From Sea to Fork
By: Scott Singer
Tags: Recipe

Some people make a point to eat at specific restaurants, order specific dishes, make certain recipes and even travel to certain places all because of food. These people have a name, and they are “foodies.” The foodie mindset correlates with the traveler mindset: traveling to new places and experiencing new things.

I am a travel journalist who specializes in the cruise industry. My job is to go on cruises to show people what they can expect onboard a cruise ship and ashore in the ports. A common trend I have noticed in the past year or so, is the emphasis of food onboard cruise ships. The reason: foodies. In its unique way, the cruise industry is starting to feel the effect of the foodie revolution that has overtaken Sacramento and other cities on dry land. But you do not have to set sail to enjoy these delicious meals from the high seas. Let me and my fellow travelers show you how to recreate worldwide cuisines at your home in Sacramento for under $20.

Me enjoying a bowl of Dutch Pea Soup out on deck in Glacier Bay, AK. (Photo by Scott Singer)

Dutch Pea Soup

Anna Haynie on top of a glacier in Juneau, AK. (Photo by Anna Haynie)

I met Anna Haynie, a self-proclaimed foodie and travel lover, this past year while she was preparing to go on her first cruise. Of the many questions she had, a lot of them pertained to the dining options onboard. “When researching for my most recent cruise, I definitely took a look at the dining options on the ships,” Haynie told me. “In addition, I also explored various vlogs from fellow cruisers’ opinions about the dining options. I found this immensely helpful to be able to see both the physical dining venues and the food.”

She also wondered if her picky mother would find the food appealing, how would the dining venues compare to land based restaurants such as Localis and The Firehouse Restaurant in Sacramento, and how fresh would the ingredients be.

Let’s just say, the food onboard did not disappoint!

“My favorite food on the ship was the Dutch Pea Soup that was served on the glacier viewing day in Glacier Bay,” Haynie said. “There was something about having a hearty, flavorful bowl of warm soup while standing on deck and viewing the natural majesty of Marjorie Glacier.”

Since being back on dry land, Haynie has been wanting to recreate that flavorful bowl of pea soup. Thankfully, the soup is very easy to make and perfect for college students since its inexpensive and there will be lots of leftovers.

A flavorful bowl of Dutch Pea Soup (Photo by Anna Haynie)

Ingredients:

-1 lb. (454 g) dried split peas ($1.99)

-8 C (1,893 ml) low sodium chicken broth ($2.50)

-1 Med. onion, diced ($1.49)

-1 ham hock, about 1 lb. (454 g) ($2.99)

-1 bay leaf ($3.74)

-2 tsp (10 g) salt ($1.15)

-1½ tsp (7 g) pepper ($1.49)

-8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled ($3.99)

Directions:

First, you are going to want to clean and rinse peas then place them in a medium stockpot with chicken broth. Next, bring it to a boil over high heat; then reduce to low and simmer for 10 minutes. You are then going to want to add: onion, hock, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Make sure to stir and combine those ingredients. You are then going to want to reduce the heat to low and cook the peas for about 40 minutes until they are soft and creamy. Make sure to stir them often to prevent burning. You can add water or additional broth if the soup thickens too much. Lastly, remove the ham hock; pull the meat off, chop and add those things back to soup. To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with bacon.

Prep time: 5 minutes.

Cook time: 42 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

As you can see, this recipe makes 8 servings of soup which means lots of leftovers can be brought to school and warmed up to enjoy on one of these cold, winter days. This meal costed $19.34 which is only $2.42 per meal! All of these ingredients can be found at your local Raley’s supermarket.

Dry-Rubbed Ribeye Steak

Arylnn Funderburk dining at a specialty restauarnt on one of her cruises. (Photo by Arlynn Funderburk)

For those Sacramento State students looking to have an inexpensive date night at home, travel blogger Arlynn Funderburk’s favorite cruise dish can help. On most of her cruises, she and her husband dine at the specialty restaurants since they love the food and experiences they provide. “We have celebrated many birthdays, anniversaries and my husband’s retirement at the Princess Cruises specialty steakhouse-it’s our favorite restaurant onboard,” she said. One of her favorite dishes is dry-rubbed rib-eye steak.

Dry-Rubbed Ribeye Steak (Photo by Arlynn Funderburk)

Ingredients:

-2 two-inch thick cut beef ribeye steaks, bone in ($12.99)

-Extra virgin olive oil as needed ($2.50)

-1/2 C dry porcini mushroom, finely ground until a powder ($1.99)

-2 T brown sugar ($1.18)

-1 T ground black pepper ($0.99)

-2 tsp red chili flake ($1.15)

-1 T kosher salt ($1.29)

-2 tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt) ($1.15)

-1 lemon ($0.50)

-2 C arugula, loosely packed ($2.49)

-Lge. flake sea salt ($1.19)

-Freshly ground black pepper ($1.66)

Directions:

First, you are going to want to coat the ribeye steaks in extra virgin olive oil and set them aside. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining rub ingredients and thoroughly rub, dry mix, onto the surface of each olive oil coated steak. Next, place the steaks in a zip top plastic bag, while eliminating as much air as possible, or wrap thoroughly in plastic wrap and place them in a container that will hold them flat. Leave the steaks in the refrigerator overnight, though preferably leave them in for two nights turning once per day.

When you are ready to cook them, preheat a grill to medium. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let them drain off any accumulated liquid. Next, pat the steaks with a dry paper towel to eliminate any remaining liquid, but be careful not to wipe off all the rub. Let the steaks get to room temperature before grilling them to your desired degree of tenderness. Finally, remove the steaks from the grill and wait a few minutes before cutting them.

For the garnish, cut the lemon in half and grill it until it is well-marked. Toss the arugula with a little squeeze of grilled lemon, a splash of extra virgin olive oil, large flakes of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Cut the steak and sprinkle some large flakes of sea salt on it. Finally, garnish it with some grilled lemon and arugula salad on the side, then erve it with some of your favorite side dishes.

“I love it so much because it was a thick, perfectly cut steak, and it makes my mouth water whenever I think about it,” says Funderburk.

This recipe makes 6–8 servings for a grand total of $30. When you break it down, that is around $5 per person for this meal. If there are just two people at your date night, it breaks down to around $15 a person. However, you will have leftovers which would be perfect for meal prepping or to take to school the next day. These ingredients can be found at your local Raley’s supermarket.

Cook Time: 10–5 minutes (depending on how rare you like it)

Beef Stroganoff

For me, one of my favorite cruise dishes is beef stroganoff. I order this dish on every cruise I go on. Thankfully, it is extremely easy to cook back at my apartment in Sacramento!

Beef Stroganoff (Photo by Scott Singer)

Ingredients:

-2 lbs. (0.9 kg) prime beef filet or sirloin ($8.99)

-Salt and pepper to taste ($2.00)

-5 T (39 g) flour, divided ($2.15)

-1 med. onion, diced ($1.49)

-8 oz. (227 g) button mushrooms, cut in half ($2.99)

-1 T (14 g) butter ($2.99)

-4 T (57 g) demi-glace ($3.69)

-2 C (59 ml) beef broth ($2.00)

-1¼ C (150 g) sour cream ($1.48)

Directions:

First, you are going to want to cut the meat along the grain into strips (1-inch-long by ¼ inch wide); then season with salt and pepper. Toss the steak in 4 T (8 g) of flour, leaving 1 T for the sauce.

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, cook the meat until it is browned; then transfer it to a plate. Next, you are going to want to add onions and mushrooms to the pan, while continuing to cook them until they are light brown; transfer these to the plate with meat. You will then add butter and the remaining 1 T of flour to the pan. Lastly, stir in the demi-glace, beef broth and sour cream; then add salt and pepper. Finally, add the meat, onions and mushrooms. Heat very gently on low for 15 minutes (do not simmer).

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Makes 6 servings

As you can see, this meal is very simple and affordable. This dish makes six servings for just $28. That is only $4.60 per person! Again, these ingredients can be found at your local Raley’s supermarket.

Hopefully these recipes of worldwide cuisines will take you on a tasteful journey while being in landlocked Sacramento.