The Bistro- Off topic and fun posts!

[Roland4]

14 hours ago, KenzSailing said:

 

Chili, you say? Chili?

 

Well, prepare to step into the arena:

 

Protein: ground or chunks? (And get that veggie chili stuff right outta here)

 

And the biggie: beans or no?

 

(And if Patty doesn't chime in on this, well, I shall fear for her well being.)  

 

I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night!!! I know better than to get into the middle of an American discussion (AKA-dogfight) over what is or is not "chili""!!😁😁

 

For the record, and not open to discussion, our "family" recipe is an amalgamation of styles, including ground beef, peppers and beans plus three variants of chili powder. 

 

Many, many years ago my father-in-law and half a dozen friends would go moose hunting in far northern Ontario and mom-in-law would make "moose camp" chili (no beans) that was so intensely spicy I swear it would strip paint at 100 yards. She would freeze it in large bags for easy transport, but to this day I have no idea how it froze as it generated its own internal heat from the chili powder she put in it!!!! 

[rafinmd]

Another sunrise (or probably sunset) from my millennium Copper Canyon train trip.  I don't now if this is really December 27 but it could be.

 

 

Roy

[BEAV]

Serenity’s arrival into the Hawaiian Islands on December 27, 2018 dovetails  nicely with the present day chili debacle. The typical well-traveled Crystal cruiser will already be familiar with Hawaii’s love affair with Spam. And, yes, the island delicacy does indeed make its way into a bowl of chili. 

 

https://pinkyspantry.wordpress.com/2017/05/28/chili-con-spam/

 

Now whether or not Spam makes it into chili at the chic Maryland Chez Kenz is a mystery I can only hope will be solved before we close out the year 2020. Just add it to a growing list of things I wish not to carry over into 2021. 

 

 

[BWIVince]

56 minutes ago, BEAV said:

Serenity’s arrival into the Hawaiian Islands on December 27, 2018 dovetails  nicely with the present day chili debacle. The typical well-traveled Crystal cruiser will already be familiar with Hawaii’s love affair with Spam. And, yes, the island delicacy does indeed make its way into a bowl of chili. 

 

https://pinkyspantry.wordpress.com/2017/05/28/chili-con-spam/

 

Now whether or not Spam makes it into chili at the chic Maryland Chez Kenz is a mystery I can only hope will be solved before we close out the year 2020. Just add it to a growing list of things I wish not to carry over into 2021. 

 

 

 

I always held Hawaii as the king of Spam, but McDonalds introduction of the Span and Oreo (!) burger in the China market really had me thinking there might be some growing competition.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/mcdonalds-china-oreo-spam-burger-intl-hnk/index.html

 

I'm guessing that generous squirt of mayo really pulls it all together.  

 

With that, does that make an Oreo crumble the appropriate topping of Spam chili?  🤔🐷

 

Vince

[BEAV]

1 hour ago, BWIVince said:

 

I always held Hawaii as the king of Spam, but McDonalds introduction of the Span and Oreo (!) burger in the China market really had me thinking there might be some growing competition.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/mcdonalds-china-oreo-spam-burger-intl-hnk/index.html

 

I'm guessing that generous squirt of mayo really pulls it all together.  

 

With that, does that make an Oreo crumble the appropriate topping of Spam chili?  🤔🐷

 

Vince

 

And I thought moose chili sounded outrageous (no offense to our friendly neighbors to the North). 

 

When/if Crystal gets back to sailing, I can easily see Spam/Oreo burgers being featured once a week as “Burger of the Day” at Trident. After all, the Oreo crumbles at the ice cream counter are mere steps away from the grill. 

Easy peasy.

[BWIVince]

14 minutes ago, BEAV said:

 

And I thought moose chili sounded outrageous (no offense to our friendly neighbors to the North). 

 

When/if Crystal gets back to sailing, I can easily see Spam/Oreo burgers being featured once a week as “Burger of the Day” at Trident. After all, the Oreo crumbles at the ice cream counter are mere steps away from the grill. 

Easy peasy.

 

...That just makes you wonder how many other toppings off the ice cream bar work (-ish?) on a Spam burger?  lol

 

I posted the last message on my iPad and autocorrect changed Spam to Span -- even autocorrect was like, "uh, no -- that can't possibly be what he meant to go with Oreo."

 

Vince

Edited December 27, 2020 by BWIVince

[Roland4]

51 minutes ago, BEAV said:

 

And I thought moose chili sounded outrageous (no offense to our friendly neighbors to the North). 

 

When/if Crystal gets back to sailing, I can easily see Spam/Oreo burgers being featured once a week as “Burger of the Day” at Trident. After all, the Oreo crumbles at the ice cream counter are mere steps away from the grill. 

Easy peasy.

 

That was "moose camp" chili, as in chili made at home to take to moose camp! Moose actually tastes pretty good, although I only had it twice that I know of. Very lean compared to beef, you actually have to "lard" a moose roast to get any kind of gravy, but not as heavy a game taste as the venison that I have had in restaurants on occasion.

[KenzSailing]

Larry,

 

Three kinds of chili powder in your chili?  That's impressive.  Pray tell, what are they?

 

Patty, Texans are obligated to have an opinion about chili.  It's in the state constitution.

 

As to the rest of youze, don't make me turn this car around...

 

(PS: made a lovely spinach dip this afternoon.  I just realized, to my eternal shame, it's vegetarian?!

Oh well, at least it has dairy.)

[Roland4]

43 minutes ago, KenzSailing said:

Larry,

 

Three kinds of chili powder in your chili?  That's impressive.  Pray tell, what are they?

 

Patty, Texans are obligated to have an opinion about chili.  It's in the state constitution.

 

As to the rest of youze, don't make me turn this car around...

 

(PS: made a lovely spinach dip this afternoon.  I just realized, to my eternal shame, it's vegetarian?!

Oh well, at least it has dairy.)

 Your garden variety chili powder, ancho chili powder and chipotle chili powder. Keep in mind these are probably not the "authentic" powders one finds in various parts of the US of A, but up here in the Frozen North we use what we have.😁 We do have the actual chilies at certain times of year too. Our maintenance guy grows his own scotch bonnet peppers and gave us a bottle of his pickled carrots with a slice of scotch bonnet. We have not had the courage to open it yet!!!🙃

[crickette]

4 hours ago, BEAV said:

 

And I thought moose chili sounded outrageous (no offense to our friendly neighbors to the North). 

 

When/if Crystal gets back to sailing, I can easily see Spam/Oreo burgers being featured once a week as “Burger of the Day” at Trident. After all, the Oreo crumbles at the ice cream counter are mere steps away from the grill. 

Easy peasy.

We had 3 moose in the yard today.  One named Strawberry, another Chocolate, and the baby this summer is named Mickey.    Unfortunately Minnie hasn't been seen since August, so I assume didn't survive.  (Dinner for our cougar, I'm sure.)  I am an avid gardener, and they have hooves the size of dinner plates, so not my favourite garden guests.

 

Great idea for next year's calves - Spam and Oreo!

Edited December 28, 2020 by crickette

[rafinmd]

For several years after my mother's death (2001) my brother set up a family get-together somewhere in a more or less warm weather beach setting.  In 2002 it was in Sullivan's Island, SC (across the harbor from Ft. Sumter).  I was out for this sunrise in 2002:

 

 

Roy

 

[BEAV]

Early morning December 28, 2018 found Serenity approaching Honolulu. We were lucky to snag an outdoor table on the aft of Marketplace to enjoy breakfast, as well as soak up the views and delicious warm, tropical weather. A thrill to be in shorts and T-shirt weather in December! 

[KenzSailing]

I'm a little late with this, but:

 

Die Hard is a Christmas movie

[ChatKat in Ca.]

On 12/26/2020 at 4:42 PM, BEAV said:

 

9.9999 out of every 10 Californians polled don't like you no more. 

Well, I am happy to be in the minority 0.0001

If you Google Chasen's Chili, you'd see that 9.9999 is probably fake news

[BEAV]

4 hours ago, ChatKat in Ca. said:

Well, I am happy to be in the minority 0.0001

If you Google Chasen's Chili, you'd see that 9.9999 is probably fake news

 

Ya busted me. 

 

On the other hand, I’ve got to admit the Chasen’s does sound pretty good! 

[rafinmd]

My final sunrise (set) from my 1999-2000 millennium Copper Canyon trip:

 

 

Roy

[Coral]

I remember the first time going to Alaska and having reindeer chili. All I could do was think of Rudolph. Same thing when going to Norway and being given reindeer jerky......

[rafinmd]

My last 2 2020 sunrises are almost a reflection of the way 2020 has been, not the greatest.  A fitting closing to a year I wish I could forget.  This one is from my one and only New Years cruise, the last season of MS Ryndam in 2014-2015.

 

 

Roy

[ctjon]

From New Years 2000 on Symphony.   We had 2 New Years days as we crossed the Date Line - one was a formal night and then an "informal" one.  What could be better than 2 Crystal New Years celebrations.

[BEAV]

December 30, 2018 found Serenity anchored off Kona on the Big Island. Joe and Dee Alban, passengers on the Holiday cruise, invited a bus load of fellow sailors and crew to their coffee farm. A fun day roaming around their farm as well as getting the rare chance to rub elbows with favorite crew members on their off hours. 

 

 

[rafinmd]

My final sunrise for 2020 is from my 2013 trip that started on the Crystal Symphony (New York to Miami) and continued on MS Prinsendam.  After disembarking we had a family visit to a beach house near Port Canaveral.  Before returning home December 31 I caught this sunrise from the beach:

 

 

Roy

[oakridger]

Thank you Roy for all your sunrise pictures this year.  I have seen more of them than actual sunrises combined for the last 20 years!!!   

 

Wishing you  and all the Crystal Cruisers a healthy 2021!

 

~Nancy

 

[rafinmd]

My New Years sunrise is not as spectacular as I would like.  It seems to be a bit of a lovely sunrise but just a bit of it showing around the bow of the Ryndam.  Perhaps a bit like 2021 shows a lot of promise, if just we can get rid of the  baggage from 2020.  I expect a nasty start to 2021 but light at the end of the tunnel.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

 

Roy

[KenzSailing]

One question:

 

Where do I go to get my "I survived 2020" t-shirt?

[Junelovestocruise]

27 minutes ago, KenzSailing said:

One question:

 

Where do I go to get my "I survived 2020" t-shirt?

I want the one that says "I survived 2020 without a cruise".