S/V CISNE

I’m convinced that some of the world’s best recipes are the product of someone trying to avoid throwing out old bread. Stale bread, yesterday’s rice, last week’s tortillas; every country has a leftover starch problem. The recipes that result are a testament to the resourcefulness and creativity of it’s inhabitants. I came across this realization while in Venezuela, when I discovered the arepa (precooked corn cakes stuffed with meats and cheeses) has no good use once it has cooled down. Clearly there is something really wrong here.

Harina Pan, precooked corn meal used to make arepas From Los Roques 2009

Mexicans have evolved this art tremendously. From corn comes tortillas comes tortilla chips comes chilaquiles and tortilla soup. Chilaquiles use tortilla chips, sautéed with salsa, eggs and sometimes black beans or avocado. The dish is eaten for breakfast. You would never guess it was a foil for leftovers. Old tortillas, once fried, can also become a vehicle for ceviche or huevos rancheros. Enchiladas are just gussied up stale ones. There is a version of Mexican lasagne similar to enchiladas, but layered. I could go on and on just about Mexico.

Italians turn leftover risotto into arrancini, deep fried risotto balls, often stuffed with a chunk of cheese. Leftover pasta can be made into a pasta frittata (as can leftover risotto), thrown into minestrone, or turned into pasta salad. Ribollata, meaning “reboiled” is a soup made with beans, kale and old bread. Traditionally, it is the third incarnation of minestrone. Italians are no strangers to leftovers

In Spain, the loveliest use for old bread is gazpacho. Most people have tried classic gazpacho, but a lesser known version is white gazpacho, made with peeled almonds and grapes.

In Japan, (also China and Taiwan), congee is rice porridge often eaten for breakfast. I suspect it and sushi may have first evolved out of inventions for leftover rice. Versions of rice pudding are found all over the world – with cinnamon, coconut milk, and many different varieties of rice.

Here in the Cisne galley, crostini is one of my favorite uses for old bread. Thinly sliced and toasted, these mini ovals can now be used as a vehicle for many appetizers. One of my favorites toppings is broiled feta with red pepper relish. Traditionally, french onion soup is served over a crostini with melted gruyere. A good boullibaise, or fish stew, should be served with crostini for dipping. In the summer there is bread salad, which is like salad with giant semi-hard croutons. The croutons absorb the vinaigrette. Especially delicious in the summer when eggplant, tomatoes, basil and cucumbers are in season.

French toast, as it’s called in the states, is a dish that is made just about everywhere in the world. There is no clear knowledge of who invented it, although the oldest recipe is linked to a 4th century Roman cookbook attributed to Apicius. Here’s a killer one: Stuffed French Toast with lemon and blueberries. I suppose I should mention bread pudding too, although 9 out of 10 aren’t worth talking about.

Speaking of inferior grain recipes, there is matzah. Perhaps matzah balls are a use for leftover matzah? Matzah is a bit harder to understand, since it tastes stale even when fresh. Here is an example of the leftover being clearly superior to the “fresh” product. While we’re on the subject of Jewish food, I must acknowledge bagel chips, often served along side a bowl of matzah ball soup in the better delis. Two leftover breads in one meal!

What is your favorite use for leftovers?

Does living on a sailboat bring out everyone’s inner grandmother? The lady who could kill chickens with one wrist flick. Well, my grandmother is a sexy lady who knows more about decorating, cashmere and oil paints then chickens, but I guess these things skip a few generations.

At work I used to daydream about having a backyard with fig, lemon and plum trees, and cupboards full of preserves. A few goats for cheese and bacon pigs completed the fantasy.

Little did I know that decades before my grandma years, I’d get the opportunity to let that little old lady inside of me have some fun.

Blessed with infinite amounts of free time and no paid employment, I find myself with a new challenge: eat well for as little as possible. In Berkeley the challenge had been to eat well with minimal effort.

Unlike my ficticious Grandma, I’m not yet swinging chickens, but gutting, scaling and clobbering fish to death is up there. I’ve dried the fish on deck, jarred them with oil and vinegar, and pickled them in ceviche. Last week I hammmered holes in a beautiful pink conch shell to extract the crying slug inside and eat it raw with lime and beer. The meat tastes like buttery coconut.

Sondra and conch “before” shot                    From Los Roques

Truth be told, we are still pathetic rookies at harvesting the fruits of the sea. We’ve had better luck getting seafood with cigarettes and cash than a fishing pole. Shopping in town today I resisted buying fish, forcing us (read: Eddy) to find it ourselves. We have managed to catch lobster and other docile bottom feeders, but the fish have eaten all our bait, fattened themselves on our compost, and still refuse to turn over one of their own. That is unless you count the little baby fish Eddy murdered. Now that we’ve found the tip to the speargun, things should change soon.

Eddy and his first catch                                   From Los Roques

Of all my cheap grandma pleasures, baking bread is most gratifying. It reminds me of the Arizmendi years; dark early mornings spent churning out yeasty treats, drinking too much coffee, and blaring the Scissor Sisters while the Bay Area slept. My favorite recipes on the boat are Potato Bread, Honey Whole Wheat and Lime Banana Bread. Serving fresh bread to visitors greatly increases popularity in anchorages, resulting in new friendships and the occasional companion for single crew members.

While I admit to sometimes feigning Canadian to avoid diatribes on the U.S., when it comes to Peanut Butter I’m a proud Gringa. As a way to punish us North American Imperialists, the stuff is prohibitively pricey abroad. Aboard I’ve discovered a cheaper solution, pureeing salted roasted peanuts with a bit of vegetable oil. This works at least in Venezuela, where peanuts are cheap. In my farm house someday I’ll have a the special grinder, the old fashioned one…not the one at Fancy Grocery stores. In our floating home, energy supply dictates if it’ll be crunchy or creamy.

Being that most jams are also a luxury item*, I’ve discovered how to make a quick version out of dried figs. Simmer them with a bit of water, honey, cognac, orange juice and zest, and puree.

Another staple we’ve yet to find a good version of is hot chile sauce. It’s fun to buy a fistful of the freshest looking local chiles, take them home, roast with onions and tomatoes, peel and find out how spicy they are. Even with the addition of vinegar, and a bit of sugar, some sauces must be doled out with a toothpick, while the milder ones disappear quickly, by the spoonful.

Probably the most prized appliance in the kitchen of any modern prairie grandma is the mini food processor (thank you wind generator), in close ranks with the pressure cooker. In mere half hours, with minimal cooking gas utilized, the cooker turns out beans for hummus, yuca for frying, and Venezuela’s version of Brisket, Carne Mechada.

As there are no good Jewish delis in the neighborhood, I’ve adapted my craving for old world pickles to the new world. Spicy Pickled Slaw is our new staple. This is the Caribbean’s answer to sauerkraut. Cabbage is the vegetable that hangs out in the far bottom corner of the fridge, patiently waiting for all others to get used or go bad. I have a new reverence for the cruciferous marvel. The slaw goes great with grilled meats, fish and last but not least on tropical hot dogs (hey, you can’t deny your roots). If I’m feeling really ambitious I’ll make some Ginger Beer and Potato Bread Hot Dog buns to go along with it.

Next, inner grandma hopes to tackle sourdough starter, homemade crackers, yogurt cheese and vinegar.

* Apart from gasoline, rum, and arepa flour, everything in Venezuela can now be called a luxury.

Eddy and his homemade lobster sling                                              From Los Roques