Auspicious

I'm new to eGullet but far from new to cooking and certainly have some chops cooking in cramped quarters. When I introduced myself to the eGullet moderators as part of the sign up process they encouraged me to start this thread. I am a yacht delivery skipper and deliver small boats (generally 40' to 80'), mostly offshore. You may have seen my posts on other cooking fora or articles in Sail, Blue Water Sailing, Offshore Navigator. I speak regularly at boat shows and at SSCA, AGLCA, MTOA, and OCC events. If you boat under sail or power the intent of this thread is to give a place to share experiences, ideas, and techniques. Catalina 22 heading out for a weekend and thinking about a meal plan? This is for you. Great Harbor 37 heading down the ICW from Chesapeake Bay and on to the Bahamas? We're here. Hallberg Rassy or Nordhavn planning to cross an ocean? Let's talk. Bring on your stories and questions. For those of you on the US East Coast come see me at Cruisers U (Annapolis Boat Show) or the SSCA Annapolis Gam. I'm speaking on other subjects but there is always time to talk about cooking. If there is enough interest we'll schedule a specific gathering, maybe even a potluck. For those who may not be boaters you are certainly welcome. Some things about cooking afloat require some adjustments. Think in terms of cooking inside a packing crate during an earthquake. Welcome aboard.

I'll be the contrarian. I found Mr. Samuellson to be pretentious and to talk down to his audience. His political agenda shines through. I wasn't impressed with his sanitation either. He tasted from a dish with his fingers and then took a second taste after having his fingers in his mouth. No particular concern about cross contamination either. I watched two complete episodes; I won't watch him again. Just not okay on a number of fronts.

Jeepers. There ARE a lot of boaters here. I'll certainly start a thread on cooking aboard. There are lots of variants of course from a Catalina 22 on a weekend adventure to a Hallberg Rassy 62 crossing an ocean. Some basics apply across the board. This will be fun! Yep. I personally am not a blender drink guy, mostly. Some choices are best in their native location - painkillers at Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke. You can fill up a Thermos and head over to Cane Garden Bay for a Cheeseburger in Paradise, although the hurricane recovery continues. Anything smaller than a superyacht (say 180' and up) is a small boat. *grin* Thank you all for your welcome. I appreciate it. I look forward to contributing to the community.

I've had good luck with local high school football teams.

I know I'm dredging this up. I feel strongly about the issue. I'm a reasonably generous tipper. I review checks carefully. If there is an automatic tip I object and always have it taken off. Period. Dot. Then I explain to the server that their employer has cost them a tip. Mean? Maybe. Principal? Definitely. Just not okay. I've been told "this is our policy." My response is two-fold. 1. then get the policy-maker here and we'll talk. 2. You advertised one price and charged another. See you in court. Usually those two do it. The entire concept of adding 18% or any number, usually on top of the advertised price PLUS tax, is offensive. Now if you want to establish a no-tipping policy, advertise it, charge higher prices accordingly, and pay your staff accordingly then I'll be first in line. My club works that way - no tips to staff ever. There are bonuses - stopping to see the restaurant manager or house manager about special service will be noted. I'm good with that.

Hi Lisa - my wife is on the Board of the Mitchell Gallery at St. Johns. I was a member of EYC for a while before we figured out we didn't use it much. Good kitchen there. You know they have done a major renovation? Looks great.

I'm glad to have found eGullet. I'm a yacht delivery skipper based in Annapolis MD. Much of my cooking is on small boats (40-80') at sea - like cooking during an earthquake that doesn't end. *grin*