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Cruising Cuisine
= Cruise-Style Entertaining
Reviewer: The Rebecca Review
"Cruising Cuisine" is more than a cookbook. It is a
story of how Elena followed her heart and her love of cooking.
Each page shows Elena's devotion to entertaining. Now you can
create cruise ship recipes and impress all your guests at your
next party.
Elena started her cooking voyage when she cooked with her
father at the early age of 6. While she watched her father cook,
he taught her an appreciation for cooking techniques she still
uses in her cooking today. Some of her earliest memories include
helping chefs make Russian Blini for French passengers.
Years later, she was working as a cruise director when she met her husband,
David Gevanthor. They now live in Plantation, Florida. When
Elena isn't cruising, entertaining guests at home, giving
interviews or fascinating her cooking students with cooking
demonstrations in her own kitchen, she is writing gorgeous
cookbooks. "Cruising Cuisine" is the first book in a
series of cruise themed cookbooks.
The first volume: "Cruising Cuisine," is divided
into three main sections:
Contemporary
Easy-to-prepare hors d'oeuvres and appetizers for the late
afternoon or early evening. You will be enticed by recipes for
Shrimp Salad Canap้s, Mini Quiche Loraine and the imaginative
Crab Salad appetizer in which a tomato and an egg are magically
transformed into a whimsical "toadstool." The French
Olivier Hors D'oeuvres made with Belgian endives are sure to add
a touch of elegance to your parties. There are even some
vegetarian favorites.
Premium This section
introduces recipes with an added element of creativity. There is
a wonderful recipe for delicate "Fillo Shells filled with
Smoked Salmon & Lemon Dill Cream."
I personally loved the recipe for "Salmon
Wellington." The recipe makes 8-12 pastries you can freeze
up to 1 week ahead of your party. I added a sprinkling of sesame
seeds before baking. I made double the recipe as I knew this was
going to be a winner. I cut two sheets of pastry into 12
rectangles (6 rectangles each) and transformed this recipe into
an elegant dinner. I really felt like a chef while making these
pastries and was even more impressed with the results. They are
excellent with a lemon-butter sauce and a side of the vegetables
of your choice.
How could a dish this tasty be so easy to make? Elena has
made the instructions simple to follow and her recipes gave me a
lot of confidence and an added sense of accomplishment. One of
the best features of this book is that it is sewn to lie flat on
your kitchen counter. If you love cooking from cookbooks, this
is an added bonus.
Luxury- Elena's
experience as a chef is especially evident in the last chapter.
The recipes are filled with innovative ingredients. You will
find everything from "Lobster & Crab Cappelletti in
Pistachio & Garlic Sauce" to the exotic "Sesame
Encrusted Tuna Bites." All of the recipes are sophisticated
and the "Smoked Salmon with Caper Cream & Caviar"
features thin slices of salmon rolled up into a rose.
"Cruising Cuisine: For Home Entertaining" is filled
with over 50 recipes and 120 photographs. Each recipe has
vibrant color photographs of the finished dish and ingredients.
Elena Vakhrenova is not only a natural in the kitchen; she spent
six months photographing the food in her own kitchen.
All the recipes are easy to read and have the ingredients are
listed in bold text. The instructions are organized into the
various steps and follow a logical progression. At the end of
the recipe, Elena shows you how to present your dish in the most
appealing way. I can't wait to try the "Lobster Spring
Rolls" and the "Crab Cakes with Mustard Sauce."
Some of the Interesting Features Include:
Garnishing and Serving Suggestions Throughout the
book you will find a number of secrets only a chef would tell
you.
Cooking Tips Tips on how to keep lemons fresh for
weeks, how to quickly peel tomatoes and how to add a tantalizing
appeal to a variety of ingredients.
A Glossary Explains the main ingredients used in
this book. Elena gives tips on how to find the best leeks and
Portobello mushrooms.
Mail Order Sources Online sources for caviar,
imported European food products, Market Delicacies and Cheeses.
Helpful Cross-Referenced Index The main
ingredients used in this book are featured in a bold text.
This cookbook also has "Cruise
Discount Vouchers" for Carnival Cruises, Star Clippers and
Cunard Line.
I wish Elena all the success in the world as she sails into
her future. I believe Elena will capture the attention of an
even wider audience and I look forward to seeing her on a
cooking show in the near future.
"Enjoy
cooking, entertaining and cruising
in a warm circle of family and friends." ~Elena
Vakhrenova
Also look for additional cookbooks in this
series:
HORS D'OEUVRES & APPETIZERS, Volume 2
SOUPS, Volume 3
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