French leave on a luxury river cruise
Of course I should start with a full description of the ship itself. Cezanne is after all lavishly furnished and equipped, efficiently run and luxurious throughout. But before anything else I have to say that the cruise entitled Scenic Normandy & Paris might well have been given the name Gourmet Delights. The dining experience was, in a word, stunning.
Not that the cruise was just about good food. The excursion programme was well thought out and included some memorable visits. A helpful staff provided a swift but discreet service and the large spacious lounge with deep sofas and comfortable chairs and fine furnishings, where most passengers congregated to talk over their day before dinner, has huge windows to view the passing villages and towns. After dinner a pianist played and sang popular old songs, which suited the character of the luxury cruise and the ship itself.
Almost the entire length of the upper outside deck is given to comfortable seating areas, both shaded and in the sun, and during the week afternoon tea was sometimes served. With a guest capacity of only 100, the sense of space, with plenty of room to chat, often with new found friends, was ever present.
Cabin suites are set on two decks. The upper deck superior suites have floor to ceiling, opening windows leading onto a mini balcony. A TV and mini bar are provided although there is no DVD facility and a very limited library on board. Lower deck cabins offer two categories. The smaller, with a TV but no mini bar, is more simply fitted with two facing single beds, which make up as sofas during the day. The larger size, there are four of these, has the mini bar too and a queen sized double bed. Furnishings throughout all cabin suites are good quality and bathrooms are spacious, with polished marble topped washbasins.
The cruise started after an overnight in Paris, too good an opportunity to be missed and I used the nearby rail station to go into the city centre for a stroll on the Left Bank. The towns en route of Les Andelys, Caudebec-en-Caux and Vernon are small and charming, still with many medieval houses and old town squares. They made a convenient starting point for the excursions but for the passengers who preferred to potter ashore for coffee and take in provincial life, they gave a true feeling of unchanging France.
Rouen, where we overnighted, is a larger city with many medieval buildings and impressive ecclesiastical and civic architecture, including the huge Gothic cathedral. The city boasts a centre with many unaltered streets of similarly well preserved buildings.
But back to the dining experience. Every evening, five, sometimes six course menus featured excellent starter courses which included superbly subtle soups. Main courses, always different and of the finest ingredients, were enhanced by subtle sauces and followed by delightful puddings. Dinner wine choices were never less than excellent quality and reasonably priced. At the end of the cruise everyone was presented with a complete set of the week’s dinner menus, signed by their table waiters. It goes without saying that lunch and breakfasts were to the same high standard.
So, go for the extreme luxury of the ship and the smooth service, go for the conversation with a good mix of inter-national passengers, go for the excitement of the Paris overnight, the excursion to breathtaking Versailles, the Rouen city tour and the visit to Monet’s beautiful gardens at Giverney. But go too for the challenge of comparing the dining experience on Cezanne with every other ocean or river ship you’ve been on. You’ll dine out on the experience for a long time to come.
Top 5 Fridge freezer models on the market
written by: sgitau19
Fridge freezers are very important appliances in each home. They provide fresh food storage facilities as well as frozen food storage facilities. The appliances work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to ensure that your food remains safe for consumption. With the many models of fridge freezers available in the market today, consumers should be very careful to ensure that they choose the best one that suits their needs. If it is for home use, you may need to consider the size of your family to know whether you need a small freezer, or a big one. If it is for business use, you may consider going for a huge one. Whether the fridge freezers are meant for personal or business use, one must work with a budget. Also, carry out research on the available fridge freezers in the market. This will enable you to compare the prices, features and even quality. Out of the many fridge freezers preferred by consumers, there are 5 that stand out to be the best.
The samsung RSG5UCRS G-series model. This is a very spacious appliance which can be used for personal use. The fridge freezer has a large interior and has compartments that separate the fridge from the freezer. T his means that smells of the food stored can not be transferred from one compartment to the other. Both the fridge and the freezer are cooled by separate evaporators which ensure there is no air travelling between the two of them. Meaning, the fridge has a humidity of 73%. This high humidity works well in preservation of the food’s flavor and freshness. Other features of this freezer are; LED tower which lights up the freezer making the items stored look stunning, 2 boxes and4 slim shelves and drink holders.
Beko CFD6643S model. The fridge freezer is capable of delivering up to 244 litres of space; 80 for the freezer and 164 for the fridge. It has a silver finish which gives it a modern edge. It can be situated anywhere you want. It also has a freezer guard that allows it to operate at temperatures as low as -15 degrees Celsius. This temperature does not have any negative effect on the food. The fridge freezer has 3 shelves, a fruit salad drawer and door shelves. It also has space for you to store your lollies and ice cubes.
Smeg FAB32QNE fridge freezers. This model has beauty of a kind. It is stunning and makes people turn heads. It has a 308 litres spacious room that can hold a single families week shopping. It has 3 glass shelves which can be adjusted and are shutter resistant, 2 vegetable and fruit containers, a wine rack and a storage bowl that is covered.
FAB32QNE model is the 4th most highly rated fridge freezer in the market. It has 103litres of food space that is frozen. It also has a shelf of ice cubes and pizza and 2 drawers. To prevent ice from building up, the freezer has an auto-defrost feature. It also has 2 thermostats that are adjustable. Has energy efficiency which keeps your household greener. It also comes with a warranty of one year.
Also on the list of highly rated fridge freezers is LG GWL227HHXV. it is made of material that is stainless steel making it appear stylish. It has a LED digital display on the front, through which you can control temperature effectively and quickly. it also has an ice dispenser capacity of 365 litres in the fridge and 172 in the freezer. One other unique feature of this model is that it has a vacuum fresh drawer which at the touch of a button sucks all air from the compartment.
To crown the list of the highest rated fridge freezers in the market is the Hotpoint FFFL2000P model. It has a capacity of 325 litres, 113 in the freezer and 212 in the fridge. It has 4 glass shelves in the compartment of the fridge. It also has 2salad crispers , a high temperature light warning and 4 compartments and settings to regulate its operations.
Coping Without a Fridge Freezer
Let’s face it; we take fridges and freezers for granted. Where would we be without our white good wonders? Starving on the street and giving the Big Issue seller a run for his money? Or eating baked beans straight from the can, à la student-style? Not necessarily! Whether your friendly fridge freezers have broken down or you simply cannot afford them, there are a number of ways to continue eating fresh food without the need for white goods.
Firstly, pull out everything in your fridge freezer. You will probably notice you have an impressive collection of ketchup, mustard and various other condiments. Surprise, surprise, you don’t actually need to refrigerate most of these things. Also, you may find that most of them are out of date. It’s time to chuck them out and start afresh.
Speaking of fresh…storing fruits and vegetables without a fridge freezer is relatively easy. I’m talking “counting to ten type” of easy. Most vegetables taste much better when they are stored in a cool, dark and dry place- your kitchen cupboard. For carrots you should cut off the tops, as this will keep them fresher for longer. Then place them in an airtight container. Other fruits and vegetables that should be stored in an airtight container or in the cupboard include broccoli, herbs, potatoes, and winter squash. Some produce can even be kept on the counter. This includes tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes and even cabbage. Wizened old housewives will tell you that these things actually taste a hell of a lot better when not kept in the fridge!
A popular eco-warrior method of keeping food and drink cool is to hang it out of the window in a canvas bag. That is, of course, totally dependable on the climate. If you live in a hot country then there are other options. Use a coolbox and fill it with ice or two big bottles of frozen water to keep food fresh, this especially works well with meat and you can alternate the amount of ice you use, thus effectively creating a makeshift thermostat.
Now you are ready to face the big, wide world without your faithful fridge freezer friend. Parting ways with white goods can save you a fortune on utility bills, so a holiday in the Maldives or buying flash motor could become reality.
Tips For Keeping Foods Cool Without Fridge Freezers
There are several ways of which food can be kept cool and fresh without having to invest too much in fridge freezers. However, it must be noted that this will depend on several factors including the type of food, the duration over which the food is kept among other several factors. Most people believe that for them to be able to keep their foods fresh, they must look for expensive fridge freezers. However, it has to be noted that even cheap fridge freezers can be very convenient in ensuring that food does not go bad easily. In fact, it should be noted that the term “fridge” is used to refer to an appliance that is able to maintain the temperature of food at a particular condition to prevent it from going bad for just a given period of time.
There are certain foods that when kept in the fridge freezers for a prolonged period of time ultimately go bad. This is a clear indication that indeed the fridge freezer is just like any other appliances or equipment that can be used in keeping food at a low temperature. Remember that refrigeration facilities were first used in 1860 and the first person to try this out was James Harrison. He was the first person on the planet to use refrigeration commercially in Australia and the main items that he kept therein were meat and beer. However, even before this time, people drank beer and were also able to eat and even store meat for future use.
It should be noted that this article does not condemn the use of fridge freezers; in fact, fridge freezers are important appliances both the cheap fridge freezers and even the most expensive ones. However, it only tries to highlight the fact that indeed you are able to live without a fridge freezer in the city and still have your foods cool and fresh for a considerable period of time. For instance when you have some meat that you intend to eat in a few days to come, you can be able to store it without a fridge freezer for about three to four days. All you will need to do is to cook it on day one while on the second day; you re-heat it on the second day making sure that as you simmer it, the cooking pot is kept with a very tight top. It is more like sterilization of a petri dish and even hospital equipment. The secret is to keep the cooking pot closed and only opening it when you need to re-heat it. The meat remains cool and fresh for the next three to four days.
Most of the refrigeration that is required in towns and the countryside are for keeping foods such as ice cream, beer, pop among others. For ice cream, you can easily stop over an ice cream parlor when you need one. Remember that most of the obesity problems that most people are struggling with today are as a result of the fridge freezer supplies. Even the greatest energy resources are consumed by refrigeration facilities.
Cooking School
One person: Six hats
I wear so many hats, I almost don’t know where to start.
I suppose the biggest hat is freelance writer. I write speeches and Websites and news releases and everything else for corporations and non-profits. Such as IBM. And Visa. And HBO. And the YMCA. And the Ministry of Health. And so on.
The next biggest hat is journalist. I write articles and columns for newspapers and magazines and Websites. You can see my byline in The Washington Post. And the New York Times. And Parenting and CNET.com and The Toronto Star, and on and on, again.
Hat number three: Author. I’ve also written a top-selling marketing. And I contributed to a cookbook.
Next hat: Teacher.
I’ve taught copywriting and public relations and marketing at schools across North America including Ryerson University in Toronto, Duke University in Charlotte, and University of California in San Francisco. I’ve also given corporate seminars and speeches.
Hat number, erm, mumble, mumble: Managing editor of the (kicking the ground with unabashed shyness) very popular and growing like crazy food blog, AlmostVegetarian.com.
And, finally, the newest hat is erstwhile cooking school student and subject and writer of the CookingSchoolConfidential.com blog.
If you need to reach me, the easiest way is to leave a comment. But if you want to send me something confidential, you can always email me at student {at} cookingschoolconfidential {dot} com. But no attachments, please. Really. I’m just too busy to mess with them.
It’s a wonder I have any time to cook.