BubbleheadChef

Dear Son continues to prepare for the Navy. We're now just over 3 months left of DEP before he ships out. He's deep into learning lingo, ranks, ratings and ribbons. It really isn't just the individual -- the whole family is learning. I know know my Alpha Bravo Charlie's and can quote at least some of the General Orders of Sentrys -- number 7 is my favorite. ;-) Upon recommendation of the chat-boards at Navy.com, I'm reading Honor, Courage, Commitment: Navy Boot Camp by JF Leahy. It follows an integrated (male and female) squad through arrival to graduation at Great Lakes. So far, I'm still on 'arrival' (the P-days), but have learned a lot. For some of you old salts, it would be a great 'I remember that' book. ← Tell him to keep it up. The more he studies now, the less painful it will be later. I believe it is just a important for the family to be involved because it helps keep the younger guys motivated and helps the parent understand what he is going through. There will come a time to during boot camp/A school/BESS/qualifications that he will want to quit, come home, and live with mom and dad again. With family backing him up (and some of his new shipmates along side), he'll get through. I will tell you though, just because he comes home or calls saying that his chief is a ?&^*&^, we aren't ALL bad!

Hey all Been punching holes for a few weeks and getting ready to do some more, just in on a port call. Fun, fun, fun. In reply to the shelf stable milk. I personally don't like the stuff and if given the choice, the guys wont drink it. However, once the "real" milk is gone, they drink it just the same. I has allowed me to serve milk longer than 4 days which is nice.

Now the question pops into my head.....does geography play a role? I come from a "joined family". Dad and 3 boys from the west coast, Stepmom and 3 kids fromt he midwest. Every time we had dessert in the house (not often, but it did happen on occasion), we would have a mini-civil war. Us west coaster's thought that cake was the only way to celebrate a special occasion. Nothing compares to a cake on a celebratory level. To "them", a pie was the end all, be all. After 10 years of battle, we made a compromise to call a cheesecake the middle ground. I mean, what kind of freak can't enjoy a cheesecake? IMHO, pies are common. They come from things just lying around; fruit, nuts, etc. A CAKE on the other hand, means there is TRULY something to celebrate. So, I guess my answer is cake.

Thanks for the mention, it still boggles my mind, its just my job! I can't begin to pick a single thread as my favorite, but love the whole adventures section.

I live in Mystic and there is a beautiful old Seaport here along with some really nice places to eat. There is the small town feel and lots of B&B's to choose from as well as a few chain hotels and motels. A great walking town, if you are just coming for the weekend and don't want to leave the area. We are about an hour and half to two hours from the city. Hope this helps.

I am certainly not a lawyer. Not a chef (is that word trademarked? Chef ?) I am simply a cook. The title Chef impies (to me at least) that a person has completed a certain amount of schooling, externship, and considerable work experience. Upon graduation from Culinary School, I don't believe that gives you the title Chef. I am the leading Cook onboard a submarine and I copy menu ideas from all of my peers everyday. How I interpret them is completely up to me and my guys will not make things the same way as the guy I "borrowed" the menu idea from. I don't put credit on my menu that I sign and post for everybody onboard and visitors alike to read. Perhaps that makes me a plagarist and worthy of being publicly humiliated and considered that is considered bad form. I certainly don't claim to be Haute Cuisine but in my humble opinion, my operation is at least one step up from a large burger chain with a clown or a king as thier mascot. I don't know if we consider that and elBulli equal, either, but like I said, I am simply a cook. I think the issue here is less legal and more personal. One of the things that keep me going to work everyday is the fact that I can look MYSELF in the mirror and know that I did my best. If I was making money off somebody else's idea, passing it off as a "unique experience"; I would be a thief. Maybe not by a court of law or a jury of my peers, but by myself. If you feel that strongly about something that somebody else does, make a personal choice not to patronize that particular company. On the flip of that coin: For the people that may not have access to the original, isn't the copy a unique experience to them? Isn't it still the chef/cook/owner that has to live with the fact that he is a fraud? Sorry about the ramble, just wanted to chime in.

While certainly not prone to "all day sickness", morning sickness, or any other preganant malady, I am the father of two, so I'll chime in. When Mrs. BubbleheadChef was prego with our first, she was mildly morning sick and violently motion sick. We found that plain potato chips helped. I equated the feeling to being hungover (of which I have LOTS of experience) and offered salty, prepackaged, fried things (chips, french fries, nuts). We always had snack bags in the car, in her purse, at my office (ok, those were for me. Come on, you've heard of sympathy cravings right?). The other thing that really helped was a bag of cut lemons. If she started getting nauseous, she would open the bag, take a wiff, and find the nearest bag of Lays (bet you cant eat just one!). I will say that it did get better for us/her and I hope that is the case with you. Congrats and best of luck!

While not as great as some of others here, there is a young chef named David MacClelland running the Craigie Inne a little outside Prestwick. Fab food, intimate setting, and the staff takes very good care of the guests. A little off the beaten path, but well worth the trip. (David trained at the Gleneagles) Tell him Patrick from the submarine sent you!

Hey pusher I did my staff tour and don't think I will go back to one. I was at CSG8 in Naples, Italy doing both Flag Mess and Personal Quarters (that is the bad part of working for a 2 star, he is senior enough to get a cook, but not one for his house so I had to do both). I turned down a the White House mess after a tour of the facility. Everything was top notch, but my personality would have gotten me fired there. I am, well, lets just say that with my mouth, a submarine is the place for me. When we have riders, I have to stay in the Goat Locker (nickname for the Chiefs Quarters where the Goats (chiefs) are berthed and have a little lounge to "work" in) or in the Galley, but nowhere near the public eye!

I have been half blessed as far as CO's go. My first CO was the greatest guy I have ever served with. Deadly serious while doing submarine things, but the life of the party when it was time to have fun. The other one was almost the polar opposite, but wasn't exactly mean to us, just VERY, ummmm, particular. Doesn't talk much unless it was to complain or point out a flaw. I can say with relative surety that he was pretty well disliked by all but the senior Navy leadership. And IMHO, I think it is extremely poor taste to say anything like that in front of a guest, but some people like to show off their power I guess. While I haven't been to the J&W in Norfolk, my first Chief was sent there and actually got a degree. He was full time student for 2 years. Not so many good deals like that anymore, but it is known to happen on occasion. As for the russian style service, I always found it amusing that on a US Submarine, we would do ANYTHING Russian. But, there it goes to show that food overcomes all (even politics!)

I am beginning to think that I am the only po' half white trash here! I grew up between California and South Carolina with a Northern Californian dad, and a southern Californian Mom, a midwestern (Nebraska) step mom and a step dad from West Virginia, it was on all thier tables and now I run a pseudo-restaurant and EVERYBODY (white, black, brown, and yellow) all know what it is and expect, nay, DEMAND that it be served at both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I tried to mess with recipe and make it more "foodie friendly" and was almost drummed out. I enjoy it for what it is, don't eat it much, and don't really miss it when it isnt there, but I find it hard to believe that so many people on here have neither heard of it, nor actually eaten it.

At the risk of sounding like a complete moron, may I ask what Red Hat Ladies and Sweet Potato Queens are? Sorry to interupt. And mayhaw, don't these people realize that you probably made these fine old gals day, just smiling and being sociable? Geez, you do the world and these ladies a favor and you get castigated! Why bother sometimes, you know? LOL.

I hope this topic isnt completely closed yet. Reading through this thread made me realize how much I love my mother how much she really encouraged me when I was younger, regardless of how much it hurt her teeth or stomach. When I was about 9, I heard about this thing called "fried rice". I believe I had actaully seen it on TV too, but not having any real exposure to chinese food (or any type of Asian cuisine), really had no idea what I was doing. Soooo, in my rapidly expanding mind with a not so expanding repetoire, I set out to make stir fry and fried rice. I had an old cookbood with a recipe for it, so I was all set (or so I thought). The stir fry wasn't "bad", but even then I knew it couldn't be right. The fried rice on the other hand....well, lets just say that they should specify that the 1 cup "uncooked rice" needs to be cooked PRIOR to frying. Now we get to the part of me loving my mother. SHE ATE EVERY BITE OF RAW, UNCOOKED, GREASY RICE. And said it was DELICIOUS. God, I love that woman.

Generally, I don't have to prepare anything like stock, because I bring some beef bones with me plus what is leftover from the carcasses of chicken for stock, but there is one thing that I like to do for the long runs. I'll vacuum seal some lettuce, bell peppers, celery, and carrots. Just about everything else, I can get dehydrated, canned, or frozen. We have just started getting slice peppers in a can, so I won't have to do that anymore. While it is certainly not as good a product as fresh, without a supermarket anywhere close to us, canned, dehy, and frozen works in a pinch.