It's nine o'clock on a Saturday ... the regular crowd shuffles in ... there's an old man ... There’s not and it's Friday night still ... well almost Saturday ... and I've left it a little late to write the blog (well considering I have to be up in 5 hours ... very late) but I'll give it a go anyway!!!

Reasonable start this morning ...8 a.m. (LVD, TK & AM ... you will understand how mad that sounds for me !!!) but it's become the norm ... after my last post yesterday about waking up naturally at 6.45 a.m. well today nature decided to smack me in the head and woke me at 5:30 ... and of course I couldn't get back to sleep!

Today I was determined to stay busy in the kitchen all morning ... I was making ...

White Soda Bread (I just remembered I had half a loaf in my bag so I am munching on it now!)
Kuku Kadoo (A Persian frittata)
Tomato fondue
Marzipan Apples

It was enough to keep me reasonably busy but not flat out! (I also managed to cook two French omelettes)

This is one of the things that I appreciate about Ballymaloe ... people on the 12 week course with no experience can start cooking straight away but they are effectively working on building blocks that will all be used to make them "cooks" or better cooks over the period of the twelve weeks!

The morning went ok for me ... I was happy enough with what I turned out ... a few silly mistakes like putting my Kuku Kadoo into the oven without flour and spices (quickly corrected) and over wetting my soda bread (pulled back well) but all in all a good end to week two and tasty food. All in all a good week and a good laugh with my partner Fred! (who at this moment is probably destroying Dublin!!! Enjoy!) 😇

Something I probably haven't mentioned too much of so far ... I know people reading this and looking at my instagram / facebook feeds think I am having the time of my life ... and this is one big jolly ... well some of that is true .... I am having the time of my life and I described it to a friend earlier as Disneyland for foodies (I dislike the word foodie but ...) ... however people (especially future students) need to be aware that it's no free ride ... It is a hard slog ... apart from being busy from early hours to 5pm - 5:30pm (then extra curricular activities) there is the filing ... the preparation of work orders ... the filing ... the review of the days recipes and the next days ... the filing ... the practise of techniques outside school hours ... then week 6 exams ... then wine exam ... then week 12 exams ... this is far from a holiday camp! I'm just saying ... don't expect 12 weeks of having a laugh ... you will have that but you'll also have to work ! (hard)

Anyway back to today ... the afternoons session was with Rory O'Connell ... the more I listen to him ... the more I like him ... and the more quotes I get for my eventual Rorys Rambling page ... he is an excellent demonstrator ... so proficient with everything he does ... he's a joy to watch and listen to! Not exactly sure what I am cooking on Tuesday yet ... I'm letting my partner (Charlotte) choose what she wants and I'll do the rest!)

The evening was a trip to the gym and a few cheeky pints in the Goalposts ... where myself and Mark were having a quiet pint until the rabble arrived (the young guns arrived en-masse). Only kidding ... there is a great bunch here all ready willing and able to have a laugh (if not at a slower pace than Dublin humour, they'll get used to it eventually!!!)😂

This weekend is a long weekend, Luxembourg folk ... they have bank holidays on Mondays (how novel!!!) here!!! I am now up in four hours to work at the farmer market ... I am really looking forward to it and chatting to everyone on the stall ... (apparently I like that). 😜

10 weeks to go !!! 🤔

Day Twelve - Week Two ... done !