Silversea Water Cooler: Part 3, Welcome!

[Camillus112]

Good morning to all Coolers! Still grey and cool in my slice of land, which means I enjoy reading about all places sunny and warm.

 

Miss Sophia, I'm thinking I would gladly take over packing for you if I could join you in your Southern charm feast. I do love fried chicken and fries...however cheeky or cheesy... When are you leaving? I have a long wait till May.

[MissSophia]

Good morning to all Coolers! Still grey and cool in my slice of land, which means I enjoy reading about all places sunny and warm.

 

Miss Sophia, I'm thinking I would gladly take over packing for you if I could join you in your Southern charm feast. I do love fried chicken and fries...however cheeky or cheesy... When are you leaving? I have a long wait till May.

 

Cam....l fly to Nice on Sunday and join The Muse on Monday......May will come around very quickly for you...enjoy the build up!! ☺️

[jpalbny]

Yes, May is only "next month" so it's getting close! We also have plans in May...the land trip to Prague, Berlin, and Copenhagen. Three new cities for us. I think we will need a vacation after that trip, just to recover from all the running around.

 

We are taking the train from Prague to Berlin because it's only 4h. But the train from Berlin to Copenhagen is over 7h, so we decided that we'd try EasyJet. It's only an hour flying time, so that leaves us a few extra hours in Berlin to try to squeeze in a few more sights... There is SO much to see in Berlin, and we are sure that we'll run out of time for a lot of it, so every hour counts.

 

Glad they're still using the Hamilton docks for Bermuda cruises. Much better location, IMO. We did Bermuda 18 years ago (gulp), once on NCL and once on Celebrity. Both times, we used the Hamilton dock and the ship just parked there for a few nights. So you could just walk off and be in town.

 

One day we took a ferry to the Royal Dockyard to see what that was all about, and we were unimpressed...just a bunch of shopping for cruise ship passengers! But we walked back a couple of miles to see the sights, before we caught the bus to Elbow Beach. That part was fun. Haven't been back since 2000, but we did enjoy it.

[ShotsnCruises]

Morning cooler cruisers. As it is Spring Break here in Michigan, my office is nearly empty this morning. I am filling in for the staff that are away, but secretly hoping for a slow week so I don't have to do too much of "other people's paperwork!"

 

I am going to think some more on the food blog, I don't want another obligation in my life, and I also don't want to be one of those people taking pictures of every plate in a restaurant. It is one thing for me to do that with my own food.

 

Anyway, waiting for coffee to kick in so my head will clear a bit. For some reason, I don't think I got enough sleep last night. Too busy thinking about how many days until my next cruise, and envying those of you who are on or leaving for one soon!

Happy Monday

[UKCruiseJeff]

 

 

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[jpalbny]

Love the three bottle box! Sounds like a good morning's work!

 

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[ShotsnCruises]

Jeff, I thought the wooded view out my office window was beautiful, but your view is envious!

Lovely lunch.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Thanks JP, .... I know I'm a heathen but the box for our,white wine seems fine!

 

Shots, we bought the place because of the view. We realised that on a nice day this place is as good or better than most places we use to regularly travel to. And the beds are better and it's only a couple of hours in Helga. Tonights Chinese was extremely brown.

 

 

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[jpalbny]

The view is awesome, btw. Here's my view tonight...

 

 

First night in a week that we're not on call. Cooking simple tonight. Chicken on the grill, some potatoes, and yummy dill sauce that Chris made last night.

 

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[Camillus112]

Sauvignon is my favorite blanc...never heard of Russian River Valley...have to ask DH if he does; he knows his wines...I drink his wines...

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good Morning Coolers!

 

Nice view JP!

 

Isn't it about time that we told people that they need to be a touch more resilient and cope better with life when they go out and mix with people?

 

 

Marion Konczak, 62, claimed that a manager at BAE, Britain’s biggest defence company, told her “women take things more emotionally than men whilst men tend to forget things and move on”

I use to be asked why so many females requested through my boss to be considered candidates for my team when I worked for The Corporation, and my answer was the above but the reverse version ie I felt much more comfortable because I could be more direct with women than men and that men seemed more emotiove and needed their egos managed more. I would have evidently landed my company in expensive trouble for simply describing my weaknesses as a manager in that way!

 

Defence giant fights £360,000 sexism payout http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/defence-giant-fights-360-000-sexism-payout-k650jdpkl?shareToken=71a59e5a41000a3d0f23682a52a8e0eb

Edited April 4, 2017 by UKCruiseJeff

[MissSophia]

Good Day All,

 

Jeffers....love those wine boxes, perfect for me as a solo and great value....I'm quite happy with the Tesco Pinot at the moment for a quick slurp before lunch! Your lunch rolls look lovely...do you bake or buy? Those part baked ones are pretty good and very handy to have in the pantry.

 

Shots.....you could always just do a mini blog here on the cooler with no real firm commitment.....share with us your home food offerings like others do ☺️

 

With just four whole days to go until departure I'm half way through the packing ...two medium cases and a small carry on with room to spare so am a happy bunny.....hair salon tomorrow so a chillax day....

 

Kids are taking me out for a chinese dinner on Saturday as they know l miss furry baby who'll be going to his pooch nanny that morning......only thing l hate about going away...😩

 

S😊

[UKCruiseJeff]

Soapy, so exciting ..... and lovely to fly on a Sunday!

 

It is those part baked rolls and baguettes. They're baked in France and I just put them under the tap for a quick wet and put them in the Airfryer until darkish brown. They are also great as breakfast rolls with jam or marmalade ... and so convenient for Seaside.

 

 

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[MissSophia]

Good Morning Coolers!

 

Nice view JP!

 

Isn't it about time that we told people that they need to be a touch more resilient and cope better with life when they go out and mix with people?

 

 

I use to be asked why so many females requested through my boss to be considered candidates for my team when I worked for The Corporation, and my answer was the above but the reverse version ie I felt much more comfortable because I could be more direct with women than men and that men seemed more emotiove and needed their egos managed more. I would have evidently landed my company in expensive trouble for simply describing my weaknesses as a manager in that way!

 

Defence giant fights £360,000 sexism payout http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/defence-giant-fights-360-000-sexism-payout-k650jdpkl?shareToken=71a59e5a41000a3d0f23682a52a8e0eb

 

 

 

I'm amazed by this Jeff.......quite simply amazed....and being totally honest find it disgraceful....but then l am an old fashioned gal with a great sense of humour and can and always have been able to fight my own corner on a one to one basis without being extreme.....and whilst there are most certainly some very extreme cases out there this one just doesn't cut it ..........except maybe to open more doors.

 

Ah well........😊

[MissSophia]

Soapy, so exciting ..... and lovely to fly on a Sunday!

 

It is those part baked rolls and baguettes. They're baked in France and I just put them under the tap for a quick wet and put them in the Airfryer until darkish brown. They are also great as breakfast rolls with jam or marmalade ... and so convenient for Seaside.

 

 

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Never thought about putting them under the tap....good tip Jeffers thanks......they're pretty good as a standby and smell just like fresh baked bread......😊

[UKCruiseJeff]

Hi Soapy,

 

French bread ovens have steam injected to make the baguettes crisp. A little bit of extra water on the surface approximates to a steam oven and helps crisp it which is great when we're away from ourt home oven.

 

Have our politicians gone barmy. They are angry with Theresa May for saying that no deal is better than a bad deal. But isn't that self-evidently obvious? If you accept a bad deal because it is better than no deal and going on to World Trade terms, thn the deal might be a "bad" deal but it morphs into a good deal because it is a better option than WTT. So the only thing worst than WTT has to be a bad deal. :(

[ShotsnCruises]

Nothing beats warm, fresh bread right of out of the oven. I used to bake more. I like cooking better, can't be bothered with all the measuring, following a recipe, and precision. :-)

However, there are those days where I decide to spend the time and find the patience to bake a nice loaf. I haven't gotten the baguette technique quite right yet. My oven isn't made for that.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good afternoon Shots,

 

From what I've seen of your food, I consider you to be a much better cook than me, so I'm reticent to make suggestions about bread to my betters! :D

 

FWIW, in my view the whole idea for someone who wishes to make bread of following recipes is incorrect. I firmly believe that it is better to entirely forget recipes and concentrate just on principles which is a few simply things. If you develop a feel for the principles you get a real feel for the dough and can then evelove mixes to your taste. Recipes immunise you from understanding wwhat is going on and why. Some time ago we spent time on the cooler when Myster was starting his bread making.

 

I'd say the simple principles are:

 

1. Hydration rate ie the percentage of flour to water. The more water you add the better the bread will be, but the more difficult the dough will be to handle. But the longer you mix the dough the easier it will be to handle because you are stretching the gluten. I always try for around 67% hydration for plain flours but more if other flour is added. The denser the flours added the higher the hydration rates.

 

2. A poolish/biga mix will always improve any bread.

 

3. You can make the bread in bulk and split it and put a few dough balls in containers in the fridge after its first rise and then you will always have fresh bread. Bread dough will always improve if stored in the fridge and then you always have a loaf when you fancy one. It's basically becoming sourdough "lite".

 

3. Baguettes is simply a matter of taking the dough and envelope folding to make longer holes before a final prove and using a steam oven.

 

I'm proud of my baguette steam oven. I have a few terrocata tiles that go into the oven on a rack. I put a cast iron steak griddle in the bottom and heat the oven up to around 220c. When the ovens are really hot I put the bagguettes onto the tiles and add a quarter cup of water onto the heated steak griddle in the base and this produces a burst of steam - and I slam the oven door shut. After five minutes I open the door and let the steam fully escape, and turn the heat down a little. Perfect baguettes. When making the mix for baguettes absolutely no fat or butter but I like 10% rye to 90% Canadian hard flour with 67% hydration.

 

Anyway .... there's me rambling on about bread again ....:D

[ShotsnCruises]

Jeff, you may just inspire me to try making bread this weekend. I made pizza last night, but it was not photo worthy. I am almost out of flour (of all kinds) and I had to settle for a frozen store-bought crust that was less than delicious.

Well, off to fix the world's problems.... Not really.... :')

[jpalbny]

Jeff, you may just inspire me to try making bread this weekend. I made pizza last night, but it was not photo worthy. I am almost out of flour (of all kinds) and I had to settle for a frozen store-bought crust that was less than delicious.

Well, off to fix the world's problems.... Not really.... :')

Good luck! Frozen crust just isn't the same... I made dough last Sunday and kept it in the fridge for Monday (last week). Or maybe it was Monday for Tuesday. On-call weeks can be a blur.

 

I used 1/3 semolina flour, 1/3 white whole wheat, and 1/3 Italian 0 flour. This was the first time I'd found a finer grind of the semolina, so the texture was great! Another great find at Eataly.

 

But it was so yummy, regardless of the day!

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

JP, do you mean 00?

[jpalbny]

No, actually 0. I can't always find 00 but the 0 isn't bad.

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

Thanks JP,

 

Interesting combination ..... was the dough heavy and dense or did you manage to get an open crumb?

 

 

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[jpalbny]

It's my usual mix. The last batch was a bit denser than usual, but that's because we were hungry, and didn't allow it to warm up enough and start rising again. Have to develop more patience... [emoji1]

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

You're lucky to be able to find fine semolina, and that combination sounds like it should have bags of flavour and be crisp. I suspect the secret is to avoid a roller at all costs and hand stretch and then leave it to rise once flat for a fair bit. Sounds lovely although I'll stick to plain old Caputo 00.

 

 

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