Seasoned - A Chef's Journey with Her Captain

by Victoria Allman

[Heather]

 

Victoria Allman and her husband have just gotten their big break.  He is going to be the captain of a yacht after years of working on crews.  To do this though they have to lower their standards.  They aren't going to be on a big boat.  They are taking on a measly 100 foot yacht that isn't in the best of shape.

I was very surprised when I heard her refer to a 100 foot yacht as a small boat.  I've seen those things in marinas and they are huge.  That's your first clue that the lives of the rich people who rent these yachts are a bit different.



Victoria and her husband run the yacht with two crew members.  She is the chef.  She has to decide what to stock in the very small galley and what she might be able to find to cook with in ports that they call at.  If the passengers change their destination at the last minute or if they invite their friends from another yacht over, she might have to scramble.  She makes elaborate meal plans that can be crushed with a breezy "Here's what I want for lunch..."

They start out doing charters in the Bahamas until the yacht is damaged enough that it has to go in for lengthy repairs.  They then pick up another job on a 200 foot yacht in the Mediterranean.  This makes Victoria happy because of the bigger galley but adds more crew member problems.

This is a behind the scenes look at a life of luxury that most people would never experience.  See what it takes to cater to another person's every whim while living in cramped quarters with your spouse.

There are a lot of recipes in here too.  Most are meat based but there is one for a Santorini Eggplant Salad that sounds interesting.

I enjoyed the story telling in this book and wished it were a bit longer to immerse myself in this world for a while more.This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story