Guest Post: Freedom Matthews talks food aboard the Wilted Rose

Today I am so excited to have Freedom Matthews, author of Inherited on the blog today to talk about the crew's food menu aboard the Wilted Rose!

Before we start here's a bit about Inherited and you can find my review HERE!

If saying 'I love you' meant death, would you still say it?

The Wilted Rose, of faery-tale and folklore, is a pirate ship filled with unfortunate souls-each forbidden to love. One such soul is Valencia 'Lennie' Roux. Raised in a brothel and an heir to a curse; Lennie never expected to pique the interest of any man. Yet with the arrival of vivid-eyed Nathaniel, she is torn between wanting to know him better and fearing what that knowledge would mean.

With Nathaniel bringing the crew's total to six, the Wilted Rose sets off in search of the remaining two heirs. They hope that in reuniting, they will convince the faery Sorceress responsible for the curse, to end it. However lurking beneath the water is a long standing enemy of the Wilted Rose; who is determined to thwart their quest and bring down its leaders.

Together the eight heirs fight for survival, friendship and love.

Guest Post...

With the crew aboard the Wilted Rose, consisting of growing teenagers and an older gentleman of hearty appetite, food would be high on the list of important items aboard their ship. Meal times for this band of miscreants would be a sit down affair around a large table.

Chatter and ale would be order of the day whilst Ned and the Captain would of course would try and maintain order. It would have a family, buffet-style feel where hands would be used far more than knives and forks...

For times away from their beloved ship, they would frequent taverns and perhaps the odd boarding house. Taking in their fill of meals involving meats, vegetables and bread. As many establishments would not like their kind would mean the quality might not be the best, but the meals would be hearty and simple.

Even though the ship steers itself, they would still need to be wary of perishables. Foods that last are what they would keep stocks of. Dried foods, like meat and herbs would keep in their store. Not to say they wouldn't have fruit and other such foods, they would just have to eat those a lot quicker than most.

As for the ships menu, fish would be in ready supply, so this could/would be caught daily and eaten in all kinds of ways, (stewed, boiled, raw, baked, fried, etc.). Stews and broths would also be the mainstay, with the pot being added to over time, and the recipe evolving as time progresses.

Here are some excerpts from Inherited, involving food. I thought would be fun to share:- 

Grubs up men, The captain called. He dished up the meal, handing out crusts of bread and broth.I don’t pity you, it was all self-inflicted, Butch mumbled around his spoon, as Rupert pushed his food away in disgust.

Wandering to the galley, I met no-one. Used plates crowded the surfaces alongside an over-stewed pot of tea. Deciding against adding to the chaos, I snatched an apple and made my way towards the deck.

Anyone hungry? Butch swung a canvas bag from his shoulder and delved inside.When did you do that? I asked, taking the apple he offered.Before everything turned foul, I’d packed a few provisions for our journey.His boyish smile was infectious and soon we all were digging into, bread, cheese and ale. As the evening drew on, we settled into a more casual atmosphere, trading stories and jokes to pass the time.

Thank you for having such an interesting topic to talk about, it was fun to think through the menus aboard the Wilted Rose. it makes me want to dive into the topic more in future installments!