ABOARD THE SILVER SPIRIT –Happy Thanksgiving to all of you in the U.S. We do miss being with friends and family.
This seems to be an appropriate day to talk about food and the culinary programs aboard the Silver Spirit. As you would suspect, food is an extremely important component of this cruise and there are many ways to enjoy the variety and quality offered.
I already mentioned that there are a number of different restaurants, but there are also some interesting culinary programs.
Yesterday, there was a “Ready! Steady! Cook!” competition in the theater between two of the restaurant chefs, Luciano Bonci of Le Champagne squared off against Rommel Celon of Seishin. Each was given a set of ingredients and had to prepare two dishes in 20 minutes. In the meantime, executive chef Jerome Foussier answered audience questions about how produce and meats are obtained and distributed within the Silversea line. Especially interesting was a discussion about fois gras and how it is obtained in different parts of the world.
Four audience members were judges and while the chefs tied on the first dish, Celon was the overall winner on the second dish… the tasters felt that Bonci’s creamed fennel accompaniment was too salty.
Today at noon we attended a special “Chef’s Live Table”… a special lunch prepared by Foussier for just 15 people (sign up in advance, no extra charge) served in the intimate Stars Supper Club. If you are a foodie, this is well worth your time.
Foussier is the executive chef, and while he rarely cooks anymore, he is great with people and this is his chance to shine. He prepared a three-course lunch that was excellent…featuring such gourmet ingredients as truffles and fois gras. The first course was a skewer of prawns and scallops cooked in Pernod. The main was beef topped with fois gras on a bed of crushed truffle potatoes. Dessert was sliced pineapple flambéd and served with ice cream.
If you are traveling on Silversea, inquire about this on your very first day and be sure to sign up. The first one on this cruise was so popular that they held a second one, primarily due to the many days at sea.
Tonight we are looking forward to a “BBQ Under the Stars” on the pool deck. Although there is a lunch buffet outside each day, this will be our first evening meal outside. It is to be followed by a show and dancing under the stars. The weather is promising.
We have been promised turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing on the buffet…we are surely looking forward to that. Not sure if we are going to get the sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce, though!
Photos by Chet Janssens
November 22, 2012
Heidi, Editor-In-Chief
