17 December 2012 / leggypeggy

A brief intermission for dinner in Antarctica

Antarctica, chocolate, Food and drink, Ocean Diamond, Quark Expeditions

Chateaubriand—a gourmet choice

With all this talk about our expedition to Antarctica, I guess it’s time to mention the food.

For starters, Poor John and I are still amazed how the kitchen was able to deliver beautifully fresh and varied food at sea for so many days in a row. A real credit to the staff’s expertise and the Ocean Diamond’s refrigeration system.

Three elaborate meals per day, plus afternoon teas and occasional drinks parties were enough to send me scurrying to the yoga and core-strengthening classes held most days. And I made a serious attempt to control portions and resist seconds.

The buffet breakfast was my splurge meal. Most mornings I succumbed to scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, smoked salmon with capers and onions, cream cheese, a couple of pieces of fruit, coffee and a mini muffin (if they hadn’t run out)—all followed by a burp.

A work of art in chocolate

I could have added yogurt, cereals, porridge, potatoes, cold cuts, croissants, danishes, breads, rolls, French toast, toast, baked beans, an omelet of my choice, eggs made to order, juices and tea, but I restrained myself.

Lunch was when I did show some control. Every day, this buffet meal featured soups, an array of salads, platters of cold cuts and cheeses, four hot choices with non-low-cal favourites such as macaroni and cheese, and a couple of desserts.

Without fail, I stuck to a green salad—piles of lettuce topped with veggie choices such as tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, olives and the like. I usually tried one of the other salads too, and managed to sneak in a bit of cheese. Dessert was off limits. I passed on goodies at afternoon teas and drinks parties too.

Dinner was the most lavish meal of the day with two soups, two salads, four mains and at least three desserts on offer. The mains always covered fish/seafood, meat/poultry, pasta and vegetarian options. You could order virtually anything. A friend, Anne, was hoping to gain some weight and staff were quite happy to bring her three desserts. Poor John was especially partial to a baked dessert topped with a scoop of ship-made ice cream.

After the first night, I limited myself to two courses only, and one night my choices were just soup and salad. The last night I treated myself to the chateaubriand and lots of the showy and divine chocolate desserts.

Cruise ships are supposedly renowned for their continuous supply of gourmet food. My stepdad used to lose 20 pounds before he went on a cruise, so he could afford to eat whatever he wanted.

While all the food on our expedition ship was tasty and beautifully presented, only a few dishes were of truly fine-dining standard. Thank goodness. I don’t think I could have resisted 10 days of gourmet.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.