The wind is blowing my hair all over my face while I am trying to write about my cruise on the Queen Elizabeth from San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale via the Panama Canal. I am sitting on a balcony in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, sailing by the coastline of Colombia, passing the towns and cities of Cartagena, Barranquilla, and Santa Marta before reaching the Guajira Peninsula. This peninsula is split between northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela and is the northernmost peninsula in South America. Every day of our cruise, we get a ship program with information like this from our navigator. It is an adventure but a comfortable one because I am on a beautiful ship with excellent food, exquisite surroundings, and British flair. Every night, I am entertained by different artists or favorite music and can dance the night away. The day is filled with dance classes, exercise, reading a book from the 3000-book library, or relaxing on a deck chair. I am ten days into my 15-day journey, and it has been wonderful. There are people on this ship who have gone around the world.

Unfortunately, I didn't do much writing. I just had too much fun while cruising. Now, several months later, I have to rely on my memory. The highlight of this cruise was going through the Panama Canal, which was on my bucket list. Our speaker was Richard Wainio, who was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the canal and anything else you want to know about Panama. He had many personal stories to tell because he lived and worked as the director of the canal board during the transition from the American to the Panamanian government, which took many years. It was a privilege to transit the Panama Canal after a lifetime of hearing about it. 

We embarked in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, for the day. Even though I only saw it for one day, I got a feeling for the island. We hiked through the jungle, and I had a great conversation with an American who had lived in Costa Rica for many years and owned a botanical garden. 

An earlier stop on our journey was Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. While, there we took a small boat ride through Lovers Beach and Los Arcos, a natural archway. 

How can I describe the Queen Elizabeth? It is sassy, elegant and relaxing. I loved the daily talks, the food, the dress standards, the shows, and the service. I enjoyed mingling with different people from all around the world. I rarely, if ever, get to dress for special events at home, so on this ship, I finally had the opportunity. It was so much fun. I only wish I was a better dancer. I apologize to all the people that I stepped on. However, if you want to relax and unwind, this is the perfect way to do it. I fell in love with cruising, and I am fortunate that I am about to embark on another cruise on this beautiful boat. Stay tuned. 

Last week, my girlfriend Diane surprised me with a bag of chanterelles she found on a mountain in Corralitos. Corralitos is in the southern part of Santa Cruz County. It’s an idyllic area known for its orchards and tree-covered hillsides, a peaceful place to enjoy the countryside. 

I was in cook’s heaven when I saw these freshly picked chanterelles. I thought about sautéeing them in a little butter with shallots and cream and having them with crusty sourdough bread. What a treat! Chanterelles are great in a creamy pasta dish or an omelet for breakfast. Creating a dish with these beautiful and delicious mushrooms has so many possibilities. I chose a galette from Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook Everyday Dorie. I have used this book for several recipes and have not been disappointed yet.

The galette was a culinary treat, with the filling full of different flavors complemented by a flaky crust. It is an all-butter crust, which I like, and comes together quickly in a food processor. Of course, it can also be made by hand. I put the butter in the freezer for about 25 minutes. Instead of chanterelles, you can substitute other mushrooms. When the chanterelles are no longer available, I might try a mixture of shiitake and button mushrooms. The galette is delicious, warm, or at room temperature. Serve it with a salad, and you have a delicious lunch, dinner, or snack.

Life on Sunny Cove has been great. We’ve been busy with visitors and enjoyed reminiscing about old times and thinking about what the future might hold. It’s been raining on and off, so it’s the perfect time to curl up by the fire and slow down. 

Don't omit any of the ingredients, Dorie Greenspan did a wonderful job creating this dish. The walnuts add an extra crunch to the galette.
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Ingredients:
The crust:
1 cup ( 2o4grams ) all-purpose flour 
½ tsp. fine sea salt
2 TBS sugar
8 TBS (4 ounces, 113 grams ) cold (almost frozen) butter, cut into 16 pieces
¼ cup (60ml) ice water

Directions for the crust:
​Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor and pulse a few times to blend the ingredients. Distribute the butter pieces over the mixture and pulse until small pieces with some larger ones form. Add more water and pulse, continuing to add water and scrape down the sides of the processor as needed. Pulse until the dough holds together. Transfer the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap, flatten it into a disk, and roll it into a 12-inch circle between sheets of plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Center the oven rack in the middle. Roast the walnuts for about 10 minutes. 
Cut the leeks in half and thinly slice them. Wash them and let them drip dry in a sieve. 
My chanterelles were very dirty, so I rinsed them quickly under cold running water and patted them dry with a paper towel. Cut off the bottom of the stem and slice the rest of the chanterelles into bite-sized pieces.
Cut the bacon into ¾-inch slices and sauté over medium heat until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Pour off all but 1 TBS of the bacon fat from the pan. 
Pour the olive oil into the frying pan with the bacon fat. Heat it over medium heat, then add the leeks and fry for a few minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic, cooking for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. The mushrooms will release water, but it will evaporate as you continue cooking. Season with salt, pour in the wine, and stir, scraping the pan until the wine evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and cook until mostly absorbed. Remove from heat and stir in the bacon, walnuts, 2 TBS Parmesan, thyme, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. You can prepare the filling ahead of time and store it in the fridge for a couple of days. 


Take the dough out of the fridge and let it rest for a few minutes. Peel off the plastic wrap and place the dough on a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet. Scrape the filling onto the center of the dough and spread it into a 9-inch circle. Fold the unfilled border over the filling. As you fold the dough, it will naturally pleat on itself. Bake the galette for about 30 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the galette and enjoy this special treat.

The filling:
1 TBS olive oil 
½ pound (227 grams) mushrooms 
4 slices bacon
2 leeks, white and light green parts only
1 garlic clove finely chopped
 fine sea salt
3 TBS dry white wine
2 TBS heavy cream
3 TBS walnuts 
¼ cup (24 grams) finely grated parmesan 
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves 
Freshly ground pepper 

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Center the oven rack in the middle. Roast the walnuts for about 10 minutes. 
Cut the leeks in half and thinly slice them. Wash them and let them drip dry in a sieve. 
My chanterelles were very dirty, so I rinsed them quickly under cold running water and patted them dry with a paper towel. Cut off the bottom of the stem and slice the rest of the chanterelles into bite-sized pieces.
Cut the bacon into ¾-inch slices and sauté over medium heat until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a platter covered with a paper towel. Pour off all but 1 TBS of bacon fat from the pan. 
Pour the olive oil into the frying pan with the bacon fat. Heat on medium, toss in the leeks, and fry for a few minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for about five minutes or until the vegetables are softened. The mushrooms will release water, but it will evaporate as you continue to cook. Season with salt and add the wine, stirring and scraping the pan until the wine has evaporated about two minutes. Pour in the cream and cook until it is mostly absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and add the bacon, walnuts, 2 TBS parmesan, thyme, and pepper. Taste for seasoning. You can make the filling ahead and keep it in the fridge for a couple of days. 
Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit for a few minutes. Peel off the plastic wrap and put the dough on a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet. Scrape the filling into the middle of the dough and spread into a 9-inch circle. Fold the bare border over the filling. As you fold the dough, it will pleat on itself. Bake the galette for about 30 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan over the galette and enjoy this special treat.

​Guten Appetit!
Recipe from Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook Everyday Dorie
Posted by the ©Sunnycovechef 
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Think stuffed mushrooms with an Asian twist. The shiitake mushrooms are stuffed with ground pork, water, chestnuts, and ginger. Your football fans might like these little morsels. Click here for the recipe.

This is one of the first recipes I posted on my blog. It could be a special treat for Valentine's Day if you have a vegetarian sweetie. The crepes are filled with shiitake mushrooms and goat cheese.  Click here for the recipe. 

I have always loved this chocolate tart. It doesn't have a lot of sugar, and the chocolate and crust complement each other nicely.
​                                             Click here for the recipe.