Holidays, Italian Style

The chefs who will create Costa's 2011 Holiday Menus
Carlo Cracco (left), Benedetta Parodi and Stefano Fontanesi

 Costa Cruises has an interesting holiday tradition on most of their ships. Each year for the last few years they have hired some well-known chefs (in Italy) to create some very special (read: outstanding) menus for Christmas dinner and dinner on New Year's Eve.

It's a high-end menu very much like the Chef's Tables which have become popular on some of the lines, except these menus will be served to everyone on the ship. They will be available on all Costa ships sailing in the Mediterranean and the United Arab Emirates. (Sorry, Caribbean and South America.)

This year 2-Michelin-star chef Carlo Cracco and one of Italy's most popular TV chefs, Benedetta Parodi, have been tapped to create the highly anticipated meals. They will collaborate with Costa's executive chef Stefano Fontanesi who will make sure everything translates well into the Costa galleys.

The Holiday Menus are shown below. 

The complete article appeared in the December 2, 2011, edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Christmas dinner 2011

Welcome per tutti - Amuse bouche

Antipasti – Appetizers

Insalata di Astice e lenticchie con germogli e sedano, condita con bisque di crostacei  

Lobster and lentils salad with crustacean bisque as condiment (C.Cracco – B.Parodi)

Paté di carne e fegato d’anatra con insalatina novella e pane grigliato

Country meat and duck liver pate with grilled brad and baby salad (C.Cracco – B.Parodi)

Vegetali stufati e misticanze

Roasted vegetables and micro greens

Paste

Ravioli del plin con sugo d’arrosto e carciofi

Meat and spinach ravioli with meat jus and artichoke (C.Cracco – B.Parodi)

Risotto al tartufo nero

Risotto with black truffles

La tradizione – Tradition

Tortellini in brodo di cappone

Tortellini with capon consommé

Zuppa di verdure

Vegetables soup

Il pesce e le carni – The fish and meat

Trancio di baccalà in confit con misto di verdure e profumo di vaniglia

 Cod confit with mixed vegetables, vanilla sauce

Aragosta Thermidor

Lobster “ Thermidor Style”

Tournedos di manzo alla griglia con cipolla al sale patate al forno e sugo naturale

Grilled beef tournedos with baked potato and natural gravy

La tradizione – Tradition

Petto di faraona cotto con mandorle, prugne e puntarelle, contorno di patate saltate al guanciale

Sautéed guinea-fowl breast with dry plums and raisins, served with greens and lard roasted potatoes (C.Cracco – B.Parodi)

I formaggi – Cheeses

Selezione di formaggi italiani e francesi, con mostarde “di nostra produzione”ananas e rosmarino,arance e cannella

A selection of Italian and French cheeses with mustard "of our production" pineapple and rosemary, oranges and cinnamon 

La nostra pasticceria – Our Pastries

MARRONIER IN PARATA

Il classico panettoncino “di nostra produzione” tiepido con gelato alla vaniglia bourbon

The classic panettone "Our production" warm with vanilla ice cream bourbon 

(C.Cracco – B.Parodi)

Il levante, crema di limone e meringa

The East, cream and lemon meringue

Leda Bianco doc 2009 “ Aneri”  (Trentino-Alto Adige, Italia)

Pinot Nero doc  2008 "Aneri" (Alto Adige)

Prosecco di Valdobbiadene doc “ Aneri” N° 1

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New year’s Eve Dinner 2012

Welcome per tutti – Amuse bouche

Antipasti

Insalata di gamberoni e fave all’olio e limone, con raviolo di mango allo yogourt magro

Shrimp salad served with broad beans tossed with lemon oil and mango ravioli

Cotechino con fonduta al tartufo

Traditional Stuffed Pig trotter with cheese and truffle fondue (C.Cracco – B.Parodi)

Le melanzane in tazza con pomodoro basilico e spuma di formaggio grana

Eggplant with tomato basil and Parmesan cheese mousse

Paste

Mezze lune di pasta fresca con salmone,burro caviale erba salvia

Half moon fresh pasta served with salmon, caviar and butter sage

Tortelloni fatti a mano con ripieno di cinghiale, Ricotta, parmigiano reggiano

Tortelloni filled with wild boar, ricotta and parmesan cheese (C.Cracco – B.Parodi)

Zuppe

Pasta e fagioli con aceto balsamico

Pasta and beans with balsamic vinegar

Crema di spinaci con crostoni di pane all’aglio

Creamed spinach with garlic croutons

Secondi piatti

Aragosta Thermidor

Lobster “ Thermidor style”

Scaloppa di rombo bruschettata con intingolo di frutti di mare e tagliatelle di carote e zucchine

Turbot served with thinly sliced carrots, zucchini and seafood sauce

Coscia D’anatra croccante cotta a bassa temperatura,laccata con semi di girasole

insalata di fagiolini verdi e patate al forno

Crispy duck leg cooked at low temperature with sunflower seeds, green beans and roasted potatoes

Filetti di Vitello alla griglia con tartar di broccoli, patate rosolate e sugo naturale

Grilled veal fillet with broccoli and sautéed potatoes (C.Cracco – B.Parodi)

Tatin di asparagi verdi uovo in camicia e salsa al latte di soya  

Green asparagus tatin, poached eggs and soy milk sauce

Desserts

MARRONIER IN PARATA

Tortino tiepido al cioccolato amaro con salsa al lampone

Warm bitter chocolate cake with raspberry sauce

Zuppetta di frutto della passione con cremoso al pistacchio e croccante di mandorle

Passion fruit soup with pistachio cream and crunchy almond

Il classico panettoncino “di nostra produzione”tiepido con gelato alla vaniglia bourbon

The classic panettone "Our production" warm with vanilla ice cream bourbon (C.Cracco – B.Parodi) 

Dolci pensieri

Sweet thoughts

Leda Bianco doc 2009 “ Aneri”  (Trentino-Alto Adige, Italia)

Pinot Nero doc  2008 "Aneri" (Alto Adige)

Prosecco di Valdobbiadene doc “ Aneri” N° 1

On 31st December in occasion of New Year’s eve at the Midnight buffet you will have to serve zampone with lentils

A Ship Gets Its Lips

Now here's something you don't see every day. In this video, it looks like lipstick is being applied to AIDAmar, AIDA's next vessel under construction at Meyer Werft in Papenburg (Germany). You don't need to understand the German in this video to know the new ship is having AIDA's iconic red lips painted on its bow - a sign that construction is proceeding on schedule for delivery in May.

First Video Update from Queen Mary 2 Dry Dock

Today Cunard has sent us our first video update from Queen Mary 2's refit. Entertainment director Paul O'Loughlin takes us through some of the work that is going on in the first days (Nov 28-30) of the two-week project. (Actually, the ship doesn't seem like it's in the same disarray you usually find during a refit. Of course, you don't normally find anyone in a suit and tie in a dry dock, but then again, this is Cunard.) The project is being carried out at the Blohm+Voss yard at Hamburg.

Carnival Brands Readying UK Expansion

From some corporate changes at Carnival Corp in the UK, it appears three of the company's US-based brands are positioning themselves for higher visibility and significant penetration of the UK source-market.

Until now, the Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America and Seabourn brands have all shared small joint facilities and staff in the UK and have been represented to the public and the trade via general sales agents. Holland America and Seabourn will now share operations as they do in North America, and the Carnival brand will have its own facilities. Both are transitioning away from general sales agents in favor of their own staff.

To support those, top management changes have been announced over the last few days. Adolfo Perez will be moving
from Miami to head Carnival Cruise Lines UK operation as managing director of Carnival Cruise Lines UK sales and reservations office in London, while the Holland America/Seabourn operation will be headed by Lynn Narraway as managing director and Wendy Lahmich as director of sales.


The complete story appeared in the December 1, 2011, edition of Cruise News Daily.

Looks Like Snow Again

It happens every year about this time. Snow is forecast for the atrium of almost every ship in the Princess fleet. And the forecast is always 100% correct. It snows each evening around the holidays, and sets the mood for all the special holiday activities Princess has in store for their passengers.

There are so many holiday-themed things going on aboard Princess ships between now and New Year's, on so many different levels, that passengers will wonder if they are on a cruise or in the middle of a holiday spectacular.

The holiday observances will range from religious (Christmas and Hanukkah) to secular, and include everything from decorations throughout the ship (even a Christmas tree on the mast) to special holiday music and entertainment. Special events will include everything from the traditional (holiday meals and a visit from Santa Claus) to whimsical (a gingerbread house building competition and a giant Yule log burning on the huge poolside screen).


The complete story appeared in the December 1, 2011, edition of Cruise News Daily.