Since some of the feedback from our code red discussion was a bit concerned, we wanted to assure everyone that it was not a major emergency by any definition of the word. We just found the situation interesting and wanted to share. We have been downgraded to a code yellow. What that means for us is that we can serve a sample of one of the dishes from each demonstration, which is great news. As I mentioned before, it was a very strange feeling to cook something for a group of people who could only look longingly at the dishes without actually tasting them. Our first demonstration under the new code is tomorrow and we will be focusing on dishes with macadamia nuts. Speaking of which, we tried Tom's tip of dark roasting with the nuts from Sysco on board and he was right, the extra roasting time makes all the diference in the world. You should definitely try it in your kitchen.
Everything feels much more relaxed on the ship now. Self-service has been re-established and although we are still confronted with hand sanitizers at the entrance to the dining rooms, all culinary amenities have returned. When we have cocktails at the Ocean Bar they pass little hors d-oeuvres, there are fruit bowls in the cabins, the hot tubs are open and little tidbits have appeared everywhere you look. It’s amazing what a difference it makes in the atmosphere on board among the crew, as well as the passengers. Things feel much more cheerful and relaxed. We even heard that the crew party, which had been postponed from the last cruise because of the code red, is going to happen tonight. They definitely deserve a bit of fun because everyone on board works incredibly long days to make things comfortable for the passengers and they manage to keep smiling while they do it. It's not easy trying to please everyone. It's not even possible most of the time.
It's been an interesting passage. We definitely haven't posted as much as we wanted to but we're using the time away to wade through personal issues. This year we're going to make some changes and stop being so passive about what directions we're headed in. We have clear goals and it's about time we started hitting some of our marks. It's time to go out on a limb and see if it will hold us. Not to worry though, you can be sure that food will be involved in whatever plans we make for the future.
