Yes, Chef!

We knew that our last Sunday aboard was a sea day, as we sailed between Tallinn, Estonia and Warnemunde, Germany and we looked for something interesting to do onboard.

Though we enjoyed many excellent meals in Explorer's 5 restaurants, that day Geri and I decided to cook our own lunch and scheduled a group cooking class with the ship's Executive Chef -
John Stefano.

The class is held in a beautiful, performance kitchen with 16 workstations and great views. Once we were properly dressed, we turned to our prepared stations, with our initial mis already en place.

                     

 

Chef Stefano introduced himself, mentioned he had studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and asked if any of us had heard of the CIA. Sensing an opportunity to narcissistically become the teacher's pet, I answered that Geri & I live in Morristown and had dined there many times. Turns out, John lived in Morristown for a year, so I was all set.

The Baltic influenced, four course menu we were to prepare was called Northern Lights:

-- Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad w/

Aquavit-Cured Gravlax

-- Baltic Tart with Carmelized Onion and Caviar

-- Copenhagen-Style Crispy Pork w/

Creamy Parsley Sauce

-- Helsinki-Inspired Cinnamon Bun Cake

(gosh, I'm OCD ...)

(Geri didn't want her caviar, yum more for me)

(I did say OCD ...)

The final product (as prepared by Chef Stefano) along with the champagne and wine pairing.

Paws Down - Meadowbrook Rd

Lexie and I finally made it home to Boonton Twp - where we both crashed.

While Anthony and I were away, Lexie was lucky enough to spend the last two weeks at Dream Acres "summer camp for troubled dogs", down in Bucks County. 

In reality, she was with our friends Tom & Tina - who are great with Lexie and made her feel comfortable on their beautiful, 4-acre farm in Solebury, PA. 

Thank you, Tom & Tina!

Geri (& Lexie)

Hotel Skt Anne, Copenhagen

We spent the last 3 days of our trip staying at a really lovely hotel in the Nyhavn district of Copenhagen.

The hotel's public places were warm, old and beautiful. Our room had high ceilings and huge windows that opened onto the street (which btw, had a lovely park running down the center).

It was a pleasure to leave the windows open and listen to the "city" noise all night (bicyclists, couples or families walking by and the occasional bocce argument).

Here are a few random pics that I should have posted sooner:

Geri