Kitchen – Riveted

Provisioning for the Summer

Laura Domela — Fri, 20 Apr 2018 22:50:09 +0000

Summer provisioning is underway in earnest. Partially filled crates clutter the dining room, and list items are being added and checked off pretty much daily.

We went up to Airship for a few days last week/weekend and managed to take up a good size load of stuff (nice not to leave it all for the final trip to the boat!). Last Friday night I gave a photography presentation at the Anacortes Yacht Club…showing some of my work, giving some tips for getting better photos from a boat, photographing wildlife, a little about camera gear, and some about drone photography. It was a great time and a fun group of people, and I very much appreciate that they invited me!

We’ll be giving a two-hour seminar on photography (from land, boats, and drones) at Trawlerfest in Bremerton on May 2 (plus two other seminars on May 1) so look us up if you’re interested! After that, we’ll be on our way to Alaska!

It rained most of the time we were in Anacortes.

A few the things on our “Take” list this year (that I might not easily find along the route): masa flour for making tortillas, Italian pearled farro (great as a one-bowl meal topped with veggies and grilled protein), and two bags of morita chiles for making this salsa. (We can’t get enough of this delicious, smoky/earthy condiment after trying it in Mexico last month, so I’ve been making my own.) I made a big batch of it at home and brought it up to Airship in this half-liter jar. This oughta last us a while, but I’ve got the supplies to make more!

Morita salsa

Morita salsa is made with chipotle morita chiles — a variety of smoked dried jalapeños. You throw a handful into a pan with some hot oil, wait a few minutes until they start to puff up. (If you leave them too long they’ll get bitter and the first batch of salsa you make will be a bust…don’t ask me how I know that.) Remove the puffed peppers (plus the rest that might not have “puffed” from the oil and soak them in hot water for 10 minutes or so. Remove them from the water, cut them open and remove most of the seeds, and then I like to hand chop the peppers. I tried them in my mini Cuisinart and they just gummed up and didn’t chop well at all. My friend Julie tried it in her Vitamix which worked great, but the intense chopping made the salsa much smoother and alas, much hotter. So far, hand chopping is my recommendation. Add oil (the stuff you used to fry them in) plus more in the jar to cover the mixture. I like to use extra virgin olive oil. The grassy flavor is a nice complement to the smoky chilies. Add salt to taste. This salsa will last quite a while and is great in tacos, on eggs, fish…well, so far it’s good on just about everything we’ve tried it on! (I get my moritas online here.)

Why is it that I can’t ever take a level photo of the inside of a cupboard??

A few weeks ago we tried a bottle of some smoked tequila that was on sale at our local liquor store, and it was surprisingly good! We’ve been on a “tequila martini” kick since we were in Yelapa last month, which means we’re gonna have to keep stocked with fresh limes…how hard is THAT going to be??

Update: I just read on the internet that you can easily freeze fresh squeezed lime juice and it lasts for months! Life-changing!

Tequila Martini (makes 2 cocktails)

4.5 oz tequila blanco
3 oz of fresh squeezed juice (half lime juice, half orange juice)
2.25 oz (or so) of Cointreau
Splash of simple syrup (we used Traeger smoked simple syrup, but plain would be fine)
Tajín for the glass rim (or a combo of salt and your favorite chili/chipotle powder if you like it a little spicy)

Note: Tajín is a seasoning mix made from ground chili peppers, salt, and dehydrated lime juice, and it’s great on the rim of a tequila cocktail. You can get it here.

Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker with crushed ice (and a chopped serrano pepper if you want a little spice). Shake well and strain into rimmed cocktail glass.

Another note: We also put some tequila in a bottle with a chopped fresh serrano for 30 minutes or so to infuse the tequila with pepper, which worked a little too well and we ended up only using 1/3 infused tequila to 2/3 regular tequila for the cocktails.

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As far as other pre-made things we plan to have on Airship for the summer, here’s what’s going into the freezer so far:

Homemade bolognese sauce (maybe 10 or so meals worth, vacuum sealed into bags and frozen flat to save space)
Several packages of cauliflower pizza crusts from Cali’flour Foods. These are very thin crusts, kept frozen, and the ingredients are cauliflower, mozzarella cheese, eggs, basil, and garlic. We tested them out last night with friends and they were good!! They are a little finicky to pre-bake because they’re so thin, so I picked up a couple of these baking screens to try out next time.
Chimichurri sauce I made at home and froze…great as a condiment on grilled meats.
Several 1lb vacuum-sealed bags of chicken chorizo (good in breakfast tacos with eggs, slightly healthier than pork chorizo)
Light Flour Tortillas from La Tortilla Factory (for breakfast tacos, and taco nights with the flotilla). These are great, freeze well, and are 1/3 the calories of regular tortillas. Are you starting to sense a theme with some of the carbohydrates yet?
Several 1lb packages of grass-fed ground beef (for tacos, soups, burgers, etc.)
A few pounds of fish and some steaks

Pomi pizza sauce in cartons (for when we’re being lazy and not making our own), one of our favorite hot sauces from El Machete in Los Angeles, and some rosemary sourdough flatbread crackers for happy hours.

Notes about things still to do/make/bring:

A couple weeks ago we smoked some Cotija cheese at home on the Traeger and it turned out great. Cotija is good crumbled on salads or tacos, and we plan to smoke more and then freeze it to bring along.
Grated parmesan also freezes well. I use it to make my own caesar salad dressing, so I freeze it in small batches to grab when I need to make dressing or to use on pizzas or pastas.
I’ve been trying to come up with some healthy/creative alternatives to the “crackers, cheese, salami” happy hour appetizers to throw into the mix for happy hours. I picked up a couple of those round packages of polenta and I’m going to see about cooking some slices of that and topping them with a spoonful of sautéed wild mushrooms and garlic. I think they’d also be good topped with some bright fresh bruschetta.
It seems like this year I’ve focused more on sauces and condiments than in previous years (bolognese, chimichurri, morita salsa…) which is kinda fun since you can use condiments and sauces in such a variety of ways. Pesto is another sauce that freezes well, so I may make some of that before we leave (though it’s not hard to find in most supermarkets).
Last year I tried blanching different vegetables and then vacuum sealing them to freeze for later use. The asparagus was terrible (super watery) and the green beans were just okay. I think I won’t do this again, and I’ll just pick up a few bags of frozen organic green beans and maybe some cauliflower rice at Trader Joe’s, as well as some frozen spinach. Frozen spinach isn’t my favorite on its own, but it’s great to add to soups, an egg scramble, or on top of pizzas for a dose of leafy greens in the boonies.

We’ll let you know if we come up with any other cool ideas, and please feel free to share any of your ideas in the comments!

The Lékué Silicone Bread Maker

Laura Domela — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 16:43:01 +0000

I am not a baker. At all. I very rarely make cookies, and I seldom even buy bread. But a friend of ours recently told us about this Lékué silicone bread maker (it's really just a floppy bowl with a slot and a tab) and I thought it might be cool for the boat and/or the Airstream when we did want some bread.

(I got mine here for $35)

I first tried the easiest recipe in the book that comes with the Lékué: Quick No-Knead Bread. It's basically flour, yeast, salt, water…mix together right in the bowl, let proof for an hour at room temperature (or 10 hours in the fridge overnight) and then microwave for 3 minutes (totally not baking). It was good, but definitely could have used some oven heat for making the crust nicer.

Last night I went for the second easiest recipe: Easy-to-Make No-Knead Bread. Flour, water, salt, yeast, olive oil. Mix all ingredients together in the bowl, cover the bowl with a towel and let proof overnight. I stuck it in the warming drawer (off) to rise overnight and it was nice and bubbly this morning. I sprinkled some chia seeds on top and then closed up the bowl around the dough.

Into the oven it went! The instructions said to bake for 40 minutes at 392 degrees F then turn the dough over and put back in the oven for 10 more minutes. And then…we had bread! I'm a baker! (Not really.) But look!

It turned out great…fluffy inside with a light and crunchy crust on the outside.

This Lékué silicone bread maker is going to be super handy. Mixing the dough right in the same vessel you cook the bread in saves a lot of work and cleanup. This no-knead recipe is easy, and can be modified for a whole wheat version as well. The Lékué is even dishwasher safe!

Calamity Comes to Willow

Laura Domela — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 19:04:35 +0000

The dinnerware we have on Airship is the blue Willow pattern. There was something that really appealed to me about this traditional, blue and white pattern when we were outfitting the boat.

At some point a couple years ago, I became aware of artist Don Moyer. Don was just starting to design a series of plates based on the Willow design. He called his dinnerware Calamityware. It was dark and funny, and we loved it. He began with a Kickstarter project, plate by plate. His first four plates were 1/Flying Monkeys, 2/Giant Robot, 3/Voracious Sea Monster, and 4/UFO Invasion. Word spread and Don and his crazy plates gained popularity, and so another set of four was born. The next set was called 5/Pirates in the Neighborhood, 6/Rambunctious Volcano, 7/Tentacles! and 8/the Vortex of Doom.

So now, we have integrated Calmityware along with our Willow, and it's a fabulous union. Plate on the left: Vortex of Doom. Plate on the right: Willow:

Pirates in the Neighborhood (with detail):

UFO invasion:

Sea monster (detail):

Recently, Don created some Calamity mugs called "Things Could Get Worse" and they've got it all…a giant frog, pterodactyls, robots, a zombie poodle, Bigfoot, UFOs, sea monsters, pirates, and more! We added a set of four of these to the collection:

The Calamityware is a bit bluer and a bit lighter than the Willow, but it all goes quite nicely together.

(Additional images courtesy of the Calamityware website.)

A Few Things for Airship

Laura Domela — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 21:33:00 +0000

I've been wanting a butter bell for the boat, and found this cool one made by Red Wing Stoneware in Minnesota:

Red Wing Stoneware Co. butter bell ($35) from Duluth Pack. Butter goes in the part on the right, water goes in the part on the left, and when put together the water creates an airtight seal on the butter so it stays fresh and soft (and I don't have to keep it in the fridge on the boat, which is nice, since the fridge is small).

I picked up some of these cloth napkins for the boat (from Clear Sky Home on Etsy) … planning to use less paper products while cruising (especially cruising in more remote areas, since it's tougher to get rid of trash as often).

They don't match our plates at all, but who cares? How cute are these?

(I got these yellow ones too, which really don't match our plates. I'm thinking they might clash enough to totally work together.)

Kevin and I each got ourselves a pair of Xtratufs (also called Alaskan sneakers, Alaskan slippers, Sitka slippers, etc.). These will come in super handy in the wet Southeast AK weather and when getting in and out of the dinghy and exploring (also when fishing and oystering here at home in the Pacific Northwest). They're completely waterproof and highly recommended by Alaskans everywhere:

And last but not least, we ordered a new tandem kayak for Airship. We looked at several, and our original plan after seeing them at the Seattle Boat show was to go with the Airis Tandem by Walker Bay, but after a bunch of research, we ended up going with the Sea Eagle 385 Fast Track. It packs down remarkably small for a tandem kayak (good for carrying on the boat), is very quick to set up (also important), and has great reviews. We'll let you know after we've used it a bit.

Our "Get Ready/To Do List for Alaska" is pretty standard at this point (we've done a ton already, including boat maintenance and some extra safety provisioning). From now until when we leave in May, it's all about stuff like procuring a couple more spare parts we want to have with us, getting extra Nespresso pods and Sodastream fizzers, oil and filters for a couple oil changes, miscellaneous extra tools, a Costco run, updating the Garmin charts to the latest greatest, getting some fishing gear and maybe another crab trap, more Merino wool socks, etc.

It was exciting planning our Alaska meet up with Tiffani and Deke with them while we were visiting in North Carolina this past week. Their plan is to meet us in Juneau mid/late June and then travel with us down to Petersburg, with proposed stops at Taku Harbor, Tracy Arm and Sawyer Glacier, Petersburg, LeConte Glacier, Thomas Bay, Pybus Bay, several spots on Baranof Island (including the warm springs), and then heading around to Sitka where we plan to spend the 4th of July. They'll fly home from Sitka, and we'll continue on south.

We leave in just over a month–it's so close (and yet so far…650+ nautical miles from Anacortes to Ketchikan, and then most people do another 1000+ nm in SE Alaska. Sam and Mark said most people go at least 2300 nm on a trip like this, and that it’s easy to go 3500 nm). We're SO excited!

Fouled Anchor Demitasse

Laura Domela — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 15:13:28 +0000

I recently picked up two of these U.S. Navy fouled anchor demitasse cups on Etsy to use for espresso on the boat. They're durable, mess hall quality, and fit nicely in the cupboard with the regular coffee cups.

Cookware on Land and at Sea

Laura Domela — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 17:42:08 +0000

Okay so what does everyone love for cookware? In the Airstream I've still got this set of nesting cookware by Magma that I got a while back, and it's fine, but it's not particularly sexy. In the boat I have the same set, because it nests, it's space saving, and it came with the boat.

Magma 10 Piece Gourmet Nesting Stainless Steel Cookware Set

I added a 10' Calphalon nonstick frying pan to both the boat and the Airstream, and that's probably my most used pan of all. It was $30 bucks at Target and when it wears out, I'll just replace it. It's got a nice heavy, flat base so it heats evenly and it's great for omelettes. I use the large Magma dutch oven for soups and blanching veggies, and occasionally one of the smaller pots for reheating something.

I've also got two sizes of cast iron frying pans in the Airstream, silicone muffin pans, and a couple of good baking sheets, along with the Falcon enamelware (red/orange for the Airstream, blue for the boat).

So I'm curious what you foodie travelers use and love.

This Le Creuset Mariner's Star cast iron dutch oven (also shown above) is on my current maybe/wish list for the boat:

I love the colorful LeCreuset stuff, but then this blue ceramic set from Magma (for less than the price of this one Le Creuset) might be a good way to add color to my cookware on the boat.

Magma Products Gourmet Nesting 10-Piece Cobalt Blue Stainless Steel Cookware Set

But then hey!! While I was looking at the Magma website, look what I found: Magma Products Gourmet Nesting Induction Stainless Steel Saute/Omelette Pan.

It nests with the current Magma system, and uses one of the same removable handles (which means it can go in the oven). Maybe I'll wait on the whole "color" thing and add this to my cookware collection instead!

I'd love to know what cookware (and other galley essentials) you love to live/travel with!

Top image via Williams Sonoma

Cocktailware for Airship

Laura Domela — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 18:22:10 +0000

The boat should not have to use the hand-me-down Target cocktail shaker from our 2005 Airstream, should it? Here's what we got for it instead (Update: DON'T BUY THIS, SEE COMMENTS BELOW):

Mid-Century Cocktail Shaker with a wood top ($23), and the Wood-handled Bar Tools 3-piece set ($31), both from West Elm.

2014/11/20 update: I received this cocktail shaker and tools (the tools are fine) the other day, and could not get the lid off the cocktail shaker. The cap lid with wood was inside (presumably) but the metal to metal top of the shaker would not come off no matter what I tried. I submerged just the top half in hot water (to expand the metal). No go. I twisted and pushed and twisted and pushed with a grippy thing. No go. I tapped it sideways on the cutting board. Won't budge. I probably worked at it for about 20 minutes with not even a slight tick of movement.

Since I'd gotten a tip (post-purchase) from my friend Kathy that this cocktail shaker was sub par in person and that she returned hers pretty quickly after she got it, I was already expecting it might not be as good as advertised. I called West Elm customer support and they said to keep the one I received and they'd send out a new one right away. The support person said if I get the lid off eventually, then great, I'll have two shakers. Alright then.

Next step: hammer. My friend Kathy said that on hers, the wood top on the cap of the strainer opening part of the shaker would not stay on, so it just became an extra step to take off TWO tops before pouring the cocktail. So I figured if I damaged the shaker part with the hammer, I'd at least be able to get the wooden top out and have a backup in case one was bad. The hammer worked and the top popped off (no dents, even). I unwrapped the wooden top and the wood wasn't even pretending to be attached to the metal part. At all. The glue had separated long ago…and the wood was thin and cheap-looking. Disappointing.

So, I'll see what I get as a replacement, and perhaps get out the epoxy to rejoin the wood to the metal cap…but all in all, NOT what I was hoping for.

UPDATE: The replacement is JUST AS BAD. DON'T BUY THIS.

Reservation Fail Rebound

Laura Domela — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 13:39:46 +0000

One of the main reasons we are staying here at the Pedder Bay Marina RV Park is because it's close to the town of Sooke, home of the Sooke Harbor House. Some friends of ours told us about this place (out on Whiffin Spit, in Sooke, B.C.) many years ago and it's been on our "once we get to Vancouver Island let's go here" list since then.

I made a reservation for dinner at the Sooke Harbor House restaurant about three weeks ago, and we were really looking forward to heading over there tonight after work and fishing and more work. This morning I pulled up their website to check out the "sample menu" and noticed in the right column a reminder that the restaurant is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

But, TODAY is Tuesday.

I quickly pulled up my calendar and realized that our reservation was for last night. A Monday. The only night they're open while we're staying here. Superbummer!! I sent an apology and told them we didn't mean to miss our reservation and that we were very, very sorry. Boooo. We are very very sorry.

We didn't come home with any salmon for dinner from our fishing excursion today, so I decided to use the calamari we picked up at Barleans in Bellingham to make us a lemon risotto with calamari for dinner tonight. We decided we'd still drive into Sooke to look around a bit, and stop at the market for a few more ingredients.

We did a quick detour up to the Sooke Potholes to check out the campground. Turns out the campground is closed for 2014, but look at these potholes:

The light was terrible for the photo, but I think you can get the idea.

We headed out to Whiffin Spit to see what we were missing at the Sooke Harbor House.

The grounds and the garden are beautiful and we really need to get back up here sometime soon.

Alright, on to the market.

I found a recipe online that sounded really good (Lemon Risotto with Calamari) so I decided to modify it (of course)! Here's the finished product:

Here's during (and yes, I know…when I was taking this photo I wasn't stirring the risotto…it came out great anyway):

And here's the (modified) recipe:

Lemon Risotto with Calamari

Ingredients

3 cups water
4 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp olive oil
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 3/4 cups (350 grams) Arborio Rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 lb cleaned calamari tubes and tentacles
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shaved or shredded
50 grams arugula/rocket (about 2 loosely packed cups)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup halved or quartered cherry or grape tomatoes, different colors

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine water and stock. Heat over high heat until hot but not boiling. Cover and keep warm.
Heat a large heavy non-stick high-sided frying pan over medium heat. Add oil, then add the garlic and cook for 1 min, or until golden brown. Add shallot and cook for about 1 min, or until softened. Add rice and stir for 1 min, or until well coated. Add the wine and stir constantly for 1 min, or until most of the wine has evaporated. Stir in the lemon zest.
Add 1 cup hot stock mixture to rice mixture and cook, stirring almost constantly and keeping the mixture at a steady simmer, until it is absorbed. Continue adding hot stock mixture, 1 cup at a time, stirring until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding more, and cook for 18 mins, or until rice is al dente and creamy.
Stir in the calamari and cook, stirring, for 4 mins, or until opaque and tender. Remove pan from heat and stir in parsley and two-thirds of the parmesan. Stir in rocket and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt.
Divide risotto between four wide serving bowls. Garnish with remaining parmesan and freshly ground black pepper, tomatoes, and serve.

P.S. My friend Rose, who was the original recommender of the Sooke Harbor House probably 10 years ago, texted me right as I was writing this post yesterday: "Hey Laura! Was it last night you guys were going to Sooke Harbor House? I'm curious to hear what you thought of it but seeing nothing on the blog makes me think I've got the day wrong…."

Bah! Even SHE remembered that I'd made a Monday reservation.

Sink Top Cutting Board

Laura Domela — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 12:29:05 +0000

The fine folks at Turnco Wood Goods made us this gorgeous sink-top cutting board a couple weeks ago and we love it!

Tiffani and Deke worked with Turnco Wood Goods (based on Whidbey Island) to come up with the perfect size and edge shape to fit the Airstream sink, which makes this item a "Weaselmouth Exclusive" (available via the Weaselmouth website, link below).

Both sides are the same so if you want to use one side and keep the other side pristine, you can do that. These fit nicely in the large round sink opening and we have yet to find it on the floor after travel.

Ours has a walnut base with cherry and maple stripes.

Tiffani and Deke have a lighter maple base with cherry and walnut stripes. Love 'em both!!

Here's a link to Tiff & Deke's page where you can see theirs, and order one for your very own.

Ice-Free Martini Glasses

Laura Domela — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 14:00:00 +0000

I’m excited about these cocktail glasses we just got. They’re double-walled stainless steel martini glasses, filled with a liquid freezer gel. You keep ’em in the freezer (where there’s usually plenty of room, unlike the cupboards in the Airstream) and they’ll keep your cocktail nice and cold while you’re outside grilling in the summer heat!

We’ll be trying them out next week (it’s supposed to be in the 80s around here!) and we’ll let you know how they are! (Click the image for more info if you want some of your own.)