Some good energy today despite a lack of sleep and day after gym ache ! An 8 a.m. start and as I didn't think my day was going to be too mental I headed over to the bread shed to finally make my sourdough starter ... this I will need to feed pretty much everyday of my life ... ok that's a tad dramatic but the intention is to keep it as long as possible and to make loads of fantastic sourdough loaves ... how that will be balanced with not putting on weight I have no idea but I'm pretty sure science has a pill for all that stuff just around the corner! 😝

A good day in the kitchen today and I left fairly content ... today all in all I made a brown yeast bread (again - foccacia on Friday !), some chocolate oatmeal biscuits, a mango, chilli and coriander chutney and a lemon and saffron risotto! All turned out really well so can't complain! 😎

Today's demo was focusing on pannacotta, fish & chips and seafood ... Some lovely looking dishes by Rory ... the salt and pepper squid ... wow !!! could get addicted to that! 😋

Thai Chicken, Galangal and Coriander Soup
Rosemary Kearney’s Chicken and Coconut LaksaFish Dogs
Salt and Pepper Squid
Lime and Sweet Chilli Sauce
Aioli Fish and Chips
Mushy Peas, Mint
Scampi or Deep-fried Prawns
Real Tartare Sauce
Plaice a L’Orly
Deep-fried Mackerel
Goujons of Monkfish with Harissa and Coriander Mayonnaise
Goujons of Plaice, Sole or Monkfish, Various Sauces
Orly Sauce
Tomato and Avocado Salsa
Fritto Misto di Mare;
Namjim
Crab Cakes with Coriander
Rachel’s Spicy Crab Cakes
Thai Dipping Sauce
Thrice Cooked Chips with Crab Mayonnaise
Panna cotta with Grappa and Raspberries
Green Gooseberry and Elderflower Compote
Rory’s Yoghurt Ice-Cream VVC Green Gooseberry and Elderflower Compote and Burnt Caramel
Elderflower Fritters

After demo I conked out for a bit and then did a bit of preparation for my next batch of kombucha and water kefir, for those of you not familiar with either ... they are traditional fermented drinks rich in beneficial bacteria and food enzymes... and very tasty! My first fermentation is under way for the water kefir and the water is de-clorinating for the kombucha (that's just a fancy name for tap water sitting on a worktop in an open kilner jar!!!) 🤫

I also treated myself to a 8 litre Kilner jar (with a tap, boys and their toys) ... no idea where I will put it on my return to Luxembourg but ... we'll find somewhere for it and it's friends (my collection of jars is growing), someone better make some space on the work top 😝

No cooking tomorrow ... a dynamic vegetarian cooking demo in the morning ... then wine tasting in the afternoon! How Bad?! 😛

Day Fifty One - The beginning of a beautiful relationship ?