Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Two

[jpalbny]

Jeff, tasty stuff. Llately I have been grilling my sweet corn out of its husk. For years I used to grill it in the husk after wetting it down. But this year I found a recipe that called for a mixture of white miso and butter, brushed over the husked ears, then grilled. Once lightly charred, brush more of the butter mixture over the ears and enjoy.

 

Since then, I husk first, then grill. The flavor is much better, IMO. Bonus: cooking time is also much faster. And it reminds me of the street corn that we bought and enjoyed in Rwanda and in Zanzibar...oops...yet another food and travel reference! :o

 

We cried uncle tonight and went out to dinner. Had shrimp and scallops for appetizers, then a seafood pasta with cream and cognac sauce for Chris, and a tuna steak rare over summer vegetables for me. Lots of leftovers for lunches the next few days! Home now, enjoying a little Grüner Veltliner before bedtime. I need to pick up some Picpoul though. 'Tis the season for crisp white wine!

Edited September 8, 2016 by jpalbny

[UKCruiseJeff]

Hi JP,

 

Another night when sleep isn't an option .... so talking to you about sweetcorn is a welcome distraction in a nice way!

 

My chosen method is really, really simple. The whole corns go into a microwave. I'm still playing with times but everyone to their own. Two cobs are I guess around six minutes or so. The good thing is that it concentrates the flavours as the only steam or water involved is from the husk. Then rest for a few minutes to continue steaming. Then into a pan with a bit of butter, some oil to reduce burning and sugar to caramelise. This seems to concentrate the flavours.

 

Over the last few days I have become increasingly obsessed with the idea of a nice risotto this weekend. A big bit of sunshine. I'm thinking small shrimp risotto (these in the uk are minute brown shrimps) in the risotto made with Noily and scallions or perhaps thin asparagus using a fishbone stock with some salmon on top. Perhaps with a few tablespoons of crayfish bisque or lobster bisque for the salmon. I have to reign back so as not to over flavour, but this is on my mind.

 

As it is going to be a sleepless night, I am going to make some ginger biscuits!

 

Jeff

[UKCruiseJeff]

[jpalbny]

Interesting method for corn. Probably similar to grilling in the husk - I used to wrap the ears in aluminum foil first. The pan finish is cool; must add lots of flavor. Would be interesting to try. I tend to prefer salty to sweet.

 

Those ginger biscuits look tasty. All this insomnia is most certainly bad for the diet!

 

**

 

Looking like Geneva is the current leader for our Christmas destination. Might fly into Paris, spend a night, then take the TGV to Geneva for three more nights. Then train to Zurich and home. RT Zurich would work too, except the flight from JFK to Zurich leaves at 7:40PM vs. JFK to Paris at 9:30. Easier to work almost a full day before driving down to catch the 9:30 flight. The train to Geneva is the same duration whether from ZRH or Paris.

 

There is a lot to do in the area that we have had on past agendas, but we've always run out of time and haven't been able to get there. So this may be a chance. Once we confirm December's work schedule, we'll make a final decision and start booking.

 

**

 

Figuring out some final pieces of the Madagascar / South Africa trip. We leave 4 weeks from tomorrow. Today, I booked a whale-watching boat trip from Hermanus. It goes to an offshore island called Dyer Island, which is a wildlife sanctuary. Supposedly, you can see whales, great white sharks, and fur seals all in the same place...and sometimes, the seals end up inside the sharks!

 

Now I have to arrange a rental car, because we'll be driving ourselves around for a few days. Should be an adventure!

[duct tape]

...and you will smell them too!

[jpalbny]

...and you will smell them too!

 

The seals and birds? I bet we will... Now I know why the tour company's website talks a lot about motion sickness tablets. :D

[ShotsnCruises]

Good morning cruisers! Slow morning at work. No one wants to come in at 8:00am on a Friday, especially not on a holiday week!

Fawns made another appearance last night and this morning. They have taken to sleeping under our bathroom window. We had a scare yesterday when we saw a fawn hit on the main road by our house. Glad it wasn't one of "ours", but still sad.

 

Stalls are SO close to being finished. We have a few more pieces of backing to protect the metal siding of the barn (and to protect the horses from the nails that stick through it).

Not looking forward to fencing this weekend, as the mosquitoes are just awful this year. However, I will be looking forward to all the projects being finished! Cooler weather and bonfires are also on the horizon.

 

The hubby and I even secured a cabin "up North" for a weekend at the end of the month for a MUCH needed get away.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Shots,

 

Your life sounds so idylic. I do so hope you bite the bullet and indulge us in some piccies .... the fawns, the fencing, the bonfire and the cabin! I'm sorry for being so demanding. :)

 

Today I realised a risotto that had been playing on my mind for a while and had to be made. And today was the day. Brown shrimp, wild salmon, asparagus, soffritto, Noily, butter and fish broth and lovely butter.

 

Jeff

 

 

[jpalbny]

Yum...A true risotto! Butter and more butter. So much butter that you have to include it twice! :eek:

 

No cheese? You must be like Chris. She is not a fan of the combination of cheese and seafood. I'm working on that. :D

 

Finally a free weekend coming up, and no plans to be out of town. Not sure what I will do with myself. We weeded the landscaping last weekend, so no need to do that this weekend. Might just hang out by the pool and sip on some mojitos!

 

Rented a car today, for the South Africa part of next month's trip. Putting together the potential Switzerland itinerary; might book flights and hotels as soon as this weekend.

 

ShotsnCruises, hope the fencing isn't as bad as you're expecting. I put up (and cursed at) plenty of barbed-wire fencing in my days on the farm. It's nice to look at once it's done. But it's miserable work. That's why I went to Med School. After farming, most everything else looks easy!

 

The fawns are still around? We haven't seen the stray kittens since last weekend.

Edited September 9, 2016 by jpalbny

[UKCruiseJeff]

Hi JP, yes the reggiano goes into most of the risottos, but I don't think it pairs with either fish or lemon or worst ... both ... so none in this one. It was a lovely dish and I'm glad I added the soffritto.

 

Your travels are multiplying and am I right your planning to be in Switzerland for the Christmas markets or are you arriving Christmas day? I use to travel to Zurich reasonably regularly and prefer its more authentic old world charm to Geneva. There is some good food in Zurich and it feels all so walkable.

 

Jeff

[duct tape]

According to Marcella Hazen, seafood and cheese are not usually served in the same dish except for the northeast. [emoji245][emoji492]

[ernieb]

According to Marcella Hazen, seafood and cheese are not usually served in the same dish except for the northeast. [emoji245][emoji492]

 

My DW makes a wonderful shrimp risotto with cheese that we really enjoy and we live in the southeast. Of course Marcella doesn't live here, but we have her book.

[ShotsnCruises]

ShotsnCruises, hope the fencing isn't as bad as you're expecting. I put up (and cursed at) plenty of barbed-wire fencing in my days on the farm. It's nice to look at once it's done. But it's miserable work. That's why I went to Med School. After farming, most everything else looks easy!

 

The fawns are still around? We haven't seen the stray kittens since last weekend.

 

Fawns made an appearance this morning. I will see if they are there when I get home and post a few pictures. I'm concerned about the littlest one, very very thin. :(

 

As for fence: We are putting up Pasture Pro posts with ElectroBraid rope fence. This stuff is pretty easy to install, pretty impervious to falling trees or large intruders, and has good curb appeal. Barbed-wire is bad for horses as it cuts them up (they like to lean on fences to get the "green grass on the other side"). We used to use straight wire, but they kept leaning and stretching it out and moving the posts. ElectroBraid is the best because they won't come near it after getting zapped! Right now the problem is getting it installed when the mosquitoes are this bad. Doesn't help that there is a major swamp half a mile from our house. :eek:

 

I never thought of my life is "idyllic", but I guess it is. We have wildlife all around (we have 2 fox dens on the property and I absolutely love watching them hunt bugs and mice in the back yard), get to have bonfires whenever we want, ride and train our horses 100yds from the house, and it is SO quiet!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Well, I agree wholeheartedly with Marcella, but having never heard of her I googled and found her wiki states she introduced the techniques of traditional Italian cooking to the British as well as the US.

 

It's just weird I've never heard of her and I collect cookery books, but some of her ideas seem a bit basic and obvious.

 

Is she very well known in the US and have a following? Or is she seen as someone who teaches the basics to non-cooks?

 

Jeff

 

 

 

 

Among the techniques Hazan suggests are:[importance?]

 

Choose vegetables that are in season and plan the entire meal around them.

 

Soak vegetables in cold water for half an hour before cooking to remove all trace of grit.

 

Cook them until they are tender, but not mushy, so that they have a rich flavour.

 

When sautéing onions, put them in a cold pan with oil and heat them gently; this will make them release their flavour gradually and give them a mellower taste than starting them in a hot pan.

 

Although some types of pasta, like tagliatelle, are best made fresh at home, others, like spaghetti, should be bought dried. Pasta should be matched carefully to sauce.

 

Olive oil isn't always the best choice for frying; in delicately flavoured dishes, a combination of butter and vegetable oil should be used.

 

Garlic presses should be avoided at all costs.

 

 

[UKCruiseJeff]

Fawns made an appearance this morning. I will see if they are there when I get home and post a few pictures. I'm concerned about the littlest one, very very thin. :(

 

As for fence: We are putting up Pasture Pro posts with ElectroBraid rope fence. This stuff is pretty easy to install, pretty impervious to falling trees or large intruders, and has good curb appeal. Barbed-wire is bad for horses as it cuts them up (they like to lean on fences to get the "green grass on the other side"). We used to use straight wire, but they kept leaning and stretching it out and moving the posts. ElectroBraid is the best because they won't come near it after getting zapped! Right now the problem is getting it installed when the mosquitoes are this bad. Doesn't help that there is a major swamp half a mile from our house. :eek:

 

I never thought of my life is "idyllic", but I guess it is. We have wildlife all around (we have 2 fox dens on the property and I absolutely love watching them hunt bugs and mice in the back yard), get to have bonfires whenever we want, ride and train our horses 100yds from the house, and it is SO quiet!

 

 

It would be great if you mounted some IP cameras so we could watch the foxes and other wildlife.

 

We have some deer, pheasants, hedgehogs, some squirrels, owls, bats and doves and that's about it. We have the odd hawk who leaves a lot of pigeon and dove feathers .....

 

Jeff

Edited September 9, 2016 by UKCruiseJeff

[jpalbny]

Rules were meant to be broken, for sure. A few pages back I broke one with that delicious pasta dish that had shrimp, lemon, fresh mint, and Pecorino Romano cheese.

 

I also remember a mussels saganaki dish that we had a few years ago in Milos. Seafood, feta, and tomatoes. Yum!

 

It does seem that there are not many recipes that call for pairing fish and cheese. And those which do, are very specific as to which cheese they use, and how the other ingredients work together to marry the flavors in the dish.

 

I look at this like I look at the wine pairing rules of white with fish, red with meat - they often apply, but not always. To me, it depends a good deal on the other ingredients in the dish. Some fish dishes can be made in a way that pairs better with a red wine. Some meat dishes go better with white wine. When in doubt, just about everything goes with sparkling rosé... :p

 

Happy weekend, everyone!

 

ShotsnCruises, having grown up in a rural setting I know firsthand how much work goes into that kind of lifestyle. The rewards can be many, but it is far from easy.

 

What is it with animals having to stick their necks through fences anyway? Our cows used to do that all the time. In fact, I remember one time when the herd broke out of their pasture, then one of the dummies put her head BACK THROUGH the fence to eat grass from the pasture where she'd just escaped! :confused: Silly critters...

[lincslady]

Good day Coolers

 

After nice weather for a while - luckily our our painter managed to do the doors, gates and windows before today - it is drizzly and horrid.

 

jp - your energy puts me to shame; how you manage to do such demanding jobs, cook up a storm, and plan such individual hols. makes me feel tired thinking about it! OK, I am a lot older, I suppose.

 

Jeff - I loved your 50 Shades of Pink risotto; looked so pretty and no doubt tasted excellent as well. Our forthcoming cruise, next month, is the lazy old Brits cruise: nice little Med. ports including Bonifacio, Le Lavandou, Sete, Antibes, Portovenere, Ciutedella, Santa Margherita Ligure, Sanary etc. The only one we have not been to is Cuitadella; only to Mahon before. Quite a few tenders, so hoping the autumn storms will not happen! Some dear friends are joining us - their first cruise, so they are starting at the top - and what is good about cruising with friends is you so easily spend time together and apart, so no chance of getting cross with one another! Somehow easier than a land based holiday.

 

Sadly our animal stories are minimal - we do have a hedgehog, who wanders down the garden each evening, and pigeon feathers on the lawn tell us of the sparrowhawk in the skies above. And a good selection of birds and butterflies on the buddleia. Our brand new neighbours have two pretty cats, but no dogs. I admit to being pleased, as previously we have had noisy dogs next door now and again. (Sorry,all you dog lovers)

 

Hope all are having a good weekend,

 

Lola

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good Afternoon Coolers,

 

Very few people can claim to have invented single-handedly a genre of music but I suspect that one who might lay such a claim would be Prince Buster who sadly died a few days ago.

 

I don't know how many others he entertained as he did me, but without him I'd never have plucked up courage to go into some clubs in the sixties where I and a friend or two were the only white faces but were welcomed just the same. It was in those clubs we learned about Bluebeat, Reggae, Ska and that speakers needed to be enormous and loud and there needed to be sweat on the walls. From those clubs white DJ's borrowed and played the music in mainstream clubs and so I guess it started.

 

He probably invented ska, and ska spawned reggae etc ... etc ... and that morphed into other tangets such as rock steady etc and will always be associated with Bluebeat and I think gave Jamaica perhaps it's first and only real unique musical identity.

 

He led an interesting if not unconventional life and without him they'd be a big gap in life's music portfolio.

 

Thought coolers may be interested ....:)

 

Jeff

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37312125

 

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/prince-buster-dz9k3hb25?shareToken=a971d5e8b4329e3005de7f05b91cb1b4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

Edited September 10, 2016 by UKCruiseJeff

[jpalbny]

Thanks Lola...funny that you should think that I am high energy. Most days I feel quite lazy and wish I could have done more! On those days that I have lots of energy I suppose that I can accomplish a fair amount.

 

Jeff, not familiar with Prince Buster but I listened to a few of the tracks that you provided. Interesting sound. Some good dance rhythms! Al Capone, in particular, made me want to mambo.

 

We were off this weekend and decided to cook a little. We slept in late and made a nice breakfast - pan biscuits cooked over a raspberry and blackberry sauce. The base was simple; berries, water, sugar, and a cinnamon stick cooked down for a few minutes. Then the biscuit dough cooked on top like dumplings - flour, butter, brown sugar, baking powder, and a little cream to hold it together.

 

 

Once cooked, a sprinkle of sugar, a few minutes under the broiler, and some whipped cream on top for an extra treat!

 

 

Yummy! And our old cat enjoyed licking the spoon with some extra whipped cream...

 

After breakfast we decided to go for a jog but it was already hot and nasty out. So we stopped running a mile short and walked the rest of the way. Then we headed home and cooled off in the pool. Can't believe that it's September and the pool is still 85 degrees! (29.5C, I think). The solar cover has worked remarkably well this year!

 

Dinner was simple. Burgers on the grill, and tomato salad with oil and balsamic. Most of the tomatoes were from the garden, as was the fresh basil. The most complicated part was some nice frites in the air fryer, finished with fresh oregano, thyme, and grated Grana Padano cheese.

 

 

The ensemble was delicious. Served with a Finger Lakes Cabernet Sauvignon - lighter than the usual style, due to the cooler climate.

 

 

Time to go watch a movie and relax a bit. Have a great rest of the weekend, everyone!

[Catlover54]

I am currently on the Ocean Sun Festival cruise with HL MS Europa, lots of classical music, food, and photos. If you are interested in riding along here is the link to the thread in the luxury cruising forum

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2399633

[tgh]

Hi S'nC , seems a bit alternate to be discussing nags here ..

How do they cope with the mozzies ?

I have all my fences in chain mesh ( to keep the dogs and roos out) with a hot wire offset.

Folks who have never seen it are amazed that a horse can sniff the wire to see if the fence is live… the truth is , of course , that their nose hairs are sensitive enough to detect the field current without actually touching it .. another nail in the "dumb animal" coffin ...

First of what will be a big storm season last night but it's a glorious spring morning here in brisvegas..

[tgh]

Thanks for the link CL , Europa 2 is high on my to do list.

[Fletcher]

I'm on the road at the moment, currently at Glenapp Castle near Stranraer from where we leave for Northern Ireland tomorrow. A few days ago we were touring the Isle of Mull and took this photo at the fishing village of Tobermory.

 

Isle of Mull by UltraPanavision, on Flickr

[UKCruiseJeff]

Fletch,

 

what a lovely part of the UK you live in. I had no idea. Are you lunching at the castle? Do they have midges where you live and do you suffer?

 

Jeff

[ShotsnCruises]

Hi S'nC , seems a bit alternate to be discussing nags here ..

How do they cope with the mozzies ?

I have all my fences in chain mesh ( to keep the dogs and roos out) with a hot wire offset.

Folks who have never seen it are amazed that a horse can sniff the wire to see if the fence is live… the truth is , of course , that their nose hairs are sensitive enough to detect the field current without actually touching it .. another nail in the "dumb animal" coffin ...

First of what will be a big storm season last night but it's a glorious spring morning here in brisvegas..

 

The horses don't seem to be bothered by the mosquitoes too much. We use a "feed through" supplement that is supposed to change the smell and chemical composition of the horse so they are not "attractive" to mosquitoes and flies. It works better for the mosquitoes than the flies. Our horses were zapped pretty good by the fence when they first experienced it. The stubborn ones "tested" a few other points of the fence, but haven't much bothered it since. We keep it "hot" at all times to deter others, but never much worried about our critters. They have plenty of green grass and are supplemented with hay and grain. They are also super spoiled with apples, carrots, and other treats by my husband who is a sucker for any furry friend. (We spent most of Friday night catching baby field mice that had wondered into the work room of the basement, and saving them from our cats who decided it was better to torture them than to catch and eat them. Yes, we are that big of suckers.)