Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome!

Unexpected visitors tonight led to a pizza production line .....

:)

Yum! We made a few on Friday ourselves. Had to cook inside (too cold to grill) but they were not bad for being cooked at only 500F.

Yum! We made a few on Friday ourselves. Had to cook inside (too cold to grill) but they were not bad for being cooked at only 500F.

:D

I bet your's were far better looking than mine!

Jeff

:D

 

I bet your's were far better looking than mine!

 

Jeff

The taste is more important. And I grew up on a farm in Central New York so I understand and appreciate peasant food. I still cook that way - much preferring to have a few fresh wholesome ingredients put together with minimal fuss as opposed to something really fancy. I can relate to a simple pizza with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil - much more than one with a dozen different oddball toppings layered on so thick that you can't pick it up.

Now, Chris grew up in New York City so she had her own ideas about pizza... Our style evolved together over these past 20-some years of sharing meals!

Yours looks delicious, by the way - thanks for sharing! The black spots from cooking at a very high temperature, thin layer of sauce, not overloaded with toppings... Yes, very nice!

Now, speaking of fancy food (which we much prefer to have someone else cook for us):

We were away for the weekend, visiting the Finger Lakes in Central New York. An excellent wine region despite the frigid weather! Chris won a contest a few months back and our prize was a 3-course wine and food pairing dinner at one of the wineries there. So with your indulgence, I'd like to post a few food pictures as well (apologize for the crummy cell phone pix)...

First, the menu:

First course was Chinese pulled chicken atop a Johnny cake, with peach and habanero jam:

Main course was pan-seared Dayboat Scallops with sweet potato spoonbread, celeriac remoulade, and spinach soubise:

Dessert was French Apple Cake:

Not the greatest food shots but it was very tasty! We still have some of the cake for tonight's dessert... :)

Good Morning JP ..... from a freezing Hampshire ....

It's good to hear from another man-cook! Lovely pictures ... and you are so lucky to have someone win food for you. :D

I know that posting pictures of food can be by some of those who to choose to think that way - seem like some sort of showing off. But it isn't.

It seems to me that we are on the brink of a significant change in society that I really regret. For tens of thousands of years -and more - we have followed a primeval instinct of showing protection and love by preparing food. Within a single generation we've moved from the majority knowing how to prepare the food they eat to it seems in advanced society most no longer doing so. Some of this is due to the changing nature of work, and the fact that there are more places to eat and that supermarkets provide food that just needs warming. But what I think also kills people even trying is the development of personality chefs and that sort of thing. People see all this well presented food on TV and in magazines and in blogs. They think they can't copy that so they become disheartened from trying to cook. They think it is about what it looks like not what it tastes like. But magazines and TV and blogs don't tell you what the food tastes like. Or how unnecessarily complex the prep has been. Or how unnecessarily obscure the ingredients are. So we need to get back to simplicity. What I'd - perhaps wrongly - call peasant food. They focus on what it looks like. It is the taste of food that is important more than how it looks. That is why I feel happy when the odd person looks at a picture of an easily prepared meal by me and says ... "I can do that .... I must get back into the kitchen".

I also feel real passion about not eating in restaurants when I travel but eating on the streets with ordinary working people. You learn and enjoy so much more.

I really enjoyed your travel pictures, not just because of the chance to travel with you both and share where you went. But what seems to jump out from those pictures are two sole-mates adventuring and sharing a life of exploration and interest together, and you will know like me ... you rarely see that. That has been one of the joys that pictures of you and Chris's travels gave to me and wifey. :)

With my new oven I'm working my way back through one of my favourite books - one you may be interested in ... Flatbreads and Flavors: A Baker's Atlas by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. So many of those breads depend on tandoori oven levels of heat. This book is the record of travels around the world following all the flatbreads. It is a unique book.

A pile of bread books have now been taken back off the shelves and dusted and are beside my seat ... some may be of interest to you ... Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza Ken Forkish; Delicious and Simple Handmade Artisan Bread (The Art of Baking Series) Rosemary Scott; Simply Sourdough: Baking All Natural Breads with Wild Yeasts Melissa Naasko; Crust: Bread to Get Your Teeth into, Richard Bertinet; Crust and Crumb: Master Formulas for Serious Bread Bakers by Peter Reinhart; and Nancy Silverton's Breads from the La Brea Bakery.

What I think comes out of all of this reading is how important it is for people wishing to make some bread to understand that bread is simply about flour, water and yeast. Once you understand what gives the bread flavour and character and what the ratios should be you need no recipes. Once you understand that less is more and the longer you retard it's rising and proving the better the taste you understand all you need to about bread. If - for example - most people knew how easy it is to make an authentic French baguette at home they would be astonished. Or simple pitta or wrap bread to join their kebab.

Bread is so rewarding. I am looking forward to my first Afghan Snowshoe Nan from the new oven ..

Afghan Snowshoe Nan

Unexpected visitors tonight led to a pizza production line .....

UKCruiseJeff: It seems to me that we are on the brink of a significant change in society that I really regret. For tens of thousands of years -and more - we have followed a primeval instinct of showing protection and love by preparing food. Within a single generation we've moved from the majority knowing how to prepare the food they eat to it seems in advanced society most no longer doing so. Some of this is due to the changing nature of work' date=' and the fact that there are more places to eat and that supermarkets provide food that just needs warming. But what I think also kills people even trying is the development of personality chefs and that sort of thing. People see all this well presented food on TV and in magazines and in blogs. They think they can't copy that so they become disheartened from trying to cook. They [b']think it is about what it looks like not what it tastes like[/b].

Appreciate the great picture on your pizza production set-up. Amazing!! Loved your keen insights on the history of food production, society/media changes and impacts, etc. Very interesting and extremely thoughtful!!

I am still in the "enjoy eating" situation and stage of life. Not having the time and patience for doing all of the prep, etc. Was over in Indianapolis, Indiana, this past weekend for the Big Ten college football championship game between Ohio State and Wisconsin (home of cheese, the Packers, etc.). OSU won big, 59-0, moved up to 4th-ranked nationally and gaining a place in the big Jan. 1 college play-off games to go for the National Championship. Will share more picture shortly from the game and its events. But, first some food shots that were enjoyed during this road trip.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 165,561 views. Appreciate the interest and follow-up questions/comments!!

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Here is a sampling of the dining delights while in Indianapolis, Ind., getting ready for doing the Big Ten college football championship game when the Ohio State Buckeyes beat Wisconsin 59-0 to gain a 4th-ranking nationally. First is the Veal Piccata with capers, white wine sauce, etc., plus soup and a side of spaghetti. Second is the pistachio cannoli for dessert. Both of these were from Saturday night's pre-game dinner at the Milano Inn in a historic, late 19th century brick building in the old Italian section near their downtown. Finally was the Sunday morning celebration breakfast at The Egg and I dining location north of Indy. I had the crab cakes Benedict with lots of hollandaise sauce and ranch potatoes. Notice their bottle of "hot sauce" that is available? Fun and very good!!:

As promised and threatened, here are some championship game visuals taken from my seats in the amazing Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis. Thankfully, we were indoors and did not have to battle the Midwest cold weather during this exciting game.

Now back to getting ready for our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo back-to-back sailing on the Silver Cloud. Plus, more road trips over the end of the year holidays. First to Kansas for Christmas and then New Years Day for Virginia and the grandsons, etc. Lots of opportunities for food, family and fun visuals.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 88,030 views for this posting.

Here are our travel partners, Janet and Dennis, at the game. He broke his ankle and had surgery two weeks ago, but is doing well with his scooter, made it over and back fine for this game, etc. Plus, we all loved this exciting game with lots of offense and defense highlights.:

The OSU Marching Band did its pre-game show with the famed Script Ohio. Here you can see the overall view on the stadium big-screen, plus the "dotting" of the i by a senior band member.:

At the start of the second half, here is the banner lead-in for our team coming back on the field to pound more Wisconsin cheese.:

Here is one of the many Ohio State touchdown scores during this game. Here you see the running back Curtis Samuel from Brooklyn as he is ready to cross the goal line. Notice how the blocking lined up? This 12-yard run made the score 52-0 early in the fourth quarter. Overall, Ohio State was 12-1 this season.:

On the stadium's large screen, here is the look as Ohio State players celebrate when being presented the victory hardware with the smiling OSU coach shown on the left side. Happy folks and fans!! Sorry for Wisconsin.:

Ok terry, enough of rubbing in the Buckeyes win.

Now that we are rid of Hoke, maybe the Wolverines will have a chance. Sad that there was such a disconnect this season.

I did watch the OSU game and I bet the Badger fans wish they could have soothed their souls and filled their stomachs with some of Jeff's yummy pizza or that gourmet food from the finger lakes wine region that JP and Chris had.

I have seen that stadium in Indy, pretty amazing.

Good morning all from a bleedin' cold Hampshire .... with a b*>?4£d cental heating boiler ... ah well. :(

In honour of spin .. yesterday was fish cakes and parsley sauce and peas .... (partly eaten ..) and today's daily bread is very big onion seed and rye bagels .... which we're having with some gravadlax tonight .. with some Deutz.

Ok terry, enough of rubbing in the Buckeyes win. Now that we are rid of Hoke, maybe the Wolverines will have a chance. Sad that there was such a disconnect this season. I did watch the OSU game and I bet the Badger fans wish they could have soothed their souls and filled their stomachs with some of Jeff's yummy pizza or that gourmet food from the finger lakes wine region that JP and Chris had. I have seen that stadium in Indy, pretty amazing.

Sorry to hear on Jeff's boiler challenges and the battles with the cold there in the UK. Not too bad in temperatures now in Ohio. Will be a high of 43F (or about 6C) here today. Surviving well, so far, after that super November cold snap, ice storm, etc. We have a low-pressure steam boiler system in our home. Most homes in America have forced-air gas or maybe electric heat versus boilers. Boilers can be super for home heat. BUT, if they need to be replaced, it can be costly. Trade-offs??!!

For spinnaker2, NO, I was not trying to rub it in against her school/college, Michigan. Since Ohio State has defeated the University of Michigan football team in 12 of the last 14 meetings and their most recent coach has been fired, we do not worry quite as much about "that team up north" as Michigan is called here in Ohio. Historically, that OSU vs. UM battle has been huge. BUT, lately, Michigan has been struggling. Now, Michigan has a new President from the Ivy League/Brown and he might not "get it" for how fans/alumni don't want second-class athletics playing weak with too much of a academic emphasis. What are American colleges supposed to do? Big-time athletics or focusing on classroom/research performance??

We are getting ready for getting our yellow fever shots late this afternoon for our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean sailing on the Silver Cloud. Getting closer to having most of these important, basic "travel details" completed.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 165,630 views. Appreciate the interest and follow-up questions/comments!!

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

In sunny south Florida where it is a chilly 63 F. in the sun right now as we are having a cold snap, we don't have very effective heating systems. It's heat strips, and the ac unit blows air over them. Not very good...

I hope you get your boiler fixed Jeff. You have so many ovens...those can heat up the kitchen and pantry area, correct? Love the green peas!

Terry, as far as the new Ivy League president goes, we will see. I seriously doubt that UM will give up football. When you speak about the balance of academics vs athletics, which way did OSU decide to go?[emoji6]

We will have to wait to see the saga at UM unfold.

On another note, about your preparations for the trip/cruise, you mentioned your wife was an RN. Which program did she graduate from initially?

At the nursing program I attended first go round, we had to have all those shots in order to treat patients. Even though we were far from any tropical country in Connecticut, they insisted we have them. I do recall being very sick from them. Hope that they don't do the same thing to you.

Oh no Jeff! Call British Gas don't they (more or less) guarantee fixing the boiler the same day (if of course it is gas......).

Another very raw day up here in Shrops - nasty nasty. The boys were here early this morning to remove the last sick tree - one shot up the tree and leapt around through the branches attached with only a rope. Amazing. Within four hours it was history and just lots of sawing of the trunk remained - by 2pm there was no sign that anyone had been there apart from a stump.

Hopefully now things will calm down for a while........ apart from finding a floor covering for the back hall vestibule where all the muddy/wet feet come in - hey ho more fun times ahead.

Mary

Thanks, but I don't think British Gas fits new oil boilers .....:D

Hi Jeff et al,

We enjoyed the rest of the French Apple cake as dessert Sunday night. It was an excuse to finish off an unusual bottle of wine that we had - a semi-dry Chardonnay that was fairly unique, but hard to match with the usual foods. It was a little too sweet to pair with savory foods but it worked well with the apple cake.

Unfortunately the weekend is over and back to work. Simple food tonight - broiled lobster tails and a baked potato. Need something we can put on the table without spending all evening fussing. We both like cooking but don't always have the time... Chris is more of a baker, as her mom and grandparents lived in Austria for a time and brought that tradition over with them. My mother baked her own bread and grew most of her own vegetables on the farm, so both of us grew up thinking that it's normal to cook at home all of the time.

My mom's cooking was much more "simple" than the fancy stuff Chris' mom and grandmother baked, but the important part is that we both learned early on that you can cook at home and enjoy the results. And I learned that a simple combination of fresh ingredients made for a great meal.

It's handy that we cook most of our meals at home, because we eat away from home enough on Silversea etc. If we ate in restaurants or ordered take-out food regularly while we were at home, we'd have to cruise in the cargo hold.

I have not (yet) totally gone over to street food as opposed to sit-down restaurants when traveling, but we make the occasional foray there. But, we absolutely subscribe to the principle that experiencing local food and drink is an essential part of the whole travel experience. I can't imagine going to a foreign locale and looking for the local McDonalds. I don't even eat that at home... So much more interesting to try something different! And so often, it's delicious, and it becomes a great memory, something we remember fondly and try to recreate at home.

Thanks for your kind comments about our travel blogs. We put a lot of effort into planning and we try to get as much as we can out of the experience. It's such fun, but we also appreciate that are pretty lucky to have these opportunities, and that we both enjoy them so much together. So many people that we know from work, etc, don't travel, or can't travel like we do.

I have to get back into baking bread. I did years ago but have gotten out of the habit, other than making my own pizza dough. Maybe this weekend - we aren't working, and we're not away from home - a rare occurrence these days! Looking forward to more pictures from your oven.

Hi All,

JP ... lovely to hear mom-in-law is from Austria. I have spent a lot of time in Austria. Partly when I worked for a "large American computer company" and during my time when they weren't allowed to have offices actually in Russia ( ;) ) under the bans with trade with Russia - so we operated out of Vienna and since then we estimate around 100 visits or so ie two or three a year to Vienna. But I think that's over now - it has changed so much. I see you had a river cruise or a "nearly" cruise in Vienna - did you go? Have you seen anything of Austria?

You may like these three webcams in Rathausplatz in Vienna where the main Christmas market is. You can control the three cameras. Greta fun. Much better than going ....

Rathausplatz Vienna Christmas Market

I now eat home made bread most days and find that forgetting completely about recipes but instead understanding underlying principles has really been more helpful and encouraging. So now I simply maintain some simple spreadsheets which I have honed for each type of bread I make. So if I try a small ratio or water change and it's better - I update the spreadsheet.

I then enter the total amount of finished product I want ie say 1150gms for 6 bagels and my spreadsheet tells me what I should weigh. I have also added things to one of the ovens to make it a perfect bread oven ie it has some initial steam as well. But as I mostly like crust it is mostly now rolls, bagels, flatbreads and pizza from the new oven. As you know, home baking is often pursuing something you ate that was perfect in the past, and the bagels was simply the pursuit of what I use to eat in the East-end of London when I was younger but the last bagels I made were actually the best bagels I've eaten to I have finally cracked it. I gave wifey a bagel last night and she scoffed it down. :D

I'm afraid yesterday was just burgers ......

Jeff

I have not (yet) totally gone over to street food as opposed to sit-down restaurants when traveling, but we make the occasional foray there. But, we absolutely subscribe to the principle that experiencing local food and drink is an essential part of the whole travel experience. I can't imagine going to a foreign locale and looking for the local McDonalds. I don't even eat that at home... So much more interesting to try something different!

UKCruiseJeff: JP ... lovely to hear mom-in-law is from Austria. I have spent a lot of time in Austria. Partly when I worked for a "large American computer company" and during my time when they weren't allowed to have offices actually in Russia

Appreciate Jeff's great food visuals/details' date=' plus learning more from JP on his [b']family connections to Austria[/b]. Have super loved both of my visits to that historic nation, doing both Salzburg and Vienna each time. Such class, charm, style and interests there in these areas. As a student of history and architecture, there is so much to love and enjoy in Austria!!

Now at 45 days until we depart Columbus to start our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean adventure on the Silver Cloud. Yesterday's "big thing" was getting my shots for Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A & B and Typhoid. Plus a travel prescription for the pills to take to ward off malaria while in and around these Amazon River/Brazil areas.

BUT, "street food" brings up some excellent questions and considerations!!! When traveling overseas, I hate to even think of McDonalds and/or any other such boring "formula" food. Yes, want to get the local "flavor and feel". BUT, in talking with the travel health clinic people yesterday, they had some strong, vocal warnings for what you put in your body in certain parts of this unique and varied world. They note on their website: "Raw fruits and veggies? Cook it, boil it, peel it or forget it!" Also: "Unpasteurized milk and dairy products may contain tuberculosis (TB) bacteria". They also detail: "Hepatitis A is a serious viral infection of the liver spread by contaminated food and water. It is common outside the United States and is recommended for travel to Mexico, the Carribean and any destination that has less than optimal sanitation."

Clearly on the ship and for most parts of the Caribbean, we are in good shape for them having better health standards and purposes. But, however, some parts of the Amazon region could be of question. This includes watching out on drinks such as one my favorites being frozen margaritas with salt. BUT, that margarita could be made with local ice, made with local water??!! How good and pure is that water used to make the ice?? Salsa can be wonderful, but how is it made, by whom, with what materials,etc.??

The travel company also offers these cautions: "Malaria, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever are all mosquito-bourne. The influenza virus can survive for up to 2 days on hard surfaces such as doorknobs and telephones Beware of bottled water without a seal. The cap should snap when opened, or it could have been refilled with local tap water." Yes, those mosquitos can be pesky and we will bring lots of "Deet" and use it actively while in these Amazon areas.

Any other reactions, thoughts, ideas, etc., in order to enjoy street/local foods and drinks, BUT, keep it 100% safe? Fortunately, Silversea is good about providing sealed water bottles to take when we depart the ship. Other suggestions to share??

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 189,601 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Terry, as far as the new Ivy League president goes, we will see. I seriously doubt that UM will give up football. When you speak about the balance of academics vs athletics, which way did OSU decide to go?[emoji6] We will have to wait to see the saga at UM unfold. On another note, about your preparations for the trip/cruise, you mentioned your wife was an RN. Which program did she graduate from initially? At the nursing program I attended first go round, we had to have all those shots in order to treat patients. Even though we were far from any tropical country in Connecticut, they insisted we have them. I do recall being very sick from them. Hope that they don't do the same thing to you.

Appreciate these excellent questions/comments from Candy in mostly sunny south Florida. Yes, OSU and most major colleges want to have BOTH!! Popular athletics that attract money, media attention, students and keep alumni happy, plus being highly ranked for academics/research. Some can do that, while others are challenged by these conflicting goals. Don't we all want to have "everything" and make every possible interest happy?

No problems and/or bad reactions from the medical shots yesterday. Did a program this morning for a group of officials from Indonesia with their Justice Ministry visiting the USA on an exchange program through the U.S. State Department. My body and brain were working fine!! I fooled them into thinking I knew what I was talking about on media, politics, etc.

My wife did some initial work in oncology nursing. BUT, that area has its challenges. PLUS, the hours with nursing and hospitals can be difficult. She picked up on school nursing. Those hours were better, plus with the summers off, etc. Now that she has been retired for 18 months, having that flexibility is nice.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 88,252 views for this posting.

Terry

Get a head net. They look ridiculous but believe me if there are noseeums or other bugs that fly in your eyes, try to go up your nose, etc, you will happily wear it. They sell them on Amazon even with repellant. The best repellant we found is called Repel, it's lemon eucalyptus. It works very well. Wear tropical weight shirts with long sleeves. No shorts.

When I was in honduras I forgot about the fresh produce, and ate a salad. I worried for months, but TG nothing or nada happened. You have to be super vigilant!

💀

On another issue, I was an oncology nurse as well before I became an ARNP, and then went to law school. I was one of the founders of the Hospice in our community, which was begun as a grass roots effort, where I was on call gratis 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

School nursing is a wonderful calling. I am sure many of us can remember going to the school nurse and having a hug and laying on the cot, waiting for our parents. A far cry from today, I am sure...

Hi All,

 

JP ... lovely to hear mom-in-law is from Austria. I have spent a lot of time in Austria. Partly when I worked for a "large American computer company" and during my time when they weren't allowed to have offices actually in Russia ( ;) ) under the bans with trade with Russia - so we operated out of Vienna and since then we estimate around 100 visits or so ie two or three a year to Vienna. But I think that's over now - it has changed so much. I see you had a river cruise or a "nearly" cruise in Vienna - did you go? Have you seen anything of Austria?

 

Jeff

Hi Jeff - Chris' parents were both Ukrainian nationals whose parents had to flee the Stalinist purges in the early 1940s. Her mom's father was a lawyer in Ukraine but was conscripted into the Soviet Army. Fearing for himself and his family under Stalin, he deserted. He then collected his wife, mother-in-law, and Chris' infant mother, and they all fled to Austria. They lived in a Displaced Persons' Camp for a number of years by Hohenems, which is in Western Tyrol. After almost 10 years they were sponsored by friends and immigrated to the US. But they brought some amazing old recipes with them that Chris still has, and we try to bake them from time to time. Chris' mother used to cook food for us that we have since recognized when traveling in Bavaria and Tyrol.

Chris' Dad's family was displaced in Germany, near Bayreuth. Her parents met in New York after their families had immigrated separately. They lived together in New York and then Pennsylvania, but all of them have been gone now for over 10 years. They saved many mementos from those years and it was a real eye-opener to see what these seemingly ordinary people had lived through. They went through so much but never spoke of it. Amazing what Europe put her people through in those two World Wars.

But on to happier topics - yes, we did visit Austria on the Danube River cruise that wasn't. It was scheduled for June 2013 but you may remember the massive floods that year that inundated Passau. Our river cruise was canceled 3 days before we were to leave the US for two weeks, and we didn't know what the heck we would do as most of that was supposed to be on the river cruise...

So we rearranged our first week in Germany, and flew over anyway to see what we could do. We left the second week open and figured it out once we got there. It was an excellent time, and we managed to get to Vienna for 2 days which we enjoyed very much. Not nearly enough time to see more than an overview, and to visit the major sights, but enough to know that we liked it and want to visit again.

We also drove through some of Tyrol in Chris' new Audi S7 when we did the European delivery program last May. That was fun! The landscape is gorgeous, and we found lots of fun things to do. Lots of hiking, castles, and great food in this area. We are thinking of revisiting next August or September if we can make it work out.

BUT, "street food" brings up some excellent questions and considerations!!! When traveling overseas, I hate to even think of McDonalds and/or any other such boring "formula" food. Yes, want to get the local "flavor and feel". BUT, in talking with the travel health clinic people yesterday, they had some strong, vocal warnings for what you put in your body in certain parts of this unique and varied world. They note on their website: "Raw fruits and veggies? Cook it, boil it, peel it or forget it!" Also: "Unpasteurized milk and dairy products may contain tuberculosis (TB) bacteria". They also detail: "Hepatitis A is a serious viral infection of the liver spread by contaminated food and water. It is common outside the United States and is recommended for travel to Mexico, the Carribean and any destination that has less than optimal sanitation."

 

Clearly on the ship and for most parts of the Caribbean, we are in good shape for them having better health standards and purposes. But, however, some parts of the Amazon region could be of question. This includes watching out on drinks such as one my favorites being frozen margaritas with salt. BUT, that margarita could be made with local ice, made with local water??!! How good and pure is that water used to make the ice?? Salsa can be wonderful, but how is it made, by whom, with what materials,etc.??

 

The travel company also offers these cautions: "Malaria, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever are all mosquito-bourne. The influenza virus can survive for up to 2 days on hard surfaces such as doorknobs and telephones Beware of bottled water without a seal. The cap should snap when opened, or it could have been refilled with local tap water." Yes, those mosquitos can be pesky and we will bring lots of "Deet" and use it actively while in these Amazon areas.

 

Any other reactions, thoughts, ideas, etc., in order to enjoy street/local foods and drinks, BUT, keep it 100% safe? Fortunately, Silversea is good about providing sealed water bottles to take when we depart the ship. Other suggestions to share??

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

My advice, Terry: if you listen to the CDC you will drive yourself crazy and you'll be afraid to get off the ship and/or eat anything. You will also be shot up so full of vaccinations that your clothes won't fit... :rolleyes:

It is wise to get Yellow Fever vaccinations because that disease is just horrible, and it's incurable. Malaria is terrible too; take your prophylaxis and don't forget it (we prefer Malarone over the others). We have not bothered getting vaccinated for Hep A though we are vaccinated for Hep B because of our jobs. Some day I suppose we should...

Regarding food, we eat whatever we want. Look around you. Every person that you see isn't writhing around in the throes of some deadly infectious gastroenteritis. If the food were that toxic, and contamination were rampant, the local population would have been decimated long ago. You may get some minor upset from time to time but is that the jet lag, too much caffeine, or some mild bug? 9 out of 10 times it passes without an issue.

We also bring some antibiotics in case something more serious happens. So far, so good; we have had to take it only once. This approach probably isn't for everyone but if you are relatively healthy with a decent immune system, then I think the CDC is pathologically conservative with their recommendations. One of my colleagues has a strong interest in travel medicine and she berates me for my carelessness too...

But, we don't travel so that we can drink water from plastic bottles and eat sterilized food. It's all part of the experience. If you "cook it, boil it, peel it" you might as well forget about eating anything tasty. Some of our best meals in Egypt, Jordan, South Africa, Peru, etc. were created from the amazing variety of local produce. We are off to Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zanzibar next June and I plan to experience it to the fullest. I will eat everything I can get my hands on, but you can bet I will have a bottle of Cipro with me...

So, do whatever you're comfortable with. Just try not to worry that some deadly bug is lurking in every meal! One last caveat - if you think your food supply is 100% safe in the US, or any other first world nation, think again. It isn't... It's not feasible to be 100% safe here, or elsewhere.

Good Morning all …..

Firstly – with respect to the “Street Food” and food in general discussion, I need to make a confession. I am in fact very fussy about how my food is prepared by others. Cannot help myself. I guess in simple terms I hate seeing stuff that I'm going to put in my mouth handled by strangers hands, summarised best by the terrible thought that if I don't want to lick their fingers why would I want their fingers in my food. I am fastidious about hygiene in my own food prep.

Seriously, the issue of my food hygiene safety issues probably hasn't been improved by seeing a considerable number of kitchens and chefs etc handle food disrespectfully and so I'm less at ease with not seeing my food prepared than I am seeing it prepared. In the UK we have a “scores on the doors” system and you can check out a food places last rating. It's a zero to five system with 5 being best. I won't ever eat anywhere with a less than 4 rating.

On our last visit to Bangkok I found the street food conditions just a bit too much for me … genuinely filthy – photogenic “yes” - but not something I was happy to eat from. In fact |I ended up with very serious food poisoning on that trip. Bizarrely the culprit was the Intercontinental in Bangkok that had a celebrity guest Indian Chef and I had some of his chicken. 3 stone lost in a week or so and seriously ill.

Singapore …. however. Some background facts about Singapore and it's food.

1. Singapore street food offers genuine fusion food as well as genuine food representing the separate cultures. The fusion food is not because a clever chef decided to experiment in a flash restaurant with flavours from different cultures but because people from different cultures descended over time to Singapore as a trading port and they assimilated, tried each others food and then stole bits off of each others cuisine and made new ones! Real fusion food. So if you like Chinese food .... like Indian food .... and can't choose ... you could well find it in a single Singapore dish developed by people like you who couldn't decide. But you will also find the distinct foods as well. Make sure you read about Peranakan food before you arrive.

2. Many of the hawkers stalls specialise and are known for a single dish which they prepare day in and day out. Because they don't have long menus they are very good at the limited range or sometimes single dish that they prepare.

3. Many of these hawkers have been preparing the same dish or dishes for generations in locations they have been at for generations and the methods handed from parent to children. Sometimes family members open up competing stalls next door ..... So you are going to eat something that the stall owners are passionate about and have perfected.

4. Because the dishes are so cheap you can buy them and try them without worrying about the cost. I purposefully choose stuff I think I might not like, to simply try a mouthful. Most of the time I experience something I haven't tried before and thoroughly enjoy it. Singapore will extend your known food enjoyment range ...

5. Singapore is a highly controlled environment. For Western sensitivities re hygiene etc other places - Bangkok for example may offer photogenic street food opportunities but may seem less clean to us softy Westerners. Singapore has a fairly stringent inspection programme where hawkers are rated for their hygiene also called "scores on the doors". So you know that your food should be safe. They must by law display their ratings prominently. You can also see them prepare the food and walk by if you want. Every food establishment from a humble foodstall to an exquisite restaurant has a compulsory hygiene grading by the authorities. A, B, C, D with A being the best and D being the lowest. The vast majority (over 90%) of hawker centre stalls have an A or B grade. We won't eat at below B.

6. Singapore residents are passionate about their street food and they often travel across town to visit their favourite places. Many write extensive bloggs with reveiews to give you a starting point. On a two day visit the simplest approach is to go to a large center, wander around to see what takes your fancy and then use the length of queue to decide which places are the best.

7. When eating in the hawker centers you'll be seated alongside Singapore people and you will find them interested to talk to you, delightful to meet, and helpful with your food choices and are a key part of the Singapore experience which to an extent restaurants immunise you from.

8. Hawker centers are also ideal for a veggie eating with a carnivore because each of you chooses what you want from what you can see being prepared. You just wander and choose and come back to your table or they bring it. Most restaurants don't let you see before you buy ......

Just some thought about why in my view it is better and safer to eat street food in Singapore than it is probably in many Western food places.

Join us in Singapore for a food safari ...... :)

Jeff

Hi JP,

Lovely to hear about the family backgrounds.

My own family all came from a couple of villages in what was originally in Russia and now a part of Poland not far from Belarus. The internet now allows one to see those villages and I have seen pictures of people with the family name. They fled the programs and fled throughout Europe and America and Australia ... everywhere in fact. If it hadn't been for that flight to the UK I guess I wouldn't be here now ... All I know of have interesting lives including some musicians, artists, and one of my cousins who even became Governor General of Oz.

So why the French name?

Jeff

... autocorrect managed to change pogroms to programs .... sorry for the error.

Jeff

Today ... we didn't fancy anything fancy for lunch, so it was a bacon and chip and red onion with tomato sauce sandwich for us ....

That looks remarkably appetizing.

I can't figure out why.

Maybe because it looks like comfort food and is warm.

It's really cold here in south Florida. The weather report says 49 F, but I bet it's colder. We are so cold and bundled up.

Been up since ridiculous early because old codger empress dog no feeling well.

I am chilled to the bones. Sorry for the complaints.

Again food looks good.