- Paratha bread: this is the third 10 I've gotten in a row on a bread! :D My instructor, Surcha, said it's the first 10 she's given on a paratha bread before! :D:D:D:D:D:D Maybe all of the sourdough I've been making lately has been helping my bread skills overall :). Should I think about working in a bakery? Huh. Anyways, this is a flat Indian bread similar to Naan I think. It's just brown and white flour mixed with oil and water, then you roll it into a circle, fold it in half, then in half again and re-roll it and cook it in a frying pan. Similar also to a quesadilla really :).
- Thai Red Curry with Beef and Pumpkin: I really really really liked this curry. It has a nice warming heat in the back of your throat that isn't overpowering. I've never made a dish like this before, and DEFINITELY plan on making it at home! You put various ingredients (a bunch of whole cilantro- roots and all, ginger, garlic, curry paste, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, and maybe something else) into a food processor, then cook them on high heat with coconut cream for a bit. Once it reduces a bit, add the beef, cook for 10 minutes or so, then add stock and the coconut water (separated from the cream) and eventually add pumpkin, tamarind paste, and fish sauce. YUMMM :).
- Pearl barley salad with smoked Gubbeen cheese, pomegranate, and apple: this was actually a really delicious salad. I made a dressing with chardonnay vinegar, olive oil, and garlic, which made the flavors come alive. The cheese in this is made by the producers we visited a couple of weeks ago called "Gubbeen Cheese," and is actually smoked during the production, similar to smoked gouda. ^_^. I decided to also halve all of the toasted almonds in the salad, even though it was a bit tedious... I think if I make this at home, I'd substitute another gluten free grain (Quinoa? Rice?) or maybe cauliflower rice? I don't know! It was quite tasty :D
Overall, I think the big thing that tripped me up this morning was trimming the beef. Since I don't work with meats all that much, I always find myself spending a lot more time taking fat and sinews out of meat than I need to. UGH! I need to work on my efficiency in the kitchen, because in real life tardiness is unacceptable! Okay, maybe I'm being too tough on myself, but I do really want to get in the habit of finishing ON TIME.
For dinner, Nan and I went down the road to the Kilmahon House, where Nan and her family have befriended the owners of this bed and breakfast. I met them when I played Bananagrams with Nan and her family during their visit a couple weeks ago. The man and wife are such lovely people! They invited us to have dinner with them tonight, which was so sweet of them! I want to say it's Jeremy and Mary? I'm not sure. Apparently (Mary) was one of the cooks on Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's honeymoon. I'm not even going to get into how ridiculous it seemed like her experience was with them.
Their kitchen was so beautiful!! They have a lot of pottery from Stephen Pearce down the road. (Mary) is also a splendid cook! We had shepherd's pie, steamed broccoli, and a light salad. I also took up their offer of a bit of Merlot, just to see if I could pick out some of the flavors and such. I sort of did I guess hah. She also made some sort of meringue topped with strawberries for dessert ^_^. DELICIOUS!!! :D:D
Sitting down at the table with them made me realize that I haven't had a family meal in such a long time. My dinners here are usually a mishmash of eggs and veggies with Nan, and not formal at all. Other than on Wednesdays when the instructors make our lunch, I've pretty much been making at least something for every meal here! Crazy!
This last picture is of their dog, Tess. (Or Ness? Goodness I can't remember!). She's so sweet! It makes me miss my dogs at home. I hope they're doing okay!
One thing I learned today: I can do various exercises while I'm making sourdough in the evenings! Woohoo! I just need to be creative in what kinds of weights I can find in the kitchen :). Tonight I filled blender jugs with water and did some lunges and squats, and also shoulder exercises. It's a perfect way to fill the space between folding the dough! :D
What a great day :). I can't believe tomorrow's already Friday. Where on earth has this week gone!? Next week is going to be Week 9! Geez!
Love,
Livvy