Dive and Discover : Expedition 4 : Interview

Steward Mirth Miller has always lived and worked near the sea. “My uncle was a commercial fisherman and members of my family are real avid sports fishermen,” said Mirth. “I caught my first salmon when I was seven years old.” When not broiling fish aboard Knorr, she lives in Ocean Park, Washington.

Question:
How did you learn to cook?

Mirth:
I attended Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, but I was inspired to cook by my mother and grandmother. My mother was a baker in the public school system and made the best bread ever. My grandmother cooked for a wheat threshing crew on an Oregon farm. She was this wonderful person who enjoyed food and taught me how much fun it was to be in the kitchen.

Question:
A steward does many things on a ship, besides cook. What are your responsibilities?

Mirth:
The steward is the head of the department - I order all the food, linens, cleaning supplies and laundry supplies on the ship. The cook (Chris Poulin) is the second person in charge of the galley, and the mess man (Geryk Paige) is the worker bee. Cooking for a large group like this is tiring, so every other day, the cook and I switch back and forth. That way you don’t have to get up at 4:30 in the morning every day. One day you do breakfast, lunch and coffee break. The next day you do bread, dessert and dinner.

Question:
You cook for 58 people on this expedition. How do you prepare the meals for a big group like this?

Mirth:
I have a plan, and I am always planning ahead. First I break out the food - pull it from the freezer or food store area. Then I get breakfast set, and then start the soup for lunch. Then I prepare coffee break treats. I am working on lunch by 9:30 or 10 am. Otherwise I am not going to get it done on time.

Question:
How do you keep the menu so varied? I don’t think we’ve had the same thing twice.

Mirth:
After doing this for 14 years, I have figured out things that work together. So it’s the experience of what worked and what came together easily and what didn’t. The two things that you never put together are salmon and scallops. Those are just two foods people are just not fond of together. It’s very bizarre.

Question:
Knives, pots and spices must be constantly sliding all over the place in the galley when the ship rolls. How do you keep them in place?

Mirth:
The engineers helped to design metal bars so we can keep things tied down in rough weather. The bars keep the pots in place on the stove so nothing spills or goes sliding. We put a lot of supports up that keep things in line and everything is stored in racks. We also use these rubber mats for salad and other dishes on tables when we have heavy seas.

Question:
What is the most popular food request?

Mirth:
With almost every group, hamburgers. It’s an American thing. And shrimp. People always like shrimp.

Question:
You got your start at sea fishing for salmon in the Pacific Northwest. How did you transition to work aboard oceanographic expeditions?

Mirth:
When the fishery folded for salmon, a friend of mine in the science business connected me with people at Oregon State University and Duke University. For three years I worked as a research assistant on oceanographic cruises. On one of the cruises the mess man got strep throat and I helped out the cook. As a courtesy the captain wrote me a letter so I was able to get my merchant mariners card. Then I was eligible to become a crew member.

Question:
You seem to love being out at sea and your job. What do you enjoy about it?

Mirth:
I love to travel and I love being on the water. I love to see the sun come up and go down. I love all the incredible things that you see out here, like when a whale pops up or dolphins play tag on the bow. I have been able to see just about any place I’ve ever dreamed of seeing, except maybe China and Tibet. I do love my job, and it’s well worth the bad weather and the hard work.

Question:
I understand that you spend about eight months a year cooking at sea. When you get home, do you cook?

Mirth:
No, not for a couple of weeks. I eat out or eat potato chips and dip.