The Unsinkable

(Published on surfKY News on April 26, 2012)

Maybe you have noticed, or even if you haven't, Culinary Crafts has been on a two week hiatus. I would love to say that I have been out celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Titanic striking an iceberg and sinking in the cold Atlantic Ocean near Nova Scotia. But I can't.

I would love to say that I have been visiting the town of Queenstown, the last port of call for that tragic maiden voyage of that great ship. But I can't.

I would love say that I was helping prepare one of the many copycat nine-course meals of what was served at the last meal on that fatal journey. But I can't.

Oh well...a girl can dream.
 

The Titanic was the largest ship afloat at the time of her maiden voyage. She carried over 1500 people, including some of the wealthiest people in the world, along with over a thousand emigrants from Great Britain and Ireland who were hoping for a new life in North America. But in the early hours of the morning of April 15, 1912, the unthinkable happened. The ship, called the “unsinkable ship”, because it had a double bottom, sank. The hull was divided into 16 watertight compartments and it was designed to stay afloat even if two of the middle compartments or four of the front compartments flooded. Had the ship hit the iceberg head-on, the damage would not have been as severe, but because the side was damaged, these watertight compartments began to fill with water.

It took less than three hours for the entire ship to sink. Only approximately 705 people survived the catastrophe, 1500 perished. The last known survivor, Millvina Dean, died in 2009 at the age of 97, she was only nine weeks old when she was a passenger with her family on the Titanic. She was the youngest survivor.

On September 1, 1985, Dr. Robert Ballard and his team discovered the remains of the Titanic, 12,460 feet below the surface of the ocean. There are mixed emotions about whether to try to recover the remains of the ship. Many say that it would be impossible because of the depth of the wreckage and many believe that it has become a sacred burial ground and an underwater classroom of inquiry and should be preserved as it is.

There are many attractions to visit to learn more about the Titanic disaster with museums as close to us at Branson, Missouri and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. If you want to travel a bit farther, you can visit Belfast, the city that built the Titanic. They’ve opened up a $150 million tourist center on the slipway where the Titanic was built from 1909 to 1911.

The world will forever be fascinated with the Titanic. This fairy tale ship that was to never sink has been forever immortalized by the stories of heroism written by the survivors. And we will continue to read them.

Here are some recipes of some of the courses said to have been served at the last meal on the Titanic.


CREAMED CARROTS  

●8 or 9 medium carrots, peeled and 
julienned
●1 cinnamon stick or 1 t ground cinnamon
●1 T butter
●1/2 t salt
●1/2 t ground cinnamon
●1/4 t ground nutmeg
●Pinch of pepper
●1 t lemon juice
●1/3 c whipping cream
●2 T finely chopped fresh chives

Place carrots in medium saucepan with enough water to cover. Add cinnamon stick. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for six to eight minutes or until carrots are fork-tender. Drain, remove cinnamon stick and return carrots to pan. Add butter, salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper. Mix well, add lemon juice and cream. Boil for one minute or until cream is slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Turn into shallow serving bowl. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

 




CHICKEN FRICASSEE
 
●8 skinless chicken thighs
●1/4 c all-purpose flour
●1 t salt
●1/2 t white pepper
●1 t dried thyme
●6 T unsalted butter
●1 1/2 c assorted fresh mushrooms, sliced
●1 c onion, diced
●1 T finely minced garlic
●1 3/4 c chicken stock
●1/2 c heavy cream
●1 T parsley, minced

Combine flour, salt, pepper and thyme. Dredge chicken with flour mixture. Reserve unused flour. Melt butter in a heavy skillet; add chicken and brown on both sides. Remove chicken; add the onions, mushrooms and celery, sauté until just tender yet still crisp. Add garlic and sauté for a minute. Add reserved flour to mixture and slowly whisk in the chicken stock; cooking until thickened. Add cream, bring to a boil, add chicken, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and allow to simmer for 25 minutes or until chicken is tender and juices run clear. Transfer to a platter, garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with rice pilaf or buttered pasta.
 



WALDORF PUDDING
 
●½ c sugar
●2 c flour
●2 t baking powder
●3 T melted butter
●1/2 t salt
●1 1/2 c diced unpeeled apples
●2 eggs
●1 c milk
●1 t vanilla
●1 c English walnut meat
●1/2 c steamed raisins

Sauce
●1 c sugar
●1/2 c water
●2 egg yolks, beaten
●2 c whipped cream
●1/2 t lemon extract

Pudding
Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together; add eggs, vanilla extract, milk, butter, apples, nuts and raisins. Mix well and divide into 9 greased individual moulds, cover with greased papers and steam steadily for three quarters of an hour. Turn out and serve.

Sauce
Boil sugar and water until syrup spins a thread, pour over beaten yolks of eggs, and stir quickly; add lemon extract. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, mix in whipped cream.
 

NEXT WEEK—The Fastest Two Minutes In Sports

Remember......Life is short. Eat Dessert first!!