Ever since Cruising World‘s premier issue in 1974, the People & Food column has been a popular platform for sailors and cooks everywhere to share their favorite onboard recipes. In early years, the recipes were accepted and published largely as written, with photos of the cooks who submitted them.
As the column evolved, we realized three things: There’s a huge difference between knowing a recipe by heart and committing it accurately to paper. There’s nothing more annoying than provisioning for a recipe and faithfully following the instructions, only to discover that it doesn’t really work as written. And it’s helpful for prospective cooks to see a photo of the finished dish.
Hence, about 10 years ago we began testing the recipes before publication, making any needed adjustments, then photographing the finished dish. As the longtime editor of the column, I took on that job, and I continue to enjoy interacting with readers who’ve submitted recipes as much as I delight in making and photographing each dish.
Now, in the age of the Internet and online media, we’ve decided to update the column again. In each issue, we’re publishing symbols designed to tell you at a glance how long a recipe takes to make, whether it can be prepared while under way or is best crafted at anchor, and its overall level of difficulty.
After you try the recipes on your own boat, you’ll be able to go online to rate them and add your comments. I’ll also post comments and tips after making each recipe.
To post a rating and comment online, click on the People pulldown menu at the top of this page and select People & Food. There you’ll find the recipe from the current issue as well as all the recipes that have appeared in the column in recent years—and some online extras, as well! To post a comment or rate a recipe, log in with your user name and password.
Call it interactive media, call it a Boat-Foodie’s Forum—either way, it’ll be fun and useful, and we look forward to your input.
Send Us Your Recipes
To submit a recipe for People & Food, email an anecdote related to cooking it on board along with the recipe/method itself to CW People & Food editor Lynda Morris Childress (lyndachildress@yahoo.com).
