The Most Basic Essential Foods

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I actually find it hard to get peanut oil (is the same as arachide oil) here to I would bring a bunch of that. You need this for high temperature frying because olive oil would just burn.

cheers,
Nick.

Or you could use canola/safflower/sunflower (regular vegetable oil). Trouble with keeping too much oil on hand, is it spoils.

[Lodesman]

What about bacon? Everything's better with bacon.

[roger.waite]

I am with people that say 'bring some flavour to your mealtimes'. Herbs, spices, tomato paste, curry pastes, balsamic, soy, etc. A small-ish box of flavoursome stuff, a bit of imagination, and a few cheap treats can make basic food really enjoyable.

[barnakiel]

My top 10:

1. pasta, pasta, more pasta ... ;-),
2. garlic,
3. olive oil,
4. salt,
5. canned tomato,
6. flour,
7. dried yeast,
8. rice,
9. canned tuna,
10. tea, coffee, cocoa,

And so on and forth ;-)

Just make sure you take what you like to eat and you should be fine.

b.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

What about bacon? Everything's better with bacon.

Mmmmmm. Bacon

[fishwife]

Don't forget the RUM for those moments after something has scared you half to death

P.

[roger.waite]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

What about bacon? Everything's better with bacon.

Nice.

We often carry smoked bacon, salami, other 'drier, saltier' sausages and matured cheeses because they keep weeks without refridgeration, and because they add lots of flavour to basic dishes.

[Curmudgeon]

Chorizo is best. Goes well with the bacalhau and some potatoes and carrots in a stew.

[Martinini]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Chorizo is best. Goes well with the bacalhau and some potatoes and carrots in a stew.

A man who knows his food!

[Morganministry]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Chorizo is best. Goes well with the bacalhau and some potatoes and carrots in a stew.

Just scramble it with some eggs and throw the mixture in a tortilla shell.

Scott

[Curmudgeon]

People have mentioned pasta but I don't bring it on the boat. It takes too much water to rinse it properly after cooking. Even if you use a pressure cooker you have to get the starch off. If I had a watermaker I might feel differently, but for now I bring brown rice instead.

Another suggestion is that at the beginning of a cruise, bring as much frozen food as you can. It helps keep everything else cold until it thaws. It also saves fuel (I have a seafrost cold plate system).

[Lurker Beast]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

...It takes too much water to rinse it properly after cooking....

You're supposed to rinse the starch off the pasta? I don't. Just drain it, add butter or olive oil (depending on which one I currently got), and eat.

[roger.waite]

"It takes too much water to rinse it properly after cooking."

Not a problem with rice vermicelli (or most dried 'oriental' noodles).

Cut back on salt in the cooking, and you can rinse in seawater? But I guess this depends on where you are, who your neighbours are, and the faith you have that your fellow travellers use holding tanks!

[Curmudgeon]

I tried rinsing pasta in seawater. Didn't like the taste. But rice noodles are a good idea. You can even saute those without boiling.

I'm also a big believer in spices. With the right spices you can make almost anything taste good.

[Fishman_Tx]

The use of a small vacuum packer is real handy (if you have an inverter). Pour things that aren't moisture resistant like masa, flour, etc. into a vac bag for the trip. Once you've opened it, it can be re-vac'd and sealed again. It'll definitely help things like salt pork or bacon last longer. No wasted leftovers; bag-it, vac-it, and chuck it into the reefer any old way it will go.