River Cruising Water Cooler

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, pontac said:

* a pleasure to use shorthand for a date that will mean the same for US readers and readers in the rest of the world.

Sadly you don't have the happy numerical coincidence that this coming New Year's Eve is 123123.  😉

[Canal archive]

At least it doesn’t add up to Triple six only double.

[Host Jazzbeau]

5 hours ago, Canal archive said:

At least it doesn’t add up to Triple six only double.

You also miss out on Pi Day [3/14]...

[Canal archive]

Oh wow totally forgot that 1.

[notamermaid]

Well on our 11 11 at 11 11 we celebrate the beginning of Carnival. Merrymaking to the point of the end (and sometimes beyond) of proper behaviour.

 

No armistice day stuff for obvious reasons.

 

My photo dating settings on the computer even start with the year, so does one software on my computer at work. Not happy with organizing it that way but I get the logic so can just about accept it.

 

Oh, and nearly forgot: 11 November is the feast day of Saint Martin, so we see children with lanterns in the streets again.

 

notamermaid

 

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by notamermaid

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

My photo dating settings on the computer even start with the year, so does one software on my computer at work. Not happy with organizing it that way but I get the logic so can just about accept it.

As a math person I love yyyy-mm-dd because it is easily sortable.

[pontac]

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

My photo dating settings on the computer even start with the year, so does one software on my computer at work. Not happy with organizing it that way but I get the logic so can just about accept it.

 

 

Date format on your computer should be changeable in your setting. THis is what I have on my Windows machine

[sharkster77]

2 hours ago, gnome12 said:

As a math person I love yyyy-mm-dd because it is easily sortable.

That's how I label photo folders, so I can sort them by date, and actually find things.

[Canal archive]

Look for Bridgewater Carnival 2023 it was on 4th November then on to various other towns in the West Country - floodlit and absolutely fantastic, so many people have never heard of it, if you see it, it will knock your socks off absolutely brilliant. 

 

[Canal archive]

Don’t forget the Hindu festival of Diwali next week.

[notamermaid]

3 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Look for Bridgewater Carnival 2023 it was on 4th November then on to various other towns in the West Country - floodlit and absolutely fantastic, so many people have never heard of it, if you see it, it will knock your socks off absolutely brilliant. 

 

Never heard about this before, will check that out.

 

The lantern processions are lovely and there is - where possibly - a man dressed up as a Roman soldier with red cloak on a white horse, i.e. Saint Martin. The children all go to a bonfire and you get Martinsbrezel. Love the title of this website! https://morethanbeerandschnitzel.com/baking-martinsbrezel-and-stutenkerle/

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

Must have a go at that recipe. Thank you.

[Host Jazzbeau]

I'm still working (slowly) on my blog for the Scenic Douro trip in September, but in going through my papers I found this recipe for Pastéis de Nata which some of our semi-pro cooks here might like to try:

 

[notamermaid]

@Daisi I see that your river cruise on the Moselle has an optional excursion to Traben-Trarbach. They appear to go to underground wine cellars. They are interesting to look at but what blew me away in that town is the Art Nouveau architecture. If you want a break from Romans, castles and half-timbered houses I recommend the rich architecture of Traben-Trarbach. This German language video from Saarländischer Rundfunk broadcasting station is only available till 17 December, so if you want to get some impressions of that town and its cellars have a look: https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/da-will-ich-hin/traben-trarbach-da-will-ich-hin/sr/Y3JpZDovL3NyLW9ubGluZS5kZS9EV0lIXzEyMjMwMA

 

notamermaid

 

[Daisi]

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

@Daisi I see that your river cruise on the Moselle has an optional excursion to Traben-Trarbach. They appear to go to underground wine cellars. They are interesting to look at but what blew me away in that town is the Art Nouveau architecture. If you want a break from Romans, castles and half-timbered houses I recommend the rich architecture of Traben-Trarbach. This German language video from Saarländischer Rundfunk broadcasting station is only available till 17 December, so if you want to get some impressions of that town and its cellars have a look: https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/da-will-ich-hin/traben-trarbach-da-will-ich-hin/sr/Y3JpZDovL3NyLW9ubGluZS5kZS9EV0lIXzEyMjMwMA

 

notamermaid

 

 I hope that is available, it looks great. It's not listed on our tour, but there is a wine tasting in Bernkastle-Kues, so hopefully we can see the town and the excursion will be in the afternoon. Thanks for the info!

[Canal archive]

 

Thank you Jazz I got so enthralled with watching them being made I forgot the recipe.

[Canal archive]

Now watching The Lord Mayors Parade in London one of the features was a Swiss Alphorn. If you can get the beeb it’s well worth a watch.

[Coral]

22 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I'm still working (slowly) on my blog for the Scenic Douro trip in September, but in going through my papers I found this recipe for Pastéis de Nata which some of our semi-pro cooks here might like to try:

 

Thanks for this. Maybe some day I will try to make them. I absolutely love them.

 

In the mean time - Costco has them in the freezer section at my location. They are a different brand then they had pre-COVID.

 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

50 minutes ago, Coral said:

Thanks for this. Maybe some day I will try to make them. I absolutely love them.

 

In the mean time - Costco has them in the freezer section at my location. They are a different brand then they had pre-COVID.

 

 

This recipe is much easier than I expected it to be, because it starts with store-bought dough!

[Coral]

37 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

This recipe is much easier than I expected it to be, because it starts with store-bought dough!

It probably is. I broke my wrist recently on vacation. So I am not making much right now. I can say a lot about Canadian healthcare and trip insurance though.

 

I did save the recipe for later but didn't look too closely at it.

Edited November 11, 2023 by Coral

[Canal archive]

Packet pastry is one of the best inventions ever, saves so much phaphing about.

[notamermaid]

I love puff pastry in a roll from my local supermarket. So versatile. I have used it for finger food, baking with leftover fruit, cheese parcels.

 

Planning to try Spritzgebäck (that is dough pushed through a machine or piping bag that creates shapes) again using an older recipe with rum. Problem I have is that it requires egg yolk. So what to do with the egg whites? I am not good at making meringue. Macarons? Or German coconut biscuits? I am seriously out of practice...

 

Around this time of year we eat Martinsgans - Saint Martin's legend says that he was hiding so he would not be appointed bishop but the geese betrayed his hiding place - but I have never cooked goose. Have only had it in a restaurant many years ago. It is on the specials menu at many places in November.

 

By the way - has anyone had goose on a river cruise?

 

notamermaid

 

Edited November 11, 2023 by notamermaid

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

So what to do with the egg whites?

Another recipe we had several times in Portugal was called Molotov cake.  It's made with egg whites and "explodes in your mouth" !

[Canal archive]

Goose cooks a little like duck and tends to be fatty like duck so if you roast it do it on an open wire trivet so the fat drains into a container beneath, it tastes and eaten just fine not strong or stringy. I’ve only done it once when as a family we attempted an old fashioned Christmas. Really a lot of fun but I don’t think we’ll be doing it again.

[UDChE89]

My Lidl normally has pasteis de nata in the bakery section on a regular basis.