Rich Vargo is refreshingly honest in explaining why, back in 1995, he got his first boat.

"Like everything a guy does, it helps us get women," he says, laughing.

Well, that's only half true. The Munhall mortgage broker also loves being on the water when snow and rain give way to balmy weather and Pittsburgh's boating community floats back to life after its long winter nap. So much so, that four nights a week from May through October, Mr. Vargo and his girlfriend overnight on his latest acquisition, a 34-foot Cruisers Yachts 3470.

"We use it as a summer home," he says of the boat, which he purchased three years ago and docks at Silky's Crow's Nest on 19th Street in Sharpsburg.

Seeing one can't live on hot wings alone (Silky's serves some of the best in the city, Mr. Vargo says), the couple has become pretty proficient at the tricky art of galley cooking -- no small task considering how the kitchen in a boat is a tiny slice of an already tight space.

Not only must every drop of water for coffee, drinking and cooking be carried on board, but also any dish one or the other whips up has to be nuked in a microwave, cooked on a small two-burner electric stove or grilled on charcoal. Perishables and leftovers, meanwhile, have to fit into a fridge a quarter of the size of a typical house, while dishes get washed in a camper-sized sink.

And did we mention the boat is continually moving with the Allegheny's current, even when it's docked?

Like all smart boaters who cook while they're on the water, then, Mr. Vargo and his girlfriend have adopted this familiar mantra: Keep it simple and easy.

One of their favorite meals is filet mignon, which they get Saturday mornings in the Strip District and cook on a small charcoal grill they keep on deck (she likes hers "mooing" while he likes his incinerated). They're also partial to a simple dish of lump crab meat mixed with garlicky noodles. Total prep time: about 10 minutes.

"When you're on a boat, it's supposed to be relaxing," explains Mr. Vargo, 43. "No one wants to be locked in the galley."

Cat Mathias is another disciple of the doctrine of Less Is More when it comes to galley cooking. This spring, she and her husband, Wayne, upgraded from a simple cuddy cabin boat with no kitchen to a 28-foot Rinker cruiser equipped with a small alcohol stove, a microwave and a fridge that runs off the boat's battery. Yet the last thing she's going to do when they're cruising the Three Rivers, or are docked at Allegheny Marina in Lawrenceville for that matter, is spend lots of time below deck slinging hash.

"Cooking is almost a necessary evil on a boat," says Mrs. Mathias, who works in the oil and gas industry. "When you're on board, you want to be outside. You want to have fun."

Eat, though, boaters must. So here's how they compromise at meal time.

Larger, more upscale boats often come with separate ovens, refrigerators with built-in freezers and plenty of granite countertop space. Not so with small cruising boats (defined as less than 40 feet). So you have to be organized and plan every single meal, beverage and snack down to the last sprinkle of salt, toasted crouton or teaspoon of sugar, says professional sea cook Kathy Farron, author of "The Gimbaled Gourmet," a cookbook for the boating life. The most efficient way? Put pen to paper.

With counter and cabinet space so often an issue -- boats are like old houses in that there's never, ever enough storage -- it also doesn't hurt to do all your chopping, slicing, measuring and marinating beforehand. A smart galley chef also knows to repackage staples like sugar, cereal, coffee and spices into Tupperware containers, empty pill bottles or small plastic vials or resealable plastic bags.

"My father told me early on I should have bought stock in Ziploc because they're invaluable," says Ms. Farron, who also pens a monthly food column for Northwest Yachting magazine.

Smarter still is bundling those packages together into individual meals and labeling them with magic markers, so you don't have to think too much when people get hungry.

To reduce the amount of time you'll actually spend in the galley, pre-cook whatever you can so all you really have to do when you're on board is reheat, mix or finish a meal. Or choose meats and fish that are packaged in pouches and require no refrigeration.

Mr. Vargo makes the noodles and garlic marinade for his crab dish at home then brings it aboard in containers, so all he has to do at meal time is toss the ingredients together in an electric skillet. That leaves plenty of time for socializing with fellow boaters over a coconut shell (or two or three) of his wicked Pirate Punch.

But what if you actually don't mind cooking?

The easiest option is simple one-pot meals that employ what Don Jacobson calls "straight-line cooking." Mr. Jacobson, co-author of "The One Pan Galley Gourmet: Simple Cooking on Boats" (McGraw Hill, $16.95), which is something of a Bible among boating foodies, explains that you start with this, throw in that, and keep adding different items until you've got a tasty dish.

Boaters, he says in a phone interview from his home in Chicago, are not dissimilar from campers and hikers in that they're limited by what they can carry. "But when it comes right down to it," he continues, "not that many meals are terribly complicated." Well, at least not the ones in his spiral-bound cookbook.

Designed to cook a little faster than traditional dishes, each of the book's 170 meat, fish and vegetarian recipes makes use of ingredients that have been sliced, diced or chopped; all can also be prepared in a single pot, pan or small oven. For newbies, Mr. Jacobson also includes tips on how to plan a menu and sample weekend shopping lists.

The point is, take some time to plan what you'll be serving on boat, and then take it easy.

"That's what food is supposed to do," he says. "Enhance the overall experience, not take away from it."

Plan on making more than you and your family alone are going to want to eat, Mr. Vargo adds, because once your neighbors get a whiff of what's cooking, they're going to stop by

"It's not gourmet," he says. "It's boat-met."

These simple recipes are geared to floating kitchens, but they will taste just as good on land.

-- Gretchen McKay

Pirate Punch

Rich Vargo gleaned the recipe for this powerful grog from a man from Nepal who worked at the Pirate Museum in Nassau, Bahamas.

• 1 ounce Bacardi O orange rum
• 1 ounce Bacardi Gold rum
• 1 ounce Captain Morgan rum
• 1 ounce raspberry-flavored rum
• 4 ounces orange juice
• 4 ounces pineapple juice
• Dash fresh lime juice
• Dash grenadine syrup

Fill a tall glass with ice cubes. Add liquor, juices and grenadine syrup. Shake. Enjoy.

Makes one drink.

-- Rich Vargo

Crabby Noodles

The key to this succulent dish is to not skimp on the seafood. Rich Vargo insists on colossal lump crab meat, which he purchases at Wholey's Fish Market in the Strip District.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2/3 cup Alice White chardonnay, or other white wine
• 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pound corkscrew pasta, cooked
• 1 pound canned crab meat
• 2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper

Heat oil and butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until garlic browns. Add wine, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and red pepper. Bring to boil and cook for 4 minutes or until lightly reduced.

Add pasta, and stir until heated through.

Gently stir in crab meat and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

-- Rich Vargo

Sticky Chicken

This quick chicken dish can be served with quinoa or another grain or atop a bun.

• 1/2 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a pan, and cook over medium flame until chicken is cooked.

-- "The One Pan Galley Gourmet" by Don Jacobson and John Roberts (McGraw Hill, $16.95)

Devonshire Cream

This dish is as simple as it is delicious.

• 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cups sour cream
• 2 ounces Grand Marnier
• 1 cup whipped cream

Beat together cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add sour cream and Grand Marnier. Beat well. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Serve in a bowl with fresh strawberries for dipping.

-- "The Gimbaled Gourmet Cookbook," by Kathy Farron

Hair-Raisin Curry Beef

• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 pound sirloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 medium onion,
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup unsalted peanuts
• 1 beef bouillon cube

In a dish or small bowl, pour boiling water over raisins and set aside.

In a frying pan, add oil and brown meat and vegetables over medium heat. Drain oil. Add curry powder and mix well. Mix in salt and nuts.

Drain raisins, reserving juice, and add to meat mixture. To reserved raisin juice, add enough water to measure 1/2 cup. Add this and bouillon cube to meat mixture and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over rice, if desired.

-- "The One Pan Galley Gourmet" by Don Jacobson and John Roberts (McGraw Hill, $16.95)

Memphis Chopped Coleslaw

PG tested

This sweet and tangy chopped slaw is great with any barbecued meat. Make it a day before your Fourth of July cookout, and keep it in the fridge until 15 minutes before serving.

• 1 medium head green cabbage, cored and chopped fine
• 1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
• 1 small onion, peeled and shredded
• Salt and pepper
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 1/4 cup chili sauce
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds

Toss the cabbage, jalapeno, carrot and onion with 11/2 teaspoons salt in a colander set in a bowl. Let sit until wilted, about 1 hour. Rinse cabbage mixture with cold water; drain and dry well with paper towels. Transfer to a large bowl.

Bring remaining ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Pour the mixture over the cabbage and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 1 day. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

-- "Cook's Country Best Grilling Recipes" (America's Test Kitchen, $29.95)