Welcome to the Commonwealth interstellar fleet. You’ll be taking part in the vital task of transporting goods and individuals between the systems of Commonwealth space. This requires significant time in the deep black. But don’t fret, the Commonwealth ensures that the needs of all crew are met. This includes your dietary requirements. This section of your Commonwealth Black Fleet Guide will present the concerns and solutions you’ll face in enjoying a balanced and fulfilling diet. The first, and primary, concern of the Black Fleet is safety. Any Black Ship on task will be months from any friendly port. Emergencies that arise will need to be handled by the crew themselves. As you can see, it’s much better to avoid unneeded issues. To this end, the Black Fleet takes care to only issue foodstuffs that present no, or minimal, risk to ship systems. The primary risk to shipboard systems is solid particulates. These can, and often are, crumbs from prepared foods. They can also be pieces of wrappers left to float when ships enter low gravity. Unfortunately, this necessitates that crackers, cookies, and biscuits not be deployed on ships. Don’t worry, though, you’ll be provided with flat breads in abundance to make up for this loss. The secondary risk to systems is liquids. While your ship should retain gravity from its engines, safety precautions require that we consider times when your vessel may be at lower gravity. Free floating liquids at low gravity pose as great a threat as solid particulates for fouling ship systems. To this end, you can expect any liquid, be it water or soup, to be held in a special container. These are generally tubes that you can drink them from. In the case of thicker liquids, or those with solids within them such as soups, the nozzles on these containers are wider and designed to twist open. Safety is paramount, but so is soup. The second concern of the Black Fleet is long term storage of food. If your food goes bad two months into a fourteen month voyage, you’re not making it to your destination. Your ship needs to carry enough food to reach its destination with you and your crewmates still alive, but not so much that it can’t carry its mission payload. Fortunately, the Black Fleet’s nuclear pulse propulsion allows for sizable mission payloads. And clever storage and resupply options allow for carrying more food than would otherwise be possible. Storing supplies on a Black Ship relies on dehydrating and freeze drying. These methods are employed for the foods that the ship can’t reproduce during its journey. This process allows for some food items to be rehydrated using the ship’s water stores before consumption. And some items are intended for you to consume them as they are. In either case the flavour, and nutrition of the item is preserved for you. Black Ships produce some of their own food during their long voyages. This is done through dedicated modules that raise specialized species of insects and algae. Both these food items are significant sources of protein, and easily restored during long voyages. The species grown on Black Ships have been certified kosher by kohanim, and your ship’s kohen will help oversee production of all foodstuffs. Fleet locusts and algae are rendered down to a base protein that your ship’s food processors can reproduce into a variety of finished goods. These protein bases can be made to mimic any other protein source, so have no fear of a dull culinary voyage. You’ll have access to chicken, beef, lamb, and fish to your tongue’s content. Which brings us to the third concern of the Black Fleet: the happiness and enjoyment of crew members. It’s vital that the mental wellbeing of the crew be considered. Food is a primary component of human happiness. It’s natural that you’ll want the familiar tastes of home during your long voyages. You’re not a dybbuk, who can sustain itself on virtual foods and memories. You can’t just be crammed full of freeze dried manna rations. You need fresh foods, nutritional balance, familiar tastes, and communal dining. All these things are accounted for with the Black Fleet. Fresh foods are provided in moderate amounts as part of each ship’s storage load. These are considered a vital supply for you and your crewmates. The variety of fresh foods on your ship will be selected by you and your crewmates before each voyage. These foods can include fresh fruit and vegetables, real cuts of meat, or even slabs of butter or schmaltz. Some can be eaten on their own, but they can also be used for cooking with your crewmates. This is an encouraged behaviour by Fleet command. Communal activities, especially those around food, can help keep your mind strong in the deep black. All food provided to you is guaranteed kosher. This service is provided by your ship’s kohen. Fleet command has provided a kohen for all Black Ships to see to your spiritual and legal needs during service. Black Fleet kohanim are trained not only in legal matters, but they can double as a ship’s cook if no crewmember is skilled in this area. You can rest assured that you’ll be able to enjoy all the tastes at home, no matter your culinary skill level. Your kohen will be whipping up all the comfort foods of the Commonwealth. Food is a universal human need. Good food. Food that tastes like home. Food that nourishes the body and the soul. The Fleet provides. You have enough to worry about as you journey across the black. Don’t let your mind dwell on matters of food. We’ll make sure that you never worry or want. Just make sure you don’t get any crumbs in your console.
Here’s a recipe that you might find served on a Commonwealth Black Ship.
Spicy Beef Kathi Rolls
