From My WindowIssue Date: February 23, 2022Jane Thibodeau Martin Boat Cook
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"At suppertime the old cook came on deck saying "fellows, it's too rough to feed you." "At seven p.m. the main hatchway gave in, he said "fellows, it's been good to know ya." " ?? Gordon Lightfoot, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."
I have been fascinated my whole life with the big freight boats on the Great Lakes (always called "boats," and not "ships" like their ocean-going sisters.) I spend some time keeping up with the lakers via some shipwatching facebook sites, and on one of them began following regular posts from a woman who is a chef on Canadian lakers. She's a talented cook and writer who has great enthusiasm for her highly unusual occupation.
I was excited when she announced she was creating a cookbook based on her onboard work, and ordered a copy which arrived right after Christmas. I just love her story of interesting foods, a lifestyle that is utterly different from what most of us know, and the "travelogue" of her observations as her boats go port to port around the lakes. It helps that she's irrepressibly optimistic and funny, too.
The book contains "down-sized" versions of her onboard cooking, where she feeds as many as 25. On boats with bigger crews, she is given a helper, but on most of the boats she works on, she's the chief cook, galley housekeeper, dish washer, orders the groceries three weeks at a time and everything else involved with keeping the crew fed. She makes it a point to welcome crew special requests, including vegetarian accommodation, ethnic foods for those from other cultures and healthy options for diabetics, weight watchers and other special needs.
Her days normally span 12 working hours, seven days a week, for stints of many weeks or even months at a time. When her day is done, she goes "home" to her little room on the boat with a bunk, desk, chair and private bathroom. Think about that ?? there is no "punch out and go home" for her. She must stay on board. If the weather is fair she can walk the decks for exercise, and if there will be a lengthy port stay due to loading or unloading, she can sometimes get off for an hour or two, if she can do so while keeping up with her duties. Since the crew members work equally long hours without time off; calling to order takeout, making their own food or going to a restaurant are out of the question for them if they get tired of the cook's food. It is up to her to keep them happy with their onboard meals which take on outsized importance in such a restricted environment. Crews don't have a whole lot else to look forward to, and she takes this responsibility seriously. Nothing makes a crew grumpier than substandard food.
Every morning she rises early and preps standard breakfast items, and then acts as a short order cook for two hours. Lunch always includes three options ?? normally a homemade soup, a sandwich and a hot meal plate plus sides and dessert. Dinner is always two options and a fancier dessert choice. Then she stocks a refrigerator with snacks and leftovers for the overnight crew. I have worked long hours at points in my life but nothing like this. What astonishes me the most is how she handles the menu planning, which must precede the grocery order, which was placed as much as three weeks before she starts cooking while staying within her budget. No running to the store to get something you forgot to order. You have to be a marvel of creativity and organization to pull it off while cooking and baking as much as she does. It usually takes me longer to decide WHAT to make than I spend actually making it!
The cookbook is illustrated with her photos of the boats she works on, crew's accommodations, the galley, the lovely scenery so typical of the beautiful Great Lakes, and the food pictures, which are guaranteed to make you hungry. Many of the dishes are original, and she makes most of her own sauces and dressings.
She also addresses some of the challenges: two days before a new "three week's" grocery order will arrive, when her stores are depleted, an unexpected breakdown keeps them at anchor for two extra days waiting to unload ?? delaying her grocery delivery. She always manages to scramble and find something without complaining, and no one is the wiser. She also addresses those times she gets a phone call of warning from the ship's master that rough weather will arrive shortly, sending her scurrying around strapping down chairs and bracing doors; other times the uncomfortable boat rolling starts with no warning, and she has pictures of the mess in her galley that results.
It is interesting she has a sister who has also been employed as a chef on a laker, and their joy when their ships were occasionally in the same port and they could steal a few hours together.
She's "ashore" now for a brief vacation until shipping begins again in a few weeks after icebreaking starts and the locks re-open. That means I am missing her frequent "on-board" posts, but they will return soon. While her occupation as a cook is different than that of the other crewmembers, their lifestyle is similar to hers, with no weekends or holidays off; lengthy absences from home and little or no time on shore during shipping season. I found myself wondering what in the world would happen if she got sick on a trip and was unable to cook ?? she has no one to cover for her, and I'd find that a heavy mental burden to bear.
A few notes about the food ?? she's creative and has unique twists on many old favorites we are familiar with, but also has an inventory of interesting ethnic foods and of course, some Canadian favorites new to me. She uses some ingredients we won't be able to find by brand name but substitutes can be found for nearly all the recipes I've read. I have already tried her cole slaw dressing which contains maple syrup and Dijon mustard ?? very different, and Mike and I both liked it.
I enjoy my peeks into Catherine's day. We don't often recognize the contributions of hard-working people like her. She's ever so much more than just a cook, and I really think with her can-do attitude she'd excel at whatever she chose to do. Authoring a cookbook is a good example of that. And it is very intriguing to me to be able to "walk in someone else's shoes" as they work. Doubt I could keep a sunny disposition as well as she does. "Ship to Shore Chef" by Catherine Schmuck ?? "recipes and stories as I sail through my day." The book is self-published and not inexpensive, but if you'd like to learn more you can find her at www.shiptoshorechef.com.
You can reach me for commentary, alternative viewpoints or ideas at this e-mail address: JanieTMartin@gmail.com.
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