Alaska Chef and Author Kirsten Dixon to Sail HAL ms Prinsendam March 24

[Krazy Kruizers]

Alaska Chef and Author Kirsten Dixon to Sail on Holland America Line's ms Prinsendam March 24

Seattle, Nov. 23, 2009 -- Kirsten Dixon, culinary author, lead chef and co-owner of Within the Wild Adventure Company, is scheduled to sail aboard ms Prinsendam as part of the guest-enrichment program on Holland America Line’s March 24, 2010, segment of the of the 54-day Grand Mediterranean and Black Sea Voyage. Dixon will board the vessel on March 24 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and sail until April 8 when it overnights in Barcelona, Spain. During Dixon’s time onboard, the ship will visit Gustavia (St. Barts), French West Indies; Funchal (Madeira), Portugal; Tanger (Morocco); Almería and La Savina, Spain; St. Tropez, France; Livorno (Florence) and Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; Katákolon, Greece; and Istanbul, Turkey.

While cruising, the epicurean expert will perform cooking demonstrations and hands-on classes for guests in the ship’s state-of-the-art show kitchen.

Dixon, who oversees three Alaskan boutique adventure lodge restaurants, attended culinary school at Cordon Bleu in Paris. She received her master’s degree in gastronomy from Adelaide University in Australia. Author of several cookbooks, including the international award-winning “Winterlake Lodge Cookbook,” the celebrated chef is currently working on a collection of her favorite recipes from America’s Last Frontier.

With an emphasis on local and fresh ingredients, Dixon loves to use herbs from the wilds and from the garden. When in Alaska , Dixon enjoys preparing Alaska wild salmon, fresh-baked breads and pastries, homemade jams and jellies and specialty hand-crafted cheeses.

Tutka Bay Lodge is featured on Holland America Line's new 14-day Kenai-Tutka Bay Lodge Expedition Tour, one of three new cruisetours designed to provide more off-the-beaten-track wilderness experiences.

Holland America Line's Culinary Arts Center

Holland America Line's Culinary Arts Center is featured on each of the line's 14 ships. A first-class "show kitchen at sea," the Culinary Arts Centers presented by Food & Wine magazine resemble the elaborate show kitchens used by celebrity chefs on television cooking programs. The facilities offer demonstrations, tastings and hands-on cooking classes aboard every Holland America Line sailing.

Each facility features a theater-style venue, with two large plasma video screens and a large cooking display counter where guests can learn from and interact with the masters. In partnership with Food & Wine magazine, Holland America Line will schedule approximately 60 celebrated chefs and wine experts to sail in 2010. On cruises that do not have a celebrity chef on board, hands-on classes and demonstrations in the show kitchen are scheduled with Holland America Line's own expert chefs.

Holland America Line also offers a youth Culinary Arts Center activity program to teach kids and teens how to cook. The program incorporates dishes from breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in complimentary 45-minute-long classes. Kids under eight years old learn to make theme cookies, fruit roll-ups, ice cream sandwiches, salad people art and scones. Kids eight and over make soft pretzels, granola bars, pita chips and hummus, and saltwater taffy. Teens also can attend adult culinary demonstrations.

For a full schedule of Holland America Line's culinary guest program, visit http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-onboard/Enrichment.action and click on the Culinary Arts Center tab.

For cruise brochures or for more information, consult a professional travel agent, call 1-877-SAIL-HAL (877-724-5425) or visit www.hollandamerica.com.

Editor's Note: Photography available at http://www.cleanpix.com/cleanpix/portal/WhTS:eKT:Pxp.

 

- www.hollandamerica.com -