Now for something completely different

[NSWP]

On 1/31/2021 at 8:03 PM, OzKiwiJJ said:

Encasa better stay open!!!! I need my Spanish fix occasionally.

 

Yes, the Canopy is great especially on a nice day. Shame the weather wasn't the greatest this weekend.

Encasa is staying open, do not fret. I had albadongas, ye olde spanish meat balls and 🌶 spanish spicy arroz. So busy Lane Cove shopping precinct even with the rain, many still had masks on even though restrictions were off. The uber and taxi drivers would not allow us into the car unless we put masks on, i had one. Felt strange, not used to it down here.

Edited February 2, 2021 by NSWP

[OzKiwiJJ]

Yes, the meatballs are very yummy. DH always insists we get those. But mostly we've been going there for lunch lately. Their bocadillos are amazing, best baguettes ever. We get one filled with jamon, and one with chorizo and capsicum, and share them. 

 

A good percentage of people around here are very good at mask wearing. We went into Chatswood today and over 50% were wearing masks even on the street. We've got used to wearing them now, we only grumble when it's very hot and humid.

[NSWP]

3 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Yes, the meatballs are very yummy. DH always insists we get those. But mostly we've been going there for lunch lately. Their bocadillos are amazing, best baguettes ever. We get one filled with jamon, and one with chorizo and capsicum, and share them. 

 

A good percentage of people around here are very good at mask wearing. We went into Chatswood today and over 50% were wearing masks even on the street. We've got used to wearing them now, we only grumble when it's very hot and humid.

But you can discard your masks now, why suffer the discomfort? 

[OzKiwiJJ]

18 minutes ago, NSWP said:

But you can discard your masks now, why suffer the discomfort? 

Because we think it's safer to continue using masks in busy supermarkets and shopping centres. They may not be mandatory any more but this pandemic isn't over and this virus is sneaky. Better safe than sorry.

[NSWP]

22 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Because we think it's safer to continue using masks in busy supermarkets and shopping centres. They may not be mandatory any more but this pandemic isn't over and this virus is sneaky. Better safe than sorry.

Your call.  I just do not want to see aggro in Sydney between the mask wearers and the non mask wearers, the latter who are following NSW Govt policy. The risks are very, very minimal you would have to admit.

[OzKiwiJJ]

13 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Your call.  I just do not want to see aggro in Sydney between the mask wearers and the non mask wearers, the latter who are following NSW Govt policy. The risks are very, very minimal you would have to admit.

I don't see the point of people getting het up about it. It's personal choice at the moment except for certain circumstances (public transport etc) where masks are mandatory in which case those that don't wear them risk a fine.

 

Yes, the risks are minimal but, unfortunately there is still some risk and we don't know when and where the next outbreak will occur. So if we're going somewhere that's crowded, like our local supermarkets, we wear a mask. However we usually don't when we shop at the butcher and greengrocer in Lane Cove West as those shops aren't crowded. 

[lyndarra]

Yesterday I made a booking, the first in yonks. Not a cruise but to see Hamilton in April.

[NSWP]

3 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

Yesterday I made a booking, the first in yonks. Not a cruise but to see Hamilton in April.

Good work, enjoy. Since June, every month I have gone on a 3 or 4 night mini road trip to all parts of NSW.  North, south and west, mostly west. Been to all of them in past years, but revisits, great enjoyment.

[Aus Traveller]

23 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

Yesterday I made a booking, the first in yonks. Not a cruise but to see Hamilton in April.

I hope you enjoy Hamilton. I saw it on line and didn't like it👎 but the theatre experience would be different.

[NSWP]

5 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

I hope you enjoy Hamilton. I saw it on line and didn't like it👎 but the theatre experience would be different.

I thought lyndarra was going to Hamilton Island. So it is a stage production?

[mr walker]

6 hours ago, lyndarra said:

Yesterday I made a booking, the first in yonks. Not a cruise but to see Hamilton in April.

 

5 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

I hope you enjoy Hamilton. I saw it on line and didn't like it👎 but the theatre experience would be different.

 

32 minutes ago, NSWP said:

I thought lyndarra was going to Hamilton Island. So it is a stage production?

I was thinking of Hamilton the city in NZ - thought lyndarra was optimistic 😊

[lyndarra]

6 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

I hope you enjoy Hamilton. I saw it on line and didn't like it👎 but the theatre experience would be different.

 

33 minutes ago, mr walker said:

 

 

I was thinking of Hamilton the city in NZ - thought lyndarra was optimistic 😊

Hamilton The Musical at Sydney's Lyric Theatre. Watching it online is not the same.

 

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, lyndarra said:

 

Hamilton The Musical at Sydney's Lyric Theatre. Watching it online is not the same.

 

The show won an incredible number of awards. To a non-American, this was a puzzle to me.😁 I managed to watch it to the end, but it took a bit of determination not to give up part way through.😁 My daughter-in-law gave up the time she tried to watch it so when we visited, they screened a version with captions. That made it better. The stage production will be much better than watching it on a wide-screen TV, but there won't be any captions.

[Blackduck59]

15 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

 

Hamilton The Musical at Sydney's Lyric Theatre. Watching it online is not the same.

 

 

Funny thing Lyndon, I knew precisely what you were talking about. How are they working the seating for distancing. I would think the tickets would be quite dear with a full production and restricted attendance. Enjoy the show and be safe.

[lyndarra]

2 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

Funny thing Lyndon, I knew precisely what you were talking about. How are they working the seating for distancing. I would think the tickets would be quite dear with a full production and restricted attendance. Enjoy the show and be safe.

Thanks. They have a 75% capacity limit but no social distancing with seating. Mask wearing inside is compulsory.

https://www.sydneylyric.com.au/covid-safety-plan/

[BRANDEE]

4 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

Funny thing Lyndon, I knew precisely what you were talking about. How are they working the seating for distancing. I would think the tickets would be quite dear with a full production and restricted attendance. Enjoy the show and be safe.

Over 40 Broadway Theaters shuttered on and off Broadway until the fall of 2021.  Seating will be the major problem.  As an American History major, I found Hamilton very interesting but even more important were the rows and rows of school aged children learning about their country and loving it.  Wonder if you can put Algebra into rap to teach it??.  (Closed caption would have helped a few times.... Aus Traveller)

[NSWP]

Lady Hamilton?  The missus of Lord Horatio Nelson?

[OzKiwiJJ]

American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. 

[Aus Traveller]

2 hours ago, NSWP said:

Lady Hamilton?  The missus of Lord Horatio Nelson?

That might have been more interesting. ☺️

[Aus Traveller]

3 hours ago, lyndarra said:

Thanks. They have a 75% capacity limit but no social distancing with seating. Mask wearing inside is compulsory.

https://www.sydneylyric.com.au/covid-safety-plan/

I really hope you enjoy the show. ☺️

[Blackduck59]

Well we had Lynn's Mom over for lunch. She has been disappointed with the quality of the food at her residence lately (it seems like maybe 1 out of 6 meals are much to remember. I spent some time preparing a chowder base last night, Bacon, onion, carrots all sauteed together. We had some home made chicken stock for the base and simmered until the veg was cooked I added a grated potato to thicken it up a bit. After adding a about 600 ml of full cream I let it cool overnight. We picked up Lynn's mom this morning and I re-heated the soup base over low heat for over an hour. Once it was up to simmer I added the seafood, Peruvian scallops, Chilean shrimp, Icelandic Cod, smoked wild BC salmon and clams of unknown origin (I didn't read the label on the can) I simmered long enough to cook the cod and viola International seafood chowder. It was a memorable meal for her I served it with a cheese scone. We sent some home with her to enjoy another day (when the meal offered at the residence is unacceptable).

[BRANDEE]

49 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Well we had Lynn's Mom over for lunch. She has been disappointed with the quality of the food at her residence lately (it seems like maybe 1 out of 6 meals are much to remember. I spent some time preparing a chowder base last night, Bacon, onion, carrots all sauteed together. We had some home made chicken stock for the base and simmered until the veg was cooked I added a grated potato to thicken it up a bit. After adding a about 600 ml of full cream I let it cool overnight. We picked up Lynn's mom this morning and I re-heated the soup base over low heat for over an hour. Once it was up to simmer I added the seafood, Peruvian scallops, Chilean shrimp, Icelandic Cod, smoked wild BC salmon and clams of unknown origin (I didn't read the label on the can) I simmered long enough to cook the cod and viola International seafood chowder. It was a memorable meal for her I served it with a cheese scone. We sent some home with her to enjoy another day (when the meal offered at the residence is unacceptable).

Wow..you sure sound like a top chef to me..I love to cook, but the few times I left my husband in charge (conferences for work and he fed the kids) were disasters.  He's a master at the outdoor grill but not the kitchen.  I copied your international seafood chowder and plan to give it a go..thanks.  Question..did you cool over night in the frig?

Edited February 7, 2021 by BRANDEE

[Blackduck59]

No problem Brandee, my chowder is not as thick as most cream chowders but loaded with seafood. I have made it with all local seafood, scallops from Parksville, BC Halibut instead of the cod, local shrimp (I know a guy) and we have a local fish monger that smokes the wild salmon right here in Victoria. I also use a couple tablespoons of dill (more when I have fresh dill)

I am the designated chef in our household.

Edited February 7, 2021 by Blackduck59

[BRANDEE]

7 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

No problem Brandee, my chowder is not as thick as most cream chowders but loaded with seafood. I have made it with all local seafood, scallops from Parksville, BC Halibut instead of the cod, local shrimp (I know a guy) and we have a local fish monger that smokes the wild salmon right here in Victoria. I also use a couple tablespoons of dill (more when I have fresh dill)

I am the designated chef in our household.

Lucky Lynn!  I grew up on a lot of fish..my uncle owned his own "stall" at the NYC Fulton Fish Market and he brought many varieties of fish to grandma who lived with us. Now I have to depend on the local fish store for my selection and the price of fish was high during the Christmas holiday ( us Italians and the Feast of the Seven Fishes) but the prices have not gone down.  $19 for a pound of flounder..$24 for a pound of salmon. After we dig out of yet another snow storm tomorrow..8 inches expected on top of 18 inches last week..I'll head over to the fish store for my ingredients.  I live mid island so no local fisherman to go to..

[Blackduck59]

@BRANDEE actually I put it outside in the BBQ safe from the critters but cool enough to be safe. I didn't want to put the hot soup base in the fridge, it was late last night and I didn't have time to let it cool and get it in the fridge so out to BBQ. I took it out of the BBQ and on to the cook top on 4 to slowly re-heat. I put the seafood in after it was warm and just a few minute before serving that way the raw fish and scallops don't get overcooked. I have also made it with fresh clams in the shell just throw them in the simmering pot.

Edited February 7, 2021 by Blackduck59