Mareblu

2 hours ago, emd138 said:

I bring dress shoes that I normally wear, but also remember to keep in mind ocean conditions.  We only do R ships, and a lot of time, they are rocking and rolling.  I wear black sneakers in those conditions, with a nice outfit, and it has always been fine.  When you can't walk straight because you are bouncing off the walls, you have to do what you have to do.

Exactly.  Good advice.

14 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

I'll be taking my Camilla collection on the world cruise. 

 

Sadly Cunard didn't have pheasant in PG.

 

I hadn't thought of combining fennel and raddichio. That would be nice. I love roasted raddichio. Now that would go well with kangaroo, as does roasted beetroot. 

Bringing me closer to trying skippy…

😉 Shhhhhhh!!!!!

As long as we don't return to the Great Tablecloth Debate🥱

11 hours ago, arxcards said:

Is this one no good?

Fresh from the Central Coast of NSW.

One for the Dire Emergency Cupboard😂

So funny how we stray on CC.  Always foodie driven 😂

18 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Try pancetta. Buy in the piece if you can but not the spicy one. You might be able to get guanciale at one of the markets, like Prahran. Guanciale is cured with lots of black peppercorns which enhances the pepper flavour in the carbonara.

Speck is also terrific for carbonara.  Available in delis snd some supermarkets.  Buy in a small block, slice then dice, or better still, cut in matchstick fine pieces.  Delicious also in boef bourguignon and coq au vin.

20 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

 My GD gave the kaarage quail recipe from the cooking school restaurant menu and I really want to try it but I haven't seen any quail in local shops for ages. I'll have to see if my butcher can get some in for me.

 

I miss pheasant! When I lived in NZ and worked part time in Rotorua there was a pheasant farm nearby so a couple of the local restaurants used to have it on their menus regularly. Princess used to have pheasant on one of their formal night menus for the first few years we were cruising but it diasappeared off the menu around 2018 or 2019. 

 

I had grouse at a restaurant in London once. It came with all the trimmings, which were excessive!

 

We're the same as you re rare meats, sashimi etc. I made a scallop ceviche last week. It's very yummy served on witlof.

Julie, I’m drooling.  Thanks for the mental imagery.  Cunard serves pheasant in QG, or it did last year  I made kingfish ceviche two weeks ago, served with fennel and shredded red radicchio.  Great minds😂. BTW, I’ve packed my Camillas for the Cunard cruise in May. I might even shake them out for the Oceania cruise we board next week.  

5 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

It's really nice - similar to venison. It's a very lean meat so it has to be cooked very rare or it goes tough.

Yes I've read it dries out very quickly, and must be cooked very rare.  I'll pluck up the courage to try kangaroo one day.  I've tried venison, but I find it very gamey.  Strangely enough, I absolutely love game birds, such as pheasant, quail, squab, guinea fowl, etc.  Very difficult and expensive to source in Australia, except for quail.  I can't wait to be in the UK in a few weeks, where game birds are really plentiful.  I prefer meat, with the exception of chicken, cooked rare, and I just love sushi, ceviche, salmon and tuna tartare.

1 minute ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

There are so many variations of carbonara but I have never ever used cream. A while ago I started trying to make it as traditional as I could since we're now able to get guanciale (cured pork cheek) at Harris Farm Markets. OMG,it's so good! Then I started using pecorino instead of parmesan - it has a slightly different taste so it took a bit of getting used to. Then I tried not using garlic and decided I liked it that way best. I prefer to use one whole egg with an extra egg yolk as using only egg yolks makes it too rich for my taste, but too whole eggs isn't rich enough. Who'd have thought a simple dish like that could become so complicated! 🤣

That's so true, but simplicity is the hardest thing to perfect.  Guanciale and pecorino are the genuine ingredients, but I find pecorino (sheep's cheese) just a little too strong.  Even though parmigana is sharper, I prefer its pure taste.  Italians very rarely use cream in savoury dishes, and it's a sin to use it in carbonara.  You have to be quick from pot to plate with carbonara.  My son actually makes the best carbonara in our family, and he doesn't even speak Italian, although he understands most of light conversation.

8 hours ago, iowananny said:

Okay, I don't want to sound rude to anyone but when we cruise we find an itinerary we think we would enjoy at a time that will work for us.  If we feel we can afford it, we book it.  We will use the shore excursions O now offers and the drink package which is what we've always selected in the past.  Our travel agent has found some upgrades for us in the past and we appreciate those.  We've never had a bad cruise or felt we've been ripped off. 

 

But if there is anything about a cruise that bugs me is sitting down next to a person who rambles on and on about how little they paid for the cruise and what a great deal they got.  Once I've paid I can't even remember the exact cost I've paid.   All I know is it was something we could afford and we feel comfortable with.  We're not extremely rich people and have never booked above concierge level but have always had a good time.

 

I don't think we're throwing our money away.  If you have a good time trying to find the best deal then more power to you, just remember it might not be as important to others.  We like Business Class when we fly overseas.  Yeah, it's a lot more money and we arrive at the same time as Economy but we arrive feeling a lot better.  We're not a young as we used to be.  Everyone should be able to decide how they want to spend their own money.  If you don't like Simply More then find another line that fits your needs.  

Thank you.  Perfectly expressed.  I couldn’t agree more.

14 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Kangaroo for dinner tonight, it will go well with the salad.

I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve never tried it.  I think that’s because I was raised on the land, and it’s the one meat we didn’t eat.  Lamb, chicken, rabbit, all yes, but never kangaroo.

12 minutes ago, possum52 said:

Thanks Linda, it is a recipe my sister gave me and is so simple to make. I am sure it is your beauty and personality the girls inherited. 

Gosh, I hope not Leigh😂

They are all stunning though, and it can’t be just my subjective opinion, because they receive so many compliments.  Of utmost importance to us is their kindness and generosity to others.  They are always caring for friends in need.  I hope they never change.  I know instinctively your grandchildren would be the same.  We are so fortunate.

35 minutes ago, possum52 said:

Thank you Linda. We had Italian last night, well my version of spaghetti carbonara and no, I didn't use cream, only eggs, bacon, pepper, spaghetti, parmesan and a little garlic. Very nice I must say. 

 

Our eleven year old granddaughter has now caught me and the six year old won't be long! Grandsons now tower over me. 

Truly a classic carbonara, Leigh.  I’m sure it was more than nice😋

we have four girls, and I am dwarfed by each one of them.  It must have been only my beauty they inherited😉

1 hour ago, LincolnLegend said:

A late happy easter to you all! We had a family lunch at my brother's place, more to celebrate my dad's 94th birthday than for easter but it was nice to all get together. Dad's birthday is today but I am working so yesterday was the better option. As is the way these days, I had a call this morning to say my sil has tested positive to Covid, hopefully she hasn't shared it with mum or dad.

1 hour ago, ceeceeDee said:

Yes, the dreaded spicy cough is still around. I was supposed to see my daughter for her birthday today. Son in law has come down with Covid, so the celebrations are on hold.☹️

Wishing a speedy recovery to them both.

39 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

 

Lol, spring chickens hey, very easter appropriate.

As someone once said, we may be young but we make up for that with unbridled confidence and good looks.

Ah, but the radiance of wisdom maturity brings.  If only we had that light in our youth.

12 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

We enjoy Eurovision but are quite disappointed that Australia is now competing in it. We didn't mind them doing a song as a spectacle  each year but to compete in it like a European country is just ludicrous.

It is indeed ludicrous, and while we have enjoyed the stellar performances of some of the Aussie contestants, we have raised eyebrows at the prospect of every European and Middle Eastern nation struggling to send their team to the southern hemisphere in the unlikely scenario of an Australian win.  It’s also dubious that our citizens would support funding the enormous cost of hosting the contest.  Eurovision has produced many gems over the decades:  Lulu, Abba, etc., and who could forget that magical Riverdance  interlude while Ireland was hosting? 

Me too.  Have followed Eurovision since its inception.

1 hour ago, Aussieflyer said:

Happy Easter to all - hope the day has been filled with joy and your seas are smooth.

Congratulations for your 50th - we had ours in December and celebrated with a cruise (naturally) 🤣

And Les, special wishes your way - hoping things are OK for you.

Congratulations for your December golden anniversary.  We also celebrated ours with a cruise, and I can’t believe that was five years ago this coming August.  You are all spring chickens.

Congratulations, Leigh and Rob. A golden moment in your lives 🥂

Happy Easter, Les, and to all on here.  Wishing love and peace in your lives🕊️🌿

We just arrived home after a delicious and relaxing family lunch at Agostinis, an Italian restaurant in East Hotel here in Canberra.  The photos we took and shared prove I’m now officially the shortest family member😔

6 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Thank you very much

Hope you’ve left that hospital building, Mic.

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

I was distraught at the time. 😀 But there were a couple of good points. None of it went over anybody, amazingly, and only about a glass actually came out before I grabbed it, but, believe me, a glass goes a long way. Anyway, I got my comeuppance, for the next day I tested positive for Covid and was confined, so I couldn’t knock another bottle over in the restaurant.

Oh no!  A double tragedy.  Hope you didn’t suffer greatly, and made a rapid recovery. The latter tragedy aside, I am, as I read your post, imagining a Basil or Manuel moment😂😂

Gundagai?

It’s a mall, we’ve been there, enjoyed a tasty chowder lunch but can’t remember the name

Thank you, Hank, for your latest comprehensive report.  I know from your previous posts that you are never afraid to express objective impressions (good, bad and ugly included), so your post fills us with excitement as we draw closer to joining you aboard on 11 April.  I also know that like us for most of our time aboard, we simply love our own company, although we also enjoy meeting and mixing.  If at any time you would like to meet for a Martini's martini, we will be in 11033.  We also love sea days, so we wish you calm waters and fair breezes until your next report, which we'll be delighted to read.