The Food Guru: Food, Travel, Photography = Life

St. Malo, The Mystical Mont St. Michel, and the Walled City.

(Day 5: 24 September 2021)

Day 5 started with an incredible sight as we pulled in to port at St. Malo. The morning had a slight chill in the fresh smelling air, and I was struck with the stillness of the water. There was a beautiful glow over the water, as the sun was rising over the cliffsides surrounding the cove our ship was nestled in.

Sailboats were still rocking in the sleepy haze of dawn. There was a lighthouse type turret structure built from rock that brought us back to a time when a ship like ours might have been considered a foreign enemy. But today, it was more of a welcome beacon, coaxing us to come on shore and mingle with the locals.

Today, we would have to board a tender to go ashore, and I was looking forward to the adventure! We had a half day excursion booked to visit a place called Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey. I had no idea what this excursion would be about, as this was one of the last-minute port changes that had to be made because of COVID restrictions for Americans in Ireland. Right now, as I was basking in the sunrise, I really just wanted to relax and soak in the local scene. Reluctantly, I finished my coffee and avocado toast. Leaving my “good” camera behind (because I didn’t think we were going anywhere very special), I followed my husband to the tender pickup.

We jumped on the tender for the quick ride to shore and immediately hoped on the bus. As we started out of the parking lot, the bus turned, and we were faced with a massive walled city! I looked at my husband and commented that we would definitely need to check this out when we got back from this excursion to the Abbey. All I knew about Mont St. Michel is that it was advertised as “mystical” and that we would have a hike to get there. I was pretty excited about a hike, so that we could get a little exercise.

Upon the approach to Mont St. Michel, we passed through a little town that had a bunch of painted cows.

It looked like a cool little place with small hostels and B&B’s. It had an artistic type of vibe to it and I noted that I might want to come back here at some point. Finally, we reached the parking area for the bus and were told we would have to take a small shuttle bus to the Abbey, or we could hike about 45 minutes on our own to get there, but the guide noted that we would have about 2-hours in total at the site, so hiking on our own would cut in to that time. I still hadn’t seen the actual Abbey, so I wasn’t sure what she was talking about. It was raining and pretty foggy, so it was tough to see anything beyond the parking area. As we waited in line for the shuttle, the fog started to lift and, in the distance, this massive castle like structure started to appear.

It was then that I realized what I thought was a small, little one-room abbey was a massive city type structure inside of a castle! I felt a surge of excitement as I thought, this just might exceed my expectations.

As we approached the structure, the guide was telling us that this was a special place because the water around the castle recedes throughout the day for low tide. I thought, “big deal”, the water recedes. She stated that we would notice people in shorts and barefoot, waiting for the water to go down so that they could enter the estuary and explore.

School kids with guides entering the low tide estuary at Mont-Saint-Michel

She said there would be bus loads of school children and scientists when we arrived, but we should NOT try to enter the water on our own because there was quick sand all over the place and we could rapidly find ourselves up to our hips in muck. She said it happens all the time and we would likely see this for ourselves when we were leaving. I still couldn’t picture what she was talking about but was looking forward to the spectacle!

Mont St. Michel might be one of the most special places I have been thus far. This was actually a working Abbey. There were nuns and monks that live on the property, and we were lucky enough to be there during a noon mass.

The chanting was incredible, and even though several tourists were talking loudly and completely clueless that this was an actual church, with an actual service happening, my soul was singing along with the chanting in complete happiness. Our tour guide had to ask people to take their hats off and to be quiet. It was kind of embarrassing.

It was a little tough (okay downright difficult) to walk up the stairs here. I was shocked to see an older gentleman who could barely walk, slowly and painstakingly in what seemed like a daily pilgrimage for him, making his way up the stairs. It was very moving for us to watch him. He was hunched over and was walking up the wrong way because the tourists were pushing him out of the way and inhibiting his journey. It seemed as though the staff at the Abbey knew who he was because he was able to bypass the ticket taker and requirement for the health pass (QR code) for entry. And it was at this point, several folks from our group peeled off and decided to wait at the bottom because the walk up was way too intimidating!

The structure is a mix of Romanesque and Gothic architecture and was built in honor of the Arch Angel Michael (which they refer to as Saint Michael). The Arch Angel Michael is actually my favorite angel, so this was kind of a serendipitous tour for me!

What I found cool about this place was the working town within the walls. There were shops, restaurants, and garden areas.

Interestingly, our guide recommended we not eat at the Abbey, because the food wouldn’t be that great, but if I were to go back, I would absolutely eat there. I am a little bummed we missed out on this experience. There is even a Michelin star restaurant (2019), Le Mere Poulard (known for their omelettes) in the little town, so I feel like I really missed an opportunity here.

That being said, the architecture was incredible and once inside the Abbey, there was a certain feel or energy that really drew me in. At one point I expressed to my husband, that I would love to stay an evening or two just to pray in one of the prayer rooms. He laughed and asked what I would pray for? I said, I didn’t know but probably healing and love for the world. You know, the usual stuff! I just wish for people to be happy and healthy.

As we were walking out of Mont St. Michel, there was a little alley way leading up to a bar. Apparently, the thinnest street in the World? Don’t fact check me on that…I was just eavesdropping on another group’s conversation! I had my husband stand in the street for a photo op. He is such a good sport!

We finally made it back out to the rally point and sure enough, all the water that was surrounding the Abbey was gone! I couldn’t believe it. We had barely been inside for an hour and a half. How in the heck did that happen so fast?! I guess this place really is mystical!

Boarding the bus, we headed back to St. Malo. I still couldn’t believe what a cool place Mont St. Michel ended up being. The drive was about 30-minutes, and I was excited to explore that walled city next. We had about 2-hours before we had to board the ship. Just enough time to find a quick bite and a beer!

Once in side the walled city, we decided to follow this very hidden little walk way that took us to the top of the wall. We could actually walk along the top of this massive wall!

The views were amazing and it was now that I noticed the water recession wasn’t only unique to Mont St. Michel. There were sailboats that we had passed on the tender earlier laying on their sides!

This could not be a good thing and I could not figure out why people would anchor their boats in an area with such a severe low tide? What the heck were they thinking? It was crazy. It took about 35-45 minutes to walk around the city and we were getting hungry and more importantly thirsty. So, we found a little place, in a courtyard area to sit down for a beer. Jake had an Edelweiss, and I had a Rose. Thank goodness Jake speaks just enough French to order and the young lady was amused enough to bring us our drinks.

We spent about 30-minutes watching people walk, eat, talk, and smoke. A LOT of smoking here too. This seems to be a theme throughout our European travels thus far. We talked about our day at Mont St. Michel and then decided to find another place for a beer. We walked down a little alley, away from the tourists and found a table at what seemed to be a local place. I tried to order an Aperol Spritz and the bar owner looked at me with complete confusion. Then Jake ordered a beer, which the owner understood. And I tried to order the spritz again. He just nodded his head no and pointed to the beer taps. I said a beer would be great and a beer I received!

After about twenty minutes, we looked at our watches and determined we would be cutting it close for the last tender. Looking for the blue tent that signaled our tender dock, we began to run. The tent was gone, and our tender was pulling away! We got to the dock and asked the attendant if there would be another boat? He said, yes (thank God!), one more would be here to pick us up in about 15-minutes. Whew! I guess all that praying at the Abbey paid off.

All in all, this was a magical day for exploring and casting our fates to the wind! We had no idea what we signed up for, but apparently the word “mystical” is a good indicator that something pretty special is going to happen. So, when in doubt, go for it. You just might be pleasantly surprised. If you are a photographer looking for a unique location, I would definitely recommend this place to you. Both the Abbey and the walled city have some great locations! Also, make sure you try the local Breton Cakes. These are like crepes but made with butter and sugar. I’m typically not a huge “sweet” fan, but YES, these are fabulous!

Breton Cakes with Butter and Sugar on Oceania Cruise Ship Marina

Dinner at Toscana

Day 3: 22 Sep 2021

I have been dreaming about what to write regarding the experience at Toscana onboard the Cruise Ship Marina with Oceania! Apparently, Toscana is a cruiser favorite and I definitely understand why. Upon arrival, our group was promptly seated, and a cart of various olive oils was brought to the table. Growing up in San Antonio, Texas I am used to table side guacamole, or queso flameado but I wasn’t quite sure what they were going to do with olive oil. After a few minutes, the server presented several types of olive oil and told us a brief description of each one. Similar to a wine presentation, we were offered tastes. I chose one that had a peppery flavor profile. We were provided with a basket of the most amazing bread (quickly becoming a common theme on this ship!) to dip in the little plates of olive oil. It was absolutely delicious and a perfect way to perk up our taste buds.

Next was the most important task, choosing the perfect wine. We started with a “warm up” wine, a 2012 Daou vineyards Cabernet from Paso Robles. It was a perfect way to start the evening and paired very nicely with the peppery olive oil and bread. The flavor was a little light for a cabernet and the tannins were mild. To me, it was more of a table wine. Reminiscent of a light Bordeaux blend with flavors of tobacco and a bit of earthiness. This is the kind of wine that gets the conversation started and helps the taste buds open up for the next course and with six people in our party, a bottle of wine was just enough for everyone to have a glass.

We ordered several appetizers to share. Calamari, Shrimp, Beef Carpaccio, and a Caprese. The calamari were okay, but nothing special to write home about. The shrimp was incredibly flavorful. Wrapped in prosciutto and served with some sort of sauteed cherry tomato sauce. It was amazing. The beef carpaccio was also a stand out and just melted in our mouths with sips of wine. Mmmm, and I haven’t even gotten to the best parts yet!

Someone in our group had ordered three different types of gnocchi and they were absolute pillows of heaven! Somewhere in between the gnocchi and a quick walk out to the deck to bask in the rays of the largest full moon any of us had ever seen, the second bottle of wine arrived. A 2014 William Hill Cabernet (from Napa) that opened up with notes of dark fruits, maybe a hint of clove and earthiness, with finishes of decent tannins. It was a great match for our current dishes but definitely left us wanting a little more.

Now it was time for the main courses and the next bottle of wine, a 2012 Masi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Riserva Costasera. Now THIS was a big, bold red. Very fine, soft on the mouth with flavors of dark fruits and a hint of herb. This one had quite a bit of tannins and was an overall favorite for the table with a nice long finish.

For dinner I had the bone-in milk-fed veal chop pounded thin, with a very light breading. It was sauteed in what tasted like a very light olive oil. This dish came highly recommended from another cruiser, we met at happy hour, and it was wonderful. Reminded me of a milanesa.

We also had the Filetto di Branzino (pan seared sea bass), and this was absolutely delightful. My husband doesn’t really like cooked fish and I made him try this dish. Even Jake agreed it was wonderful and didn’t taste fishy at all. It was prepared in a sauce with lemons, capers, and chardonnay. Honestly, this was my favorite and I would definitely order this one again.

My husband ordered the Filet Mignon served with sauteed garlic spinach and polenta in a red wine sauce. The filet was prepared perfectly at medium rare.

Sofia ordered the lobster with pasta and this dish was a sight to behold. It was an entire lobster, which was deconstructed at the table for her. Tender, succulent, if you like lobster this dish is one you do not want to miss!

If you can’t tell, we share dishes in our family, and I highly recommend sharing as much as possible so that you can taste a little bit of everything!

Dessert was a trio of splendor (as if we had room), we were stuffed but somehow we were able to make it work! A good dessert really is a perfect finish for a fabulous dinner.

To sum this experience up, we had a wonderful time, trying new wines and a lot of very flavorful dishes. The stand out wine was the Masi, and we ordered this one several times during our cruise. The gnocchi were a work of art, and that fish was absolutely delightful, I definitely want to recreate the fish dish recipe! This was day three of our cruise and I was already understanding why people call this the cruise line for “foodies.”

Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs (Quick and Easy)

Disclaimer: If you do not like the taste of Cilantro, because it reminds you of childhood and having your mouth washed out, then #1, we can definitely be friends! (I too had my mouth washed out with soap. ALOT.) #2, this dish is probably not for you.

Other than that, this is so super amazingly flavorful and very easy to throw together. In fact, I literally threw it together yesterday afternoon, in between meetings (I had 15-minutes to spare and a sudden panic moment that I hadn’t thought about prepping for dinner).

Chicken Thighs in Cilantro Lime Marinade

Hopefully you have this stuff on hand (like any good foodie), but if not don’t be afraid to substitute with what you have, you just can’t call it “cilantro lime chicken thighs” if none of those ingredients are in your actual recipe!

Ingredients:

1 cup of chopped Cilantro (duh)
2-3 Fresh Limes (juice and zest) (also duh, and please don’t sub with prepackaged lime juice. That’s just insulting)
6-8 cloves of fresh, crushed and chopped garlic (if you are like me, throw in a few extra for good measure)
2 TBSP of good chili powder (or whatever you have)
1 TBSP fresh pepper
1-2 TBSP of flaked sea salt (less if you have salt issues and a little more if you know how awesome this can be with a marinade!)
1 TSP of Cumin (you can add a little more if you have a taste for cumin, but not more than 2 TSP or it throws the alchemy off)
2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP Honey
3-4 Lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs (I go to Sam’s Club because they always have very good quality at a great price)

First you want to mix all of the ingredients together, EXCEPT the Chicken thighs. Basically you are going to make a marinade for the chicken. Reserve about 1/3 of a cup of the marinade for later (I forgot this step last night and thought it would have been a great finishing sauce).

Once you have your marinade you can either use a large zip lock bag or do what I did, and grab a large bowl with a lid. Now the fun part, smoother your thighs (the chicken you heathen!) with the marinade and let this sit in the fridge for at least 15-minutes but up to 24-hours. I had about 4-hours before I needed to cook.

When you are ready to cook (and only when YOU are ready…and maybe after a glass of wine, or two), whip out your huge, your biggest frying pan. Also, walk over to your oven right now and preheat to 350 degrees. Now, add a little olive oil to your pan and kick it up to high. Wait for about five minutes (it needs to be hot) and then sear your chicken on both sides. Do this in batches, if you have to. The chicken needs a little room to breath and seal in those juices. After about 2-minutes on each side (a little less if they seem to be cooking through too quickly), move them to a baking sheet with sides (like a cookie sheet, but make sure it has those sides). Then throw this in the oven at 350 for at least 30-minutes. Turn the oven off after 30-minutes and let the chicken sit for 10-more minutes.

Voila! That’s it…You’re done!

You could take this to the next level and prepare rice, while the chicken is baking. I did and it was awesome. I used the drippings from the chicken searing pan to add to the boiling rice. And honestly, it was beyond awesome. Oh and, if you are doing this a la European style, then remember to make a simple salad and eat it last! And last but not least, do not forget the wine for goodness sake!

For a wine pairing suggestion, You could go with a Pinot Noir. I know it’s red but the chili spice in the marinade gives a slight smoke/BBQ type of flavor that is definitely enhanced with a decent Pinot Noir. You could also go white with a Pinot Grigio. Or hell, bust out your favorite box wine. It’s all good!

Day 4: La Havre, France (Paris)

23 September 2021

Traveling to France during the Pandemic.

So you want to travel to France? During the COVID-10 Pandemic? Are you crazy? Are you irresponsible? There are so many “what-if” scenarios that people will play out for you and that you will play out in your own head. Trust me, I heard it all, felt it all, and we ultimately made the decision to go. I mean what the heck, sometimes you just have to get out there and live a little. And even if we couldn’t get off the cruise ship, at least we would have a change of scenery from our townhouse windows for the last 18-months. I wouldn’t have to cook and clean. And we would have way more wine to choose from on daily basis without have to make a run to the Liquor Store!

Hello friends! We’re headed to Paris! Yay! A destination my hubby and I have really wanted to visit. Why Paris, you ask? If you are asking me, it’s the food… all the way. And Hermes. If you ask him, it’s the history, architecture, the language,… He is so much more cultured than me!

Let me back this up a bit. We are on Day 4 of our Western European Cruise with Oceania. This is a vacation we are fortunate enough to have been invited to attend with my husband’s son and his new wife (I call them The Honeymooners in my cruise posts). We are also traveling with the bride’s parents. I guess this is kind of a bonding and “getting to know you” cruise. Either way, it’s been great fun exploring together and we truly appreciate their travel experience with cruising!

It’s the 23^rd of September 2021 and we disembarked in the port of La Havre, France which is a couple of hours (drive time) from Paris.

We had an all day “Paris on your own” excursion booked with the entire family! France has some fairly restrictive COVID requirements in place if you want to go in to any public space. You (if Non-EU citizen) have to apply for and have been granted a French Health Pass QR Code through the French Department of Health. It’s a major pain in the ass, takes about 17-days to attain (so they say), and it is all done electronically which means you need to have an electronic device and cell/data coverage. This is what they told us 5-days before we got to France AND what is posted on every store and restaurant door. They are not messing around. You need this if you want to get in to pretty much any public venue. If you think you are going to be romantic and take a last-minute trip to Paris for dinner and shopping, forget it. You need a pass, and it takes time to get. You MUST be vaccinated if you apply for the pass. My understanding after being there is that if you are an EU citizen, then you can take a quickie COVID test (if not vaccinated) and get your QR code right outside wherever you are trying to access. They have tents set up all over Paris to perform the rapid antigen tests. If you are American, forget about it. Consider yourself educated on the subject, if you have gotten this far.

Keep in mind, in order to board any cruise ship right now, you MUST be vaccinated for COVID-19. It doesn’t matter how many other vaccinations you have had (at this point most of us have a slurry of vaccinations pulsing through our bodies) you must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. If you are lucky enough to get your QR Code in time for your visit, then good for you! I received mine and my hubby never got his. C’est La Vie. TIP: What we did find out, after walking around a bit is that if you are not EU, then make sure you carry your original passport AND your vaccination card. Having your passport and vaccination card, will in a lot of cases provide enough information to store owners that they will let you in. I know carrying your original passport goes against everything we have always been told, but if you want to fully experience any part of France and do not have your French Health pass QR code, then bring both items (passport and vaccine card) with you. Also, as a reminder, Paris is wrought with pick pocketers. When carrying important items BE SMART and don’t be a victim of loss.

So COVID aside, this was our first foray in to Paris and we were filled with complete excitement! On our two hour bus journey, we were immediately struck by the novelty of the roadside gas stations filled with healthy fresh made snacks. Fresh baguettes and French pastries abound. The only other somewhat shocking observation was how much people were smoking. Everyone was smoking! Not as in smoking “hot”, but smoking cigarettes. I thought it was interesting because there wasn’t really the abundance of fast food and other unhealthy crap that we have in America and folks looked to be in fairly decent shape but they were smoking. Hmmm?

As I mentioned earlier, Paris was a DIY type of tour. So after arriving in the city center, we hopped off the bus and made our way to the Arc de Triomph! On the way, we stumbled upon a small construction looking project in front of an art museum that was installing a Blue art glass installation that was a cool glass stairway in the entryway!

The Arc was way bigger than we had anticipated and was draped in what appeared to be a remodeling type of cloth? Later we found out it was actually an art exhibit and we were pretty lucky to be there while it was up!

We then headed east towards the Eiffel Tower and saw some gypsies trying to hustle money on the streets. They were all hustling with the cups and the ball. “Where’s the ball” slight of hand and I couldn’t tell if people were actually playing it or if the people playing were just a part of the actual hustle? I stumbled a bit and almost fell face first in to a huge statue of a very muscular male with an under developed penis.

You know what I am talking about? I was struck by how small it was and then I remembered an article I read years ago that explained that back in the day, a small penis was indicative of very high intelligence. Anyway, we made it over to the Eiffel Tower but couldn’t get in because it required the QR code health pass. So we hung around outside for a while.

It was a beautiful sunny day and we were soaking in the warmth.

The Honeymooners at the Eiffel Tower

We observed the elevators in the Eiffel which moved diagonal up the base to the top. We walked under the trees, took our obligatory pictures and saw a woman on a bike that looked like Doris Day that snarled at Jake.

Speaking of bikes. EVERYONE rides a bike.

They aren’t just for kids! Men in suits, women in skirts, construction workers, grandma on the way to the store… and I know it’s cliché but so many people had baguettes tucked under their arms, it was crazy!

We walked along the Seine River and across the bridge that was in Woody Allen’s movie and Emily in Paris. It’s the one that everyone takes a picture of the Eiffel tower in their hand. You know the one.

I was getting hungry (doesn’t take much for me) and we decided to grab fresh crepes from a street vendor. Trust me when I tell you to find a street vendor and enjoy a fresh crepe. Don’t fuss with a fancy place. All you need is a street vendor and you will find heaven! As a side note, make sure you can also find a toilet. Those crepes turn in to craps real fast!

Our time in Paris was coming to an end, so we headed back to the bus after finishing our crepes and started the long journey back to the cruise ship. Paris was awesome! We can not wait to go back and stay for at least a week. Hopefully the next time we get back, there won’t be a pandemic but, we won’t let that stop us if there is! Even seasoned cruise and/or world travelers will tell you that there is so much unknown right now with regards to travel. Each country is incredibly different. And even each town or city may have different COVID restrictions/requirements. Do your research before you go and be prepared to cast your fate to the wind a bit. After all, it’s vacation! It doesn’t have to be perfect, don’t beat yourself up if plans change a bit.

Day 3 (at Sea): “Forever French” Wine and Food Pairing

22 September 2021

Our day at sea, yes there was only one sea day on this cruise, started with a late wake up (thank goodness) and then a long work out at the ship gym. I know it was only the third day in, but I was already feeling the calories rack up and I definitely didn’t want to skimp on the next week and a half of this adventure! Truth be told, I was also feeling a wee bit of the Catholic guilt…Which brings many layers of confusion because I am also of Jewish descent… but THAT’s another story, for another post. So yeah, I hit the gym. I won’t bore you with those details, because honestly it bores me to think about it. Moving on to the fun parts of our sea day!

The afternoon was all about wine and food pairings. Neill and Sofia (hereafter known as the honeymooners) had lined up an awesome tasting at Jacques. Jacques is the French specialty restaurant onboard the Cruise Ship Marina. First off, Jacques is tucked away in an area I wouldn’t have even thought to look for a specialty restaurant. The space is truly stunning with incredible crystal chandeliers and today it was set up for a very small group tasting of French wines with food pairings. We were greeted with a “welcome” glass of French champagne. The perfect way to begin the next leg of our voyage along the French coastline!

From left to right: Crab & Fruit Tartlet, chicken-FoieGras Ballotine w/ celery & Pistachio Mousseline, Beet & Goat cheese napoleon w/ champagne/Truffle vinaigrette, Cheese Profiterole, and Beef Tartare w/ toasted baguette.

Unfortunately, I was so excited about the welcome champagne, I forgot to take note of what it was! Sorry about that.

First up, we were presented with Le Domaine Saget Pouilly-Fume’ from Loire Valley, France. This was a Sauvignon Blanc for Sauvignon lovers. For me, this wine had a minerality mouth feel and citrusy flavors. Again, “for me” mouth feel is a big deal. People who know me, know that I don’t like drinks that are high in sugar content because it makes my mouth and teeth “feel” weird. It’s not that I don’t like the flavor of sugar, I don’t like the “mouth feel” of it. This is important to note as I go through tastings, because if you like sugar or sweetness, then we will likely have a difference of opinion. And as most of us know, opinions, as with tastings, are very personal. Back to the Pouilly-Fume… I like it. It is slightly tart with a very balanced…slight hint of citrus. The flavors were really teased out with the food pairing of a Crab and Grapefruit tartlet. The saltiness of the crab salad and pop of citrus with the grapefruit piece was an absolutely perfect match for this wine. Price point for this lovely wine is around $69. A little pricey for my average, every day drinking on the porch, but I would shell out for a special occasion at home. I was just getting warmed up and ready for more!

We were greeted with our next tasting, an offering from Louis Jadot Meursault, Cote De Beaune (2017) from Burgundy, France. This was basically a chardonnay. Somewhat oaky and is recommended to serve NOT chilled. I don’t know about you, but I do like my white wines chilled. Probably because I’m not a connoisseur, but I do know what I like. The backstory to this particular offering was fairly fascinating and my big take away was that Thomas Jefferson enjoyed this wine so much, that during his French ambassadorship in 1778 he bought an entire year’s crop! Either wine was cheap back then, or he was making a fair living as a politician? The wine was a little flat in my mouth and had it not been for the Chicken-Foie Gras pairing, it wouldn’t have been that remarkable. However, that Foie gras…UM! I let out an audible gasp of enjoyment, so much so, my travel mate (and new Father-in-Law to my Stepson) offered me their serving. I am sure they wanted to relive that moan of enjoyment! I can’t help it. I really enjoy a good liver. And no, they didn’t have a nice Chianti! LOL! We were told this bottle could fetch about $110. Not really my style but throw a good piece of liver in there and I might be tempted to pop for a bottle!

Next up, and tasting number 3, was Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin, also from Burgundy, France. This is a pinot noir and a very sought-after grape in Burgundy. This grape is over 1,000 years old than cabernet sauvignon. It is noted in the tasting brochure that “…two of the greatest men known to civilization have spoken about the wines of Gevrey-Chambertin: Napoleon Bonaparte, “Nothing makes the future look so rosy as to contemplate it through a glass of Chambertin,” and King Louis XIV the Great: “There is no equal to Chambertin.” This was paired with the Beet and Goat Cheese Napoleon and OH MY GOD, was absolutely delicious! The wine immediately burst on to my palette with very mineral flavors and a hint of blood. It was full of deep red fruit flavors. Cherry, raspberry…oh and maybe a hint of earth? Is that a note of leather and maybe tobacco? Those tannins punch you in the face but carry a nice long finish. A bite of beet and cheese, then a sip of wine. I was on flavor overload! I just wanted to savor this one and it was time to move on to the next taste. Price point on this is about $115 a bottle and I would definitely buy this one. In fact, as soon as I have cell service again, I am definitely hitting up google! Okay, on to the next one.

Taste number 4 brings us to Chateau Mont-Redon Chateauneuf-Du-Pape from Rhone Valley, France. This is a blend of grenache, syrah, and mourvedre. I don’t know how, but this tasting just got elevated another notch and after that last taste, I wasn’t sure if that could happen! A nose of fig jam, slightly enhanced with a spicy note, reminiscent of black or maybe green peppercorn. This was very well structured in the mouth with nice punch of tannin. Elegantly paired with the Cheese Profiterole (cheese puff), just fabulous. They said this one runs about $92 a bottle. I would probably purchase this as a gift for someone else because I would be too busy basking in the mouth-gasm of the Gevry-Chambertin (G-C). It will be tough to top the G-C.

Last but not least brings us to Domaine De Chevalier Grand Cru Classe De Graves (2014) which hails from Bordeaux, France. Mother of God, I just can’t. The French have a very slow, methodical way about them. It’s like they savor every word, every breathe, every moment and this truly translates in to this wine. This wine is the lovemaking of the foreplay from the previous wines and really brings your wine tasting senses to a home finish. What can I say, other than sign me up! Oh wait, this isn’t for a wine club? So let me say this, I love a good wine. And I have had some great wines. But this far surpasses what I have had. It’s like I’ve never even had a good glass before this taste, and I always thought blends were so blah. Going through my notes page (yes, I take notes when I taste), I have a smiley face drawn and three exclamation marks with the ditto (…) sign. Then the simple note, “buy this when home. NEED this.” And then the pairing with the steak tartare… and I’m done. My mouth, my senses are just way overwhelmed with complete and utter delight at this point. Price point on this was stated as $165 and I really don’t care. I would buy this for myself and hide it from my husband (sorry Jake). But seriously, it’s that beautiful. Actually, I would be willing to share if someone would bring the steak tartare!

A HUGE shoutout and thank you to the Honeymooners (Neill and Sofia) for booking this tasting! I’m not sure we would have done it for ourselves and truly, this was an experience to remember.

To sum it up, DO the tastings. If you have an opportunity to check out some new wines, go out of your comfort zone and DO IT. Take notes, savor the moments, look around and observe how other people are reacting. Live life and drink wine. You won’t regret it!

An Evening at Privee: Exclusive Dining Experience

Day 2 (21 Sep 21)

Travel during Covid isn’t easy. Travel to foreign countries during Covid presents several unique challenges, like can we even get in to restaurants or shops? Well, the answer to this is maybe. It depends on the country you are going to and the country you are coming from. Are you vaccinated? Have you been tested within the past 3-days? Do you have a Covid QR code for the country, if required? Argh! So many questions. Will someone just hand me the wine please?! Thankfully, dining on a cruise ship does have advantages to all of this. Although you have to wear your mask when you leave your state room, you are able to enjoy dining without it. And since Privee is tucked away in it’s own quiet corner, it was even easier and more comfortable to put the mask away and really enjoy our experience.

Privee is deemed the “ultimate chef’s table”, an exclusive dining experience by Oceania Cruises and did not disappoint. Let me preface this by saying that I have only had one other Chef’s table experience, so I don’t have a lot to benchmark this against, but it was awesome. That being said, it does cost extra to book the room and wine pairing is not included in the cost. This specific dining experience was booked in honor of a birthday celebration for our new extended family member (my husband’s son’s new mother-in-law). So it was a special occasion, which I feel justifies the extra nugget.

Me and my husband (Jake) in front of the wine wall

The room was absolutely spectacular, designed by Versace (I think?). I mean, I don’t think it was by the actual Versace, but likely someone from the design company…but what the hell do I know? The table was incredible! Stark white with a beautiful red design in the middle. Clean and structural. Not typically my style, but it worked and definitely set the mood for the structured, coursed meal to follow.

Amuse Bouche

First of all, what the hell is Amuse Bouche? I will start with my definition…I think it should mean “happy mouth”. But I think it is supposed to mean a single, bite-sized hors d’oeuvre that is different from appetizers because they aren’t actually ordered off of a menu. The chef provides them to compliment and prepare you for the meal to come. We were provided with a tempura battered shrimp (yes “a”, meaning one Shrimp) with a lemon confit (meaning it was cooked in duck fat) and some sort of a basil type sauce. I assume it was a basil based sauce because there was a singular piece of basic on the top of the shrimp. I want to say it was brilliant, but to be honest it tasted a little flat. The tempura shrimp felt like it had been prepared an hour or so ahead of time, so it was cool and the batter was blah. The confit lemon didn’t really add much to the dish. The basil sauce was tasty, but short of dragging my finger through the sauce to savor it, the entire dish just didn’t work. Have you ever had cold McDonald’s fries? Think about that in your mouth. Now think about piping hot McDonald’s fries with the perfect amount of salt. You probably have the idea now. It could have been magical, but instead it missed the mark. My mouth was not amused and I only prayed that it would get better.

On to the second course, a Soufflé Au Fromage or Cheese Soufflé. I’m honestly not sure I have enough room to entirely convey this experience. I’ll start with the presentation. The Chef came in to present the soufflé and tell us a little bit about the dish, which was a very nice touch. I mean it just looked like an ordinary soufflé, and judging from the starting dish, I wasn’t sure what was so special about it? Then the dining room lead, began to prepare the soufflé for serving table side. This was a cool experience. I probably would have destroyed the thing. I can’t even cook an adequate soufflé, so serving one…I wouldn’t even know where to start. Needless to say, they did an amazing job. Slow and methodical, akin to some sort of serving foreplay. Can I say “foreplay” in a food blog?

The Soufflé was served with the same basil type sauce that was served in the Amuse Bouche and let me say it was way more incredible with the soufflé! Holy crap, I actually wept when I had my first bite. I’m not sure how weeping and foreplay go hand in hand, but I’ll just move on now. I felt a little foolish with a tear or two trickling down my face, but good god the flavor with the sauce was delicate and practically disappeared after it hit my tongue. This was the magic I was looking for! Yes, Yes, YES! I’ll have THAT again please 🙂 I’m sure my family thinks I’m insane, but I WEPT.

Cheese soufflé served with a green basil sauce

After pounding the entire serving of soufflé, we moved on to the third course Risotto de Homard, which is a fancy way for saying lobster risotto. The risotto was absolutely delicious, although I can’t quite get used to “al dente” cooked rice. I know its the correct way to prepare but I still like rice best when it is well cooked and a little sticky. Anyone else out there feel the same? Back to the risotto, the flavor was excellent, I assume the sauce it was cooked in was likely a lobster bisque or something. The Lobster was wonderful, delicate, and prepared perfectly.

Now, I try to take the best pics possible and realize that the risotto probably doesn’t look that great (I had one comment that it looked like vomit), but the flavor was on point. So I get it, I will sort out how to take a better risotto pic next time.

The fourth course was a Bar en Croute, or Sea Bass filet in puff pastry crust, with beurre blanc sauce and holy shit… We will call this the bonus course. This was an optional dish, with Filet de Boeuf Roti being the other option. I actually chose the Beef filet, but because the fish was a large dish there was plenty to share, so everyone wins!

Delicately, they cut through the flaky pastry shell. My brain immediately registered, that this was not freezer aisle store bought puff pastry! Some pastry angel, flapped her (or his) wings and created this master piece. I didn’t even care how the fish tasted, because the pastry was so perfect. Actually, I did care and the fish was juicy and masterfully prepared. I was genuinely impressed. But wait! This wasn’t even my dinner choice!! I had more.

MY fourth course choice, was just coming out and I wasn’t sure how the hell I was going to eat another main course. None-the-less I pressed on, and the Filet De Boeuf Roti (roasted beef tenderloin, foie gras, truffle sauce, sauce perigourdine) arrived and was blowing me kisses. Was that foie gras on top? NO! It couldn’t be. Oh, man, it totally was foie gras. Not my cheap chicken liver version, but the real thing, straight from the goose. And look, I know there are plenty of folks out there that follow the plight of the foie gras goose and I am truly sorry that it tastes so good. But it does and I was not going to waste this poor goose’s life, so enjoy it I did!

This filet of beef was damn delish! Like knock your socks off delish. Cooked medium rare and the liver… I mean foie gras was exactly the right pairing with this dish! The foie gras added just the ideal amount of fat needed to compliment the beef filet. In the picture above, the white stuff is truffle sauce and it was exactly the bit of flavor needed to elevate this dish one notch more. It would seem the soufflé that literally made me cry was a million miles away and had happened years ago, not two courses ago! But wait…there’s more!

The fifth course was being teed up before I could even finish the last bite. Brie De Meaux Aux Noix Et Laitue (Boston lettuce hearts) was waiting in the wings. Now I know this doesn’t sound like much, but one of the take aways from a European vacation is observing how different cultures experience food. I love the salad course being at the end. A couple of points with this order. First, it actually helps with digestion to eat salad last. Especially when you use a vinegar based salad dressing. The vinegar helps to kick start the digestion process, which leads to point two. If you enjoy a good glass of vino with your meal (who doesn’t), then you definitely want to eat your salad last as the acid in vinegar reacts with the acid in wine changing the flavor. There. Now you can say you actually learned something from this blog post!

The salad was served with a large piece of brie type cheese, but I was so stuffed, I could barely get the salad down. Also, I didn’t get any pictures of the salad, but I did get a few pictures of the excellent wine!

If you are still hanging in there with me for this post, then first off thank you and secondly…yes, there is more!

The sixth and almost last course was the Mille-Feuilles (birthday girl’s favorite), with a raspberry sauce (my new favorite)! I will call this the first dessert course. This is basically a French Napoleon dessert. It is prepared with a custard between the layers and this one had the best raspberries I’d ever eaten nestled in between the layers. Each layer was a slightly flaky very delicate piece of heaven. The raspberry sauce was surprisingly not sweet but an excellent compliment to the custard. The custard was light and fluffy, not the heavy stuff I’m used to with these types of desserts.

The last dessert course was an offering of several petit fours. And if you ask me, they could have just let this part out, but since we are headed to France tomorrow, this is a wonderful homage to our next stop, so when in France- nom, nom, nom!

This FINALLY concludes our amazing dining experience at Privee. In summation, do the Chef’s table. Wherever you are and whenever you can, if there is a special occasion, then go for it…or BE the Chef’s table and create your own experience at home. I will share some super easy recipes that mirror this experience soon, so check back!

Cruise Day 2: Gothenburg, Sweden

After an incredible first dinner and wonderful night’s sleep on board our floating “home” for the next 13 days, we awoke in the port of Gothenburg, Sweden. It was a dreary, rainy day. Wet and very windy.

Buses were on a rotation every 30-minutes to take passengers to the city center. we just missed a bus, so decided to walk across the parking lot and check out the Volvo Museum. Yes! There is a museum dedicated to Volvo. Unfortunately it was a paid entry and we just couldn’t bring ourselves to pay money to see a museum about Volvo. In hindsight, it was a pretty cool set up and will definitely add it to the list for our next visit!

After about 20-minutes and a failed umbrella turned inside out, we were finally able to hop on a bus and head in to city center! Gothenburg was a beautiful little city. The buildings had beautiful architecture and everything was very clean. There must have been a Pride celebration because the city was decorated with rainbow flags everywhere and it had a very festive feel to it.

After a 15-minute drive on the bus we made it to the city center! Yay! We had about 2-hours on our own to explore. It doesn’t sound like a lot but it was raining very heavy on and off, with alot of wind, so it actually felt like a really long time.

We arrived around 10AM, so the only shops open were coffee shops and that was pretty scarce. I had the impression that the city may have just opened up to foreign traffic or in general after COVID closures. The people in Gothenburg were incredibly friendly and welcoming. Apparently we were the first American tourists since the shut down.

Of course, I had to use the bathroom already, so I stepped in to a clothing shop and asked the local worker if there were any public toilets? She was very nice and spoke/understood perfect english. Thank God! I had already prepped my handy google translator, just in case… “vart finns toaletten?” LOL! Stick with me and you will probably learn how to ask for the toilet in at least four different languages throughout this voyage!

From our drop off point, and quick toilet visit we walked over to Haga, which is a charming area of Gothenburg with the traditional cobblestone streets and wooden buildings. Lots of cafes and pubs with charming courtyards everywhere. The local food in this area is fish (shocker). Of note, everyone here is absolutely beautiful. Very tall and fair skinned. Also, very fit and in shape. The food, was also beautiful. Even the average construction type worker was eating plate lunches that consisted of baked fish, boiled potatoes and what looked like hard boiled eggs. So different from our American fast food lunches. Also, NO ONE was on an electronic device while eating. Even when eating alone. They were in the moment…not distracted. People actually talked (gasp) to each other and looked each other in the eye!

One of our trip mates decided to get his hair cut at a local barber in Haga! It was amazing to watch the methodical attention to detail, he looked 10-years younger after walking out. Our two hours went by very quickly and it was back to the ship for us.

During our trip back our bus escort expressed gratitude for “us” coming back and visiting Sweden. He said it had been a very difficult time for the economy and they were grateful for American visitors. I wonder if he realizes how grateful we are to them for opening up their city to us? Even though it was not an ideal weather day, we had a wonderful time visiting! I definitely recommend a trip to Haga. Because this location was a last minute itinerary change, I didn’t get a chance to research the local food or restaurants, but NEXT TIME I will be prepared!

After returning to the ship, we met up for tea time. What a fabulous production. But honestly, I was just happy to sit, get warmed up and think about the day. After today, we have a fabulous dinner planned at Privee! A private, exclusive dinner table in an undisclosed location on the ship! I am super excited to share our experience!

Travel During Covid

Are you scared to travel right now? Well, you are probably not alone. Our recent trip took us on an Oceania cruise starting in Denmark and ending in Portugal from 20 September through 4 October 2021. I was definitely very hesitant and a downright stress ball leading in to departure. I almost cancelled the trip because I just wasn’t sure what to expect and the stress was taking the fun out of the entire experience.

About 5-days prior to our disembarkation, we were notified by the cruise line that in addition to our vaccination status being completed, we would also need a negative PCR covid test, completed no more than 3-days prior to our flights to Europe. Our only issue was that our flight was an overnight, so technically taking 2-days and results for the PCR test takes at least 3-full days to get back. So basically, it is almost impossible to get them back in time. But we got our tests, and the results were in hand when we landed in Denmark. Just under the wire.

The flight to Copenhagen, Denmark wasn’t nearly as long as we thought it might be. We flew in to Brussels, Belgium first and grabbed a few blonde beers at the airport before catching our final flight to Copenhagen.

In the Brussels airport, we watched the locals get ready for work as they boarded their flights. We were jealous…Not! Then we boarded and flew in in to Copenhagen and had to wait 3-hours for our transportation to the cruise boat. We arrived exhausted in to Copenhagen. In baggage claim a young lady with a clip board asked us if we were fully vaccinated. We both said yes, and that was it. Yes, THAT WAS IT. We were not asked to provide proof or to provide our COVID test results.

The wait for the shuttle bus was very disappointing as we had hoped to have a few hours to walk around Copenhagen prior to boarding the ship. Jake ordered a hot dog from 7-11, Danish style. I had a very strong beer. Finally, we were escorted to the transfer bus and headed out to the ship.

Upon arrival at the dock we were greeted with yet another COVID test. They clearly had very elaborate testing protocols in place for this trip, which although a drag, we felt comfort knowing that everything was done to make sure we would have a safe and healthy trip. A quick poke up the nose, we waited about 15-minutes for results, and then were able to get on board.

We happily ran in to Neill and Sofia (the honeymooners) as we boarded the boat. They had the glow of newly wedded bliss. They gave us a tour of the boat, where we met a “guy” that writes travel blogs for the cruise ship..his name was Guy. Thanks to that “Guy” for the inspiration!!

We were pleasantly surprised by the relatively modest size of the room. Where do you put 4-weeks of clothes in about 400-sf of space? We met up with the rest of our travel party (The bride’s parents). We promptly had a bottle of wine with lunch. It was freezing cold and wet out on the terrace, but the wine was good, and the company was even better! We then migrated to “Martini’s” and enjoyed happy hour.

Running in to several of Neill and Sofia’s cruise friends, it is very clear that this couple has no problem making friends!! Then, on to dinner in the Grand Ballroom. We had baskets and baskets of bread…the best bread I have apparently EVER had. The butter was definitely European style and fabulous. The wine was flowing and the list was extensive with choices! Georgia had told me that this was a “foodie” cruise line, but I had NO idea.

Perfectly prepared steak w/ Steak Frites

Not sure what this dessert was but it melted in my mouth!

The food was absolutely insane and this was only day-1 AND in the main dining room…not even a specialty restaurant. I can’t imagine what is in store for our taste buds. This was definitely an awesome way to start this cruise!

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