For ages, a few smart cruisers have used a pressure cooker onboard their boats, but for many of us, a pressure cooker seems like more of a joke; a throwback to our mom’s or even our grandmother’s kitchen as kids.
We've all heard the stories of a pressure cooker exploding and spewing dinner far and wide, but things have really changed.
Pressure cookers now are virtually all stainless steel construction with much better pressure valves and far better cooking control.
Grand summer meals on board should be light, colourful, easy to prepare, sumptuous and most importantly, best served with great friends around your table!
For years, my family has savoured over summer meals of mouth-watering flank steak, the long lean muscle taken from the under belly side of a cow. There was a time not that long ago when flank steak was considered a lesser, inexpensive choice of meat and much underrated, but this misconception has changed in recent years as fancier restaurants have increasingly slipped it on to their menus and marinating recipes have become easily accessible on the Internet.
Read more: “Flankly” Speaking…How Hard is it to Cook a Steak?
Teach him to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
It could have been during the cocktail hour at The Bitter End Yacht Club, or maybe it was later at the bar at Leverick Bay…my memory is a little fuzzy, but it was definitely the British Virgin Islands and only a few weeks ago, but I do remember Sandy and Elinor Marr of Nutmeg Charters describing how they always drag a fishing line when they are cruising and often their dinners come in right over the transom. One of their favourite delicacies is landing a tuna, then cutting in into strips and hanging it with clothes pegs on the stern lifeline for a few days to dry. On the flight home, I began thinking how few of us take advantage of the savoury delights that lay just beneath our boats.
In the ongoing and fabled fight for truth, justice and a better life for yachtsmen, Galley Guys recently had the opportunity to be in St. Maarten and to enjoy a great culinary delight – a catered dinner aboard a Swan 48, in one of the nicest settings imaginable.
The word “catered” on one hand – implies that the food is prepared, packed up, and delivered warm or cold, to a social engagement, more often than not – a bit of a compromise. This would however be a catered event with a difference. And while we were guests on the Dutch side of the island, it would take a decidedly French twist.
In our quest to encourage boaters to dine and entertain with fun and flare, the Galley Guys showed up at the Halifax Boat Show this past Valentine’s Day, February 14th to join in the “Cooking Onboard” presentations being made by Michele Stevens at the show.
Michele is a 4th generation sailmaker and her loft, called Michele Stevens Sail Loft in Second Peninsula, Nova Scotia is the official sailmaker to the Bluenose II. With her all-woman team, they produce sails as well as upholstery, cushions, sail bags and custom work.
That famous east coast hospitality opened its arms to the Galley Guys last month during a trip to Nova Scotia.
We were visiting some of the Nova Scotia Boat Builders: Covey Island Boat Works in Lunenburg, North Atlantic Yachts in Halifax and Big Pond Boat Shop on Cape Breton Island on Bras d’Or Lake.
After spending the day onboard the latest 42-foot trawler from the Big Pond Boat Shop, boat builders Pat and Keith Nelder said,
So how do you objectively review a powerboat galley? Well for starters – more or less the same way you would look at any galley or kitchen; counter space, storage, access to guests, lighting and overall functionality are key components. As with any galley, it also depends on the type of entertaining you will be using it for. Most buyers want a galley that affords easy access to everything needed for meal preparation and encourages interaction with on-board guests.
At the 2008 Toronto International Boat Show, I got to explore the different types of powerboats and their galleys. For those of you who have been to the show, you know that the power side of the show far outweighs the sail in numbers.
The Galley Guys gave me a daunting one-day assignment while at the 2008 Annapolis Boat Show: determine which sailboat, currently available in Canada, had the best and possibly the ultimate galley. Have you ever attended the Annapolis Boat Show? Seen an aerial shot of it? Daunting! Amazing! Thankfully, limiting the assignment to boats available in Canada made the job a tiny bit easier.
So what are the key considerations when determining who has the ultimate galley? I opted for the basics. I considered what kind of storage was for dry goods, cutlery, serving wear, glasses and so on.
Cheerful and very enthusiastic were the first two things that struck me as I entered the Société du Vieux-Port de Montréal booth last January at the Toronto International Boat Show. “Come to Montréal”, they said. “See what we have done to our harbour. Get immersed in the port’s new life and sense the energy that is everywhere around the Old Port.”
In true Galley Guy style, we couldn’t say no, especially knowing that Montréal is one the most sought-out cuisine centers in the world, with over 5,000 restaurants representing cuisine from over 80 different nationalities – a Galley Guy must-go destination.
The Galley Guys have been living high on the hog lately with last issue’s memorable Bouride à la Provençal and the mouth-watering curried shrimp in the June issue and just recently, we met with Ann Vanderhoof, the author of The Spice Necklace, to sample her island fare for the November Waypoint issue of Canadian Yachting. Her recipes made us want to book our trips right now!
But the Galley Guys – Greg Nicoll, Andy Adams and John Armstrong – are “guys” after all. Guys love gourmet food. Guys love great wines and guys get hungry. Really hungry.
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Boat Reviews
CY Virtual Video Boat Tours
We all love boats and nothing can break us up! So, what better way to spend our time than looking at interesting boats and going aboard in a virtual ride or tour. We have asked our friends at various dealers and manufacturers to help us assemble a one-stop online resource to experience some of the most interesting boats on the market today. Where the CY Team has done a review, we connect you to that expert viewpoint. If you can’t go boating, you can almost experience the thrill via your screen. Not quite the same, but we hope you enjoy our fine tour collection.
Read more about the CY Virtual Boat Tours....................
Cruisers Yachts Raises the Bar for Day Boating
By Andy Adams
Once again, Cruisers Yachts is leading the market for day boats with their new 42 GLS model that premiered at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show at the end of October. The concept of a large day boat is now a very well-established trend made possible by the amazing new power and efficiency of the latest four stroke outboards.
Buyers are looking for a different boating experience and we think that the 42 GLS nails it. Fast, handsome and versatile, the 42 GLS is designed for fun and adventure.
Destinations
Bahamas – There and Back Again - Part II
In Part I, Sheryl Shard ended the story at June and the start of Hurricane Season when they were once again joined by friends.
This time it was Noel and Tracey Dinan, whose new shallow-draft Allures 49.5 was in build at the time, we headed north from the Exumas across the expanse of the Great Bahama Bank, dodging coral patches as we sailed to Eleuthera then Marsh Harbour, Great Abaco. Another commercial centre in the islands, we cleared out of the Bahamas here after provisioning for our offshore passage up to the Chesapeake Bay on the US mainland and out of the Hurricane Zone until mid-November...
Plominski tries again
Skipper John “Drew” Plominski is hoping that lightning doesn’t strike twice. Plominski, whose boat was destroyed by lightening two years ago, was first in line to register for the 39th biennial Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean race to take place this summer.‘We’re thrilled to see Drew back for another try,” said Richard Hinterhoeller, RNSYS co-race director Plominski’s 30-foot vessel, named Perseverance, was just about ready.
Along with his wife and three friends, he planned to compete in the 363-mile biennial race to Nova Scotia.The South Boston resident left his boat moored at the Columbia Yacht Club the night before the big race and was at his house...
DIY & How to
Winterization Isn't Like Your Dad Did It: Modern Methods For Modern Boats
By Andrew McDonald, Lakeside Marine Services
“They don’t make ‘em like they used to”, is a phrase that many of us are familiar with. Most of the time it is in reference to a bygone era of better, and it’s used to lament the sorry state of what we have today. It is a phrase that can be applied to many areas of our lives: architecture, art, furniture, tools. Boats? I would argue that they don’t make them like they used to. But, is that lamentable, or is it progress?
Progress, I think. With this concept in mind, as we enter another season of putting boats to bed for the winter, why do we winterize as we always have?
Marine Products
Volvo Penta Launches Integrated Assisted Docking System
On Monday, Volvo Penta announced the availability of their fully integrated assisted docking system at the Consumer Electronics Show, held virtually this year.
The Assisted Docking system integrates a software layer developed in house with the company’s GPS-based Dynamic Positioning System and proprietary Inboard Performance Systems (IPS) for a complete package including HMI (human-machine interface) at the helm, electronics via the engine, propulsion systems and sensors, and advanced navigation processing power for a much easier boating experience, even in rough conditions.