Today was our first day in the kitchens. Most of us were feeling pretty overwhelmed by the onslaught of information -and very silly in our chef whites- but today was actually quite manageable. But they keep saying it will be very tough and I believe them – our teachers were clearly trying to ease us into it which I very much appreciated.

We made brown soda bread, carrot and coriander soup, mushroom fettuccine, and baked rice pudding with roasted rhubarb. Our teacher did most of the work, explaining everything step by step and gave us little jobs like chopping and peeling vegetables. Although I do want to say that these jobs did not feel so little. Even though I’ve made soup and chopped onions a million times before, doing everything properly in a busy kitchen while being assessed is a lot harder than home cooking!

Chopping skills

Mushrooms a la Jackson Pollock

Cheese board served with lunch, so we can broaden our palettes

Today I learned :

Stock in French is fond which means foundation. In many kitchens the person in charge of making stock is basically the MVP as it has such an impact on all the other food.

Eating green salad after a meal can make you feel less full. I prefer my salad as an appetiser, eating something light after something heavy has always felt a bit like brushing my teeth before  I eat – just totally unnatural. But now I guess I kind of understand. Kind of.

Never buy pre-packed salad leaves. By law they need to be washed in a solution that contains 18 times as much chlorine as a swimming pool.

If you want a marble slab for pastry making but can’t afford one an off-cut of a tombstone will make a great substitute. Well okay!

Food of the day : Mango in lime syrup. Darina made this in the afternoon demo and when I tasted it I felt I had been transported to a tropical paradise. I would have licked my plate clean if not for the room of new acquaintances.

Line of the day : “It’s absolutely cracked to be buying herbs!” Nuff said.

Órfhlaith