Kalakukko is a classic Finnish dish, from the region of Savonia in Finnland. It is basically fish wrapped in bread. This dish is very unusual to a US palate. It is a bit time consuming, but results in a very interesting dish that your guests, if they love fish, will enjoy. The combination of the…
These delicious rolls are a great appetizer. Serve only one or at most two as they are very filling. I do like eggplant, especially the Asian eggplants (Chinese eggplants). These are a nice violet color, thinner and in my opinion not as bitter and better tasting. The bitterness can be combated using the salting method…
After 16 days on the ocean, and about 5 days travel added to this, it was a long trip to say the least. But it was memorable and a once in a lifetime experience. We arrived in Miami atound 5:30 AM and I was up at that time. I received a pot of coffee and…
On board any cruise there will be multiple restaurants from which one can choose. This is certainly true with the Riviera cruise I am on currently. There are 4 specality restaurants on board the Riviera, Jacques, Red Ginger, Polo Grill and Toscana. For these restaurants you need to make reservations ahead of time. The regular…
The Culinary Center on board the Oceania cruise ships the Riviera and Marina is unique. It is the first such center on any cruise ship and has been extremely popular. Multiple classes are offered, including a very popular knife skills class offered in collaboration with Zwilling Company. I was very happy to be able to…
The stop at St. Barts was amazing. It is without doubt the most beautiful Caribbean Island I have yet seen however, it is very expensive. Hotels for a 7-day trip run $800 per night to well over $3000. Spending $21,000 for a week in a St. Barts hotel is nothing my pocket book could bear. …
The ocean has always been a great interest of mine. And the cruise from Rome Italy to Miami Florida gave me lots of time to just sit and enjoy the seemingly endless ocean. Interestingly, the best place to be close to the ocean was on my balcony. Sitting with a glass of wine with a…
I obtain great joy and satisfaction when I prepare and serve friends a 5 or 6 course formal dinner. It has taken me years to come up with a process that allows me time with my guests, and good food for us all to share. I have made blunders and had failures, however there have…
Our second stop was Barcelona, Spain. I have been to Barcelona numerous times in the past and it is one of my favorite cities in the world. We didn’t have much time and I wanted to get to the Casa Mile and have lunch. It is about 4-5 miles from the port, but due to…
My travel agent, Debbie Welch of Cruise Insider, came up with an amazing trip, 16 days traveling from Rome Italy to Miami Florida USA. It is quit the adventure, especially with all the COVID stuff that one must go through to travel. But I was able to overcome these things and am having a great…