KenzSailing

Tales from the Chez: "Sometimes you gotta bottom out before you can rise back up" So, as my small but very faithful band of readers of my rambling missives know, I am, like @BEAV, not a turkey adherent at the (US) holidays. But I have always deferred to a higher power. So this Thanksgiving OLoPP brought home a turkey breast(it's just the two of us) from Bell and Evans. In our area B&E is a big supplier of premium chickens and chicken parts. I've bought them on many occasions and very rarely been disappointed. My heart soared with thoughts of a flavorful, succulent bird. Hoo boy, were those hopes dashed on the rocky shores of protein disappointment. It's like Mr Bell and Mr Evans finally managed to corral that free range twenty year old tom and gave him what he had coming(from their perspective,) and then shipped most of him to us. Anyway, here comes the ray of sunshine. Even OLoPP agrees that next year, between (US) Thanksgiving and Christmas, one holiday serves up a turkey and the other ham. She has the kitchen for the bird, I have it for the pork. Sometimes, on very rare occasions, the sun does rise in the west.

Yep, and the person making it was in a tux. I ain't doing that either. 😁

Short cuts from the Chez: A couple tips I've been meaning to share, because, why not? Anyway I seem to be fixated on salad right now. First: I've made many a Caesar dressing from scratch. I've made the uncooked egg kind, I've made the Dijon mustard kind, both satisfying in their respective way. But I've turned my attention to other courses in every meal and the dressing prep feels like a burden. Here's the short cut I've hit upon: Start with a good quality commercial Caesar dressing(here we can get, and like, Marzetti.) Next, augment it to your taste with lemon juice(bottled, we're going for easy here) Worch sauce and anchovy paste(don't spare the anch paste.) I'm telling ya, close your eyes and sway side to side while you're eating it and you'll flash back to a meal in Waterside on a choppy night. Second: (and I got this one from American's Test Kitchen) whatever salad you're dressing, put the dressing in the bowl FIRST. Spread it around with the back of a spoon, then add the greens and toss. You'll get a much more even coat. Genius. Try it! Gotta get back to the stove. All the best.

We are also on the Grandeur December Panama Canal cruise. We have two Sunday/sea days. It's my understanding only one of those will be the grand gala buffet(whatever Regent calls it.) Does that sound right? BTW, the first is on Christmas eve and the second on New Year's eve. Should be good fun.

Oh sure, rub it in. Well, this reminds me of something I've been meaning to post. You once chided me for not knowing who Carl Jr was(besides the son of Carl Sr.) Well, we've recently been sampling some food stuffs from the Golden State(bay area variety) and I can report the following: Humphry Slocombe ice cream: very good, worth trying, but not the transcendent experience I had hoped for(to be fair, we have a few flavors left in the fridge to try, so possibilities remain.) Fra'Mani salumi: oh, this is the real deal. Their Salame Nostrano is to die for. Definitely ordering more, getting out the mandoline(not the musical kind) and creating a swoon worthy charcuterie board. That's in addition to the bay area being the only place I'll order Cioppino.(Pro tip: in Baltimore, get the crab cake at Faidley's. Every other one is, well, every other one.) This ends tonight's update on eating well, bi-coastal variety.

My gosh, it's the day after US Thanksgiving and I just realized: it's now open season on singing Christmas carols! I must get my jingle on! And use all the exclamation points! PS: American goulash(ie, not at all goulash) for dinner. Special request by you know who.

A Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate. Here's a timeless tidbit for dessert:

My travel agency(home to a lot of folks on this board) has announced a virtual trivia contest, with the winner being awarded a seven day Crystal cruise. It's therefore reasonable to conclude the questions will be heavily Crystal oriented. I had hatched a scheme to enlist @BWIVinceas my ringer. Then I read on and discovered the winner would be drawn at random. Drat. The man would have slayed on the Harmony questions.

Yeah, and it has its own song:

If you're referring to T-Day, I dunno. That's a day Mz Chef bans me from the kitchen(sheesh, you try to burn down the Chez with that one deep-fried turkey attempt gone terribly wrong, and some people just won't let you forget about it...) Anyway, it'll be turkey. It's not that OLoPP even loves a turkey dinner that much, but she luuuuvs her cold turkey sliders in the evening. I mean really she's kind of obsessive about going cold turkey(you know what I mean.) What about you? What's on the menu in tofu land?

Ms Peach, Thank you for your always entertaining and informative posts. Your entries read like a spring breeze feels(that's supposed to be a compliment.) Living in Maryland, I had never heard of Humphry Slocombe ice cream. I now have 6 pints on the way. You should get a % of the transaction!

Would someone please put a wooden stake thru the heart of the topic, in its various forms?

Ah, I know you were most favorable with regard to your Silversea cruise(or cruises,) Contrasting impressions will be interesting.

That's a little harsh. Me thinks you'll live.

I can already see the ad campaign(well, they are trying to attract a younger demographic):

Two Regent noobs boarding Dec 21, MIA-LA. I think I've worn out Youtube watching every RSSC video I can find. Excitement is building. Secure in the knowledge we will have a marvelous time(we always do, that's the frame of mind we bring to every lux cruise.)

I'm with you on this big time, Vince, I even have every Reflections from every cruise we've been on(oh yeah, I know you do too.) But, as John Maynard Keynes famously observed "in the long run, we're all dead." Just like paper.

Cue the "I get so many wasteful mailers" posts.

The Explora reviews have not been anywhere near unanimous in such praise. (This is an understatement.)

Thanks for the kind words Lish, but OLoPP and I just turned the odometer on 40, so it's looking like we're going to make it.🙂

Well, there are You Tube videos and then there are YOU TUBE videos. You know, the ones with soundtracks so lush they fall a foul of the copyright police,. And they feature more than talking head shots of onboard octogenarians. And oh yea, Delicious Libation makes an appearance, as does the OG BAB.. Ans let's not forget the author. Where are those guys?

Well, it happens to the best of us:

Here you go @BWIVince, time to travel south: https://dc.eater.com/2023/10/11/23913253/perrys-dc-japanese-breakfast-service-masako-morishita-coming-attractions?ueid=4eba6b281d9f0c8ecfc26836a0d720b7

So that's what he sounds like:

Bug Light? Here's the GOAT: