Last Two Weeks

I know you all must be tired of looking at whoopie pies so i'm finally updating. Sorry for the long pause there is much now to catch you up on.

Granary Loaf

For the past couple of weeks I've been working on perfecting my bread making techniques. I've made white and brown yeast breads, white and brown soda breads, Italian, Indian breads and my favorite granary loaf. For our exam we draw a bread from a hat and have to make it. I hope i get a soda bread or anything but the white yeast bread. :) It tastes lovely but it takes all morning to make and when i have a full 3 course meal to make i have no minutes to spare.



I've decided on my final exam three course menu. I will be preparing a feast for a Ladies Night.

Starter:
Spiced Pumpkin Soup

Main Course:
Pork with Gentle Spices
Orzo with Herbs
Roasted Winter Root Vegetables

Dessert:
Chocolate Profiteroles with pastry cream filling

Cheese and herb Souffle

I have my hands full, but i think i'll be able to pull it off. I have three hours next week to make all these dishes perfectly and present them to a series of judges who will mark my creations. I'm excited but i'm sure on the day i'm going to freak out.

Other things i've been making have been souffles, pan fried salmon with spices, croissants, poached pairs, lamb curry, hamburgers, lots of bread and a delicious French onion soup which is one of the easiest things to make. I sliced 3lbs of onions and dropped them in a saucepan with a little butter and let them cook for about an hour.... almost till they burnt, then added stock and seasoned it.....amazing and easy!

On another topic.... snow has fallen on Ballymaloe. Its officially COLD! I've been spending quite a bit of time in other counties on the weekends and it's been great seeing a bit of Ireland I normally wouldn't have seen. This weekend I was in Limerick and last weekend I was in Wexford. My little Yaris is piling on the miles.

My Snowy Yaris 

Tomorrow i'll be making roast lamb with potatoes. Wednesday December 1st we are having a Christmas demo. Everything from mince pies to the goose will be demoed. I'm really really excited about that. Two weeks left of Ballymaloe.... has it really all come down to two weeks? I made risotto this weekend and it was horrible! I forgot to wash the gains before cooking them and it was so horribly starchy when i finished cooking them. I watched 10 weeks of cookery school go down the drain :) I must redeem myself!

Heres to the next two weeks!!