The Bistro- Off topic and fun posts!

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is actually just a bit of morning color from my balcony on MS Rotterdam.  We were sailing from Montego Bay to Fort Lauderdale  and I thought headed North, but we were actually hugging the Cuba coast and a lot more westerly than I assumed.

 

 

Roy

[KenzSailing]

 

My gosh, it's the day after US Thanksgiving and I just realized: it's now open season on singing Christmas carols!  I must get my jingle on!

 

And use all the exclamation points!

 

PS: American goulash(ie, not at all goulash) for dinner.  Special request by you know who.

[BWIVince]

3 minutes ago, KenzSailing said:

 

My gosh, it's the day after US Thanksgiving and I just realized: it's now open season on singing Christmas carols!  I must get my jingle on!

 

And use all the exclamation points!

 

PS: American goulash(ie, not at all goulash) for dinner.  Special request by you know who.

I listen to a local radio station in the shower each morning (since local TV hasn’t reached my backwater yet), and the Christmas music caught me off-guard for some reason this morning when I hit the button.  Not sure why it did though — it’s been three full weeks since I heard Mariah belt out All I Want For Christmas Is You over the PA at Target…. I should be well adjusted by now.

 

Vince

[Keith1010]

Another view of Serenity in the Caribbean late 2014.

 

Keith

 

[rafinmd]

4 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

Another view of Serenity in the Caribbean late 2014.

 

Keith

 

Curacau, perhaps from the floating bridge?

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from yesterday, taken from MS Rotterdam's ledo looking out over a somewhat cloudy Atlantic at Port Everglades.

 

 

Roy

[Out2See]

Steve caught this sunrise on the North Atlantic during a bumpy crossing two weeks ago.

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/o9kYWq2HpzEs1y6XA

 

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by Out2See

[Keith1010]

3 hours ago, rafinmd said:

Curacau, perhaps from the floating bridge?

 

Roy

Roy, you are correct.

 

Keith

 

[BEAV]

The day after Thanksgiving weather was too good to in the SF Bay Area to stay home and debate leftover turkey ideas. 
 

The only thing missing was Symphony or Serenity sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge. 
 

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by BEAV

[KenzSailing]

6 hours ago, BEAV said:

The day after Thanksgiving weather was too good to in the SF Bay Area to stay home and debate leftover turkey ideas. 
 

The only thing missing was Symphony or Serenity sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge. 
 

 

 

Oh sure, rub it in.  Well, this reminds me of something I've been meaning to post.  You once chided me for not knowing who Carl Jr was(besides the son of Carl Sr.)  Well, we've recently been sampling some food stuffs from the Golden State(bay area variety) and I can report the following:

 

Humphry Slocombe ice cream: very good, worth trying, but not the transcendent experience I had hoped for(to be fair, we have a few flavors left in the fridge to try, so possibilities remain.)

 

Fra'Mani salumi: oh, this is the real deal.  Their Salame Nostrano is to die for.  Definitely ordering more, getting out the mandoline(not the musical kind) and creating a swoon worthy charcuterie board.   

 

That's in addition to the bay area being the only place I'll order Cioppino.(Pro tip: in Baltimore, get the crab cake at Faidley's.  Every other one is, well, every other one.)

 

This ends tonight's update on eating well, bi-coastal variety.

[Keith1010]

After looking over the deck plans of Crystal Harmony that Vince posted, it got me thinking of our first Crystal Cruise on Crystal Harmony. A photo form 21 year and over 3 months ago of Harmony.

 

Keith

 

[cruise_loverinlaval]

20 hours ago, BEAV said:

The day after Thanksgiving weather was too good to in the SF Bay Area to stay home and debate leftover turkey ideas. 
 

The only thing missing was Symphony or Serenity sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge. 
 

 

Here is a photo of the Golden bridge taken from the Crystal Serenity in December 2018….

[Keith1010]

It's aways nice to be out at sea.

 

Keith

 

[KenzSailing]

Short cuts from the Chez:

 

A couple tips I've been meaning to share, because, why not?  Anyway I seem to be fixated on salad right now.

 

First:  I've made many a Caesar dressing from scratch.  I've made the uncooked egg kind, I've made the Dijon mustard kind, both satisfying in their respective way.  But I've turned my attention to other courses in every meal and the dressing prep feels like a burden.  Here's the short cut I've hit upon:

 

Start with a good quality commercial Caesar dressing(here we can get, and like, Marzetti.)

 

Next, augment it to your taste with lemon juice(bottled, we're going for easy here) Worch sauce and anchovy paste(don't spare the anch paste.)  I'm telling ya, close your eyes and sway side to side while you're eating it and you'll flash back to a meal in Waterside on a choppy night. 

 

Second: (and I got this one from American's Test Kitchen)  whatever salad you're dressing, put the dressing in the bowl FIRST.  Spread it around with the back of a spoon, then add the greens and toss. You'll get a much more even coat. Genius. Try it!

 

Gotta get back to the stove.  All the best.

  

[Keith1010]

While on a tour eight years ago. It's always nice to spot the vessel you are on from afar. This way you know it hasn't left while you were away.

 

Keith

 

[gmarsh]

Serenity off shore in 2013…where is she?

[ctjon]

22 hours ago, KenzSailing said:

Short cuts from the Chez:

 

A couple tips I've been meaning to share, because, why not?  Anyway I seem to be fixated on salad right now.

 

First:  I've made many a Caesar dressing from scratch.  I've made the uncooked egg kind, I've made the Dijon mustard kind, both satisfying in their respective way.  But I've turned my attention to other courses in every meal and the dressing prep feels like a burden.  Here's the short cut I've hit upon:

 

Start with a good quality commercial Caesar dressing(here we can get, and like, Marzetti.)

 

Next, augment it to your taste with lemon juice(bottled, we're going for easy here) Worch sauce and anchovy paste(don't spare the anch paste.)  I'm telling ya, close your eyes and sway side to side while you're eating it and you'll flash back to a meal in Waterside on a choppy night. 

 

Second: (and I got this one from American's Test Kitchen)  whatever salad you're dressing, put the dressing in the bowl FIRST.  Spread it around with the back of a spoon, then add the greens and toss. You'll get a much more even coat. Genius. Try it!

 

Gotta get back to the stove.  All the best.

  

I remember when Crystal made the Caesar salad at your table side

[nancygp]

8 minutes ago, ctjon said:

I remember when Crystal made the Caesar salad at your table side

Me too!

 

Nancy

[KenzSailing]

2 hours ago, ctjon said:

I remember when Crystal made the Caesar salad at your table side

 

Yep, and the person making it was in a tux.  I ain't doing that either. 😁

[KenzSailing]

Tales from the Chez: "Sometimes you gotta bottom out before you can rise back up"

 

So, as my small but very faithful band of readers of my rambling missives know, I am, like @BEAV, not a turkey adherent at the (US) holidays.  But I have always deferred to a higher power.

 

So this Thanksgiving OLoPP brought home a turkey breast(it's just the two of us) from Bell and Evans.  In our area B&E is a big supplier of premium chickens and chicken parts.  I've bought them on many occasions and very rarely been disappointed. My heart soared with thoughts of a flavorful, succulent bird.  Hoo boy, were those hopes dashed on the rocky shores of protein disappointment.  It's like Mr Bell and Mr Evans finally managed to corral that free range twenty year old tom and gave him what he had coming(from their perspective,) and then shipped most of him to us.

 

Anyway, here comes the ray of sunshine.  Even OLoPP agrees that next year, between (US) Thanksgiving and Christmas, one holiday serves up a turkey and the other ham.  She has the kitchen for the bird, I have it for the pork. 

 

Sometimes, on very rare occasions, the sun does rise in the west.     

[Keith1010]

Eight years ago we saw Asuka II in port.  We've seen her before and since then but each time is special.

 

Keith

 

[Emdee]

Serenity in serene Newfoundland.

[BEAV]

15 hours ago, KenzSailing said:

Tales from the Chez: "Sometimes you gotta bottom out before you can rise back up"

 

So, as my small but very faithful band of readers of my rambling missives know, I am, like @BEAV, not a turkey adherent at the (US) holidays.  But I have always deferred to a higher power.

 

So this Thanksgiving OLoPP brought home a turkey breast(it's just the two of us) from Bell and Evans.  In our area B&E is a big supplier of premium chickens and chicken parts.  I've bought them on many occasions and very rarely been disappointed. My heart soared with thoughts of a flavorful, succulent bird.  Hoo boy, were those hopes dashed on the rocky shores of protein disappointment.  It's like Mr Bell and Mr Evans finally managed to corral that free range twenty year old tom and gave him what he had coming(from their perspective,) and then shipped most of him to us.

 

Anyway, here comes the ray of sunshine.  Even OLoPP agrees that next year, between (US) Thanksgiving and Christmas, one holiday serves up a turkey and the other ham.  She has the kitchen for the bird, I have it for the pork. 

 

Sometimes, on very rare occasions, the sun does rise in the west.     

Nice to have you in my turkeyless Thanksgiving club. I think I’ve noted this before (probably on this thread during the height of the pandemic when cruising was off the table) but my most memorable Thanksgiving as a youngster was when my Mom and Grandmother collaborated to do a shrimp fry. Grandma made a killer beer batter. I swear I ate 17 jumbo prawns that Thanksgiving. Maybe even 18…

 

…and a confession from your other post of Left Coast delicacies. Forgive me, Father, for not knowing about Humphry Slocombe ice cream. 🤦 But lo and behold, there it was, yesterday, in my local supermarket. 
Curious to know what flavors are in your freezer (or digestive system)? 🤔

 

 

[Texas Tillie]

3 hours ago, BEAV said:

Nice to have you in my turkeyless Thanksgiving club. I think I’ve noted this before (probably on this thread during the height of the pandemic when cruising was off the table) but my most memorable Thanksgiving as a youngster was when my Mom and Grandmother collaborated to do a shrimp fry. Grandma made a killer beer batter. I swear I ate 17 jumbo prawns that Thanksgiving. Maybe even 18…

 

…and a confession from your other post of Left Coast delicacies. Forgive me, Father, for not knowing about Humphry Slocombe ice cream. 🤦 But lo and behold, there it was, yesterday, in my local supermarket. 
Curious to know what flavors are in your freezer (or digestive system)? 🤔

 

 

 

Good grief! How does anyone afford to sail on Crystal if they pay that much for a pint of ice cream!!!

 

Patty

[BEAV]

1 hour ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

Good grief! How does anyone afford to sail on Crystal if they pay that much for a pint of ice cream!!!

 

Patty

Like Bill Clinton and pot, I didn’t indulge in a purchase! 
 

 

 

Edited November 29, 2023 by BEAV