Women of the Sea
Not many stories of history provide as much intrigue as the tyrannical exploits of pirates; the battles at sea, the plundering of coastal towns, unfathomable tales of death and survival and of course... hidden treasure.
Most theatrical depictions include the bearded Captain commandeering ships and ruling a crew of men, while historical writings usually concur, with women being a mere footnote in the accounts.
The truth is, women were just as much a part of pirate history as the notorious sailors you've heard so much about.
There was Moroccan pirate queen Sayyida al-Hurra (who terrorized the Mediterranean during the mid-16th-century) and Queen Elizabeth I’s woman sea dog, Lady Mary Killigrew.
Definitely don't want to forget Anne Bonny and Mary Read who were renowned for their ruthless ways and played a leading role in a spree of raids in the Caribbean. Being women did fall in their favor when they were finally captured and were sparred from hanging (because they were both pregnant at the time).
You've got Cheng I Sao of China, who commanded a fleet larger than many of the legitimate fleets of that day and was one of history's most influential raiders.
Irish born Grace O'Malley, carrying on the family tradition, ran a fleet of 20 ships and who not only stood up to the might of the British monarchy, but also went to battle the day after giving birth and, convinced Queen Elizabeth I to return her impounded fleet.
And of course, there's Rachel Wall... one of America's first and only women to live a life of piracy. She had a near perfect and extremely brutal scheme utilizing her femininity, preying on ships off the coast of New England. Whenever a storm would pass through, Rachel and her husband, with a few hired hands, would dress up their small boat to look as if it had been beaten by the rough seas. Rachel would then stand on the deck and plead for aid from passing ships. When the unsuspecting rescuers came near, they were promptly boarded, robbed and murdered. Rachel's luck did eventually run out and on October 8, 1782, she became the last woman ever executed in Massachusetts when she was hanged to death in Boston.
The lesson here... never underestimate the power of a woman.
How does this relate to the ROASTED GARLIC RUB? It's absolutely fierce, crazy and should not be underestimated!
SAIL ON!
ROASTED GARLIC RUB
Captain B's ROASTED GARLIC Stuffed Chicken Breast
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4 chicken breasts
2 tablespoon olive oil 4 ounces cream cheese, softened ¼ cup grated Parmesan 1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 ½ cups chopped fresh spinach ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes Captain B’s Roasted Garlic Rub Butterfly the chicken breast. Mix up the other ingredients (except oil) for your filling. Fill each chicken breast w/ 1/4 of the filling and close with toothpicks. Coat outside of breasts w/ Captain B’s Roasted Garlic Rub. Heat oil in and oven safe pan over medium high heat. (I use cast iron) and preheat oven to 425°. Cook chicken stove top for about 4 minutes per side. Move to oven for 10-15 minutes or until internal temp reaches 165° |
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