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It all started asking Stephen suggestions what to bake. Of all crew mates he is pretty much involved with food ideas what to feed to the crew. Perhaps because he loves food and cooking himself and loves to try any food.

One day he simply said APPLE PIE. Oh dear it has been ages I have not baked apple pie and my most trusted recipe is at home. I found some recipes at Martha Stewart Living cookbook and at Bon Appetit, but I also checked what BBC food has to offer.

Hmm the crew does not seem to trust an american recipe so at the end found this recipe for the filling:

700 g bramley
80 – 125 g soft brown sugar
grated rind of orange
1 tsp mix spice
1 tbsp plain sifted flour
25 g butter

Except of course I did not use bramley. I only had macintosh and some granny smiths.
Somehow they turned out fine. I used the mandolin so the apples are thinly sliced.

And to add a bit of more twist I grated nutmeg and lemon rinds too.

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For the crust, I used the one from Bon Appetit cook book

1 1/2 c all purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c unsalted butter
4 tbsp iced water

Mix the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and use the food processor by using turn on and off until powdered. Blend ice water to gather the dough then chill.

The best part of this apple pie issue on our boat was whether I should do my custard or as the British suggested I should buy Bird’s custard.

Well the captain suggested I should make my own and do the Bird’s custard to compare. Easy…. they sell the custard at Publix (for non US readers its the supermarket chain in Florida, USA).

But then the whole apple pie idea went further more about the crust. The captain , Axel, suggested that I should try putting cheddar on it. This really horrified the Brits.

Cheddar on the apple pie!!!

Quelle horreur!

As he explained its like eating Thai food, sweet and sour.

The day I made the pie, it was one of our crew mate’s last weekend with us. The boys went to North Miami for biking. I was so excited for them to come back and devour the pie that I even was sending mms photos to Stephen so they could hurry up.

The biggest joy of all, seeing their faces happy. Since then I have been making the pie whenever I have time and always with the Birds custard. I was the only one who dared eating it with cheddar cheese.

This post is for my dearest crew mates aboard SY Mitseaah, who made life less lonelier, to Axel who believed in me that I can feed his crew well…

but mostly to Stephen …. who patiently pushed my shopping cart and who have memorised every aisle in Publix above all, also my constant food inspiration.

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The boat is now in Long Island , NY while the my ex crew mates are scattered everywhere. But I know time will come we will meet up and reminisce our past aboard this boat.

I am now writing here in South of France and now craving for a slice of apple pie.