Today was a normal enough start, well the new normal! I was in the kitchen for 8 a.m. I didn't think I would have a lot to do today so I tried to include a couple of other things to fill out my time!

Today I was making ...

Almond Tart / Tartlets with Strawberries
Mint Sauce
Rustic Potatoes

I also decided to add in a French omelette again and a brown soda bread.

To be honest I wasn't rushed off my feet so next time (Thursday) I will need to think about trying some additional things on top ...of my workload! 🤔

I was very happy with how they all turned out but still room for improvement!

BTW ... the almond tartlets are fantastic ... I will try do them on my cookbook blog when i finish up here! 👨‍🍳

I was more measured at lunch today ... smaller portions ... after a quick shower and change and then I remembered that my duty for today was ... feeding the hens !!! 😉 So off I went just before the demo and somehow managed to keep myself clean while meeting my new feather friends ... as opposed to the feathered creatures I want to eliminate!!! 😛

This afternoons demonstration was done by Rachel Allen ... there was a seafood delivery at the school so she added a demo on how to cook crab and lobster in addition to the rest of the plan!

Rachel has a very easy nature with the rest of the cooking team and it allows for a very relaxed atmosphere in the entire room!

Today she covered a load of dishes one of which brought me home at little ... I'll let you guess which one from my photos !!! 😝

Just to give you an example how the demo's work ... It's normally presented by Darina, Rory or Rachel with a support team behind them ... Today Richard (one of the teachers) played a more prominent role ... must be because he got a lovely new haircut!! 😜😇🤫

All the demo's have a combination of recipes and within them techniques ...

So today's techniques were ...

How to cook and peel prawns (T)
How to make a cold emulsion sauce – mayonnaise (T)
Introduction to fresh yeast (T)
How to degorge aubergine (T)
How to make fruit salad (wet method) (T)
How to make chutney (T)

The recipes demo'd today ...

Ballycotton Prawns with Homemade Mayonnaise and Watercress or Wood Sorrel (recipe only)
Dublin Bay Prawn Salad with Homemade Mayonnaise or Dill Mayonnaise
Ballycotton Prawns on Brown Bread with Homemade Mayonnaise
Leftovers : Prawn Bisque (T) (made from shells)
Ballymaloe Brown Yeast Bread; Russian Village Bread; Spelt Bread
Greek Moussaka (T)
Shepherd’s Pie with Garlic and Parsley Butter (T)
Baked Potatoes (T)
Spring Fruit Salad with Sweet Geranium Leaves
Summer Fruit Salad with Sweet Geranium Leaves served with Raspberry Sorbet
Spicy Apple Chutney; Tomato and Apple Chutney

There is always a salad included, today's was ...

Salad of the Day: VCD Chickpea and Aubergine Salad

Then there is a focus ... taste of the day ...

Taste of the Day: Prawns; Aubergine

I won't put this detail in everyday but for today it just gives you an idea ...

I had nothing extra curricular planned for this evening so I strolled back to the house under the sunshine (Yes !!! we had some ... for an hour) and I decided to sit outside for a while ... I ended up lying on one of the benches and dozing off for a few minutes ... I think the pace of the last few weeks finally caught up with me! 😴

Tomorrow is a lecture day ... cheese and beef! And I believe a trip to Ballymaloe house to see how it runs! Looking forward to that!

In the evening we have our second wine tasting planned ... really looking forward to that !!! 👹

Day Sixteen - Greek(s) ... can't get away from them !!! 😝