Live: Whisper across the pond to Montreal - 8th to 25th September

[duct tape]

[emoji4]

[wripro]

What is Steak Tartare if not an uncooked burger?

 

Steak tartare is a careful preparation of raw filet mignon with a multitude of ingredients to flavor it. And it is eaten with a knife and fork, not picked up with one's hands by its' bun from which the ketchup can drip.

[Silver Spectre]

Amazing how a simple discussion of whether SS should do burgers on a fine dining menu brings out the purveyor of food drivel. Time to get a life methinks.

 

Back on topic:

 

Had a rather nice day in the fair city of Dublin yesterday, some sunshine, but unfortunately an internet and phone blackout. Consistency must be an Irish word as it did not apply in Cobh on Thursday.

 

A slight correction, we have almost a full ship with 350 or so on-board, which probably contributed to the service in the MDR being glacial, and the provision of hot food on cold plates being the norm (but not Norman).

 

The newspaper printer did not break but was taken away about a week before Southampton and will NOT be returning. So say goodbye to the printed newspapers.

 

Arrived in Belfast today to rain and grey skies, it really suits the feel of this place. At least it was possible to obtain a Times here. Back to sea tomorrow and on to Iceland.

[RachelG]

Steak tartare and hamburger meat are totally different things health wise,or at least should be. One should not raw or undercooked commercially prepared hamburger meat as it has potential exposure to all sorts of bacteria during the grinding process. And they put a lot of differentiate parts of the cow in commercial hamburger meat.

Steak tartare should be freshly prepared from a prime cut filet, not in a meat plant and thus the risk of bacterial contamination is low if the meat has been properly refrigerated.

[Mark_K]

Steak tartare and hamburger meat are totally different things health wise,or at least should be. One should not raw or undercooked commercially prepared hamburger meat as it has potential exposure to all sorts of bacteria during the grinding process. And they put a lot of differentiate parts of the cow in commercial hamburger meat.

 

Steak tartare should be freshly prepared from a prime cut filet, not in a meat plant and thus the risk of bacterial contamination is low if the meat has been properly refrigerated.

 

 

It seems to me you're talking differences in typical processing, not differences in what the items actually, by definition, are.

 

A chef could take the same small piece of meat and either use it for hamburger or tartare, and the only difference would be one is ground and the other is minced.

[UKCruiseJeff]

It seems to me you're talking differences in typical processing, not differences in what the items actually, by definition, are.

 

A chef could take the same small piece of meat and either use it for hamburger or tartare, and the only difference would be one is ground and the other is minced.

 

 

Keith this really isn't true at any level.

 

Steak tartare is all about the texture of the meat as they taste is absolutely neutral and provided by the additions.

 

You say he could take the same piece of meat but the meat used for steak tartare must have no fat at all but the burger must have fat to lubricate it. The meat for burgers should also have been hung in order to produce the enzymes that develop flavouring with age. Those enzymes are potentially posionous in raw meat.

 

The piece of meat used for steak tartare cannot be made into a tasty burger and the meat used for a tasty burger cannot be made into a safe steak tartare whichever chefs tries to do it.

 

Jeff

[Silver Spectre]

Not sure where this mornings post went, but the bad weather that we had overnight and this morning has finally gone, the rain has stopped and we have much calmer seas, and happier guests.

 

Finally won Trivia today, with the smallest team. Some misunderstanding between bails and stumps got a few of our cousins a little aireated, but fun is being had by all, with the lovely Vicki doing a great job.

[englishusa]

but fun is being had by all, with the lovely Vicki doing a great job.

 

Vicki is a lovely CD!

[Silver Spectre]

but fun is being had by all, with the lovely Vicki doing a great job.

 

Vicki is a lovely CD!

 

She certainly is David, also a good dinner companion/host, and tonight she is doing her show - Ship Happens!

[Silver Spectre]

Today we had a lovely sunny day in Reykjavik, a little windy but so much nicer than expected. If the sky is clear tonight we may be fortunate to see the Aurora Borealis, which has been visible from here for the last couple of days.

 

Wandering down the rear stairs a couple of day came across the 4 Italian wall-paperers, who are clearing and re-papering all the wallpaper in that area. At the rate they are working I expect them to be finished just about by the start of the world cruise.

 

Another sign of penny pinching, the lunch and learn with the head chef is now $40 a person, only a year ago there was no charge for this with David Bilsland.

 

Expecting a little more chop tonight, maybe 10-12' swells and some stronger breeze.

 

Really sorry to hear about Fernando and his knees, the current ship rumour is that it was Manfredi who he was helping when he hurt himself, surely not true!

[duct tape]

Rumors are rife!

[oregon50]

Really sorry to hear about Fernando and his knees, the current ship rumour is that it was Manfredi who he was helping when he hurt himself, surely not true!

 

Too, too funny. Very surprised the boss has not chartered a plane to get him back to Lisbon.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Yes, Fernando hurt himself when bending down to pick up Manfredi's wallet, which he had dropped, which I understand was somewhat heavier than Fernando first thought.

 

This is sadly what happens if you jump to quickly to suck up to the boss I'm afraid.

 

"On the port side, the left hand side of the wallet is Manfredi's credit cards ..... "

 

:)

 

Jeff

[Village.ins]

I simply do not understand why you would make such an hurtful comment. Has he been rude to you?

[duct tape]

Relax. I took it as a joke!

[UKCruiseJeff]

I simply do not understand why you would make such an hurtful comment. Has he been rude to you?

 

Relax. I took it as a joke!

 

Thanks DT, correct! :D

 

Sorry Village.ins. It is in fact called humour. :) Sorry the comment hurt you, although I cannot see why on earth it would. :confused:

 

I personally wish him a speedy recovery - he is a nice well-intentioned man - although not everyone's cup of tea as a CD. I am sure that he is popular with the majority but not with all.

 

For example on one of our trips my wife and I, and many other Brits we spoke to were really looking forward to an early morning entry into the Venice lagoon. In fact it had been the main reason for us booking this cruise because all the other ports were well known to us as was Venice, but entering venice by small ship early morning was simply something we wished to do and the highlight of the cdruise, something I'm sure many will understand and have sympathy with.

 

Fernando had earned the nickname amongst some of the Brits of "Tannoy Tommy" because of the love of hearing his own voice booming over the Tannoy in our view a touch more proliifically than absolutely essential. This is welcome to many but not all. Some find the lack of anywhere on the ship to escape the commentary irritating. We felt that the commentery should be optional not compulsary for all.

 

On that particular cruise a group of us had gently asked the captain whether there could be parts of the ship that was Tannoy Tommy free, and in particular for Venice so we coukd enjoy quiet ambience rather than be shouted at. We were promised it would be "looked at" favourably.

 

However on entry to Venice which was a wonderful mysty morning, full of mystery and loveliness it was really marred by Fernando's incessant and unescapable shouting down the tannoy system at us all.

 

We enjoy soaking in atmosphere in quietness, and this was a moment we had really been looking forward to and he ruined it. My wife has never forgiven him.

 

On another cruise we were having an afternoon nap in our suite when we were startled by being woken by Fernando shouting at us. He was on the bridge and had flicked on the emergencey tannoy switch which connects the microphone to all speakers within the ship including within the suites.

 

Our first reaction to being awoken was naturally one of terror and panic - we thought it was an emergency announcement - until we realised he was giving a running commentery. A call to the bridge had it hastily switched off. Later that day we heard him whinging to some other passengers that some nasty people had complained to the captain about him.

 

The comments aren't really directed at Fernando personally more to his indescrminate use of the tannoy when someone clearly loves hearing their own voice, which some think for that type of thing on a luxury cruise ship ought to be optional and not obligatory throughout the whole ship.

 

In order to avoid n(again) any doubt - he is a nice man, who means well and genuinely wants everyone to have a good cruise, who I wish a speedy recovery to, but as a CD he is not everyone's idea of perfection.

 

Jeff

[Silver Spectre]

Superb show by Vicki last night, brought a full house down!

 

Also a good showing of the Northern Lights.

 

Nice sunny day as we head towards the southern tip of Greenland.

[mjnvoyager]

Good to know. We will be on the Whisper from Montreal and Vicki will be new to us

[jpalbny]

Superb show by Vicki last night, brought a full house down!

 

Also a good showing of the Northern Lights.

 

Nice sunny day as we head towards the southern tip of Greenland.

 

Hope your nice weather continues; glad you had a good day in Reykjavik. The view is stunning when it's clear and sunny. Are you going to sail Prins Christian Sund?

 

Some day we will hopefully get to see the Aurora. Have tried a few times but so far we have been stymied by clouds.

[Silver Spectre]

Good to know. We will be on the Whisper from Montreal and Vicki will be new to us

 

I think you will love her. If you play Trivia, she finishes off on a Phobia question, just like Colin Brown.

[Silver Spectre]

Hope your nice weather continues; glad you had a good day in Reykjavik. The view is stunning when it's clear and sunny. Are you going to sail Prins Christian Sund?

 

Some day we will hopefully get to see the Aurora. Have tried a few times but so far we have been stymied by clouds.

 

Thanks JP, we are sailing through the Sund right now and the views are spectacular, loads of smallish ice in the water and some bergs that look a little too big for comfort.

 

We woke to grey skies and mist this morning, temps in the mid single digits and then it started raining. Luckily it cleared just as we were entering the Sund.

 

Sergio & Stephano decided it was just the day for a BBQ on the back of the Terrazza, wow the chefs looked cold.

[Silver Spectre]

Super day sailing through the Sund, awesome views. Now heading off to our stop in Greenland, passing a couple of large, ship sized, bergs. About 100 yards off the port side and as we went past it the engine vibration must have altered the delicate balance as it started to roll over, dipped down at one end and then slowly righted itself.

 

Pool Grill and bar closed and absolutely no one else on deck to see it!!

[Village.ins]

Sorry DT I was brought up that making fun of people was not funny. Just perhaps a different place in the world.

[UKCruiseJeff]

deleted - not worth it.

 

:)

Edited September 18, 2015 by UKCruiseJeff

[duct tape]

Not sure about this...making fun of whom?