I'm writing this on a Tuesday evening because on Wednesdays (except for the 1st week) we have lectures and don't cook and, consequently, I don't have to prepare an order of work (although I could do it tonight for Thursday, but that wouldn't be good procrastination). I've heard from some of you that the blog so far has been too serious, that I need to lighten up! Thanks for the good advice. I am really trying to focus on having fun and learning as much as I can, but sometimes natural inclinations and ego get in the way. Just know that I'm trying and, as you will learn it you read to the end of today's blog, I think I'm improving on this.
To all of you who have made comments on the blog site, I am very sorry but I cannot figure out how to send you a reply. When I get your comment forwarded to my e-mail, it comes from a no-reply site. When I go to the blog dashboard, there is no place for me to reply to comments. So, if you want to send a comment for which you don't expect a reply, you can continue to make it a comment on the blog site. If, on the other hand, you might like a reply, send your comment to my e-mail address and I will reply when I'm able. I don't want to put my e-mail address in this blog, because I don't really want to start dialogues with people I don't know. If I know you and you don't have my e-mail address, you can get if from T.J. or Jack (not positive that Claudia has it) at my former place of work or by calling Charlene. This may catch them by surprise, but what the heck!
Yesterday and today I really and truly had fun. I started the week by making lemonade, chicken in a winter herb sauce, and Irish (boiled) potatoes. I got scored 5 out of 6 on the later two (the first one wasn't scored), which was very good, but that wasn't the best part. Instead of just trying to get them done, I started to look for the subtleties in preparation and presentation (part of the score). And more of my questions are about making the items better, not just "doing them.".
Today was different but still good. I made red currant jelly, which was easy, but also kind of fun. Then I made a cucumber and yogurt raita, which is an accompaniment to any number of Indian dishes (others were cooking chicken in an Indian style). I used lots of coriander, which in NM we know and buy as cilantro. Actually, there's more of a difference, but I'll let you look it up. I finished the morning with a chocolate fudge pudding. Things went fine until the pudding. First, I neglected to melt the butter with the chocolate (first step in the recipe). My instructor, Trina, helped me through that and I added melted butter later than planned. That seemed O.K, but then she noted that the mixture was too thin. She asked if I had put in only 1/4 cup of water and I had to admit that it might have been 1/2 cup. That put us both into "recovery mode." Following her directions, I added extra egg yokes, extra flour, extra whipped egg whites, and put the mixture in a bigger baking dish. While it was baking, I noticed that I had some castor sugar that was supposed to go in, but I held my tongue and put it back in the bin. Low and behold, it turned out surprisingly good (wasn't too sweet) and Trina actually gave me a 4-1/2 on the pudding. So, I learned that no matter how much you screw something up, it may turn out just fine. Don't despair and don't give up! I also learned that these Irish have a sweet tooth.
In each one of the blogs, I'll try to describe something that will give you an idea of the small things that make life interesting for me here in Ireland. I've already talked about the accents and the rain, but I've gotten used to asking people to repeat themselves and it hasn't rained for 3 days! Of course, people may avoid me because I keep asking them to repeat and it may pour tomorrow, but life is grand! I may be fooling myself, but driving on the left side of the road has become only a minor challenge. Even the narrow roads don't seem too bad. To get my exercise, I do my power walking in the morning, before going to school (usually somewhere between 5:30 and 6:30). I strap on some reflective strips, put on sweats and a pair of low-cut hiking shoes, carry a torch (flashlight) that recharges by winding it (great Christmas gift from Adam), and venture out into the dark. Much of the village of Shanagarry has street lights, but some sections can be pitch dark. It's not scary, rather exhilarating, and I think it has helped me keep at bay the virus that is chasing me.
Well, in addition to a full day of lectures tomorrow, we have a wine lecture at 6:00 p.m.from a woman who runs a big Australian winery. On Thursday I will be making tortillas, fresh salsa, avocado dip and more. But that's for the next blog.
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