Mid-Course Corrections

This is the mid-point of the course and we had the first real test (although we get "tested" in the kitchen four days a week).  The test had two parts: herb and salad-green identifications (written) and technique performance.  In advance I memorized 15 salad greens (as well my deteriorating memory would allow), studied the appearance and taste of 15 herbs, memorized recipes that used each of the herbs, and practiced a few of the techniques that I knew would give me trouble.  Not clear to me how all the memorization helps in the long run, but I decided to do the best I could.  I don't know the total results but, because I was in the last group, Flori, who graded me, gave me feedback on the spot.  I used too much butter to sweat my onions (but they were otherwise cooked just about right); I used the wrong approach to slicing of mushrooms (you're supposed to chop down on them I learned, not slice horizontally), but I fried them just right; etc.  Not great, but I'm sure I was by no means the worst of the day.  Funny, how I've chopped tons of mushrooms without an instructor seeing me use the wrong technique -- one of the disadvantages of getting a lot done before the instructors show up.  I don't know the results of the herb and greens identifications, but I'm pretty sure I got most of them.

Earlier in the week, my cooking went well.  I started with a lamb stew with bacon, onions and herbs and cooked kale.  Everything was delicious, but when I served the stew for my instructor, I forgot that it was a stew and served it on a flat plate, a minor flaw.  Next day, I made chocolate eclairs, which require a choux pastry that was new to us.  The eclairs turned out great, including the pastry cream filling and chocolate topping; so I put on some weight eating a couple during the cooking session.  Then, I filleted a Pollock (round fish) and baked it with a spicy tomato sauce that I made.  My filleting was definitely better than my previous attempt, but still room for improvement (glad I didn't get this on the exam).  The final oven-baked product was good, although my instructor thought the chilli pepper in the sauce bordered on over-powering the fish (just right to these New Mexico-trained taste buds).  During the last cooking session for the week on Thursday, I started by making scones, because this is one of the techniques for Friday's exam and I had never done it.  Flori told me they were great and said it would be good if I had them on my exam, which I didn't.  When I sauteed the meat for a chilli con carne, I put it all in the pan together and it got soupy, not really sauteed.  But I kept at it, and the whole thing, including an avocado sauce, turned out really good and Flori complemented me on the mix of fresh chillies I had chosen.  She also called me "chef" during the week, which sounded kind of neat.

I took this picture one day this week, when I was leaving the school for the day.  The cushioned bench that the dogs are sitting on is in the large entry-way for the main building for the school.  The dogs wait at the door until someone lets them in, then they get nice and comfy.

When we have demos, I often think about how I might use this or that for family or friends.  Because of the test Friday afternoon, we had demos Friday morning and Rory O'Connell made all kinds of pizzas and pizza derived dishes, like calzone.  I got to taste several of them and they were very good -- not your Pizza Hut pizza, but more of a gourmet pizza.  I don't know whether I'll get to make any while I'm here, but I'll practice them when I get home and then a pizza party!

After the exam on Friday, I started a Ballymaloe Wine Weekend at the Ballymaloe House.  This is not a part of the cooking program.  Most people who participate have a package that includes two nights at the hotel, plus a wine course, including meals with matched wines.  The hotel gives a special non-resident (no hotel stay) rate for students from the cooking school, so three of us chose to do it.  The instruction part of it is titled "Introduction to Wine Appreciation," and it is taught by a well-known wine authority, Mary Dowey, who is the wine editor for The Gloss magazine.  We tasted about 20 different wines and had wines with meals, including an incredible six-course meal with six matching wines for dinner last (Saturday) night.  Wonderful food, wonderful wine, great conversation -- what more could one ask for.  Well, there was Irish music in the parlor after dinner, which included Rory Allen (another relative in the Allen clan), who played guitar and sang old Irish songs, plus impromptu singing from members of the audience.  Stephen, one of the cooking students who did the wine weekend (Lisa from Portland, Oregon, was the 3rd) sang with a strong, powerful voice and a beautiful interpreted repertoire.  Absolutely delightful.  Another thing that made the weekend special was a wonderful couple, Aoife and Jonathan, from England, who joined the three of us during the course and meals to make a gang of five.  As I was thinking about what to write here, I started to describe their exceptional careers and realized that wouldn't touch on wonderful personalities, great conversational skills, and charm; so I'll leave it at that.  As I've said before, it is the people who really make a difference and it was so true this weekend.

I need to correct one perception from a previous blog.  I found out that the Wave in Ballycotton has food hours that end at 5:00 p.m.  So, when I was told they weren't serving, they had really stopped serving.  The menu on the sidewalk outside was probably an oversight on their part.