Month: June 2023

Cruise Dining, Part II

On By Terry ChristophersonIn Trips and travel4 Comments

We have four days left on our third cruise. This time it is on the Norwegian Star from Tromsø ending up in Iceland by way of Longyearbyen, the northernmost inhabited village.

The Star had a few of the same restaurants we saw on the other ships – an Irish Pub, Le Bistro, La Cucina, and of course the Garden Cafe.

The Garden Cafe continues to be avoided if at all possible. As I said in my last blog about food on our cruises, the buffet food is not bad, it is just not very good. Well except for the one time on the Sun when I thought biscuits and gravy for breakfast sounded indulgent. If I could have cut or bitten through the biscuit it just might have been a treat, even the gravy did not soften their impenetrable shell, they were bad.

Yet, more than the mediocre food, it is the crowd. On this cruise, I have been there at 0600, 0700, 1000, once or twice to actually eat something, usually just passing through, grabbing a cup of coffee, then heading for the bow to watch the ship come into port. The buffet is always a chaotic crowd, and both Tricia and I have observed that they are aggressive; God forbid you get between them and their bacon. We have been pushed and shoved multiple times. Tricia had one guy forcibly tell her, “get out of my way.”

In defense and fairness the made-to-order omelets and the deserts are actually quite good, but they are not worth the crowd hassle for me. And then there is my lifelong dislike of buffets.

I would rather eat at a sit-down restaurant with a view and take my time. Of the restaurants on the Star that is included in your basic package, The Versailles is our favorite. One evening we had this view and I had this for my entree.

Even though we were not next to the window, as we usually are because we get there early, we had a nice view of the water. My sea bass was cooked just right. The server remembered us and we chatted about her home country. Sure beats the rumble and tumble of the buffet line, and the cramped tables that would do a school caffateria proud.

On this ship the Asian restaurant is included, which has been a treat, complete with hot saki. For a few dollars more I had unagi sushi for an appetizer.

We always buy the food upgrade that includes two meals at the Ala Carte places. We used our first at La Cocina. A good Italian meal for sure, but the best part was Hazel, the wine steward. She was so much fun, and we connected. Since the staff work at multiple locations around the ship we see her often and she is always greets us enthusiastically.

Our second reservation will be on our second to last night on the ship, at Cagney’s. Cagney’s is a fixture on most Norwegian ships, but we have avoided going to this most popular of the restaurants since we don’t go to steak houses, and we live in France where steak is c’est normal.

I took too long to write this, so we had no choice but to go to the buffet. We dodged the people, and tried to ignore the noise. I decided to have pancakes, not something I have often, but what the heck. Tricia got her plate, I got mine then we looked for an empty table. Five minutes later we found one, conveniently located so the traffic went by on both sides just inches from our seats. At one point, I warned Tricia because a man was standing there gazing around, probably looking for a table, while holding his plate about six inches from her head. By the time we found a place to sit, my pancakes were cold. My views on buffets remain unchanged.

Chez Moi, Often the Best Place in Town

On By Terry ChristophersonIn cooking, Food and drink, Trips and travel6 Comments

Often the best eatery is Chez Moi, our place. As much as we love eating out, some of our best meals are when we cook. We never have those discussions some people have about whose turn it is to cook or do the dishes. We both love to cook and neither of us mind the dishes.

Recently, after watching an episode of Ina Garten, I adapted one of her dishes for us, shrimp with fennel. I would never have dreamt of pairing shrimp and fennel, but wow, it was amazing.

I sautéed diced fennel in olive oil with a bit of garlic and red pepper flakes. Then sautéed the peeled shrimp, added a splash of French sparkling wine, and a handful of parsley from our garden. To quote Ina, “How easy is that?” Then served it with fresh, local, brocoli that was steamed and topped with a bit of butter and salt.

Spring means asparagus, We don’t eat asparagus the rest of the year because it is just not worth eating; fresh local asparagus is such a treat. At the risk of offending my French friends, I do proclaim that Washington, USA grown asparagus is superior, but the stalks from France are quite nice.

One of the wonderful conveniences at the Supermarché are the premade doughs and crusts. They come in a package rolled around paper. To use you simply unroll the dough onto your baking sheet and you are set. For this tart I used puff pastry dough.

The first layer was crème fraîche. Then asparagus, leek, and sliced zucchini. It was seasoned with a bit of salt and red pepper flakes. (Yes, I do put a bit of red pepper flakes on most everything. Not enough to make it spicy, but even a bit enhances the flavor better than black pepper.) I topped it off with grated Parmesan cheese and baked.

In March 2022 we were in Paris on our way home from Faro, Portugal. We stayed for a few days at a newer hotel in the Montparnasse area, The Drawing House. A great place to stay if you want to try something with a real art vibe. It was late so we just ate in the hotel. Tricia had curried squash soup, which inspired her to do her own version at Chez Moi.

She topped it with mini-croutons, and a drizzle of olive oil. From my totally biased objectivity it was better than at the restaurant. Some slices of baguette and a glass of vin blanc made the perfect meal.

Cooking and eating has been an integral part of our life for as long as I remember. It is our hobby. Food brings us joy, which, when we get the opportunity, we love to share with friends and family.