Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Five

[Will Work for Tiramisu]

1 hour ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

Lovely!  

 

That’s gluten free? The 3% protein flour?  

 

I’d love to see a piccy of the crumb when you’ve cut it if possible please! 

 

Jeff

 

Who said anything about GF?  This is 13.9% protein, wheat from high plains of eastern Oregon, stone ground in the Willamette Valley. 

[Will Work for Tiramisu]

The note 5G protein is for a "Serving Size" of 1/4 cup or 36 grams, btw.  

 

[UKCruiseJeff]

Thanks, that's a great loaf.

 

I've never seen the back of a flour bag that has the grams per quarter cup before! Normally it's bakers percentage hence my confusion that it was 5%.

 

What hydration is that? 

 

Jeff

 

 

Edited May 15 by UKCruiseJeff

[Tothesunset]

So here's another true story apropos of nothing at all. 

 

In these days of performative veganism and dietary virtue-signalling I'm sure we can all remember when even vegetarianism was a minority sport receiving little attention 

 

Wind back to 1983 and my detachment to Salisbury Plain to head up the anaesthetic department of a Territorial Army field hospital during a big military exercise. First meal, provided by a hospital catering dept, was, let's be charitable, disgusting - unidentifiable bits of animal in a gloopy miasma, lumpy mash and veg in various shades of dayglo. 

 

Anyway, I declined my helping of the stew thing opting just for some wallpaper paste-like tatties and a spoonful of suspiciously slushy green stuff. 

 

The chef looked a bit miffed. 

 

"Don't you like the stew, Sir?" 

 

I'm easily embarrassed so:

 

"Oh, no. It looks great but I'm a vegetarian." 

 

Quick thinking right there. 

 

It turned out that the chef was delighted, loved cooking vegetarian food and promised me a special dinner every day. I've got to say, I was the best-fed serviceman on Salisbury Plain - the quality and variety of meals was terrific. 

 

So don't diss the veggies. Proper vegetarian cooking can be excellent. Especially with bacon. 

[drron29]

Absolutely. One of the best meals I have had in a restaurant was in Tasmania. I had a vegetable medley plate. Wonderful tastes.

Every now and then I still go for a vegetarian meal. But that doesn't mean I have given up being a meatatarian.

[lincslady]

There is no doubt that a well chosen veggie diet is good for your health.  I have friends, a couple, in their late sixties, who are slim, fit, bright eyed and the picture of good health, who eat veggie with  plenty of protein (like lentils etc). and occasional fish, don't drink too much and put the rest of us to shame.  And their meals are delicious too.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good Morning Coolers!

 

It seemed so quiet here I thought I’d post a piccy of absolutely nothing just to ruin the peace!  As usual you might say ….

 

The picture is titled “A nice clean kitchen with an authentic Greek meal of kebabs and fries”

 

Jeff

[Will Work for Tiramisu]

1 hour ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

Good Morning Coolers!

 

It seemed so quiet here I thought I’d post a piccy of absolutely nothing just to ruin the peace!  As usual you might say ….

 

The picture is titled “A nice clean kitchen with an authentic Greek meal of kebabs and fries”

 

Jeff

Didn't the Greek poets go on at length about fries?? One can hardly blame them.  Nice little set up you have there - gas, of course.  But is that a deep fryer I see to the right?   Wow, serious stuff.  We have a 4 burner gas Wolf range, Gaggenau convection oven and separate convection steam oven (love that thing!), Gaggenau warming drawer (nice for warming your drawers on a cold Oregon morning), a micro, Gaggenau coffee/espresso machine, and a micro.  Outside there is a Lynx 36" gas grille, with 2 burners heating ceramic briquettes, and one ceramic burner that just creates insane heat (wonderful for searing something), and next to it, a Lynx 55,000 btu gas burner, with a setup to accommodate a wok.  Nearby is the Ooni wood fired pizza oven. The huge garden is a few steps from there (past the chicken coop, but short of the apiary).  Lastly, you asked about hydration in bread - the loaf I took photo of was one of three from 6 cups of flour and 2 cups of water, plus salt & yeast.  So, 33%?  

 

I fantasize about what I would do if could build new house/kitchen.  I want a walk in pantry with lots of shelves where can see and access all the less used ingredients and specialized pots, bowls, springform cake pans, blah blah blah.  We have 2 sinks in kitchen (one normal 2 bowl, one huge single bowl (nice for cleaning big pots, small children, sick chickens, whole fish), which have saved our marriage.  But, I would add a pot filler over the cooktop - would save so much schlepping of pots of water, and nice for making stock and such.  

[UKCruiseJeff]

46 minutes ago, Will Work for Tiramisu said:

Didn't the Greek poets go on at length about fries?? One can hardly blame them.  Nice little set up you have there - gas, of course.  But is that a deep fryer I see to the right?   Wow, serious stuff.  We have a 4 burner gas Wolf range, Gaggenau convection oven and separate convection steam oven (love that thing!), Gaggenau warming drawer (nice for warming your drawers on a cold Oregon morning), a micro, Gaggenau coffee/espresso machine, and a micro.  Outside there is a Lynx 36" gas grille, with 2 burners heating ceramic briquettes, and one ceramic burner that just creates insane heat (wonderful for searing something), and next to it, a Lynx 55,000 btu gas burner, with a setup to accommodate a wok.  Nearby is the Ooni wood fired pizza oven. The huge garden is a few steps from there (past the chicken coop, but short of the apiary).  Lastly, you asked about hydration in bread - the loaf I took photo of was one of three from 6 cups of flour and 2 cups of water, plus salt & yeast.  So, 33%?  

 

I fantasize about what I would do if could build new house/kitchen.  I want a walk in pantry with lots of shelves where can see and access all the less used ingredients and specialized pots, bowls, springform cake pans, blah blah blah.  We have 2 sinks in kitchen (one normal 2 bowl, one huge single bowl (nice for cleaning big pots, small children, sick chickens, whole fish), which have saved our marriage.  But, I would add a pot filler over the cooktop - would save so much schlepping of pots of water, and nice for making stock and such.  

 

Thanks for the kind words about my kitchen.

 

I was so fortunate in that when we had the house built I was able to design and have built my kitchen to my own very quirky needs.  Yes, they are twin Lincat fryers.  The hob has an acceptable wok ring.  And yes they are gas hobs with a main electric convection oven and rotisserie which is great for spit lamb and chicken. The lava bbq means we have summer during winter and the extractor actually pulls the doors shut so it keeps the kitchen sweet.  

 

I also imported a pizza oven from Naples which is a joy for pizza and bread.  We have a steam oven and a larder which got taken up with Laurent Perrier stash when I cashed my BA miles in.  I have a clay beehive oven I imported from Portugal in the garden. I also have an area for my humidors and coffee machine and spirits. I was fortunate to buy and lay down a supply of my favourite cigars which will easily see me out.  My American visitors during the Cuba embargo were jealous of them.   Many are now around 20 years since packing and they are just right.  

 

I really love my kitchen and I find it a very inspiring and in sync with me.

 

Your bread shows you need nothing  more to make good bread, but I’d urge you to experiment with very high hydration.  If I have it right your flour is around 14% protein and would really love high hydration.

 

Almost all of my breads are 80% plus and that is one reason why I focus on baguettes.  I have never heard of 33% hydration before and when I saw the crumb I was interested hence I asked.  

 

I like the crumb / crust ratio of a baguette and it is a way of keeping very wet dough to shape.  It also means you can cut out the mixer which nudges your crumb which is already fairly dry to more of a close sponge than open texture. It  may be that you love the texture you have.  I just scrape my dough together and leave it.  I have some dough in the fridge now which is two weeks old and I call it “sourdough lite” It has all the flavour but none of some of downsides of the pure sourdough approach.  My approach I guess is somewhere between biga/poolish and soudough and in my view is the best of everything. 

 

I would love to see more of your bread and kitchen. 

 

Some more random piccies that shows we pack a lot of pleasure in the kitchen and utility area! 🙂

 

Jeff

 

 

Edited May 16 by UKCruiseJeff

[Will Work for Tiramisu]

Uncle Jeff - I had no idea you could keep cigars 20 years!  I used to smoke them back in the day, but my gut told me they weren't good for me. Your clay beehive oven, what is that for?  Kind of like an upside down tandoori oven (which I would love to have one of which).  Also, the bread in my photo was cooked on a baking stone, after warming for an hour at 450F.  I think the bottom heat, together with the top slashes, makes for cooking of the interior, and allows expansion.  

 

I have longstanding desire and intention to take my DW and spend a month driving all around the UK.  Would be fun to stop by - have some fries!  

[UKCruiseJeff]

Well, laying down cigars - as long as you keep to the 70/70 rule ie 70% hydration and 70f then aged cigars are really sought after and are a completely different experience to raw newbies.  I was able to find a cunning route of buying my stock tax free from an “airside” cigar exporter in Switzerland who sent them in smallish batches of two boxes in each pack to the UK which were technically subject to UK tax but as the boxes were small neither tobacco tax or vat was ever asked for.  Some of those cigars would now be valued at  …. well  let’s not be uncultured - but leave it at eye watering.  Cigar lovers often have deep pockets.  

 

The beehive is mostly used as a summer garden oven.  So it’s terracotta baking ware with slowly roasted vegetables with lamb or chicken in herbs and garlic and oil and sitting there and smelling the wiffs with large mugs of frozen cheap wine. It’s an excuse to make a fire in the oven and cook slowly and get sozzled and then eat meat that falls off of the bone with intensely flavoured vegetables, 

 

The only thing I’d say about bread is that most bread bakers totally underestimate the contribution that water and time makes.  They see it simply as stuff that sticks the important stuff together.  Water and time is the main contributor to character and flavour. Before I made the bread my boss now says is much better than any French loaf we’ve had  I had to unlearn all that I’d learned and all the books and experts.  Was your bread a touch dry although full of flavour? 

 

Jeff

[FlyingScotSailors]

Jeff, thank you for the ficelle suggestion.  I will post pictures as soon as I can pry them from my phone and get them onto the computer.

 

With regard to WWFT's dough, hydration should be measured in weight percentages, not volume.  A cup of the Bob's Red Mill bread flour weighs 144g, according to the bag I have.  Water is about 240g per cup, so 3 cups flour to 1 cup water is a hydration of about 55%.  My baguettes are about 61.5%, or still low for Jeff. 😉

[UKCruiseJeff]

5 hours ago, FlyingScotSailors said:

Jeff, thank you for the ficelle suggestion.  I will post pictures as soon as I can pry them from my phone and get them onto the computer.

 

With regard to WWFT's dough, hydration should be measured in weight percentages, not volume.  A cup of the Bob's Red Mill bread flour weighs 144g, according to the bag I have.  Water is about 240g per cup, so 3 cups flour to 1 cup water is a hydration of about 55%.  My baguettes are about 61.5%, or still low for Jeff. 😉

 

Good Morning and thanks,

 

I use to hydrate to around 60%'ish but my bread was transformed when I started to experiment at 80% upwards and stopped using a mixer or hand kneading.

 

I'm really looking forward to seeing your piccies.

 

Jeff

[turtlemichael]

[UKCruiseJeff]

Thursday seems to have become  her Orange Almond Cake day .. and today I added some Cointreau and Amaretto.  Not photogenic at all, but nice just the same. 

 

Jeff

Edited May 16 by UKCruiseJeff

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good Evening Coolers.

 

Supper for The Boss was steamed salmon, scallion, lettuce and mayo sandwich with a mug of House White and TV.  She likes to have her crusts cut off and I will do anything to make her happy. 

 

🙂

 

Jeff

[DavyWavey70]

4 hours ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

Good Evening Coolers.

 

Supper for The Boss was steamed salmon, scallion, lettuce and mayo sandwich with a mug of House White and TV.  She likes to have her crusts cut off and I will do anything to make her happy. 

 

🙂

 

Jeff

You’re very well trained 😁

[drron29]

 

 

 

 

[QueSeraSera]

well Dr. Ron, you've brought a song to mind

Anniversary Song, by Cowboy Junkies

 

One of the best lines in song lyrics I've ever heard:

"Have you ever seen a sight as beautiful as a face in a crowd of people that lights up just for you?"

 

The song video if interested

 

[UKCruiseJeff]

2 hours ago, QueSeraSera said:

well Dr. Ron, you've brought a song to mind …….

 

Loved your post and it made me sort of think about how certain images and words always nudge in us certain visual things. This must be true for everyone? 

 

For example for some reason or other - perhaps it’s that clarinet at the beginning  - Rhapsody in Blue always makes me think of the Chrysler Building. Always.  I love that building and will always think of it as being the best building in the world. 

 

And then I start getting morbid and bereaved about how music composition progress has so become lost and deteriorated and seemed to have taken us so far backwards from say New York ‘20’s ‘30’s composition compared to the stuff produced today.  I do not understand how progress often seems to takes us backwards.  

 

Tonight I found myself looking for the best version on Youtube that I could find of “Summertime” which is of course sublime and goes well with smoke salmon sandwiches and cold wine.

 

Out of interest does anyone else have musicality associations?

 

Jeff

[drron29]

Thank you for that song @QueSeraSera. I really liked it.

And yes certain music immediately bring certain places and times ino my head.

Actually a lot of songs. One reason is that for the last 17 years I worked as a locum and would be sent to Regional australia for a week or up to 6 months.

I always listened to the local community radio when in the car. invariably one song was always played many times during a stay.

So this song is Launceston Tasmania.

 

And this is Mackay Queensland.

 

And of course their is our song. The Australian version of this song was released when me met. The movie was our second date.

 

[turtlemichael]

7 hours ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

 

Tonight I found myself looking for the best version on Youtube that I could find of “Summertime” which is of course sublime and goes well with smoke salmon sandwiches and cold wine.

 

Out of interest does anyone else have musicality associations?

 

Jeff

Funny you should say that. An amazing coincidence. Last night partner and I saw the final of five Australian concerts by Broadway superstar Audra McDonald at Hamer Hall in Melbourne. Audra McDonald, I am sure many of the erudite people who hang out here will know, has won more performance Tonys than any other person. She is simply an amazing performer and entertainer with the near perfect soprano voice. Our conclusion was that it was the best concert we had ever seen. Audra starred in the 2012 Broadway revival of Porgy and Bess (and got the Tony for Best Actress of course!). So, inevitably and thankfully, last night she sang Summertime, but with no microphone or amplification to a packed hall of 2500+ people. I will remember it for a long time. Here is a link to another performance. I'm thrilled you mentioned it as 24 hours later we are still on a high. 

 

[Lois R]

Good morning.......DW, you around? I sail next weekend and have been reading many of the threads over on the Celebrity forum. LOTS of complaints over there too. Actually, one item that is crazy....Celebrity seems to have decided that loungers are a danger and those folks with balconies are NOT going to automatically receive them. From what many folks have posted, you need to request the lounger. You can be sure I will be requesting one for my balcony. Sometimes I just have to shake my head.......is there an icon for that?😧

[UKCruiseJeff]

3 hours ago, turtlemichael said:

Funny you should say that. An amazing coincidence. Last night partner and I saw the final of five Australian concerts by Broadway superstar Audra McDonald at Hamer Hall in Melbourne. Audra McDonald, I am sure many of the erudite people who hang out here will know, has won more performance Tonys than any other person. She is simply an amazing performer and entertainer with the near perfect soprano voice. Our conclusion was that it was the best concert we had ever seen. Audra starred in the 2012 Broadway revival of Porgy and Bess (and got the Tony for Best Actress of course!). So, inevitably and thankfully, last night she sang Summertime, but with no microphone or amplification to a packed hall of 2500+ people. I will remember it for a long time. Here is a link to another performance. I'm thrilled you mentioned it as 24 hours later we are still on a high. 

 

 

Loved the post. It is so wonderful to find yourself in a moment and within that moment you know you will never forget it. Life is all about searching for those moments wherever and whatever they are. 

 

Your taste is absolutely in sync with Gershwin.  He wrote it originally with an opera performance in mind.  So your love of this version would have brought a tear to his eye. 

 

For some reason I find the paucity but power of so few lines in Summertime so extraordinary.

 

It's summertime and the living is easy
Fish are jumping and the cotton is high
Your daddy's rich and your mama's good looking
Hush little baby
Don't you cry
Hmmmm....

One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singing
You spread your wings and take to the sky
But until that morning there is nothing can harm you....
With your daddy and mommy standing by
They are standing by
Hmmmm...

[DavyWavey70]

2 hours ago, Lois R said:

Good morning.......DW, you around? I sail next weekend and have been reading many of the threads over on the Celebrity forum. LOTS of complaints over there too. Actually, one item that is crazy....Celebrity seems to have decided that loungers are a danger and those folks with balconies are NOT going to automatically receive them. From what many folks have posted, you need to request the lounger. You can be sure I will be requesting one for my balcony. Sometimes I just have to shake my head.......is there an icon for that?😧

Hi Lois, I was in an infinite verandah not a sunset so I’m not sure what they’d have, I had 2 upright chairs and a coffee table in mine. I Found very little to complain about myself. I’m sure you’ll have a great time. 😁