The Bistro- Off topic and fun posts!

[Roland4]

23 minutes ago, KenzSailing said:

I'll post this here, so as not to disturb the serious cruise posters, but I would bet cash money that there is no one in the Crystal home office with the institutional memory of the ships' decor/layout/etc like the proverbial "some guy" poster on CC.  Even if he's never eaten fried squirrel. 

I would hazard a guess you are correct! Having said that, I did have the pleasure of talking to a Reservations Rep the other day who has been with Crystal since 2003!! She was even on the 2005 Harmony 15th Anniversary Alaska cruise that we were on! And for the record, I have never eaten fried squirrel, or cicadas, either!😁

[BEAV]

7 hours ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

Brian, the porcupine meatballs was a recipe in the famous cookbook "Joy of Cooking" by Irma Rombauer!! I grew up on them. The difference from regular meatballs was rice instead of bread crumbs!!

 

Patty

 

Of course my Grandmother tried to pawn off the idea that they were her own concoction. But I was very young and took whatever she said as Gospel! 

6 hours ago, KenzSailing said:

 

OK, by (un)popular demand, a sneak peek at the cicada menu.  It's a seven course tasting menu, title is "The 17 Year Itch":

 

Pate de Cicada

 

Cicadas en Croute

 

Cicada Consomme

 

Salade de Cicada Verte (pistachio crusted)

 

Cicada Supreme

 

Cicada Surprise (wouldn't you like to know)

 

Dessert: "On the Midway at the State Fair":

Deep fried, chocolate covered Cicadas on a stick (real crowd pleaser)

 

Beauty of it is, I don't even have to go to the market.  I can dig up (oops, forage) most of this right in the back yard (um, garden.)

 

I can’t WAIT to see the list of wines paired with each course......

[KenzSailing]

1 hour ago, BEAV said:

 

Of course my Grandmother tried to pawn off the idea that they were her own concoction. But I was very young and took whatever she said as Gospel! 

 

I can’t WAIT to see the list of wines paired with each course......

 

Aw, you finally teed up an easy one.  They all pair well with...

 

"a nice Kee-AAN-ti..."

 

(Remember, I live only a few miles from the HQ of the US Census Bureau.)

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is the first from a 2015 pair of cruises, Crystal Serenity Miami to Lisbon, followed by a Prinsendam Kiel Canal cruise.  On May 7,  the Crystal Serenity anchored in Bermuda:

 

Roy

[oakridger]

Very nice sunrise picture Roy!

 

~Nancy

[nancygp]

7 hours ago, rafinmd said:

Today's sunrise is the first from a 2015 pair of cruises, Crystal Serenity Miami to Lisbon, followed by a Prinsendam Kiel Canal cruise.  On May 7,  the Crystal Serenity anchored in Bermuda:

 

Roy

I was also on the Miami to Lisbon cruise,  beautiful photo.

 

Nancy

[Texas Tillie]

On 5/6/2021 at 2:14 PM, KenzSailing said:

 

OK, by (un)popular demand, a sneak peek at the cicada menu.  It's a seven course tasting menu, title is "The 17 Year Itch":

 

Pate de Cicada

 

Cicadas en Croute

 

Cicada Consomme

 

Salade de Cicada Verte (pistachio crusted)

 

Cicada Supreme

 

Cicada Surprise (wouldn't you like to know)

 

Dessert: "On the Midway at the State Fair":

Deep fried, chocolate covered Cicadas on a stick (real crowd pleaser)

 

Beauty of it is, I don't even have to go to the market.  I can dig up (oops, forage) most of this right in the back yard (um, garden.)

 

Just saw an interesting story on the local tv news. On the segment where they answer viewers questions, today's question was can you eat cicadas if you have a shellfish allergy? Turns out that cicadas are related to shrimp, so three experts said you should not eat them if you have a shellfish allergy!!

 

Patty

[BWIVince]

5 hours ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

Just saw an interesting story on the local tv news. On the segment where they answer viewers questions, today's question was can you eat cicadas if you have a shellfish allergy? Turns out that cicadas are related to shrimp, so three experts said you should not eat them if you have a shellfish allergy!!

 

Patty

They also molt just like crabs, so maybe soft shell cicadas need to be considered for the Chez’s menu?  (With the obligatory allergy warnings, of course.)

 

Vince

[mskatiemae]

6 hours ago, BWIVince said:

They also molt just like crabs, so maybe soft shell cicadas need to be considered for the Chez’s menu?  (With the obligatory allergy warnings, of course.)

 

Vince

Okay, if any don't think we're serious check out this culinary magazine for more cicada ideas... "Tastes like shrimp".

 

https://www.foodandwine.com/news/cicadas-return-2021-edible-flavor

 

By the way, Kenz, if your yard is pesticide-free perhaps you can claim organic cicada on the menu? 

Edited May 8, 2021 by mskatiemae

[rafinmd]

I only have one May 8 sunrise.  It's from my 2019 Nieuw Statendam/Cunard round trip transatlantic.  I slept late May 8 but caught this from my hotel window in Kiel.

 

 

Roy

[KenzSailing]

15 hours ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

Just saw an interesting story on the local tv news. On the segment where they answer viewers questions, today's question was can you eat cicadas if you have a shellfish allergy? Turns out that cicadas are related to shrimp, so three experts said you should not eat them if you have a shellfish allergy!!

 

Patty

 

Uh oh.  Excuse me, I need to check on OLoPP.

[KenzSailing]

3 hours ago, mskatiemae said:

By the way, Kenz, if your yard is pesticide-free perhaps you can claim organic cicada on the menu? 

 

We're definitely pesticide free here in Chevy Chase, and this is a great idea.  I'm slapping "Organic" on at the top of the menu, and hiking each course by a buck.

[rafinmd]

Another sunset,  rather than sunrise, today once again from my 2017 string of cruises.  On May 9 Crystal Symphony was in Panama City:

 

 

Roy

[Merry Twinkletoes]

Roy,
 

Have you visited Ascension Island? I remember the recent photo from your ship.

[KenzSailing]

Well, the staff here at the Chez(we run lean) has attained what I call "max vax" status: two weeks out from final shot.  And just like the cicadas, we are emerging from hibernation:

 

OLoPP got a pedicure(N95 and face shielded, no over confidence here)

 

Two indoor(yes, indoor) dinner reservations.  Both at hot new joints in the District:

 

Jont (counter seating, tasting menu.  No cicadas, alas) 

 

Dauphines(The Big Easy does DC)

 

(I will be disappointed if this post doesn't make Vince at least a little envious.) 

[rafinmd]

28 minutes ago, Merry Twinkletoes said:

Roy,
 

Have you visited Ascension Island? I remember the recent photo from your ship.

Not quite.  I was scheduled there on the MS Amsterdam in a 2014 combination that started with Symphony and Serenity Bali-Singapore-Cape Town before diverting to Florida on the Amsterdam.  The itinerary got changed when Ebola broke out and we dropped 2 African ports, but had hoped for at least a brief afternoon call.  Unfortunately, the sea didn't permit tendering but a local boat came out with naturalists and souvenirs and we did a scenic circle around the island.  That's as close as I've been.

 

Here's Georgetown, the main town:

 

 

Roy

[Merry Twinkletoes]

1 hour ago, rafinmd said:

Not quite.  I was scheduled there on the MS Amsterdam in a 2014 combination that started with Symphony and Serenity Bali-Singapore-Cape Town before diverting to Florida on the Amsterdam.  The itinerary got changed when Ebola broke out and we dropped 2 African ports, but had hoped for at least a brief afternoon call.  Unfortunately, the sea didn't permit tendering but a local boat came out with naturalists and souvenirs and we did a scenic circle around the island.  That's as close as I've been.

 

Here's Georgetown, the main town:

 

 

Roy

Yes, the waves were too rough to tender from the Serenity in 2019, too. We circled Ascension Island in two hours. The Amsterdam appears to have sailed closer!

 

An Assistant Concierge said it was unlikely passengers would be able to visit.

 

The forward to a book about Earnest Shackleton said: Once you have gone everywhere else, you go to Ascension Island. I’ll focus on the other places for now.

Thanks for sharing the photo of Georgetown, Roy.

[rafinmd]

7 minutes ago, Merry Twinkletoes said:

Yes, the waves were too rough to tender from the Serenity in 2019, too. We circled Ascension Island in two hours. The Amsterdam appears to have sailed closer!

 

An Assistant Concierge said it was unlikely passengers would be able to visit.

 

The forward to a book about Earnest Shackleton said: Once you have gone everywhere else, you go to Ascension Island. I’ll focus on the other places for now.

Thanks for sharing the photo of Georgetown, Roy.

Two days earlier we stopped in St. Helena.  When a ship visits a port for the first time there is traditionally a plaque exchange.  They are prominently displayed at the top of the forward stairs on Symphony (less so near Captain's Quarters on Serenity) but we rarely see the ones the ships give to the ports.  In "the Castle" on St. Helena I spotted the one given on Symphony's maiden call there.

 

 

Roy

[Merry Twinkletoes]

On the ship’s tour, I went inside the home where Napoleon lived during his exile in         St. Helena. I missed the Symphony plaque.

 

The plaques reflect voyages throughout the years: During the final cruise of the old Rotterdam, the plaques the ship received were auctioned off. The proceeds went to the Fund for Sailors.

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my Cunard return from my 2019 Nieuw Statendam transatlantic.  On May 10 Queen Victoria was in Skagen Denmark

 

 

Roy

 

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my 2017 sequence of cruises. On May 11 the Crystal Symphony visited Cartagena Colombia.

 

 

Roy

[KenzSailing]

This is it.  My ticket to the big time: @TommyMcFLY on Twitter.

[rafinmd]

Today's photo is a sunset from my 2019 round trip transatlantic, Eastbound on Nieuw Statendam and returning on Cunard.  On May 12 I transferred from Queen Victoria to Queen Mary 2 in Southampton.

 

 

I may or may not post tomorrow as I go in the hospital for surgery Friday.  I anticipate updates on my status will be posted on the Holland America forum in "The Daily" (A new thread each day).

 

Roy

 

[Roland4]

2 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

Today's photo is a sunset from my 2019 round trip transatlantic, Eastbound on Nieuw Statendam and returning on Cunard.  On May 12 I transferred from Queen Victoria to Queen Mary 2 in Southampton.

 

 

I may or may not post tomorrow as I go in the hospital for surgery Friday.  I anticipate updates on my status will be posted on the Holland America forum in "The Daily" (A new thread each day).

 

Roy

 

Good luck Roy. We will be thinking about you!

 

Larry

[BWIVince]

Same here, Roy...  Good luck with the surgery and know that a whole lot of us are thinking about you and sending best wishes and prayers.  

 

Vince