Cruise Food
Last week, Jordan & I took a buffet, I mean cruise. (Sorry, Foodian, I mean Freudian ship!) It is not the sort of vacation that we would have normally booked, but it was a convention for the national food-purchasing group that we belong to through our business. We knew that there would be many other participants from our line of work, including people we knew, so we signed up despite our initial misgivings.
Well, we met a lot of great people and had a wonderful time. We have been back on land now for a week, and I still find myself rocking to the rhythm of the swell and to the Caribbean band that played every afternoon on the upper deck. And I am having a terrible time feeding myself. After an entire week of 24-hour food, from pizza to 6 course meals; from extravagant buffets to hamburgers on the Lido deck, I am finding it difficult to plan a meal. I get hungry and look around for a smiling waiter to fulfill my every need. And even worse: I don=t get hungry and I am still looking for the waiter!
If you had told me that I could eat a 6 course meal every evening, I would have thought you nuts. The first night, I was shy about ordering so much food, and I carefully selected a starter, salad and entrée, skipping dessert. Our waiter was always able to coordinate our orders, so that there was never anyone at the table without something to eat in front of them. Considering the latitude he allowed us in ordering courses: double apps and even double entrées, he did an admirable job. By the second day out, he knew that Wendy always drank cranberry juice with her meal, and made sure that there was a glass waiting for her when she sat down. He knew that Mike always used oil & vinegar on his salad, and our assistant waiter knew the bottle of wine we preferred with our meal. I soon realized that you could eat 6 courses, if each course was small. It was a real treat to be able to sample so many flavours in one meal. If you tried to sample everything on a typical menu in Canada, you would look and feel like a stuffed pig.
Every night was a different theme night, and the waiters dressed appropriately. The theme usually coincided with our port-of-call for the day. The menus reflected the variety of foods found in the Caribbean, and for some of the people at our table, there were many new taste experiences. Two of the couples at our table were from Northern Alberta, and they were game to try anything. Even things that Jordan & I are quite familiar with, such as lox, couscous, and escargots, were new to them. I have to give them an 'A' in adventure. Our last night had an American theme, and after a rousing chorus of 'Yankee Doodle' and 'God Bless America', we explained that over 400 of us were from Canada, and so we were invited to sing our national anthem, a cappella! Did you know that there are at least 3 versions of our national anthem? Not only is there the bi-lingual version, but somewhere along the line, they went and changed some of the lyrics. Can they do that? But we got through it somehow, and it felt good.
What truly amazed Jordan & myself, was the ability of the kitchen to produce such elaborate meals for so many people in such a timely manner. We are no stranger to feeding hundreds in a short period of time, and we were in awe of the organization of the kitchen staff. But what really blew us away, was the fact that on a day when we were all supposed to be going ashore, and due to rough weather found ourselves ship-bound, they were still able to feed us. That would be like having a thousand or more people suddenly drop by for lunch. The decision not to land wasn’t made until 7AM, and the ship's crew was able to react quickly & efficiently. Bars, shops and the casino were all able to open, and we were all fed as if it had been planned for day. It was that amazingly reactive management that impressed Jordan & I the most.
At our house, we always have spaghetti with meat sauce the day after having tacos, and when I was growing up, there was always Shepard's pie after an evening of Roast Beef and potatoes. On the ship, I could easily predict the next day's buffet luncheon by what was on the dinner menu the previous evening. A lovely lobster & scallop salad followed an evening of Lobster tails and Coquilles St. Jacques, ratatouille followed an elegant eggplant dish, and black bean soup came after a terrific bean enchilada appetizer. Good menu planning is a must to reduce wastage and to allow the kitchen to run smoothly. The dynamics of the feeding machinations of this huge floating dining room boggle even Jordan, who routinely feeds hundreds and even thousands in any given day. I guess that's why the management get paid the big bucks, and their jobs are considered gold in the industry.
I have only one criticism, well maybe two. Why can't Americans accept the fact that there is a hugely popular drink called the Caesar? Even before you finish asking the bartender the question, they know what you are going to ask, so why don't they just go out and buy some Clamato juice! I’ts like a game they play, and they are always the winners. Also, I would like to point out to all Americans that there is no 'B' for bacon in Caesar Salad. Please stop doctoring the recipe, it just isn't Kosher, in more ways than one.
It will probably be a long time before Jordan & I go on another cruise. We found the day just a little too focused on eating (I know that must sound odd coming from 2 people in the food industry), and we missed the freedom of jumping in a car and going touring. But we are very glad that we had a chance to experience organization at its finest. Everyone deserves to treat themselves at least once to a full week of pampering and quality service.
