Page 29 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2023 SPECIAL CRUISE EDTION

The Chef Rudi Show

The cooking demonstration took place in the
ship’s theater late morning on a sea day. Word
must have spread quickly among our fellow
passengers because the large space was nearly
full when the cruise director introduced Chef
Rudi and his team of ship’s chefs. Over the next
hour, the audience was treated to a culinary
lesson leavened with laughs. Chef Rudi turned
out to be a charming cross between Victor
Borge, Martin Yan and Emeril Lagasse.
The chef selected four “helpers'' from the au-
dience who would join him in making
Salzburger Nockerl, a fluffy souffle from the
city of Mozart on the dessert menu at Rudi’s.
Little did they know they would inspired chef’s
light-hearted gags, as they struggled to sepa-
rate eggs and then whisk the whites into stiff
peaks. Some were more successful than others
as arms tired and mistakes were made. The
crowd loved it as the chef urged them on, re-
peating his mantra, “If I can do it, you can do it.”
A skilled presenter, Chef Rudi even turned a
potential disaster into entertainment. When
the oven on stage failed, the chef used the mi-
nor crisis as a running gag. Finally, to save the
day, one chef assistant rushed into the theater
with a properly baked souffle fresh from the
kitchen. The crowd roared and clapped. More
applause followed when Chef Rudi introduced
the ship’s lead chefs, who ringed him on stage.
Everyone had a great time, even the contes-
tants with sore arms, who would have a great
story to spin at home.

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