like Target. You can get more expensive unbreakable ones.
2) A pressure cooker – I know this takes up space AND is heavy - but this really cuts down cooking time and steam/condensation in the cabin – think potatoes, corn on the cob, soups, and those beans, all cooked in less than half the standard time! I cook extra rice for an evening meal, and use the spare for egg fried rice brunch!
Also we have a whistling kettle for boiling water.
OK now for food. We lived without refrigeration for years and always have a good stock of a heat treated milk called PARMALAT. It comes in cardboard cartons, in large and lunch box size. A lunch box size carton does me for my breakfast cereal and a cup of hot tea each morning.. If I know we are going to use milk for other things in the day I open the larger carton. It is REAL milk and tastes just the same, don’t let anyone tell you differently. If you can’t bear to drink milk anything but ice cold – you can at least purchase these ahead of time, and put the carton you want for the next day in your new cooler. They keep for about 6 months unrefrigerated (check the dates on the cartons). Depending on the store you can find it in either the coffee/tea section or the baking section – a blue and white carton.
Also look out in the supermarket for a range of Indian foods made by “Tasty Bites” and other brands. They come in a box (the size of a small rice box). Inside the box is a heavy foil like sachet with a fully cooked, ready to heat Indian dish – and you don’t even have to dirty a pan – just boil in the bag. There is a huge range of these, and they take just 5 mins to heat up. I normally have a rice and two different Indian dishes – makes a quick, tasty meal. Again – no refrigeration required!
I suspect that you will be able to get to a store quite often, but if not you can consider sprouting. You can get all fancy but I just buy dried garbanzo beans from the store and sprout with them. This way you have something fresh for your sandwiches / salad dishes.
As for herbs and spices – well, I guess you know what you like. I would be keel hauled if we ran out of Tabasco, and for myself I really like Worcester Sauce I keep most of my spices in a plastic shoe box size box – and write on the lids what they are so I can find them easily.
Oh - and don’t be afraid of purchasing eggs without refigeration, they last for at least two weeks. (After that test them to ensure they sink and lay on their side in fresh water, and to be extra sure, crack them individually in a cup before adding to your cooking).
Other than that, I’m sure you have the basics. One more thing you might investigate is stove top cookies - there are hundreds of recipes and I tend to use the oatmeal/chocolate type (both Kyle and I are chocolate lovers). There are also stove top bread recipes, but I have not yet tried them (on the list), let me know if you find a good one).
Oops another essay - hope that helps.
Oh - and as for store bought bread.. Some last longer than others - I particularly like “Heath Nut”, an Arnold brand bread. I swear it lasts 3 weeks, and tastes delicious.
May 15, 2008 at 9:31 am
Awesome advice, Maryanne. I will have to consult with the captain before I bring any more housewares aboard. I’m also a little afraid of what he might try to fashion out of a pressure cooker.
But, STOVETOP COOKIES?!?! You may have just restored my faith in my ability to live on the boat for two months. Must google that now.
May 15, 2008 at 11:16 pm
I would go to a craft store (and I’m sorry for not thinking of this and bringing some down with me!) and get tiny baggies. Fill them with as many spices as you want, then get rid of the bottles/excess spices. That way you’ll have a lot of variety with no bulk. Come to think of it, I’m going to do this every time I go away for fieldwork.
May 16, 2008 at 11:19 am
Amy,
I am not sure if I had sent this to Scott and you awhile back, but this recipe link seems to fit the bill for cooking aboard. The last page of link lists a shopping list
http://cruisenews.net/recipes/index.php
Rose
May 16, 2008 at 11:27 am
There is also a recipe of mine that might work well and is sooo delicious. You don’t have to add the cuke/tomato, Fred prefers it without them.
Noodle Salad
1 pkg Angel Hair Pasta
3/4 of a 16oz bottle of Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 bottle of Salad Supreme (seasoning)
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
2 cucumbers (peeled, sliced and quartered)
2 tomatoes (quartered)
Break pasta in half and boil for about 2 minutes. Drain pasta. Put onion in a large bowl & put hot pasta on top. To remove the bite of the onion, let sit for about 1-2 minutes.
Add Italian dressing & mix well. Add salad supreme gradually & mix. Let cool slightly or even refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, add tomatoes and cucumbers.(I actually just add the tomatoes and cukes right away and do not wait for the noodle mix to cool – works fine).
Mix and serve.
May 16, 2008 at 11:28 am
Another recipe that is easy and a favorite of Fred & I is Chicken Alouette. However, you do need an oven.
CHICKEN ALOUETTE
1 (17 1/4 oz.) pkg. frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
1 (4 oz.) container garlic & herb Alouette cheese
4 skinned & boned chicken breast halves
½ tsp salt or seasoned salt
1/8 tsp pepper or garlic pepper or lemon pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp. water
Use only 1 frozen puff pastry and freeze the other one for next time. Unfold pastry sheet & roll sheet into a 14 x 12 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Cut the sheet into 4 (7 x 6 inch) rectangles. Shape each small rectangle into an oval by trimming off corners. Set aside pastry scrapes from corners. Spread pastry ovals evenly with cheese.
Sprinkle chicken breast halves with salt & pepper; place one in center of each pastry oval. Lightly moisten pastry edges with water. Fold ends over chicken; fold sides over & press to seal. Place each bundle, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Twist or place the scraps of pastry on top of each bundle for decoration. Combine egg & 1 tablespoon water; brush over pastry bundles. Bake at 400 degrees on lower oven rack 25 minutes or until bundles are golden brown. Yields 4 servings.
May 16, 2008 at 11:31 am
Another one that might work aboard is a Three Bean Salad, but the recipe makes a large quantity.
Three Bean Salad
One 16-ounce can green beans
One 16-ounce can cut yellow wax beans
One 16-ounce can red kidney beans
2/3 cup onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup wine vinegar
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Drain all three cans of beans. Mix in a large bowl with onion and garlic. In saucepan, heat sugar, wine vinegar and oil until all sugar dissolves. Cool slightly and then add oregano, salt and pepper. Pour over beans and toss lightly: chill overnight. Remove garlic before serving.
Serves 15.
May 16, 2008 at 11:33 am
And last, but not least, my mom’s easy Chicken or Turkey ala king recipe. So good.
Chicken/Turkey A la King
1 tbl butter
½ pkg Knorrs Hollandaise Mix
½ cup milk
1 cup cubed or shredded chicken or turkey
¼ cup frozen peas
Put frozen peas in a glass of hot water to warm them up.
Set aside. Melt butter. Once butter has melted, add ½ pkg Knorrs Hollandaise mix. Stir until thick and butter begins to bubble.
Add milk and mix until a smooth consistency.
Drain peas and add to mixture along with meat.
Cook on medium until hot and serve on top of toasted English Muffins.
Makes 2 servings with each serving being 2 halves of one muffin.
May 16, 2008 at 1:01 pm
It’s an embarrassment of riches. Thanks, everyone!
May 17, 2008 at 3:58 pm
You could do some stove-top “baking” with a small, cast-iron skillet- would be good for skillet cornbread, possibly cookies…
I second your thoughts on cornmeal, that’s a must have. Rice? Dry lentils, beans, or split peas? (Less bulky than cans, could be soaked overnight to save cooking time). Also tabasco and cayenne pepper, maybe a can of condensed milk for a sugar binge or rice pudding (I’m making tres leches today and thinking of you)…