Today was a great day! I woke up early to finish studying for my wine exam (which went well! :D), then had enough time between finishing and demo to allow for a RUN!!! It was such a great run!! I decided to go to the beach and see what the sea was cooking up. I love getting outside! Then we had a past instructor named Shermin come and teach us all about sushi. She also showed us how to make some Turkish dishes as well - my favorite was the Dolma! I never even thought about substituting a big leafy swiss chard for the grape leaf to wrap around the rice filling. YUM those things are delicious! Sushi was great fun too! I even got to roll some! I always had a set idea of what sushi is in my head before this but now I know there are many different types! The key is to have really high quality rice and raw ingredients (or cooked as well, but raw is more traditional).
After sushi and lunch, we got to learn about tempering chocolate with Shana Wilkie, the local chocolate producer! It's a surprisingly confusing topic, but basically tempering is a technique that makes chocolate more stable and emulsified once it hardens. The cocoa separates from the cocoa butter more easily if it isn't tempered, which means a more crumbly bar without a snap. Also tempered chocolate is a lot shinier, making it more appealing :). I just want to make chocolate from cocoa beans now!! :D
To finish up our Wednesday afternoon, we all went over for a tour of the Ballymaloe House and afternoon tea. Here are some of the shots I got while we were there. It is such a beautiful estate!! I am absolutely going to come back here some day to bask in the beauty.
To finish up our Wednesday afternoon, we all went over for a tour of the Ballymaloe House and afternoon tea. Here are some of the shots I got while we were there. It is such a beautiful estate!! I am absolutely going to come back here some day to bask in the beauty.
This was part of Colm's extensive wine cellar (Ballymaloe's sommelier and our wine instructor on the course). The oldest bottle they had at Ballymaloe House, he said, was from 1920!!!!!!!!!! Imagine getting to drink that! :). Apparently the shelves were made from an old tree that had fallen on the estate. The wood was so beautiful!
After getting back, Nan and I went to sourdough land once more and worked on our experiments. She decided to make sourdough bagels, and I worked on my chocolate sourdough. So far so good! I never got to try the bagels because I went to see my dad and sister, but I'm sure they were delicious! :). I bake my chocolate sourdough tomorrow, so hopefully that'll go well!
After getting back, Nan and I went to sourdough land once more and worked on our experiments. She decided to make sourdough bagels, and I worked on my chocolate sourdough. So far so good! I never got to try the bagels because I went to see my dad and sister, but I'm sure they were delicious! :). I bake my chocolate sourdough tomorrow, so hopefully that'll go well!
I ended up staying at the Garryvoe Hotel (which means "New Garden" in Gaelic, whereas Shanagarry, the town we're in, means "Old Garden") with my dad and sister. It's been so great catching up with them!!! I'm so excited for them to come to lunch and demo with me tomorrow!
Still catching up!
Love,
Livvy
Still catching up!
Love,
Livvy