HAUTE CUISINE AFLOAT : CUISINE OF THE CARIBBEAN
Local yacht charter experts can help you plan your vacation with the finest chefs on the world’s waters. Mike Gorman likes to say that he began cooking for others “purely defensively.” He found his stomach grumbling on a camping trip in the 1970s, but when he checked for snacks, there were only sardines and saltines. “I volunteered to be provisioner and cook on all future trips,” he recalls, “and I discovered I loved it.”
|
|
It’s funny how meandering spirits like Gorman eventually cross paths with their fate. He never was able to settle down, inasmuch as that implies choosing a plot of land and opening a restaurant to rave reviews, but he did graduate from the prestigious Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland before making a home by purchasing a 51-foot sailing yacht in the 1980s.
He called her Graunya, modified the galley to allow for gourmet food preparation, and set about offering charter yacht vacations to anyone who wanted to go exploring with him in the Caribbean. Along the way, he honed his cooking skills as an apprentice to world-renowned chefs on St. Martin including Mario Tardif of Mario’s Bistro in Marigot and Pascale Chevillot of Restaurant Cha Cha Cha in Grand Case—thus feeding his innate need to feed others while staying true to his adventurous soul.
And he’s not alone. A lot of curious cooks have dared to step offshore and explore the world by boat, all the while collecting new spices and recipes that they can share with anyone who chooses to vacation onboard with them.
|
Forget about the Wolfgang Puck restaurants opening to great fanfare aboard cruise ships. Cancel your reservations at Zagat’s latest waterfront darling in paradise. If you truly want to experience haute cuisine afloat, then the place to book your next vacation is aboard a charter yacht.
|
"The food aboard a charter yacht is comparable to a 5 star restaurant.
Combined with beautiful scenery of the Islands, a secluded anchorage, and a
warm tropical breeze on your own private yacht the experience is unforgettable.
It is absolutely amazing the quality of the food paired with
immaculate presentation. You will find yourself wondering what is in store
for the next meal. Having been on several Charters and experiencing the cuisine first hand with both my friends and my family I can assure you this is an experience that you will not find anywhere else." explains Gail Hartman, broker for Virgin Island Sailing.
|
|
The wandering bug didn’t catch Jayne Taylor until well after her children were grown and exploring the world on their own, but still, the mother of two has found her way into the world Gorman discovered so long ago.
|
|
To offer guests dishes they will not soon forget, Taylor relies on her extensive background of personal travel throughout Europe, as well as the two decades she spent owning and operating a catering business in Washington, D.C.—cooking for places like the Brazilian, Italian and Mexican embassies. “From the smallest of kitchens came the mightiest of meals,” one guest gushed after a cruise, remarking on Taylor’s five-cubic-foot refrigerator and limited preparation space, which are typical aboard some charter sailboats (larger yachts have massive galleys with marble countertops, eat-in areas, and even cappuccino and ice-cream making machines). Taylor now serves as chef aboard the 44-foot sailing catamaran Andiamo, where she and her husband, Andiamo’s captain, try “to make each day a new eating experience” for charter guests. From within her sailboat galley’s confines—which roll with the waves while she’s cooking—Taylor manages to create the same kinds of dishes she put out while teaching at Ecole de Cuisine D’Hubert in Paris and St. Barts, and co-writing the cookbook Les Recettes aux Cacahuetes d’Hubert with the renowned Chef Hubert from France. |
| Tuscan Fish Soup is one of her favorites, teeming with clams, shrimp, and whatever whitefish the captain can find swimming nearby during a cruise. |
"When I speak to a client after their charter has been completed they always comment on how wonderful the food was, not only delicious but the presentation was superb and they always comment how it was one of the highlights of the charter and how they looked forward to dinner everynight to see what magic the chef has preformed each night. They are amazed at how the chefs coordinate not only their food likes and dislikes but also any dietary restrictions and the personalization and attention to detail that they achieve. All of this in a tiny galley." says Hartman.
The most impressive challenge that most charter yacht chefs overcome is adjusting to the tastes of whatever guests they have onboard each week. Charter yachts are not like cruise ships; there is no set menu, such as “Tuesday is Latin night.” Instead, yacht chefs ask their guests to share their preferences before even coming aboard. Then, the chefs stock their tiny galleys with all of the guests’ favorite ingredients and try to produce ever-more-sumptuous meals as the week’s vacation goes on.
|
|
“Cooking for the same people every day is difficult since you as a chef have to change,” explain Walter and Lela Wegmann, who, with third crewman Tommy Saviane, run the 48-foot sailing yacht Belline II and have been featured as experts on the Food Network’s “Treasures of the Caribbean” show. “Your guests’ tastes aren’t going to change. Flexibility, humor and excellent knowledge are the keywords for galley success. You want to hold your reputation, but always have the meals getting better and better.” |
|
|
One of their favorite dishes is Saviane’s recipe for tiramisu, served Italian style based on his training in a Tuscany villa culinary institute. The ingredients include mascarpone cheese, German chocolate, white chocolate, and Amaretto—about as decadent as a dessert can get. Gorman, too, likes to leave his guests feeling a sweet finish, and he often turns to an Apple Cake recipe made with whole wheat flour to give it a hearty feel. He even coordinates his desserts with whatever mood has been set for the guests on deck, creating a “theme night,” as it is known in the charter industry. Some yachts create “Pirate Nights” with Caribbean-style stews and treasure chests full of chocolate coins, while others decorate for “Under the Sea” night and serve delicious main entrees of fish—whatever they think that particular week’s guests might enjoy most.
“We always attempt to coordinate the pre-dinner cocktails, table linen, music and wine with the theme of the meal, be it Italian, Mexican or French,” Gorman says. “Meals, especially the evening one, are the highlight of most charter days.” Which means that chefs like Gorman, Taylor and the Belline II trio are the main reason most charter yacht guests become repeat clients, booking a new sailing vacation every year.
|
"Some of the chefs on a Charter Yacht have been to the best culinary schools
in the world, you wont find them in a fancy restaurant but on your own
private yacht, they do not have the big kitchens and help from a complete
kitchen staff and yet they produce tantalizing meals with presentation that
you see in gourmet magazines. You cant help but to wonder "how do they do
it"? It is without a doubt the icing on the cake!
Whether it is the smell of pastries baking in the morning that you wake up
to or ending the day with a absolutely wonderful desert , the food on a
Charter Yacht is an experience that is not to be missed." explains Gail Hartman.
Recipes
Kim Kavin, editor of www.CharterWave.com
|
Web Masters and Bloggers, feel free to link to any of our articles.
Did you enjoy this article?
Please post your comments, suggestions or additions by submitting the form below.
Please note that we will not use your email address for any other purposes.
|  2216 Lakeshore Drive Nokomis FL 34275 USA Phone: (800) 382-9666 • (941) 966-9387 Toll Free Secure Fax: (866) 813-1230 • Secure Fax: (212) 500-0028 Yachts with crews brought to you by Virgin Island Sailing, Ltd. It is our pleasure to serve you. Tom DeMartine Proprietor We are Members of:  Copyright © Virgin Island Sailing Ltd. | |
|---|
|
|
