Silversea Water Cooler: Part 3, Welcome!

Jeff are you a trained chef? Your personal food photos look yummy. I am addicted to the Food Network they make it look easy. I just dislike the prep work.

Don't forget tahini! And garlic, and some lemon juice. And spices... maybe some sumac for decoration?

 

I have some sumac that I got on the street at a market in Amman. I always remember the trip to Petra when I use it. :)

 

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My next cruise originates in Barcelona, where I'll be picking up paprikas, olive oil and saffron. I'll be in Morocco also. What spices/condiments would you recommend I look for?

Thanks!

Penny

Jeff are you a trained chef? Your personal food photos look yummy. I am addicted to the Food Network they make it look easy. I just dislike the prep work.

Good morning, I am fairly new to this thread as well:)....I love Food Network too:D

Jeff are you a trained chef? Your personal food photos look yummy. I am addicted to the Food Network they make it look easy. I just dislike the prep work.

Thanks, that is sweet of you, but no, I learned to cook and completely self taught. I feel it easy to learn to cook as long as you concentrate on the quality of ingredients, freshness and the prep and not be too concerned about fancy presentation. It is also important to learn underlying principles rather than following recipes.

initially I learned out of necessity, but then when I was very young I ran a club and restaurant in Soho where I had to sometimes cook when the chef didn't turn up or when we were between chefs, Later when we started our business I hated getting dressed up and visiting offices for stiff meetings and so my kitchen became our real office. Sometimes an idea or cunning plan needs time and alcohol to develop with a client. We have even had VP's fly over from the US just to spend a day over long lunch with us. Luckily our clients were also or later became friends and so our lunches extended to various trips for lunches that lasted for many days, including Vienna, and Nice and Cannes and even a couple of SS cruises. On one SS cruise we realised that if we booked it, it was visiting ports many of which we had clients, and so we did one trip where clients came on board for meetings and lunch each day and it was a great way to work.

Eventually, having retired far too early and young, we now travel largely to increase my kitchen reportoire our favourite destination being Singapore where until a year or so ago we'd spend around six or eight weeks a year there where we'd eat street and hawker. I am lucky in that I find it easy to recreate stuff I have eaten. It may sound strange, but for the whole of my married life, with the exception of a couple of years when during the week I was travelling and living in hotels, I have cooked all our food and I doubt whether wifey has cooked more than a dozen times for me.

So life has nearly always revolved around lunch. Long lunch.

I hope you stay around and enjoy the extremely friendly cooler. The drinks are really cheap. :)

Good Lord M....what's going on over there with the rodeo...😉

Enjoyed a superb lunch out at The Cock O' Barton eating house...great old pub with staff to match......started orff with a Cosmopolitan to whet the appetite....fresh haddock & salmon fishcake followed by the most tender topside of beef with roasted veggies.....DD and l shared a pudding..chocolate gooey brownie with ginger ice cream....and a very palatable Pinot to wash it all down...Hic!

Wimbledon men's final isn't one of the best matches with poor Cilic having medical problems and some sort of breakdown on court......at least the weather is holding up!

😊

My next cruise originates in Barcelona, where I'll be picking up paprikas, olive oil and saffron. I'll be in Morocco also. What spices/condiments would you recommend I look for?

Thanks!

Penny

Penny, I'd miss buying spices you can easilly and freshly source at home but in Morroco, I'd buy ras el hanout.

Sophia, I am watching the tennis too........Roger is really kicking butt........looks like he is going to win in straight sets.....

unless something changes VERY quickly.

I went out to a local seafood place yesterday and had some delicious Ahi Tuna:)..........

Suppose it's inevitable that we now have Jeff the Chef...😝 blame it in the Cosmo!

Long lunches are indeed my forte also.....I at times struggle on board ship with dinner as I'm just not always hungry.

Lois....sorry to say it was an easy game for Federer....but he did deserve to win.

For some reason l always feel it's the end of the summer once Wimbledon is over......😊

Suppose it's inevitable that we now have Jeff the Chef...😝 blame it in the Cosmo!

 

Long lunches are indeed my forte also.....I at times struggle on board ship with dinner as I'm just not always hungry.

 

Lois....sorry to say it was an easy game for Federer....but he did deserve to win.

For some reason l always feel it's the end of the summer once Wimbledon is over......😊

The end of summer?:eek:...middle of July? It will be hot here until September......

So glad you enjoyed your lunch Miss S! It sounds like a wonderful meal!

Rodeo is over! All the dust bunnies have been corralled for now. They did lead me a merry chase. My steed was relentless though. He's been wiped down and put into his stall until he is needed again.

Hope all is well with Spins!

Thanks, that is sweet of you, but no, I learned to cook and completely self taught. I feel it easy to learn to cook as long as you concentrate on the quality of ingredients, freshness and the prep and not be too concerned about fancy presentation. It is also important to learn underlying principles rather than following recipes. Eventually, having retired far too early and young, we now travel largely to increase my kitchen reportoire our favourite destination being Singapore where until a year or so ago we'd spend around six or eight weeks a year there where we'd eat street and hawker. I have cooked all our food and I doubt whether wifey has cooked more than a dozen times for me. So life has nearly always revolved around lunch. Long lunch.

Appreciate the great added background, insights and info from Jeff on his cooking/kitchen skills, etc. Very true about needing good quality ingredients. Your wifey has to have loved you doing so much of the cooking duties. Fun! Don't tell me wife, however, that husbands can do so much of that complicated and challenging work there. Me being dumb has protected me from those difficult duties.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 226,156 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

This morning is our first full day resting up after our grandsons and son departed yesterday back to Virginia. They arrive safely back there late in the afternoon. BUT, for those who wanted to know if folks had "FUN", below is some photo "evidence". YES, grandchildren test the energy and creativity of us grandparents. Are there others who have had those challenges? And, the resulting rewards?

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 69,184 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

Having fun with grandsons? Yes, this includes them playing with a bubble-making toy on our back patio, doing miniature golf, running around at our home, being downtown in front of my office at a fountain/sculpture, etc. .:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

Terry, cute grandsons:)

Have a question......figured I would ask on here rather than start a new thread........concerning the plugs on the

ship....do I need to get a European adapter? I only need 1 outlet...I am very low maintenance and don't even own

a smartphone......I have yet to upgrade and all I bring with me is a flip phone and that is for emergencies only

when I am on a cruise. To keep in charged up, will the outlet in my cabin work or will I need an adapter?

Thank you.

Terry, cute grandsons:) Have a question......figured I would ask on here rather than start a new thread........concerning the plugs on the ship....do I need to get a European adapter? I only need 1 outlet...I am very low maintenance and don't even own a smartphone......I have yet to upgrade and all I bring with me is a flip phone and that is for emergencies only when I am on a cruise. To keep in charged up, will the outlet in my cabin work or will I need an adapter? Thank you.

Excellent pre-cruise question from Lois. On the Silver Spirit in the main suite/cabin areas, there are two different plugs that we from the USA would use. There is also a USA-type plug in the bathroom that provides lower-wattage power. Those three options should be enough and you would not need to bring along Europe-electric adapters. For us, with my lap-top, cell phone, camera chargers, my C-PAP machine, etc., however, we needed to have some added power options. And, I wisely brought along extra "stuff", etc. Does this help?

THANKS for the kind comments on our grandsons! Glad they get their good looks from my wife, etc. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Wonderful Kotor and nearby Montenegro? Check these postings. Have had over 37,190 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and commented.:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

Hi Terry, thanks, yes.:)......that is what I needed to know. I will just keep it turned off while I am in Barcelona and when

I get to my cabin I will plug it in and then by the end of the cruise will plug it in again.

I know I am in the minority but I honestly don't care about upgrading to an I-phone:eek:.....but I probably should do it

anyway. I read somewhere that eventually my phone will probably go away altogether.

Except for when work mandated a mobile phone, and apart from the emergency one that came with Helga (I have no idea what the number is ....) I don't own and won't own or use a mobile phone.

It basically means that you are handing over your peaceful uninterrupted day to anyone who has your number. I think mobile phones and in particular iphones and the like with all the social media apps is one of the largest causes of increased stress in our younger society.

Happy to join the group labelled heathens. :D

Penny, I'd miss buying spices you can easilly and freshly source at home but in Morroco, I'd buy ras el hanout.

Thanks, Jeff! However, I live in Mexico and don't often travel to the US or Canada....My annual trip to Europe to board a SS cruise is when I purchase spices......

When out walking today we passed a fully loaded fruit tree and rang the owners to ask if we could pick a few of their very ripe and sweet mirabelles (a type of small, sweet plum). Of course (she's used to us raiding her fruit trees) and Mrs Owner came along as she had no idea that she had such a tree or, indeed, what mirabelles are. Anyway we got off 20kg and I estimate that was about a tenth of the crop.

Mrs TTS has set some aside in the freezer for later use, is using half the crop for jam and we shall have the most amazing mirabelle crumples over the next year (of all things invented in these gentle isles the humble crumble remains unchallenged).

I must admit to having eaten nearly as many as I collected so no need for any more fruit for the foreseeable future!

They also have lovely cherries every year so we raid the trees for a good crop of those too. We miss the orchard we had in France with its mirabelle, damson, cherry and apple trees but it seems this kind lady has taken pity on us and insists we just take what we want from their land as they can't find a use for all the fruit. Next up is the blackberry season - add that to the blackcurrants, redcurrants, loganberries and boysenberries from our own potager and I think it safe to say that we are a bit fruited out now.

I'm beginning to understand why 'er indoors needs 5 freezers.

Hello All......

Great way to spend a Sunday afternoon TTS.....have fond memories of blackberry picking with my grandfather as a kid.

Looks like your grandkids were having so much fun Terry...always nice to be able to hand them back though!

Lois, whilst l love summer I'm not keen on the long light nights....

Jeff...l have a mobile phone for safety when I'm out and about on my own...it's a great comfort and has proved it's worth many a time.

Having said that l do find them VERY offensive when being 'misused ' as l call it.....restaurants being my number one gripe along with other sensitive public places where l have no wish to be forced to listen to the personal chatter of others....who feel the need to shout whilst walking about with the damn things attached to their ears and at times placing themselves in danger to both themselves and others!

Ah well......that's my rant at Speakers Corner for today...😉

It's a beautiful day here, warm and sunny and I've been up since 6am to make the most of it.

Simple cottage pie with cauliflower cheese for luncheon today......sadly no Wimbledon........😊

Today was the first outing of the instant pot. I did pork in a sort of Noily Provencale mushroom sauce. Wifey pronounced it perfect and gobbled it all up like a good girl.

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Probably 20 or so years ago when mobiles were less common (and much larger) I had one for on call. Anyway on a train back from London a typical yuppie boy was booming into his phone to sylvie (I'm guessing his secretary - maybe his therapist, I don't know) all about this great deal he had negotiated and to tell so and so to get such and such contracts etc etc ad nauseam.

My phone was actually off but I couldn't resist - well sometimes you just can't help yourself can you - and had a very loud conversation with my '' broker'' instructing him to sell my entire holding in ICI and transfer the 8.3 million directly to my bank at the end of the settlement period.

Then I rang my' 'wife' and ask her to send the car to pick me up at such and such a time.

Yes, I can be very petty at times. Fun, though.

Greetings Coolers!

Miss S. Enjoy your lovely lunch and your beautiful summer day!

J. Your instant pot meal looks fabulous! I'm sure many more mouth-watering creations will follow with your new kitchen toy!

Have a great day all!

TTS...another imp in the Cooler! :) Sounds like the perfect thing to do.

TTS...another imp in the Cooler! :) Sounds like the perfect thing to do.

The very most rude thing that anyone can do, I think, is to put their palm towards you then point at their 'phone. I've even had patients in the middle of a consultation answer their 'phone - actually only once - I walked out.

Being on call and getting called while in company used to make me shrivel with embarrassment even though the company I was in would know I was on call.

I think some people need to realise that the 'phone has an off switch.

I'm not saying that people can't be rude without a 'phone, but it certainly gives them an extra excuse.

Looks like your grandkids were having so much fun Terry...always nice to be able to hand them back though! Jeff...l have a mobile phone for safety when I'm out and about on my own...it's a great comfort and has proved it's worth many a time. Having said that l do find them VERY offensive when being 'misused ' as l call it.....restaurants being my number one gripe along with other sensitive public places where l have no wish to be forced to listen to the personal chatter of others....who feel the need to shout whilst walking about with the damn things attached to their ears and at times placing themselves in danger to both themselves and others!

Appreciate the wonderful food picture by Jeff this morning. Looks great!

On cell phones, certainly understand those who legitimately hate the mis-use and/or abuse by others in dining, public places, etc. Also, can respect those who do not choose to be that "connected". BUT, wanted to give some added "perspective" and the "other side" for those debating moving up from a flip-phone to the newer and wider functioning iPhones, etc.

Personally, I love my iPhone with it having the options to check e-mail and the web on the go. Plus, having key photos, favorite music tunes, my calendar updating and matched to my schedule on the MacBook Pro laptop, checking gas prices on the go, having a flashlight function, checking weather, etc., etc. Lots of options and potentials to stay connected and make life/work easier and smoother.

During cruises, such as we just did in Europe last month, we just kept the phone in "airplane mode" during our time there to make sure that we did not get hit with any unwanted calls, charges, etc. But, having our smart phone in Europe did allow us to catch up and/or check emails, web in free wifi zones, etc.

ALSO, as a reason to consider upgrading your phone, here is a key factor to consider. Yes, many of the newer features on my iPhone 7 are not that needed, used or important to me. Yes, Apple and others over-hype the need to upgrade your phone to newer and latest models. BUT, with the iPhone 7, the phone and voice quality has been much better/improved over the earlier models. There is "fluff" and "hype" with the pushing of the "need" for newer models. BUT, in some cases, technically, there are tangible improvements that can be of value, maybe better battery life, etc. Just some added factors and background to consider. Don't rule out a newer phone unless you think a little on the various factors to consider. It's a personal choice!! Nice to have these options and potentials!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from this live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 32,805 views for this visual sharing including Cape Town, along South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.