My Plate or Yours?

Eating In While Sailing Away

The thing about a long cruise is that it is a lot of restaurant eating, in this case three meals a day for 24 days since we aren't making the kind of stops that allow you to lunch with the local residents (And I've seen what penguins eat. Yuck.)



Seabourn food is great -- on this cruise the food is much, much better than our last Seabourn cruise, but the choices are odder and more limited -- what would have been an Indian market buffet for dinner in the Colonnade two years ago is instead an a la carte menu, and the vegetarian option isn't Indian, it's Asian noodle stir fry and not very good. "Why," I asked, "when some of the best vegetarian food in the world is Indian?" "That's what they decided in Seattle," shrugged the waiter. Whether it was really a corporate decision or not (the vegetarian entree on Italian night was, I am not kidding, "Soy Glazed Shiitakes and Gingered Greens") it's an error of judgment. 



Likewise these amazing three course Keller menus they serve in the Restaurant, but in limited supply. The scarcity is at Keller's direction "to create a demand" said the Guest Services Manager. If more people realized these menus were available I imagine the limited supply would just create a demand for Keller's head. 



But I'll direct these comments somewhere they can do more good. My point was only that sometimes you want to get dressed up and go out fancy, sometimes you want to hang at a neighborhood grill, and sometimes you want to stay home and eat in your jammies. 

On our third night out we went with the third option. Burger (and excellent fries) for Jer, spaghetti and tomato sauce for me, set up with tablecloth and all in the room. In the warm weather the balcony is the place to do it but forget about it now -- cozy in the living "room" is the way to go. 



Which brings me to last night. The Restaurant was offering a fixed Chef's menu (not THE chef, just "a" chef.") it looked good, but we'd been tuxed and gowned the night before and I was definitely thinking comfort clothes if not comfort food. 



One phone call later we had two waiters bearing down on our suite with a full array of silver and settings and five courses. They set us up and left us to it. Each course was superb,
stayed warm, and made us smile. No waiting in between, no loud chatter, no obnoxious person drinking too much at the next table. And jammies!



Lime marinated gravlax -- yum!

White plum tomato soup. Not familiar with the white plum tomato (hmm) but also yum. 

A seared scallop in cauliflower purée. 



Halibut with sundried tomatoes and mushrooms with basil mashed potatoes. 



Lastly a plate of sweet bites -- a mini baked Alaska (okay, that one suffered a bit), pistachio macaron, and a perfect bite of strawberry cake. 



And then another phone call to have it all whisked away. 



That's one romantic evening. And no high heels!

Insomnia

Lying in bed. Can't sleep at 12:45 am. I think I over-napped this afternoon. But the ship is very gently rocking and the glass doors are open, letting in the sounds of the sea
and the fresh, clean air. Sometimes insomnia is a call to relax and enjoy. 



Food today was just meh. Pastry for breakfast, cookies for lunch and a peculiar Indian menu for dinner where two courses hit it out of the park and the third and the bread were abysmal.
So more cookies for dessert. They are strategically located around the ship -- gingerbread houses with piles of cookies stacked around them. If I wanted to prowl in my jammies I'd go get some more right now. 



Also spent sometime today photographing some lovely things on board. A huge coral and turquoise urn, for want of a better word, whose colors thrill me and whose texture draws my fingers
like a magnet. And lovely flowers -- calla lilies I think -- that are just made for a macro lens. 

All Aboard

I'll tell you, I am ready for three weeks of being spoiled. This fall has been a heavy lift, and I have two Bloom pieces to write and four KTR chapters to revise on board, but I am going to be indulged while I do it, and see sights the like of which I have never seen before. Plus, penguins! Happy me. 



The ship is lovely. Same exact one we were on in the Mediterranean summer of 2013, two doors down from our previous suite. So far we haven't busted in on the neighbors by accident. It's Christmassy on board, but subtle. I could use a few more gaudy trees but I guess not everyone shares my tastes. 

            

First night on board we did what I like best -- room service. Too cold for the balcony but cozy inside. Jer had shrimp ceviche and fish with asparagus and I had a divine potato and Gruyere tart. So, so good. And a long, hot bath. Bliss. 

         

The next day was a sea day. Got up early and worked out and then sat on my butt self-righteously all the rest of the day. Checked out all the jewelry in the Collection. Not as interesting as the last trip and nothing I loved but some very blingy stuff. 

There ARE some darling diamond penguin pendants. This ship is full of the kind of people who look like they'd buy a diamond penguin as a nice last minute stocking stuffer. I, on the other hand, went to the boutique and bought three giant bags of gummi bears (they ran out last time and I am not a risk taker when it comes to the important things.) 

          

That night was a formal night and we were invited to sit at the table of the head of personnel training (a thankless task the onboard management endures to make the guests feel special) so we got all decked out and fortunately, the guy was a hoot and the food was superb. 

             

Thomas Keller has signed on as executive chef of the Seabourn line which can and usually does mean nothing much but he seems to have taken it more seriously than most. In addition to various Kelleresque touches (a "haute dog" at the Patio Grill) there is an honest to God three course Keller menu offered in the Restaurant occasionally. The staff is clearly not wild about it because it takes longer to prepare and most of the passengers are oblivious to what it means but I insisted on the menu and Jerry and I both had it. 

           


It was seriously Keller caliber. Started with a large spinach gnocchi in some kind of foam with shallot jam and a giant soft boiled egg on top and a slice of applewood smoked bacon. Rich and decadent and yet somehow all the good comfort of bacon and egg. Spectacular. Followed by swordfish on melted radicchio with nicoise crumble on top (see first pic.) I swooned. It took the chocolate fondant with passion fruit to revive me. 

                   

Since we were all dolled up I wanted to dance but by then the ship had commenced its own rock and roll and I could barely get to the room. Doped myself up good and fell asleep before all the kitchen's good work was for naught. 

Next day we took a boat ride (different boat) to the Emerald Lake (Todos los Santos in Petrohue, Puerto Varas.). I imagine in the sun it must be stunning because in the rain it was pretty darn cool (and cold.) The water is full of copper runoff from the mines and it really is a lovely green, even in the rainy mist. 

      



The damp chill got in my bones and when we got back I curled into a ball and fell asleep for a couple of hours. Woke up for room service spaghetti and tomato sauce and a bubble bath and crashed again. I am like a sleep deprived sponge -- can't soak up enough. 


Today I got the photograph of a lifetime during breakfast outside on deck of a rainbow hanging in the hills over Castro, Chileo, and let Jerry go explore the town while I catch up on blogging and writing. 

     

Lovely, indulgent day.

Santiago

Santiago was splendid. Warm. Vibrant. Full of color and youth. Walked around a lot. 

Travel plays mind games on me. Wonder at the never-before-seen wars with the desire for order and familiarity. It makes my brain crazy, synapses desperately firing to make sense of the new by locating it in the old. "This is like..." "This reminds me of" Remember when...?

Hiking up a series of worn stone steps to the top of an ancient castle in a park in Santiago I alternately flashed to the Roche de Doms in Avignon, Les Baux de Provence nearby, Israel's Masada, and, less warlike, a long climb to a Buddhist shrine in Seoul. 

I am frustrated and a little amused by my inability to just enjoy the moment for the new experience it is instead of trying to convince myself that it's all one big deja vu. I guess it's human nature to try to connect oneself from the before through the now to the after and I do enjoy the kaleidoscope of memories that travel unleashes for me. 

Requires lots of meditation to be where you are. 



In lieu of that we ate some fabulous food. Good, fresh, updated versions of Chilean themes. Flavors -- smoked paprika, peppers, tomatoes, terrific cheeses, olives, Quinoa, corn, potatoes, dolce de leche. All kinds of meat (surprise!) Good stuff. 



Nothing too molecular. Read that Santiago is such an up and coming foodie city that one chef injects carrot sticks with penicillin to make them white and cheesy. Ugh. 

Had some terrific stuff. Night #1 Chilean hake for me and short ribs for Jer. Lots of roasted vegetables and corn casserole. Amazing salsa -- cilantro and tomato and onion but smoky? Yum. 



Night#2 really first rate. J had a tomato and goat cheese caprese type salad but the tomatoes were plum and poached and skinless. Sweet (a drizzle of honey?) Goat cheese sharp and creamy. Excellent. I had vegetable antipasti that had all kinds of good things. Amazing caponata. Smoky hummus. And then J followed with smoked trout stuffed with cheese and Serrano ham and I had -- shout it from the roofs OUTSTANDING -- squash tortellini. Fantastic. And Jerry had one of his all time best desserts ever. Pistachio creme brûlée with strawberry sorbet. 



Night#3 we went to a wine bar and had a cozy (but chilly) meal outdoors. J had osso buco, I had a potato tortilla and salad and a side of roasted vegetables. Cherry cheesecake for dessert. Actually had a server come back and tell us that they thought we had ordered too much food. Who, us?



The next day the Santiago portion of the odyssey was at an end. Driver picked us up early, drove us through the valley and across the mountains and to the shore. Toured Vino del Mar and Valparaiso and found me some rocky lapis (bought from a smiley old guy from the trunk of his car) and got us to our lovely ship.

Good Gulf Food

Some excellent food moments on this all-too-brief trip to our house on the bay.

As always, the best fried shrimp on the planet was at the Owl Tap Room.

 

Gary's Oyster Bar added some new stuff to their menu (Jer had shrimp, grits, sausage and greens) but I stuck with my standby shrimp and mahi mahi tacos with jalapeno slaw and hush puppies.

 

And then there was Thanksgiving, of course.

And Joe Mama's pizza tonight to top it off. Pecan pesto with smoked mozzarella and provolone. Spectacular.

And now we hit the road early to get back for the final crunch before THE CRUISE. Booked Antarctic kayak trips today. Can. Not. Wait.

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving

The house is full of my mom today. The cinnamonny smell of her candied sweet potatoes, the herby aroma of her stuffing. I miss her a lot, but her presence is real at our table. 

I've always told my food and politics students to sit down with their parents and grandparents and write down the family recipes that make them who they are, because parents and grandparents
(and indeed college students) come with sell-by dates and when it is too late it is too late: Grandma's ginger cookies will only be a sweet and spicy memory.  

A few of them know what I am talking about. Chances are they learned to cook in the family kitchen or lost someone who is no longer here to teach them. Most of them look at me blankly,
sure of their immortality and that of their moms and dads. Why would they want to collect recipes for crying out loud? They have better, way more fun things to do. 

So I've made it an assignment -- they have to create a family food tree, complete with recipes. I justify it in the name of identity politics. It thrills their grandparents to have the
kid call and ask about food memories and recipes and someday, it's going to thrill that kid too. 

Just like I am thrilled today. Happy Thanksgiving all!

 

First Night in Shanghai -- Score!

First night -- score!

It is one loooonnngg flight from Chicago to Shanghai -- more than 14 hours. And since we essentially fly with the sun, it never gets dark. We step into a time machine at noon on July 28 and step off an hour and 40 minutes later, on July 29. A day gone, with an eternity sitting in a darkened cabin in between.

So we are here and the Hotel PuLi is a tranquil oasis is a bustling city. But I have to say, the portions of the city we have seen so far are lovely. New York and Paris combined, on steroids, and much of it brand spanking new. The energy is impressive. And we have only seen the upscale blocks around the hotel. Hope we get a peak at the industrial heart.

Got in late enough that we had time to shower, bathe, and catch our breaths before dinner at a Hunanese place a couple of blocks stroll away, recommended by the hotel.

Score! Guyi Hunan was a perfect choice. We were just about the only westerners in there which was an excellent sign. Also they spoke zero English, another excellent, if inconvenient, indication that we were in the right place.

Initial service took a while. I think they were drawing straws to see who would be stuck with us. But once we ordered the food appeared on the table as if dispatched by magic wand.

And it was fabulous. The first to arrive was the only thing we didn't love. Sweet and sour vermicelli was the least vermicelli thing I have ever seen. Thick strips of dense chilled rice noodle -- too heavy to be penetrated by the otherwise very good chili oil it was bathed in -- so that each bite was icy cold, gelatinous, chewy and spicy hot. Not a good combo.

BUT -- everything else was fab. Cold roast eggplant in chili oil, brought to the table in a mortar and crushed to release the chili heat. A plate of green onion pies -- fantastic light and crispy versions of the doughy scallion pancake we can find at home. A wok pot of vegetables filled with crunchy cabbage, exotic mushrooms, tofu skins, and hot, hot red chilies. Zowie!

The meat eaters had some cumin crusted pork ribs for which the place is famous. They weren't pretty but we didn't have to look at them long -- they disappeared in a flash. A wok pot of chicken and honest to goodness fresh and crisp bamboo shoots. None of that canned watery crap that shows up at home. A dish of duck with Chinese long beans and scallion. And a homey rice dish with chopped veg and preserved pork.

All of it was spicy hot, subtle, and complex. Really good. Not, as one our friends pointed out, the kind of throw away first night meal you have in a new city before you know what you are really doing. Plus it was less than 100 bucks for all that food, three GIANT BEERS and a large Pellegrino for me!

Kudos to the PuLi concierge for the rec and kudos to us for having the good sense to ask.

Then a short humid stroll back to the hotel and, for me, anyway, a satisfying but brief sleep before waking up at 3 am. This morning at 9 we are met by a guide and a driver for a day of touring, starting with dumplings for breakfast. Yay!

More to come.

So far being 60 is delicious!

Love, love, loved my birthday dinner at Yves Camdeborde's Le Comptoir. Absolutely fabulous. A bottle of champagne from the chef (which Jerry got to drink). Tuna tartare with raspberry. Skate with peas and herb puree. Cod with arugula pesto, favs beans, and sweet cherries. AMAZING cheese plate. Dessert was the only discordant note. The chocolate ice cream with piment d'esplette (spicy!) was good but not the clementine soup it was floating in. Boo. And mango caramels to finish. Spectacular evening! (More pix in next post. Typepad being contrary again.)

More pix of My Birthday Dinner (Typepad, Grrr)

Short and Sweet

Last night's blogging experience was so grueling (thank you, Typepad) that I hesitate to try again. At any rate, I'll keep it short. Great day, perfect weather, fab breakfast, a little shopping ( and a gorgeous new dress to wear to dinner tomorrow), a long trek to a Parisian rock shop and some fun finds, and good Italian for dinner.

There, does that make up for last night's babbling?