Roughing it in the Caribbean

"Can I have my chateaubriande without the reduction sauce ?"

People equate sailing with "roughing it"..........eating hardtack, rotten vegetables, and warm beer. But whether on the boat or anchored off an island, we eat like kings, or at least the Foodies we aspire to be.

On the boat, we have 3 refrigerators, a microwave, an oven, a gas grill, rice cookers, etc.......every gadget imaginable. And Kirstin has a photographic memory for grocery stores on islands so if there is a shop somewhere selling tandoori sauce or mango pickle, she will find it.

But living (and getting) large also involves being in the right place. The island of Redondo ? Not much except a plague of 5000 large black rats......who can swim short distances. Yuck. Grande Case on the French side of St. Martin ? Great indoor restaurants as well as outdoor barbecue places called "lo-los"............local folk making amazing barbecued everything.

My daily ration of  pomme tarte

Our morning routine involves having breakfast (pastries too) at the local french patisserie called Sarafina. It has been in Marigot for over 80 years and is asight to behold - mountains of pastries, breads you can only dream of in the US and sandwiches that are a long way from Subway.

The contradiction is that our fine food is paired with wine that could charitably be called "cheap". We buy cheap wine largely because we have learned via much experience that one out of every four bottles of wine (of any price) will be vinegar. Not to play into a stereotype that MAY or may not be true, but the Chinese owned supermarkets enjoy a reputation for cutting corners and selling things well past their expiration date. Last night I opened a screwtop bottle of chardonnay and was greeted by the explosion normally associated with champagne. Sign.......over the side with it. Anyway, in a sign that times are changing, as we were buying two diet cokes from the same Chinese vendor, he quickly apoligized and refunded my $4.75 !!!!! Maybe this concept of brand management and investing in the customer is finally catching on.........can a high end fashion show in some Chinese city with too many X's in its name be far behind ?

We will soon need weight watchers if we "rough it" much longer.