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 When Mel joined us aboard Mahina Tiare for the Lisbon to Madeira passage we all took an instant liking to his friendly, entertaining and outgoing personality. Mel lives is Buenos Aires, Argentina and travels internationally for work. Although his first love is sailing, closely followed by fishing, I soon discovered he had exuberant passion for food and cooking.
On night watches with Mel I’d reminisce about the delights I’d experienced in South America such as my first taste of dulce de leche. A brown jar was amongst the groceries upon our arrival at the crew house in Uruguay, during the round the world race. Jeni pounced upon it with a squeal of delight and smartly consumed a spoonful with a huge grin. The jar was passed around the crew and when I scraped the thick substance from the spoon between my teeth I too was instantly hooked on this sweet caramel. We demolished the entire jar it was that “delicioso”.
“Ah” replied Mel, “That may be so, but you have never tasted my homemade dulce de leche. I’ll send you the recipe and perhaps a few more......to remind you of South America!”
Mel was true to his word and I was soon flooded with recipes. Some like “Rabbit Paella” and “Squid with Chocolate Sauce” are a little too obscure to include here but I’ll certainly be making the following recipes, whilst also playing my tango tunes. I had once heard that tango is not about steps, it’s about the connection of the heart and the mind. I think Mel does the tango of life. Muchas gracias Mel for the recipes and tango lesson!
Dulce de Leche
Dulce de Leche is an essential Argentinean and Uruguayan delicacy and if it were ever to suddenly disappear suddenly so would ¾ of all Argentine desserts. I’ve recently heard it is now also popular in the U.S, even as an ice cream flavor. Here is the recipe I make. An excellent dessert is to fill pancakes or crepes with it, in this case add some lemon juice to the crepe mixture.
4 cups whole milk
1½ cups sugar
1 or 2 vanilla sticks
1 teaspoon baking soda
In a tall heavy saucepan bring milk, sugar and vanilla to a boil. Lower heat to minimum and stir with a wooden spoon for 15 minutes. Add a pinch of baking soda; it will foam up for a moment. Keep stirring another 10 minutes, the mixture will begin to darken slightly. Add remaining baking soda and continue stirring until it darkens and thickens, about 45 minutes. Final color will be dark caramel (my preference) but it is just as good if is lighter. Thickness will be as jam, but only after it cools. Test as for syrup, put a drop on a plate and if it does not run it is ready. Cool by placing the pot on cold water and stirring for a few minutes to avoid it making a skin. Since it takes the same amount of time, if you like it you can triple the recipe next time!
 Saffron Sauce
Excellent with fish (use fish stock). I use more than a pinch of saffron as I like the taste, so if it is in thimble form, use 2 or even 3, and if in fiber form, the whole blister.
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1 tablespoons flour
1½ cups chicken or fish stock
saffron
2 tablespoons sour cream
Melt butter in saucepan, add shallots and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes. Slowly stir in flour and cook a couple of minutes. Add stock and cook 5 minutes whilst stirring in saffron, salt and pepper. Mix in sour cream and serve.
Pan Dulce Argentino
3 tablespoons fresh yeast
11/3 cups sugar
¼ cup water
6 tablespoons butter - melted
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon malt
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon cognac or sherry
4 cups flour - approx
pinch of salt
2 cups assort nuts and glazed fruit
Dissolve yeast in water with a little sugar. When activated set aside. Whisk together 3 eggs and next 7 ingredients. Mix flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Slowly add yeast and egg mix to form a light dough. It should not stick to hands or bowl, add flour as necessary. Cover with cloth and let double. Add the fruit, previously shaken in flour so it won’t sink to the bottom, and knead until incorporated. Form a ball and put in a tall paper mold. An 8 inch diameter base, should have an 8 inch total height. Paint top with 4th egg, and sprinkle with nuts. When volume has doubled put in hot oven, reduce heat and cook for about 60 minutes or until needle comes out clean.
Chimichurri
This fresh spicy herb sauce may also be made as hot as you like. Goes well with barbecued beef and sausages, such as in the Asado Argentino.
½ cup oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
10 garlic cloves
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon salt
4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons sweet paprika (or sharp paprika, to taste)
½ tablespoon cumin seeds
½ tablespoon ground pepper
hot chili to taste
1 cup boiling water
Grind the garlic cloves and mix with other ingredients. Best to put all in a bottle and shake well. You can put a slit cork in the bottle to sprinkle it on the meats as they are cooking, as we do here. Or if used at the table, put chimichurri in a bowl and serve with a spoon.
 Red Peppers Stuffed with Corn
If baking is not convenient aboard ship, you can roast the peppers directly on a gas flame fire, cook the filling in a skillet then stuff the roasted peppers.
6 red peppers
3 ears of corn
1 onion - diced
1 tomato - diced
1/4 cup chopped almonds or pine nuts
salt and pepper
fresh basil - chopped
Remove corn grains from cob Sauté onion 2 minutes, add tomato, salt and pepper. Mix in almonds and basil, adding a little milk if too thick. Fill peppers with mixture, place in an oven dish with a little oil in the bottom. Bake at medium heat until peppers are tender, about 25 minutes
Chestnut Puree
Goes well with pork or turkey, as well as wild meats.
1¼ lbs chestnuts - unpeeled
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
pinch of salt
½ cup milk
½ cup cream
Roast chestnuts by first making a crosscut in the base of the outer skin and putting them in a pre warmed 450F oven for 15 minutes. The outer skin will open, and while warm, take out the chestnut. Or boil chestnuts in water for 20 minutes until fork tender, then peel. Combine all ingredients and mash well, adding milk as necessary.
Condensed Milk Flan
2 cans condensed milk
whole milk - same amount of as condensed milk
4 eggs
lemon or orange zest - or both
few drops vanilla extract.
grated coconut - to taste
Mix everything together. Burn some sugar on the bottom of pan and spread around the sides. Add mixture to pan and place in large shallow baking pan filled with 1 inch of hot water. Bake until sets, about 50 minutes. Easy and VERY GOOD!
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After a 3 day sail from Lisbon we arrived at the island of Madeira. It’s was my third visit to “the pearl of the Atlantic” and as always I fell under its charms: magnificent scenery, mild climate, serene ambience, colorful folklore and last but not least - the most seducing gastronomy.
The capital Funchal was in the midst of its 500th anniversary with the Madeira wine festival in full swing. That evening the main boulevard and plaza was packed with friendly locals and it was great to join in the celebration. Free wine tasting, displays of grape stomping by handsome lads including sampling their efforts, folk dancing and modern performances relating to wine continued until midnight when impressive fireworks showered the city. It’s impossible not to depart the island without a bottle of Madeira wine so I’ll share with you its history and a few recipes.
Though Prince Henry the Navigator was less than 30 years old when he commenced his school of navigation in Portugal, he was a significant factor in the settlement of Madeira. Being somewhat a scientist he ordered his explorers to bring back exotic fruits, nuts and plants from the new lands. In 1420, he sent settlers to colonize the newly discovered Madeira with plants he believed would thrive in the volcanic soil and subtropical climate, including grapevines from Crete and sugar cane from Sicily. These especially bought economic and cultural development to the island, mainly in the form of wine.
To prevent the local Madeira wine from spoiling aboard ships heading to the New World or East Indies neutral grape spirits were added. The long sea voyages exposed the wine to excessive heat and movement transforming the flavor, as the wine producers discovered when an unsold shipment returned. Madeira wine soon became the islands famous calling card, although it was the English that made Madeira renowned in Europe and America.
In 1662 Charles II of England demanded ownership of the island as part of an agreement to marry Catarina de Braganca. Madeira wine became the only wine exported to the American colonies and solely on English vessels; a privilege that attracted many English to the island such as Leacook and Blandy, who is still a prominent Madeira wine producer. Thomas Jefferson toasted American independence with Madeira on the 4th of July 1776 and Shakespeare’s Falstaff traded his soul for a glass of it. In 1800, around 9 million bottles of Madeira were exported and the English were in Madeira to stay.
Today, Madeira’s unique winemaking process involves heating the wine to high temperatures and deliberately exposing it to oxidation thus resulting in a robust long lived wine.
Filet Mignon with Mushrooms and Madeira
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
12oz mushrooms - sliced
½ cup minced shallots
4 garlic cloves – minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
4 5oz filet mignon steaks
½ cup Madeira
1½ cups beef broth
½ cup whipping cream
salt and pepper for seasoning
Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon oil in skillet. Add mushrooms and sauté 10 minutes. Add ¼ cup shallots and half of garlic, sauté 3 minutes. Stir in thyme and season. Transfer mushrooms to bowl. Melt remaining butter with oil in same skillet. Season steaks, add to skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to plate. Add remaining shallots and garlic to same skillet, sauté 2 minutes. Add Madeira and boil until reduced by half, 3 minutes. Add broth and boil until reduced to 2/3 cup, 6 minutes. Add cream and simmer 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and season. Return steaks and cook until heated through, 1 minute. Place on plates and spoon sauce over.
Pasta with Chard, Currants and Madeira
1lb orecchiette pasta or similar
¾ cup Madeira
¼ cup water
1/3 cup currants or raisins
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion - diced
2 cloves garlic - finely chopped
2 bunches Swiss chard - stemmed and thinly sliced
¾ cup chicken broth
salt and fresh ground pepper
Parmesan to garnish
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring Madeira and water to a boil. Remove from the heat, add currants, cover and set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add onion and cook until soft and golden, 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Return skillet to medium heat, add remaining oil and garlic, stirring until garlic softens. Remove and discard garlic. Add half the chard and cook, until wilted, 5 minutes. Transfer to onions; repeat with remaining chard. Drain pasta and return it to the pot. Add currants, chard and broth. Toss gently and season. Drizzle with a splash of Madeira and top with Parmesan. Serve immediately.
Madeira Cake
The name for this subtle lemon cake, which is also of my “Kiwi” favorites, comes from the fact that starting in the nineteenth century in Victoria England, this cake was served at mid-morning with Madeira wine. Some cooks also sprinkle the baked cake with Madeira before it cools.
6oz butter - room temperature
6oz caster sugar
3 large eggs
9oz self-raising flour
3 tablespoons milk
1 lemon - zest only
2 pieces of candied lemon peel
Pre-heat oven to 350F. Grease a 7in round cake pan, line base with greaseproof paper and grease the paper. Cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, adding a tablespoon of flour with the last egg to prevent mixture curdling. Sift flour and gently fold in, with enough milk, to give a mixture that falls slowly from the spoon. Fold in lemon zest. Bake 30 minutes on middle oven shelf. Place candied peel on top of cake and bake 30 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes before turning out.
Madeira Ginger Cake
This heavenly spice cake is often served on the pastry cart at infamous Reid's Hotel in Funchal.
4 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ lb, plus 3 tablespoons, unsalted butter - room temperature
2/3 cup shortening
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup light molasses or dark corn syrup
5 large eggs - separated
1/3 cup sweet Madeira
1 cup milk
Preheat oven 325F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Cream butter, shortening and sugar together until fluffy. Mix in molasses and cream, beat in eggs yolks, one at a time. Combine Madeira and milk. Add sifted dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with combined liquids, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Beat egg whites to soft peaks and gently fold into mixture. Bake 1¼ hours or until the cake beings to pull from the sides of pan and feels springy to the touch. Let cool 10 minutes before turning out. Serve plain or frosted with your favorite butter cream to which you can add 1 tablespoon of Madeira wine and 2 tablespoons of chopped preserved ginger.
Fresh Fruit in Madeira
2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
1 cup red-skinned pear - cubed
1 cup orange sections - chopped
½ cup pomegranate seeds
½ cup Madeira, or dry sherry
2 teaspoons powered sugar
2 bananas
Combine the first 4 fruits. Combine Madeira and sugar, and toss with fruit. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for up to 8 hours, stirring occasionally. Just before serving add sliced banana. Serves 8
“Let’s go to Lopez!” John announced one winters day.
“What do you mean?” I questioned.
“Oh, you know, check it out, have an adventure” he replied
Lopez is one of the neighboring island to our winter home on San Juan Island, a ferry stop on the Washington State Ferry from Anacortes, and where a creamery creates the best gourmet ice cream. Other than these facts the only extra information I knew was that it; A. it has summer bicycle tour, B. a past Mahina Expedition’s member may grow berries there, and C. John raves about a bakery he once visited when hauled out near the village.
I’m always up for an exploration so his idea sounded great. Finding accommodation mid-winter was not so great but we lucked out with Lopez Farm Cottages and Tent Camping. Although they offer “Gourmet Tent Camping in peaceful wooded setting” this girl was not quite up for winter camping all be it “Gourmet” Later I discovered it’s the only campground on Lopez with showers. Thankfully our splurge on one of their Northwest Scandinavian cottage, situated on the edge of a cedar grove beside a paddock of bouncing bunnies, was toasty and perfect. A welcoming basket of fruit, biscotti, chocolates plus exotic teas and coffee helped us settle in as we planned our first forage. Dinner!
In the last of the afternoon light we set out for Lopez Village located on the islands west side at the mouth of Fisherman Bay. As we parked on the waterfront outside The Bay Café we were greeted with darkness; no warm fuzzy restaurant lights or tables of chatty people. I gazed about I realized there were no glowing neon signs anywhere. A large building further down Lopez Rd appeared to have some activity and as we wandered in that direction the village definitely showed signs of in winter hibernation. Notices were posted on the storefront doors announcing return dates and although we were now well into the New Year Xmas sale stickers appear on many windowed items. Drifting into the Red Apple Market I discovered an impressively stocked grocery that would satisfy any galley provisioning and after grabbing a few tide-us-over supplies it was definitely time for dinner.
Open year-round for breakfast, lunch and dinner The Galley further south on Fisherman Bay boasts a dock and free mooring buoys along with being the island’s favorite place to socialize, eat and be refreshed all whilst listening to local live entertainment. Their creative two page daily specials menu highlights the islands produce from organic greens to grass-fed beef and makes for a tough decision process. I opted for the smoked seafood platter as I couldn’t resist the in-house apple cider marinated apple wood smoked mussels along with the roasted red pepper cream cheese, and that’s just two of the five items served. John delighted in Loraine’s baked sockeye salmon with a soy and whiskey marinade and it was truly delicious. The following two recipes are in inspired from The Galley.
Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Cream Cheese Spread
6 oz cream cheese
1 red bell pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 cloves of garlic
sea salt and black pepper
Heat cream cheese in microwave until soft. Brush red pepper with olive oil. Roast red pepper and unpeeled garlic under broiler until red pepper is mostly black. Place red pepper and garlic into a plastic bag until cooled. Peel garlic and skin from red pepper. Chop red pepper and garlic, combine with cream cheese. Season to taste.
Whiskey Salmon
4 salmon steaks
½ cup brown sugar
4 tablespoon soy sauce
4 tablespoons whiskey
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 garlic cloves – crushed
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Mix all ingredients together. Marinate salmon for at least an hour. Grill on barbeque; baste with leftover sauce while cooking.
Over the next few days we enjoyed numerous hikes, wanders, runs and strolls about the island. In preparation for our day’s outings we stopped by the village numerous times to load up on goodies. Sadly the infamous Holly B’s Bakery was closed for the season but I highly recommend Holly’s cookbook and there’s even a few recipes on www.hollybsbakery.com. The girls behind the counters at both Vita’s Wildly Delicious and Vortex Juice Bar were always busily creating and a village visit wasn’t complete without a stop at Isabel’s Espresso.
Not wanting leave the island empty handed we stopped by Blossom Organic Grocery to double check the Lopez Food Producers bulletin board and load up with local produce. Our selection included fresh beetroot and parsnips, a bag of pepitas, and vacuum packed Jones family farm steaks with which I made the following.
Spicy Pepitas
Pepitas is the name for shelled green pumpkin seeds.
1 cup pepitas
1 teaspoon corn or peanut oil
1 teaspoon pure chili powder such as New Mexico or ancho
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
Combine ingredients and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Roast 375° until pepitas pop - 7 minutes.
Roasted Beetroot Salad
5 small beets
3 fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs
½ teaspoon coarse salt
drizzle of olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
4 cups shredded red cabbage
1 red onion – sliced
4 cups mixed salad greens
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup of spicy pepitas
salt and pepper
Line a baking sheet with foil. Place beets, herbs, salt and olive oil in center, toss beets to coat. Fold foil onto a loose-fitting sealed parcel around beets. Roast 1¼ hours at 400°.Let cool in foil then slice. For vinaigrette whisk together mustard, vinegar, and lemon juice. Slowly whisk in oil. Toss cabbage, onion and beets with ½ the vinaigrette. Just before serving add remaining ingredients and toss.
Chipotle Marinated Steak
This marinade with its terrific smoky chipotle kick is equally tasty with pork, chicken, fish or shimp.
4 steaks
juice of 4 limes
2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup olive oil
ground pepper and salt
Combine lime juice, chilies and sugar. Slowly whisk in olive oil and continue whisking for 4 minutes to form a frothy emulsion. Place steaks in a glass baking dish and cover with half the marinade, refrigerate for at least 2 hours along with remaining marinade. Remove steaks from marinade and season. Cook steaks on pre-heated grill for about 5 minutes each side. Serve with reserved marinade spooned over steaks.
On the ferry home I pulled out a number of leaflets I’d picked up at Blossoms. On glancing through the Lopez Island Farm Products Guide, to help visitors finding homegrown and homemade goods, I realized that on a chilly frosty morning run down Port Stanley Rd I’d passed our friend Eric Hall’s farm. Not wanting to pass up the opportunity of saying hello, I’ve just given him a ring. Eric, who’d sailed around Cape Horn with us, was out working on the farm though I got to chat with his wife Elf.
“Eric still mentions the Cape Horn expedition. He got a sailboat last year and it was the first summer he’s taken time away from Crowfoot Farm. It’s not berry or cherry season now but in summer if you kayak over or anchor in either Fisherman’s Bay or Spencer Spit State Park it’s an easy walk to the farm. We specialize in organic pick-your-own raspberries and strawberries from June through Labor Day, on Tuesdays and Fridays. You must come over to pick berries and try our yummy strawberry pie recipe”.
Crowfoot Farm’s Strawberry Pie
3 pints strawberries - sliced
Crust
½ cup butter
¼ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flour
Mix crust ingredient together and bake in 9in pie pan 350°12-15 minutes. Cool.
Glaze
1 pint strawberries – 1 cup total crushed
¾ cup water
½ cup sugar
2 ½ tablespoons corn starch
Boil glaze ingredients, stirring occasionally, until thick and clear, cool until warm. Layer the pie crust with glaze and sliced strawberries ending with glaze. Served chilled.
Jake Crump, Peter Hancock, Terrie, A&J, Nigel aboard Nada
We were having battery problems – they weren’t holding a charge. This wouldn’t be a problem if we could stay plugged into shore power. We (thankfully!) don’t have a generator on Mahina Tiare and generally charge our batteries with two large alternators off the engine. Unfortunately, the type of replacement batteries we needed, 8D Gel weren’t available here in Sweden. A few months ago John read about someone with the same problem which was solved by deeply discharging the batteries and then recharging them; thus restoring the capacity. We decided to give this a try and set about switching on every light appliance. By mid-morning the lights were rather dim and the voltage was down from 23 to 11 volts. Then who should pop by but Nigel Calder, author of Boatowner’s Electrical and Mechanical Handbook as well of a raft of other technical marine books and articles!
Nigel and his wife Terrie were commissioning Nada, their Malo 46, in the bay next to us and he’d come by to invite us to dinner. Nigel confirmed that deep discharging might restore the batteries but cautioned taking them below 8 volts as it may cause the batteries to reverse polarity thus ruining them. At 9 volts we shut down all the loads down and plugged in the battery charger from shore power. Nothing happened! So we started the engine to charge with the alternator. Still no charging! After a couple of minutes of troubleshooting I figured out we had to switch wires from the hi-tech voltage regulator to the basic system. Phew….now we could go to dinner on Nada and not bother Nigel with our battery troubles. I put together a salad and we dinghied over.
Terrie welcomed us aboard and introduced long time friends; Peter, who was in cocktail mode and Jake, who’d just emerged from the galley. Nigel popped up into the companionway inviting us below. I don’t know why I had stressed on our battery problem. Nada, recently launched out of the factory, was “the project boat”. Multi sized colored wires were spewing out of every orifice as if someone had grabbed the boats internal wiring system and given it a mighty squeeze. Nigel enthusiastically began showing us around shoving boxes, packaging, tools and stuff in different directions whilst talking some sort of new-tech language; “diesel-electric, nodes, multiplexing, hybrid, Capi2, permanent magnet” Thankfully just as my brain matter suffered critical overload Jake announced “Dinner’s ready”
Jake’s Chili con Carne
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion - sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 can tomatoes
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 can mild green chili peppers
1 green bell pepper – diced
1 yellow pepper - diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
dash cayenne pepper, or to taste
dash ground cloves
1 small bay leaf
2 cans red kidney - drained
salt
In a large skillet, sauté onion, and beef in oil. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili peppers, ½ the bell peppers and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Add beans and heat through. Serve on rice and garnish with remaining bell peppers.
Serves 6.
Over Jake’s scrummy chili con carne I deciphered the technical conversations to conclude that basically Nada has a standard diesel engine, and an electric motor driven by either a sophisticated generator or batteries to propel the boat, possibly new battery technology capable of accepting extremely high charge rates, and a “distributed power system” called Capi2. Terrie had been rather quiet all evening but every time Nigel mentioned Capi2 she’d roll her eyes. In essence most systems were not functioning. There was no promised electric motor yet and the “multiplexing” electrical system continuously started up and shut down gadgets throughout the boat including the galley appliances therefore causing way too much problem solving at the dock rather time out time out cruising.
During the next week we had a bow thruster installed in M.T. Between needed sessions with Nigel, to problem solve the thruster’s powering, and moves to lighten our forward stowage locker by passing on gear, including our treasured bicycles, to Nada we all reasoned that as MT was hauled out these gatherings best take place over dinner aboard Nada. Great! Nada proved far more interesting as to their day’s events, Jake and Terrie are great cooks, Peter is the dishwasher king and I’m a queen at bringing salads.
Earlier in the month Nigel had driven over to Nada, in Sweden, from England enabling him to not only load the car with boat equipment but also provisions. Now anyone outfitting a boat quickly finds themselves on a budget so Nigel in his wisdom provisioned with this in mind. At a super store he bought all the pork on special and at a cookie factory he purchased a gigantic box of broken cookies and crackers, then he reckoned a generous supply of rice and cabbage would fill in the hunger gaps. This did little to impress Nada’s cooks, who arrived a week later, so together we had a brainstorming session and assembled the following recipes. They created terrific dinners served with a Mahina Tiare salad and rounded off with broken Swedish crackers, tasty Shetland cheddar purchased on our last passage, and English stilton courtesy of Jake.
Cabbage Rolls
1 head green cabbage
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion - diced
2 cloves garlic – minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ lb ground pork
½ lb ground beef
1 egg – beaten
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 cups salsa
salt and pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add cored cabbage and simmer until leaves loosen. Immerse leaves in cold water then drain. Sauté onion in oil 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin and oregano, sauté 1 minute. In a bowl, combine pork, beef, onion, egg, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Prepare cabbage leaves by cutting out the lower central stem. Spread each leaf with a portion of filling and roll into an enclosed cylinder, overlapping small leaves if necessary. Place cabbage rolls in baking dish, folded side down, cover with salsa. Bake, covered, 1 hour at 350°. Serve with rice.
Sweet and Sour Pork
1½ lbs pork loin - sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 can pineapple chunks in juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 cups broccoli florets
1 onion - sliced
1 carrot - diced
1 red pepper diced
1 can baby corn
2 garlic cloves - crushed
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
salt and pepper
Drain juice from pineapple into a small bowl add soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch and vinegar. Stir-fry pork in half the oil until white. Add broccoli, onion, carrot, red pepper, corn, and pineapple, stir-fry 5 minutes. Transfer to plate. Heat remaining oil, add garlic and ginger, stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Stir in pineapple juice mixture. Add pork and vegetables mixture, stir-fry until liquid has thickened and meat is cooked through, 5 minutes. Serve over rice or noodles. Serves 6
Skillet Tomato, Cabbage and Pork
1lb ground beef or pork
1 onion – chopped
1 green pepper - chopped
½ head cabbage - chopped
1 cup raw rice
1 can tomatoes
6 oz can tomato paste
2 cups water
1 teaspoons salt
sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Brown beef in skillet. Add onion, green pepper, cabbage and rice. Stir in tomatoes and tomato paste, water and seasonings. Cover and simmer 25 minutes until rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Serves 4.
I’m happy to report that Nigel’s “Nada Project” has recently been awarded a 2.2 million euro grant by the European Union ‘Framework Program 7’ Perhaps this means no more “specials” dinning for Nada’s crew. To view Nigel’s Blog visit www.maloyachts.se – sorry, no recipes yet.
In the later months of last year we enjoyed island hopping through the Canary Islands in preparation for our Atlantic crossing. The Canaries, located 65 miles off of the west coast of northern Africa, enjoy a sub-tropical climate referred to as “eternal spring”. The seven main islands vary in size and terrain and contain four of Spain’s national parks plus tons of stunning beaches making them a popular tourist destination for Europeans.
The cuisine of Canaries is equally as intriguing and surprising as its landscapes. Traditional Spanish dishes rub shoulders with African and Latin-American influences giving way to recipes characterized by their simplicity and extensive use of local produce. Several of the islands have there own typical cheese-specialties, honeys, traditional cakes, deserts and wines. When I caught up with Katie Thomsen (October 2008 Galley) on the yacht Tenaya at a local 'Canarian Tipico' I delighted in this simple tapas followed by Tuna al Salmorejo.
Almogrote
Take a big piece of very ripened cheese, hard as a stone. Cut it into very small pieces and mash them or put them into the mixer. Mix it with peeled tomatoes without seeds, a few hot peppers, several garlic cloves and a little bit of oil. All this must be emulsified and achieve the texture of pâté. Serve spread on toasted bread.
Tuna al Salmorejo
Serve this rich spicy take on tuna as an appetizer, or as a main course with sautéed greens and wrinkled potatoes.
1½ lbs tuna steaks - cut into large steaks
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 dried ancho chilies
2 roasted red peppers - jarred is fine
6 garlic cloves - chopped
2 tablespoons thyme leaves
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
½ cup sherry or white wine
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
To make the salmorejo soak the ancho chiles until soft, 30 minutes to 2 hours. Remove stems and seeds and chop finely. Add ancho chilies to food processor, then garlic, red peppers, thyme, oregano, cumin, salt and paprika. Buzz at low speed to combine. Add sherry vinegar and sherry, buzz on high speed. The sauce should be thick but not paste-like. With food processor on, add half the olive oil in a slow stream. Salt tuna steaks well and set aside for 10 minutes. In a large, deep frying pan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté tuna well on one side, about 3 minutes. The steaks will release from the bottom of pan when they're ready; don't pry them off. When first side is seared, turn the tuna over and pour in sauce around fish; careful not to get any on the seared part -- you want it nice and crispy. Swirl the pan around and bring sauce to a boil. Cook 2 minutes then turn off heat. Let fish stand in the pan for 3-4 minutes then serve garnished with parsley.
When Katie and I compared our local dinning experiences we realized we were hooked on ´mojos´; a variety of cold sauces which are an indispensable component of many Canarian dishes. Made with several fresh mashed ingredients they all have the same basis: oil and vinegar. The better known mojos are picon or colorado (red), and green or coriander. Other common mojos are oregano and cumin, parsley, garlic, green pepper, cheese, roasted tomatoes, wine, and sweet mojo or ´salmorejo´.
Hot Red Mojo
6 garlic cloves – peeled
½ teaspoon cumin
dash of cooking salt.
´puta de la madre´ hot pepper (very hot) – to taste
1 cup olive oil
5 tablespoons water
Spanish sherry vinegar to taste
Mash together garlic, cumin and salt. Add hot pepper then mix in oil, water and sherry.
Green Mojo
6 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
1 bunch cilantro
1 cup virgin Spanish olive oil
5 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons Spanish sherry vinegar to taste
green hot pepper to taste
Process cumin, garlic, cilantro and salt in a blender to create a paste. While blending, drizzle in olive oil gradually. Add small amounts of water until the sauce is thick, but not as thick as a paste. Add vinegar or more to taste. Keep refrigerated in a sealed glass jar. Makes 1½ cups. Serve with potatoes, meat or fish.
Wrinkly Potatoes
Wrinkly Potatoes are the next best signature dish of the Canaries. They’re simple to make and are terrific dipped in a mojo.
4 servings of small potatoes
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
Place potatoes in a large pot, add water to just cover and add salt. Boil potatoes for 15-20 minutes until cooked. Remove from heat and pour off water. Return pot with potatoes to the stove, letting the steam evaporate. You should see a layer of salt form on the dry skins.
One of our intriguing Canarian dinning experiences was at the impressive volcanic Parque Nacional de Timanfaya on the island of Lanzarote. From 1730-1736 an eruption devastated 200 sq km claiming more than twenty villages and extensive farm land. Although the final eruption was in 1824 heat from the volcano still abounds and at the park’s El Diablo restaurant it was a blast to have adobo chicken grilled over the volcano vent.
Canarian Grilled Adobo Chicken
1 whole chicken – cut up
6 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon fresh oregano
¼ teaspoon fresh thyme
sea salt
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
pepper
Using a mortar and pestle, mash garlic and salt, then add paprika, oregano, thyme, and pepper. Add red wine vinegar and combine well. Coat chicken with marinade and refrigerate several hours. Grill chicken until done.
Lanzarote native Cesar Manrique undoubtedly shaped the islands architectural landscape. Inspired by the volcanic terrain he developed several striking natural sites that along with El Diablo include a water cave theatre, sculpted cactus garden, dramatic northern lookout and many exclusive homes. On a day out touring we decided, on the spur of the moment, to lunch at LagOmar; a hillside home designed by Manrique for Omar Sharif. Story goes that Omar Sharif lost his home in a poker game. These days LagOmar’s extensive pools, fountains and grottos serve as a bar and restaurant plus feature in numerous movies and magazine fashion shoots. Once we talked our way around the snooty waiter, as we did not have reservations, we enjoyed and exquisite lunch that finished with bienmesabe.
Bienmesabe
Throughout the Spanish-speaking world "bienmesabe" (tastes good to me) is given to a wide variety of dishes not just desserts, though in the Canaries they label this traditional almond cinnamon custard, of Arabic origins, bienmesabe….and so it is.
2¼ cups almonds – blanched and peeled
2 cups water
1½ cups sugar
zest of 1 lemon
cinnamon stick
8 egg yolks - beaten
4 wafers
Toast almonds on a baking sheet under a broiler until golden brown, 5 minutes. Process almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Ensure the food processor blade is sharp or the almonds will not be fine, but "chunky”. In a small pot heat water and sugar, once hot add zest and cinnamon. Keep stirring over medium heat until syrup forms – on lifting the spoon a thick stream should fall. Add almonds and simmer 20 minutes - experts say it is ready when the almonds start to "jump". Take mixture off heat, remove cinnamon stick. Continue stirring while slowly adding the egg yolks. Heat custard in a double-boiler until it turns a nice caramel color. Serve cold with homemade vanilla ice cream and wafers. Serves 6.
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