Everything about food, from matching food and wine to recipes, techniques and trends.

Titanic Party?

Moderators: Jenise, Robin Garr, David M. Bueker

no avatar
User

Bill Spohn

Rank

He put the 'bar' in 'barrister'

Posts

9458

Joined

Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:31 pm

Location

Vancouver BC

Titanic Party?

by Bill Spohn » Sat Dec 14, 2013 10:59 am

Haven't had a chance to pick this up yet - has anyone read about the meals on the Titanic right before it went down? Yes, there is a book about it.

Image

The whole menu is posted here with some commentary: http://www.armchair.com/recipe/titanic1.html

There were 10 courses, so one might want to pick and choose, but it strikes me as a possible theme dinner source. Take a look on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/078686303X?tag=thetasteofmem-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=078686303X&adid=0RMWDCKJ35EZ7KNFG8FK&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.armchair.com%2Frecipe%2Ftitanic1.html


I'd like a table near the lifeboats......
no avatar
User

Mike Filigenzi

Rank

Known for his fashionable hair

Posts

8187

Joined

Mon Mar 20, 2006 4:43 pm

Location

Sacramento, CA

Re: Titanic Party?

by Mike Filigenzi » Sat Dec 14, 2013 1:08 pm

We did this a number of years ago with a bunch of friends. Each couple was responsible for a course and we all dressed up for it. It was a lot of fun and the food was quite good.
"People who love to eat are always the best people"

- Julia Child
no avatar
User

Frank Deis

Rank

Wine guru

Posts

2333

Joined

Fri Nov 09, 2007 12:20 pm

Location

NJ

Re: Titanic Party?

by Frank Deis » Sun Dec 15, 2013 1:15 am

It would probably be difficult to match the wine-list…

And you might want a string quintet playing "Nearer My God to Thee"

Sounds like fun in fact.

PS EDIT -- I ordered a used copy of the book from Amazon 3rd party. Looking forward to it. One of the Amazon reviews pointed out that even the "cheap" passengers on the Titanic ate better breakfasts than most of us. They have menus for the rich folks as well as the poorer folks.

One of my favorite stories from the book quoted in the Amazon reviews -- one woman who survived the wreck and had her fortune intact -- and did good things with it in the 1920's, went broke in the 1929 crash. Someone was writing a book about the Titanic and found her, living in a cold water flat somewhere, and thought he would remind her of the old days so he bought a jar of caviar to give her a taste. She sniffed and said "you call THAT caviar?!?"
no avatar
User

Jon Peterson

Rank

The Court Winer

Posts

2981

Joined

Sat Apr 08, 2006 5:53 pm

Location

The Blue Crab State

Re: Titanic Party?

by Jon Peterson » Mon Dec 16, 2013 1:43 pm

I see a movie a la "Julia and Julia".
no avatar
User

Jenise

Rank

FLDG Dishwasher

Posts

42549

Joined

Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:45 pm

Location

The Pacific Northest Westest

Re: Titanic Party?

by Jenise » Mon Dec 16, 2013 2:09 pm

The group I had dinner with on Sat nite did this as a theme dinner a few years ago, and like Mikes friends they did all dress up pretty fierce. I wasn't there but saw pix---everyone looked amazing, and of course with this group the wine and food would have been equally so.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
no avatar
User

Lou Kessler

Rank

Doesn't buy green bananas

Posts

3517

Joined

Fri Mar 24, 2006 3:20 pm

Re: Titanic Party?

by Lou Kessler » Mon Dec 16, 2013 9:38 pm

These posts show how time softens and changes how we see events. A short time after the Titanic went down I don't think anyone would consider the theme of your evening appropriate.
no avatar
User

Robin Garr

Rank

Forum Janitor

Posts

21612

Joined

Fri Feb 17, 2006 1:44 pm

Location

Louisville, KY

Re: Titanic Party?

by Robin Garr » Mon Dec 16, 2013 10:56 pm

Lou Kessler wrote:These posts show how time softens and changes how we see events. A short time after the Titanic went down I don't think anyone would consider the theme of your evening appropriate.

So Lou, what year do you think it will be before it's okay to have "Last Night at Windows on the World" parties? :evil:
no avatar
User

Christina Georgina

Rank

Wisconsin Wondercook

Posts

1509

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 3:37 pm

Re: Titanic Party?

by Christina Georgina » Mon Dec 16, 2013 11:25 pm

We do very mundane themed dinner events : December Dumpling; Santa Lucia Winter Solstice; February Fondu aka Dipping ; Spaghetti on the Driveway; Freezer Raid; Ethnic Extravaganza. No black tie events yet
Mamma Mia !
no avatar
User

Jeff Grossman

Rank

That 'pumpkin' guy

Posts

6998

Joined

Sat Mar 25, 2006 7:56 am

Location

NYC

Re: Titanic Party?

by Jeff Grossman » Mon Dec 16, 2013 11:38 pm

Robin Garr wrote:
Lou Kessler wrote:These posts show how time softens and changes how we see events. A short time after the Titanic went down I don't think anyone would consider the theme of your evening appropriate.

So Lou, what year do you think it will be before it's okay to have "Last Night at Windows on the World" parties? :evil:

It was only about a week after 9/11 when a four-color-glossy booklet vendor showed me some spectacular pictures of the buildings consumed in a jet-fuel-driven fireball. He asked me if I thought it was OK to sell them yet.

I suggested he wait a little longer.
no avatar
User

Mark Lipton

Rank

Oenochemist

Posts

4285

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 1:18 pm

Location

Indiana

Re: Titanic Party?

by Mark Lipton » Tue Dec 17, 2013 12:17 am

Lou Kessler wrote:These posts show how time softens and changes how we see events. A short time after the Titanic went down I don't think anyone would consider the theme of your evening appropriate.


But, Lou, not all of us have personal memories of the event the way you do. :twisted:

Mark Lipton
no avatar
User

Lou Kessler

Rank

Doesn't buy green bananas

Posts

3517

Joined

Fri Mar 24, 2006 3:20 pm

Re: Titanic Party?

by Lou Kessler » Tue Dec 17, 2013 1:18 am

Mark Lipton wrote:
Lou Kessler wrote:These posts show how time softens and changes how we see events. A short time after the Titanic went down I don't think anyone would consider the theme of your evening appropriate.


But, Lou, not all of us have personal memories of the event the way you do. :twisted:

Mark Lipton

Hate to admit it but my wife laughed loudly reading your post.
I'll get even, but it's so difficult to be critical about anything and everything in Indiana that hasn't been said before. :wink:
no avatar
User

Frank Deis

Rank

Wine guru

Posts

2333

Joined

Fri Nov 09, 2007 12:20 pm

Location

NJ

Re: Titanic Party?

by Frank Deis » Tue Dec 17, 2013 1:19 pm

Robin Garr wrote:
Lou Kessler wrote:These posts show how time softens and changes how we see events. A short time after the Titanic went down I don't think anyone would consider the theme of your evening appropriate.

So Lou, what year do you think it will be before it's okay to have "Last Night at Windows on the World" parties? :evil:


Interesting, Robin, I just would have absolutely no interest in a "Windows on the World" party and I don't think it has anything to do with it being "too soon." I'm trying to understand why a Titanic dinner sounds fascinating and WOTW party sounds completely pointless. I think that it's because the sinking of the Titanic was in a real way the end of an era. The whole Victorian world, particularly the upper class Victorian world just went to Hell with World War One and various social and economic upheavals. We watch Upstairs Downstairs and Downton Abbey with the same kind of interest as movies about the Titanic. "A Night to Remember" was made 40+ years after the Titanic sunk which probably gave enough time that most of the survivors were gone, but I don't think that was the beginning of public fascination with the ship and the disaster.

The meal would be interesting because nobody dines that way any more, and in that way it's like trying to recreate Babette's Feast or nearly any menu from a luxurious 19th century feast. It's daunting to realize that for some of those, to do it right you'd need 2 pounds of black truffles or half a gallon of caviar.
no avatar
User

Bill Spohn

Rank

He put the 'bar' in 'barrister'

Posts

9458

Joined

Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:31 pm

Location

Vancouver BC

Re: Titanic Party?

by Bill Spohn » Tue Dec 17, 2013 1:30 pm

I don't reallyt think that the Titanic thing is anything like the rather macabre fascination with things like last meals (Google it, I'm not even going to post a link - they pretty much disgust me).

I think you hit it right - it features a bygone lifestyle and it just happens to tag it to an event that most people are familiar with. I suppose it could justr as easily be another event - perhaps an inauguration or coronation dinner or some such. Feel free to post any interesting menus from that sort of dinner.

I'll make a start:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 35763.html

http://www.thedailymeal.com/10-famous-feasts
no avatar
User

Jenise

Rank

FLDG Dishwasher

Posts

42549

Joined

Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:45 pm

Location

The Pacific Northest Westest

Re: Titanic Party?

by Jenise » Tue Dec 17, 2013 4:50 pm

Lou Kessler wrote:These posts show how time softens and changes how we see events. A short time after the Titanic went down I don't think anyone would consider the theme of your evening appropriate.


Of course not. But why read in disrespect where none's intended? If everything on this planet stayed sacred for ever, it would be a dull, dull place. For this group the October tasting is always a dress-up, theme event for the purpose of exciting imagination on every level. A costumed dinner party. This year it was Dress Like an Italian. Another year it was the dinner from the movie, Tom Jones. At the Titanic dinner, which I didn't attend, I remember seeing a picture of our friend Gary in a tuxedo, complete with death palor makeup and a fish sticking out of his cumberbund. Would love to have been there!
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
no avatar
User

Jeff Grossman

Rank

That 'pumpkin' guy

Posts

6998

Joined

Sat Mar 25, 2006 7:56 am

Location

NYC

Re: Titanic Party?

by Jeff Grossman » Wed Dec 18, 2013 3:22 am

Frank Deis wrote:"A Night to Remember" was made 40+ years after the Titanic sunk which probably gave enough time that most of the survivors were gone, but I don't think that was the beginning of public fascination with the ship and the disaster.

Actually, kinda yes: the book "A Night to Remember" was, indeed, the impetus for all the Titanic interest.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: ClaudeBot and 3 guests

Powered by phpBB ® | phpBB3 Style by KomiDesign