Cooking with Alison

Posts Tagged ‘travel’

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Katz’s Delicatessen, New York City

In Reviews on March 24, 2011 at am

Katz’s Deli is famous for being New York’s oldest (since 1888) and best delicatessen. I have been wanting to try their smoked meat for years and it was better than I’d hoped it would be.  The sandwiches cost about $16 each, but you get a tall stack of meat.  The sandwiches are served with pickles and pickled green tomatoes (upon request).  The pickles are crisp, refreshing, and mildly sour.  The green tomatoes are very sour.  I was disappointed to discover that they no longer sell vacuum sealed meat.  It would have made a great souvenir.

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Review of Princess Cruise Line Food

In Reviews on January 26, 2011 at am

To see a video tour of the cruise ship galley (kitchen) and some interesting facts, see here.

I went on a cruise for the first time in August, 2010 and I loved it way more than I thought I would.  Krystal and I traveled to the East coast of Canada and USA (New England) with the Princess Cruise line on the Caribbean Princess ship.  We were told that the average passenger gains 12 pounds on this 1 week long cruise.  You’ll see why from my review of the food below.

(In January, 2012, Krystal, Ed and I cruised to the Western Caribbean with the Royal Caribbean line on the Liberty of the Seas ship.  Although the Royal Caribbean ships have some advantages over the Princess ships, the food and service fell short in comparison.  I’ve written a brief review of the Royal Caribbean line in comparison to Princess here.)

Important Note About the Coffee:

When we were in the buffet, a crew member refilled the coffee station with a dark brown coffee syrup.  So be warned that the complimentary coffee from the buffets and dining rooms are not brewed from beans.  It is, however, freshly brewed at the cafes and lounges, but you have to pay extra.

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Tour of a Cruise Ship Galley (Kitchen)

In Random on January 25, 2011 at am

Here’s the link to the video of the tour.

To see my review of the Princess Cruise line food in comparison to the Royal Caribbean line, see here.

In August, 2010, Krystal and I traveled to the East coast of Canada and USA with the Princess Cruise line.  We were on the Caribbean Princess ship.  There are three galleys (kitchens) where food is prepared for 3100 people (more than 1100 of which are crew members).  The ship has one main galley for each restaurant and a third galley for the buffet lines.  On the day at sea, the executive chef put on a cooking demonstration that was followed by a tour of one of the two main cruise ship galleys.  I was very excited about this rare opportunity and got up early for it on our only day to sleep in.  Krystal wasn’t quite as excited as I was.  😉  I took a video of the walk through (link posted at the top of this page) and as you can see, the huge kitchen is spotless.  The ship was launched in 2004 and the staff have clearly taken very good care of the appliances and surfaces.  I wish I could have witnessed the organized chaos of this galley during service.

Most of the initial food preparation is actually done outside of the galleys.  Below is a list of those areas and a few interesting numbers:

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Dulse

In Appetizers, Hors D'oeuvres, Snacks, How-To, Sides and Sauces, Soups and Salads on January 2, 2011 at am

Update:  This photo was published in TAPS The Beer Magazine in the November/December 2012 issue!

I had never heard of dulse until I started making travel plans to the east coast of Canada.  So when we were in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Krystal and I went looking for this and were lucky enough to find it at the City Market.  We purchased a bag of hand picked, sun dried dulse and brought it back to Ontario.  I wanted to share what I’ve learned as this might be of interest [in particular] to vegetarians, vegans, gardening enthusiasts and people who have anemia or hypothyroidism.  Note:  If you have hyperthyroidism, however, it may not be appropriate for you to consume dulse.

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Flour Mill Demonstration From 150 Year Old Mill

In Random on November 12, 2010 at am

Watson’s Flour Mill (website here) is a historic grist mill located in Manotick, Ontario, Canada.  It was built in 1860 and celebrates its 150th anniversary this year.  So Ed and I went to see a milling demonstration and to buy some stone ground whole wheat flour.  Although much of the original equipment is no longer necessary for today’s process, the mill still uses the original machinery.  We (well, more so I) were really impressed with the 150 year old equipment and milling process.  Below is a brief look at how Watson’s Flour Mill grinds whole wheat flour today.  (If you’re interested, check out this article about the ghosts that haunt the mill.)

Photo above was taken from the second floor of the mill.

About the stone ground whole wheat flour: The flour contains no added salt or preservatives, so it is only good for about 6 weeks, unless kept in the freezer.  It is said to have more nutrients than processed whole wheat flour.  Some of the local bakers even claim that bread and baked goods taste better when made with stone ground flour.  This flour is a fantastic option for people that are trying to eat more healthily, because it is processed so naturally.  Also, people in the surrounding area can use this as a resource for the 100 mile food challenge.

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