Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Thanks for the tips Jeff! I will pass them on. :) My husband is a much better cook than I am. I plod along and make edible meals but his always seem more inspired and definitely tastier! Cooking is not my forte. He married me for my sense of humour. :)

 

:D

 

You'll have to tell him to drop by and chat about pizza.

 

Send him our regards!

 

Jeff

[TLCOhio]

UKCruiseJeff: Thanks Terry' date=' As with pizza toppings, and pasta sauce ..... so it is with risotto. [b']Less is more I promise you[/b]. It is all about the dough base or the pasta or the grain. Anything that detracts from the grain of arborio is a distraction.

 

Congratulations to Jeff and others at the Cooler as this active thread just hit . . . 4,000 posts. Plus, it recently went over 175,000 views. That's lots!! AND, lots!!

 

Great added comments for "less being more", plus the importance of the dough base and the grain. Did not realize the details/background on "yesterday's dough ... and that would be a sourdough." Getting ready for dinner now.

 

At 8:30 pm tonight, it's the Cleveland Cavs and LeBron James versus Atlanta. Game four. Cavs up 3-0. With win tonight, it is on to the NBA Finals.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 23,359 views for these postings.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Who'd want to contaminate this with too much topping ............

 

:)

 

Jeff

 

 

[jpalbny]

Who'd want to contaminate this with too much topping ............

 

:)

 

Jeff

 

 

 

You're right about that... I think the trend towards crazy amounts of topping came about because some of our chain pizza places serve crust that tastes like cardboard. So you have to cover that up with gobs of cheese, 7 different types of meat, and a pound of garlic salt... I prefer a tasty crust that complements the toppings - that looks great!

Edited May 26, 2015 by jpalbny

[mysty]

Jeff, I passed your invitation to stop by to my husband along with your tips. He is intrigued and also a wee bit shy. :) He tends to frequent forums related to global warming where he does interact with posters who think that humans can do anything constructive to turn the tide. He does believe in global warming. Just not in the proposed ways to fix it. He is an electrical engineer. Does that explain things at all? HeHeHe!

 

That pizza crust looks delectable! I'll have to show him the picture! :)

[UKCruiseJeff]

JP .. thanks. One day when you and Chris are passing .... I'll make you both one or three. :)

 

mysty, tell him we are a bunch of pizza engineers ....

 

Shyness works well in forums. In fact it is a good place for the ungragregariousaucracy. Tell him I have coached many dough engineers to that degree of doughness and he will like it here.

 

:)

 

Jeff

[mysty]

Thanks Jeff! I have passed your message on! Pizza engineers indeed! :)

[mysty]

Jeff, I showed my husband the photo of the pizza crust you posted and it was love at first sight. I have been designated his emissary for all dealings with the pizza engineers. :) I looked up poolish and found a youtube video on how to make it. Now comes the important bit. How does he go about incorporating the poolish into the pizza dough recipe? Your kind assistance would be greatly appreciated! Especially by me! HeHeHe

[UKCruiseJeff]

Jeff, I showed my husband the photo of the pizza crust you posted and it was love at first sight. I have been designated his emissary for all dealings with the pizza engineers. :) I looked up poolish and found a youtube video on how to make it. Now comes the important bit. How does he go about incorporating the poolish into the pizza dough recipe? Your kind assistance would be greatly appreciated! Especially by me! HeHeHe

 

No problem .....

 

Hubby will be reassured that as an engineer there are precise instructions. As he knows, artistes can produce a nice meal by accident on the odd occaision but engineers following instructiosn can do it every time. ;)

 

As an improvement from same day doughs, a really simple but authentic pizza dough for those that simply want a do better than a "same day" to "mix and go", this is for those happy with a touch more effort and wishing to use a proper biga previous day starter. It is pretty much what they do in Naples. Use 00 Italian flour if you can, but don't worry if you can't. Sorry it hasn't formatted more elegantly. It shows item, grams and percentage.

 

The key thing you are aiming for is a dough mix or around 67% hydration ie you end op with for every 100 gms of flour 67 ml or gms of water.

 

In summary it shows what you add on the second day to a roughly 400gm biga mix of 100% hydration with a few grams of yeast with what to add the following day to maintain 67% hydration of a total dough of 1000gm. 67%'ish seems to be the accumulated view of a perfect level of water to flour for pizza mix but adjust yourself to what you can handle and like. The more water you can cope with basically the better. I currently use doughballs matured in the fridge for at least a couple of days but often a week or so old. In broad summary the longer it takes to mature the dough the better the taste. The less yeast you use and the cooler the ferment the longer the maturation. Bread is really easy .... if you forget recipes and just get the hang of hydration percentages. If you forget recipes and understand the really easy principles it releases you to experiment with different flours and ingredients to produce loads of different type of breads without stress or strain but bags of fun.

 

I maintain similar spreadsheets for all my breads including the new bread. I then just make adjustments as I learn and improve.

 

Poolish / biga is the French or Italian name for a yeast starter made a day or two earlier to develop and improve the taste of bread. It's what gives baguettes their taste and pizza dough it's taste. It is easy and worth the very small amount of effort.

 

So for four or five pizza balls:

 

Day 1. Make biga - 200gms water 200 gms flour a few grams say 5 or so of yeast NO Salt ... salt kills yeast. Just mix roughly with a fork .. it doesn't need to be neat and can be lumpy ... no need for any effort. Just wander into the kitchen late in the evening when you make some coffee or tea and make this up. 30 seconds and it's done. Get out the mixing bowl you use on the mixer and put it on the scales and zero. Add the flour yeast and water and mix. This biga takes a few seconds to prepare but improves pizza and all bread exponentially and in my view is nicer than sourdough ie more character but no sour and no palaver with maintaining starters etc. Leave the poolish/biga overnight in your mixing bowl to save extra washing the following day with a hotel shower cap over to keep dust off. Even better, can be done two days ahead with slightly less yeast and allowed to mature and ferment even slower and it'll be even better. All my breads starts with this poolish/biga ie bagels, baguettes, country, etc etc Bread is easy.

 

Day 2 ... or 3 .... Add the rest and mix for 8 minutes or so on a slow setting on a mixing machine . Put a hotel shower cap over top to protect. When roughly doubled in size, portion into 4 balls of 250gms (big pizza) or 5 of 200 gms for a smaller pizza and put into very lightly smeared oiled bowls with lid into the fridge until needed. Use floured surfaces and don't use any other oil except in storage bowls. The reason for the longer mix is that this develops more gluten and it is the gluten that gives the bubbles and makes it a bit easier to handle such a wet mix.

 

 

Completed weight 1000

Hydration 67%

Add to the 400 gm poolish:

 

Flour 400

Water 200

Salt 16

 

So the 600 added to the 400 poolish gives a total mass of 1000gms at roughly 67% hydration.

 

These balls sit in the fridge until required. When you fold them for final assmebly use envelope folding ...... youtube for some guidance. This stretches the bubbles to give longer bubbles rather than uniform sponge like boring bubbles. If you can ... stretch rather than use a rolling pin which flattens the precious bubble growth. Allow to rest beween envelope folds which alternate direction. This allows the gluten to do it's magic. On the final couple of envelope folds fold and pull in the same direction. This I have discovered elongates the bubble further. Around 5 or six envelope folds does it with a five or ten minte relax between each if you can. Stretching seems difficult at first until you realise that if you are patient and do this whilst you're waiting for the oven to get really hot you allow it to rest between stretches and this allows the gluten to help you. Keep shaking your peel in order to ensure the pizza will leave the peel (paddle or whatever) and do not put the topping on until it is just going into the oven ... or when you shake the dought to keep it from sticking ... all the topping will shoot off .....

 

If you can use preferably semolina (or if you only have polenta - that'll do) under the final stretch of dough before you top, then this under your dough will stop it sticking and give a better crispness under your pizza in a hot domestic oven to be closer to a hotter pizza oven.

 

One caveat. Don't expect to get the same size bubble as me as it is a 1000 degree plus pizza oven that produces that pizza in around 90 seconds. Your husbands pizza will probably tke 5 minutes plus.

 

This all sounds detailed but actually ... it is really simple. I have added lot's of detail because it includes several hints and tips that you only learn from experience and I have saved hubby that. But if you step back it is really really simple. Poolish day one, mix the full batch second day ..... allow to prove/rise ..... flatten and portion into 250 or 200 gms balls and put what you don't use that day straight into bowls and into a fridge for a slow mature. Please do not put any oil anywhere near this. That is it.

 

 

 

Enjoy your pizza and report progress back to the thread. :)

Edited May 27, 2015 by UKCruiseJeff

[lincslady]

Jeff - you amaze me! You must have more than 24 hours in your day, to do all the cooking, photos, posting on here with complicated recipes, reading all the papers and giving the world your opinion on many topics.

 

Any advice to a slob who only manages 2 or 3 things per day? (Admittedly quite a bit older than you).

 

LL

[UKCruiseJeff]

Jeff - you amaze me! You must have more than 24 hours in your day, to do all the cooking, photos, posting on here with complicated recipes, reading all the papers and giving the world your opinion on many topics.

 

Any advice to a slob who only manages 2 or 3 things per day? (Admittedly quite a bit older than you).

 

LL

 

 

I'll try.

 

Sleep less, do less unimportant stuff, only do what you want to do, only take an interest in things that interest you and do what gives you pleasure. In my case helping people. In particular encouraging them through pictures of my fairly ordinary food that anyone can eat well if they want to.

 

Jeff

[mysty]

WOW Jeff! Thanks so much for the wonderful detailed instructions! It's my husband's 65th birthday today and this will make an excellent gift for him! It's so kind of you to take the time to help educate a neophyte pizza engineer. I have my mission sir and will report back on progress. One question, does the biga sit out on the counter overnight of the 1st day or does it need to be refrigerated overnight? Thanks again!

[UKCruiseJeff]

WOW Jeff! Thanks so much for the wonderful detailed instructions! It's my husband's 65th birthday today and this will make an excellent gift for him! It's so kind of you to take the time to help educate a neophyte pizza engineer. I have my mission sir and will report back on progress. One question, does the biga sit out on the counter overnight of the 1st day or does it need to be refrigerated overnight? Thanks again!

 

 

Hi - no probs.

 

Yes it ferments at normal temperature on the counter. It is a sort of sourdough-lite starter with none of the shananighans.

 

It sounded complicated. It isn't. 30 seconds to make the bigga. 9 minutes to measure and mix - 8 of which is done by the machine. And then folding and shaping the pizza which he'd have to do any method.

 

He will have other questions - just ask.

 

Happy 65th to him.

 

Jeff

[TLCOhio]

Jeff - you amaze me! You must have more than 24 hours in your day, to do all the cooking, photos, posting on here with complicated recipes, reading all the papers and giving the world your opinion on many topics. LL

 

YES, appreciate the details and postings by Jeff. Amazing!!

 

Am following this morning the interesting news coverage on the FIFA criminal indictments in connection with the football/soccer, World-Cup related organization. But, maybe too much "organized crime"?? Not sure, legally, how all of this will work legal for U.S. courts to judge what happened in Europe and other parts of the world outside of our country.

 

Then, there is UK politics??!! From the New York Times this morning, they have this headline: "David Cameron Sets Course for Britain Amid Pageantry of Queen’s Speech" with these highlights of the proposed plan: "a bill for a referendum on membership in the European Union, along with measures to expand homeownership, curb immigration, increase the powers of Scotland’s Parliament, and give the security services greater authority to monitor and restrain potential terrorists."

 

Should be interesting to see if and how these various plans and details work out. Cameron won the election, but this news article notes how his margin of majority is fairly narrow. I am sure that Jeff has opinions and background for these proposals and how it will play out during the coming months.

 

Full story at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/28/world/europe/david-cameron-sets-course-for-britain-amid-pageantry-of-queens-speech.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

 

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 199,445 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

[UKCruiseJeff]

Todays food .......

 

 

 

 

....... and yesterdays ......

 

 

[spinnaker2]

Pasta looks great...

 

Brief update on Bromley.

She seems to be calmer now that we have instituted Melatonin and Lignans.

Less panting during the night. We also purchased a cool bed for her. It's basically a water bed, but feels cold like a tile floor. She does sleep on it at times.

She remains frail but eating and drinking are her greatest pleasures.

 

And so it goes...

 

Noticed that the Queen wore her midweight tiara/crown for her speech. Reports were that she practiced wearing it several times so that no mishap would occur during her speech and which might embarrass the family. She was also attired in a lot of other costly bijoux. Quite an amazing lady!

Edited May 28, 2015 by spinnaker2
Typo

[Fighterone]

No problem .....

 

:)

 

That pizza looks absolutely delectable! I was not impressed with the ones we had on Silver Whisper. Any tips on what we should ask for?

[mysty]

Hi - no probs.

 

Yes it ferments at normal temperature on the counter. It is a sort of sourdough-lite starter with none of the shananighans.

 

It sounded complicated. It isn't. 30 seconds to make the bigga. 9 minutes to measure and mix - 8 of which is done by the machine. And then folding and shaping the pizza which he'd have to do any method.

 

He will have other questions - just ask.

 

Happy 65th to him.

 

Jeff

Thanks Jeff! The lad has had a busy week so he hasn't looked at the instructions I printed for him yet. He is definitely into it though! 65 seems to be hitting him a little hard. I had trouble with 60 and don't know how 65 will hit me. We seem to be having issues with travel insurance because he is 65. I guess just one of the challenges of aging. :(

[UKCruiseJeff]

That pizza looks absolutely delectable! I was not impressed with the ones we had on Silver Whisper. Any tips on what we should ask for?

 

How kind of you to say something nice about my efforts! You have made a very grumpy person very happy! :)

 

I was tempted to say something pithy like "You'd think with all those chefs running around in those kitchens on an Italian boat managed by Italians they could find someone to put a topping on a bit of dough and making a simple a Neapolitan pizza without making a pigs ear of it ..... wouldn't you!" :D

 

In fact most of the senior people come from a sailing academy in Naples, which of course is the home of pizza and is the pizza in the picture.

 

I know it was wrong, and it is entirely my own fault. But I was looking at a food thread on the Regent board, where people who had paid a small fortune for the finest things in life posted pictures of the wonderful food dished up on Regent. Most pictures posted generated a standing ovation from the vicarious travellers who all seem to shout "Bravo" with a single voice. Some of the things that almost made me want to weep was a bowl of pasta that looked like Heinz Spaghetti, a risotto that was so white it looked like a prawn had landed on a bowl of porridge, and a paella that looked more like couscous. Almost everything looked very cheap and dire. My wife looked at a marble sized serving of sorbet in a big bowl. There was so much in that thread that was ....welll ... it was all terrible and shameful.

 

If a n English untrained bloke like me can make a pizza at home without help, and it is simple ..... why can't trained chefs do so on an Italian ship?

 

The answer of course is that the only way you can get a decent pizza is to change all the other passengers so that there is no longer a profitable market for the muck they are serving up to standing ovation. Why would they change?

 

Thanks again. You can come again.

 

:)

 

Jeff

[UKCruiseJeff]

Thanks Jeff! The lad has had a busy week so he hasn't looked at the instructions I printed for him yet. He is definitely into it though! 65 seems to be hitting him a little hard. I had trouble with 60 and don't know how 65 will hit me. We seem to be having issues with travel insurance because he is 65. I guess just one of the challenges of aging. :(

 

I know how you feel.

 

I am not 65 but that is splitting hairs. But I don't have many of those anymore except around the lower half of the face.

 

The good thing about getting older as a bloke is that more and more women look attractive. When you are 16 an older woman is 19 Now being virtually ancient everyone looks young and attractive even if they are a bit more blurred these days. It must be the same for you. Those fit looking 55 year olds. ;)

 

Jeff

[mysty]

Jeff, that is not comforting! Are you saying that at 62 I am not as appealing to my wonderful spouse as a 50 year old floozie? Ha Ha Ha! And seriously, unless you are 55 dear sir, 55 year olds do not appeal to me. :) Just to be clear, I am not making a pass at you! I just really enjoy your witty banter! Don't want to offend the sensibilities of other watercooler readers! :)

[UKCruiseJeff]

Jeff, that is not comforting! Are you saying that at 62 I am not as appealing to my wonderful spouse as a 50 year old floozie? Ha Ha Ha! And seriously, unless you are 55 dear sir, 55 year olds do not appeal to me. :) Just to be clear, I am not making a pass at you! I just really enjoy your witty banter! Don't want to offend the sensibilities of other watercooler readers! :)

 

Well ... you must be positive. He chose you, and presumably he isn't as quick on his feet as he was .... so "a bird in the hand is worth any number of younger ones if they are in a bush ...."

 

No don't worry, I know you aren't making a pass at me. The only passes I get are from over affectionate dogs, and it's normally the right leg. I just ask them to get it over and done with quickly.

 

Don't worry about annoying other coolers. It's called "collateral damage" ....

 

:)

 

Jeff

[mysty]

Well ... you must be positive. He chose you, and presumably he isn't as quick on his feet as he was .... so "a bird in the hand is worth any number of younger ones if they are in a bush ...."

 

No don't worry, I know you aren't making a pass at me. The only passes I get are from over affectionate dogs, and it's normally the right leg. I just ask them to get it over and done with quickly.

 

Don't worry about annoying other coolers. It's called "collateral damage" ....

 

:)

 

Jeff

I am laughing so hard I woke my sleeping spouse from his chair in the living room. I have tears running down my cheeks! He has slowed down a bit lately and he is no longer chasing cars. Ha Ha! Too bad about the dogs Jeff! I'm sure if you were really available you would attract more of the two legged females! About the collateral damage... my apologies fellow watercoolers! :) Sometimes the joy and opportunities for full belly laughs overrule propriety!

[UKCruiseJeff]

I am laughing so hard I woke my sleeping spouse from his chair in the living room. I have tears running down my cheeks! He has slowed down a bit lately and he is no longer chasing cars. Ha Ha! Too bad about the dogs Jeff! I'm sure if you were really available you would attract more of the two legged females! About the collateral damage... my apologies fellow watercoolers! :) Sometimes the joy and opportunities for full belly laughs overrule propriety!

 

Don't worry ... I'm use to women feeling sorry for me.

 

I think you are quite safe. The idea that a shy and timid engineer, would suddenly go green and burst his shirt and start chasing nubiles, before he has let his biga ferment is fairly remote. I think you have him firmly under control.

 

 

Jeff

[mysty]

Don't worry ... I'm use to women feeling sorry for me.

 

I think you are quite safe. The idea that a shy and timid engineer, would suddenly go green and burst his shirt and start chasing nubiles, before he has let his biga ferment is fairly remote. I think you have him firmly under control.

 

 

Jeff

I feel much better now Jeff, thanks to your words of comfort! Ha Ha! And I was not feeling sorry for you! You are not defenseless and absolutely do not need pity! You are extremely witty and entertaining and I look forward each day to the next episode of "Life According to Jeff". The lad is currently reading the Gospel of Biga according to Jeff. There are no curse words yet so I think things are going well! :)