Immersion Blender Makes Pumpkin Curry Soup Delicious

It is a snowy wintry day at my house and the kind of day that a bowl of hot, creamy soup would hit the spot. Pumpkin Curry Soup is also good for spring and fall days that have a chill in the air. It is quick and easy; the thick creamy consistency comes from evaporated milk (I use fat free) and a hand held immersion blender. If you have not used a blender like this before you should consider it for your home and galley because it is thin and good for multiple uses. I have one at home but was frustrated that I did not have one on the boat; my perceptive children solved that problem by giving me another as a gift!

PUMPKIN CURRY SOUP - a recipe from www.verybestbaking.com

2 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
3 c. chicken broth
1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk (I use fat-free)

MELT butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in curry powder, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute.

ADD broth and pumpkin, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk.

PUREE with immersion blender until soup is creamy, smooth and frothy. Serve warm.

Easy And Impressive Dessert

During our first season on the Chesapeake Bay we entertained a lot of friends and family on the boat. We wanted to be sure they not only had a great time but appreciated that we were equally serious about food on the boat as we are at home. At home I would normally serve a home baked dessert but I am reluctant to use the oven during the summer months because it heats up the cabin. Much to my surprise, the very simplest dessert that I could ever come up with was the biggest hit! Over and over again, people were WOWed when we served them fruit dipped in chocolate! How easy can that get?? It didn't matter whether I prepared it ahead of time or brought out the ingredients for a fondue style dessert, it was always greeted with an "oh my goodness" look.

The item that makes it so simple is microwaveable chocolate that is available either in the produce or baking section of the grocery. Having tried several brands, we like Baker's microwaveable milk chocolate and Dolci frutta because they keep without melting in the pantry, melts quickly and smoothly in the microwave and hardens on the fruit without refrigeration. We have served banana pieces and chunks of pineapple but strawberries always increase the WOW factor. Practice at home this Valentine's Day, enjoy the compliments, and be prepared to wow again on your boat!

Luck Comes To The Prepared

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
Thomas Jefferson

I am always on the lookout for new recipes for home and the boat. Those of us who like to cook are just "wired" that way. In a sense, we are the epitome of continuous adult learners. When we taste something we like, we ask the cook to share the recipe. How many times have you heard the person start the recipe with "it is so easy" before they give it to you?

Well, recipes that may be "easy" for a home kitchen are not always easy for a small boat galley. So those of us who like to cook have to put recipes through filters to decide if they are "boat worthy". We make multiple decisions: number of ingredients, can we store them on our boat, how many steps, how many pots do we have to get dirty, can you do it on two burners (or three if you're really lucky)? Does it need to be cut down in size so there are not so many leftovers? Can it be prepared while underway although, I have to admit, I haven't tried that yet. What if you can't get fresh ingredients (my greatest fear)? I honestly grieve when I have to admit to myself that some of my favorite foods are just too difficult to make in the galley. But that is what makes coming home to a full kitchen so much fun, too.

I always try recipes at home to see if they will transfer to the galley. Because I cook on a gas stove at home, it is easy for me to practice recipes on my two lowest BTU burners which would simulate the propane stove on the boat. My mother-in-law taught me to make notes on any recipe that I make for the first time. Then I will try the recipe again with modifications until I think it will work for the boat. This is especially true when I am using the pressure cooker: I practice EVERY pressure cooker recipe at home first.

We practice many skills on our boat, some for safety, others for navigation, etc. Why can't cooking be one of them?

Bite Sized Goodness - Part II

Because we are limited for galley space, it makes sense that the foods we stock should have multiple purposes. So the King's Hawaiian Rolls can serve double duty as the buns for SLIDERS, which I love. The first time I ever HEARD about sliders was on Top Chef-Miami when they made them on a food truck for an after- party meal. And I thought if they can cook that in a food truck, certainly we can reproduce it on the boat because our spaces are equally as tiny. When I researched how to make sliders, I read Alton Brown's comments that Crystals and White Castle burgers were the original sliders. Who knew? I thought it was a brand new food that someone made up! Where I live a Crystal is a Crystal and nothing else and certainly not a slider.

The sliders themselves are really easy to make and are very well suited for galley cooking because the prep is rather simple and the meat is cooked on the stove. With the meat and buns as the basics, sliders can be as plain or fancy as you want to make them. I use Alton Brown's recipe but for the purposes of doing it on a boat, I would make the following suggestions:

• instead of using a jelly roll pan or baking sheet, just spread waxed paper or plastic wrap directly onto your counter/workspace
• instead of using a rolling pin, use the side of your tallest glass or use a spatula
• a knife, obviously, works as well as a pizza cutter

There are some great comments on embellishing these sliders; just follow the link for the recipe and read away!

Bite Sized Goodness - Part I

Lunch is a big part of our sailing day. We often entertain friends for day sails and I am eager to make a good impression while serving good food. It has to be easy to prepare ahead of time, easy for us to serve while the boat is moving (not messy or sloppy), and easy for us to eat. This sandwich is small but makes a great visual presentation in a basket or a non-sliding platter. I make it with King's Hawaiian Butter Rolls which are often found in the deli department. The sweetness of the roll blends well with meats and condiments. I shared this recipe with a friend who was entertaining a lot of people at her house for a post-graduation luncheon. She made the sandwiches, went to the graduation, served lunch and accepted praises for being a calm and creative hostess!
By adding pretzels or goldfish, veggies with hummus or other dip, and cookies you will have a fun and filling lunch.

Bite Sized Goodness Sandwiches (for lunch underway)

King's Hawaiian Butter Rolls
deli sliced turkey
deli sliced salami- any kind is delicious
deli sliced cheese- swiss, havarti, provolone, american, any kind
honey mustard, deli mustard and/or mayo

Move the contents of the package, uncut, onto a cutting board. Slice the rolls in half, like hamburger buns, and open them. Spread condiments of your choosing on each side of the rolls. Add meats and cheese. Place the top of the roll back and cut the sandwiches according to the original shape of the rolls.

I usually make two sandwiches each for women and three for men.

Good Quality Pays

A big THANK YOU to my local Williams Sonoma store for replacing my broken Henckels knife, which was guaranteed for life. (see post "Goodbye Good Friend" Dec 27, 2009) I had the knife for many years and my purchase did not come up in the archived records. After answering a few questions, I picked out a free replacement and was on my way. It pays to purchase quality products from reputable vendors who respect your passion for cooking.

Stocking The Galley

Utensil choices for galleys have to be made with deliberate care because we have limited space.
I put myself through an interesting exercise to come up with a list of utensils which I thought were absolutely necessary for a galley, although I admit I have a few more items in my drawer. It is tempting to want to duplicate your home kitchen utensils in your galley for the "just in case" scenarios, but try this basic list first:

can and bottle opener
wine bottle corkscrew
large spatula for grilling
silicone spatula for scraping
mixing spoon
ladle
carving fork
wisk
vegetable peeler
measuring cup (2c) and nesting cups from 1/4 to 1c.
measuring spoon
utility or paring knife
6-7" chef (santoku) knife
utility scissors

I store all these items, except for the knives, scissors and wine bottle opener, in a galley drawer.
In catamarans these items can be stored on the counter top.