Cooking through the Titanic's First-Class Menu

SO, if you know me, you know I’m weirdly obsessed with shipwrecks and thus, obviously, with the Titanic. I watch the movie every damn year on April 15, the anniversary of the ship’s sinking. This year, since I have literally nothing else to do, I’ve decided to surrender completely to my obsession and recreate the entire first-class dinner menu they served the night the ship went down. 

The Titanic's first-class dining saloon. Fun fact: in the wreck, those glass windows are still intact

This idea is a bit nuts considering I'm an amateur in the kitchen. Just like everyone else on the planet I only really started cooking during the pandemic and I've slowly graduated from burning even the most unlikely of consumables (I somehow singed tea on the stovetop in early 2020. TEA, I say) to developing some level of actual skill. Turns out I make a mean bruschetta chicken. But I'm no professional - I haven't even tried red meat recipes yet, and this bougee first-class menu is loaded with it.

But that's the point: I think I'm ready for the challenge and I hope the experience will up my chef-ing game!

The first-class menu served the night the Titanic sank

Since the menu is extensive (10 COURSES!), I've decided to break it out as Saturday or Sunday dinners every week leading up to April 15. Yes, I've really thought this thing through. And while I'm pumped to try my hand at Edwardian-era recipes like saute of chicken lyonnaise, filet mignon lili, parmentier potatoes and poached salmon with mousseline sauce, my taste tester-slash-boyfriend, Jeff, is possibly even more excited. Although he'll be on dish duty. Ha.

All right, folks. Time to bring out my inner chef AND my not-so-inner nerd. Every weekend for the next month! FULL STEAM AHEAD!!! (But hopefully no smoke. Or icebergs.)