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TDGaMA Part 1
We've had a week's break from school, but are back with our noses to the pepper grinder now in what is rather haughtily called the Second Semester. From what we've been told today, it will be quite different to the First, which was concerned with basic techniques across the (chopping) board. This semester is the serious stuff, the stuff that counts towards our diploma, and it includes such things as a business course (which starts this week); more Wines & Spirits certification; a food writing course (restaurant reviews, that sort of thing); putting together a personal portfolio of dishes, all of which must be cooked, photographed and presented in a binder (the photos, not the food); and the final diploma lunch, at least 5 courses, served to at least 8 friends and family. I could see the colour draining out of many people's faces as Lizzie went through the details.
But today we got back into the swing of things by refreshing our knife skills, and repeating the basic recipes which "you should all know without looking at your recipe books by now" according to Lizzie, who was in a foul mood all day. Anyway, I managed two kinds of bread rolls, sweet pastry, savoury pastry, white sauce, and even meringues without breaking sweat. Why meringues are considered a "basic recipe" I have no idea, but fortunately they only have 2 ingredients and so this is not a huge problem.
The secret to meringues, I have discovered, is not to give a monkey's about them. Just whip them up until they look something like, mix the sugar in until it kind of dissolves, put the oven on... oh... low-ish, bung them in and forget about them until lunch is ready. Perfect. I have decided this is probably the answer to all life's problems.
The thing is, the week off has given me time to reflect and consolidate what I have learned through the simple process of letting it roll around inside my head for a while until my brain decides there is nothing to worry about and everything sort of settles somewhere comfortable. Topped off by cooking what turned out to be a fairly decent meal last Friday night for friends Annabelle and Stuart, as well as the family. This was made all the more successful by a) baking some very fine buttermilk and caraway seed rolls to go with it and b) concluding I had not actually poisoned Margaret who fell ill the next day (but nobody else did). So with those confidence boosts, I have returned to the school with a much more upbeat approach and relaxed attitude. So ends the "First Semester Report".
TDGaMA Part 2
There was a bit of catching up to do on our return to school. James appeared to be still recovering from the hangover he got the Thursday before breaking up. Graham ("Hunter")'s broken wrist was still a major topic of conversation... for him. We had a new starter in Morag, who did her first 3 months last year, but had to drop out unexpectedly at that point. Boston Kate had been to Spain, been ill, and spent most of the time sleeping on the floor because of a bad back. And Alex, yes Alex, has been given 48 hours to come up with a reason not to be deported.
We all sometimes wonder how Alex has got this far in life. It turns out that he came to the UK from Malaysia on a 3 month tourist visa, and never bothered to tell the authorities he was on a course. So even while he was negotiating with the school to extend to do the final 3 months of the course (which we all told him he shouldn't do because it would be too difficult for him), and trying to raise the money to do it from a Malaysian bank, it never dawned on him he should apply for a new visa. Apparently he was stopped at Glasgow airport on his way to Poland last week... woah, stop. This is a guy who has no money, and when asked what he was going to do during the break told us he wanted to see more of England. So... he was on his way to Poland, with an expired visa, and he got hauled up and told he had 48 hours to come up with a good reason he should be allowed back into the country. Even at this point he didn't tell them he was on a course! Oh, Alex.
Alex brought each of us a little present of a keyring from Poland. "Something for you to remember me by. You might not see me again very soon," he said to me earnestly, punching me playfully in the ribs. On Wednesday we shall know.
We've had a week's break from school, but are back with our noses to the pepper grinder now in what is rather haughtily called the Second Semester. From what we've been told today, it will be quite different to the First, which was concerned with basic techniques across the (chopping) board. This semester is the serious stuff, the stuff that counts towards our diploma, and it includes such things as a business course (which starts this week); more Wines & Spirits certification; a food writing course (restaurant reviews, that sort of thing); putting together a personal portfolio of dishes, all of which must be cooked, photographed and presented in a binder (the photos, not the food); and the final diploma lunch, at least 5 courses, served to at least 8 friends and family. I could see the colour draining out of many people's faces as Lizzie went through the details.
But today we got back into the swing of things by refreshing our knife skills, and repeating the basic recipes which "you should all know without looking at your recipe books by now" according to Lizzie, who was in a foul mood all day. Anyway, I managed two kinds of bread rolls, sweet pastry, savoury pastry, white sauce, and even meringues without breaking sweat. Why meringues are considered a "basic recipe" I have no idea, but fortunately they only have 2 ingredients and so this is not a huge problem.
The secret to meringues, I have discovered, is not to give a monkey's about them. Just whip them up until they look something like, mix the sugar in until it kind of dissolves, put the oven on... oh... low-ish, bung them in and forget about them until lunch is ready. Perfect. I have decided this is probably the answer to all life's problems.
The thing is, the week off has given me time to reflect and consolidate what I have learned through the simple process of letting it roll around inside my head for a while until my brain decides there is nothing to worry about and everything sort of settles somewhere comfortable. Topped off by cooking what turned out to be a fairly decent meal last Friday night for friends Annabelle and Stuart, as well as the family. This was made all the more successful by a) baking some very fine buttermilk and caraway seed rolls to go with it and b) concluding I had not actually poisoned Margaret who fell ill the next day (but nobody else did). So with those confidence boosts, I have returned to the school with a much more upbeat approach and relaxed attitude. So ends the "First Semester Report".
TDGaMA Part 2
There was a bit of catching up to do on our return to school. James appeared to be still recovering from the hangover he got the Thursday before breaking up. Graham ("Hunter")'s broken wrist was still a major topic of conversation... for him. We had a new starter in Morag, who did her first 3 months last year, but had to drop out unexpectedly at that point. Boston Kate had been to Spain, been ill, and spent most of the time sleeping on the floor because of a bad back. And Alex, yes Alex, has been given 48 hours to come up with a reason not to be deported.
We all sometimes wonder how Alex has got this far in life. It turns out that he came to the UK from Malaysia on a 3 month tourist visa, and never bothered to tell the authorities he was on a course. So even while he was negotiating with the school to extend to do the final 3 months of the course (which we all told him he shouldn't do because it would be too difficult for him), and trying to raise the money to do it from a Malaysian bank, it never dawned on him he should apply for a new visa. Apparently he was stopped at Glasgow airport on his way to Poland last week... woah, stop. This is a guy who has no money, and when asked what he was going to do during the break told us he wanted to see more of England. So... he was on his way to Poland, with an expired visa, and he got hauled up and told he had 48 hours to come up with a good reason he should be allowed back into the country. Even at this point he didn't tell them he was on a course! Oh, Alex.
Alex brought each of us a little present of a keyring from Poland. "Something for you to remember me by. You might not see me again very soon," he said to me earnestly, punching me playfully in the ribs. On Wednesday we shall know.
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