| TRAVELS OF DURSMIRG VOLUME IV THE ROGUES OF ST. AUGUSTINE AND OTHER SOCIAL MISFITS Chapter 65 |
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Recipes
CAPTAIN ROBERT WHITE’S BOILED SHRIMP
(This recipe is one of our all time favorites and it came from this very special person).
1-3 lemons
1 large onion sliced
3-5 cloves of garlic unpeeled and sliced
1-3 teaspoons ground black pepper
Boiling size headed shrimp 2-5 pounds
Combine all of the above except shrimp and salt with the water. Boil until the lemons are soft. Add shrimp- cook
about one minute. Add salt and stir, cover, and let stand twenty minutes off the heat. Spoon out and serve. Do not
dump into colander to drain, as they will be too salty.
CLAM CHOWDER
12 large quahog clams steamed and minced with stomachs removed
few slices bacon
potatoes diced
carrots diced
bell pepper chopped
onion chopped
1# can tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 garlic buds chopped
1 ½ tsp. poultry seasoning
½ tsp black pepper
1 T bbq sauce
Several dashes of Tabasco sauce
½ tsp. ground oregano
Steam clams, remove stomachs and mince.
Fry bacon partially, add onion, pepper, potatoes, carrots, garlic and fry stirring to keep from burning. When carrots
are almost done, add all the other ingredients including the clams. Thin with broth and white wine.
CLAM LINGUINE (Sophie Tredor)
Spaghetti with vongole in plain sauce
2 lbs. clams with shells
1 T olive oil
½ cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic cut fine
1 tsp. black pepper
1 T. chopped parsley
1 T. oregano
1 lb. linguine pasta
Begin: Wash clams, place in large fry pan with 1 T olive oil, cover, place over hot fire and cook until shells open.
Remove from heat. Separate clams from shells and reserve juice.
Cut clams into small pieces.
Next, place ½ cup olive oil in saucepan, add garlic and brown. Add clam juice, pepper, parsley, oregano and clams.
Boil l minute and shut off heat.
Cook linguine noodles. Drain. Add sauce, 2 T parmesan cheese and serve.
In place of clams you can use coquina shells or donax gathered from the beach but they are very tedious to clean.
To clean: steam 1 qt. coquina shells in one-inch of water. When the shells open, remove from heat and pick tiny
piece of meat from each shell. Reserve juice for the sauce.
BARRACUDA OR MULLET WITH CHEESE SAUCE Jim Muller
1 pound of fish cut in to 1-inch cubes
butter for sautéing
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can sliced mushrooms or equivalent in fresh mushrooms
1 large chopped onion
2 tsp. lemon juice
pepper, dash of thyme and marjarom
Sauté onions and mushroom in butter.
Add fish and remaining ingredients. Cook covered until fish is cooked.
Serve over rice.
CRAB OR MULLET QUICHE
Unbaked 9-inche deep dish pastry shell
5 slices bacon
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1 cup light cream or evaporated milk
dash of Tabasco
one onion sliced, if desired
1 cup steamed crabmeat or steamed mullet cut in small cubes.
¼ cup chopped green bell pepper
1 small can mushrooms
Fry bacon until cooked but not too crisp. Break into bite sized pieces.
Sauté onion, green pepper and mushrooms in bacon grease.
Place bacon and onion mixture into the pie shell, add the crabmeat or mullet. Beat eggs lightly and blend in cream.
Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco. Pour over ingredients in pie shell. Bake about 45 minutes at 350º oven.
CRAB OR SHRIMP OMELET
1 cup crab meat or 1 cup small cooked, peeled headed shrimp
½ medium bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 eggs beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
In skillet, fry bell pepper and onion in a little cooking oil. When done, add to bowl with crabmeat, salt, pepper and
beaten eggs. Gently fold all together. Pour into medium hot skillet. Cook until eggs are almost done, turn to brown
a bit. Remove from heat and serve with Louisiana Hot Sauce.
CRAB STUFFED EGGPLANT OR ZUCCHINI
1 large eggplant or 6 zucchini squash
Butter for sautéing
1 green pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
½ lb. fresh mushrooms, cut up
1 stalk of celery, diced
white wine
1 cup crab meat
1 T. sharp grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp. dry mustard
5-6 drops hot sauce
For sauce:
Sour cream
Reserved vegetable liquid
Fresh scallops, optional
Cut eggplant or zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out center and save. In butter, sauté green pepper, onion,
mushrooms, celery and center of eggplant or zucchini. When onion is tender, pour a little water over the mixture,
some white wine, then simmer 10 minutes – don’t let go dry. Add more wine to keep liquid at l cup. While
vegetables cook, place halves of eggplant or zucchini in 350º oven with a dot of butter in each half. Bake 15
minutes for zucchini or ½ hour for eggplant.
Drain vegetables, reserve liquid. Mix crabmeat with vegetables plus 1 T. grated sharp cheddar cheese, 1 tsp. dry
mustard and 5-6 drops Tabasco sauce.
Fill cavities of squash with vegetables. Bake 20 minutes or until tender.
Sauce: Mix enough sour cream with vegetable liquid to make a thick gravy. Heat and stir until smooth. Add
scallops.
Remove squash from oven and pour sauce over it. Serve good and hot with white rice.
CRAB STUFFED BELL PEPPERS
4 green bell peppers
1 medium onion minced
½ cup chopped celery
2 slices of bacon, diced
3 T. butter
1 cup cooked crabmeat
2 eggs slightly beaten
¼ cup grated cheese optional
salt
pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
Heat oven to 375º
Slice top off peppers and clean out centers. Parboil 5 minutes in salted water. Meanwhile sauté onion, celery,
bacon and bread in butter until onions are transparent. Mix crabmeat with eggs then with onion mixture (1/4 cup
grated cheese, optional). Add salt and pepper.
Remove parboiled peppers from water and drain. Set upright in baking pan and fill each pepper with crab mixture.
Back 20 minutes.
CONCH CHOWDER
2 large conchs, cut into chunks and tenderized with mallet
few slices bacon
potatoes diced
carrots diced
bell pepper chopped
onion chopped
1# can tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 garlic buds chopped
1 ½ tsp. poultry seasoning
½ tsp black pepper
1 T bbq sauce
Several dashes of Tabasco sauce
½ tsp. ground oregano
Remove conch from shell, skin, beat with a tenderizer mallet until thin. Cut into chunks.
Fry bacon partially, add onion, pepper, potatoes, carrots, garlic and fry stirring to keep from burning. When carrots
are almost done, add all the other ingredients including the conch. Thin with white wine. Let stand 30 minutes
before serving.
Serve over rice.
FRIED MULLET with mustard and cheese
1 ½ to 2 lbs mullet filets.
1 egg
1 T. prepared mustard
2 T. water
1/3 cup corn meal
3 T flour
3 T. grated parmesan cheese
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper, if desired
Lightly beat together egg, mustard and water in a shallow bowl. Combine cornmeal, flour and cheese. Dip fish filets
in egg mixture, then in cornmeal mixture.
Fry in hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until fish flakes easily when pierced with a fork.
Drain on paper towel to absorb excess oil. Season with salt and pepper.
STIR FRY MULLET
Saute in butter 1 large sliced onion,1 large sliced bell pepper,½ lb. sliced mushrooms or or 1 4oz can
When onion is almost transparent increase heat to very hot. Add 1 lb. mullet cut into 1 inch cubes, ¼ cup dry white
white, ¼ tsp. garlic powder.
Stir and cook until fish loses its transparent look.
Serve piping hot over curried or yellow rice.
CURRIED BANANA FISH
¼ cup flour
2 tsp. curry powder
¼ tsp. pepper
4 small firm bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 lb. fish filets
1 T. oil
3 stalks celery sliced thin diagonally
4 T margarine or butter, divided
2 T. lemon juice, divided
Mix flour, curry powder, and pepper. Coat bananas and fish filets with this mixture. Heat oil in skillet: stir fry celery
until crisp tender. Remove and set aside. Add 2 T. margarine to skillet: sauté bananas until golden and tender,
about 1 minute on each side. Remove and sprinkle with 1 T. lemon juice. Add remaining 2 T. margarine to skillet,
sauté fish about 2 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden and fish flakes easily with fork. Sprinkle with
remaining 1 T. lemon juice; remove to platter with bananas. Reheat celery quickly in skillet, spoon over fish. Serve
with rice.
ST. AUGUSTINE FRIED SHRIMP from Jean Kinsey
Shrimp tails, shelled
Self-rising flour
Soda crackers
Oil for frying
Make a batter of self-rising flour and water.
Shake shelled shrimp in a bag that contains self-rising flour. Then dip shrimp in batter. Roll in crushed cracker
crumbs. Fry in ¼ to ½ inch oil until golden. Remove and drain off excess oil.
BAKED FISH WITH WHITE SAUCE Jim Muller
2 lbs fish
Parmesan cheese
American cheese
White sauce
Fish: Broil fish 12-15 minutes in butter and seasoned with lemon and pepper.
Break fish into chunks and place in buttered baking pan. Pour white sauce over fish and bake at 400º for 15-20
minutes. Five minutes before removing from oven sprinkle with parmesan cheese and as much American cheese as
desired.
White sauce:
4 T. butter
4 T. flour
nutmeg
lemon juice
dry sherry
1 ½ cups milk
salt and pepper
Melt butter in saucepan. Gradually add the flour while mixing with whisk to keep it smooth. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
Let the mixture cool, then add the 1 ½ cups of hot milk gradually while stirring with whisk. After this is blended, add
a little grated nutmeg, salt and pepper. (lemon juice and dry sherry optional). Ground cloves may also be added.
Put on heat stirring occasionally with whisk and cook until thick and smooth.
STEAMED BLUE CRABS
Live blue crabs
Crab boil
Put about one inch of water in the bottom of a pot that has a tight fitting lid. If you have a pot with a bottom rack, use
that. Apply heat, put the crabs in the pot along with some crab boil. Cover and steam until the crabs turn red and
the white apron on the belly of the crab pops up or loose from the body. Adjust the heat so the pot doesn’t boil
dry. Depending on the amount of crabs, it takes 20 to 30 minutes to steam them. When done remove from the pot
to prevent overcooking.
Cool. Pick the crab meat from the body and claws.
DEVILED CRAB
2 cups crabmeat
2 eggs
½ cup soda cracker crumbs
1 heaping tsp. dry mustard
1 T. lemon juice
Several dashes of Tabasco depending on taste
½ chopped green pepper
½ chopped medium onion
10 crab shells that have been cleaned well
Mix crabmeat, eggs, cracker crumbs, mustard, lemon juice, Tabasco, onions and green pepper in a bowl. Spoon
mixture into crab shells to heaping. Press gently on the mixture with your hand to press into the shell. Put a dap of
butter on top of each shell. Bake in a preheated 375º oven uncovered about 25 minutes or until brown and onions
and peppers are cooked. Season with Louisiana hot sauce to your taste.
CRAB CAKES
Use the same recipe as above except omit cracker crumbs from mixture. Chill mixture until cool. When cool, shape
into patties, roll in cracker crumbs and then fry in hot oil turning when golden brown. Remove from pan when both
sides are brown and drain on brown paper. Serve with Louisiana hot sauce.
DURSMIRG SHRIMP PIZZA
Crust
2/3 c warm water
¼ package dry yeast
2 T. sugar
1 egg beaten
About 2 cups of flour
Pour 2/3 cup warm water into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle ¼ package of dry yeast in the water and stir to dissolve. Add
2 T. sugar and 1 egg beaten with a fork. Add flour to make stiff dough (about 2 cups). Cover and let stand 20-30
minutes. Then turn out on a cookie sheet and pat to fit with your hands or use a rolling pin. Preheat oven to 375º
Spices:
Grind in mortar and pestle
¼ tsp. black paper
1/3 tsp. celery seed
¼ red pepper
1 tsp. caraway
1 tsp. leaf tarragon
1 T. oregano
½ tsp garlic power
Add up to ½ tsp. salt while grinding
Topping:
1 ½ cups small peeled cooked shrimp
½ medium onion chopped
½ large bell pepper chopped
mushrooms as desired
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 small can tomato sauce
grated parmesan or romano cheese
1 T. olive oil
Method:
Spread dough in pan. Then layer first shrimp, then onions, chopped bell peppers and mushrooms. Add 1 cup
grated cheddar cheese. Sprinkle on the spices. Cover with tomato sauce then top with grated parmesan or romano
cheese. Sprinkle 1 T. olive oil over the ingredients.
Bake at 375º until crust is golden and top is browned. About 20 to 30 minutes depending on the thickness of the
pizza. Cool about 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
You can substitute crabmeat or pepperoni for the shrimp or use a combination of all of them.
ROSEMARY SQUID from Katherine Gaetanos
1 to 5 lbs of very small squid
Salt
¼ cup or more chopped garlic
Rosemary vinegar
Olive oil
Wash squid. Sprinkle with salt and rub squid and salt with your hands. Rinse well.
Put squid in pan and barely cover with water. Cook until squid are white and no longer transparent. Remove from
heat and drain. Heat skillet, add olive oil and garlic and brown garlic lightly, add squid and brown until liquid is
absorbed and squid are firm and reddish colored. You may need to add more oil.
Remove from heat and sprinkle with rosemary vinegar to taste. Serve hot or cold.
Delicious served with sliced French bread or over rice.
SQUID GREEK STYLE
3 lbs squid
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 T. olive oil
2 ½ cups chopped canned tomatoes
½ cup fresh parsley
½ tsp. salt (omit if desired)
¼ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. crumbled dried oregano
¼ cup white wine
Clean squid by removing the tentacles. Chop and reserve. Remove and discard the head, pen and viscera. Wash
the mantle well and cut into pieces.
Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until lightly browned. Add the tomatoes, parsley, salt, pepper, oregano,
wine and squid. Cover and simmer until squid is tender. It may take up to 1 hour depending on the size of the squid.
CIVICHE
Cut fish in small bits. Add chopped onion, tomato, and jalapeño pepper. Cover with lime juice (or 7/8 lime juice and
1/8 red wine vinegar with garlic). Refrigerate 3 or more hours.
Add chopped parsley or cilantro, salt and pepper to taste.
FRIED CLAMS OR OYSTERS
Fresh shucked clams or oysters
Roll clams or oysters into a mixture of ½ self-rising flour and ½ corn meal. Fry in hot oil until golden brown on both
sides. Remove and drain on paper. Serve with a sauce of 1 T. horseradish to 4 T. tomato catsup and a dash of
Worcestershire sauce.
STEAMED STONE CRABS
Remove 1 claw from each stone crab. Put water in a pan and heat.. When water is boiling add stone crab claws.
Boil for 5 minutes. Remove claws from heat, drain and set aside.
Make a sauce of melted butter, garlic powder and add dash of Worcestershire sauce.
To serve crack the claws with a hammer and pry off the shell. Dip meat in the butter mixture.
STEAMED SPINY LOBSTER
First dive and get lobsters.
Heat 2 inches of water in a large pan. When boiling add fresh, live lobster. Cover and steam about 20 minutes or
until lobsters are bright red. Remove from pan. Cool slightly then crack open, remove lungs and viscera and then
serve with your favorite sauce. I
make a sauce of melted butter, garlic powder and add dash of Worcestershire sauce.
OTHER SEAFOOD FAVORITES:
CRAB GUMBO
CRACKED CONCH
CONCH FRITTERS
STEAMED OYSTERS
OYSTER FRITTERS
CLAM FRITTERS
FRIED FLOUNDER
SMOKED BLUE FISH DIP
SMOKED FISH
SHRIMP CREOLE
HONEY CHICKEN from Mary Flood
¼ lb. butter
6 T. honey
3 T. prepared mustard
2 tsp. curry powder
1 fryer, cut up
4 medium potatoes, cut in quarters (optional)
Melt butter, stir in honey, mustard and curry powder. Add chicken, cover and cook over medium heat approximately
30 minutes, turn chicken, add potatoes, cover and cook until chicken is done (about 30 minutes).
APPLE OATMEAL CRISP from Eunice Pearson
1 ½ lbs. tart apples
½ cup butter (1 stick)
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup quick cook oatmeal
½ cup flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Heat oven to 350º
Melt butter in sauce pan, stir in brown sugar, oatmeal, flour and cinnamon until mixture is crumbly.
Put apples in a baking pan, cover with mixture. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
BEAN SPROUTS from Ed Weber
Types of beans that work well: mung, alfalfa, lentils
1. Place in glass jar 1 T. of beans or mixture of beans
2. Add ½ cup of water and soak overnight for a minimum of 8 hours.
3. Pour off water
4. Leave jar in dark place with screen over end and every day (more often if dry) rinse with water and pour off.
Then return to darkness with jar in horizontal position. Caution: Don’t leave too wet and don’t let them dry out!
5. When beans are sprouted to desired length usually a pair of tiny leaves form. Then place jar in light but not
direct sunlight and the sprouts will turn green.
6. Eat raw in salads, on sandwiches or use in cooking.
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE (from Billie Burn August 1973)
½ stick of butter
½ cup brown sugar
4 or 5 slices of pineapple
5 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of self rising flour
3 eggs
1. Light and adjust oven to 350 degrees
2. Melt butter and brown sugar slowly
3. Beat the sugar and egg yolks until light
4. Blend alternately the juice and flour with the beaten yolks and sugar. Beat the egg whites and fold in.
5. Place the pineapple slices in the melted sugar and butter. Pour batter over this and bake 30 minutes.
BEER BREAD
3 cups of flour
3 tablespoons of honey
2 teaspoons of baking powder
Salt
1 can of beer
Bake one hour at 350 degrees.
WHITE RICE with garlic and onion
1 ½ cups uncooked long-grain rice
1 T. oil
6 garlic cloves
1 medium white onion, cut in quarters
2 chicken bouillon cubes
4 cups cold water
½ tsp. salt if desired
In a deep fry pan, add the oil, rice, garlic and onion. Slowly brown over low heat, stirring occasionally. When rice is
golden, add water and crushed bouillon cubes. Simmer tightly covered until liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes.
CHILI RICE
1 medium onion, sliced lengthwise
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tsp. oil, margarine
1 cup uncooked regular rice
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp chili powder
2 beef bouillon cubes or 2 tsp. instant
2 cups of water
1 large green bell pepper or several sweet
banana peppers coarsely chopped
Sauté onion and garlic in oil until soft, add rice and cook over high heat, stirring until mixture is golden brown.
Add tomatoes, peppers, chili powder, bouillon and water.
Bring to boiling, lower heat, simmer covered about 45 minutes
or until all liquid is absorbed. Shut off heat and let stand 20 minutes before serving.
PASTA SALAD
1 lb. package of macaroni twists cooked
1 red or green pepper chopped
1 red onion chopped
6-8 stalks celery chopped if desired
1 package of hard salami sliced and cut in two
1 package pepperoni cut in two
1 can black olives sliced and drained
1 cup romano or parmesan cheese
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
l bottle Italian salad dressing
Prepare two hours ahead of serving.
POUND CAKE
½ lb. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 2/3 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
Preheat oven to 325º
Cream butter, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy on high speed of mixer.. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on
low after each addition. Add flour and beat on medium for 2 minutes.
Pour into 4 ½ x 9 inch loaf pan that has been lined with waxed paper. Bake for 1 hour. Do not open oven for the
entire hour or cake will fall. When done, remove waxed paper and cool on cake rack. Recipe from Billie Burns,
Daufuskie Island
HUSH PUPPIES
1 cup self-rising corn meal
1 egg beaten
¼ cup chopped onion
Dash of pepper
Milk
Mix all of the ingredients adding just enough milk to make a thick batter. Heat about 2 inches of cooking oil in a pan
and let it get very hot. Drop teaspoons of the batter in the hot oil. Turn with a slotted spoon if they don’t roll over
by themselves. Remove and drain on paper towel.
HONEY WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
3 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup nonfat dry milk
3 tsp. salt
2 pkgs. Active dry yeast
Combine above ingredients in large mixing bowl
3 cups water
½ cup honey
2 ¼ Tbs. cooking oil
Heat in saucepan over low heat until warm
Generously grease two 9x5” , 8x4” or round loaf pans.
Pour warm (not hot) liquid over flour mixture. Blend at low speed l minute, medium speed for 2 minutes. By hand,
stir in 1 cup additional whole wheat flour and 4 or 4 ½ cups plain or all purpose flour.
Knead on floured surface 5 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl; cover and let rise until light and doubled in
bulk (45-60 minutes).
Punch down dough and divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf. Place in greased pan. Cover loaves: let rise
another 30 to 45 minutes until light and doubled in size. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until loaf sounds
hollow when tapped lightly. Remove from pan, cool on wire rack before slicing.
HONEY PECAN PIE
Depending on richness or sweetness desired, blend ¾ to 1 cup of honey, ¼ tsp. salt and 1 cup of broken pecan
meats. Beat 3 eggs slightly and add the honey mixture. Mix well. Put into a partly baked pie shell and bake in 325
degree oven for 45 minutes.
Basic crust: single crust
Sift 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour into a bowl with 1 tsp. salt. Pour into measuring cup, ¼ cup cold milk and 1/3 cup
cooking oil (do not stir); add all at once to the flour stirring until mixed. Press into a smooth ball, flatten slightly.
Place between two 12-inch squares of waxed paper. Dampen table top to prevent slipping. Roll the pastry out
gently to edges of paper. Peel off top paper. If dough should tear, mend without moistening. Place paper side up
in a 9-inch pie pan. Peel off paper. Ease and fit pastry into pan. Flute edge. If recipe calls for baked shell, prick
thoroughly with fork and bake in preheated 450 oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
KEY LIME PIE
4 eggs
1 can condensed milk
½ cup lime juice
6 T. sugar
½ tsp. cream of tarter
Baked 9-inch pie shell
Preheat over to 350º
Beat 4 egg yolks, add condensed milk and lime juice. Beat until thick. Beat 1 egg white until stiff then fold into above
mixture. Pour into baked pie shell. For topping beat 3 egg whites, blend in sugar and cream of tartar, beat until
stiff and forms peaks. Bake in moderate oven until egg whites are golden brown.
CHOCOLATE COCONUT PIE (Nira Brown)
2 cups fresh shredded coconut
2 eggs separated
2 squares chocolate melted
½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp salt
1 cup sugar divided
½ cup evaporated. Milk
Mix ½ cup sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, salt and milk.
Beat egg whites, add ½ sugar and fold chocolate mixture into it.
Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or knife comes out clean.
PRICKLY PEAR SYRUP
20 or more prickly pears
Holding each prickly pear with tongs, cut lengthwise in half. Put in a saucepan and add water just to cover. Cook
over moderate heat until the prickly pears are soft. Cool. Drain through a cheese cloth to extract juice.
6 cups juice
9 cups sugar
Boil for 5 minutes. Pour into 5 sterilized pint jars.
Use syrup over pancakes or ice cream.
SPOON BREAD
Set the oven at 500 degrees and place well greased 2 quart casserole in oven.
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 cup of corn meal
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 cup of buttermilk
2 cups of boiling water
Beat eggs, add milk, into this sift all dry ingredients, mix well. Pour boiling water over this and mix. Pour into greased
dish. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.
(As dictated by; Lenora Bialkowski)
GRANOLA
4 cups of rolled oats
1 cup chopped nuts (I used West Indian Almonds that we found on the beach)
¾ cup hulled sunflower seeds
½ cup honey
½ cup water
½ cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla
Add:
1 cup grated roasted coconut
½ to ¾ cup raisins and/or other dried fruit
1 T. powdered cinnamon
In large bowl mix oats, nuts and sunflower seeds. In another bowl mix honey, water, oil and vanilla: stir into oat
mixture. Mix well. Bake on large cookie sheet in 350º oven 30 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring occasionally.
Cool. Add 1 cup roasted grated coconut and ½ to ¾ cups raisins and 1 T. powdered cinnamon.
BLACK BEANS AND RICE Spanish style
Soak overnight 1 pound black beans. Drain, cover with water, add 1 tsp. salt, 2 bay leaves and 1 clove garlic.
Simmer for about 3 hours adding water as needed. Just before serving, heat 1/3 cup olive oil, add a crush garlic
clove, 1 cup each of chopped onion and green pepper, ½ tsp. sage, 3 T. vinegar and ¼ tsp. black pepper. Cook
for 15 minutes over low heat. Pour over the beans and serve over white rice.
SALSA CHILI GUAJILLO Jane’s favorite Mexican sauce
10 dry chili guajillos.
I hold them by the stem, cut them in two with a scissors and then slice crosswise into about ¼ inch wide half circles.
Discard the stem.
10 cloves of garlic cut first in half lengthwise and then crosswise into 1/8 inch slices.
Put the chilies (including the seeds) and garlic into a heavy pan or skillet, pour olive oil over them so they are
coated and the bottom of the pan is covered. Cook on fairly high heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until the garlic
starts to brown and you can smell the chilies getting hot. I quit cooking the chilies when they start to smell HOT! If
the chilies are starting to change color, take them off the heat.
Make sure you cook this in a well-ventilated area as if it gets smoking hot; the fumes are bad.
Let the mixture cool. The chilies will be crispy dry and garlic crisp.
When cool, put in blender, add more olive oil according to how thick you want the salsa and then blend to desired
consistency.
I sometimes make it thick…other times thinner. Depends on my mood!
If it is too thick, you can easily thin it later with olive oil.
SHRIMP BOATS/BUILDERS/ besides the three big boys in the business in St. Augustine there were the little
guys…the Mom and Pops that built some of the finest vessels to ever be produced here in the world’s trawler
building capitol.
***
Here is a list of the St. Augustine shrimp boat builders in the 1960s and 1970s;
Phil Melansen, cement shrimp boat and boat yard with Harry Walden
Steve Sarris, wood boats and his shade-tree river-bank no-frills boat yard
Leonard Nick, was an old time builder that worked under a pole-shed with bare-bones equipment.
Lekas, Another old-time Greek river-bank shade-tree trawler builder
Xynides Boat Yard; Owner and operator Harry Xynides aka “Uncle Harry” Harry had the most sophisticated mom and
pop boat yard in town. Harry had a full-functioning marine railway system with a winch to do in and out repairs to
vessels up to 80 feet. Harry also had a real enclosed fabricating building with the proper tools and equipment and it
is said that Harry built some of the very finest vessels to ever leave St. Augustine.
***
Here is a list of the shrimp boats that used St. Augustine as their home port in the1960s and 1970s:
Venus owned and operated by Angelo who was the proud owner of this specially distinctive vessel with its uniquely
elegant paint job.
The Venus was the last trawler ever built by Harry Xynides and it was a real classic beauty.
The Venus had the distinction of was always being featured in publicity photos and movies of St. Augustine.
Terry owned and operated by Captain George Tappin. Captain George and his wife Mary lived aboard the Terry
with their little dog Bimbo and called it home. When we met them George couldn’t get his wife Mary to go off-shore
fishing with him and either fished all by himself or try to get crew.
(This is where Jane and I got our first taste of the real off-shore fishing industry.)
You can read more about Captain George Tappin in this volume and also in volume 1 of The Travels of Dursmirg.
Miss Joan owned and operated by Dominic Tringali was one of two 68 foot fiberglass Desco Marine trawlers in town.
Dominic docked his Desco trawler at the same dock next to the only other Desco 68 footer the Bread Winner. Of all
of the St. Augustine shrimp fishermen Dominic Tringali was in my estimation and of my experience the most friendly
and helpful. If ever there was even the hint that you might need assistance he was right there to help no matter how
good the fishing was. So here is a special salute and thank you to Dominic and his Miss Joan.
Bread Winner owned and operated by the Fazio family. This was the second 68 foot fiberglass Desco Marine trawler
in town.(The Fazio family also owned and operated the Fazio Fish Docks and they were an old-time business in St.
Augustine.)
Inger and Edith was a 70 foot wooden trawler home made by Inger. Inger was a bull-headed big Danish guy who
could be more stubborn than was good for him but in the end he was honest and fair and even reasonable.
Bachman Brothers; Home based in South Carolina this family owned and operated business had a fleet of very well
maintained and professionally managed shrimp trawlers that regularly came to St. Augustine to work the fall shrimp
season. These ironically were the only vessels in the St. Augustine fishing fleet owned and operated by black
people.
Secotan; owned and operated by John and Jane Grimsrud; the Secotan was a 42 foot classic trawler built at Man’s
Harbor, North Carolina in 1947, that spent it’s first years fishing in and out of Oregon Inlet at Cape Hatteras, the
most treacherous inlet on the east coast of United States. (The Secotan story covers a chapter of this volume)
The following were only one season shrimpers and I write about them more extensively in the San Sebastian River
section of this volume;
Eddie Long;
Steve Stefano
Rick James
A secret of the shrimp boat captains; always hold your shrimp over night on ice because the next day the count of
the shrimp will go up by one full size. Example; a 31-35 becomes a 26-30. Shrimp size is determined by the number
of shrimp per pound.
The following are transcripts from some letters and postcards that Jane had sent her parents from St.
Augustine and were saved by her mother.
(In volumes 1, 2 and 3 of “Travels of Dursmirg” can be found more of these letters sent from our various travel
destinations.)
Note; in the following letters Jane refers to “Bing” and that is my nickname.
1974 December 13th Saint Augustine;
A letter that Jane wrote her folks;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
We are still in Saint Augustine which is a surprise to us; we never intended to stay here this long. Bing is still waiting
around on the boat trips so we may be here awhile. We are enjoying our stay however. We have been doing a lot of
cycling here with some folks on a sailboat from New York. He is an electrical engineer who just retired from IBM and
he and Bing have been having a ball discussing and designing generators and they rebuilt our radio antenna. We
are going to a Christmas concert with them Sunday evening. The next day they are heading further south to visit a
mutual friend of ours on the Indian River. We plan to see them there later on.
We got our six months of groceries aboard, (mostly staple items), then we saw signs on the stores saying that they
were going to increase the prices in seven days, so we went out and bought the whole works again. That was a lot
of trips with our bikes. We can really load them up. The only thing that we didn’t buy was sugar, (its $3.19 for five
pounds). We bought 3 gallons of honey instead.
Please keep sending our mail here; I will call when we leave here. Please change the address to; Bev McDonald, P.
O. Box 81, Saint Augustine, Fl 32084/ the post office made a complaint about too many people in one box. With too
many names and the box. The box is in Bev McDonalds name only so send it % her.
I suppose that you are busy with Christmas preparations. I wish I was home to join you. Maybe next year. I hope that
you have a happy time. I’m not sure where we will be. We have three invitations to Christmas dinner, so if we are
here we will have some where to go.
Have a Merry Christmas
Love Jane and Bing
***
1974 June 8th (Saint Augustine)
A postcard Jane wrote to her parents;
Hi!
We are still in Saint Augustine but will be leaving in a few days for Daufuskie, so please start forwarding our mail to:
Daufuskie Island, SC 29915
I will be writing you a letter in a couple of days.
Hope summer has arrived for you. It sure has here.
Love Jane and Bing
***
1974 June 10th (Saint Augustine)
A letter Jane wrote to her parents;
Dear Mom Dad and Joel;
We are still in Saint Augustine but plan to leave tomorrow or the next day. We have spent at least a week putting
enough groceries aboard to last for four months. That took a lot of trips on the bicycle. Today Bing and a friend are
scraping barnacles off the bottom. When that’s done we are all set to leave. Our friends from here, Bob and Beverly
Baker are coming with us for about two weeks. It should be fun.
The first two weeks we were here Bing and I helped Bob on some remolding of an apartment house he owns. Bing
did all of the plumbing and wiring for a new kitchen and bathroom and I painted a lot of the woodwork. We enjoyed it
though Bing said 2 weeks was long enough to work steady and we also got good wages plus meals.
I’m sending you another $10.00 to cover postage. I’ve been trying to keep track of how much it costs you to send it
to us. We sure appreciate it.
How is the garden doing? Have you planned anything for a vacation? Is Grandma back?
When John comes home tell him to write us before he comes to visit so we can get boat transportation for him from
Savannah to where we stay at Daufuskie. If you ever need to get us a message we have a friend in Savannah you
can call who can reach us. Its: Jim Muller 120 E. 46th St. Savannah, Ga. Phone: 236-3927 or 786-4341. I don’t know
the area code.
Well, Bing wants to get to shore so I better close for now. I’ll write again when I get to Savannah or Daufuskie.
Have a Happy Anniversary and Happy Father’s Day.
Love Jane and Bing
***
1974 November 29th (Saint Augustine, Florida)
A letter that Jane wrote her folks;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
I hope that everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. I am sure that yours was a little chillier than ours. We cooked turkey
with our friends Bob and Beverly Baker here in Saint Augustine. We sure have been on the go since we got to Saint
Augustine. As soon as we got here Bing was offered a job delivering one of the new 68 foot fiberglass shrimp boats
which they make here to Campeche, Mexico. They were suppose to leave on two different dates, but the Mexicans
came here without enough money to pay for the boats, so they can’t leave the country until they are paid for…so
now the trip is indefinite. Bing was looking forward to the trip. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t have been able to go as the
Campeche Mexicans are superstitious about women on their boats.
A lot of people on boats have been coming through here that we know from our travels. We even met some people
that had seen us sailing the Dursmirg around the Apostle Islands and we have met several people from Bayfield.
Last night some people we knew from Jacksonville pulled in. We sure know a lot of people now so it’s hard to get
away from here.
We pulled our boat in Fernandina Beach before we came to Saint Augustine. We spent three days out of the water
and really did a nice job on the bottom. We hope that the paint will keep the barnacles and growth off until next year.
How is everyone in the family? Did John get back from his hunting trip? How are Jim and Penny doing with their
baby? I’ve been waiting to hear from them as to their plans for the winter. If they are coming south we would like to
meet them somewhere.
Bing is waiting to go to town. We have been doing a thousand errands and trying to put a six month supply of
groceries aboard…which is a lot of trips on our bicycles. Hope everyone’s OK. Keep sending our mail until you hear
otherwise, Thank you.
Love Jane and Bing
***
1975 April, 15
A letter that Jane wrote to her folks;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
I made the paper again and I’m sending you a copy.
Bing and I are still in Saint Augustine. We’ve decided not to head any further south now. Bing still hopes to make a
few more trips to Mexico. His next trip should take three weeks as he is supposed to go to La Paz, Baja California.
He should go in about a week, but the trip has been delayed so many times that we really aren’t sure. I have to stay
behind and watch the boat. The boat is like a kid, can’t leave it alone, and if you do it gets into trouble.
When Bing gets back from his trips, he is going to watch the boat and I’m going to come home for a visit. I’m not sure
when it will be yet, either the last of May or early June. Are you going on any trips? Let me know if you are so I don’t
come when you are gone. I can’t plan any definite date until I know about when Bing will be done with boat
deliveries. I’m getting anxious to come home for a visit as it has been almost 3 years.
Time sure does fly.
Bing and I are constantly on the go. We have a lot of friends here. Off and on we have spent 12 months of the last
three years here so we know a lot of people plus a lot of our friends on boats have been coming through town. We
are still going to school to one night a week taking Spanish lessons which we enjoy.
Hope everything is okay with all of you. I haven’t heard from anyone for awhile. Is Grandma home yet? How are Fran
and Al doing?
Write soon, I love to get the news
Love Jane and Bing
PS The boat on the cover of the paper belongs to our friends from Hamilton, Ontario. It is also a Ferro-cement boat.
***
1975 January, 10
Saint Augustine;
A letter that Jane wrote her parents;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
We hope all of you had happy holidays. We enjoyed ours but it would have been nice to be home. I want to thank
you for the Christmas presents, the sweaters fit real good. We just ate up the last of the fruit cake and cookies a few
days ago. We rationed them so that they would last longer and we sure enjoyed them. I’m going to make a shelf for
the Swedish rooster and horse so that I can have them out all the time. Thank you so much.
Thank you for sending the Evening Telegram article. Sharon Marcovich also sent one. The article had a lot of
mistakes in it…Jon and Sharon got some of their information mixed up and parts of it are just made up…I wish that
she would have consulted us before she published the article, also I wish that they would have used more recent
pictures. The one’s that they used Sharon’s brother took in Saint Augustine 2 years ago. Anyway, Sharon did write a
nice article and the only people that know what parts are wrong are Bing and I so I guess it won’t hurt anything. The
Evening Telegram is going to publish a story Bing wrote in a 3 or 4 series very shortly.
We are still in Saint Augustine waiting for the shrimp boats for Bing to deliver to Mexico. They were supposed to
have left this week but once again they didn’t go. We have been busy however. Yesterday Bing just finished making
our sailing dinghy so we have to go do some sailing. It worked fine. I sewed the sail on a friend’s machine. It took me
two days to make it. We are also putting an alternator on the main engine, so we can charge our battery faster. Bing
is making some final adjustments on it today.
We were disappointed to hear that Jim and Penny couldn’t come. We were really looking forward to their visit. They
sent us the camera and we received it in good condition. I sent John the money too, so that is settled. I hope that
John gets his camera now.
We will be here awhile yet, so keep sending our mail.
Write and let us know how everyone is doing.
Love Jane and Bing
***
1975 January, 22
Saint Augustine;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
Thank you so much for your letter. I always look forward to and enjoy your letters. I’m changing our address again
to; GENERAL DELIVERY, ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA 32084. We are still having trouble with the box. We know all of
the men that take care of general delivery mail so maybe it will get better care there. It is almost impossible to get a
box here, they have a long waiting list and the cost is $3.00 a quarter.
It looks like we will be here quite awhile yet. Bing just left yesterday to deliver a new shrimp boat to Campeche,
Mexico. I’m sending you a picture of one identical to the one he took. Our friend Bob Baker went with Bing as mate.
Bing is the Captain. They are traveling with two other boats. I was able to talk to Bing for a while as he was going
down the coast on our VHF radio. I hope that they have a good trip; it was blowing pretty good when they left, but
Bing said that they weren’t rolling too badly. They found that after they got underway that they didn’t have any
coffee cups aboard so they are using shields for some light fixtures. They should arrive in Campeche, Mexico
sometime on Saturday; they will then fly home, get a few days rest and then take some more boats to Campeche.
After that he will make two trips to Veracruz and one possibly to Mazatlan on the Pacific coast of Mexico. I’m staying
home and taking care of the boat.
Sure wish Jim and Penny would have made it. It is pretty lonely anchored out here without Bing around. I’m keeping
busy however. I’m working on sanding all of the cabinets in the galley (kitchen) and I’m going to varnish them. It is
about time. I’ve got a whole pile of sewing and mending which I will take to a girlfriend’s house to do. I’m also going to
make a whole batch of syrup from prickly pears. They are the fruit of the cactus which is abundant here on the
beaches. They have a taste similar to raspberries.
We have been busy lately with a lot of projects plus we have been enjoying the weather most of the time. When the
wind blows southwest it gets in the 70s and 80s but when the wind turns north it does get a bit chilly. It was down to
39 degrees on Tuesday morning. It is really nice to have the fireplace then. We have no trouble getting firewood, we
get it from a dump of the place that builds the shrimp boats.
Maybe you should take a trip south to cure your cough. Remember the cough I used to have, it is totally
disappeared since I came here. It could be also because I am breathing better air than I did in Superior.
Hope that Dad is still getting along better. It sounds like it from the letters.
I think that I will row ashore and do some errands. The wind has died a little and I need some exercise since I haven’t
been ashore since Monday.
Hope all is well and write soon;
Love Jane and Bing
Joel, how is school going? I bet you re a real brain-when you want to be.
***
1975 June 26
Saint Augustine;
A letter Jane wrote her parents;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
How is everyone? I haven’t heard in quite a while.
Bing just got home on Sunday evening. He was gone four weeks and I sure was glad to see him come home.
He had a lot of adventures on the trip so he has a lot to talk about. It will take awhile to hear it all. We had the boat
at the dock the whole time Bing was gone. We just moved out today and are at anchor again. We plan to leave for
Daufuskie on July 1st and we should be there by the third as we will go the ocean route and sail round the clock.
Tommy Williams who was our neighbor in Superior is coming to visit. He is arriving here by bus on Sunday. He will
stay with us until I come home and we will ride the bus together back to Superior.
Bill Martinson’s grand daughter stopped in Saint Augustine last Friday. She (Janie) and her husband Gene Walton
were on a trip thru Florida and spotted our boat. I was sure glad to see them. I hadn’t seen Janie since she was a
little girl but Gene worked for Household for awhile so I knew him quite well.
Dad I hope that you have a real happy birthday. For awhile I thought that I would be home for that occasion but Bing’
s trip to Mexico started later than we expected and took longer also.
Mom, would you please start sending our mail to Daufuskie Island, SC 29915. We plan to be there until at least
November.
Hope to see you all soon.
Love Jane and Bing
***
1975 March 2nd
Saint Augustine;
A letter that Jane wrote to here parents;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
How is everyone? Fine I hope. Bing and I are still her in Saint Augustine. Bing has made two trips to Campeche,
Mexico and he had good weather on both trips. And he spent a couple of days in Mexico each time before returning
here. Last trip he brought us 170 pounds of sugar. It cost 9 cents a pound. We should have enough sugar to last
awhile. Bing should be making another trip to Veracruz, Mexico soon, although we don’t know the exact date yet.
Bing and I are going to school now on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 9:30. We are taking Spanish. It is fun and
interesting and we are actually learning to speak a little Spanish.
We have been busy as usual with a lot of projects. I got some of the cabinets varnished but have many more to do.
Bing just made another bookcase for the front birth and did a real nice job.
The weather here has been beautiful until today. A north wind is blowing and it is suppose to get in the 30s tonight.
The boat stays warm however and these cold snaps usually last only a couple of days and then it will be in the 70s
and 80s again…I hope.
I’m sending you an article from the local paper and a picture also in it a few weeks ago. A friend gave us 18 copies
so we have plenty to mail out.
It looks like we will be here awhile yet so keep sending our mail here.
Write and let me know how everyone is and what they are doing. Where is Grandma and how is she?
Love Jane and Bing
***
1975 March 21
Saint Augustine
A letter that Jane sent her folks;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;’
Thank you so much for sending us the article from the Duluth paper. We had no idea of the article but we did
recognize the material. Bing had sent a story to Sharon Marcovich, which she was going to edit, and try to sell.
Instead she gave it to the News Tribune which didn’t make us to happy. We will do our own selling from now on.
We are still in Saint Augustine. We decided not to head any further south as Bing still has some more trips to make
to Mexico.
We are keeping busy as usual. Bing is working on a new wind powered generator. We had some friends from New
York here last week and did a lot of cycling and sailing in our dinghy.
Yesterday we went out for a sail on a friend’s 24 foot boat. Sunday we are going on a 32 foot cement boat from
Canada. We have been to two concerts and two plays in the last week so we really have been busy.
The weather here has been beautiful. It is almost summertime again.
How is everyone at home? Hope Dad is feeling well and you too.
Today we are going to the Art’s and Crafts Festival in Saint Augustine. It’s a big one, it covers four city blocks. We
were here for it two years ago and enjoyed it.
If we are going to shore, I better close and get the dishes washed before we go.
Did you get that sweater that I sent?
Love Jane and Bing
***
1975 May 22
A post card that Jane wrote her parents;
We had a change of plans again. Bing is leaving Tuesday on a 4000 mile trip delivering a shrimp boat to La Paz,
Mexico. He will be gone about three weeks, so will you continue sending our mail here to Saint Augustine until I let
you know. We are putting the boat in the marina when he is gone. Mom, hope you had a nice birthday party.
Love Jane and Bing
***
1975 May 28
Saint Augustine;
A letter that Jane wrote to her folks;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
I was glad to get your letter, and I also got the magazines etc. which you sent. Thank you so very much.
Bing left Monday morning on his trip to Mexico. This time he is delivering a 75 foot shrimp boat called Santaria XI to
La Paz which is on the Baja part of Mexico. It is approximately a 4000 mile trip and they go through the Panama
Canal. They hope to make the trip in 2 to 3 weeks. I hope they can do it in two weeks as I sure miss Bing, but I doubt
it. If it gets rough at all, (which the ocean does) it really slows them down. There are three men aboard each boat
this time and 2 boats traveling together. In Salina Cruz, Mexico they will pick up Mexican crew, so Bing will get to
practice his Spanish for a couple thousand miles. It should be an interesting trip.
A few days after Bing gets back, we will head to Daufuskie. This year we will sail outside, (on the ocean) up to
Savannah instead of going the Intercoastal Waterway. Also it will be faster as we will travel day and night and also
we can sail all the way instead of having to use the engine a lot as we do on the Intercoastal Waterway. I’ll write you
and let you know for sure later on when we are leaving here.
We now have the boat at the City Yacht Pier, (marina). I feel safer tied to the dock since Bing will be gone so long
this time. It is also very convenient for me being right downtown. I can have my friends visit evenings.
I hope you have a nice trip to Nebraska and it isn’t too hot.
I’m still not sure when I’m coming home yet, possibly the end of June or the first of July. It all depends on when Bing
gets back from Mexico and how soon we get to Daufuskie. All I know for sure is that I am coming home for a visit this
summer.
I’m sure glad that Dad can read good again and that everyone is well. You and Dad sure looked good in the picture
with Mary Louise.
Write when you get time. Say hello to Grandma for me. I sure hope I have inherited her energy.
Love Jane
***
1975 November, 4th
Saint Augustine
A letter that Jane wrote to her folks;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
Thank you for sending our mail. The package and magazines arrived on Saturday.
We plan to leave Saint Augustine this week. Maybe tomorrow if we get the last of our supplies aboard today. Our
friend Bob Baker from Saint Augustine will be sailing with us for a few days. I’m not sure where our next stop will be,
probably somewhere on the Indian River near Melbourne, Florida.
We have enjoyed our stay here in Saint Augustine and have been very busy. We have the boat so loaded with
groceries and supplies that I couldn’t store another thing.
We had an oyster roast party with friends last Saturday night and had a lot of fun. Tonight we are going to a
Chinese restaurant for dinner with some friends. We know so many people here that we have trouble seeing them
all in two weeks.
We got all of the decks of the boat painted while we were here and it really looks nice. Sunday, Bing and a friend
gathered 25 gallons of prickly pears, so I’m going to be busy for awhile making wine, jelly and syrup.
I probably won’t get time to work on my quilt for awhile.
I’ll write from our next stop. It maybe in Melbourne or Miami, depending on the weather. The weather is still nice here
and in the 80s during the day and 70s at night, but a cold spell could come anytime so we want to be far enough
south to miss it.
It was nice to get your letters while we were here. I’m glad to hear that Grandma is doing much better. Hello to
everyone;
Love Jane and Bing
P.S. I haven’t finished the family tree yet, too busy, but I’ll have it done by Christmas.
Jane does flounder countless ways but it is always fabulous and different every time. We constantly had fresh
seafood aboard Dursmirg and it was whatever came out of the sea.
CHAPTER 65 APPENDIX, RECIPES, FACTS AND LINKS
next chapter
CAPTAIN ROBERT WHITE’S BOILED SHRIMP
(This recipe is one of our all time favorites and it came from this very special person).
1-3 lemons
1 large onion sliced
3-5 cloves of garlic unpeeled and sliced
1-3 teaspoons ground black pepper
Boiling size headed shrimp 2-5 pounds
Combine all of the above except shrimp and salt with the water. Boil until the lemons are soft. Add shrimp- cook
about one minute. Add salt and stir, cover, and let stand twenty minutes off the heat. Spoon out and serve. Do not
dump into colander to drain, as they will be too salty.
CLAM CHOWDER
12 large quahog clams steamed and minced with stomachs removed
few slices bacon
potatoes diced
carrots diced
bell pepper chopped
onion chopped
1# can tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 garlic buds chopped
1 ½ tsp. poultry seasoning
½ tsp black pepper
1 T bbq sauce
Several dashes of Tabasco sauce
½ tsp. ground oregano
Steam clams, remove stomachs and mince.
Fry bacon partially, add onion, pepper, potatoes, carrots, garlic and fry stirring to keep from burning. When carrots
are almost done, add all the other ingredients including the clams. Thin with broth and white wine.
CLAM LINGUINE (Sophie Tredor)
Spaghetti with vongole in plain sauce
2 lbs. clams with shells
1 T olive oil
½ cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic cut fine
1 tsp. black pepper
1 T. chopped parsley
1 T. oregano
1 lb. linguine pasta
Begin: Wash clams, place in large fry pan with 1 T olive oil, cover, place over hot fire and cook until shells open.
Remove from heat. Separate clams from shells and reserve juice.
Cut clams into small pieces.
Next, place ½ cup olive oil in saucepan, add garlic and brown. Add clam juice, pepper, parsley, oregano and clams.
Boil l minute and shut off heat.
Cook linguine noodles. Drain. Add sauce, 2 T parmesan cheese and serve.
In place of clams you can use coquina shells or donax gathered from the beach but they are very tedious to clean.
To clean: steam 1 qt. coquina shells in one-inch of water. When the shells open, remove from heat and pick tiny
piece of meat from each shell. Reserve juice for the sauce.
BARRACUDA OR MULLET WITH CHEESE SAUCE Jim Muller
1 pound of fish cut in to 1-inch cubes
butter for sautéing
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can sliced mushrooms or equivalent in fresh mushrooms
1 large chopped onion
2 tsp. lemon juice
pepper, dash of thyme and marjarom
Sauté onions and mushroom in butter.
Add fish and remaining ingredients. Cook covered until fish is cooked.
Serve over rice.
CRAB OR MULLET QUICHE
Unbaked 9-inche deep dish pastry shell
5 slices bacon
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1 cup light cream or evaporated milk
dash of Tabasco
one onion sliced, if desired
1 cup steamed crabmeat or steamed mullet cut in small cubes.
¼ cup chopped green bell pepper
1 small can mushrooms
Fry bacon until cooked but not too crisp. Break into bite sized pieces.
Sauté onion, green pepper and mushrooms in bacon grease.
Place bacon and onion mixture into the pie shell, add the crabmeat or mullet. Beat eggs lightly and blend in cream.
Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco. Pour over ingredients in pie shell. Bake about 45 minutes at 350º oven.
CRAB OR SHRIMP OMELET
1 cup crab meat or 1 cup small cooked, peeled headed shrimp
½ medium bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 eggs beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
In skillet, fry bell pepper and onion in a little cooking oil. When done, add to bowl with crabmeat, salt, pepper and
beaten eggs. Gently fold all together. Pour into medium hot skillet. Cook until eggs are almost done, turn to brown
a bit. Remove from heat and serve with Louisiana Hot Sauce.
CRAB STUFFED EGGPLANT OR ZUCCHINI
1 large eggplant or 6 zucchini squash
Butter for sautéing
1 green pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
½ lb. fresh mushrooms, cut up
1 stalk of celery, diced
white wine
1 cup crab meat
1 T. sharp grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp. dry mustard
5-6 drops hot sauce
For sauce:
Sour cream
Reserved vegetable liquid
Fresh scallops, optional
Cut eggplant or zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out center and save. In butter, sauté green pepper, onion,
mushrooms, celery and center of eggplant or zucchini. When onion is tender, pour a little water over the mixture,
some white wine, then simmer 10 minutes – don’t let go dry. Add more wine to keep liquid at l cup. While
vegetables cook, place halves of eggplant or zucchini in 350º oven with a dot of butter in each half. Bake 15
minutes for zucchini or ½ hour for eggplant.
Drain vegetables, reserve liquid. Mix crabmeat with vegetables plus 1 T. grated sharp cheddar cheese, 1 tsp. dry
mustard and 5-6 drops Tabasco sauce.
Fill cavities of squash with vegetables. Bake 20 minutes or until tender.
Sauce: Mix enough sour cream with vegetable liquid to make a thick gravy. Heat and stir until smooth. Add
scallops.
Remove squash from oven and pour sauce over it. Serve good and hot with white rice.
CRAB STUFFED BELL PEPPERS
4 green bell peppers
1 medium onion minced
½ cup chopped celery
2 slices of bacon, diced
3 T. butter
1 cup cooked crabmeat
2 eggs slightly beaten
¼ cup grated cheese optional
salt
pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
Heat oven to 375º
Slice top off peppers and clean out centers. Parboil 5 minutes in salted water. Meanwhile sauté onion, celery,
bacon and bread in butter until onions are transparent. Mix crabmeat with eggs then with onion mixture (1/4 cup
grated cheese, optional). Add salt and pepper.
Remove parboiled peppers from water and drain. Set upright in baking pan and fill each pepper with crab mixture.
Back 20 minutes.
CONCH CHOWDER
2 large conchs, cut into chunks and tenderized with mallet
few slices bacon
potatoes diced
carrots diced
bell pepper chopped
onion chopped
1# can tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 garlic buds chopped
1 ½ tsp. poultry seasoning
½ tsp black pepper
1 T bbq sauce
Several dashes of Tabasco sauce
½ tsp. ground oregano
Remove conch from shell, skin, beat with a tenderizer mallet until thin. Cut into chunks.
Fry bacon partially, add onion, pepper, potatoes, carrots, garlic and fry stirring to keep from burning. When carrots
are almost done, add all the other ingredients including the conch. Thin with white wine. Let stand 30 minutes
before serving.
Serve over rice.
FRIED MULLET with mustard and cheese
1 ½ to 2 lbs mullet filets.
1 egg
1 T. prepared mustard
2 T. water
1/3 cup corn meal
3 T flour
3 T. grated parmesan cheese
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper, if desired
Lightly beat together egg, mustard and water in a shallow bowl. Combine cornmeal, flour and cheese. Dip fish filets
in egg mixture, then in cornmeal mixture.
Fry in hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until fish flakes easily when pierced with a fork.
Drain on paper towel to absorb excess oil. Season with salt and pepper.
STIR FRY MULLET
Saute in butter 1 large sliced onion,1 large sliced bell pepper,½ lb. sliced mushrooms or or 1 4oz can
When onion is almost transparent increase heat to very hot. Add 1 lb. mullet cut into 1 inch cubes, ¼ cup dry white
white, ¼ tsp. garlic powder.
Stir and cook until fish loses its transparent look.
Serve piping hot over curried or yellow rice.
CURRIED BANANA FISH
¼ cup flour
2 tsp. curry powder
¼ tsp. pepper
4 small firm bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 lb. fish filets
1 T. oil
3 stalks celery sliced thin diagonally
4 T margarine or butter, divided
2 T. lemon juice, divided
Mix flour, curry powder, and pepper. Coat bananas and fish filets with this mixture. Heat oil in skillet: stir fry celery
until crisp tender. Remove and set aside. Add 2 T. margarine to skillet: sauté bananas until golden and tender,
about 1 minute on each side. Remove and sprinkle with 1 T. lemon juice. Add remaining 2 T. margarine to skillet,
sauté fish about 2 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden and fish flakes easily with fork. Sprinkle with
remaining 1 T. lemon juice; remove to platter with bananas. Reheat celery quickly in skillet, spoon over fish. Serve
with rice.
ST. AUGUSTINE FRIED SHRIMP from Jean Kinsey
Shrimp tails, shelled
Self-rising flour
Soda crackers
Oil for frying
Make a batter of self-rising flour and water.
Shake shelled shrimp in a bag that contains self-rising flour. Then dip shrimp in batter. Roll in crushed cracker
crumbs. Fry in ¼ to ½ inch oil until golden. Remove and drain off excess oil.
BAKED FISH WITH WHITE SAUCE Jim Muller
2 lbs fish
Parmesan cheese
American cheese
White sauce
Fish: Broil fish 12-15 minutes in butter and seasoned with lemon and pepper.
Break fish into chunks and place in buttered baking pan. Pour white sauce over fish and bake at 400º for 15-20
minutes. Five minutes before removing from oven sprinkle with parmesan cheese and as much American cheese as
desired.
White sauce:
4 T. butter
4 T. flour
nutmeg
lemon juice
dry sherry
1 ½ cups milk
salt and pepper
Melt butter in saucepan. Gradually add the flour while mixing with whisk to keep it smooth. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
Let the mixture cool, then add the 1 ½ cups of hot milk gradually while stirring with whisk. After this is blended, add
a little grated nutmeg, salt and pepper. (lemon juice and dry sherry optional). Ground cloves may also be added.
Put on heat stirring occasionally with whisk and cook until thick and smooth.
STEAMED BLUE CRABS
Live blue crabs
Crab boil
Put about one inch of water in the bottom of a pot that has a tight fitting lid. If you have a pot with a bottom rack, use
that. Apply heat, put the crabs in the pot along with some crab boil. Cover and steam until the crabs turn red and
the white apron on the belly of the crab pops up or loose from the body. Adjust the heat so the pot doesn’t boil
dry. Depending on the amount of crabs, it takes 20 to 30 minutes to steam them. When done remove from the pot
to prevent overcooking.
Cool. Pick the crab meat from the body and claws.
DEVILED CRAB
2 cups crabmeat
2 eggs
½ cup soda cracker crumbs
1 heaping tsp. dry mustard
1 T. lemon juice
Several dashes of Tabasco depending on taste
½ chopped green pepper
½ chopped medium onion
10 crab shells that have been cleaned well
Mix crabmeat, eggs, cracker crumbs, mustard, lemon juice, Tabasco, onions and green pepper in a bowl. Spoon
mixture into crab shells to heaping. Press gently on the mixture with your hand to press into the shell. Put a dap of
butter on top of each shell. Bake in a preheated 375º oven uncovered about 25 minutes or until brown and onions
and peppers are cooked. Season with Louisiana hot sauce to your taste.
CRAB CAKES
Use the same recipe as above except omit cracker crumbs from mixture. Chill mixture until cool. When cool, shape
into patties, roll in cracker crumbs and then fry in hot oil turning when golden brown. Remove from pan when both
sides are brown and drain on brown paper. Serve with Louisiana hot sauce.
DURSMIRG SHRIMP PIZZA
Crust
2/3 c warm water
¼ package dry yeast
2 T. sugar
1 egg beaten
About 2 cups of flour
Pour 2/3 cup warm water into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle ¼ package of dry yeast in the water and stir to dissolve. Add
2 T. sugar and 1 egg beaten with a fork. Add flour to make stiff dough (about 2 cups). Cover and let stand 20-30
minutes. Then turn out on a cookie sheet and pat to fit with your hands or use a rolling pin. Preheat oven to 375º
Spices:
Grind in mortar and pestle
¼ tsp. black paper
1/3 tsp. celery seed
¼ red pepper
1 tsp. caraway
1 tsp. leaf tarragon
1 T. oregano
½ tsp garlic power
Add up to ½ tsp. salt while grinding
Topping:
1 ½ cups small peeled cooked shrimp
½ medium onion chopped
½ large bell pepper chopped
mushrooms as desired
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 small can tomato sauce
grated parmesan or romano cheese
1 T. olive oil
Method:
Spread dough in pan. Then layer first shrimp, then onions, chopped bell peppers and mushrooms. Add 1 cup
grated cheddar cheese. Sprinkle on the spices. Cover with tomato sauce then top with grated parmesan or romano
cheese. Sprinkle 1 T. olive oil over the ingredients.
Bake at 375º until crust is golden and top is browned. About 20 to 30 minutes depending on the thickness of the
pizza. Cool about 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
You can substitute crabmeat or pepperoni for the shrimp or use a combination of all of them.
ROSEMARY SQUID from Katherine Gaetanos
1 to 5 lbs of very small squid
Salt
¼ cup or more chopped garlic
Rosemary vinegar
Olive oil
Wash squid. Sprinkle with salt and rub squid and salt with your hands. Rinse well.
Put squid in pan and barely cover with water. Cook until squid are white and no longer transparent. Remove from
heat and drain. Heat skillet, add olive oil and garlic and brown garlic lightly, add squid and brown until liquid is
absorbed and squid are firm and reddish colored. You may need to add more oil.
Remove from heat and sprinkle with rosemary vinegar to taste. Serve hot or cold.
Delicious served with sliced French bread or over rice.
SQUID GREEK STYLE
3 lbs squid
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 T. olive oil
2 ½ cups chopped canned tomatoes
½ cup fresh parsley
½ tsp. salt (omit if desired)
¼ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. crumbled dried oregano
¼ cup white wine
Clean squid by removing the tentacles. Chop and reserve. Remove and discard the head, pen and viscera. Wash
the mantle well and cut into pieces.
Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until lightly browned. Add the tomatoes, parsley, salt, pepper, oregano,
wine and squid. Cover and simmer until squid is tender. It may take up to 1 hour depending on the size of the squid.
CIVICHE
Cut fish in small bits. Add chopped onion, tomato, and jalapeño pepper. Cover with lime juice (or 7/8 lime juice and
1/8 red wine vinegar with garlic). Refrigerate 3 or more hours.
Add chopped parsley or cilantro, salt and pepper to taste.
FRIED CLAMS OR OYSTERS
Fresh shucked clams or oysters
Roll clams or oysters into a mixture of ½ self-rising flour and ½ corn meal. Fry in hot oil until golden brown on both
sides. Remove and drain on paper. Serve with a sauce of 1 T. horseradish to 4 T. tomato catsup and a dash of
Worcestershire sauce.
STEAMED STONE CRABS
Remove 1 claw from each stone crab. Put water in a pan and heat.. When water is boiling add stone crab claws.
Boil for 5 minutes. Remove claws from heat, drain and set aside.
Make a sauce of melted butter, garlic powder and add dash of Worcestershire sauce.
To serve crack the claws with a hammer and pry off the shell. Dip meat in the butter mixture.
STEAMED SPINY LOBSTER
First dive and get lobsters.
Heat 2 inches of water in a large pan. When boiling add fresh, live lobster. Cover and steam about 20 minutes or
until lobsters are bright red. Remove from pan. Cool slightly then crack open, remove lungs and viscera and then
serve with your favorite sauce. I
make a sauce of melted butter, garlic powder and add dash of Worcestershire sauce.
OTHER SEAFOOD FAVORITES:
CRAB GUMBO
CRACKED CONCH
CONCH FRITTERS
STEAMED OYSTERS
OYSTER FRITTERS
CLAM FRITTERS
FRIED FLOUNDER
SMOKED BLUE FISH DIP
SMOKED FISH
SHRIMP CREOLE
HONEY CHICKEN from Mary Flood
¼ lb. butter
6 T. honey
3 T. prepared mustard
2 tsp. curry powder
1 fryer, cut up
4 medium potatoes, cut in quarters (optional)
Melt butter, stir in honey, mustard and curry powder. Add chicken, cover and cook over medium heat approximately
30 minutes, turn chicken, add potatoes, cover and cook until chicken is done (about 30 minutes).
APPLE OATMEAL CRISP from Eunice Pearson
1 ½ lbs. tart apples
½ cup butter (1 stick)
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup quick cook oatmeal
½ cup flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Heat oven to 350º
Melt butter in sauce pan, stir in brown sugar, oatmeal, flour and cinnamon until mixture is crumbly.
Put apples in a baking pan, cover with mixture. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
BEAN SPROUTS from Ed Weber
Types of beans that work well: mung, alfalfa, lentils
1. Place in glass jar 1 T. of beans or mixture of beans
2. Add ½ cup of water and soak overnight for a minimum of 8 hours.
3. Pour off water
4. Leave jar in dark place with screen over end and every day (more often if dry) rinse with water and pour off.
Then return to darkness with jar in horizontal position. Caution: Don’t leave too wet and don’t let them dry out!
5. When beans are sprouted to desired length usually a pair of tiny leaves form. Then place jar in light but not
direct sunlight and the sprouts will turn green.
6. Eat raw in salads, on sandwiches or use in cooking.
PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE (from Billie Burn August 1973)
½ stick of butter
½ cup brown sugar
4 or 5 slices of pineapple
5 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of self rising flour
3 eggs
1. Light and adjust oven to 350 degrees
2. Melt butter and brown sugar slowly
3. Beat the sugar and egg yolks until light
4. Blend alternately the juice and flour with the beaten yolks and sugar. Beat the egg whites and fold in.
5. Place the pineapple slices in the melted sugar and butter. Pour batter over this and bake 30 minutes.
BEER BREAD
3 cups of flour
3 tablespoons of honey
2 teaspoons of baking powder
Salt
1 can of beer
Bake one hour at 350 degrees.
WHITE RICE with garlic and onion
1 ½ cups uncooked long-grain rice
1 T. oil
6 garlic cloves
1 medium white onion, cut in quarters
2 chicken bouillon cubes
4 cups cold water
½ tsp. salt if desired
In a deep fry pan, add the oil, rice, garlic and onion. Slowly brown over low heat, stirring occasionally. When rice is
golden, add water and crushed bouillon cubes. Simmer tightly covered until liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes.
CHILI RICE
1 medium onion, sliced lengthwise
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tsp. oil, margarine
1 cup uncooked regular rice
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp chili powder
2 beef bouillon cubes or 2 tsp. instant
2 cups of water
1 large green bell pepper or several sweet
banana peppers coarsely chopped
Sauté onion and garlic in oil until soft, add rice and cook over high heat, stirring until mixture is golden brown.
Add tomatoes, peppers, chili powder, bouillon and water.
Bring to boiling, lower heat, simmer covered about 45 minutes
or until all liquid is absorbed. Shut off heat and let stand 20 minutes before serving.
PASTA SALAD
1 lb. package of macaroni twists cooked
1 red or green pepper chopped
1 red onion chopped
6-8 stalks celery chopped if desired
1 package of hard salami sliced and cut in two
1 package pepperoni cut in two
1 can black olives sliced and drained
1 cup romano or parmesan cheese
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
l bottle Italian salad dressing
Prepare two hours ahead of serving.
POUND CAKE
½ lb. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 2/3 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
Preheat oven to 325º
Cream butter, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy on high speed of mixer.. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on
low after each addition. Add flour and beat on medium for 2 minutes.
Pour into 4 ½ x 9 inch loaf pan that has been lined with waxed paper. Bake for 1 hour. Do not open oven for the
entire hour or cake will fall. When done, remove waxed paper and cool on cake rack. Recipe from Billie Burns,
Daufuskie Island
HUSH PUPPIES
1 cup self-rising corn meal
1 egg beaten
¼ cup chopped onion
Dash of pepper
Milk
Mix all of the ingredients adding just enough milk to make a thick batter. Heat about 2 inches of cooking oil in a pan
and let it get very hot. Drop teaspoons of the batter in the hot oil. Turn with a slotted spoon if they don’t roll over
by themselves. Remove and drain on paper towel.
HONEY WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
3 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup nonfat dry milk
3 tsp. salt
2 pkgs. Active dry yeast
Combine above ingredients in large mixing bowl
3 cups water
½ cup honey
2 ¼ Tbs. cooking oil
Heat in saucepan over low heat until warm
Generously grease two 9x5” , 8x4” or round loaf pans.
Pour warm (not hot) liquid over flour mixture. Blend at low speed l minute, medium speed for 2 minutes. By hand,
stir in 1 cup additional whole wheat flour and 4 or 4 ½ cups plain or all purpose flour.
Knead on floured surface 5 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl; cover and let rise until light and doubled in
bulk (45-60 minutes).
Punch down dough and divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf. Place in greased pan. Cover loaves: let rise
another 30 to 45 minutes until light and doubled in size. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until loaf sounds
hollow when tapped lightly. Remove from pan, cool on wire rack before slicing.
HONEY PECAN PIE
Depending on richness or sweetness desired, blend ¾ to 1 cup of honey, ¼ tsp. salt and 1 cup of broken pecan
meats. Beat 3 eggs slightly and add the honey mixture. Mix well. Put into a partly baked pie shell and bake in 325
degree oven for 45 minutes.
Basic crust: single crust
Sift 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour into a bowl with 1 tsp. salt. Pour into measuring cup, ¼ cup cold milk and 1/3 cup
cooking oil (do not stir); add all at once to the flour stirring until mixed. Press into a smooth ball, flatten slightly.
Place between two 12-inch squares of waxed paper. Dampen table top to prevent slipping. Roll the pastry out
gently to edges of paper. Peel off top paper. If dough should tear, mend without moistening. Place paper side up
in a 9-inch pie pan. Peel off paper. Ease and fit pastry into pan. Flute edge. If recipe calls for baked shell, prick
thoroughly with fork and bake in preheated 450 oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
KEY LIME PIE
4 eggs
1 can condensed milk
½ cup lime juice
6 T. sugar
½ tsp. cream of tarter
Baked 9-inch pie shell
Preheat over to 350º
Beat 4 egg yolks, add condensed milk and lime juice. Beat until thick. Beat 1 egg white until stiff then fold into above
mixture. Pour into baked pie shell. For topping beat 3 egg whites, blend in sugar and cream of tartar, beat until
stiff and forms peaks. Bake in moderate oven until egg whites are golden brown.
CHOCOLATE COCONUT PIE (Nira Brown)
2 cups fresh shredded coconut
2 eggs separated
2 squares chocolate melted
½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp salt
1 cup sugar divided
½ cup evaporated. Milk
Mix ½ cup sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, salt and milk.
Beat egg whites, add ½ sugar and fold chocolate mixture into it.
Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or knife comes out clean.
PRICKLY PEAR SYRUP
20 or more prickly pears
Holding each prickly pear with tongs, cut lengthwise in half. Put in a saucepan and add water just to cover. Cook
over moderate heat until the prickly pears are soft. Cool. Drain through a cheese cloth to extract juice.
6 cups juice
9 cups sugar
Boil for 5 minutes. Pour into 5 sterilized pint jars.
Use syrup over pancakes or ice cream.
SPOON BREAD
Set the oven at 500 degrees and place well greased 2 quart casserole in oven.
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 cup of corn meal
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 cup of buttermilk
2 cups of boiling water
Beat eggs, add milk, into this sift all dry ingredients, mix well. Pour boiling water over this and mix. Pour into greased
dish. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.
(As dictated by; Lenora Bialkowski)
GRANOLA
4 cups of rolled oats
1 cup chopped nuts (I used West Indian Almonds that we found on the beach)
¾ cup hulled sunflower seeds
½ cup honey
½ cup water
½ cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla
Add:
1 cup grated roasted coconut
½ to ¾ cup raisins and/or other dried fruit
1 T. powdered cinnamon
In large bowl mix oats, nuts and sunflower seeds. In another bowl mix honey, water, oil and vanilla: stir into oat
mixture. Mix well. Bake on large cookie sheet in 350º oven 30 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring occasionally.
Cool. Add 1 cup roasted grated coconut and ½ to ¾ cups raisins and 1 T. powdered cinnamon.
BLACK BEANS AND RICE Spanish style
Soak overnight 1 pound black beans. Drain, cover with water, add 1 tsp. salt, 2 bay leaves and 1 clove garlic.
Simmer for about 3 hours adding water as needed. Just before serving, heat 1/3 cup olive oil, add a crush garlic
clove, 1 cup each of chopped onion and green pepper, ½ tsp. sage, 3 T. vinegar and ¼ tsp. black pepper. Cook
for 15 minutes over low heat. Pour over the beans and serve over white rice.
SALSA CHILI GUAJILLO Jane’s favorite Mexican sauce
10 dry chili guajillos.
I hold them by the stem, cut them in two with a scissors and then slice crosswise into about ¼ inch wide half circles.
Discard the stem.
10 cloves of garlic cut first in half lengthwise and then crosswise into 1/8 inch slices.
Put the chilies (including the seeds) and garlic into a heavy pan or skillet, pour olive oil over them so they are
coated and the bottom of the pan is covered. Cook on fairly high heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until the garlic
starts to brown and you can smell the chilies getting hot. I quit cooking the chilies when they start to smell HOT! If
the chilies are starting to change color, take them off the heat.
Make sure you cook this in a well-ventilated area as if it gets smoking hot; the fumes are bad.
Let the mixture cool. The chilies will be crispy dry and garlic crisp.
When cool, put in blender, add more olive oil according to how thick you want the salsa and then blend to desired
consistency.
I sometimes make it thick…other times thinner. Depends on my mood!
If it is too thick, you can easily thin it later with olive oil.
SHRIMP BOATS/BUILDERS/ besides the three big boys in the business in St. Augustine there were the little
guys…the Mom and Pops that built some of the finest vessels to ever be produced here in the world’s trawler
building capitol.
***
Here is a list of the St. Augustine shrimp boat builders in the 1960s and 1970s;
Phil Melansen, cement shrimp boat and boat yard with Harry Walden
Steve Sarris, wood boats and his shade-tree river-bank no-frills boat yard
Leonard Nick, was an old time builder that worked under a pole-shed with bare-bones equipment.
Lekas, Another old-time Greek river-bank shade-tree trawler builder
Xynides Boat Yard; Owner and operator Harry Xynides aka “Uncle Harry” Harry had the most sophisticated mom and
pop boat yard in town. Harry had a full-functioning marine railway system with a winch to do in and out repairs to
vessels up to 80 feet. Harry also had a real enclosed fabricating building with the proper tools and equipment and it
is said that Harry built some of the very finest vessels to ever leave St. Augustine.
***
Here is a list of the shrimp boats that used St. Augustine as their home port in the1960s and 1970s:
Venus owned and operated by Angelo who was the proud owner of this specially distinctive vessel with its uniquely
elegant paint job.
The Venus was the last trawler ever built by Harry Xynides and it was a real classic beauty.
The Venus had the distinction of was always being featured in publicity photos and movies of St. Augustine.
Terry owned and operated by Captain George Tappin. Captain George and his wife Mary lived aboard the Terry
with their little dog Bimbo and called it home. When we met them George couldn’t get his wife Mary to go off-shore
fishing with him and either fished all by himself or try to get crew.
(This is where Jane and I got our first taste of the real off-shore fishing industry.)
You can read more about Captain George Tappin in this volume and also in volume 1 of The Travels of Dursmirg.
Miss Joan owned and operated by Dominic Tringali was one of two 68 foot fiberglass Desco Marine trawlers in town.
Dominic docked his Desco trawler at the same dock next to the only other Desco 68 footer the Bread Winner. Of all
of the St. Augustine shrimp fishermen Dominic Tringali was in my estimation and of my experience the most friendly
and helpful. If ever there was even the hint that you might need assistance he was right there to help no matter how
good the fishing was. So here is a special salute and thank you to Dominic and his Miss Joan.
Bread Winner owned and operated by the Fazio family. This was the second 68 foot fiberglass Desco Marine trawler
in town.(The Fazio family also owned and operated the Fazio Fish Docks and they were an old-time business in St.
Augustine.)
Inger and Edith was a 70 foot wooden trawler home made by Inger. Inger was a bull-headed big Danish guy who
could be more stubborn than was good for him but in the end he was honest and fair and even reasonable.
Bachman Brothers; Home based in South Carolina this family owned and operated business had a fleet of very well
maintained and professionally managed shrimp trawlers that regularly came to St. Augustine to work the fall shrimp
season. These ironically were the only vessels in the St. Augustine fishing fleet owned and operated by black
people.
Secotan; owned and operated by John and Jane Grimsrud; the Secotan was a 42 foot classic trawler built at Man’s
Harbor, North Carolina in 1947, that spent it’s first years fishing in and out of Oregon Inlet at Cape Hatteras, the
most treacherous inlet on the east coast of United States. (The Secotan story covers a chapter of this volume)
The following were only one season shrimpers and I write about them more extensively in the San Sebastian River
section of this volume;
Eddie Long;
Steve Stefano
Rick James
A secret of the shrimp boat captains; always hold your shrimp over night on ice because the next day the count of
the shrimp will go up by one full size. Example; a 31-35 becomes a 26-30. Shrimp size is determined by the number
of shrimp per pound.
The following are transcripts from some letters and postcards that Jane had sent her parents from St.
Augustine and were saved by her mother.
(In volumes 1, 2 and 3 of “Travels of Dursmirg” can be found more of these letters sent from our various travel
destinations.)
Note; in the following letters Jane refers to “Bing” and that is my nickname.
1974 December 13th Saint Augustine;
A letter that Jane wrote her folks;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
We are still in Saint Augustine which is a surprise to us; we never intended to stay here this long. Bing is still waiting
around on the boat trips so we may be here awhile. We are enjoying our stay however. We have been doing a lot of
cycling here with some folks on a sailboat from New York. He is an electrical engineer who just retired from IBM and
he and Bing have been having a ball discussing and designing generators and they rebuilt our radio antenna. We
are going to a Christmas concert with them Sunday evening. The next day they are heading further south to visit a
mutual friend of ours on the Indian River. We plan to see them there later on.
We got our six months of groceries aboard, (mostly staple items), then we saw signs on the stores saying that they
were going to increase the prices in seven days, so we went out and bought the whole works again. That was a lot
of trips with our bikes. We can really load them up. The only thing that we didn’t buy was sugar, (its $3.19 for five
pounds). We bought 3 gallons of honey instead.
Please keep sending our mail here; I will call when we leave here. Please change the address to; Bev McDonald, P.
O. Box 81, Saint Augustine, Fl 32084/ the post office made a complaint about too many people in one box. With too
many names and the box. The box is in Bev McDonalds name only so send it % her.
I suppose that you are busy with Christmas preparations. I wish I was home to join you. Maybe next year. I hope that
you have a happy time. I’m not sure where we will be. We have three invitations to Christmas dinner, so if we are
here we will have some where to go.
Have a Merry Christmas
Love Jane and Bing
***
1974 June 8th (Saint Augustine)
A postcard Jane wrote to her parents;
Hi!
We are still in Saint Augustine but will be leaving in a few days for Daufuskie, so please start forwarding our mail to:
Daufuskie Island, SC 29915
I will be writing you a letter in a couple of days.
Hope summer has arrived for you. It sure has here.
Love Jane and Bing
***
1974 June 10th (Saint Augustine)
A letter Jane wrote to her parents;
Dear Mom Dad and Joel;
We are still in Saint Augustine but plan to leave tomorrow or the next day. We have spent at least a week putting
enough groceries aboard to last for four months. That took a lot of trips on the bicycle. Today Bing and a friend are
scraping barnacles off the bottom. When that’s done we are all set to leave. Our friends from here, Bob and Beverly
Baker are coming with us for about two weeks. It should be fun.
The first two weeks we were here Bing and I helped Bob on some remolding of an apartment house he owns. Bing
did all of the plumbing and wiring for a new kitchen and bathroom and I painted a lot of the woodwork. We enjoyed it
though Bing said 2 weeks was long enough to work steady and we also got good wages plus meals.
I’m sending you another $10.00 to cover postage. I’ve been trying to keep track of how much it costs you to send it
to us. We sure appreciate it.
How is the garden doing? Have you planned anything for a vacation? Is Grandma back?
When John comes home tell him to write us before he comes to visit so we can get boat transportation for him from
Savannah to where we stay at Daufuskie. If you ever need to get us a message we have a friend in Savannah you
can call who can reach us. Its: Jim Muller 120 E. 46th St. Savannah, Ga. Phone: 236-3927 or 786-4341. I don’t know
the area code.
Well, Bing wants to get to shore so I better close for now. I’ll write again when I get to Savannah or Daufuskie.
Have a Happy Anniversary and Happy Father’s Day.
Love Jane and Bing
***
1974 November 29th (Saint Augustine, Florida)
A letter that Jane wrote her folks;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
I hope that everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. I am sure that yours was a little chillier than ours. We cooked turkey
with our friends Bob and Beverly Baker here in Saint Augustine. We sure have been on the go since we got to Saint
Augustine. As soon as we got here Bing was offered a job delivering one of the new 68 foot fiberglass shrimp boats
which they make here to Campeche, Mexico. They were suppose to leave on two different dates, but the Mexicans
came here without enough money to pay for the boats, so they can’t leave the country until they are paid for…so
now the trip is indefinite. Bing was looking forward to the trip. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t have been able to go as the
Campeche Mexicans are superstitious about women on their boats.
A lot of people on boats have been coming through here that we know from our travels. We even met some people
that had seen us sailing the Dursmirg around the Apostle Islands and we have met several people from Bayfield.
Last night some people we knew from Jacksonville pulled in. We sure know a lot of people now so it’s hard to get
away from here.
We pulled our boat in Fernandina Beach before we came to Saint Augustine. We spent three days out of the water
and really did a nice job on the bottom. We hope that the paint will keep the barnacles and growth off until next year.
How is everyone in the family? Did John get back from his hunting trip? How are Jim and Penny doing with their
baby? I’ve been waiting to hear from them as to their plans for the winter. If they are coming south we would like to
meet them somewhere.
Bing is waiting to go to town. We have been doing a thousand errands and trying to put a six month supply of
groceries aboard…which is a lot of trips on our bicycles. Hope everyone’s OK. Keep sending our mail until you hear
otherwise, Thank you.
Love Jane and Bing
***
1975 April, 15
A letter that Jane wrote to her folks;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
I made the paper again and I’m sending you a copy.
Bing and I are still in Saint Augustine. We’ve decided not to head any further south now. Bing still hopes to make a
few more trips to Mexico. His next trip should take three weeks as he is supposed to go to La Paz, Baja California.
He should go in about a week, but the trip has been delayed so many times that we really aren’t sure. I have to stay
behind and watch the boat. The boat is like a kid, can’t leave it alone, and if you do it gets into trouble.
When Bing gets back from his trips, he is going to watch the boat and I’m going to come home for a visit. I’m not sure
when it will be yet, either the last of May or early June. Are you going on any trips? Let me know if you are so I don’t
come when you are gone. I can’t plan any definite date until I know about when Bing will be done with boat
deliveries. I’m getting anxious to come home for a visit as it has been almost 3 years.
Time sure does fly.
Bing and I are constantly on the go. We have a lot of friends here. Off and on we have spent 12 months of the last
three years here so we know a lot of people plus a lot of our friends on boats have been coming through town. We
are still going to school to one night a week taking Spanish lessons which we enjoy.
Hope everything is okay with all of you. I haven’t heard from anyone for awhile. Is Grandma home yet? How are Fran
and Al doing?
Write soon, I love to get the news
Love Jane and Bing
PS The boat on the cover of the paper belongs to our friends from Hamilton, Ontario. It is also a Ferro-cement boat.
***
1975 January, 10
Saint Augustine;
A letter that Jane wrote her parents;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
We hope all of you had happy holidays. We enjoyed ours but it would have been nice to be home. I want to thank
you for the Christmas presents, the sweaters fit real good. We just ate up the last of the fruit cake and cookies a few
days ago. We rationed them so that they would last longer and we sure enjoyed them. I’m going to make a shelf for
the Swedish rooster and horse so that I can have them out all the time. Thank you so much.
Thank you for sending the Evening Telegram article. Sharon Marcovich also sent one. The article had a lot of
mistakes in it…Jon and Sharon got some of their information mixed up and parts of it are just made up…I wish that
she would have consulted us before she published the article, also I wish that they would have used more recent
pictures. The one’s that they used Sharon’s brother took in Saint Augustine 2 years ago. Anyway, Sharon did write a
nice article and the only people that know what parts are wrong are Bing and I so I guess it won’t hurt anything. The
Evening Telegram is going to publish a story Bing wrote in a 3 or 4 series very shortly.
We are still in Saint Augustine waiting for the shrimp boats for Bing to deliver to Mexico. They were supposed to
have left this week but once again they didn’t go. We have been busy however. Yesterday Bing just finished making
our sailing dinghy so we have to go do some sailing. It worked fine. I sewed the sail on a friend’s machine. It took me
two days to make it. We are also putting an alternator on the main engine, so we can charge our battery faster. Bing
is making some final adjustments on it today.
We were disappointed to hear that Jim and Penny couldn’t come. We were really looking forward to their visit. They
sent us the camera and we received it in good condition. I sent John the money too, so that is settled. I hope that
John gets his camera now.
We will be here awhile yet, so keep sending our mail.
Write and let us know how everyone is doing.
Love Jane and Bing
***
1975 January, 22
Saint Augustine;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
Thank you so much for your letter. I always look forward to and enjoy your letters. I’m changing our address again
to; GENERAL DELIVERY, ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA 32084. We are still having trouble with the box. We know all of
the men that take care of general delivery mail so maybe it will get better care there. It is almost impossible to get a
box here, they have a long waiting list and the cost is $3.00 a quarter.
It looks like we will be here quite awhile yet. Bing just left yesterday to deliver a new shrimp boat to Campeche,
Mexico. I’m sending you a picture of one identical to the one he took. Our friend Bob Baker went with Bing as mate.
Bing is the Captain. They are traveling with two other boats. I was able to talk to Bing for a while as he was going
down the coast on our VHF radio. I hope that they have a good trip; it was blowing pretty good when they left, but
Bing said that they weren’t rolling too badly. They found that after they got underway that they didn’t have any
coffee cups aboard so they are using shields for some light fixtures. They should arrive in Campeche, Mexico
sometime on Saturday; they will then fly home, get a few days rest and then take some more boats to Campeche.
After that he will make two trips to Veracruz and one possibly to Mazatlan on the Pacific coast of Mexico. I’m staying
home and taking care of the boat.
Sure wish Jim and Penny would have made it. It is pretty lonely anchored out here without Bing around. I’m keeping
busy however. I’m working on sanding all of the cabinets in the galley (kitchen) and I’m going to varnish them. It is
about time. I’ve got a whole pile of sewing and mending which I will take to a girlfriend’s house to do. I’m also going to
make a whole batch of syrup from prickly pears. They are the fruit of the cactus which is abundant here on the
beaches. They have a taste similar to raspberries.
We have been busy lately with a lot of projects plus we have been enjoying the weather most of the time. When the
wind blows southwest it gets in the 70s and 80s but when the wind turns north it does get a bit chilly. It was down to
39 degrees on Tuesday morning. It is really nice to have the fireplace then. We have no trouble getting firewood, we
get it from a dump of the place that builds the shrimp boats.
Maybe you should take a trip south to cure your cough. Remember the cough I used to have, it is totally
disappeared since I came here. It could be also because I am breathing better air than I did in Superior.
Hope that Dad is still getting along better. It sounds like it from the letters.
I think that I will row ashore and do some errands. The wind has died a little and I need some exercise since I haven’t
been ashore since Monday.
Hope all is well and write soon;
Love Jane and Bing
Joel, how is school going? I bet you re a real brain-when you want to be.
***
1975 June 26
Saint Augustine;
A letter Jane wrote her parents;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
How is everyone? I haven’t heard in quite a while.
Bing just got home on Sunday evening. He was gone four weeks and I sure was glad to see him come home.
He had a lot of adventures on the trip so he has a lot to talk about. It will take awhile to hear it all. We had the boat
at the dock the whole time Bing was gone. We just moved out today and are at anchor again. We plan to leave for
Daufuskie on July 1st and we should be there by the third as we will go the ocean route and sail round the clock.
Tommy Williams who was our neighbor in Superior is coming to visit. He is arriving here by bus on Sunday. He will
stay with us until I come home and we will ride the bus together back to Superior.
Bill Martinson’s grand daughter stopped in Saint Augustine last Friday. She (Janie) and her husband Gene Walton
were on a trip thru Florida and spotted our boat. I was sure glad to see them. I hadn’t seen Janie since she was a
little girl but Gene worked for Household for awhile so I knew him quite well.
Dad I hope that you have a real happy birthday. For awhile I thought that I would be home for that occasion but Bing’
s trip to Mexico started later than we expected and took longer also.
Mom, would you please start sending our mail to Daufuskie Island, SC 29915. We plan to be there until at least
November.
Hope to see you all soon.
Love Jane and Bing
***
1975 March 2nd
Saint Augustine;
A letter that Jane wrote to here parents;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
How is everyone? Fine I hope. Bing and I are still her in Saint Augustine. Bing has made two trips to Campeche,
Mexico and he had good weather on both trips. And he spent a couple of days in Mexico each time before returning
here. Last trip he brought us 170 pounds of sugar. It cost 9 cents a pound. We should have enough sugar to last
awhile. Bing should be making another trip to Veracruz, Mexico soon, although we don’t know the exact date yet.
Bing and I are going to school now on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 9:30. We are taking Spanish. It is fun and
interesting and we are actually learning to speak a little Spanish.
We have been busy as usual with a lot of projects. I got some of the cabinets varnished but have many more to do.
Bing just made another bookcase for the front birth and did a real nice job.
The weather here has been beautiful until today. A north wind is blowing and it is suppose to get in the 30s tonight.
The boat stays warm however and these cold snaps usually last only a couple of days and then it will be in the 70s
and 80s again…I hope.
I’m sending you an article from the local paper and a picture also in it a few weeks ago. A friend gave us 18 copies
so we have plenty to mail out.
It looks like we will be here awhile yet so keep sending our mail here.
Write and let me know how everyone is and what they are doing. Where is Grandma and how is she?
Love Jane and Bing
***
1975 March 21
Saint Augustine
A letter that Jane sent her folks;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;’
Thank you so much for sending us the article from the Duluth paper. We had no idea of the article but we did
recognize the material. Bing had sent a story to Sharon Marcovich, which she was going to edit, and try to sell.
Instead she gave it to the News Tribune which didn’t make us to happy. We will do our own selling from now on.
We are still in Saint Augustine. We decided not to head any further south as Bing still has some more trips to make
to Mexico.
We are keeping busy as usual. Bing is working on a new wind powered generator. We had some friends from New
York here last week and did a lot of cycling and sailing in our dinghy.
Yesterday we went out for a sail on a friend’s 24 foot boat. Sunday we are going on a 32 foot cement boat from
Canada. We have been to two concerts and two plays in the last week so we really have been busy.
The weather here has been beautiful. It is almost summertime again.
How is everyone at home? Hope Dad is feeling well and you too.
Today we are going to the Art’s and Crafts Festival in Saint Augustine. It’s a big one, it covers four city blocks. We
were here for it two years ago and enjoyed it.
If we are going to shore, I better close and get the dishes washed before we go.
Did you get that sweater that I sent?
Love Jane and Bing
***
1975 May 22
A post card that Jane wrote her parents;
We had a change of plans again. Bing is leaving Tuesday on a 4000 mile trip delivering a shrimp boat to La Paz,
Mexico. He will be gone about three weeks, so will you continue sending our mail here to Saint Augustine until I let
you know. We are putting the boat in the marina when he is gone. Mom, hope you had a nice birthday party.
Love Jane and Bing
***
1975 May 28
Saint Augustine;
A letter that Jane wrote to her folks;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
I was glad to get your letter, and I also got the magazines etc. which you sent. Thank you so very much.
Bing left Monday morning on his trip to Mexico. This time he is delivering a 75 foot shrimp boat called Santaria XI to
La Paz which is on the Baja part of Mexico. It is approximately a 4000 mile trip and they go through the Panama
Canal. They hope to make the trip in 2 to 3 weeks. I hope they can do it in two weeks as I sure miss Bing, but I doubt
it. If it gets rough at all, (which the ocean does) it really slows them down. There are three men aboard each boat
this time and 2 boats traveling together. In Salina Cruz, Mexico they will pick up Mexican crew, so Bing will get to
practice his Spanish for a couple thousand miles. It should be an interesting trip.
A few days after Bing gets back, we will head to Daufuskie. This year we will sail outside, (on the ocean) up to
Savannah instead of going the Intercoastal Waterway. Also it will be faster as we will travel day and night and also
we can sail all the way instead of having to use the engine a lot as we do on the Intercoastal Waterway. I’ll write you
and let you know for sure later on when we are leaving here.
We now have the boat at the City Yacht Pier, (marina). I feel safer tied to the dock since Bing will be gone so long
this time. It is also very convenient for me being right downtown. I can have my friends visit evenings.
I hope you have a nice trip to Nebraska and it isn’t too hot.
I’m still not sure when I’m coming home yet, possibly the end of June or the first of July. It all depends on when Bing
gets back from Mexico and how soon we get to Daufuskie. All I know for sure is that I am coming home for a visit this
summer.
I’m sure glad that Dad can read good again and that everyone is well. You and Dad sure looked good in the picture
with Mary Louise.
Write when you get time. Say hello to Grandma for me. I sure hope I have inherited her energy.
Love Jane
***
1975 November, 4th
Saint Augustine
A letter that Jane wrote to her folks;
Dear Mom, Dad and Joel;
Thank you for sending our mail. The package and magazines arrived on Saturday.
We plan to leave Saint Augustine this week. Maybe tomorrow if we get the last of our supplies aboard today. Our
friend Bob Baker from Saint Augustine will be sailing with us for a few days. I’m not sure where our next stop will be,
probably somewhere on the Indian River near Melbourne, Florida.
We have enjoyed our stay here in Saint Augustine and have been very busy. We have the boat so loaded with
groceries and supplies that I couldn’t store another thing.
We had an oyster roast party with friends last Saturday night and had a lot of fun. Tonight we are going to a
Chinese restaurant for dinner with some friends. We know so many people here that we have trouble seeing them
all in two weeks.
We got all of the decks of the boat painted while we were here and it really looks nice. Sunday, Bing and a friend
gathered 25 gallons of prickly pears, so I’m going to be busy for awhile making wine, jelly and syrup.
I probably won’t get time to work on my quilt for awhile.
I’ll write from our next stop. It maybe in Melbourne or Miami, depending on the weather. The weather is still nice here
and in the 80s during the day and 70s at night, but a cold spell could come anytime so we want to be far enough
south to miss it.
It was nice to get your letters while we were here. I’m glad to hear that Grandma is doing much better. Hello to
everyone;
Love Jane and Bing
P.S. I haven’t finished the family tree yet, too busy, but I’ll have it done by Christmas.
Jane does flounder countless ways but it is always fabulous and different every time. We constantly had fresh
seafood aboard Dursmirg and it was whatever came out of the sea.
CHAPTER 65 APPENDIX, RECIPES, FACTS AND LINKS
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