Cruise Food

[cuisto]

My wife and I plan a 9 day cruise this summer in the North Channel.
By trade I am a Chef. I tend to overdo the food thing and am looking for suggestions ( meal plans) based on little use of cooler space.
Any input would be appreciated.
Scott

[jackie m]

Zatarain's New Orleans style Jambalaya rice mix cooked up with beef sausage (or shrimp). Zatarain's has lots of flavors. You can buy packaged tuna, chicken, salmon, etc., (a foil-type bag that only requires ripping the top) and mix into the rice mixes. I've tried the albacore and it was very good. Far better than canned. Much of Zatarain's is, like New Orleans, spicey

There are lots of pre-cooked main dish foods that come in bags that can simply be heated by boiling or placed in a heavy duty freeze zip lock bag and placed in boiling water.

Pasta sauce in a jar (some with meat). Heat and serve over pasta.

A lot of food packaging has gotten very creative in the past few years. It's great for those of us who like to head off into remote areas for primitive camping for days where there is no electricity or water.

oh, yeah! I almost forgot. To satisfy the sweet tooth, you can find puddings (I like the chocolate) in plastic containers that taste just fine without being chilled. Same with fruit cups. Easy to store.

jackie m

[James V]

I am using "The One-Pan Galley Gourmet : Simple Cooking on Boats (Spiral-bound) by Don Jacobson" http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/007142 ... e&n=283155

Good and easy. Food for 2 people per meal. My 90qt 5 day cooler did well with lots of room left over.

[Richard O'Brien]

I haven't tried this yet to verify it onboard but it works in my fridge: this advice was on the old sailnet site for cruisers. wipe any cut ends of cheese or any other items which can mold. consider rinsing your zip-loc bags with vinegar water before filling them with the things you cn't fir in the cooler, and whose flavors are not adversely affected by vinegar

[midget]

Military MRE's require no cooler. They not only cook in their own pack, they come with condiments, crackers, desserts, etc.! Oh, and they're pretty good too Usually available at army/navy surplus stores.

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

Here is a food tip: Healthy Choice (brand) soup...and try the "fiesta chicken"....yum yumm Yummmey. Oh..dont forget a can opener.
40% less salt too, with bunches of veggies within...I like adding a little bit of Chili Powder, and chopped onion. Good Boat Stuff

[Chip Hindes]

By trade I am a Chef.

Sounds like you should be telling us what to take, rather than vice versa.

We've done all the above mentioned stuff for trips away from services up to six days. Stuff that needs to be refrigerated is a lot of trouble, so we don't try to take too much; what we do we use up the first few days, then switch to the dry and canned stuff. And despite how some insist on badmouting them, MRE's are incredibly handy and some of them aren't half bad.

It's somewhat tasty, nutritious, but it's certainly not gourmet.

We've often thought a great way to go would be catch it and cook it, but though we love seafood neither of us is a fisherman (fisherperson?). Anyhow, not to hijack the thread but suggestions in this area would be appreciated as well.

[Idle Time]

has anyone here used the nutrisystem diet? Sounds like it contains everything for each meal. Just wondering if it would work on a boat.

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

The old standby when doing a passage is the styrofoam cup with noodles.
Fill a thermos with hot water before departure and use it for the noodles, instant coffee, chicken bullion, etc.
I haven't tried the MRE's, because of the WW II vintage rats we had in 'Nam in '64 and '65, but I guess they are worth a try.
Anyone have a favorite MRE?

[baldbaby2000]

I don't remember the brand but my wife got a bunch of dried meals that tasted great when hot water was added. We even carry freezed dried ice cream that we got in the camping section at WalMart; we eat just like the astronauts!

[James V]

MRE's - Beef Stew and Chilli Mac. Make sure that it well heated.

IMHO- caned is better.

[jetta01]

NutriSystem would work as it only requires a Microwave or a pot of boiling water to cook most meals. The meals themselves are not an end-all solution though as you still have to add fruits, vegetables and dairy/protein to each meal in order to make it a completely balanced meal. They don't advertise that part on their comercials...

The meals do taste pretty darn good though!

[Idle Time]

Are most of the meals complete other than adding fruits & vegetables for a balanced diet?

[cuisto]

Sounds like you should be telling us what to take, rather than vice versa

hey Chip,
Imagine my embarasement!

When we go up to our trailer it's the same thing. We cook roast beef, turkey, chickens in a modified steel garbage can over a campfire..port demiglaze for the beef, garlic roasted baby potatoes whatever...on the boat no fridge i'm lost

Thanks for all the input, keep it coming.
I could live on the styro noodles if I had to but my wife?? MUTANY

[Moe]

Besides powdered milk, you might also consider Extended Shelf Life (ESL) aka Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) pasturized milk, which can be stored unrefrigerated for months until opened. That's all we had (besides camel and goat milk) in the Middle East.

An alternative to refrigerated butter is clarified butter, known as ghee and it doesn't require refrigeration even after opening.

We also carried olive oil for cooking.
--
Moe