Book Review: Seasoned

By Sandy Amazeen Aug 30, 2011, 1:04 GMT

Take two adventurous newlyweds and place them on a floundering yacht where the wife is the chef, and her boss, the captain, is also her husband. Add two inexperienced crewmembers, an anorexic diva and her bully of a husband, a CEO who thinks he\'s in charge, a drunken first mate, and a randy wife looking for diversion. Stir with a violent storm and a rapidly flooding engine room. Apply pressure ...more

Mix a pitcher of pina coladas, find a comfortable shady hammock and ride along on tropical cruises around the Mediterranean and Caribbean aboard a luxury yacht. Victoria shares her adventures and misadventures working as chef on the charter yacht captained by Patrick, her husband. Joined by two inexperienced crew, Victoria finds herself pressed into all sorts of other duties as assigned while dealing with everything from mechanical problems, dysfunctional couples/clients, swimming pigs and bully CEO’s. All this while attempting to produce epicurean delights on a strict budget in the confines of a ship’s galley. Moving on to a larger vessel with a more experienced crew doesn’t mean an end to their problems as Patrick and Victoria quickly find out and through it all, is a journey through local cuisine.

Not only is this a delightful travelogue packed with Victoria’s wonderful humor, most chapters conclude with a few recipes she has learned or invented along the way. Food plays such a large role in this enjoyable recounting, don’t be surprised to discover your stomach growling at the descriptions of fresh-from-the-sea delights. Search out this little delicacy of a book and enjoy the journey to colorful ports of call, savory fare and general high spirits.