Born and raised in Calvert Co. Maryland, J wanted to become a cook at an early age. When asked who inspired him to become a chef, he replies, "Many people, but if I had to narrow it down, I'd say my parents, who opened a small in-house catering company when I was 7 years old. It was just part of everyday life, coming home after school and working on parties we had booked for the weekend. I would always tell them I wanted to be a good cook like them, and my mother would always correct me and say, ‘No, you're going to be a Chef'".

J's passion for food has taken him from Maryland to Mineral Spring's resorts in California. He also provided special dietary meals for professional athletes training in Florida. J states, "I was trained at the Baltimore International Culinary College, MD. and have a triple degree in Professional Cooking, Professional Baking and Business Management. A chef has to know more than how to cook if he/she is to have a successful and "polished" career. It took a lot of training for me to create a broad variety of cuisines, including Asian, ‘American bistro', Californian, and French fusion. My cooking is always creative, and I use only the freshest ingredients available ashore."

J has been in the yacht industry a little over a year now but he has held a CEC (Certified Executive Chef) certificate from the ACF (American Culinary Federation) since 1997.

When asked to describe a perfect meal, J says, "The perfect meal for me is one that brings your guest a social spark. They will chat amongst each other knowing that their next course will be as exciting as their last." When asked what his favorite food to prepare is, J replies, "I grew up in Maryland so I guess I'll say blue crabs. When I was a kid we would catch a bushel basket in the morning out of the canal and by lunch have the whole neighborhood at my parents' patio table."

Crew Life asked J if he ever had a major mishap when cooking, and he shared this funny and honest remark: "Oh yes, for some reason I can't make Key Lime Pie. I don't understand it myself because it seems pretty easy but I always screw it up. I was in the middle of a dinner and realized once again my pie didn't set-up so I grabbed a set of martini glasses and - you guessed it - Key Lime Martini pie. They loved it."

It was a fun experience talking to Chef J. Blevins, who shared his likes of all types of food and prides himself on being able to cook everything from award winning dishes to the best BBQ you've ever had. He has never been one to turn his nose up at different cultures, and loves going places and trying all the local fare no matter how strange it may seem.

Gale Winds guests are in for a treat when they board and meet this talented chef who is passionate about his profession. They might even refuse to get off!

Recipes From M/V Galewinds

Grilled Shrimp Skewers in a Champagne Vin.
2 tablespoons Champagne wine vinegar
1 tablespoon orange olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian dressing mix
1 orange
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
20 cherry tomatoes

Equipment:
20 (2-inch) square pieces of aluminum foil
20 rosemary skewers
Toothpick or bamboo skewer, to make
In a medium bowl, combine Champagne vinegar, orange olive oil, and dressing mix. Cut orange and squeeze for juice. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Set aside.

Make rosemary skewers by stripping off all the leaves except the top of 5-inch rosemary stalks. Set aside.

Skewer the shrimp and tomatoes by putting 1 shrimp followed by 1 cherry tomato on each rosemary skewer. Wrap the leafy end of the rosemary in the foil squares to prevent from burning during grilling.

Grill on preheated grill for about 2 minutes per side or until the shrimp turns pink. Remove foil from ends of skewers and serve.

Cook's Tip: Leave a little room between the shrimp and the tomato so that the shrimp lies flat on the grill

Maryland Crab Cakes
4 slices soft white bread
1 1/2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 cups backfin crabmeat from a refrigerated tin
Salt
2 cups jumbo lump crabmeat from a refrigerated tin
Maryland crab seasoning, to taste
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 cup melted unsalted butter
4 tablespoons thick mayonnaise

Trim the crusts from the bread; discard, or reserve for another use. Tear the remaining bread into little pieces (about 20 pieces per slice); handle the bread lightly, so the pieces remain fluffy and don't flatten out. Place the bread pieces in a bowl, and sprinkle them with the wine; toss lightly to distribute the wine evenly.

Pick over the backfin and the jumbo lump crabmeat to remove any bits of shell. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the backfin and jumbo lump crabmeat. Season to taste with salt and with Maryland crab seasoning. Add the soaked bread, beaten eggs, lemon juice, and melted butter; toss lightly, making sure to keep the crab lumps whole. Add the mayonnaise, and toss the mixture gently with your hands, distributing the mayonnaise evenly. Taste again for seasoning, if desired (if you don't want to taste raw egg, you can saute a bit of the mixture in butter). For even better flavor, allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours.

When you are ready to cook, place a large, heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat; the pan should have enough room for 3 crab cakes. Add enough lard and vegetable oil (in fifty-fifty production) to create a 1-inch depth of oil. When the oil is medium-hot, quickly shape 1/2 the crab mixture with your hands into 3 cakes, each roughly the size and shape of a large hamburger. Gently place the cakes in the oil, making sure to preserve their shapes. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the cakes are golden on one side. Flip them carefully with a spatula, and fry on the other side for 3 to 4 minutes. After about 8 minutes, the cakes should be golden brown on all sides and heated through (you want the pieces of bread inside to virtually disappear). Remove the cakes from the pan, and place them on paper towels. Repeat and make 3 more cakes with the remaining mixture.