Menus and Memoirs of a Yacht Chef

About the Book

Thai prawn coconut soup served in a coconut shell, followed by steaming, aromatic osso buco on creamy potato celeriac and French beans almondine, with Belgian flourless chocolate torte on crème sabayon for dessert. This is just one of many menus I created for a yacht during my adventures at sea.

Throughout my years working as a chef on private yachts, I have often been asked, “What kinds of meals are served on these luxurious yachts?” This cookbook answers that question, providing many of the recipes and menus that I have used on board yachts. Each of the ten chapters describes a yacht and its worldwide cruising destination—and the full-course menus and individual recipes that were created on the journey. The ingredients, dishes, and wines reflect the specialties that are enjoyed in each region of the world.

Whether you prepare an entire meal or design your own menu using one of the many recipes in this book, you’ll find the recipes clear and easy to follow. They are written in simple terms, using measurements, equipment, and ingredients that can be found in most kitchens.

All of the courses have been wine-paired by a professional wine connoisseur from Total Wine and More®. Suggestions for wine options cover a variety of price ranges, so you can have a great wine for a modest price or be decadent for a special meal.

You don’t have to leave your home to enjoy a travel-inspired gourmet meal. Cruise with me on the Mexican Sea of Cortez and enjoy grilled mahi mahi with cilantro and pumpkin seed pesto, experience green-lipped mussels in New Zealand’s Bay of Islands, and savor the sweet tangy taste of an award-winning key lime pie in the Bahamas.

Bon appétit!

Experience the adventure of worldwide travel by creating delicious, gourmet meals in your own kitchen or galley.

About the Author

Marianne has spent the last 20 years traveling, cooking, and working in the hospitality industry around the world, mostly on yachts. She owned her own sailboat for 15 of these years, and sailed with her husband, crew, or single handed from Florida to Australia.

In the early nineties Marianne began cooking professionally on sailing yacht charters in the Caribbean. She later lived in Honduras and Guatemala where she managed yacht clubs and resorts, including their restaurants and bars.

In 2001 Marianne began working as a chef onboard motor yachts, and received Yacht and Estate Chef training in 2003. She has since worked on motor yachts up to 153 feet in length worldwide.

She has achieved ongoing acclaim for her ability to “bring it on”, and has won the “Best Dessert” award at the British Virgin Island Yacht Charter Broker Show in 2005 with her key lime pie.

She and her husband now have a small catering business in BC, Canada in the summers, and a winter home in the Bahamas.