Southampton to Lisbon on Azamara Quest, Days 5, 6 and 7: Visiting Gijon, La Corona and Porto

Monday, September 5th:   On Monday we arrived In Gijon, Spain. This city has the largest bulk materials port in Spain. We docked near a freighter that was either loading or unloading loose coal. The pile on the concrete pier was enormous!  One hillside featured the round tanks used to store natural gas while the tanks on the left hand side were oil tanks.   Azamara provided shuttle busses into the city of Gijon. It is known for …

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A Culinary Journey Onboard Scenic Eclipse

Image courtesy of Scenic

Boston & Vancouver, October 2019 – As Executive Chef for Scenic Eclipse, Tom Goetter has set himself the challenge to reinvent dining on the high seas, and that means ensuring his guests enjoy an ever-changing selection of flavors throughout their cruise. “We have a total of 2,500 recipes across our eight restaurants,” Goetter says. “You would need to be on board for one and a half months to eat every dish.” Dining on board Scenic Eclipse is …

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Flourless Chocolate Cake compliments of Viking River & Ocean Cruises & AllThingsCruise

  This dense moist cake is like a giant chocolate truffle—crunchy on top with a deliciously fudgy center. Extremely rich yet so simple to make, it is popular all year round. It is gluten-free and you can even make it in advance—just take it out of the refrigerator an hour before serving–it tastes even better the second day. Ingredients 8 oz (227 g) dark chocolate, chopped 3 T (21 g) unsweetened cocoa powder ¼ tsp (1 g) …

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Sangria compliments of Viking River & Ocean Cruises & AllThingsCruise

  The term sangria can be documented back to a punch enjoyed in London in 1736. The original ingredients included Madeira (a fortified Portuguese wine) sugar, lime juice, water and nutmeg. Over the centuries, the recipe has been modified, but it is still the classic preparation of wine and citrus fruit that makes sangria a favorite today. Ingredients 1 lg orange, peeled, segmented and cut in half 1 C (151 g) strawberries, hulled and quartered 1 C …

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Bûche de Noël compliments of Viking River & Ocean Cruises & AllThingsCruise

  This grand dessert is a descendant of the medieval subtlety—food disguised to look like something else. Here, chocolate cake masquerades as the traditional yule log for a long winter’s night. Although making the log look realistic can be challenging, even a simple approach is great fun to make and delightful to serve on a holiday evening. Ingredients CAKE: Unsalted butter for greasing Confectioners’ sugar for dusting 5 lg eggs, separated 1 C (192 g) sugar, divided …

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Korean-Style Lamb Chops compliments of Viking River & Ocean Cruises & AllThingsCruise

  This fiery dish is a satisfying, intense entrée and tastes great paired with rustic mashed potatoes, flash-fried asparagus or long beans. If you prefer a little more heat, try Korean chili paste in place of the chili garlic sauce. Either way, this dish is a true delight. Ingredients 1/3 C (89 ml) soy sauce 1 T (15 ml) sesame oil 1 tsp (5 ml) rice vinegar 1½ T (18 g) sugar ¼ C (48 g) sugar …

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Dutch Cheese Soup compliments of Viking River & Ocean Cruises & AllThingsCruise

  The Dutch are great soup eaters, often featuring soup as a main dish. This hearty soup, enriched with Gouda cheese, is perfect served piping hot on a chilly evening. Gouda is the quintessential Dutch cheese to use: a young Gouda will give you a soft, mild taste, while an aged one will provide more complex and robust flavor. Ingredients ¼ C (59 ml) vegetable oil ½ C (76 g) onions, diced 1 C (230 g) cauliflower, …

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Chicken Lettuce Wraps compliments of Viking River & Ocean Cruises & AllThingsCruise

  Light and low-carb, these wraps are great as an appetizer, or they can be an entrée themselves. Try variations like substituting other kinds of meat for the chicken. Or you can leave the meat out if you want a vegetarian option, in which case increase the quantity of mushrooms, add tofu and bamboo shoots to round out the filling. Ingredients WRAP: 8 med iceberg or butter lettuce leaves FILLING: 2 dried black mushrooms 1 1?2 tsp (5 g) …

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Café Maria Theresa compliments of Viking River & Ocean Cruises & AllThingsCruise

  Popular throughout Austria, this flavorful coffee is named for beloved Austrian empress Maria Theresa. And, this same recipe with a twist makes a Fiaker. That version, named for Vienna’s carriage drivers or fiakers, who need something warm to keep going in chilly weather, substitutes rum for the orange liqueur and omits the garnish. Ingredients 1 tsp (4 g) sugar 2 T (30 ml) orange liqueur (Grand Marnier or Cointreau) 6 oz (177 ml) freshly brewed coffee 1 T …

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Russian Oladi compliments of Viking River & Ocean Cruises & AllThingsCruise

These are light, fluffy Russian pancakes made with kefir, a cultured sour milk. They are like plump little pillows, a bit tart, creating a nice contrast to a sweet topping. Chewier and less cakey than an American-style pancake, you can try them plain or with sour cream, fruit preserves or even a drizzle of condensed milk. Ingredients 3 lg eggs 2 C (473 g) kefir or buttermilk 3 T (36 g) sugar ½ tsp (2.5 g) salt …

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