Diary (& questions) of a relative newbie

[Ligeti]

Voskhod (3rd) (168th blade), Martin de Candre Fougère (47th shave)

Still taking care of my wife, the household and all the animals. Still little time to dwell on shaving experiences. But also: still enjoying the start of the day with a nice shaving procedure. Only 3 days of Martin de Candre left before I have to return to Nivea. Well, that's putting it too negative. The Nivea tube is an excellent product.

 

[Ligeti]

Voskhod (9th) (168th blade), Nivea shaving cream (tube) (53rd shave), Nivea Sensitive Balm

On Sunday, I had my 50th shave with the glass jar of Martin de Candre Fougère. So since Monday, it's Nivea time. I fully stick to my previous assessment of that product: brilliant in all aspects... exept that it doesn't have the typical Nivea fragrance. I'm using copious amounts so what's left of the tube won't last very long. Maybe not even 22 more shaves.

 

[thombrogan]

Hoping Mrs. Ligeti’s leg is still healing up and that she’ll be tearing up the voetbal fields again soon.

 

[Ligeti]

Hoping Mrs. Ligeti’s leg is still healing up and that she’ll be tearing up the voetbal fields again soon.

Well, the plaster will be removed on the 31st, then we'll know more about the rehabilitation process. And since she's never played voetbal, it might take years before she turns pro.

 

[Ligeti]

Wilkinson Sword (1st) (169th blade), Nivea shaving cream (tube) (55th shave), Nivea Sensitive Balm

After 10 shaves, I switched blades, ditching the Voskhod in favor of a Wilkinson Sword blade. How I love that blade!
In the mean time, the Nivea tube is emptying fast. Yesterday, I encountered an air bubble in the tube, so I could squeeze almost a centimeter of tube before I got some cream. Nice!

 

[Ligeti]

Wilkinson Sword (4th) (169th blade), Nivea shaving cream (tube) (58th shave), Nivea Sensitive Balm

Enjoying totally carefree shaves nowadays. Looking forward to emptying the Nivea tube before it's 75th duty call.

 

[Guido75]

Hope the mrs is getting better. And great to read that you also have a little me-time in with a daily shave.

Cheers,

Guido

 

[Ligeti]

Wilkinson Sword (6th) (169th blade), Nivea shaving cream (tube) (62nd shave), Nivea Sensitive Balm

Still enjoying totally carefree shaves.
I really like these Wilkinson blades. Voskhod has something special to it (only we at B&B have ever heard of this brand), and the design is so appealing to me. Gillette is, well, it's Gillette. But the green 7o'clock packaging makes me happy. Wilkinson, well, it's Wilkinson. Nothing more to it. But the blade works so well for me. So do the Voskhod and Gillette blades, but Wilkinson is still a tiny bit of a better match with me, my gear and my technique (or lack thereof).

 

[Ligeti]

Wilkinson Sword (8th) (169th blade), Saponificio Varesino Mirto di Sardegna (Beta 4.3) + ASB

Without knowing it, I finished the tube of Nivea shaving cream yesterday. This morning, I didn't manage to get any more cream out of the tube. So it's over and done after 63 shaves.
With € 0,58 per ten shaves, this product qualifies for the 'close to for free' tier in my ranking.
The empty slot in my rotation will be filled with Palmolive cream (tube) combined with Pitralon Classic ASL. But now, time for the next product in my rotation: Saponificio Varesino Mirto di Sardegna (Beta 4.3). Returning to Saponificio Varesino was less of a huray than I had expected. Maybe due to my common cold which alters my smell.

 

[thombrogan]

Hoping your cold goes away soon. 31st is making its way to Belgium next week.

 

[Ligeti]

Wilkinson Sword (11th) (169th blade), Saponificio Varesino Mirto di Sardegna (Beta 4.3) (29th shave) + ASB

Getting deeper and deeper into Saponoficio territory. And I like it a lot. Can imagine a life without it but can imagine keeping it permanently in rotation just as well. Shaving with this soap and treating my skin to just 4 drops of the ASB and I can notice a subtle hint of the fragrance all day.

 

[thombrogan]

It’s the 31st!

Are you back from having Mrs. Ligeti’s plaster removed?

 

[Ligeti]

It’s the 31st!

Are you back from having Mrs. Ligeti’s plaster removed?

Yes, the plaster has been removed, thanks for asking!
So now, it's three times a week to the physiotherapist for the coming weeks.

She came along with me to the horses this morning. For the first time in more than 6 weeks. What a huge disappointment, the animals didn't even recognize her. Auch!

 

[Ligeti]

Gillette 7o'clock SS (green) (1st) (170th blade), Saponificio Varesino Mirto di Sardegna (Beta 4.3) (33th shave) + ASB

My shaves are about the only trouble free minutes of the day. Enjoying my gear and products, the process, the result. I've contemplated shaving twice a day, just to have more to look forward to. But I'm too afraid it would impact my skin thus spoiling the fun.

 

[thombrogan]

Thank you for sharing the great news!

Instead of shaving a second time and adding that risk, you could take up pâtissier arts. Whether it’s a croquembouche for some milestone event (such as a Wednesday?) or stroopwafels for a neighbor that can’t or won’t attend festivals just outside your nation (maybe they would go to the Netherlands’ coast in Summer, but it’s Frisian now), there’s always something. You could even bake multi-layered cakes and improve on the original recipes. Torte reform, I believe it is called.

 

[Ligeti]

Thank you for sharing the great news!

Instead of shaving a second time and adding that risk, you could take up pâtissier arts. Whether it’s a croquembouche for some milestone event (such as a Wednesday?) or stroopwafels for a neighbor that can’t or won’t attend festivals just outside your nation (maybe they would go to the Netherlands’ coast in Summer, but it’s Frisian now), there’s always something. You could even bake multi-layered cakes and improve on the original recipes. Torte reform, I believe it is called.

You're such a great bad influence!
Personally, I'm more into savoury cooking. Going sweet, I prefer making chocolate covered profiteroles to the sticky caramel of the croquembouche.
Since there's nothing wrong with great classics, tonight I'll cook steak-frites with home made sauce béarnaise. (I prefer not to call it 'french fries', since there's nothing french about it. It's a misunderstanding that dates from the first world war where American soldiers heard about pommes frites in french by Belgian Walloons, not by French. But since the language was french, it became 'French Fries'. Or so the story goes).

 

[Ligeti]

Gillette 7o'clock SS (green) (6th) (170th blade), Saponificio Varesino Mirto di Sardegna (Beta 4.3) (38th shave) + ASB

The Gillette blade still performs as new (my records show I usually get 8 shaves from this Gillette blade). The soap and ASB keep amazing me.
In the mean time, I've discovered why I need like 25-30 swirls in each direction on Saponoficio Varesino and on Martin de Cande and not the '15 swirls in total will do' I usually see on B&B: my brush is so much smaller than my wife's brush. I can easily imagine 15 swirls with her brush will pick up as much soap as 2x25 with mine.
Maybe it's nonsense, but at least I have a story that explains the natural phenomenon. And the story doesn't require God or magic.

 

[thombrogan]

You're such a great bad influence!

Thank you for your kind words.

In the USA, frying pomme frites in duck confit is considered a highly decadent indulgence. I haven’t tried that yet. Instead, we have the savory poutine from Quebec province of Canada: pomme frites with a savory gravy and cheese curds.

Your steak frites with bernaise and profiteroles cloaked in chocolate sound excellent, too.

 

[Ligeti]

Thank you for your kind words.

In the USA, frying pomme frites in duck confit is considered a highly decadent indulgence. I haven’t tried that yet. Instead, we have the savory poutine from Quebec province of Canada: pomme frites with a savory gravy and cheese curds.

Your steak frites with bernaise and profiteroles cloaked in chocolate sound excellent, too.

On frying fries, let me give you the ultimate tip for the very best fries.
Decent fries are cooked twice. Fry the chips a first time, but don't let them colour yet. This is how you poach the potato pieces.
Let the chips drain and cool well in a bowl lined with a sheet of kitchen paper. Then heat the frying fat to 180°C.
Now fry the cold chips until golden brown and crispy.

So far the wellknown part (though there still are people on this planet frying them in one go). Now here's the big secret:
The first time, poaching the fries: use animal fat. Tallow (oxes fat) is the standard, one could use duck fat. This will give the excellent taste.
The second time, fry in refined vegetable oil. No olives. Corn is perfect. This will give the crispy crust.
Yes, you need two deep frying pans, but it's worth wile: best taste plus best crispyness.

 

[thombrogan]

I’m learning all the secrets. Thank you!