What a day! I'm feeling pretty much better! Goodness though, I found it so hard to focus during the 4 hour-long pizza lecture this morning. All I could think about was the various recipes involving herbs we needed to memorize for the exam! I never realized you could do so many different things with pizza! Darina barely made any with a tomato base - instead, she made pizzas with bases of creamed mushroom, caramelized onions, fennel sauce, garlic and olive oil, and piperonata (pepper-based "tomato" sauce). YUM! Watching Darina and her assistants make various pizzas reminded me of the pizza parties my family hosts at my house with our friends. I can't wait to get back at it! There are so many different flavor combinations to explore! :D I liked the pizza face that Darina made, although it looked a little spooky.
We had a lovely lunch break after a couple of hours and had a chance to try some of the creations, as well as a lot of veggie salads. I thought the presentation of the meal, especially the dessert table, looked particularly beautiful today! I love fall-themed decor!
The bowl at the bottom right corner is poached quince with star anise by the way! The fruit looks a lot like a fat pear with tufts of pale fuzz. It tastes absolutely TERRIBLE when you eat it raw, but when it's cooked the flavor and texture is delicious!!
The bowl at the bottom right corner is poached quince with star anise by the way! The fruit looks a lot like a fat pear with tufts of pale fuzz. It tastes absolutely TERRIBLE when you eat it raw, but when it's cooked the flavor and texture is delicious!!
After the morning's fun (and worrying...), I finally took my exam! For the first part, I had several tasks that were pretty straightforward: identify various herbs and salad leaves, present and pour a glass of wine, and lay a place at a table given a specific menu. The second part of the exam was to perform a technique. I had to sauté mushrooms, make mayonnaise, sweat an onion, and make a paper piping bag. Nothing went horribly wrong, so hopefully I did alright!! It's nice to be past that stressor! Now I'm on to worry about new things :).
I FINALLY GOT TO RUN!!!! At last! I ran to the beach and ran around for a bit. The moon started coming up as I was leaving, and I thought it made a nice, blog-worthy picture that you all would enjoy! I love running. :). It puts me in the best moods.
I FINALLY GOT TO RUN!!!! At last! I ran to the beach and ran around for a bit. The moon started coming up as I was leaving, and I thought it made a nice, blog-worthy picture that you all would enjoy! I love running. :). It puts me in the best moods.
I'm having a sleepover with Nan tonight because pretty much everyone has left the Barn expect for Rachel and the two of us. Spoo000ooo0o0oky! Here's an action shot of me blogging! It involves so many wires connecting my phone and camera :).
It's officially the weekend! Woohoo!! Tomorrow Rachel, Nan and I head to a food festival in Kilkenny (2 hours away). I wonder what's in store! Hope everyone is having a great start to their weekend!
Love,
Livvy
Love,
Livvy