Culinary Competition

Another way to be involved during the Boat Show is to compete in the culinary competition.  This year this year there were three categories - Starter, Entree, Dessert - and about twenty chefs from boats ranging from 112ft. motor yachts & 76 ft sailing yachts with dedicated chefs to 45ft charter boats with chefs like myself who play hostess, chef, deck, mate, etc.  The fun of the competition is to have the top restaurant chefs in the area tasting and grading your work against their own very high standards.

The last few minutes of prep.  You can't tell in the picture how badly my hands are shaking. 

Mini Hibiscus Mofongo & Saltfish Croquette
(First Place)

Braised Oxtail + Wahoo Parcel w. Local Spinach & Harvest Risotto Cake
(Second Place)

Banana Colada Ebelskivers w. Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
(Second Place)

The judges & professional photographers.

Delicious Caribbean Cobb Salad

Chef Tara's latest creation: Featuring grilled jerk shrimp, local organic tomato, avocado, pineapple, shaved carrot, bell pepper, over a bed of mixed greens, with a mild balsamic vinaigrette.

Ceviche

I love Tara's presentation of her local red snapper ceviche in a cabbage leaf topped with lime wedges and a sprinkle of Chardonnay-smoked sea-salt.

Step by Step Sous Vide

This post has been on the back burner for awhile (pun intended, hehe). I invested some of last season's earnings into a home Sous Vide machine with high hopes that it will simplify my job this season. Less time in the galley and less stress about meal timing will be a welcome relief. I have been playing with cooking different foods, and it's usually as we are sitting down to eat that I say, "Shoot! I forgot to take pics... again!" This time I remembered.

Step 1: Thaw and season meat as you wish. The only hard part is not using olive oil in the seasoning, because of the long and low cook times it can turn a bit metalic tasting. Other fats I've been using are butter and rendered lard.

Step 2: Bag it up. The picture of the food in the bag did not make the blog because I managed to smear all the seasoning all over the bag and mysef. This is harder than you'd think!

Step 3: Vacuum seal. I've been known to use ziplocks and suck all the air out with a straw to seal meats before I freeze them (yeah for small fridges). I've move up in the world with my new electric vacuum sealer.

Step 4: Sous Vide. For anyone not familiar, sous vide is french for "under vacuum" because you vacuum seal everything before you cook it. It is a process of cooking that brings food to a specified temperature by submerging it in a precisely temperature controlled water bath. (more info here) This meat was in the water bath for 2 hours.

Step 5: Finishing the meat. Yes, this meat is cooked and safe to eat. No, it does not have the crisp outer crush most humans are accustomed to seeing on their cooked meats. Quick fix is the torch I borrowed from the tool locker. My little brulee torch was no match for a rack of lamb. I can also finish the meat with 10 minutes in the oven, or a quick sear on the stove or the grill.

Step 6: Cut. Yummmmm...


Step 7: Plate.

Final Touches

I don't think that there are such things as "final touches" on a boat. No maintinance or polishing is ever final on a yacht this size. BUT she is really coming together. Sasha spent about an hour on the mast connecting the spreader speakers and adjusting the deck lights. He decided to leave this project for the evening when the sun was not blazing down. The one thing we did not take into consideration was the ferry schedule. Sasha was hanging onto the mast with his toes because he was swaying so much from the evening rush hour ferries and water taxies. Frustrating? Yes.

I've been testing a lot of the galley equipment. There is a learning curve to every stove, oven, and counter configuration. We had Kris and Lizanne over for a "thank you for helping us straighten out the boat" dinner. As we sat down Lizanne commented that it looked like a small bomb had gone off the the galley!! I told her to cut me some slack as that was the first real meal I had cooked in my new space. We both had a good laugh while doing dishes.

Above I am making a balsamic reduction in preparation for our upcoming charter. This season I'm really focusing on plating and general meal presentation. Bring on the garnishing youtubes!

Mud Pies

My old Kitchen Aid has hung in there through a few adventures but she has developed a clunk. This summer she was stowed in a friend's warehouse that flooded during one of the many storms. The bottom Tupperware in our tower of stuff has wheels (and therefore holes) in the bottom, it was full of scuba gear and my mixer. Fortunately, the motor is located in the top and the water doesn't seem to have crept up that high (judging by the mud left behind). But somehow, the water seems to have been salty so there was a good amount of corrosion developing on the bowl, arms, and motor. As Sasha and I left the warehouse our friend Rodger asked if we were making Mud Pies. We got her back to the boat and cleanen her up- she is still running but clunks a bit at low speed.

Continuing Education - Yum

Huge thanks to our local wholesale meat provider "Supa Valu" for providing a very educational steak seminar today. Supa Valu put together a fantastic panel of experts in the Certified Angus Beef export business to better educate a select group of foodie professionals in the area. I was joined by the executive chefs from Peter Is, Cooper Is, Scrub Is, Brandywine Bay, the BVI Culinary Team, and other serious local chefs to learn about all that Certified Angus Beef has to offer.

Below you see our 40 yr. veteran master butcher from Florida trimming down Ribeye, Strip Loin, and Top Sirloin Butt sections. Loads of great tips on how to use lesser priced cuts of meat to achieve serious wow factor in a high class dinning room. The whole idea was to use less expensive cuts of meat, rather than lower quality meat to weather this economic recession.

The seminar ended in a steak lunch for all! What else would you do with all the demonstration steak??

Breakfast In Bed

After a long week and a half in the desert, what more could a boy want than breakfast in bed? Just out of the oven Banana/Pistachio bread, farm fresh peaches and berries with whipped cream and coffee. Sasha has me well trained.

Creative Cooking for 1

When you are living thirty minutes from a grocery store and only have to cook for 1, food gets . . . creative!

I had some leftover black bean mush from making burgers the other night so I threw it in a pan and made a hash. I topped that with a couple bits of leftover bacon, two farm-fresh friend eggs over easy, a couple slices of local tomato and avocado still sitting around from sandwich making, and a handful of oyster mushrooms sauteed in sesame oil.

For dinner I sliced up one local yellow squash and sauteed it with a dash of Lawry's. Bundled some asparagus and steamed it with lemon pepper, and threw some leftover grilled pork tenderloin medallions in a sauce pan with a mix of (real) maple syrup and dijon mustard until it was heated through and the sauce thickened. I was really impressed with the presentation. Not to mention the flavors.

For those times when you run out of leftovers, but are not yet brave enough to make the trip all the way into the store. I am officially obsessed with Tazo Organic Chai tea. It is prefect.

RibberFest

Down in Madison, IN they have the annual RibberFest each summer. There is a professional and amature BBQ cook off. Chefs cook everything from poultry to pig and there is even a game category. We enjoyed some award winning dinner while listening to live blues musicians.

Once the sun was down they also have a balloon glow on the banks of the Ohio River. This is to build excitement for the big balloon race the following day.

Sasha wanders through the vendor stalls sampling their goods.

Miss Piggy has some good looking BBQ pork chops.

First Adventure with Baby Food

I've only read the reviews on the Beaba Babycook and now that I've finally had a chance to use one I approve! My sister has a little boy who is almost 6 months old. She and her husband are just starting to introduce real foods to his diet and they want to do it right. Megan and I spent an afternoon whipping up some healthy (freezable) options.

We used a brownie bite pan to make individual portions of broccoli, green beans, and melon. The most fantastic part of this home-made food is that each type took about fifteen minutes to prepare and everything tastes like it should!

Gardening on LI

San Sebastian, Spain

During our five hour drive this morning we watching the landscape slide from the hectic city of Barcelona, to the rocky Rioja vineyards surrounding Navarra, through the mountains and into the lush San Sebastian. Today was rainy on and off and. . . cold! We were in jeans and jackets all day!

Sasha and I walked thought the park overlooking the harbor.

FYI all of the above are strictly forbidden in this harbor. hummm...

Small but ride-able surf today-- if you brought your wetsuit. Air temp is 14*c and water is colder.

Hump. Oops.

Watched three great street acts- this one was two acrobats! So much talent.

Dinner of pintxos and wine. I LOVE the food culture in this town! You grab a plate and pile on the little finger foods. At the end of your feasting, the bartender has magically kept track of what you ate and the price is often very reasonable. (notice the iberian hams hanging behind the bar, they are my new favorite food)