Day 18: Limoncello

Carrot muffins.

Smith may be the biggest foodie on the boat. Though she likes to make sure the different dishes on her plate aren’t touching, she enjoys almost everything I put in front of her. Except eggs – though I snuck these into the re-baked potatoes and she loved them. 

It’s Smith's job to communicate with me each day to make sure dinner is on time – or more often than not lately, to let me know that that crew will be running late. On evenings when we have a charter sail, it can take hours to properly stow all the sails and the lines. Other times, she just stops to check on me for fun. And we riff on food.

Many ways to love what you eat

Yesterday morning I told her I was thinking about making limoncello. “Wouldn’t that be lovely, just a little shot after dinner?” “Mmmm-hmmm,” she said, “And I hear it’s easy to make.”

“It is!” I said. "I’ll put it on my list." I have a running list of pantry items I want to make instead of buy. Granola is the only item not crossed off – I made the mayo and the chocolate sauce. I scribbled on the bottom of the list: Limoncello.

From down in the main salon came a voice like Eeyor’s, “Sometimes I have no idea what you’re talking about.” It was Bly. He eats everything. His method is to eat all the dishes separately, and then to have a second helping with everything piled on top of each other. Sometimes it looks foul; other times it looks like it works.

I explained to him what limoncello was. I'm sure he'll like it. And then pour it all over something.

The old cook told me it was not his job to expose them to new foods; his job was to put calories in their systems. When he said this, I stayed quiet. I decided not to dispute his reign at that point, but I knew I couldn’t be that kind of cook.

Sunday’s Menu

Breakfast

Corned beef hash, cheese eggs with mozzarella and carrot muffins (“The eggs were especially delicious today,” said Bly.)

Lunch

Egg noodles with tomato, green pepper and sausage

Dinner

Massaman curry with pork chops over rice with pineapple salad (of the curry, Smith said, “You can make this again anytime. Tomorrow, even.”

I made a special foil packet for captain with only salt, pepper, sliced apples, potatoes and carrots and a splash of Worcestershire

Dessert

“Softserve” ice cream, because our freezer has a tendency not to freeze things all the way through, with toppings and peanut-butter/oatmeal/chocolate chip cookies.