Cruise Log: August 3, 2008
| So, who has the most important and difficult job on a ship like the Revelle? Well, the most common answer to that question just might be “the cooks”. For the regular crew, the ship is not only their workplace but also their home away from home so the meals need to be really good to keep them happy. And for the scientists, food is often one of the great diversions from long nights working in the lab. So meal time is always a big event. On the Revelle, these enormous responsibilities fall on the shoulders of Richard Buck (Senior Marine Cook) and Teresa Thomas (Second Cook). Both Richard and Teresa have many years of experience working as cooks for different organizations and companies, including experience cooking at sea prior to joining the Revelle crew. | |
| A typical day for the cooks is a long one and it is important to remember that they are preparing meals and maintaining a clean galley for approximately 50 people every day. They wake up at 5:00 AM and begin working on breakfast at 6:00 AM. There is no break until after lunch has been prepared and served and that break is a short 1 to 1.5 hours, just to sit and give the feet and legs a break. Then the dinner crunch begins. It is not until the galley is secured at 6:30 PM that their 12 hour working day ends, which is longer than that of most other crew members. And much of their food is indeed “home cooked”. This means baking fresh bread, pastries, cakes, and cookies every day, and preparing meat and fish that might be baked, grilled, poached, or fried. Then of course there are the side dishes which might include pasta, rice, salads, and vegetables prepared in many different ways. They always work together as a team to make the job easier. | 
Richard Buck and Teresa Thomas |
For Richard, one aspect of his position on the Revelle that he really loves is the freedom to be creative and develop a unique menu each day. But with that freedom comes large responsibilities and some pressure. The challenge is to maintain variety in the face of dwindling food supplies. Moreover, some of the crew members and scientists may have special dietary needs or restrictions, which requires altering meal preparation on the fly. Some cruises are very long, lasting 4-6 weeks, and there may not be any opportunity to pull into a port and resupply the ship with fresh produce and other perishable items. According to Teresa, one of the biggest pressures is to prepare enough food at each meal so that you don’t run out, but not so much that it goes to waste. And each group of scientists has a different appetite so this is no easy task. Both Richard and Teresa enjoy working on the Revelle. For Teresa, who is currently working on the Revelle for the first time, she really appreciates how the other crew members have been so friendly and welcoming. She feels like the Revelle is a really good fit for her. This supportive working environment helps both Richard and Teresa tackle the numerous challenges of their jobs with a positive outlook, and this certainly reflects on the quality of their meals, which is indeed exceptional. |
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