Hurray we have finally given up the ice cooler lifestyle and have moved up to a real galley. We need information as to the best food stuffs to keep on board and food storage problems. We are weekend costal cruisers for the most part. What kind of kitchen equipment should we be looking for. We have a microwave, propane stove/oven. We don;t have an inverter so any ac appliances will be strictly for dockside use. What about pots/pans, paper/plastic dinner ware, and the like. Any suggestions?
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Stocking
Stocking the galley can be quite fun. It might be worth it to spend some time in your home kitchen & make a list of all the things you use the most. Can opener (manual, of course), wire whisk, wooden spoon, fry pan, etc. Now figure out what kind of cooking you'll be doing on the boat. Mostly can? Gourmet? Now transfer all the applicable utensils to the "get for boat" list. I don't cook a whole lot on my boat and when I do it's usually on the BBQ. I have several stainless mixing bowls (marinade, sauce, salads), can opener, medium saucepan, smallish fry pan, small baking pan, measuring spoons, etc. I also keep a small stock of ready to eat canned foods. You probably have more storage than I do, and if you cook more, more basics would be in order (sugar, flour, etc). The most frustrating and funnest part is figuring it out as you go. One day you'll wake up wanting pancakes & darned if you forgot Bisquick! This is where a good basic cookbook comes in handy (I like Better Homes & Gardens). Good cookin! LaDonna
Stocking the galley can be quite fun. It might be worth it to spend some time in your home kitchen & make a list of all the things you use the most. Can opener (manual, of course), wire whisk, wooden spoon, fry pan, etc. Now figure out what kind of cooking you'll be doing on the boat. Mostly can? Gourmet? Now transfer all the applicable utensils to the "get for boat" list. I don't cook a whole lot on my boat and when I do it's usually on the BBQ. I have several stainless mixing bowls (marinade, sauce, salads), can opener, medium saucepan, smallish fry pan, small baking pan, measuring spoons, etc. I also keep a small stock of ready to eat canned foods. You probably have more storage than I do, and if you cook more, more basics would be in order (sugar, flour, etc). The most frustrating and funnest part is figuring it out as you go. One day you'll wake up wanting pancakes & darned if you forgot Bisquick! This is where a good basic cookbook comes in handy (I like Better Homes & Gardens). Good cookin! LaDonna
GALLEY GUESTIONS
WE LIVE ABOARD A 45 FT AND OFCOURSE MY FIRST THOUGHT IS TO GET A GENERATOR, YOU SOUND HAPPY AND SERIOUS.IN FACT ON L.I.NEAR YOU.PORTABLE GENERATORS DUE THE TRICK FOR WHAT YOU NEED. HOWEVER ,YOU DO IT ,I JUST GOTSA HAVE MY COFFEE IN THE AM. WE ALWAYS STOCK ETABLE CANNED FOODS AND FROZEN FOODS, CORNED BEEF HASH,SPAM,CEREALS, EGGS,POTS AND PANS YOU DONT NEED MY HELP,PAPER GOODS. WE DO ALOT OF TRAVELING AND THIS IS MY FIRST SAIL,BUT HAVE BEEN A BOATER FOR YEARS MOSTLY TRAWLERS,BUT LOVE SAIL MCBUBBA720@AOL.COM
WE LIVE ABOARD A 45 FT AND OFCOURSE MY FIRST THOUGHT IS TO GET A GENERATOR, YOU SOUND HAPPY AND SERIOUS.IN FACT ON L.I.NEAR YOU.PORTABLE GENERATORS DUE THE TRICK FOR WHAT YOU NEED. HOWEVER ,YOU DO IT ,I JUST GOTSA HAVE MY COFFEE IN THE AM. WE ALWAYS STOCK ETABLE CANNED FOODS AND FROZEN FOODS, CORNED BEEF HASH,SPAM,CEREALS, EGGS,POTS AND PANS YOU DONT NEED MY HELP,PAPER GOODS. WE DO ALOT OF TRAVELING AND THIS IS MY FIRST SAIL,BUT HAVE BEEN A BOATER FOR YEARS MOSTLY TRAWLERS,BUT LOVE SAIL MCBUBBA720@AOL.COM
I'm embarrassed to say
We keep an extensive list of menus of local resuarants that deliver to the dock or have take out. We do not get involved with fast food places though. With a 8,6, and a 2 1/2 year old aboard the idea of cooking does not sound "appetizing" to my wife and I.
We keep an extensive list of menus of local resuarants that deliver to the dock or have take out. We do not get involved with fast food places though. With a 8,6, and a 2 1/2 year old aboard the idea of cooking does not sound "appetizing" to my wife and I.
We cook on the boat quite often
Any cookware you get should be stainless steel. Nonstick cooking surfaces can also help when it comes to cleanup. We got an all stainless percolator for coffee and it works well on the propane stove. We also have a stainless pressure cooker which is handy (things cook a lot faster). You don't have to get the top of the line stainless cookware - I think we got ours at a discount store. We use screw on and snap on tupperware style containers for long term storage, zip lock bags for short term. Our salt and pepper shakers are cheapy tupperware plastic (we haven't had problems with clumping salt). We found some heavier plastic round trays that paper plates fit in. All our glasses and cups are plastic, which look like real glass. Pasta is easy to store and can be used with a variety of sauces, many of which are canned or make your own. We avoid glass containers for obvious reasons. We also use our barbecue quite often. It sounds strange, but we've found small canned potatoes are excellent browned or fried. That's all I can think of right now. Hope this helps.
Any cookware you get should be stainless steel. Nonstick cooking surfaces can also help when it comes to cleanup. We got an all stainless percolator for coffee and it works well on the propane stove. We also have a stainless pressure cooker which is handy (things cook a lot faster). You don't have to get the top of the line stainless cookware - I think we got ours at a discount store. We use screw on and snap on tupperware style containers for long term storage, zip lock bags for short term. Our salt and pepper shakers are cheapy tupperware plastic (we haven't had problems with clumping salt). We found some heavier plastic round trays that paper plates fit in. All our glasses and cups are plastic, which look like real glass. Pasta is easy to store and can be used with a variety of sauces, many of which are canned or make your own. We avoid glass containers for obvious reasons. We also use our barbecue quite often. It sounds strange, but we've found small canned potatoes are excellent browned or fried. That's all I can think of right now. Hope this helps.
The key to successful onboard meals is...
doing as much advance prep at home as possible, and only bringing what you'll use. I keep a fairly well stocked galley when it comes to pots, pans, utensiles etc, but although I like to eat VERY well aboard, I use little of it unless a dock party or a raft up blows up unexpectedly. I have a 3 burner electric stove and and a microwave--plus a genset to power them...but I rarely use them except for reheating. 90& of cooking is preparation...only 10% is actually cooking it. If you do all the slicing and dicing ahead of time at home, all you have left to do aboard is cook it. And your barbeque grill will get the most use. For instance: bake pototoes at home (don't nuke 'em...the skins are SO much better baked!), wrap 'em in foil...they reheat--with no loss of flavor or appearance--on the grill while you cook your meat. Most vegetables can be steamed in foil...just add a couple of ice cubes to the packet...or roast 'em. Salads can be all BUT made ahead of time: tear your greens, dry them and put 'em in a ziplock. Slice tomatoes, cukes and whatever else you want to put in the salad and put that in another ziplock. Combine fresh ground pepper, parmesan cheese and other dry seasons in third ziplock. When you're ready to make the salad, dump it all--along with the dressing--in the bag with the greens and shake the bejabbers out of it. Marinate meats ahead of time...do enough for 3 or 4 meals and freeze 'em. Bring only what you plan to cook to the boat. Don't try to stock your boat with everything you THINK you MIGHT need...you won't use half of it, and all it does it take up storage space. Set up a basic spice "rack," a GOOD set of knives, a pot big enough to boil pasta in, a skillet...2 big spoons--slotted, and non--a spatula, some tongs, a meat fork and a corkscrew. Stop there until you discover what else you really need. You can go for paper plates if you want to...I like to eat off a real plate (corel), especially if I have to cut meat on it. Same is true for the flatware. I could on for another megabtye...but the best to way to eat well on weekend cruises is to plan WHAT you want to eat...do as much slicin' and dicin' ahead of time at home as possible...and only bring what you'll eat. However, no one will criticize you for having a well stocked liquor locker.
doing as much advance prep at home as possible, and only bringing what you'll use. I keep a fairly well stocked galley when it comes to pots, pans, utensiles etc, but although I like to eat VERY well aboard, I use little of it unless a dock party or a raft up blows up unexpectedly. I have a 3 burner electric stove and and a microwave--plus a genset to power them...but I rarely use them except for reheating. 90& of cooking is preparation...only 10% is actually cooking it. If you do all the slicing and dicing ahead of time at home, all you have left to do aboard is cook it. And your barbeque grill will get the most use. For instance: bake pototoes at home (don't nuke 'em...the skins are SO much better baked!), wrap 'em in foil...they reheat--with no loss of flavor or appearance--on the grill while you cook your meat. Most vegetables can be steamed in foil...just add a couple of ice cubes to the packet...or roast 'em. Salads can be all BUT made ahead of time: tear your greens, dry them and put 'em in a ziplock. Slice tomatoes, cukes and whatever else you want to put in the salad and put that in another ziplock. Combine fresh ground pepper, parmesan cheese and other dry seasons in third ziplock. When you're ready to make the salad, dump it all--along with the dressing--in the bag with the greens and shake the bejabbers out of it. Marinate meats ahead of time...do enough for 3 or 4 meals and freeze 'em. Bring only what you plan to cook to the boat. Don't try to stock your boat with everything you THINK you MIGHT need...you won't use half of it, and all it does it take up storage space. Set up a basic spice "rack," a GOOD set of knives, a pot big enough to boil pasta in, a skillet...2 big spoons--slotted, and non--a spatula, some tongs, a meat fork and a corkscrew. Stop there until you discover what else you really need. You can go for paper plates if you want to...I like to eat off a real plate (corel), especially if I have to cut meat on it. Same is true for the flatware. I could on for another megabtye...but the best to way to eat well on weekend cruises is to plan WHAT you want to eat...do as much slicin' and dicin' ahead of time at home as possible...and only bring what you'll eat. However, no one will criticize you for having a well stocked liquor locker.
Tom, Fwiw...
I"m a stinkpotter with every "modern convenience" AND a generator. The only thing you really need it for is coffee. I carry a 2 burner propane camp stove--I actually bought it to use until we could get the genset to run again during the early days of rehabbing the boat--and there are many mornings when I don't want to listen to the genset...so I make coffee in a percolator on it, set up in the cockpit. Otoh, when it's really hot, a genset does come in handy to keep the ice maker running and to power the blender. And if you're willing share, nobody in the anchorage complains about the noise from it either.
I"m a stinkpotter with every "modern convenience" AND a generator. The only thing you really need it for is coffee. I carry a 2 burner propane camp stove--I actually bought it to use until we could get the genset to run again during the early days of rehabbing the boat--and there are many mornings when I don't want to listen to the genset...so I make coffee in a percolator on it, set up in the cockpit. Otoh, when it's really hot, a genset does come in handy to keep the ice maker running and to power the blender.
And if you're willing share, nobody in the anchorage complains about the noise from it either. Some other considerations for the galley
Your question is a good one and the answers give good advice. I don't have a genset and I cook with propane. Like many others I need my early morning wake up call (I use a Scottish tea but it does the same as coffee), but we also like to cook even when at home dock. Good stainless cookware is a must. We use an expensive set from Welcom Aboard, but it stows in a small place since they are stackable. We also have a stainless pressure cooker, one non-stick wok and a non-stick griddle. Something that no one has mentioned is that we have a Seal-A-Bag device. We can put food in plastic bags, then seal them so they can be used in boiling water. Most large stores like K-Mart and Sears carry them. The importance of this technique is that you can cook all you want at home and put it into bags, then freeze it. Be sure to mark it well with a non-smear marker--also the date. When you go cruising, you can load all of this into your refrig or freezer. Put about half water into your pressure cooker and bring it to a boil, then put a bag of dinner into it. Close the top put don't put the pressure device on. You can even just let it sit for about a half hour and you will have a hot meal. The importance of this method is that if you have bad weather, you can still have something hot even if the boat is jumping around. The pressure cooker keeps everything inside, even if it jumps off the stove. A quart bag will hold enough stew for about three people. Or... you can sail until the last rays of sunshine and still have something ready when you anchor. I also carry small size turkey cook bags on the boat. You can put all types of food in them and cook them in the oven without messing up your oven, even macaroni and cheese. Another suggestion--put your canned goods as low as possible and your paper and lighter weight materials (like potato chips) highe up the sides of the boat. Keep your weight low and you'll sail better. I'm always surprised how many of my racing buddies don't do this and wonder how we go so well with a cruising boat. Best wishes Les
Your question is a good one and the answers give good advice. I don't have a genset and I cook with propane. Like many others I need my early morning wake up call (I use a Scottish tea but it does the same as coffee), but we also like to cook even when at home dock. Good stainless cookware is a must. We use an expensive set from Welcom Aboard, but it stows in a small place since they are stackable. We also have a stainless pressure cooker, one non-stick wok and a non-stick griddle. Something that no one has mentioned is that we have a Seal-A-Bag device. We can put food in plastic bags, then seal them so they can be used in boiling water. Most large stores like K-Mart and Sears carry them. The importance of this technique is that you can cook all you want at home and put it into bags, then freeze it. Be sure to mark it well with a non-smear marker--also the date. When you go cruising, you can load all of this into your refrig or freezer. Put about half water into your pressure cooker and bring it to a boil, then put a bag of dinner into it. Close the top put don't put the pressure device on. You can even just let it sit for about a half hour and you will have a hot meal. The importance of this method is that if you have bad weather, you can still have something hot even if the boat is jumping around. The pressure cooker keeps everything inside, even if it jumps off the stove. A quart bag will hold enough stew for about three people. Or... you can sail until the last rays of sunshine and still have something ready when you anchor. I also carry small size turkey cook bags on the boat. You can put all types of food in them and cook them in the oven without messing up your oven, even macaroni and cheese. Another suggestion--put your canned goods as low as possible and your paper and lighter weight materials (like potato chips) highe up the sides of the boat. Keep your weight low and you'll sail better. I'm always surprised how many of my racing buddies don't do this and wonder how we go so well with a cruising boat. Best wishes Les
Thanks for the advice,
you've all given me some great ideas. Fortunately, we have a few more months before we have to execute them.
you've all given me some great ideas. Fortunately, we have a few more months before we have to execute them.
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