Holland America Line Dishes Up New Menu Items

Passengers sailing on Holland America Line ships this summer are going to find tantalizing new dishes on the main dining room menu. Six Culinary Council chefs assembled by Holland America have each provided recipes for signature dishes and desserts that showcase their expertise and specialties. The Culinary Council members include Council Chairman and Holland America Line Master Chef Rudi Sodamin, along with renowned international chefs Jonnie Boer, David Burke, Marcus Samuelsson, Jacques Torres and Charlie Trotter.

"Our Culinary Council is a 'dream team' of chefs from around the world, and the exceptional dishes they have shared are unique expressions of their cultural backgrounds, skills and passion for the culinary arts," said Richard Meadows, CTC, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guests programs. "We continuously strive to provide our guests with exclusive experiences, and offering them the chance to enjoy the delights of these celebrated chefs during their cruise is an incredible opportunity."

Culinary Council chefs and a selection of their dishes to be featured:

-- Master Chef Rudi Sodamin created a seared Cajun tuna steak with plum tomato confit and horseradish rosti potatoes. He also contributed a veal chop with creamy Porcini sauce served with baby vegetables and homemade spatzle.
-- Jonnie Boer, head chef of De Librijie in Zwolle, the Netherlands, shares his expertise with a beef strip loin with Hache sauce served with carrot and celeriac-bacon purees, and roasted Parisian potatoes. For dessert, his brioche toast with caramelized apricot will be served warm with clove ice cream.
-- David Burke, a chef, artist and inventor, prepared roasted chicken with sausage cornbread stuffing served alongside roasted vegetables with bacon, green beans and apple cider-chicken gravy. Burke also created a spice-crusted prime rib and whipped potatoes, accompanied by sauteed asparagus and baby carrots.
-- Marcus Samuelsson blended culture and artistry in his grilled salmon with miso, garlic, sesame and cilantro, served in a spiced tomato broth with kale. For dessert, Samuelsson created a rich chocolate cake accented with bourbon- and blueberry-infused whipped cream.
-- Jacques Torres, one of the world's most respected chocolatiers and pastry chefs, will delight guests with a chocolate platter featuring chocolate cornflakes, creamy white chocolate mousse and a bitter-sweet chocolate slice. The dessert menu also will highlight Torres' crepes with caramelized pears served with warm raspberry sauce and vanilla ice cream.
-- Charlie Trotter, winner of 10 James Beard Foundation awards, created sauteed opakapaka, also known as crimson snapper, on a bed of bleeding heart radishes, served with baby turnips stuffed with black trumpet mushrooms, sauteed morel mushrooms and basil-thyme oil. Another featured dish is Trotter's grilled venison loin with dates served with seasoned quinoa, salsify puree and broccoli rabe.

"When we came together on the Culinary Council, it was our vision to bring unique dishes to our guests that would expose their palates to new and exotic flavors," said Sodamin. "All of the chefs developed outstanding dishes that our guests are going to be talking about long after their cruise is over."

Besides sharing their insights on menus and culinary offerings, the Council will consult on the line's Culinary Arts Center enrichment program to help create new and innovative learning experiences for guests. For more information, visit HollandAmerica.com.