Well here we are… The night before the practical exam, I know I sound like a broken record, but what an experience this has been, learning from some of the most talented people around, not only Darina, Rory, and Rachel, but the teachers in the kitchens too.
I am just in from an Indian pop up dinner at Ballymaloe House. Sunil from Ananda in Dublin was here, and cooked up the most incredible feast. As Rachel said, “I have an Indian baby in my belly.” After two beers, and all of those lovely flavours, I am tucked into bed, and looking forward to tomorrow. There were quite a few teachers at the dinner, and they all have the same message, just go for it! It’ll be grand, I know it will be, after tomorrow morning, that’s it for cooking here at Ballymaloe.
This morning was our last demo, Rory took us through a bunch of lovely dishes, the most fantastically retro poached salmon that was delicious, oysters in champagne sauce, roast haunch of venison, steak with red wine sauce, yum, yum. After lunch I headed back to the cottage to do some more filing / indexing, I am now on page twenty-six, only have three sections of the last binder left to do which I will do after my exam.
I’m off to bed now, headed into the kitchen for 8:15 for my 8:30 exam… Today was a good demo for quotes…
“Rhubarb and custard needs no explanation” – Rory
“Don’t serve too much food, it’s just such a turn off.” – Rory
“Remember water, the forgotten ingredient… Often gets you out of a situation.” – Rory talking about hot and cold emulsion sauces
“This is not everyday cooking, this is really serious.” – Rory on his red wine sauce for steak
“If the quantity and consistency is right, you don’t feel like you’re being beaten by a pound of butter.” – Rory on emulsion sauces
“I’m just childish about it to be perfectly honest.” – Rory on caul fat
“Try to be true to the original ingredient.” – Rory
“It’s fine you can have ridiculousness and deliciousness on one plate.” – Rory talking about elaborate presentations for carpaccio of beef
“Don’t put it on because it’s in vogue, but it on because it’s going to taste nice.”
“We want it to taste like there was once an animal involved.” – Rory on slicing carpaccio of beef to thinly
“It’s a question of taste or lack of taste.” – Rory on doilies
“I’ve never counted calories in my life.” – JR in response to a question about how many calories were in the Gateau Marjolaine that he made last night