[John Cassels]

Have long wanted to start this thread, rather dear to my heart (and stomach).
Most of us have sailed on pretty terrible feaders but on average the majority
were pretty good. Even in the 60's on the Denholm ore carriers, the food was rather good. A favourite entree was "Kromeski a la Russe .which was just a sausage wrapped in bacon the deep fried. Seemed simple but tasted great after a day on deck. Another favourite entree was devilled kidney on toast. Even after 40 years trying I've never been able to make it the same way.
Remember braised steak and onions. With a slab of bread to mop up the gravy, you hardly needed a main course. When I was super,once visited one of our ships around lunchtime. Main course was mince pie,peas and chips.
Having eaten in some fancy places all over the world,I swear I have never
enjoyed a meal like that. Ch,cook said the lads needed something to soak up the lunchtime beers.
The point of this rigamole is; seeing some of the food which is dished out nowadays in restaurants, I don't think we fared so badly. Most of us will have pretty fond memories of good feeders.
I have even tried to get hold of a copy of the Merchant navy cookery book written by a chap called (I think) Atkinson, but still no success.
Perhaps RUUD will be able to contribute.
Anyone got any good old fashioned MN recepies?.

JC

 

[John Cassels]

Anyone ever heard of the book I mentioned in my introduction and if so where
I can get hold of a copy ?.

JC

 

[John Cassels]

Thanks your input Ruud.
As far as I can recall , it was a name like Charles Henry Atkinson or very similar.
It gave all the old well remembered MN food>

Rgds

JC

 

[John Cassels]

Great to see all the input to this thread.
In Denholms it seemed (no matter what ship you were on) that the Sunday menu
main courses were roast chicken for lunch and steak & chips for dinner.
I retrospect , I think we had it good for those days. Still hoping to be able to find
out how to make devilled kidneys the way I remember them.
David, thanks info re the nautical cookery book - it's the first solid lead I've had in a long time.
Ruud ;next time your cooking on of your MN banquets , give me a call. I can't be too
far away from you.

rgds to all.

JC

 

[John Cassels]

Made Kromeski a la russe this evening for dinner.

Wife not amused , can anyone put me up for a couple of nights?.

JC

 

[John Cassels]

Pete , just reading that menu takes one back to all those x-mases at sea.
Pity restaurants don't have menus like that.

Mike , great receipe , one to try out. Thanks.

JC

 

[John Cassels]

Happy days indeed Derek, reminds me ............

JC

 

[John Cassels]

In holland they call it "snert ". Any help ?.

 

[John Cassels]

Hands up who liked pea soup and sippets? It turns out you can still get it if you ask for "croutons".

Duncan, is it possible the BP Chief Steward who invented Turkey Kazwalla moved to P&OCL with you? Personally, I reckon the best part of the turkey is the gobble.

John T.

Yes John , Pea soup and sippets - a classic.
Bye the bye , still hoping someone can tell me how to make devilled kidney.
Have tried numerous times but still cannot get it to taste like it used to be.

 

[John Cassels]

I'm sure the devilled kidney we got served on toast was out of a tin, John.
Used to be able to get it in Tesco's but not sure now what with the mad cow scare and offal, etc.

That would be great Kris , except that we don't have Tesco's over here.
( remember a previous thread).
Maybe something else for the shopping list when we're back in the UK in
April !.
Good new year to you.

 

[John Cassels]

I'm sure the devilled kidney we got served on toast was out of a tin, John.
Used to be able to get it in Tesco's but not sure now what with the mad cow scare and offal, etc.

Kris ; Tried everywhere , Tesco's in Greenock and the new super Tesco in
Port Glasgow . Even tried Asda , Morrisons and Saisburys but no devilled
kidney.
Filled the car up with Frey Bentos steak and kidney pies though !!.

 

[John Cassels]

Yes John , Fray Bentos were indeed part of the Vesty group.

Like you , they are nowhere to be found in Holland so took the chance to
fill up when we were back in UK.
In fact , any sort of meat pies are not part of Dutch Cuisine !.

 

[John Cassels]

Thanks John , but mayonaise on chips is one Dutch custom I have not taken
over.

Must admit , the Dutch customs guy at Ijmuiden did give me a strange look
when he looked in the boot and saw what I had brought back !!!.

 

[John Cassels]

Jim , thanks for the recepies......... great stuff.

 

[John Cassels]

Hello John.Yes i still have a copy of this book,and i was with denholms for many years.Still some good old fashion receipts in it. Reg alex clark

Thanks Alex ; might ask you for a few recepies some time.

 

[John Cassels]

John, I believe we sailed together as 2nd & 3rd Mate on NAESS TALISMAN (Capt. George Paton) 1967-8. A Panamax Bulkcarrier, worldwide trading, wonderful. I retired 7.6.2010 (this week) as Marine Superintendent at one of Libya's main oil & gas exporting Terminals. Talking about food! I joined my 1st ship in 1962, a P.& O. cargo ship, a seperate menu for each meal, probably 7 courses, but the number of different names that could be given to similar types, for example of cooked potatoes, always surprised me. The food on NAESS TALISMAN was not very good but on my next ship, NAESS SOVEREIGN, it was good. I served on ARISAIG & CRINAN and finished my career with J & J Denholms when I joined the OBO, SPEYBRIDGE as a new ship in Japan. The food & life on modern oiltankers, and no doubt most other ships is pretty awful. Regards David Booth.

David , welcome to the site.

Yes by goodness , we did sail together - Naess Talisman witn George Paton as Master and Mike Feltham as Mate.
Did I not come and visit you after we got home , Macclesfield was it not ?.

 

[John Cassels]

Sorry David , it was Bob ( R.M.) Paton not George Paton.

He was relieved by "Black Duncan" MacDonald on the trip we went up to Puerto Ordaz.

 

[John Cassels]

See the thread I started years ago - Merchant Navy Fare .

 

[John Cassels]

Those Fray Bentos steak and kidney pies were pretty good too. Never had one on a ship though. Mind you, I never had jugged hare on a ship either. Come to think of it, I've never had jugged hare anywhere.

John T

Always bring a supply of FB steak & kidney pies back after a UK trip
John. Great food and they keep for years ! ,