Essential Galley Companion
by Amanda Swan-Neal
Mahina Expeditions Publishing, 383 pages 2000 $29.95 plus $2 shipping

By Mary Swift

This is a well-written and valuable cookbook for those ashore as well as on a boat. It shares recipes collected from all around the world combined with solid advise for the keeper of the galley from day sails to ocean passages. Amanda gives very entertaining snippets of her experiences from 152,000 miles at sea providing meals for salty sea dogs to true gentleman and ladies of the sea.

Amanda Swan has sailed and cooked aboard most every type of boat, from 20’ stripped out racing boats using a swinging, camping style, propane single burner to a galley where she cranked out squares for a crew of 50 aboard a classic yacht. Many people she met in her travels are credited for their contributions to the 325 recipes. They helped, from ashore and afloat sharing their favorites with Amanda for her project.

With this book in hand all you need is a place to practice. Being prepared with options is a big part of making a galley hum. When the galley is humming, a crew can get through most anything. Dawn Riley, CEO of America True, said Mandy was one of the brightest parts of the Whitbread Around the World Race on Maiden (first all woman boat to ever compete). She mentioned Amanda was only cranky one time she could recall through the whole ordeal and that time it was from disappointment when her fishing line was ignored when she was not on deck. After having fish cooked right after it was caught the lines had heightened interest. Dawn was so delighted when in 1997 we learned Amanda joined with well-known educator afloat John Neal of Mahina Expeditions. They were married after a year working together taking people on 1 to multi week experiential learning sails as they travel around the world aboard John’s lovely 46’ sailboat.

When the book debuted at last year’s Sail Expo, Amanda was surprised to the point of being a bit overwhelmed by the intense interest she had generated. By the end of this years show she was again amazed by the sincere interest and wonderful response to her book. People want and need to know what Amanda does with such grace and ease. Food is not everything in sailing yet I found at the end of the ’92 Pacific Cup (SF to Hawaii) there were four things 300, or so, people were most interested in talking about. The food planning that did or did not workout, people, wildest moments of the trip and the meals. That’s two out of four for food. Those who have the good fortune to sail with Amanda Swan and John Neal in their educational weeks afloat, speak well of the experience, some are quoted in saying they ate better aboard where it is not expected than at home. Perhaps it’s all that fresh sea air and invigorating exercise that perks the appetite. Perhaps it’s a galley that has many tunes to hum.

As a fellow sailing educator and afloat cook, I really loved reading through the Essential Galley Companion. Recipes tried have been wonderful. You can find a copy at your local West Marine store or through the website www.mahina.com.