SV Gallant Fox

What's For Lunch 16 Days Out of Port

The Propane Chef stocks The Fox well with all kinds of edibles.  Costco, 99 Ranch Market, Trader Joe's, Comercial Mexicana...whatever the country, the Propane Chef is there.  Not even the smallest of local markets escape his scrutiny.  The durable-food supplies we store in the bilge are extensive and could feed us well for a 3- or 4-week ocean passage.  Of course, the Chef prefers using only fresh ingredients and saves those dried and canned supplies for times our fridge is empty and we can't find any source of fresh food.  Which in Mexico happens, like, never.

When I did the latest food inventory upon leaving Mazatlan a few months back, I pointed out to the Chef that the bilge was still pretty full, and that we had bought some of our more durable food supplies back in Seattle in May.  Of 2007.  I suggested we start rotating out the older canned items and use them up before bringing any more such supplies on board.  The Chef gave me such a stunned look you'd have thought I'd suggested he make a seafood salad by scraping the barnacles and algae off The Fox's nether regions.

"Y-you want me to use...CANNED FOOD?!"

"Well, not exclusively.  Just sort of here and there. Sort of...."

"...."

"...Because we bought the cans to, you know, EAT WHAT'S INSIDE THEM?"

"<harrumph.> <snort.> <sigh.>  OK.  Sure.  Fine."

Whew.  The Chef was not happy.  But the longer we stayed out at various anchorages, the more he needed to resort to canned products anyway.  So it was all good.  And when The Propane Chef cracks open a can, here's the kind of lunch he makes.  He whipped up this chile-chicken cream soup with chile biscuits one afternoon when we had gone 16 days since having been in a port with access to fresh food.  That's more than two weeks, people:

The chicken breast that went in the soup was the last bit we had in our tiny freezer compartment in the galley's fridge.  The soup's cream base came from a can of Carnation evaporated milk - jalapeno flavor* - that I'd bought for the Chef in Mazatlan one day on a lark.**  The evaporated milk was spicy but not unpleasantly so (those used to eating spicy foods might describe the effect as "a pleasant tingle"); and to enhance the soup's texture and color the Chef mixed in a small can of corn and used a larger can of mild-tasting poblano chiles for both the soup and the biscuits he baked on the side.  He had previously dried his own cilantro, and that's what's in the glass jar on the right in that picture over there.  This is the only kind of hand-dried leafy green herb we keep in small glass jars - we don't get out much.  The dried cilantro was sprinkled generously on top of the soup as a fine, fragrant garnish.

When all was said and done, The Chef had used 3 cans out of the bilge which stopped the purser's nagging.  I got a very nice lunch in return.  Bonus:  The Chef liked the chile-infused evaporated milk so much, he said he''ll be cooking with it again.

*  Carnation evaporated milk, sold in Mexico, comes in Original Flavor plus some other flavors, like jalapeno, poblano or cilantro.  Wild.

**  Sometimes I play "stump-the-Chef" and get some sort of unusual fresh or canned food, just to see what Gary can make with it.  I'm rarely disappointed.

GB here:  My kind wife made more out of this meal than it truly was - I had bought the condensed milk flavored with jalapeno chiles when we first got into Mexico.  [O RLY? ms] The canned poblanos were a real find - a large can of very nice chiles.  You need the foresight to dry some cilantro - it goes real fast in the oven or a 110 degree cockpit.  Here is the soup recipe.

1 chicken breast cubed

1/2 onion chopped

i clove garlic

1 bay leaf

1/4 can or 1 cup chopped poblano chili

1 small can corn

dried cilantro

1 can evaporated milk with jalapeno flavoring

Saute the cubed chicken in a bit of olive oil until browned, add the onion and toss, add the chopped garlic - add 2 cups water, the bay leaf, cover and simmer for 20 minutes - you are making a stock.  You could have added carrot, celery, or fresh peppers at this point - but we dd not have any of that stuff.  After simmering, add the chopped chile, corn, and the poblano peppers - simmer for five minutes.  Add the can of evaporated milk and return to a very gentle boil - don't overcook the milk cause it could separate.  Serve with chopped cilantro and pickled jalapenos on the top.

MS here again...perhaps one day the Chef will discuss his biscuit recipe - but it's easy enough to mix in the rest of the canned poblano chiles - diced - into your own favorite biscuit (or cornbread) mixture...

m (& g)

From This...To This

GB fishes.  From the mother ship, The Fox.  From the dinghy, Grey Fox.  Underway.  At anchor.  Even when all I want to do is get from The Fox to the nearest stinkin' beach for a short walk, he's all about, "Do you mind if I dip a hook?"

"..."

[clenched teeth] "Why, no, my sweet, go right ahead - for the 40 feet we have to the beach...."

So from my perspective I am impelled to spend a lot of time and energy - more than I would prefer - dealing with fishly things.  But GB and I have come to an understanding, that I identify whatever he catches (to satisfy my Amateur Biology Geek urges), and he cooks and we eat whatever I pronounce from my analysis as Not Toxic.  He enjoys (as do I) the peace that comes from him reef-fishing for 3 hours 'most every morning in the dinghy by himself -- and it's hard to argue with the results.  Feast your eyes upon these before-and-after photos:

To the left we have two spotted sea bass, and a larger goldspotted bass that GB caught off one of the entrance points to San Juanico, (between Loreto and Santa Rosalia on the eastern shore of the Baja peninsula).  GB honored them by pan-frying them stovetop, accompanied by rice with roasted garlic & poblano chile mixed in, and a side of chopped nopales* (poached to draw off some of the cactus-snot, then pan-fried in oil & garlic & lime).  Here's what the fishies looked like when GB plated them.  The chopped nopales are at 9 o'clock on the plate:

* Prickly pear catcus pads.  Cheap veggie.  Highly nutritious & full o' antioxidants.  Sold almost everywhere in any Mexican market, large or small, most of them with the spines already removed for your convenient eating enjoyment.  Tend to give off an okra-like slime that can be controlled with cooking technique.

San Juanico has lots of reefs, hence lots of reef fish, hence GB was floatin' in the dinghy a lot between 0730 and 1100.   He nabbed quite a variety of reef fish another morning:  an orangeside triggerfish, 2 good-size burrito grunts,  a spotted sea bass, a yellow snapper,  and another as-yet-unidentified snapper-like critter**:

Unfortunately I forgot to take photos of what GB made from all this fish - but it was a lot of food, 2 big meals for the 2 of us, plus dinner for 4 on another night; about 4 pounds of fillet all told - from multi-course dinners to lunchtime tacos.

The Propane Chef was on a roll.  So when we anchored at Playa Santispac in Bahia de Concepcion he did what now comes natural for him:  he went fishin' in the dinghy.  This time with good friend Geoff from Curare, who happened to have beaten us into the anchorage by like 10 minutes.  Both boys did well and came home with spotted rose snappers - Geoff nabbed the bigger one, GB, being in a Japanese mood, took the 2 smaller ones.   He had some sushi rice he'd bought in La Paz, some nori he'd kept safe since Seattle, and some fresh carrots, cabbage and cucumber (all of which last fairly long on a cruising boat), plus some mushrooms in one of those shelf-stable boxlike cartons, and his usual array of soy sauce and other condiments...and he came up with this meal - 10 days after his last onshore provisioning of any kind:

Here we have sushi - both vegetarian (with mushrooms reduced in mirin (sweet sake), a bit of honey, and soy sauce) and fishly (the other group of sushi rolls with the cucumber and pink centers - that's the fish); chopped spicy sashimi (chopped fish with a red Thai sriracha sauce you can get at any Asian market), a spicy Thai-style cabbage slaw (rice vinegar, dash of sugar, hot pepper flakes & a touch of both olive and sesame oil), and poached carrots marinated in vinegar & hot pepper flakes.   Wasabi and soy sauce for dipping on the side.  Yes; The Propane Chef has these items on board the boat.  Always has.  The condiments are all kept in the galley cabinets, and the other stuff (rice, nori, etc.) keeps for a bazillion years if properly sealed in Ziploc bags.

** all you wildlife biologists and fisherfolk out there?  Help a girl out - what's a snapper that has the rosy coloration, gold-olive tinge on the dorsal side, and the blue streaks along the body?  Like this guy below the orangeside triggerfish?  And while you're at it - the little guy at the bottom of the spotted rose snapper pic above?  He was too injured to release, but we don't know what he was.  Oragne spots on body and dorsal fins, orange streaks around face...who is he???

m

The Propane Chef Stays Busy

So, GB has not posted much of his exploits as The Propane Chef recently, but he wants all of cyberspace to know he has not given up The Good Work.  He surveys all the local markets for the freshest ingredients.  Here he is, exploring all the finest crustaceans the Mazatlan Fish Ladies offer.

Even when he's not actually buying provisions, he's closely examining the local merchants' wares and finding the best of all products - like this very hip butcher in the old market of Culiacan (a city a couple hours north of Mazatlan), who sells such good pork products (and is so photogenic) he insisted on having his photograph taken WITH them.

The Propane Chef has also taken out the Fox's B-Q to keep it in fine working form and review its propane output:

And even when he's just slapping together a quick lunch, he does a torta (sandwich) with half-frozen Mexican flank steak sliced across the grain in 1/8"-thick strips, marinated in lime juice, 1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce (called "salsa Inglesa" in these parts), and 1 tsp. soy sauce, sauteed with a few green onions and diced roasted pasilla chiles, then all chopped into small bits the way the Mexicans do for most tortas or tacos al pastor.  The Propane Chef tossed in some avocado slices and slapped it into the local white-bread rolls we love the most, and this was the result:

In short, The Propane Chef has kept busy but is having so much fun falling in love with the flavors of Mexico, he simply has no time yet to post thereof.  But some day soon he may regale you with tales of the tortas ahogadas of Guadalajara, or the best-tasting tacos that are almost always found at the lunch counters upstairs in the centuries-old markets in almost any Mexican city.  Stay linked, Gentle Readers.

m

3 Essential Items for Mexico Cruising

Beer.  Tortilla press.  Lime juicer.  (Cerveza.  Prensa de tortillas.  Exprimidor de limones.)  All can be purchased at any Mexican city's grocery store for a fraction (US $12 for the press, US $5 for the juicer) of what one would pay in US stores or by ordering these items online.  The lime juicer must be seen in action to be believed - fast, efficient, wastes no lime; one merely cuts off the stem end of the lime, inserts the rest of the critter - whole - into the juicer, gives a vigorous squeeze, and within a second ALL the juice is extracted either into a beverage or to be drizzled over a vegetable, fruit or meat dish.  No wastage whatsoever.  Awesome.

Our advice:  do not buy these items until you have checked in to Mexico - only then, get your fine self to the nearest grocery store and buy these products.  Your days will be happy.

m

The Night of Round Food

Propane Chief - Provisioning in the Broughton’s

Well - here we are in the lower Broughton’s - we were in the upper Broughton’s the middle and now in the South. The last time we actually brought some real food on the boat was at Harriet Bay - about 100 miles south of this position and almost four weeks ago.

I suppose it does not really count to talk about provisioning - we finally added up all the food we bought in Seattle and it came to about $1,400 - that may seem like a lot and it is - but remember we have not really shopped for about two months. That Seattle shopping spree happened in late April - now it is June 25 - boy - time does fly when you are having fun.

Anyway - this post is about provisioning, and I must say it has been a bit more difficult than one would think for this gourmet caught up in the wilderness - I mean there is nothing to buy north of Harriet Bay. Echo bay had lost its generation station to fire and had no provisioning. Lagoon Cove had no store. Sullivan had a few things but at 3 times the normal price. (Which in BC is twice the cost of WA). We came up Johnston Straight and turned right into the Broughton’s, and have been there for three weeks. This is a really great place for wilderness. I mean - I have backpacked a lot of places and this is just as remote - there are no trails, no place to get off the boat, just steep sided islands, deep channels and lots of rain. We are lucky to have been up here in early June - the place is just now starting to get really busy with boats - I can’t imagine what it is like in August - just no place to be - we are really looking forward to going around Cape Scott and starting down the western side - which will be a different experience - and maybe we can sail the boat.

Yes - Sail the Boat - what does that mean? We have been a powerboat for the last three months - did not even take off the sail cover - there is no way around it - the winds are fickle, the current fierce - yes, you can sail - but you cannot get anywhere…..

OK - so what’s for dinner tonight - remember - we last provisioned with anything fresh almost four weeks ago. I picked up a head of cauliflower, butter, and lettuce in Sullivan Bay - but when a cauliflower costs $5.00 - I can do without my vegetables.

lunch the other day was Pesole and fresh tortilla -

Pesole

4 chicken thighs

¼ onion

1 clove garlic

1 tb olive oil

1 can hominy

1 can roasted green peppers

½ cup shredded cabbage

1 tbs dried oregano

Sauté the chicken in the olive oil until it is nicely browned - about 10 minutes - add the garlic and onion for five minutes - add about three cups of water to make a stock - throw in a bay leaf, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes- I also added some sliced carrots at this time - remember you are making a stock - so if you have other good stock making things around like a bit of celery or parsley - throw it in...

Add a can of hominy , the chills, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Spoon into bowls with a top of shredded cabbage, some dried oregano and a bit of pickled jalapeño.

A few Days later….

For tonight - it is German and Mexican Night - a bit incompatible - but we had some limes going bad so we spent the afternoon drinking tequila - and had a red cabbage - so…

German Meatballs

My last pound of ground beef is mixed up with ¼ cup of browned onion, ½ cup dried bread crumbs, paprika, and one egg. Make two inch meatballs and boil in the stock. This is a mixture of Knor beef stock and water - boil for 15 minutes. This stock will be reduced with a bit or red wine and then made into a gravy with another Knor product. Well - even I have to take a shortcut ever now and then for the sake of a good gravy.

Larry’s potato dumplings

Boil four or so potatoes until cooked - cool and then rice through strainer - toss with 2 tbs of potato starch and a bit of bread crumbs, mix into balls and boil for 10 minutes - refry in a bit of oil to brown. Top with bread crumbs fried in a bit of butter.

Red Cabbage

Sauté a bit of onion in olive oil until brown , add 2 cups of slice red cabbage, ¼ cup red vinegar and ¼ cup of brown sugar, 1 tbs of caraway seeds. Reduce for one hour on the lowest setting until a glaze develops.

We came up very well provisioned - which is why I can make some cool stuff - but if you come up here expecting to find some fresh veggies in June - well think again

A few thoughts about pressure cookers

In a previous post I have come out strongly against pressure cookers - primarily because I am a slow cooked food advocate -it takes time to make a proper stock or sauce. Also, I had never really tasted a well cooked meal from a pressure cooker. The few I had as boat meals from other cruisers tasted pretty mushy. They typically were stews of some sort - just not a lot of flavor.

Well - I have become a convert - sort of.

I bought a pressure cooker from Amazon.com - it’s a Spanish model by Fagor called a Duo - its a 5.5 quart model with two pressure setting - 8 psi and 15 psi. Its nicely made out of 18/10 stainless, with an aluminum core for sautéing, and cost about $90.

Why do I like this pressure cooker - one reason - propane usage - there is no question that it really cuts down on cooking time. Here are the recipes of the things I have cooked. They are my own recipes - sort of adapted to the things I keep on the boat. We had all of these ingredients on hand after being sailing for about 10 days with no resupply. If there is one thing I hate it’s the sailing cooking pundits that write a lot of recipes in magazine articles - then can’t cook any of that stuff when they are underway because they don‘t have the ingredients.

The Propane Chef tell it as it is - if we are sailing - or at anchor - and I have it - I will cook it. But most important….

“Don’t cook what you bring - Cook what you catch” Lord Bowler from a Briscoe County episode- who cooked a rattlesnake rather than open a can of bean - a TV episode from the 1990’s - Bruce Campbell fans take note….

Carnitas

2 lb pork butt - well trimmed

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

1 stick cinnamon

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp red chili flakes

2 tbs cooking oil

2 bay leaves

Cut the pork into 1-2 inch chunks and sauté up on high heat in small batches until well browned - don’t crowd the pork - this might take up to 20 minutes on a propane stove - use the crock pot to sauté in. Add the onions for 5 minutes, then the garlic for one. Add the chili peppers, bay and cinnamon and about 1-2 cups of water. Cover the cooker and heat till pressure builds at about 15 psi - cook for about 20 minutes.

Once the pressure is released you will have these great pork chunks - I refry them in a bit of oil to make them crispy. Enjoy with tacos, eggs, or make a sauce. Throw away the stock - since it is a bit hard to deal with.

Pinto beans

8 oz pinto beans - soaked overnight

1 clove garlic

½ onion

2 strips bacon

2 Japanese chilies (the little hot dried one that come in small bags in the super mart)

2 bay leaves

Sauté up all of the ingredients but the beans - add the beans and about 2 cups water - cook at 15 psi for about 8 minutes. These beans are soupy. You can dish them out. Or save some of the stock to make refried beans later.

Black Bean soup

8 oz black beans - soaked overnight

Chop the rest of this stuff...

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

2 strips bacon\

2 carrots

2 pieces celery

2 bay leaves

Sauté everything up but the beans - add them and about 2 cups water - you could use some stock for this, but I preferred not to - stock is a valuable commodity when cruising - cook at 15 psi for about 10 minutes.

Vichyssoise - or Potato Leek Soup

4-5 potatoes peeled and quartered

2 leeks - white parts only

1 sweet onion

1 tbs tarragon

2 tbs butter

1 qt chicken stock

8 oz cream

Peel the potatoes. Clean and chop the leaks. Cook the leaks, onions and butter together for about 10 minutes until they get a good sweat up - you are bringing out the sugars. Deglaze with the stock and add the tarragon. Cook at 15 psi for about five minutes. When cooled, blend the soup in you blender. (Yes, we have an inverted, but a food mill would work just as well). Return to the pot and add the cream. Heat gently, but not to boil. This soup works well warm or cold - its gets better as it sit for a few days.

Well - there you have it. There are a lot more recopies I feel I can alter to meet the demands of the pressure cooker. Tonight - I will steam some potatoes for about 5 minutes to make a potato salad, rather then using 20 minutes of propane to boil them. The pressure cooker is not for everything but it does seem to have its uses.

Poached Oysters

Poached Oysters

I never paid much attention to all the web site pundits and book authors who praised the cruising community. Having spent so much time in big cities, the concept of a "cruising community" was beyond this big-city boy. When we started sailing about 8 years ago, we met several really nice people - but - only a few. Nevertheless, up in Princess Lousia Inlet we met some really nice folks - one couple in a power boat and another in a sailboat.

Power boats were always something we avoided in Puget Sound - always leaving big wakes we had to jump - on their way to so some unknown destination - I never talked to any of them other to say hi at the dock.

We talked to sailboat people - even joined a couple of organizations. We met two sets of people - one who went off to find his dream and another couple who are still looking - but - they were the only people we ever became real friends with - the big city shuts down casual friendships - if you are not in the same little clique...

It's sort of funny though - but since we have been off cruising (sort of), we have met a lot of people - in Sidney we met Keith and Donna - Canadians - we met them in the gym and that evening we were drinking in their boat on the same dock as we were - sharing experiences, talking about sailing away - it took us two years to get to this same point of friendship with folks in Seattle - chalk it up to the big city experience (or the fact that MS and I are total assholes).... Keith and Donna were great - made us feel at home on the dock - asked us to a dock party and introduced us around. We had them over to our boat and then on another day went back to their boat. A great positive experience meeting people who have a lot in common with us. Those sorts of experiences did not happen in Seattle very often.

So - two weeks later here we are going up Princess Louisa Inlet - what a place - mountain ridges rising up 8000 feet - it's cold and remote - in April we saw three boats on the 45 mile trip - and one of them was us. Shot the rapids and tied up at the end of the dock the BC government provided.

This is not world-shaking cruising - the Pardeys would have been ashamed of us - but for us and our limited experience it was a good trip. Funny, there were folks already there at the dock to make it easy for us and take our lines. One was a sailboat guy - who had actually rowed over two days earlier from his sailboat to ours, to talk to us when we were both in Garden Bay. By the first evening in Princess Louisa Inlet we were having nice conversation about all the things boaters talk about. The next day he.....I can't really say anything more, because the BC - PC government has declared certain activities illegal throughout most of the waters south of Campbell River. Just use your imagination.

Anyway, all us on the three boats that were at Princess Louisa had a great time - we each had time to ourselves, but we also hung out drinking and talking together about things like we were all old friends - maybe there is something about being 45 miles up an inlet overshadowed by snow covered mountains and without radio contact. Anyway - Dean and Donna and Cleo the dog were all great - how do folks get so generous to strangers - I don't know - its not the big city anymore.

.

And - we met folks on a POWERBOAT - what a shock - they were kind - interested in what we were doing - helpful with route planning. Even invited us over to their boat for a drink and munchies. I am not used to being so friendly with strangers, or feeling so comfortable around all of them from the beginning. Anyway, while we were there we found out that the BC-PC government had rather suddenly declared practically the entire Strait of Georgia and its connecting inlets off limits to all shellfish harvesting. Talking to Stu and Pat - who are major fishermen - we found out that to restrict the entire area, the BC government only takes samples from one oyster farm 30 miles south of where we happened to be. If the one sample turns up with PSP toxin - they declare all places off limits. Naturally - none of the commercial oyster farms have been shut down. (I am making this up - I have no idea what is going on with the oyster farms).

Anyway - MS and I went out to an oyster flat somewhere south of Port Hardy and at some point since 2001 poached some oysters - I heard from someone who knows, that I could keep them in sea water from uncomtaminated areas for about three days and repeatedly flood-and-purge them - then I eat one and let MS see if I die....Guess that is what I will do - I really love oysters and these looked great - no sign of the red tide [as if he has Superman's microscopic powers -- MS] plus the water was very cold - and - the cease and desist order from BC-PC came out just a couple of days before we we got there, so the Evil PSP toxin could not have traveled so far or so fast,....I'm guessing....

So - here is my recipe for poached oysters...

Ignore all government warnings

Consult with folks who seem to know what is going on

Get in dinghy and drive out to the oyser beds

Knock them off with a pry bar and put them in a pot or bucket

Flush with salt water for three days (or four)

EAT ONE AND SEE IF YOUR MOUTH TINGLES.

Can you still feel your lips, fingers and toes?

Has your spouse taken out life insurance on you?

Enjoy

Ain't cruisng grand?      

What's Up Duck - Sidney Provisioning

These ducks better watch out - swim to near our boat and they may find themselves dinner.

You can get anything you want at Sidney.  Close to the Port of Sidney Marina - within walking distance -  are three grocery stores, three bakeries, and two liquor stores.  We have found the food to be cheap in Sidney - not cheap enough to offset the incredibly high price of liquor and wine, but cheap enough.

One of the things I love to eat is duck.  In Seattle, the duck police mandated that the price of duck should never be less than $1.99 per pound - so a bird was always about $14-15..  Yes, I found some disabled ducks with one wing or leg missing at 99 Ranch Market - but they were not that fun to buy - I always wondered what happened to that missing leg....  In Sidney, a whole young duck costs about $10 - quite a bargain.  So I have cooked a bit of duck.  Here are a couple of things I have made since coming here....

Duck and Potato Dumplings

The key to all good duck recipes is a good stock - this takes about 10 hours to make in a crock pot.  Take your duck and fillet off the breasts and leg quarters, then chop up and roast the rest in the oven at 450 for about 45 minutes - drain and save the fat.  Be sure to save the liver - since some great pate' is coming soon....Saute the following in a bit of olive oil:

one onion, two stalks celery, two carrots, one clove garlic -   deglaze with one cup of red wine and throw the whole mess into the crock pot with about two quarts of water, two bay leaves, thyme and rosemary - add one tbs of tomato paste if you feel like opening some.  Then cook on low all day.  Drain the stock, and return to the crock pot - you will still need to cook it down tomorrow.  Since it is still pretty cold outside - the duck fat will come to the surface overnight for skimming.  Finish the "reducktion" the next day - yielding about two cups of stock.

Take the breasts and  brine them in a quart bag with 1/4 cup of sugar and salt 1/4 salt, bay, and black peppercorns - for about two hours.  Brining plumps the tissues of the bird with extra flavor fluids and reduces shrinkage when sauteing and roasting the breasts.

Saute the breasts, after slashing the breast skin, in a hot pan until well brown and much of the fat is rendered - finish in a hot oven for about 10 minutes - meanwhile make the gravy from the duck stock.  This is pretty simple - drain the duck fat from the pan and saute shallots until tender in butter, add 1tbs butter and flour to make a roux, deglaze with a bit of white wine and add the duck stock- reduce until a gravy like consistency.

The dumpling are made by boiling a russet, running it through a grater (I use this instead of a potato ricer - works fine and stores flat) and mixing with one egg and 1/4 cup potato starch - I usually add a bit of what ever green herb is around - usually parsley.  Roll the dumplings about the size of a golf ball and boil for about 10 minutes.

This may sound a bit complicated in a galley that is this size, but it is all about timing and organization, and having the ingredients prepared.  I cut lots of things up and put them in small bowls, poach the asparagus in advance for a quick finish.  Unfortunately the galley usually looks like a small hurricane hit it by the time I am done....

By this time the boat is filled with smoke from the duck frying, and steam from the dumplings boiling.  MS is opening the hatches and trying not to yell at me, but she has gotten used to it by this time, and knows she will get some good duck - I am better about turning the fans on.  Plate the duck breast with 2-3 dumplings and add some green something - since it is spring that would be poached asparagus.  Enjoy!

Duck confit in crockpot in cockpit - say that five time fast.... another post coming soon about using the leg quarters, liver, and duck fat left over from the above dish....

Sidney Resturants and Provisioning Part 1

Thanksgiving meats - a turkey, duck, game hens and sausages - all roasted together - the sausages keep the turkey moist - also - a mixture of fresh herbs, butter and shallots was placed under the turkey's breast skin.

Now - on to Sidney

Ahh Sidney - land of the 65 plus Canadian Retiree....

As I walk down the street - I feel young again - I don't need a walker, scooter, or cane.  I can step briskly off of the curb, and maneuver around any stroller bearing down on me.  Truly, Sidney is a great town for the mobility impaired - they have street cuts for their street cuts - but is it a real food town - the Propane Chief sets off to investigate...

All kidding aside - Sidney is a great town to spend a couple of winter months in.  When we bought the boat, we said we would always like to winter over in a foreign port - well - we are here.  Most Americans may not think of Canada as a true foreign county, but don't tell that to a Canadian.  Their are striking differences between here and big city Seattle - let me list a few..

The people are very friendly - we ride the bus around a bit - we have had three great conversations at the bus stop - we  met somebody who teaches sailing, a retiree from Calgary, and a nice woman who works at the airport - I think that is three conversations more than I ever had at a bus stop in Seattle - those conversations in Seattle sort of went....

"get off me you drunk" --  "Seattle Human Services is at the next stop"  -- "No - I don't have any spare change...."

In Canada - Prime time TV has curling as a major sport....Ice hockey can be on three stations at once....The nightly news lasts for one and one half hours.

But - this post is about eating out in Sidney - so let me get on to that subject.

We have been to a NW seafood place, a Mexican place, two Greek restaurants, a yuppie pub, two Chinese  restaurants, and a Thai place.  We mostly eat lunch out - though have been out to dinner twice.  We like lunch - that way we can get lickered up on the boat without having to worry about getting run over by a wild Canadian retiree on a rascal scooter.

The "Captain's Table" is at the entrance to Port of Sidney Marina.  It is sort of a retro 1970's place where you might have taken your mother for for a nice dinner - think Red Lobster.  We had a great meal called the seafood platter for two.  It had shrimp, halibut, salmon, smoked fish, salad.  There was a dill sauce that came in a small plastic cup - as did the salad dressing.  The fish had been frozen, as were some of the shrimp  The salad had a nice amount of small lettuce - it was very nice for the $36 can.  My expectations were low and they were exceeded - I will go back here a second time.

Greek passes for exotic cuisine here in Sidney - we went to a place called Theo's - one of the oldest Greek restaurants in Sidney - for Greek special night.  $11.96 can  (about $10 US) gets you a nice plate of food - Slovakia - which is beef and chicken kabobs on rice, Greek salad and rice - or dolmas and mousaka.  The mousaka was a bit dry and too small a piece, but the dolmas were great - the lemon sauce on them could have used some OUZO in it.  But - we had a bottle of retsina for $23 CAN(10.95 at the liquor store - so a 100% mark up) but who cares - it came as a liter bottle.   Theo's was a nice place and I would recommend it.  By the way - all of the greek resturants in Sidney are also Italian resturants - I cannot place an Italian influence in greek cusine.  The italian food has lasagna, speghetti, alfredo, and ravoli - they also do pizza.  I think this is because they have a hot oven....I may order a greek pizza with dolmas and souvlaki - that might get me kicked out of town....They also do Barbque - you can get a plate of ribs with spaghetti and meatballs - that is something I have not seen before.....

As you are starting to see - the food here in Sidney is not exactly the cutting edge.  It reflects the taste of the local inhabitants - most of who probably remember rationing in WWII and think Spam is ham.  Portions have been generous - prices seem a bit lower than Seattle.  So far we have not been disappointed - but have tried to adjust our expectations to the local scene - we think that is what cruising about is all about.

More on another post..... 

Beef Wellington

Ahh....Christmas time on the boat....The propane chef always tries to do his best at the holidays.  MS says he cooks fancy all of the time, but he tries to add a little more for the extra big times.  For Christmas Eve diner, the chef made Beef Wellington.

Now, some say that beef wellington is old fashioned, too much time, trouble, etc.  The chef says, what can be better than beef fillet, pate, puff pastry, and a rich long simmered sauce!

We always use the nav station for our xmas tree - lots of presents this year.

The hungry diner, again waiting for the chef to quit fooling around and make some chow....

The key to beef wellington is the sauce - for this use a mixture of beef bones and and soup bones, about 4-5 pounds.  Roast them in the oven for about two hours.  For the last 1 hour add carrots, celery, onions, garlic, to allow these vegetables to roast.  No, the chef does not have the quantities, just use what's on hand.

Put the bones and a bottle of the red wine you are drinking, along with the vegetables, and two quarts of water, in your biggest pot, and cook on low for about 8 hours, strain, and reduce down to about two cups.  Herbs that work well include thyme, bay, and parsley.  Put up on the deck in a cold afternoon to allow the grease to rise to the top, and skim.

Here is the beef and the broth.  This is a fillet mignon that has been trimmed.  Asparagus was roasted with the vegetables, to be used later as a side. The  beef is patted down with butter and roasted in a 400 degree oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees, and cooled.

The chef loves puff pastry.  Take the cold fillet, cover it with pate, in this case duck, and add sliced fried mushroom.  We had no mushrooms, so the pate will just have to do it. Use an egg wash to seal the package.  The beef rests on a silicon mat.  If you don't have one of these cool French silicon mats on board, by all means get one.  They are great to work pastry, biscuits, or breads.  Might even be able to use them to repair a hull breach, if necessary!

Roast at about 350 or so for 20 minutes, or until browned.

The finished plate.   The sauce has been further reduced, and finished with butter and tarragon.  Sides are roast asparagus, steamed snow peas, and celeriac mashed potatoes.

It was a memorable dinner.  Access to these types of ingredients may be a bit more difficult (and pricey) in Mexico, but then the chef will whip up turkey mole'.......