One busy evening in Seattle, our manager of Culinary Operations, Bjoern Wassmuth, was stuck in a major traffic jam on his way home. He and his carpooling colleagues were not moving at all, so instead of sitting idly in the car, they went to a local pizza restaurant to wait for the traffic to ease. It was a charming mom-and-pop restaurant and according to Bjoern, it served some of the best pizza he’s ever had!

“It was real Italian pizza,” he said. What made it so delicious? The crust.

Always thinking about new dishes and recipes for the Seabourn ships, Bjoern asked the restaurant owner what kind of flour they used and turns out, it’s pizza flour all the way from Italy. So, he ordered a batch and did a pizza tasting at the test kitchen in Seabourn headquarters. Bjoern molded the dough, tossed it in the air and topped each pizza with a variety of tasty toppings – prosciutto, mushrooms, basil and more. The critical part of the process was knowing how much water to the flour.

“I played with the liquid content to get the crust just right,” Bjoern said. “Pizza flour from Europe is very different from American flour so it’s important to add the right amount of water to make the crust perfect.”

It certainly worked. Six pizzas later, the judges – which included several executives with a hearty appetite – were all smiles and gave two thumbs up to the delicious pizza.

It’s a good thing Bjoern was caught in the traffic jam that day. He discovered a new source for a key ingredient for one our most popular dishes onboard!

Up in the air!

Covered in tomato sauce

Voilà!! The finished product!

Our Seabourn culinary team has expanded the variety of menus served in our Patio Grill, the popular casual poolside restaurant on Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn and Seabourn Quest. Three new themed dinner menus have been added, supplementing the popular Surf and Turf menu. The new ones are Chop House, Al Fresco and BBQ.  Our world-class culinary team, led by Manager of Culinary Operations Bjoern Wassmuth, has created more than 40 new appetizing dishes for the new themes, such as Garlic and Herb Roasted Suckling Pig (Al Fresco); BBQ Beef Short Ribs (BBQ); and Fresh Salmon Cotelette (Chop House).

Also new in the Patio Grill is a selection of “pick and go” appetizers and desserts, allowing guests to choose from a selection of four of each, already prepared and beautifully plated. The eatery also now offers a different pasta and pizza creation every day.

Complementing the new dinner menus, Patio Grill will continue to feature a variety of grilled specialties, salads and sides for lunch, as well as daily specials celebrating 15 themes, such as West Indies, paninis, tacos, satay and more. The highly popular, freshly baked pizzas will also be available throughout the afternoon, as well as pastries in the morning.

Patio Grill has been a popular dining spot for our guests since it was first introduced on Seabourn Odyssey three years ago. The new dinner themes and dishes offer more choice and variety for guests, inviting them to return often and enhancing their dining experience when they sail on Seabourn.

Crab and Avocado Cocktail

Smoked Halibut, Honey Mustard

Taste the treasures of the sea at home with this recipe from the Seabourn kitchen. Fresh King crab and Ahi tuna tartare are paired with a spicy avocado salad and topped with a Yuzu sherbet for an elegant, healthy dish.

For Avocado Salad

• 1 avocado, small dice
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 serrano chili
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tomato, brunoise
• salt and pepper to taste
• hot pepper sauce to taste

For King Crab Legs

• 1 1/2 ounces King crab leg, de shell, separate legs and knuckles
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chives, chopped

For King Crab Salad (Knuckles)

• King crab knuckles
• 1 each lime, juice of
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chives, chopped

For Tuna Tartare

• 10 ounces Ahi tuna
• 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 lime, zest of
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, white
• pinch Piment d’Espelette
• salt and pepper to taste
• sriracha sauce to taste

For Yuzu Sherbet

• 4 cups creme fraiche
• 3 cups simple syrup
• 1 cup yuzu puree
• 1/2 cup yuzu juice
• pinch fleur de sel

Preparation:

• FOR AVOCADO SALAD
  Place avocado in mixing bowl with lime juice, serrano chili, fresh cilantro and diced tomato brunoise. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste.
• FOR TUNA TARTARE
  Dice Ahi tuna, season with Sriracha sauce to taste. Add sesame oil, soy sauce, lime zest and sesame seeds. Season to taste with salt and Piment d’Espelette.
• FOR KING CRAB SALAD
  De-shell and remove all ligaments from crab legs. Cut into uniform pieces and lay them out on a sheet pan. Season the crab with lime juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with fresh chives. Use all the knuckle meat. Clean it and remove all shells, season with the same seasoning as per the King crab legs and preserve until plating.
• FOR YUZU SHERBET
  Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Pour into ice cream machine and spin until done.
• TO PLATE
  Take a stainless steel ring mold and start layering the salads, beginning with the King crab knuckle salad, avocado salad, tuna tartare salad, and topped with King crab legs. Garnish with a quenelle of yuzu sherbet.

“Our famous Seabourn Goat Cheese Soufflé is clearly a guest favorite on board our ships. And one of the most requested recipes.”
- Bjoern Wassmuth, Manager of Culinary Operations

We’re pleased to share the recipe for this delicious dish.  Enjoy!

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• ½ ounce butter
• ½ ounce all high gluten flour
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 ounce goat cheese
• 2 egg whites
• 1 ½ egg yolks
• 2 ½ ounce whole milk
• ½ ounce grated parmesan cheese
• 1 ounce grated gruyere cheese
• ½ cup sour cream
• nutmeg

Preparation:

• Warm the milk with the garlic and a little nutmeg.
• Mix the butter with the flour separately, fold with the milk to a sticky mass and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid lump formation.
• Blend in the cheese.
• Remove from the heat and blend with the egg yolks.
• Season to taste.
• Whisk the egg whites with a little salt in a mixing bowl to help it stiffen.
• Slowly fold in the egg whites to the cheese mass.
• In the meantime, prepare the mold (can use a flexi-rubber mold), which has been brushed with butter and dusted with flour and grated parmesan cheese.
• Fill into molds. Place in water-filled baking sheet. Bake first in a hot oven for 50 minutes at 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Remove from the molds and place in individual serving shells. Pour fresh cream around and grated gruyere cheese on top of the soufflés.
• Place the soufflés back in a 350-degree Fahrenheit hot oven for 5 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

If you want to receive more recipes for Seabourn’s appetizing dishes and other news, please sign up for Seamail here.

Guest Frank Daems approached Seabourn Quest Hotel Manager Vitor Alves in a conspiratorial manner, swearing him to secrecy before he would unveil his plans for making his cruise unforgettable. Once Vitor and Guest Services Manager Belinda Smitheram got involved, everything proceeded as planned and in absolute confidentiality. Until, that is, Frank and his girlfriend An Goosens arrived for dinner at the Patio Grill and the immense banner hanging over the railing was unfurled. Judging from her reaction, we’d guess that An wasn’t expecting him to pop the question – at least not that night. We are delighted to report that she answered in the affirmative. And they have promised to return for their honeymoon next year. We wish them – as the saying goes – many happy returns!

Frank pops the big question to An.

It was a storybook ending!

It’s a banner day for Frank and An.

During a recent stop at Funchal, Madeira, the Seabourn Odyssey food and beverage team went on a mission for the freshest seafood.  They scoured the local markets, met with local fisherman and brought back a bountiful amount — 160 pounds of swordfish and 150 pounds of tuna and red snapper!  The team created a beautiful display to show off the fish during the Galley Market Lunch, where guests were invited behind the swinging doors into the wonderfully decorated kitchen.  Here is a photo of Restaurant Manager Anthony Bernardi and Executive Chef Andreas Schiffer, smiling proudly with their “catch.” You can just tell the chef was thinking of different dishes to serve to guests that night!

Restaurant Manager Anthony Bernardi and Executive Chef Andreas Schiffer, smiling proudly with their “catch.”

Seabourn offers gourmet experiences that rival the finest restaurants anywhere. From innovative cuisine in traditional fine-dining settings to avant-garde selections and casual, on-deck settings, there is no doubt our guests enjoy one delicious meal after another when they sail on a Seabourn cruise.  Check out this video by Avid Cruiser’s Ralph Grizzle, who explores the range of dining options aboard Seabourn Sojourn.

Without a doubt, one of the best parts of sailing on a world cruise is the opportunity to sample different cuisines from all over the world.  When Seabourn Sojourn embarks on her 111-day voyage across the globe, the ship will visit more than 20 countries, each with its own unique flavor.  To make the culinary experience even more special, the ship will host several local guest chefs and food connoisseurs who will share their expertise, skills and dishes with guests.

The chefs will create a menu featuring a five-course meal of some of their signature dishes, provide cooking demos, and even host special “shopping with the chef” tours to local markets.

Chefs who are currently scheduled to be on Seabourn Sojourn’s world cruise include:

• Paulette Mitchell (Los Angeles to Papeete, January 5-15, 2011) – Paulette Mitchell, author of 13 cookbooks, is known globally for her quick-to-prepare recipes with gourmet flair. She is recognized as the author of the award-winning 15-Minute Gourmet cookbook series and also is a video producer of Telly Award-winning travel and culinary videos.  She is a media spokesperson, freelance writer, culinary speaker, cooking instructor, and television personality. As an avid world traveler, Paulette is most inspired by flavors from diverse cultures both near and far.  Her most recently published cookbook is The Complete 15-Minute Gourmet: Creative Cuisine Made Fast and Fresh.
• Vincent Pouessel (Bora Bora to Auckland, January 17-25, 2011) – When it comes to cooking at Aureole, one of Las Vegas’ most celebrated restaurants, Vincent Pouessel gets down to the basics. Straightforward, seasonal ingredients define his sense of style in the kitchen. This fundamental approach to cooking, along with his upbringing and experiences in France, makes him a perfect match for American chef Charlie Palmer’s upscale, Las Vegas showplace.
• Martin Bosley (Auckland to Port Chalmers, January 25-30, 2011) – Chef Martin Bosley of Upstairs at the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club in Wellington, New Zealand, is the winner of numerous chef and restaurant awards, and considered one of New Zealand’s premier chefs
• Hirosashi Nobuaki (Singapore to Cochin, March 12-19, 2011) – Chef Hirosashi Nobuaki trained in the Kaiseki tradition with the famous Kitcho group of restaurants in Japan. Kaiseki is a traditional Japanese meal featuring exquisite courses revolving around a ritual balance and progression of flavors. He is executive chef of the famed Kumo restaurant in Singapore.
• Mohammad Bader-Alden Antabli (Dubai to Sharm el Sheikh, March 26-April 7, 2011) – Mohammad Bader-Alden Antabli is the proprietor and chef of London’s award-winning Middle Eastern restaurant, Al Waha.  The establishment has received many prestigious awards, including Middle Eastern Restaurant of the Year, Moet & Chandon \ Carlton TV London Restaurant Awards.

We look forward to welcoming these fantastic guest chefs onboard and have no doubt our guests will enjoy their dishes!

Note: Guest chefs and dates aboard Sojourn’s world cruise are subject to change without notice.

One of the biggest highlights on a Seabourn cruise is when guests head for the local markets and go shopping with the chef.  During a recent stop in Syracuse, Sicily, a small group of Seabourn Spirit guests accompanied Chef Paskins to the market to learn about local produce and pick out the freshest ingredients for the Chef’s Dinner.  What was on the shopping list?  Fresh branzini, which is also known as Mediterranean sea bass.

Always friendly and welcoming, the owners of the market warmly greeted the group and shared some delicious cheese and wine during the visit.  Guests were able to see and experience the many delicious flavors of Italy, from pesto, olives, local bread and cheeses, and fresh seafood, and fruit.  And the best part of it all was when the guests were able to feast on the items after Chef Paskins prepared them for dinner and barbeque buffet!

If you’ve ever been to our famous Galley Market lunches, you’ve probably seen some of the magnificent sugary sculptures and beautiful dessert displays created by our pastry teams.  Those same teams also create the many delicious desserts you enjoy at the end of each meal.  (You’re still thinking about that decadent caramelized banana butterscotch cake with milk chocolate pudding, aren’t you?)

We would like to introduce you to one of our esteemed colleagues, Executive Pastry Chef Tony Fernandes, who is responsible for creating these sweet temptations aboard Seabourn Legend. In fact, we’ll have Seabourn Legend Captain Erik Anderssen tell you about him:

Aboard the Seabourn Legend, we are privileged and honored to have a talented and artistic colleague and long-time Seabourn employee — Executive Pastry Chef Tony Fernandes. His creativity seems to have no limits and borders. Every sweet creation is made with love and patience. As he says, “I love my work, and feel honored and privileged to have the opportunity to share my passion for my handcrafted sugar sculptures, with our guests and fellow crew members.”

Every time his sweet desserts are displayed, our guests seem to be amazed and impressed by their beauty and creativity.  Every so often, we hear our guests ask, “Wow, is it possible?”  We’re pleased to tell them, “Yes, it is because of Tony and his team.”

Tony possesses a culinary degree and has worked in many five-star hotels in India, as well as in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait Aviation of Flight catering and other cruise ships.

But we feel very fortunate to have Tony as our executive pastry chef. Wow, aren’t we lucky?

Here are photos of Tony and some of his amazing creations.  Aren’t they outstanding?