At Sea
The pace of life on the boat is easing into the relaxed pattern of life at sea. Sunbathers were out and the pool saw more business than it had till this point. Conversation has turned towards the most important events of the day: meals. We have been having a number of very interesting presentations as the roster of speakers has continued to keep the crowd fascinated.
Jim Kelley spoke about coastal upwellings, a focal point of his professional work. As we sailed further south past Senegal he reminded us that we were amidst the most productive fishing ground on the planet. A truly remarkable amount of fish is produced in such a tiny area and the cause of such high marine life populations is a complex interaction of global forces.
Hugh Downs wowed the crowd again with his wit and insight into a pressing issue of our times. He spoke to the separation of science and common understanding and the polarization of convictions versus opinions. He is really a remarkable thinker.
The lounge area was busy all day with presentations and demonstrations as I hosted another cooking session (see photo). This time we focused on teaching folks how to use ingredients to add new dimensions to their cooking. It seems a welcome lesson as a recipe may only be useful once, but an introduction to new products can really help to change the way that we eat. We talked about how to make meals more nutritious by making vegetables the star of the plate and relegating protein to a supporting role. A couple of the ingredients that we used were sherry vinegar, citrus, different herbs, and one of my favorites, smoked paprika. In addition we learned about techniques that are useful in a kitchen such as how to cut an onion into fine dice. I also talked about how to cut onions next to a gas burner so that the convection of the air pulls the airborne acids of the onion into the fire and away from the eyes.
All in all it was a fun and relaxing day. Everyone seems excited for the five days ahead. Attached you will find a few of the recipes that we have prepared. Bon appetit!
Recipe: Mackerel en Escabeche
Ingredients: 4 mackerel filets, 5 oz ea 12 oz evoo 1 T coriander seeds 4 cloves garlic, sliced very thin 2 small yellow onion, sliced very thin 2 small carrots, sliced very thin zest of 2 lemons in large strips zest of 2 oranges in large strips 1 T smoked Spanish paprika 2 sprigs rosemary 1 T sherry vinegar 2 oz white wine
thick sliced country bread 6 fresh mint leaves
Method: For the mackerel: Prepare a brine for the fish of 2 T salt, 1/2 T sugar and 1 cup water. Mix to dissolve salt and sugar and pour over fish in a container just large enough to hold the filets. Let sit in brine for 15 minutes then remove from brine and pat dry with a towel.
For the escabeche marinade: Heat olive oil in a sauce pan with garlic slices until the garlic is golden brown. Add the onions, carrots, zest, paprika, and coriander. Cook for approximately two minutes until the onions are just softened. Add the mackerel fillets, white wine, and sherry vinegar and bring back to a simmer. Pour escabeche into a high sided serving dish and let cool to room temperature. Tear fresh mint leaves over the dish, and serve with grilled bread and sea salt.
The pace of life on the boat is easing into the relaxed pattern of life at sea. Sunbathers were out and the pool saw more business than it had till this point. Conversation has turned towards the most important events of the day: meals. We have been having a number of very interesting presentations as the roster of speakers has continued to keep the crowd fascinated.
Jim Kelley spoke about coastal upwellings, a focal point of his professional work. As we sailed further south past Senegal he reminded us that we were amidst the most productive fishing ground on the planet. A truly remarkable amount of fish is produced in such a tiny area and the cause of such high marine life populations is a complex interaction of global forces.
Hugh Downs wowed the crowd again with his wit and insight into a pressing issue of our times. He spoke to the separation of science and common understanding and the polarization of convictions versus opinions. He is really a remarkable thinker.
The lounge area was busy all day with presentations and demonstrations as I hosted another cooking session (see photo). This time we focused on teaching folks how to use ingredients to add new dimensions to their cooking. It seems a welcome lesson as a recipe may only be useful once, but an introduction to new products can really help to change the way that we eat. We talked about how to make meals more nutritious by making vegetables the star of the plate and relegating protein to a supporting role. A couple of the ingredients that we used were sherry vinegar, citrus, different herbs, and one of my favorites, smoked paprika. In addition we learned about techniques that are useful in a kitchen such as how to cut an onion into fine dice. I also talked about how to cut onions next to a gas burner so that the convection of the air pulls the airborne acids of the onion into the fire and away from the eyes.
All in all it was a fun and relaxing day. Everyone seems excited for the five days ahead. Attached you will find a few of the recipes that we have prepared. Bon appetit!
Recipe: Mackerel en Escabeche
Ingredients: 4 mackerel filets, 5 oz ea 12 oz evoo 1 T coriander seeds 4 cloves garlic, sliced very thin 2 small yellow onion, sliced very thin 2 small carrots, sliced very thin zest of 2 lemons in large strips zest of 2 oranges in large strips 1 T smoked Spanish paprika 2 sprigs rosemary 1 T sherry vinegar 2 oz white wine
thick sliced country bread 6 fresh mint leaves
Method: For the mackerel: Prepare a brine for the fish of 2 T salt, 1/2 T sugar and 1 cup water. Mix to dissolve salt and sugar and pour over fish in a container just large enough to hold the filets. Let sit in brine for 15 minutes then remove from brine and pat dry with a towel.
For the escabeche marinade: Heat olive oil in a sauce pan with garlic slices until the garlic is golden brown. Add the onions, carrots, zest, paprika, and coriander. Cook for approximately two minutes until the onions are just softened. Add the mackerel fillets, white wine, and sherry vinegar and bring back to a simmer. Pour escabeche into a high sided serving dish and let cool to room temperature. Tear fresh mint leaves over the dish, and serve with grilled bread and sea salt.
