AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 MEALS--Seven Fantasy Cruise Menus and Recipes

My first cruise was “Cradles of Civilization” on the Norwegian Dream.  Embarking in Rome, we stopped at several Greek islands and ten days later debarked in Istanbul. As many others, I believed cruises were for an older crowd. But now I know that cruises come in many varieties, to fit budgets, tastes, and age groups. After that first cruise, my husband and I were hooked.

If you ask fifty people what they consider the best thing about a cruise, you’ll get at least fifty answers…unpacking only once in the cabin of your floating hotel, waking up in a new exotic breathtaking port each day, the leisure, the pampering, the shows, the shore excursions…and of course the cuisine.

Cruise lines employ top-notch chefs who create exotic gourmet meals from fresh ingredients, catering to every palate and need: vegan, diabetic, low sodium, gluten free…and the sky’s the limit if you want to indulge to your heart’s desire and gain that average two-pounds-a-day on your cruise. But why should anyone only be able to indulge in these delectable delights if cruising the seas? Those of us who love to cook and enjoy gourmet cuisine should be able to create meals from cruises of the past in our own kitchens.

I searched for seven menus of a diversity of cruise lines, from the luxurious Cunard Line, famed for its opulent ocean liners, to a small but highly exclusive line of yachts that offer the most personalized cruise experience. I found recipes for each item on the seven menus, from appetizers to entrées to desserts, cocktails and pre-dinner aperitifs. I devoted a chapter to each day of the ‘fantasy cruise’ introducing each ship and explaining where it is located, with information about each cruise line and its chefs. The main focus is on the dinner menu followed by recipes for recreating every delectable morsel. The result is AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 MEALS, THE BEST OF CRUISE SHIP CUISINE.

Wanting to appeal to the casual cruise passenger as well as gourmet cooks, I included a chapter about the history of cruising, and wrapped it up with extras, helpful hints, and cruise contact info. I’ve tried many of the recipes and am happy to say they turned out very well. AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 MEALS is available from Amazon

My Latest Novel Now in Paperback

My latest title, A Bloody Good Cruise, a chick lit vampire romance set on board an Italian cruise ship between Sicily and Malta, is now on sale at Amazon.com, or from my publisher, Eternal Press, http://www.eternalpress.ca/.
My vamps aren't 'traditional' in the sense that they have pointy fangs, sleep in coffins or abhor garlic (are you kidding?? My vamps are all Italian!!!)
They come from a long line of vampires dating back to Ancient Rome, and became that way because of a mutation--a scientific explanation I briefly discuss in the book. The story's theme is tolerance--the vampires 'come out' on an international TV show, The Cutting Edge, and only want to be accepted for who they are. The tagline really is "Why can't we all just get along--even if we are a bit weird?" After all, what IS normal????
(if you are reading this and consider yourself 'normal' please post right now--I'd love to hear what your idea of 'normal' is!)
If you'd like A Bloody Good Cruise bookmark, please Email me your snail mail addy.