A Titanic A-Fare

By Barbara J. Avery

(Originally published in the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel)    

On April 10, 1912 , the RMS Titanic left the port at Southampton , England , on her maiden and only voyage.  This White Star Line ship was the largest afloat in 1912 and provided luxury accommodations for its First Class passengers. Even the Third Class passengers enjoyed quarters that rivaled those of Second-Class on other ships. At 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 1912 , Titanic collided with an iceberg. She slid completely beneath the waves at 2:20 a.m. on the 15^th.  Only 705 passengers survived.  

Re-creating the last dinner on the Titanic is a wonderful way to honor those who sailed on the ship as well as create a memorable evening for friends.  Although only two menus from that night survive, it is possible to re-create the First Class dining experience through research, imagination, and extensive information provided in the book Last Dinner on the Titanic by Rick Archbold and Dana McCauley.  Here are a few ideas to make your dinner outstanding.  

Invitations set the mood for an event.  The Titanic Historical Society has invitation sets that include the invitation, boarding pass, luggage claim ticket, and table assignment.  The Captain’s table is a good choice to write in.  Send out the sets two to four weeks prior to your party.  You may wish to suggest on the invitation that your guests come dressed in 1912 era dinner attire.  

Next, plan your menu.  To make things manageable for the home kitchen, your offerings can be pared down to six or seven courses rather than the original eleven, keeping variety in mind.  A well-rounded meal might include a hors d’oeuvre, soup, fowl, vegetable, potato, meat, and dessert.  On the Titanic, each course was served with its own complimenting wine. Plan your food preparation well in advance so that everything comes together as effortlessly as possible when your guests arrive. Ordering the dessert from a bakery makes things even easier on the chef.  

Once the menu is planned, focus on the table setting.  Set your table with the following: white lace or linen tablecloth, side plate, large or dinner forks, dessert forks, cloth napkins, dessert spoons, dinner knifes, soup spoons, glasses for champagne, white wine glasses, and red wine glasses.  China , silver, and crystal create an authentic setting. Add a centerpiece of pink roses and white daisies and shaded votive candles.  

Plan your music.  Passengers on the Titanic would have enjoyed music played by the ship’s band that included Tchaikovsky and Puccini as well as a selection of ragtime tunes.   

Here are two recipes that you may wish to serve in honor of the Titanic.  For more recipes and menu planning timetable, consult Last Dinner on the Titanic.  

Oysters a La Russe

adapted from Last Dinner on the Titanic

Serves 6

Ingredients:

 Method:

 In a small bowl, whisk together vodka, lemon juice, horseradish, Tabasco ®, salt and sugar.  (This may be done ahead and stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 48 hours.)  Stir in tomato and chives when ready to use.

 Place oysters in their half shells on a bed of crushed ice or on an oyster serving plate set on ice.  Spoon vodka relish over each oyster and sprinkle with cracked black pepper.  Serve very cold with sparkling wine or champagne.

Creamed Carrots

adapted from the Last Dinner on the Titanic

Serves 6

Method:

Put carrots in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover.  Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 7-8 minutes or until carrots are barely tender.  Drain.   Return carrots to pan and add butter, salt, remaining cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper.  Stir. (Dish may be prepared up to this point, then refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

At time of serving, reheat carrots in microwave.  Add lemon juice and whipping cream or fat-free half-and-half. Heat on high in microwave until cream is boiling and slightly thickened.  Or, carrots may be reheated on stove-top.  Add cream and lemon juice then boiled until slightly thickened.  Garnish with chopped chives.