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My website: NancyBirnbaum.com

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February 2, 2023
I can't believe that it's February and we're still in Florida. But it is, and we are. Things are looking up however. Jann got the water maker working this morning. He's currently replacing the old filters with new ones and we've already filled up one of our 100 gal tanks and now onto the second. Tonight we will check Predict Wind to see when our next weather window will be to cross the Gulf Stream. I'm hoping we'll see favorable winds by Monday. We're paid up through Wednesday for our mooring and really just need to do one more provision run for fresh stuff, top off the fuel, and collect our last mail. Then we can go! Fingers crossed.

Essential galley items

Life afloat with a small kitchen (or Galley, the proper boat name), takes some getting used to. I admit, our galley onboard Sweet Escape is huge compared to our first cruising boat - SAGA, a 1965 Alberg 35. It has two sinks. Count 'em... TWO! And the larger of the two can fit even my large fry pan. It has more storage, both above and below. Our galley has a microwave. A custom installation by the Valkies. Just below the microwave, there's a bulkhead area that I have crammed with kitchen items and appliances. It holds our new ice maker (Praise the Lord, we have a small but mighty fast, ice maker!), my Instant Pot, the toaster, a large stainless utensil holder with a large assortment of handy spoons, ladles, tongs, strainer, spatulas, etc. We also use this space to store large bottles, like ice tea. (We fill smaller bottles that fit into the refrigerator to keep them cold when we don't have ice handy.), and various easy-grab foods like granola & crunchy bars. I also store my bamboo cheese tray and latex trivet/pot holders, and my salad spinner/bread box.

My oven is small. The stove and oven run on propane and it's got a few years on it, (15), It doesn't have space for anything higher than 4-5 inches, and it's hard to dial in the temperature. I just bought an oven thermometer so that I can adjust it after burning two batches of brownies! The stove has two burners, and fiddles, which helps to corral pots while the boat is bouncing around. It also has gimbals, that allows the stove to swings so that pots and pans and tonight's dinner don't go sliding off and crashing and splashing all over the galley. Though unlike Saga, Sweet Escape is a catamaran and doesn't have that same roll that monohulls have. I love that! In fact, the stove may be frozen in the locked position, having not been allowed to swing for too long. Under the oven there's a small storage area for pots/pans and mixing bowls. But I also store a larger lidded pan in the oven.


Cruisers learn early on that everything on board needs to have at least two uses. Mainly due to the fact that there's limited room on any boat. And given that Sweet Escape is our home, we brought a lot of stuff with us from California. So much so, that I've started a bin of "items for Treasures of the Bilge Sale"! Because we didn't know which boat we'd end up buying, we brought things that were already on board, and have since discovered that we don't have room for others. Once we get to a anchorage where cruisers gather and stick around for a bit, I'll organize a sale if no one else does. Always a fun gathering. We can make it a pot-luck event. Cruisers love pot-luck events!

Where did I put that?

The first thing that a cruising chef needs to know is where everything is. Jann created a rather robust spreadsheet that lists everything we buy. From foodstuffs to cleaning supplies, soap to nuts. Each time we provision, I open up the file (on Google Sheets), and go through the store receipt, noting how much we paid and where it's stored. This is essential because, as we all know to well, it takes so much energy to look through all of your storage areas to find one can of whatever. Fortunately, I'm pretty good at recalling where stuff is, but the list really helps, I can search with the click of a button and then only have to remove pillows, covers, and seat cushions, to get to it! Most of our foodstuffs are in the three deep storage areas below the salon seating. I use a large cabinet in the starboard ama (AKA, the owner's side), as a pantry. I also have a smaller cabinet just outside the Galley for often-used items like drink mixes, snacks, coffee, chocolate, and the like. Also in the Galley, is a storage cabinet for dishes, storage containers, glassware, bags, other latex cooking items, bowls, and more. Above the sink is my small spice rack, with additional spices down below above the pantry cabinet. Above that is a storage area with a sliding door that has cooking oils, sprays, hot sauces, and such, on one side, while the other has small glassware, stemless wine cups, salt/pepper, etc. Next to the sink there is a clever recessed dish drain area with a cover that is flush with the counter. I store all of our plates and large bowls there. Hanging above the counter storage area near the microwave is the all-purpose rope hammock which currently holds a couple of hard sausages, bananas, onions, avocados, limes, lemons, and garlic. Every cruising boat has a hanging food hammock.



Back to the Essentials list...
Although my galley essentials list has grown along with our boat, there are still some items that I find make my galley time more pleasurable. Keep in mind that cooking has never been my forté, but I'm learning to make the best of it, have some fun and keep the crew happy!

Right now, top of my list is the Instant Pot. It doesn't take much power and it's a huge time saver.

Here's the rest of the Essentials list:

-3-4 qt pot with separate steamer basket and lid
-Small and large sauté pans
-Latex 8x8 baking dish
-Latex measuring cups that collapse flat
-Collapsable large bowl
-Glass cutting board
-Set of sharp knives
-Set of colorful stainless cups (we got ours at Costco, made by Rabbit)
-Ice maker (also from Costco for just $70!) by Frigidaire
-Food Saver Vacuum Sealer w/extra bag rolls
-Glass storage containers with locking lids
-Large (4c) glass measuring cup
-Nesting mixing bowls, lightweight

Everyone has their favorite kitchen gear. I brought all kinds of gadgets that have been handy; such as a garlic press, small flat grater, various sized jar opener thingy (!), latex BBQ sauce brush, bag clips, chopsticks, wooden spoon and spatula, wooden bowl, large plastic bowl with snap on lid, veggie brush, reusable small storage bags, and mesh veggie bags. Your choices will depend on how much room you have for storage. It's always a challenge to get to that sweet spot of usefulness and storage capacity.

Easy Recipes Afloat
Garlic Broccoli with Pork Belly over Rice

Sometimes when cooking onboard, you have to figure out how to combine ingredients that need to get used. In this case, I had fresh broccoli and pork belly from Trader Joe's. I love garlic broccoli with teriyaki sauce, so I improvised, something I don't usually do. I am not a cook!
Here it is: serves 2, prep time < 20 min

Ingredients:
1 crown of broccoli, cut into florets. I used some of the stalk after trimming the skin.
1 box Trader Joe's cooked pork belly
1 bag Uncle Ben's Boil-in-bag Jasmine rice.
2 gloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup Soy Vay (or any sesame teriyaki sauce

Directions:
First, mince up your garlic with a knife or garlic mincer.
Next, slice the pork belly into 1/4" slices and pan-fry until golden brown and crispy.
Next, chop up your broccoli into florets. I steamed the broccoli until just slightly cooked and set it aside. I only have 2 burners on our propane stove!
After the broccoli has steamed, remove to another container (or keep in a steamer) and add more water to the pot for the rice bag and bring to a boil.
Once the pork belly is done, remove to a paper towel to soak up some of the fat. (I poured off almost a 1/2 c of fat into a recycled container). Let cool before cutting into bite-sized pieces. Leave some fat in the pan.
When water is boiling, add rice bag and cook for about 10 min.
Add garlic to pork fat and sauté for a minute before adding florets. Add a couple of tablespoons of Teriyaki sauce and stir fry for a couple of minutes before adding pork. Toss in rice and stir to combine.
Delish!