Sara Ventiera is a contributing writer and former stewardess who covers food, travel, and other topics. Her work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including the New York Times, Food & Wine, NPR, Eating Well, and BBC Travel.
When Chef Adrienne Gang signed on as the culinary director for Blue Oceans by Crew Unlimited, she knew she wanted to create a space where yacht chefs could dig deep on specific culinary topics, anything and everything from regional Chinese specialties to modernist gastronomy.
In September, Gang is rolling out the Blue Oceans Yachting’s Fall Chef Series in partnershipwith Primo Liquors and Culinary Convenience. These one-day courses will feature a variety of highly respected chefs who will provide thorough, yet digestible demonstrations specifically geared toward working culinary professionals who want to add more culinary tools to their existing toolbox. “I’m getting people to do different intensives, whether it’s a skill, technique, or style of cuisine,” says Gang. “What I’m putting together is amazing and really dense with information.”
While Gang is still finalizing the schedule, current presenters include six time James Beard award-winner Chef Norman Van Aken, five time James Beard nominee Pastry Chef Pichet Ong, Food Network Star finalist Chef Michele Ragussis, Indian food specialist Chef Keith Sarasin, food scientist Dr. Stuart Farrimond, spice expert Chef Paul Rydza, Chef Jamie Simpson of the Culinary Vegetable Institute at The Chef’s Garden, chocolatier Chef Robert Bowden, renowned culinary innovator in flavor infusion and dry aging expert Chef Hari Cameron, and more.
The idea behind these lectures and demonstrations is to help chefs learn the basics of each style of cuisine and techniques so they can bring them back to guests. All presenters understand the time, space, and equipment constraints aboard a boat. For example, the Thai food intensive with Chef Andy Yang, the first Thai chef to win a Michelin star, aims to teach chefs the skills and understanding needed to authentically incorporate Thai flavors into a yacht menu. “You’re going to learn the flavor profiles, sauces, and all the information you need to cook Thai food for your clients who’ve been to Thailand,” says Gang. “I’m bringing Thailand to Fort Lauderdale.”
Courses start at $300 per person and you can register to attend online.
While Gang is still working on finalizing dates and adding more chefs to the roster, the current lineup is as follows:
- September 13: “Understanding Special Diets & Optimizing AI for Menu Planning” with JD Montoya, fitness guru and AI specialist
- September 14: “Aegean Mezze Immersive: Flavors of the Old World” with Chef Mutlu Sayar, 30-year yachting veteran, experienced world traveler, and former owner of Michelin-starred restaurants.
- September 19: “Principles of Traditional Kosher Cuisine and the New Israeli Kitchen” with Chef Yaniv Cohen, aka “The Spice Detective,” author of My Spiced Kitchen and chef-owner of Jaffa in Miami
- September 20: “Innovative Mixology & Technique to Enhance the Guest Experience” with Eamon Rockey, educator, founder of Rockey's Liqueur, and former bartender at three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park in New York City
- September 30: “Salad Styling: Skills to Level Up Your Salad Game” with Chef Danny Davies, founder of @futurechefproject, host of Behind the Line YouTube channel, and author of Vegan+and Vegan+ 2.0
- October 23: “Discovering Regional Indian Cuisine Through a Historic Lense” with Chef Keith Sarasin, award-winning five time cookbook author and successful restauranter
- November 4: “Canapés: The Lost Art of First Impressions” with Chef Danny Davies
- November 10: “Sous Vide: A Full Immersion in Technique” with Chef Christian Russo, yachting and hospitality industry veteran, educator, and award-winning culinary master
- November 11: “Deep Dive: Making Sourdough, Pickling, and Fermentations” with Chef Christian Russo