Plum Cornmeal Cake

On the hook in Pelican Bay — a remarkably beautiful 85% protected anchorage on the southeast corner of Dauphin Island at the mouth of Mobile Bay — this was supposed to be dessert at dinner our first night.  But the incredibly long and harrowing passage (getting INTO a narrow-inlet barrier island anchorage in a boat…

Hot Cross Buns for Easter

Happy Good Friday to you!  Lent is almost over (we should all have given up pandemics…) and the resurrection is upon us, so time for a warming, homey, traditional holiday recipe.  Hot cross buns are typically British.  A wonderful nautical bit of lore: The Widow’s Son pub in Bromley-by-Bow had a Royal Navy sailor hang…

French Baguettes

Tough times we are in right now. The stores are cleaned out of everything….including bread. But who would have guessed, my SKIPPER would come to the rescue on SV Night Town. He spends little time in the galley, and I’m honestly ok with that. I don’t really like him nosing around in my lockers for…

Rice Calas

Joyeux Mardi Gras mes cheres!  It’s a cold and rainy day before Samedi Gras here in New Orleans — something outsiders don’t appreciate, that Mardi Gras weather is DICEY.  So rather than traipsing around the French Quarter in the cold rain, this Pirate is holed up in her warm galley making rice calas.  These are…

Shrimp Tacos With Homemade Flour Tortillas

Ahhhhh, Memorial Day weekend.  Start of summer, and glorious galley adventures.  And what better on-board tribute to the day than to feed and float a recently retired Coast Guard Captain?  While Capt. Kevin and his son Brandon were our guests of honor for the day on Night Town, Doug is still the skipper…and requested SPICY. …

Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead)

Happy Halloween! It’s that time of year again when Galley Pirates celebrates Día de Muertos, the Mexican holiday that honors the dead from Oct. 31–Nov. 2. Last year we brought you Chicken Mole, hauntingly spicy enough to raise the dead as they’re begging for beer. This year is the traditional Pan de Muerto or Bread of the Dead.…

Bowline Pretzels with Pirate Mustard Sauce

Yes, all you Galley Pirates out there know how to tie a bowline, right? It’s just part of being a sailor. But how many times have you had to tie a bowline…NOW…when you have a complete brain freeze and start rehearsing “…rabbit through the hole? around the tree? up the hole? or is it a…

Stuffing Stuffed Biscuits

This is a great accompaniment to any Thanksgiving turkey you were not able to stuff traditionally, such as the Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast or deep-fried turkey that you landlubbers love. You get all the flavor of stuffing in one little easy-to-eat biscuit. And they are not only easy to eat, but very easy to make.…

Scones with Blueberries and Preserved Lemon

So what is a pirate to do when they wake up craving scones but the New Orleans weather is more Panama Canal than English Chanel?  Turn up the galley fan to combat the 400-degree oven, load them with fruit and serve them cold with a salad.  A pirate shan’t be denied her baked goods.  I…