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I keep saying to myself:- this is my life now, I need to concentrate and learn and work hard... but it's difficult to take it all seriously, because its so different to what I'm used to being my "job", in other words my primary work focus. It will be hard, I know, and there will be traumas and stresses and fallouts and long nights, but at the end of it all I'm going to be cooking for a living! How good is that!
There was a surprisingly mixed bunch of students getting to know each other at the school today. 12 of us in all. Contrary to yesterday's reports, one American, a Malaysian, a guy from Czech Republic, and the rest mainly English and Scottish. 6 girls and 6 guys. Ages from late teens to... well, OK, I'm probably (definitely, Frank) the oldest. But a good mix. Many people who have, like me, packed in whatever they were doing because they decided they just want to cook. Fantastic.
We met our chefs, and the new school manager. Herve (pronounced Her-vey, probably has an acute accent but I don't know how to do one), is our French chef who will be with us 3 days a week. He told us he originally moved to the UK to "improve ze Onglish". He lives in Pibbles and once cooked at St. Ondrews, we learned. He impressed us all by burning his nose whilst showing us how to smell the soup. Lizzie is the other main tutor, and the lady who has put the course together. Seems incredibly comprehensive, and varied. This Thursday and Friday we have two initial exams: food hygiene and First Aid (the last time I did a First Aid course within two weeks I was dealing with a colleague having a massive epileptic fit - thanks Alan). Between now and then we spend 2 days doing breadmaking. Iain is the new school manager, just getting his head round everything, as was everyone as it was the first day back after the two week Christmas break. Absolutely freezing in the building, but I'm sure things will warm up very quickly.
We were introduced to our chef's clothes, and our knife set. The clothing appears to consist of a variety of ex-clown's items: baggy trousers, silly hat, and of course the outsize shoes. My fingers started spontaneously bleeding before I'd even opened the knife set (they didn't really). Herve says he prefers ze Japanese knives, but ours are Sabatier.
Herve showed us how to make bread, which we ate, along with his excellent tomato soup, for lunch. Very simple, very tasty.
Got to know my housemate Clarissa a little better over tea. She made the mistake of asking me which sport I liked best. Anyway, I learned a few things about football I hadn't previously known. Apparently Bradford and Leeds aren't allowed to play each other, at all, and Liverpool recently beat Newcastle 22-0.
IMPROMPTU CALZONEThere was a surprisingly mixed bunch of students getting to know each other at the school today. 12 of us in all. Contrary to yesterday's reports, one American, a Malaysian, a guy from Czech Republic, and the rest mainly English and Scottish. 6 girls and 6 guys. Ages from late teens to... well, OK, I'm probably (definitely, Frank) the oldest. But a good mix. Many people who have, like me, packed in whatever they were doing because they decided they just want to cook. Fantastic.
We met our chefs, and the new school manager. Herve (pronounced Her-vey, probably has an acute accent but I don't know how to do one), is our French chef who will be with us 3 days a week. He told us he originally moved to the UK to "improve ze Onglish". He lives in Pibbles and once cooked at St. Ondrews, we learned. He impressed us all by burning his nose whilst showing us how to smell the soup. Lizzie is the other main tutor, and the lady who has put the course together. Seems incredibly comprehensive, and varied. This Thursday and Friday we have two initial exams: food hygiene and First Aid (the last time I did a First Aid course within two weeks I was dealing with a colleague having a massive epileptic fit - thanks Alan). Between now and then we spend 2 days doing breadmaking. Iain is the new school manager, just getting his head round everything, as was everyone as it was the first day back after the two week Christmas break. Absolutely freezing in the building, but I'm sure things will warm up very quickly.
We were introduced to our chef's clothes, and our knife set. The clothing appears to consist of a variety of ex-clown's items: baggy trousers, silly hat, and of course the outsize shoes. My fingers started spontaneously bleeding before I'd even opened the knife set (they didn't really). Herve says he prefers ze Japanese knives, but ours are Sabatier.
Herve showed us how to make bread, which we ate, along with his excellent tomato soup, for lunch. Very simple, very tasty.
Got to know my housemate Clarissa a little better over tea. She made the mistake of asking me which sport I liked best. Anyway, I learned a few things about football I hadn't previously known. Apparently Bradford and Leeds aren't allowed to play each other, at all, and Liverpool recently beat Newcastle 22-0.
(today's tea)
1 Sainsbury's frozen pizza
1. Unwrap pizza
2. Look for oven, fail to find one
3. Stare at pizza for a few minutes, until sufficiently hungry
4. Oil a large frying pan, cut edges off pizza until fits
5. Cook over a medium heat until smoke seeps from bottom of pizza
6. Fold over pizza, reduce heat until health and safety give the all clear
Serve with a nice salad, preferably a couple of days old and out of a bag.
Love the blog Frank. Grreat to see how much you are enjoying your new life already!
ReplyDeleteI am a bit worried about mention of two ready meals already - or does the pizza lesson not come until week 2?!
22-0! Don't bother coming home dad!
ReplyDeleteThere's a book in this, Frank! Or did you already have that in mind.
ReplyDeleteAnd... fried pizza, eh? Good to see you're going native already. I hear you can get deep fried pizza, in batter, in some Scottish chippies. Well worth a try.
ReplyDelete