Category Archives: Cuisine

Learning Culinary Skills During The Lockdown

Being at home in between contracts or during a lockdown as in recent times can offer opportunities to hone skills or learn new ones. There are two ways to learn new culinary skills – one is by trial and error at home, the other is by signing up for an online course.

Online learning or virtual classrooms are gaining ground in the education sector, receiving an unlikely boost from the recent coronavirus pandemic. The crisis has affected the cruise industry and stalled crew changes, leaving many cruise ship chefs waiting on shore.

Lockdowns prevent easy access to ingredients so they encourage you to be creative with what you have. Take advantage and look for available substitutes. For example, in the absence of eggs, you can use aquafaba when cooking meringues or marshmallows. This liquid that comes from cooking chickpeas is flavourless when baked, cheap and looks exactly like fluffy egg white when whipped.

You can also attempt to make your own cream cheese, paneer or buttermilk at home with milk and lemon juice. You can do the same with a whole host of pantry staples, including bread, potato crisps, seasoning and dry rub mixes, granola, pastas, etc.

There are dozens of online courses that teach you either a specific skill – like making pasta – or an entire culinary course. Based on your experience and career aims, you can choose courses that suit you best.
Taking online courses can mean that you progress according to your skill level, rather than having to advance along with a class. So if you are able to pick up certain skills faster, you can master them and move on to new ones, thereby adding to your resume. On the other hand, if there is a skill that’s particularly difficult for you, you can watch the video or take that particular class as many times as you need to until you get where you need to be.

Online courses also allow you to attend class at a time you are comfortable with. So if you find your concentration levels are better very early in the morning or very late at night, you can adjust your schedule accordingly.

Some of the popular online culinary courses include those by Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, New England Culinary Institute, Penn Foster Career School and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and Rouxbe.

A few online institutes boast a pretty comprehensive programme schedule. Auguste Escoffier, for example, includes research, step-by-step videos, cooking, live sessions with the teacher and graded assignments too. Students are expected to submit a summary, detailed images, and a flavour journal that helps the teacher grade the student despite not being there to taste the food. Training includes culinary techniques, pastry arts, business management, being an executive chef and running a successful food operation.

With Rouxbe, the options offer specific courses to learn plant-based cooking, vegan desserts, seafood literacy and others, aimed at professionals, culinary students and home cooks too.

Online culinary courses vary in length, most requiring you to spend just a few hours a day. With interactive sessions, you are able to get one-on-one feedback from trainers too. This enables you to enjoy your time off work while also upgrading your skills in a short period of time.

Culinary Experiences On Luxury Cruises

Food is the biggest part of cruise life. Dining, snacking, cooking demos, masterclasses and culinary experiences – both onboard and shore-based – involve cruise ship chefs whipping up world-class meals with high quality ingredients.

Across cruise lines, there are in-house styles and standards to follow. These are drawn up by the executive chefs on each vessel, following a brief from the company about the image they want to portray to the world. Let’s look at a few cruise ship companies and their culinary offerings.

VIKING CRUISES

There are six standard food and beverage outlets on Viking Cruises, apart from the specialty restaurants that feature on various vessels. The cruise company plays with elegant fine dining at The Restaurant, the best of Italian to satiate popular food tastes with Manfredi’s, interactive dining experiences with World Café, Norwegian specialties at Mamsen’s to reflect its heritage, various alcohols and spirits including the Scandinavian aquavit which gives the bars their name, and 24-hour bakeries.

Some of their excursions also offer interesting culinary experiences such as empanada lessons, alfajores and mate in Argentina; and personally customised okonomiyaki in Japan.

OCEANIA CRUISES

Oceania Cruises has been winning awards for its cuisine quite often for Best Dining, Best Cuisine, Best for Food and Best Main Dining Room Cuisine by top cruise magazines and forums. This could partly be thanks to its executive culinary director Jacques Pépin who keeps the innovation game top-notch. On Oceania’s new cruise ships – Marina and Riviera, there is no extra charge for specialty restaurants.

Guests can indulge in exquisite dishes such as Parmesan Cheese Timbale with Black Truffle Sauce at its Italian restaurant Toscana, 28-day dry-aged USDA prime and Whole Maine Lobster Gratinée at Polo Grill steakhouse, contemporary twists on Asian classics at Red Ginger, vegan smoothies and energy bowls at Waves Grill, and the splendid English afternoon tea traditions at Horizons. Pépin takes centre stage at Jacques which celebrates French classics with the masterchef’s interpretations.

MARELLA CRUISES

Cruise ship chefs on Marella can look forward to quite a bit of classic cruise cooking. The company’s à la carte menu features traditional French onion soup, Lobster thermidor, beef carpaccio and cherry jubilee. All ships have at least three restaurants varying from a formal dining atmosphere to casual snacking. Its Snack Shack is a popular eatery with quick foods such as salads, wraps and fresh fruit pots available in a fridge.

Surf & Turf Steakhouse and Kora La are two restaurants on Marella ships that are popular and recommended. The steakhouse boasts prime Angus steak, a variety of seafood options including lobster tail and salmon, and delectable desserts such as trio of lemon and New York cheesecake. Kora La offers a fairly small menu with Pan-Asian flavours including trout and mango salad, tempura chicken and curry dishes. Its Korean pancakes and kue ruwok made of custard and meringue layers are noted by cruise critics.

REGENT SEVEN SEAS

The Regent Seven Seas Cruises looks at dining as an experience. It’s a more elegant affair, even if it means something as downright messy as Alaskan King crab legs. Compass Rose is its largest specialty restaurant where cruise ship chefs allow diners to design their own entrées from preferred sides, sauces, pastas and main features of beef, poultry and fish. The menus also change daily to offer excellent variety to guests.

La Veranda is the Regent Seven Seas’ breakfast and lunch buffet spread that transforms smoothly into Sette Mari in the evenings. During the day, it features a global menu with tidbits from around the world, including pain au chocolat and fruit Danish at breakfast and murgh makhanwala at lunch. In the evening, there’s a focus on Italian cuisine that features everything from veal meatballs with fried mozzarella to the Sicilian special pasta di mandorle or almond paste cookie.

How Cruise Ship Chefs Can Use Meat Substitutes

Vegetarianism and veganism is a growing trend, with plant-based diets seeing an increase across the world. Food-related cruise ship jobs need to follow these trends to ensure they can cater to changing demands. The US and China are two of the biggest cruise economies in the world. According to the Food Revolution Network, the last three years have shown a 600 per cent increase in people identifying as vegan in the US, while the Chinese government has released dietary guidelines to encourage people to reduce meat consumption by 50 per cent. But this doesn’t mean they don’t want their favourite food. Cruise ship chefs can learn how to substitute meat with vegetarian or vegan options that keep the dish just as delicious.

MINCE
Minced beef is a staple in well-loved dishes such as lasagna, tacos, casseroles, meat pies, spaghetti bolognese and chili. For vegetarian and vegan diners, cruise ship chefs have a number of options.
Firm tofu is often pressed under a heavy weight to squeeze out water and then crumbled to form mince, which cooks much faster than ground beef. Textured soy protein, made from soy flour, has the texture and appearance of ground beef. It is quite flavourless so absorbs seasoning very well.
Lentils have also worked as minced meat, and while easily available are probably not the first choice for most chefs.

STEAK
Steaks are a big favourite around the world. Cruise ship chefs will know the regularity with which they are relished on board. To give vegetarians an option, look no further than the humble cauliflower. A thick slice of a whole cauliflower head can easily be stuck into the oven and roasted with oil and herbs, or sautéed in a pan with mushrooms in white wine sauce.
Seitan – which is basically wheat gluten that’s had all its starch removed – is an excellent substitute for steak and can be flavoured with any popular seasoning including barbeque sauce. The texture is fairly close to meat which makes it all the more desirable as a substitute.

PATTIES
Vegetable burgers don’t really sound that appetising, but when the substitutes offer the flavour and texture of meat, it’s hard to argue. One of these is tempeh, a traditional Indonesian product made of fermented soybeans, most often sold in a cake form. It can easily be seasoned and grilled to make delicious burger patties.
Other options for burgers are black beans which are typically used from a can. But they are also available dried, and then need to be steamed before being drained well, ground to a paste with other ingredients and flavourings and then pressed into a patty.

RIBS & HOT DOGS
Seitan is perfect for ribs since they offer that ‘meaty’ pull and can also be used as the filling in hot dogs, the casing of which is made of cellulose or other plant-based ingredients instead of the usual intestine.
One of the most popular companies selling meat-like vegetarian products is Quorn, which was first marketed back in 1985. It is now one of the largest companies selling meat-replacement food in the UK, including hot dogs.

SANDWICH FILLING
Sandwiches are one of the top quick-service meals ordered on board. Cruise ship chefs can offer delicious versions of favourites such as croque monsieur, reubens, po’boys and more with easy substitutes.
Shiitake mushrooms are a popular substitute for croque monsieurs, sautéed generously to develop that sweet-salty taste associated with the original ham. Jackfruit is an unlikely ingredient here, but quite useful. In such cases, it is used raw and has a flesh-like texture that is perfect in tacos and for a filling similar to pulled pork.
The flaky texture of tempeh is popular as a substitute for the seafood filling in po’boys as well as to make ‘crab’ cakes and ‘fish’ fillets.

HOT WINGS
Seitan is a great substitute for this incredibly well-loved snack, but the ubiquitous cauliflower is on the list as well. The stem of the florets even mimics the wing end, with a sticky hot sauce just the right accompaniment for its spicy and crispy coating.

Convenience ‌Food ‌On ‌Cruise ‌Ships

Cruise ship jobs take you far from the comforts you’re used to. With the demands of the job, it’s not uncommon that sometimes you find yourself either too tired or too lazy to make the breakfast, lunch or dinner schedule. At this time, convenience food is your saviour.

For health reasons, it is not recommended that one eats convenience food often. This is because they are usually high in salt or sugar content, preservatives, saturated fats and food additives. That said, they are the easiest snack or instant food available on the run.

Many cruise ships have restrictions on convenience foods available to passengers, possibly to encourage them to spend on eating food freshly prepared in the various restaurants on board. Some allow them to bring restricted pre-packaged items including a few packets of cookies and salty snacks such as beef jerky.

On the other hand, for people with cruise ship jobs, management tries to make life easier by offering items they enjoy. The crew general store on board will typically have a selected variety of crisps, instant noodles and quick ready-to-eat food.

Packaged cheese and processed meat is considered convenience food – it’s easy to pick up a wedge of La Vache Qui Rit and pop it into your mouth or spread it on a slice of bread on the go. Soft drinks and beverages such as Pepsi, Coca Cola and their associated brands are also usually available.

Passengers were earlier allowed to bring a certain amount of bottled water and non-alcoholic beverages on board, but some cruise lines such as Carnival now require these to be bought on board in cans. Any sodas or bottled water brought on board by passengers are confiscated and returned to guests at the end of the cruise.

Crisps from Lays, Pringles and Doritos nachos are very popular worldwide, and should be available to crew although there may not be the variety of flavours you expect. They may be priced slightly higher than usual so check with on-board regulations if you can bring a few packets back from shore visits.

Oreos are another popular convenience food, which is usually made available to crew at the general store. There may be instances of instant ramen, soups, and ready-mix pastas like macaroni and cheese, but you must remember that most cruise ships do not allow crew to take such consumables back to their rooms. They must be eaten in the mess or crew dining area where any crumbs and spillage can easily be cleaned and sanitised.

Other convenience food that is easily available is commercial chocolates such as Twix, Snickers, Kit Kat, Haribo gummies and the like. It might be wiser to opt for cereal bars and packaged mixed dry fruit as snacks when you’re hungry to keep your health in check.

Passengers can find easy substitutes for their favourite convenience food on board. Instead of Doritos, they can order a plate of cheesy nachos. Any Asian restaurant on board will be happy to make a customised bowl of ramen to replace their craving for instant noodles. Bakeries on board are filled with tantalising options including freshly made pretzels, chocolate chip biscuits, sandwich cookies and more that will satisfy a yearning for items like Oreos and Chips Ahoy.

As part of cruise ship jobs, you may be asked by passengers about the availability of convenience food. If the vessel you work on offers a limited range or none at all, point them in the direction of the nearest restaurant that makes worthy substitutes from fresh ingredients.

Food, Culture & Visual Representation

Food can be a study in culture. Every dish, method of preparation, and even flavour preference can be indicative of the region it comes from or the people who make it. Cruise ship chefs can use this knowledge to tap into the subconscious associations guests have with their own cultures – comfort flavours of sorts.

The mixing of cultures is far more frequent now than it has ever been before. Migration is very common and the fusion of foods is often a trend. But that certainly does not take away the roots of the culture they were born from.

For example, many Italians migrated to the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bringing with them the Neapolitan and Sicilian food cultures, such as risotto, white sauce and polenta from the north, and pasta, tomato sauce and olive oil from the south. Today, spaghetti and meatballs, and pasta alla carbonara are associated with Italian food but these were in fact created from ingredients more readily available in the US.

Still, visually, just an image of plump red tomatoes, vibrant green basil and stark white cheese will immediately stimulate an association with Italian food rather than any other cuisine. This could possibly have come about because of the deep connections between visual stimuli and the perception of taste, smell and flavour.

One culture where the appearance of dishes is given a lot of importance is Japan. Influences from Chinese and Korean cultures over more than 2000 years helped develop the Japanese cuisine we are familiar with today. In addition, Buddhist and Shinto religious practices modified it too, by looking down on meat consumption. With fish as the most easily available substitute, fermentation was widely used for preservation before the focus was shifted to fresh fish that we now enjoy in sushi and sashimi.

With the arrival of the Portuguese and Dutch came the notion of frying food as a way of cooking and the Japanese developed methods like tempura. But what truly sets Japanese cuisine apart from its neighbours is its focus on appearance since they believe that food is to be looked at, as well as eaten.

A lot of ritual goes into cooking, plating and service. For example, they never arrange four elements on a plate since the homonym for four in Japanese is death. We are also well aware of their famous tea ceremony, a cultural activity with precise ways of preparing and presenting matcha tea.

Around the world, certain food items and dishes have become cultural icons. Foie gras, a specialty product made of duck or goose liver, is associated with France. So is the croissant, even though this flaky, buttery pastry actually originated in Austria in the early 1800s which later inspired the French.

In other places in Europe, we are familiar with fish and chips, and a full English breakfast in England; Gouda cheese in the Netherlands; haggis in Scotland; and paella and sangria in Spain. In a similar way, Australia is popular for vegemite on toast, Mexico for tacos, Greece for gyros, South Africa for peri-peri and bunny chow, and the Middle East for mezze.

Indian food culture is extremely varied, but its cultural icon is curry, even though this is a blanket term for what is in fact a very diverse range of gravies with multiple methods of preparation, flavours and origins.

Aromas and visual cues can jog people’s memories of their favourite food from their childhoods, without them even tasting it. Cruise ship chefs can use this knowledge to stimulate interest in passengers, particularly with daily specials or when creating exclusive meals for occasions or even for fussy children.

Decoding Michelin Stars

The Michelin Guides are considered the Academy Awards of the culinary world. Each year, Michelin publishes its Red Guide and Green Guides, that list the best eating establishments around the world. Restaurants receive between one and three Michelin stars based on anonymous reviews from ‘inspectors’, who can visit multiple times a year to ensure an accurate rating. The stars are difficult to obtain, and therefore an absolute honour for restaurant owners and chefs. They offer great prestige, exposure and an increase in business, and the opposite when they lose stars.

The history of the Michelin Guide and its stars is interesting. The most coveted restaurant reviews in the world were introduced by the eponymous Paris-based tyre company as a way to drive business. In the 1900s, when there were fewer than 3000 cars in France, Michelin published a travel guide to Europe to encourage people to drive to local attractions, which included restaurants and places of interest, as well as information for motorists such as mechanics listings, petrol stations, tyre repair and replacement instructions, and the like.

The restaurant review section became increasingly popular and a team was recruited to anonymously visit restaurants. In 1926, it started awarding a single star, which increased to the now well-recognised hierarchy of three stars.

The original 1936 rating explanations suggested that a single star indicates ‘a very good restaurant in its category’. Two stars indicate ‘excellent cooking, worth a detour’, while three stars meant the restaurant served ‘exceptional cuisine’ and was ‘worth a special journey’.

The ratings and reviews focus solely on the food, and in no way indicate anything other than that, including quality of service, interiors, table setting, etc. Any rating is considered praise, but with a one-star rating, Michelin inspectors typically mean that the restaurant offers quality menu and consistently good food, but largely lacks something singular that will command visits time and again.

With two-star ratings, restaurants can be rest assured that inspectors are suggesting they are worth a detour from a road trip to visit, offering something exceptional and unique. With three stars, the guide indicates that the restaurant is the destination itself and is worth a trip solely to visit, with dishes that are distinct and executed perfectly.

Michelin guides currently cover only specific areas – 25 countries, with the first Asia guide recognising Japanese cuisine only in 2007. India is not covered by the guides, but there are Indian chefs who have earned Michelin stars at their restaurants in other countries. These include Vineet Bhatia for his restaurant Zaika in London (2001), Alfred Prasad for Tamarind of Mayfair in London (2002), Atul Kocchar for Tamarind (2001) and Benares (2007) both in London, Karunesh Khanna for Amaya in London (2006), Sriram Aylur for Quilon in London (2008), Vikas Khanna for Junoon in New York for three consecutive years (2012) and Manjunath Mural for The Song of India in Singapore (2016). Gaggan Anand was the first Indian to win two Michelin stars with his eponymous restaurant in Thailand in 2018, the year Garima Arora became the first Indian woman to receive a Michelin star for Gaa in Thailand.

Of these, Atul Kocchar has teamed up with P & O Cruises for his restaurant Sindhu where he serves scrumptious Indian food on board, and also went to Antarctica in 2017 on a private charter cruise organised by luxury travel company The Q Experiences.

It’s important to note that Michelin stars are not only awarded to swanky, posh restaurants. Sushi Saito is a three-starred restaurant in Tokyo considered the holy grail of sushi but features a small wooden counter in a multi-storey car park.

Cruise Ship Chefs Experimenting The Right Way

Experiments are the root of change, of new trends that could possibly become classics. Cruise ship chefs should look at experimenting as ways to understand the ingredients they work with, and how they interact with each other.
But it’s not just a matter of putting two random ingredients on a plate and keeping your fingers crossed. Experimenting correctly involves a lot of research and trials. Here are a few ideas to help you get started

Flavour base ingredients
Often, it is a subtle change that can enhance a flavour. Think of the classic salt with chocolate to bring out the sweetness, or a dash of cinnamon in a cake. Cruise ship chefs can make similar subtle changes to dishes on board – flavouring breads, butter and yogurt with various herbs to introduce new flavour elements into a dish. Garlic butter, for example, is so 20th century. We’re looking at butter flavoured with walnut and blue cheese, Thai curry, salty anchovy, and even chocolate and orange ganache.

Think like a child
Children see wonder in everyday things. They look at the most mundane things with a new perspective. To make food interesting, it can help to think like a child. Make your food colourful and look at creative ways of presenting it. Edible ‘dirt’ is already quite popular. Combine this with edible ‘glass’ made of sugar syrup, peanut butter ‘play dough’ and non-toxic glowing ‘slime’ to create themes of gardens and fantasy worlds. This works well for cruise ship chefs around festivals such as carnivals, Thanksgiving, Halloween and independence or national day celebrations.

Make your food more visual
Experiments with food do not have to involve just taste. Life is more visual now – social media has taken over and images are everything. Illusions can come in handy when presenting food. Think of edible containers or cutlery – bread bowls for dips and soups, flavoured dough fashioned into spoons and forks. Mellower Cafe in Singapore serves a cotton candy coffee that offers guests an unusual way of drinking coffee with a cotton candy ‘cloud’ that melts into your cup using the heat from the coffee.
The New Yorker magazine even discussed how visuals can change the way food is tasted. A study showed how participants rated a strawberry-flavoured mousse 10 per cent sweeter when it was served in a white container over a black, and coffee tasted almost twice as strong but two-thirds as sweet when served in a white mug instead of a clear glass one.

Combine tastes and textures
Cruise ship chefs can experiment with different cuisines that have similar components. Perhaps Mexican and Indian, or north African and European food. There may be interesting matches to be made in flavour fusions here. But chefs can also take a classic dish and switch up textures to be innovative. Perhaps rice crackers with a chutney that reminds you of curry – the flavours are familiar to the Goan palate, but the textures surprise. Deconstructed pies can also be served innovatively. Use local flavours to switch things up – ube or purple yam from the Philippines, Durian in Indonesia, dragon fruit in Mexico, feijoa in Brazil, salsify from Europe, oca from New Zealand, etc. This will help you experiment with interesting flavour combinations and also use ingredients grown in the ports you visit.

Cruise Culinary Trend For 2020

Food is a huge part of cruising. Cruise ship chefs jobs require them to not only be proficient with what they do, but also efficient and creative with available ingredients. But all of their success rides on the kind of food guests are expecting and are a current trend.

Sustainability
This is a huge buzz word in the culinary fraternity today, mainly because food waste and the supplements used to grow produce have come into question. Sustainable food is safe and healthy, and is mostly focused around local produce. In many cases, it also refers to ensuring fair trade prices for farmers, fishermen and livestock agriculturists, which can be an issue in developing countries.
Cruise ship chefs are looking at incorporating more wholesome, organic food into menus across eating establishments in the coming year. Cruise ships are also spending more time in ports, allowing them to go to the markets there and procure local ingredients.

Seacuterie
Leading lifestyle magazine Good Housekeeping recently suggested an interesting trend for 2020 that it calls seacuterie. It is a seafood take on the typical charcuterie board, where a variety of predominantly cured meats is served sometimes with accompaniments.
On a seacuterie board, one might find products such as octopus salami, shellfish sausages or swordfish ham, pickled shrimp, smoked salmon rillettes and more. A wide variety of seafood could be pickled, fermented, smoked and aged to curate interesting antipasti.

Upgraded bar snacks
Cruise ship bar patrons are no longer satisfied with a regular bowl of peanuts to munch on as they drink. To keep visits to onboard pubs interesting, cruise ship chefs must now whip up interesting snacks. The trend in 2020 could be gourmet gastropub fare in snackable quantities, with high-quality ingredients and dazzling presentation.
Guests could be chowing down on dishes such as fried pickles with interesting dips, marinated olives, baked buffalo wings with blue-cheese dressing, sliders with crispy fries or onion rings, fondue with bread sticks or pretzels, baby meat pies, yakitori and more.

Healthier children’s menus
Many cruises stick with regular favourites for children’s menus – pizzas, burgers, mac n cheese, hot dogs and sundaes. But with nutritional issues facing many families in the developed world, healthy food is an increasing demand.
Cruise ship chefs now will need to swap out ingredients from all-time favourites to make them healthier. We can expect whole grains such as quinoa and wholewheat bread instead of white bread, and oven-baked potatoes over deep-fried chips. Easy swaps also include Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise, baked fish sticks with marinara instead of aioli, fruit salads and salsas, wholesome granola bars instead of chocolate, and sorbets or dairy-free ice creams.

More vegetables & non-alcoholic drinks
Perhaps it’s the rise of the fitness and health industry, or it’s the sustainable movement taking over. More people are leaning towards plant-based diets than ever before. Cruise ship chefs are now being challenged to cater to these requirements while keeping food interesting and delicious.
There’s also the rising trend of non-alcoholic or low-alcohol beverages that promise various health benefits. Cruise ship chefs and bartenders will have to look into drinks such as kombucha, water kefir, tepache, kvass and toddy.

BREAD OF CRUISE LIFE

Bread is a staple in many diets around the world, featuring at most meals in European and North American mainstream food habits. For cruise ship chefs, this is a skill they must certainly master, particularly if they’re looking for cruise ship bakers jobs.
Americans eat on average 25 kgs of bread a year while the French reportedly go through 58 kgs annually. So one can imagine, that on cruise ships it is a pretty big deal. But there are a myriad types of bread from around the world, and bread displays on cruise ships are an important part of the buffet. Let’s look at a few popular types of bread available on most cruise liners.

Breadsticks
This pencil-thin crispy bread is often served as patrons seat themselves at the table, offering them something to snack on while they wait for service or enjoy some wine. Sometimes they are accompanied by cheese or dips, and wider versions may come with as an hors d’oeuvre with items like prosciutto.

Pretzels
Originally a German favourite, pretzels are now a popular snack noted for its looped shape and lovely crunch. They’re often eaten plainly salted but can also be topped with seeds, sugar, chocolate or cheese.

Sourdough
This variety of bread has recently undergone an artisanal revival, and involves a biological leavening process using a lactobacillus culture rather than yeast. It can be made from wheat, rye and barley, and because of its dry quality, is ideal for soaking up gravies, spread and also to make bread bowls for soups or bread crumbs.

Baguette
This French bread is crusty, long and slim. It very often forms an integral part of traditional Continental breakfasts, served with butter and fresh jam. However, you will also see it used with pâté or cheese, and sometimes for sandwiches such as paninis or submarines.

Focaccia
This versatile Italian bread can be seen as a doughier version of a pizza base. It can be served as an appetiser or as a side to a meal, but the most popular style in Italy is prepared with rosemary, olive oil and salt. Another favourite version is baked with olives.

Zopf
This Swiss loaf features prominently in bread displays by cruise ship chefs. It is also made in Austria and Bavaria, with white flour, milk, eggs, butter and yeast. The beautiful braid-like structure and gloss from the egg yolk brushed on top give it a very appetising look. A similar looking bread called challah is made around Jewish holidays.

Bagel
The bagel originated in Poland, a dense style with a browned exterior often topped with sesame seeds. It’s a very popular snack in North America and is mostly topped with cream cheese and cured salmon. Breakfast bagels are now becoming common, with sweet and fruity flavours.

Brioche
This is a cute little French variant that’s almost between a bread and a pastry. This makes it ideal for a hearty sandwich meal, simply adding some cheese or cured meats. It’s an easy meal for fussy children who will enjoy hazelnut chocolate spread or peanut butter and jelly in between.

Buns & rolls
These are the common types of bread needed as accompaniments to main meals. Cruise ship chefs also need to know how to make buns for burgers and rolls for hot dogs as these are popular snacks on board.

Sliced bread
There is no list of popular bread that is complete without the humble sliced loaf. It’s great for toast at breakfast and perfect for melty cheese sandwiches. Dry loaves go into making croutons for soup or bread pudding for dessert. They come in many variants including white bread, whole wheat, multi-grain and more.

Cruise Dishes For All Ages And Nationalities

Cruise ship chefs learn to make a huge variety of dishes, across cuisine styles. Trends come and go, and they must adapt to satisfy all tastes and preferences. There are some dishes that are loved by all, and versatile enough to satiate every age and nationality. Here are a few

Scrambled eggs
Eggs are an excellent source of protein, vitamins and minerals. It’s the perfect food for anyone from the age of six months on, all the way to old age. No teeth are required when the consistency is perfect!
Cruise ship chefs can jazz up scrambled eggs using cheese, tomatoes and condiments. For an Indian version, chefs add masala, chillies, onion and coriander. They can be served alongside hash browns, sausages and other meats, fruit or even stir-fried vegetables for an extremely satisfying meal.

Mashed potato
Potatoes are quite a hardy vegetable, originating in South America and now available in innumerable varieties across the world. Many cultures have incorporated the humble potato into their own cuisines, but the perfect mash is rarely without takers.
The fluffiest versions typically include milk, butter, salt and pepper, and are sometimes whipped in a blender to achieve the right consistency. It is easily eaten by young and old alike, providing much-needed vitamins, potassium and fibre. It is usually served as a side-dish, but is easy on the stomach even for people with reduced immunity.

Soups
Soups can be hearty, refreshing and delicious. Cruise ship chefs know that many older guests enjoy a hot bowl of soup as the sun sets and that it’s one of the best ways for passengers – especially little children – to get their daily fix of vegetables.
Sometimes, after a few days of gorging on delicious food, guests need a break, and a light soup is the ideal answer. Every culture has a soup or at least some similar variant, and cruise ship chefs can whip something up comforting quite quickly. Favourite soups from around the world include clam chowder, French onion, clear vegetable, goulash, borscht, pumpkin, pho, noodle soup, miso, udon and egg drop.

Pasta
Not many say ‘no’ to a delicious bowl of pasta. It is easy to feed to children, hearty enough for grown people, and easy to digest for older folk. Cruise ship chefs can easily churn out a number of versions based on preferences, dietary requirements and available ingredients.
Pasta is high in carbs and low in cholesterol, and can be teamed up vegetables or meats to create interesting yet delicious dishes. It keeps well on board cruise ships and is sometimes made freshly in specialty restaurants. Cruise ship chefs on Majestic Princess reportedly cook around 200 kgs of pasta every day.

Ice cream, gelato and sorbets
Dessert is well-loved all around. While cakes, pastries, donuts and waffles do the rounds regularly, ice cream stands out as the perfect dessert for all ages and nationalities. Most cruise ships make ice cream, gelato and sorbets in-house, constantly churning throughout the voyage. Ice cream is one of the first sweets that can be eaten by little children and a favourite of older people. Newer flavours are now catering to tastes from across the globe, including masala chai, matcha, lemon, pistachio, popped corn and even candied bacon.

American College Of Culinary & Language Arts

Cruise Life