- Grapefruit sorbet: what an easy sorbet. You literally just squeeze grapefruits and mix in sugar before putting it into a sorbetiere. Then BAM! Pure deliciousness. They actually suggest you serve this as a starter before a heavy meal (with a roast meat or something), but I would also consider this a dessert.
- Pumpkin, chickpea, and kale curry: YUM! WOW I COULD EAT SO MUCH OF THIS! The spices all work together with the pumpkin and coconut milk to create a warm and toasty aroma and flavor. I love the trick of roasting spices whole before you grind them - the flavor is so much sweeter and more intense than an older, pre-ground spice. This is definitely something I would make again! Plus it's vegan and paleo (I guess if you just omit the chickpeas!).
- Carrot raita: this is an Indian accompaniment to curry dishes apparently to offset the spice. Essentially it's a mix of yogurt and some other sweeter ingredient, such as banana, grape, beet, or carrot with a pinch of salt and sugar. I thought it tasted lovely, though since my curry was on the mild side I don't think it needed a buffer like this as much.
- Cheese biscuits: I had cheese duty today, which involves making cheese crackers and laying out various local cheeses on some fig leaves. My instructor actually did the beautiful handiwork here and I just arranged the biscuits on the board.
Overall, my day in the kitchen was a success. I was able to focus on what I was doing, except for one second in which I sadly almost cut off the tip of my thumb. Luckily my thumbnail was there to stop my big knife to a point, so now I have a decent slash through the nail. Goodness it's amazing how easy knives cut through fingers. Yikes! So yes, despite that sour note near the end, I thoroughly enjoyed my morning. I can't wait to get back in the kitchen again!
After lunch, we had an intriguing demo mainly about various burgers and fries (or "chips" as they say here). This first picture is probably quite confusing. The spindly white stuff is called "caul," and is some sort of fatty tissue that holds intestines together. When you soak it and then pull it apart, it becomes a sort of web that you can then wrap around a burger for optimum flavor. The kind you want to use is pork caul, by the way, and should you so desire, you can get it from butchers! :).
I loved the different perspectives Rory had on presenting the burgers he made. I included two of my favorite ones that he made. In the first one, he used a sprig of rosemary instead of a kebab to hold the burger, onion rings, and other toppings in place. The second one has a waterfall of mushroom a la creme cascading down, with wings made of chips and a salad tail. :)
Favorite part of the day: finally getting a chance to run and then work out with Nan afterwards. It's been awhile since I have been really out of breath from a workout. Hopefully it'll help give my body a kickstarter!
Yay! I've caught up in my blog! And now of course it's late again. Oh well! I'm really excited about tomorrow because the business woman (Blathnaid) will be back teaching us about food costing all day. I find her knowledge and experience incredibly valuable.
Well, happy Tuesday everyone!!! Tonight's the full moon here! Things are getting spo0o0o0o0ky! Time for Halloween! :D
Love,
Livvy