From the Galley - Spicing it Up

I've been asked what spices and herbs I keep in my galley and it's an interesting question because it depends where we are. I like to try new spices/herbs when I can. Most of the time though, this is one area where some would consider (and I readily admit) I'm overdoing it. I have a small spice rack for my most used varieties and an entire locker dedicated to spices aboard … and truth be told, there's some overflow into an aft cabin drawer.

There are the basics … oregano, basil, salt/pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg ... parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme … all the regular stuff. But then I find a new recipe I'd like to try or remember an old recipe that calls for something we don't have and I'm off to buy it if I can. That's why there's a healthy supply of cardamom, fennel, caraway and chipotle pepper et al in the aft spice drawer. That's where the food coloring and colored sprinkles, aka “hundreds and thousands” in Australia, are kept, too … and the pickled ginger, wasabe, hot mustard, yeast. It's chock-a-block full.

Most of the herbs are dry. In my defense, I can't always run out to the store and get fresh and besides, fresh doesn't last for long anyway. I suppose I could grow my own herbs aboard … many sailors do. I'm just not green thumb material, plus lashing everything down when we sail seems an onerous task when there's so much else to do before a passage or a storm. Visions of overturned pots and potting soil on my galley sole mixed with salt water come to mind. Mud pies at sea. Quite honestly, the only thing we grow on the boat while sailing is a potato sprout or two.

If I can't find them, they're too expensive or I use them in volume, I mix up my own combination spices like Italian Seasoning Blend or Chinese Five Spice or Taco Seasonings. You need several spices/herbs to do this, so I try to keep those spices stocked. Indian food … well, you need curry and turmeric, garam masala, and coriander and cumin. In Grenada, there was a serious spice market where we bought fresh nutmeg and mace (and a mortar and pestle which I never use).

What about Mexican spices? There's cumin and chili pepper and cilantro and crushed red pepper. Many of the international cuisine spice requirements overlap, but sometime they don't and when I'm looking for just the right flavor, well, then I buy something new if I don't already have it. If we happen to be at a fresh market, it's easy to buy some of the local spices to try and perhaps pick up some new ideas of how to use them.

There are some herbs like bay leaves, for instance, that are not only good for putting in the soup pot, they're good for putting into food lockers and canisters to keep unwanted critters away. I usually have a good supply of bay leaves aboard.

The biggest issues with having so many aboard is that heat, humidity and age wear them down. I'll use a little fenugreek in November and don't use it again till the next November. It's probably lost its potency and flavor by then. Do I run out and replace it? Probably not … it'll sit in the locker till I need it again and then I'll complain that it's not very good.

As far as having so many … hmmm … it's like having extra hose clamps or screws of every size … you never know when you might need them. And yes, that is Vegemite sitting in the spice locker. Hard to believe, we still have some left.

Here's my favorite, easy recipe for Italian Seasoning Blend:

Italian Seasoning blend

Recipe Type: spice

Cuisine: Italian

Author: Marcie Connelly Lynn

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp each of dried: basil, marjoram, oregano, parsley
• 2 Tbsp each of dried: thyme, rosemary
• 1 Tbsp: garlic powder

Instructions

1. Grind together and mix using the back of a spoon. Place in tightly sealed jar/container to store. Good for about six months.

3.2.1310

ANZAC Day 2014

“Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives … You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us. Where they lie side by side now here in this country of ours … You mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away the tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace after having lost their lives on this land. They have become our sons as well.”

Turkish President and Gallipoli veteran, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1934)

Part of experiencing the cultural aspect of our cruising life is to help celebrate holidays unique to countries we visit. We first heard of ANZAC Day when we visited Pitcairn Island way back in 2009. We didn't fully understand the meaning of the day, but did sample some special cookies that were associated with the holiday. It wasn't until we were in New Zealand that we realized the significance of the holiday. Now, we are here in Australia and it's April 25^th, ANZAC Day again.

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, known nowadays as ANZACs, joined the British allied forces in Europe to fight in WWI. They boarded ships here in Albany and landed at Gallipoli, gateway to the Ottoman Empire with the objective of capturing the capital city of Constantinople and providing access to the Black Sea for the Allied navies. They arrived in Gallipoli on April 25^th, met heavy resistance and suffered major casualties in their 8-month long, unsuccessful campaign. During the 1920s, ANZAC Day became established as a National Day of Commemoration for the 60,000 Australians and 18,000 New Zealanders who died during the war. At almost 65%, the Australian casualty rate (proportionate to total embarkations) was among the highest of the war. Subsequently, the day has come to be a national day of remembrance to commemorate all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and suffering of all those who have served." It is very similar to Memorial Day or Veteran's Day in the USA and the associated ceremonies are just as moving.

Albany, in particular, is commemorating this ANZAC Day in a big way. Troop ships departed from Albany back in November 1914 and for many men, this city was the last place in Australia that they saw. There's a prominent memorial at the Albany Anzac Peace Park downtown and several centenary commemorations are taking place here on ANZAC Day this year.

As we drove up the road to Mount Clarence, we felt a rise of emotion as we passed by the grove of trees that line each side of the road. A small plaque stands beside each tree, a memorial to a solder who had fallen in military service.

At the car park at the top of the hill, we noted fencing at the entrance to the stairs leading up to an iconic memorial. We politely ignored the “keep out” signs, skirted around the fence and proceeded up the steep, stairway. (Yes, we are scoff-laws … no need to point it out!). We did so with the intent of seeing the ANZAC Desert Mounted Corps Memorial situated on the very top of the mount. We were told that the striking statue represented a mounted Australian soldier assisting a New Zealand soldier whose mount had been injured. A bit of further research indicated this might not be the case. It is, instead, an Australian and a New Zealander dismounting to enter battle on foot. The purportedly “wounded” horse is actually Bess, the only New Zealand horse to return home after the war. Interestingly, the original statue stood in Port Said, Egypt and was destroyed. This statue is a copy of the original and a second copy stands in Australia's capital city, Canberra.

Anzac biscuits (we call them cookies) have long been associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps of WWI. Some claim the biscuits were sent by wives and mothers to soldiers abroad and because the ingredients did not spoil easily, the biscuits kept well during naval transportation. Though they're available commercially on supermarket shelves today, I plan to bake some in honor of ANZAC Day.

Here's the recipe … and man, are they ever good!

ANZAC Biscuits

Recipe Type: Cookie

Cuisine: Australian

Author: Marcie Connelly Lynn

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups rolled oats ¾ cup (175 gr) butter or margarine
• 1 ½ cups flour 3 Tbsp golden syrup
• 1 ¼ cups sugar 3 Tbsp boiling water
• 1 cup shredded coconut 2 tsp bicarb/baking soda

Instructions

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Melt butter and syrup* together.
3. Mix boiling water and soda.
4. Blend into butter mixture and pour over dry ingredients.
5. Mix well.
6. Place rounded teaspoonfuls on lightly greased trays/cookie sheets. Allow room to spread.
7. Bake in a slow 300F / 150C deg) oven for 15-20 mins. Watch them … they burn easily.
8. Loosen while warm and leave on trays for 5 mins, then transfer to wire rack.
9. Makes 2 trays of 16 biscuits.

Notes

Golden syrup is not readily available in the USA. The following seem to be reasonable substitutions … honey, maple syrup, molasses or a a mix of ½ dark corn syrup and ½ brown sugar.[br][br]Thanks Catherine, Kay and Pauline for providing ANZAC biscuit recipes to share.

3.2.1290

Passage Salad

Before we take off for a passage, especially if it's our first one after a long time away from sailing, I usually make a passage soup. It allows us to have a prepared meal all ready to eat without my having to spend much time below in the galley.  

It's been so hot in Adelaide lately, the last thing I wanted to make or eat was hot soup. Instead, I made a Passage Salad in advance this time. I cooked extra rice and chicken for dinner the last night and used it as the start for a Nine of Cups favorite, Rice Salad. An old friend, Joanne on Rusty Bucket, turned me onto this salad way back in the Caribbean and we've been enjoying (and modifying) it ever since. We had it for lunch for the last couple of days and though we were feeling absolutely fine on the calm Gulf of St. Vincent waters, it was still nice to have the meal ready and not have to prepare anything.

The best thing about this salad is its versatility. You can use it as a side or a main. It can be totally vegetarian or even vegan for that matter. You can add, eliminate and substitute to your heart's content and it still turns out tasting gourmet.

Here's the basic salad with some options to try …

Passage Salad

Recipe Type: Salad

Author: Marcie Connelly Lynn

Ingredients

• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2 cups cooked rice, cooled (white rice, brown rice, your favorite kind of rice)
• ½ c kalamata olives
• ½ onion, chopped fine
• ½ green/red pepper chopped
• 1 ripe tomato, chopped
• 2 chicken breast halves, cooked, cooled and cubed
• 1 tbsp capers
• ½ c feta cheese, crumbled
• ½ c balsamic vinaigrette, Italian or Greek salad dressing (add more or less to taste)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients. Chill and serve.

Notes

I rarely have all the ingredients listed above, so I substitute or modify as I go along with pitted green or ripe olives, black beans, white beans or chick peas, drained chopped raw carrots, green onions, celery, canned peas, drained cooked tuna chunks, ham chunks, turkey chunks in place of chicken, pine nuts or sunflower seeds.

3.2.1275