To Each His Own!

The best lobster I have ever eaten was onboard NCL’s Norwegian Crown on their first “formal” night of a 7 day cruise. It was so moist and tasty, I can still remember it. In fact, I ate two of those lobsters, that’s how good they were. That’s saying a lot since I am a seafood snob, having spent most of my life within an hour drive of the Atlantic Ocean. Another thing I remember about that cruise was floating around in the pool with two ladies who knew each other from New York City. They were discussing how poor the food was onboard and particularly how poor the lobster was. They commented on this Italian place in Manhattan, and a bistro in Soho, and on and on. I remember thinking at the time, “to each his own” and it’s never truer than on a cruise.

If you are that person who is only happy if running, jumping, sliding, or climbing over, around, or into something—there’s lots for you on a cruise, with plenty to do on shore excursions as well. If relaxing by the pool with a good book and a cold drink is your ideal situation—you can do that all week long if you choose. Love Broadway, comedians, live music, lectures, classes, art auctions? It’s all there. From salsa dance lessons in the morning to soaking in the hot tub in the afternoon, a cruise has something for everyone.

Menu Terms DeMystified: Part Two

As you know from reading part I in this series, my husband and I are going on a cruise September 14-19, with a group of ladies called "Chicks At Sea". There's still time to join in, so please give me a call or email me if you would like to be a part of this fun group! This blog will feature additional French terms to make menus easier to understand and hopefully dining in a formal group setting more fun and relaxing!

Terms about how things are cooked:

A la Anglaise (ah lah AN glez) French for prepared in water or stock
Amandine (ah mahn DEEN) prepared with or often coated with almonds
Au gratin (oh GRAH tin) served with bread crumbs and/or cheese on top
Au jus (oh ZHOO) in its own natural juices
Au poivre (oh PWAHV ruh) French for with pepper
En croute (ahn KROOT) French for in a crust
Flambe (flam BAY) French for flamed
Provencale (proh VEHn SAHL) French, cooked with garlic, olive oil, and tomatoes
Saute (soh Tay) to cook in fat quickly

Remember as always, your waiter is ready to assist you in making your dining choices and will bring you anything on the menu to sample and experiment with. Second helpings are always available. Don't be afraid to ask questions of your dining companions either. People enjoy sharing knowledge, and it's a good conversation starter!

Cruise Menu Items Demystified-Chicks and Husbands at Sea!

When my husband announced he wanted a cruise for his retirement gift in September, I smiled. As realization dawned across his face, we both began to laugh out loud. As he well knew, I have spent a great deal of time and energy getting ready for our September sailing of Chicks at Sea girls getaway cruise. I told him I would be happy to take him sailing with us on Chicks at Sea. His one stipulation was that I not embarrass him at dinner by letting it be known that he didn't know what the menu items were. He, like many people, doesn't know Coq au vin from Nestle's Coco, so I thought a series of articles on menu demystification might be in order.

Many of the menu item descriptions you will see at fine dining establishments and on a cruise ship menu are derived from French, Italian, Greek, Spanish, Thai, Indian, German and a multitude of other languages. Naturally, if you don't speak these languages, you like Marv, may lean over to your spouse and say: beef, chicken, pork? Let's start with French terms and start to simplify a bit.

Soup choices in French:

Bisque (BISK) French thick cream soup consisting of shellfish and spices
Bouillon (boo YON) clear broth
Consomme' (kahn soh MAY) clear, seasoned broth
Vichyssoise (vee shee SWAHZ) a cold cream, chicken stock, leek, and potato soup


Meats in French:

Beofu (BUHF) beef.
Chateaubriand (shah th bree AHn) French for a thick cut of grilled sirloin or Porterhouse steak served with vegetables and sauce
Filet mignon (fil LAY meen YAWN) French for a small, thick steak from the beef tenderloin.
Poisson (pwah SOHn) French for fish
Poulet (pooLAY) French for chicken
Saumon (soh MAHn) French for salmon
Veau (VOH) French for veal

and finally Viande (VYAHND) French for meat
and Escargots (es kahr GOH) French for snails. I didn't put it in the meat section, because, well it's snails.

Now foodies, this list is not for you, it's for the average person, so no negative comments! There are more French categories to explore, so look for the next installment soon. And, remember, the food will be just as tasty if you don't pronounce it perfectly! And, your waiters stand ready to assist you with your selection and will allow you to try any dish or dishes on the menu at no extra charge. A cruise is a wonderful place to try new things and spread your culinary wings a bit. Until our next installment, happy eating!

Sandy, the diva cruiser, is in reality, Sandy Wheeler, The Chicks at Sea lady, an independent contractor with Connie George Travel Associates. Email me with any questions or comments.