Plan, enlist mates, step back before feeding crew family
Imagine being a single parent who works in a restaurant, cooking all day, and then going home to cook for a family waiting and hungry. If that seems familiar, …
Chef Mary Beth Lawton Johnson
Mary Beth Lawton Johnson is a certified executive pastry chef and Chef de Cuisine and has worked on yachts for more than 25 years.Author Archives
Bring outdoors in with salt; uses, varieties are immense as the seas
I opened my galley cupboard yesterday and saw jars of English Maldon, French sel, Kosher salt, pink Hawaiian, rock salt, some regular table salt, and a few …
First rule of cooking with wine: Make sure you like to drink it
The whole idea of cooking a really great dish is to build a flavor profile, one that the guests onboard will love. Chefs know how to create layer upon layer of …
Pour some sugar on me baby, but not artificial flavors
I bet if you went into your baking cupboard onboard, you would find a number of different sugars. We stock several kinds because recipes call for different …
Experience, comparisons, benefits weigh in salary talks
The interview went well and the captain has made a job offer. What remains is to agree on a salary. Is the offered salary acceptable? It’s a tough question …
Summer truffles bring memories and flavors
I met a dear friend in New York recently and out of his coat pocket he handed me a package of aluminum foil. He hid it going through customs, which is not …
As the chef, scheduled upkeep and necessary evils
Usually, a yacht chef is in a department of one. On larger yachts, there can be a crew chef or a sous chef, or both. And with larger numbers of souls in the …
Crew interview may not include the captain
As a chef looking for work, you’ve been selected to interview for a job. Congratulations. So you show up with your best face forward. You are so prepared and …
Prevent foodborne bacteria from sickening crew and guests
Recently, a friend on a yacht suffered a foodborne Illness. He toughed it out, thinking he had a stomach flu or virus of some sort. Needless to say, he did not …
Get beyond the typical to showcase mango’s flavor
There is nothing more exotic and fulfilling than a juicy ripe mango to eat during the warmer months. I love this fruit. What I truly love about the versatile …
