The greatest meal never eaten

I was watching a re-run of Heston Blumenthal Feasts on TV last night when I caught an Edwardian episode about the Titanic that I had missed the first time around. I wont go too much into details on the show, I’m sure you’ve seen it before and this is meant to be a blog about cruising rather than TV, but it got me thinking about how much dining had changed onboard over the last hundred years or so.

And before I get lynched by a lot of angry cruisers, I’m in no way saying the quality of the food has changed, just the style. But how much of a difference does the style/presentation of the cooking really make? Is a steak just a steak?
It might just be me, but looking at the different menus I think it’s quite interesting to compare them from then and now, just to see how much things have changed.
The problem I had trying to do that was that these days cruise lines are notorious for keeping their menus a secret, supposedly because they are changed so often to keep them new and innovative, so the only real way to compare them is by either stealing a menu whilst onboard, (which I’m not recommending), or by taking a note of what you were served. For instance on a recent Cunard cruise I was served;

First course;

Foe gras with a raspberry jous

Second Course;

Roast chicken with a cheese flan, croquet of potato and a wild mushroom sauce.

Third course;

Crème Brule with cinnamon ice cream

Very tasty I’m sure you will agree, but now look at this menu served aboard the Titanic to her first class passengers on the night she sank. Nobody ever got to enjoy this meal, or did they and that's the reason she sank, (conspiracy theories anyone).

First Course

Hors D’ Oeuvres

Oysters

Second Course

Consommé Olga

Cream of Barley

Third Course

Poached Salmon with Mousseline Sauce, Cucumbers

Fourth Course

Filet Mignons Lili

Saute of Chicken, Lyonnaise

Vegetable Marrow Farci

Fifth Course

Lamb, Mint Sauce

Roast Duckling, Apple Sauce

Sirloin of Beef, Chateau Potatoes

Green Pea

Creamed Carrots

Boiled Rice

Parmentier & Boiled New Potatoes

Sixth Course

Punch Romaine

Seventh Course

Roast Squab & Cress

Eighth Course

Cold Asparagus Vinaigrette

Ninth Course

Pate de Foie Gras

Celery

Tenth Course

Waldorf Pudding

Peaches in Chartreuse Jelly

Chocolate & Vanilla Éclairs

French Ice Cream

The above menu was also served with a different wine for each course. Following the tenth course fresh fruits and cheeses were available followed by coffee and cigars accompanied by port and, if desired, distilled spirits. Not sure I could have got through half of that!
A bit different, no?

The Titanic sank during the last years of the Edwardian era and the gentry were famous for their over-indulgence, but in all fairness my menu was taken from the Britannia restaurant, whilst the Titanic menu was from what was then first class or what would now be the Queens grill, so it isn't a completely fair comparison.

So has anyone ever dined in a Queens’s grill?
And did it compare to the above menu?

I think one of the problems was that during the Edwardian era gout was seen as a fashionable disease to have as it showed you could afford to eat well.
Now bearing that in mind re-read over the above menu, take it slowly and try to imagine the impact of each successive course then compare it to the modern dinner with each course designed to look good, taste better, but never leave you feeling bloated. I know which one I would prefer, (no not the second one!), but which looks more appetising to you? Would you have enjoyed cruising in the Edwardian era? (Obviously if cruise.co.uk had been around then we wouldn’t have booked anyone on the Titanic though).
Let me know your thoughts here.

Happy Cruising.