The Adventures of S.Y. Chelonidae: How we got here...

Sunday, May 27, 2007

How we got here...

Around 15 years ago, Jim felt he needed a new hobby. He had full time work at his cabinet shop, but needed something other than wood work to fulfill his need to create, be busy and still use his talents while developing new ones. Having him mooning around the house was enough for his then girl friend to suggest he take up something completely different, say...sailing.
It was love at first bight! He decided to look into sailing more seriously and came to the revelation that there are people out there who are living aboard and travelling the world. Since then , he has made it his life's goal to do just that. Good thing he liked to work! Hard! and a lot! You could say he traded cabinetry for more cabinetry. More curves. Working hanging upside dpown. Using inch-and-a-half bolts instead of civilized 3/16 ones.

But first, he felt he needed better company. Blah, blah blah...we met and got married! (No, really!)

And I let him build things...
In my living room! Above is actually the bulkheads for a boat we were going to build, but when Chelonidae didn't sell, we had to put "Stella G" on hold. Below is our 80lb plywood dingy, Chelley.

I, Michelle, have always wanted to travel. Isn't this a good fit? And don't I look good on a boat? Looking forward to completing my active parenting years (hardy har har!), I began to plan ahead...what would I be doing after work? As Jim began to describe what life might be like living aboard, I got a feel for it, it sounded appealing, adventurous, heck, even affordable! (I only worried about the wet, bumpy part very, very recently) Sailing sparkling turquiose seas, exploring tiny villiages that have only seen a visiting boat once every three years...drinkies on the deck, snorkling over coral reefs, perhaps touring the canals of France one wine region at a time...all we need now is a sunset to sail off in...

Ah!

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Salsa

Salsa
I take a few short-cuts when I make this recipe on board, so please refer to your Big Cookbook, such as Joy of Cooking, Preserves by Jean Parre, etc. for learning about how to prepare jars for preserving and why we add salt and vinegar to salsa to make it "keep". (Tip: cuz if ya don't, you'll make yourself Pretty Darned Sick!) Your jars must be sanitized and your veggies and work-space must be be washed twice.
Here is my short-cut for jars; wash 6x 2 cup jars in hot soapy water, rinse in clear water, arrange jars and fresh snap-lids on counter. Half-fill each jar with boiling water, apply lid tightly. Carefully, slowly, turn jars over, water may leak out, so keep hands clear! Let sit until needed.

In a large pot, combine:
2x 24 oz cans diced tomatoes, you can mince them further with a good, sharp knife. The smaller the size, the easier it is to dip your chip!
2 large green peppers, washed, seeds removed, diced very small
2 cups celery, washed, diced very small
1 1/2 cups onion, diced very small
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp salt, more if you like, but not less
1/2 cup vinegar, more if you like, but not less
2 Tbsp chili powder, more or less what you like
1 tsp cayenne, more or less according to taste
1 x9 oz tin tomato paste

Combine all ingredients except tomato paste and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for 15 minutes or so, stir occasionally. Taste. Follow recommended seasoning alterations, then add the tomato paste to thicken. Bring back to boil, remove from heat.
Pour hot water out of jars, do not towel dry, leave wet.
Ladle salsa into sterilized jars. Wipe jar rims with damp, clean paper towel, apply lids. Lids should pull down (and make a ping-like noise) when cooled. Refer to your Big Cookbook for more info on how to handle jars that don't seal properly (besides refrigerating them and using them first).
Stores for six months.

Bahamian Cinnamon Buns

Bahamian Cinnamon Buns
combine in a medium bowl:
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp instant yeast (aka fast-acting)
1 tsp salt
Grated rind of one orange or lemon (optional)

In a liquid measure combine:
1 cup warm water
2 tsp honey, or sugar. Brown would be nice
1 Tbsp veg oil

Her's the thing: you only want to add as much liquid as the flour wants. So add most of the liquid, stir it in, then asess whether to add more. Add the water little by little to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured board or counter and knead 5 minutes or so, until the dough loses its stickiness and becomes elastic and smooth.
Place it in an oiled bowl, turn to coat both sides, cover with warm, damp towel, allow to rise 30-45 minutes.
I love instant yeast!
Now place the dough back onto the floured surface and roll out to a rectangular shape 12"x15" or so. Leaving the last two inches on top bare, smear onto the dough:
1/3 cup room-temperature butter
1/4 cup cinnamon
3/4 cup brown sugar, the darker the better
2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

Roll up the dough and seal the top two inches to the outside of the roll with a bit of water. Using a sawing motion, slice with a sharp knife into 8 wee buns. Arange in a smallish, parchment-lined pan. I use a glass 7"x9" rectangle pan. If you have a square pan, try to get 9 buns out of the deal for a better pan-arrangement. If you don't have wonderful, pan-and-bun saving parchment, either get some or butter and flour your naked pan.
Bake at 375 F for around 20 minutes. Do not burn! These are not sticky-buns! Test for doneness: separate two buns and check for bread-like a crumb, should not be stretchy or raw-looking. Better to err on the side of under-done, they will likey be done anyhow. No-one likes a burn on thier buns!
For the icing:
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
hot water to thin.
Combine all these in a small bowl, stir well. Should develop a ribbon-like consistancy when dropped off a spoon. Drizzle over the cooled rolls, allow a few minutes to set.
Make coffee, eat.
Mmph. Slurp. Ahh!

Life Without a Fridge

Yes, we have no fridge! I have been asked questions by a few soon-to-be-cruisers (that is, they are out here temporarily while taking a break from boat building), but I never gave a clear answer. While it is true that we tend to enjoy mostly vegetarian meals, we do buy meat when we can. If it is fresh, we shop for it at dinner or lunch time so we can cook it as soon as we get it home. If it is frozen, we buy it in the morning and put it in the cooler and put a couple of beers beside it for a double treat! It will defrost in time for an evening meal. We only prepare what we can eat in one sitting, absolutely no meat-leftovers!
I find that eggs and most cheeses keep well if I don't let them hang around very long. We use powdered milk for coffee and baking. To avoid using too much butter at one go, I use vegetable oil in cake and cookies instead of butter, but when the butter's gotta go, I've got a brownie recipe that I won't skimp on! For the veg. oil cookie recipe, see a copy of The Joy Of Cooking. If you scroll down the page, you'll see that I have put some tasty recipes on this side-bar. I have also been asked to put some every-day recipes up. Enjoy!
The wonder and thrill of an icey cold beer is not lost on us, it is something we really really enjoy when we can!

Some Fast Meals

Curried Tuna:
I serve this on crackers for a great appetizer.

For two:
1 tin tuna, lightly drained
1 rib celery, minced
1 tsp. curry powder, more to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil

Mix well. Um...that's pretty much it.

* * * * *
Rice & Tuna
Rice part can be prepared in the morning, put meal together for a quick lunch underway. For two:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 ribs celery, diced
2 med. carrots, diced
sprinkle salt

Sautee these until onion is getting dark, add:

1 small clove garlic, minced
1 or 2 tsp curry powder
2/3 cup white or basmatti rice
1 1/3 cup water

Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer 15 minutes, or until rice is done, remove from heat. Rice benefits by sitting for 5-10 minutes after cooking. When ready, portion into bowls, top with drained tuna and your favorite salad dressing. For extra crunch, substitute the diced carrots for grated fresh carrots on top.

Two Bean Salad
Another wonder from "Ship's Stores"! For two:

1 tin kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 tin cut green beans, drained
1 tin diced tomatoes, with the juice
1 Tbsp minced onion, red is nice
2 ribs celery, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 Tbsp vinegar, more to taste.
Salt & pepper to taste

Mix well, allow flavours to develop for at least 15 minutes.

Mexican Bean Salad
Some tinned vegetables are available "salt-free", if you can find them, I recommend them. For two:

1 tin black beans, drained, rinsed.
1 tin sweet corn, drained
1 tin diced tomatoes, with the juice
1/2 cup minced onion
2 ribs celery, diced
juice of 1 lime, you may substitute 1-2 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 tsp chili powder
Salt & pepper to taste

Mix well, allow flavours to develop 15 minutes or so. This meal goes well with natcho chips, you can even get away with serving the end-of-the-bag-crumbs as croutons!

New & Improved Recipe! Hummus

Jim's daughter and son visited with us on our last night in Kingston and we enjoyed an appetizer of my homemade hummus. She, and a few other people, asked for the recipe, so here it is!
If you have a blender or food processor, add the ingredients all at once and whirl until quite smooth and the desired consistancy is achieved. If you have a mortar & pestle, you'll need to pound and hand-grind the chickpeas in small amounts to get the right consistancy. I have replaced the sesame seeds for the real thing, tahini, in this updated recipe, you should get much better results! You'll find tahini in most grocery stores, even in the Bahamas, but it may be in any section; try condiments or international aisles.

1 14 oz tin chickpeas, cooked, no liquid
2 Tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 clove minced garlic
1 1/4 cup olive oil
The juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp salt
Water to thin

If using the mortar and pestle method, grind the chickpeas as described above, then blend together with the rest of ingredients in a mixing bowl and voila! Serve with bread, warm pita, flatbread crackers or whatever you have!

The Pitas That Bill Liked

Lovely, soft, white pita, fresh off the griddle. Dip in a bit of hummus and wowee! Who woudn't want the recipe? It takes about an hour and 15 minutes if you use fast-acting yeast.
For 6 med. pitas:

2/3 cup warm water

2 tsp honey

2 cups white flour
2 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil

Mix the water and honey together, set aside. Combine flour, yeast and salt. Add most of the water to flour, stirring with a fork until a ball forms. Add more water if needed to form a semi-soft dough. Knead with medium pressure for five minutes. Pat the dough down with some olive oil, place in covered bowl until risen to be doubled in size. Pat the risen dough back down, shape into a flat disc.
Cut disc into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. With a rolling pin, roll each piece out into flat pita-like object, lay each one out on a lightly floured board and let rise for 10 minutes or so.
Preheat an un-oiled heavy pan or griddle to med.-low. Cook each pita 2 minutes on each side, more or less time depending on how hot your pan actually is. Pitas cook quite quickly, so what you're looking for are dark spots (where the pan sears the pita) on the bottom and brown mottling on the top.
Pile 'em up and serve fresh with your favorite dip.

Focaccia and Bruscetta

A tastey dip to serve either alongside/instead of hummus! It goes nicely with focaccia, a herbed white bread. Since the recipe for the pita bread is a standard recipe, use it to make focaccia thusly: after the first rise, pat it down to form a disc that will fit in a cast-iron frying pan. Generously brush the top with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary. Place into the pan. Now turn it over to coat the other side, leave that side up and sprinkle on some parmesian cheese. Allow to rise until doubled in size, bake at 400 F for about 15 minutes. For Bruscetta for four:
1 14 oz tin diced tomatoes (if you live on land and can get good fresh tomatoes, use 2-3)
1 tsp finely minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried basil (or 2 Tbsp fresh)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste.

Blend, adjusting seasonings, including lemon juice.

I ounce made a batch of bruscetta, but didn't use it 'till the next day at lunch time. I added a tin a black beans for more sustinance, and it was it was wonderful!

Lentil Dahl

This dish is an accompaniment to a typical Indian or African meal, meant to eaten with flatbread.
1 Tbsp butter
1 onion, minced
1 tsp salt
1 med. tomato, minced
3 clove garlic, minced
curry powder, or paste, to taste,
1 cup dried lentils, I used green
2 cups water

Heat the butter in a med. pot. Add onions and salt, sautee 10 min. until browned. Ad tomato & garlic, cook aother two min. Add curry powder or paste, start with a tablespoon of either. Cook another minute, do not allow to burn. Add water & lentils, cook until lentils are soft. Cool and mash with a potato masher. Serves four.