We're back on track...

I really like food...

I mean I really like food. I'm sure a lot of you understand the emphasis.

The problem is cooking on a boat in a world spiraling towards harder times and keeping the boat stocked with good and healthy ingredients on a budget takes no small amount of work and creativity. That's the downside.

On the other hand, the upside is creativity is an enjoyable pastime from where I sit and, whenever you make a good meal aboard, the gratification is there for the tasting.

When we were cruising in Spain we met a well off American couple who were sailing their boat home to the States to sell it and buy an RV because they could not find Hellman's mayonnaise in Europe. Seriously the lack of "proper" mayonnaise in Europe was the deal breaker...

I'll let that sink in for a moment.

At the time I thought they were nuts... Firstly because mayonnaise is pretty easy to make. Secondly because I'd never actually thought of Hellman's as being real mayonnaise but more a sorta/kinda chemical sludge doing a bad mayonnaise imitation, and lastly, how had they escaped the fact that Europe was brimming with awesome freshly made mayonnaise and not taken advantage?

Over the years I've reflected on this more times than I can count because it tells a story and that story is just how important food is to how happy/unhappy we are... Mayonnaise is a silly example but it so perfectly illustrates just how important food can be.

Food is a lot more than just being a fuel that powers our engine and, as times become harder, it's going to be even more important to fulfil those more esoteric needs in a frugal galley.

So, consider this a restatement of purpose of sorts.

On pressure cookers making sense...

Over at SV Estrellita 5.10b (always a good read) they've discovered the wonderfulness of cooking with pressure...

An alternative to the high cost of spirits...

SV Delos (always a good read) taking the moonshine route...

Got pineapple?

This recipe looks more than promising...

An excellent article on food storage...

You might want to take the time to visit Northwest Edible Life (always a good read) for today's excellent post about food storage.

a pretty good resource...

The Monterey Bay Aquarium website is a pretty neat place to spend some time and you can check out some great recipes while you're there...

The Mahi Mahi Escabeche works for me.

Did someone say "Seafood sausage"?

I do believe they did...