What's for supper tonight?

Food. Glorious Food. Wonderful Food.


Obsession, like any other cruising boat her size, has a relatively small galley for cooking. We have a 2-burner propane stove, an icebox, a double (but quite small) sink, a bit of storage, and the luxury of a propane oven. We also have a barbecue that attaches to the outside railing. The only problem with this set-up is that the barbecue leans out over the water, so you have to be careful. We discovered this the hard way one day by donating our supper to the fishes in Charlottetown Harbour.


Many of the cruising adventure books that are out there love to talk about food. They give recipes for the fabulous creations that they make, the local ingredients that they find and turn into complex, gourmet meals, all within a galley just slightly larger than a phone booth. In this picture, you can see the sink and top of the ice box, while the stove and oven are next to the ice box. There is just enough room for one person to fit into the galley area.


Generally, during the summer months, we tend to take a much simpler approach to cooking. When it is hot outside, the last place you want to be is down below, preparing a meal with the propane stove and oven blasting away in a small area with poor ventilation. We make much more use of the barbecue whenever possible.


Common meals for us include any kind of barbecued meat. Potatoes are simply sliced, put in foil with onion and carrot, and cooked on the barbecue. All the grocery stores these days carry pre-marinated packages of meat. These are great to keep around since they last quite some time in the icebox. Another favourite for breakfast is muffin mixes. These can be whipped up and put in the oven while we spend time above deck.


Since we rely on an ice box, our ability to carry fresh food is limited. The ice has to be replenished each day (although we can stretch it for two days if we plan properly), so unless we are at a dock, we have to be careful about what we bring on board. Once the fresh food goes, dried pasta becomes a popular meal.


I'm interested in other people's favourite meals while out cruising. Add a comment, letting us know what you like to take along when you head out for a few days.