A COOKING LESSON AND GALLEY VISIT!

Monday, November 20, 2023

Between the boot of Italy and Sicily

Aboard the Enchanted Princess

Room Aloha 212

Sunny, 68F

The suggested way to buy parmesan cheese

This is a hundred pound block with a fire mark-grate yourself!

[Note: After talking with the Director of Restaurant Operations tonight, I have made few corrections]

Today was supposed to be a Sea Day, but the captain decided to arrive in Messina, Sicily, Italy, early today, probably to appease those guests who were upset at missing Montenegro. We knew we weren’t going to arrive until 4 p.m. today (guests can visit the port until midnight, and if they are not back on the ship by then, they must find lodging elsewhere).

Our morning choice was to drop of another book at the book exchange (mystery novel, Verity, by Colleen Hoover), then head to Princess Theater for the “Culinary Demonstration and Galley Tour.”

Some things I learned:

The executive chef has been with Princess for 23 years and the Director of Restaurant Operations, Nicola Furlan, for 38 years.

• ·         3552 guests on board  (1600 will remain on the ship for the crossing; others are leaving and           more are boarding in Rome)
• ·         52 nationalities/ guests
• ·         1500+ Americans/ guests
• ·         337 Waiters on board
• ·         270 chefs and cooks
• ·         400 pounds of tomato sauce used per day (mostly for pizza)
• ·         15,000 to 25,000 eggs per day
• ·         300 tons of food will be loaded in Rome for the crossing
• ·         Everything is made from scratch, nothing frozen
• ·         10 Butchers on board, all meat and fish come from the U.S.
• ·         Foods are ordered months in advance
• ·         One kitchen is shared with the Capri and Amalfi Dining Rooms on Deck 6, 6400 sq. ft.         each  (600 m).  The other kitchen, about the same size) is used for the Santorini Dining Room and the crew's dining area

These two men could have been comedians as they countered each other, both Italians. Today’s demo was Spaghetti Carbonara

Chef made a nest of parmesan (sort of sautéed in a frying pan until melted and then poured over an inverted bowl)

Carbonara was bacon, egg yolks, and parmesan cheese

For the pasta, boiling water with salt only, stressed no oil, no rinse in water.

Cooks make all pasta, both dry and wet, on board

They added the pasta to the bacon, as well as some pasta water

Add bacon and egg and parmesan, mix quickly, until creamy.

Remove parmesan nest from bowl, still inverted and pour the mixture on top and Voila!

They then made a shrimp dish, an appetizer, and a Caesar Salad.   Do not count on me to be 100% accurate---  cooking is a foreign language to me. The final demo was tiramisu, prepared by the Executive Pastry Bakery Chef of the whole Princess fleet. Admittedly, I do not like that dessert. He said there are 12 pastry chefs and 7 bakery chefs—fresh pastries and breads daily!

As Friend Chris mentioned in the comments, I cannot imagine even figuring out how much food to buy, let alone finding the vendors, ordering it, and then hauling it on board!  Friend Jim mentioned U.S. Navy ships and the U.S. Army posts--such knowledge. It was mentioned this morning how the buyers have to figure in the demographic of the guests, ages, children, and so on. Makes one appreciate the work the hospitality industry does.  Mysteries to me!

Director of Restaurant Ops and Executive Chef

L to R: 2 versions of the shrimp appetizer, one of pasta, the other 

on broccoli, Caesar salad, and the Spaghetti Carbonara

The Executive Chef and Maitre d’ joked back and forth about 100 ways to prepare potatoes. Little did I know that there would be 100 different potato dishes displayed in the galley.  I was so engrossed by the kinds of potato dishes, that I did not take many photos of the galley. However, it was spotless, stainless steel and tile only.

 

Welcome to the Galley!

Beverage Center

Images of only 9 ways to serve potatoes! (out of the 100 displayed)

Friendly cooks!

Shiny kitchen!

Nicola Furlan, Director of Restaurants, Janie, and the Executive Chef

This post is probably already overload, but one more thing. Today at lunchtime was another dessert extravaganza, so I leave you with more eye candy

Black Forest in back

Red Velvet

Strawberry shortcake

Tiramisu

Who knows?

TK's Takes:  The tiramisu and red velvet cakes did not taste like the cakes he knows. 

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Formal Evening:

Janie in Capri Dining Room

TK--he enjoyed escargots

We both liked enjoyed Surf and Turf

Our Head Waiter, Kennedy, from Zimbabwe, and Janie

Kennedy and Guillermo (Mexico) have been 

our waiters each evening, so very freindly and attentive!