Customer Reviews

Cruising Cuisine for Home Entertaining, Hors d'Oeuvres and Appetizers

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This 2002 book has only 52 Hor's d'oeuvres and appetizer recipes, a VERY significant drawback in view of it's $29.95 list price.

I generally like the selection and photography of the 52 items,however using up a full page for a photo, opposite each recipe page, is not the best use of space, and pads out the book to double what it should be. The photos are illustrative, sometimes too close up to show overall presentation, and often repetitive in angle lighting and focus. While one would not hire the author as a food photographer with this limited style, the photos are pleasing, and I expect to see an improvement if a subsequent Volume II is ever to follow...

With the abundance of appetizers and hors d'oeuvres to be found on just a one week's cruise, the author could have easily put in 100 or 150 additonal cruising appetizers, easily expanded the variety, and really increased the value of such a book to you, the reader.

This is the glaring weakness of the book...knowing (from competing higher quality books) that the author could/should have included more recipes, and given more value to you, the reader.

These are generally simple recipes with the ingredients readily available in most large city grocery stores, except for foie gras and some vegetables which may happen to be out of season. I have made variation of some of these recipes, and many are simple tasty classics which appear elsewhere, such as tapenade, guacamole with mayonnaise, chicken satay with peanut sauce, stuffed tomatoes, scallops wrapped with bacon, liver with onions and bacon, canned tuna with mayonnaise, chicken salad canapes, etc. Try the salmon in pastry (easier than a full coulibiac) with sour cream, leeks or spinach, and dill for a treat.

More complex recipes include lobster and crab cappelletti, salmon and foie gras, tuna with sesame seeds, meatballs with olive filling, spinach with goat cheese and mushrooms, and sole escabeche.

Pro's:

52 simple recipes with opposite page a full page color photo

Nice presentation for a first book

Generous use of fresh seafood for Cruising at Home

Con's:

Too few recipes for the cost

Not enough hints or photos on actual assembly or presentation/garnishing...useful for those who enjoy a visual assist

Neutral:

The discount coupons on future cruises expired in 2004

Six years (it's 2008) after this 2002 book, inquiring minds doubt if a much better "Volume 2" Hors D'Oeuvres book is ever forthcoming!

Do you think paying another $29.95, for a total of $59.90, is reasonable to pay, for only 104 recipes, shared between two thin books?

SO... if you want a greater choice of ingredients and styles of appetizers with simple elegance and also generally simple recipes, I would highly recommend that instead of starting with this book, you FIRST get a book with more beautiful recipes, photographs, instruction and variety, such as:

1. The acclaimed Eric Treuille's "Hors D'Oeuvres", with over 250 beautifully illustrated recipes, 160+ pages with a greater variety, and helpful variations, to have your friends wonder if you are a gourmet caterer on the side, or

2. Martha Stewart's books, or

3. "The 600 page Appetizer Atlas : A World of Small Bites"

by Arthur L. Meyer, to easily "knock the socks" off you and your very happy guests!

4. Try your own variations on the recipes in these books!

Bon Voyage and Bon Appetit!

"Enjoy cooking, entertaining and cruising in a warm circle of family and friends." ~Elena Vakhrenova

"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.

This early introduction to life on a cruise ship led her to travels in Spain, France, Germany, Romania, Switzerland and the Netherlands. She also learned six languages! As a freelance cook and food writer, she has worked with several international cruise lines and worked her way to a cruise line manager and chef.

While working as a cruise director, 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 Canapés, 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.

~The Rebecca Review

This is the first book of a series dealing with the wonderful recipes and presentation of cruise line cuisine. This volume covers hors d'oeuvres and appetizers, which are further separated into categories of recipes from contemporary, premium, and luxury, cruise lines. Of course, when it comes to cruise line cuisine presentation is a critical component and Elena Vakhrenova provides everything you need to know to make your dish a showstopper. Each recipe includes bright, vivid photographs of the finished dish and suggested presentation to help the reader see what it is supposed to look like. Recipes include the ingredients and preparation technique along with estimated preparation time and cooking time. A couple of suggested recipes from this volume include the Garlic and Shrimp Appetizer or Salmon Wellington, both of which are excellent. For those interested in a cookbook that will allow you to prepare an appetizer or hors d'oeuvres masterpiece and present it in a way that will garner amazement from your friends this is the book you are looking for.

Elena Vakhrenova is living out her dream. She is now published with an up and coming best seller under her wings. Cruising Cuisine for Home Entertaining is not just another recipe book, it is a book for entertaining your guests and providing them with wonderful dishes. All of the dishes contain short little introductions so you can imagine where in the world you might be sailing to encounter such a delicious dish.

The book is divided into three sections: Contemporary, Premium and Luxury. Each recipe features full color photos of the completed dish and some of the ingredients. The recipes contain step by step instructions that anyone can follow, along with tips to make the dish more exciting.

Elena's book, "Cruising Cuisine" also offers cooking tips, a glossary, recommended travel agencies, mail order sources and discount coupons on future cruises with Carnival, Star Clippers and Cunard. She has left nothing out in this tastefully created book. Whether you are hosting a small sit down dinner or a wedding ceremony, the dishes found in this creation will surprise your guests and leave them wondering what culinary school you attended.

I loved this book, the recipes are unique and the photpgraphy is mouth watering. I enjoy cooking and experimenting with new recipes for my family and friends. The appetizers I prepared from this book made me a star at the last neighborhood get together. They are easy to read and prepare.

Elena's easy to read step by step directions make cooking fun and simple. The pictures are beautiful, the photography is outstanding and I know what the dish is supposed to look like when it is finished. My friends think I spent hours in the kitchen putting together great dishes. The taste and texture and combination of ingredients are wonderful. Can't wait for the second one.