Pasta Party

 You only need three things to make fantastic pasta. #1: a killer recipe, check. #2: a high quality pasta press, check. #3 Three hands... really, you need three hands. One to gently guide the pasta into the machine. One to turn the crank that pushes the pasta through. And one to gently pull the pasta along the table as the machine pushes it out. So class today became more of a team sport than I had originally thought it would. But pasta is a cause worthy of a group effort.  

Butternut Squash Ravioli in a sage butter sauce.

Tagliatelli (sp?) with prawns in a shallot garlic sauce.

Salmon Flower on a rye bread with cucumbers, lemons, and edible flowers.  

Today's dem was Japanese food. It was delicious.  I pigged out on japanese sushi, soup, omelette, and tempura.  Good times.

Two of my fabulous friends, Courtney and Suzy enjoying some tempura shrimp.  They really do make me smile.

Preston headed off to school, being teased by Calvin.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

What a lovely evening, made possible by our friends, the Stephensen's, popping in with some sticky toffee pudding, and double cream as well!  It was my first taste of this classic British dessert, and I get what all the fuss is about.  It's rich and delicious and lick the bowl/plate good.  Even better, whilst we ate, Owen painted Silvia's nails.  I feel very blessed to know such wonderful people. It was a purchased delicacy, so I still need to figure out the recipe.  But I pledge that I will not set foot on American soil unless I know how to whip up a batch of this tasty treat.

An image of what sticky pudding looks like.  Served warm and sticky.  Now pour some whipped cream (that hasn't been whipped) on top and you have a dessert worthy of the type two diabetes that regular consumption would cause.

Consomme Colbert.  Yes, that is a poached egg in the middle of the soup.  The broth, not the egg, is the tricky part to consomme. Not to brag, but my broth was crystal clear, like fresh spring water found on the tallest mountain, on an early spring morning, just as the sun peeks out over the horizon.  That clear. 10 points for my Consomme.

Melba toast. Easy to make and crazy good. Maybe I was just hungry, but it was crazy good. Ryan's paternal grandmother is named Melba, and I thought of her zesty personality whilst I made these today.  

Pictured below the toast is Jerusalem Artichoke, sauteed with garlic, cooked with some vinegar and... it was rubbish.  Never making that again, at least not by choice.

Still don't know why these are called Hazelnut White Chocolate "Biscuits" and not just cookies.  These are cookies, and delightful ones at that. Toasted hazelnuts, white chocolate, and loads of butter.  I enjoyed large portions of the dough and the finished product.  

Ice Creams and Sorbet

Today we enjoyed sampling chocolate sorbet, mango and passion fruit sorbet, white chocolate raspberry ice cream, peanut ice cream and  praline banana parfait, pictured below in the chocolate coated rings. We also tried butternut squash ice cream which reminded me of pumpkin.  The clear winner was the peanut ice cream. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. 

A Stolen Apple

I'm into week five of cookery school. I know where all the pots and pans are.  I know where the dressing room is.  I know which bus I need to catch and where I need to get off.  I know which instructors are more lenient in judging my dishes.  What I don't know is who pinched my apple today. When we show up in the kitchen we spend the next 30-45 minutes getting all of the ingredients for the dishes we will be preparing that morning.  Today we made 5 dishes, all with tons of ingredients.  It requires organization, time, and tubs (containers with lids.) I know for an absolute fact that I had an apple that was intended to go into some raspberry muffins we were making.  I had even cut the apple in half (we only needed half for the recipe, and I had passed along the other portion.) An hour later, when it was time to use said apple half, it was gone.  There is no great conclusion to my tale of woe or mystery solved.  The apple was never found. After some searching another apple was located, and I lost 5 minutes due to the "apple theft incident," which means that I plated up 5 minutes late. I didn't lose any points, but it was frustrating none the less.  I am chipper and kind and silly, but not an especially speedy chef.  Stolen ingredients doesn't help with my slow-in-the-kitchen condition.

My Mom wanted a picture of me in the kitchen.  Here it is!  The hat is silliness and won't stay on my head.

Not related, poor Calvin was home sick today with a wicked cold. We had the missionary's and an investigator/ new friend over for dinner and FHE; hamburgers with all the fixins (including bacon!) She brought Chocolate cake, which was to die for.

Princess and the Frog

 Annie and Owen have discovered the power of live theatre.  Specifically the power of live theatre on Sunday night when we don't watch anything but church videos, and try to have a low key evening to help us keep the Sabbath day holy.  Calvin and SImon provided the costume change entertainment, which began as telling jokes, and ended as a wrestling match.   The truth is Ryan and I simply love to watch their plays and performances.  The songs performed are often made up on the spot and don't make much sense, but they are performed with such gusto and passion that we can not resist.  Someday they will be all grown up, and won't willingly launch into a one hour musical performance, let alone a one hour conversation.  These are the memories I want to hold in my heart forever.  

Annie and the frog prince Owen.

A little half time fun, in honor of the Super Bowl, which we never watch, as it falls on the Sabbath.

The end of the play.  Annie got her restaurant and the Prince became a man again.  Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you, if you're young at heart...

Dalkeith Country Estate

As today was lovely and sunny, and about 45 degrees fahrenheit, we knew we had to go on a wee adventure. We chose Dalkeith Country Estate as our destination, where their website boasted a crazy big fun play area for the kids, and a farm with piglets, cows, horses and ducks.  When we got there we discovered that the play area is actually closed during the winter, and we couldn't locate any piglets. We did, however, have a wonderful time wandering around the 500 acre property, petting random dogs, soaking up the sun and breathing in the fresh air. Ay, twas time well spent.

The kids playing on a structure that they shouldn't have been on.

A look at the playground that's closed for the winter.

Front entry sign.

Annie is such a poser!

I like this shot because Calvin almost looks photo shopped into the picture, but he wasn't.

Kids and cows.

Creative Friday

On Fridays at school we are supposed to create a dish, either form a list of ingredients that we are handed the night before, or just on the spot.  We were told that we needed to include mussels.  Ryan has big muscles, but that (and a bouillabaisse hat I made a few weeks back) comprises my entire experience with this ingredient.  I really like to get creative in the kitchen, but I am not a fan of my experiments being judged.  This is just an example that illustrates one of the many ways that cookery school is forcing me to pray, grow, press forward with faith, and learn by trial and error... or trial and success, as was the case today! 4 weeks down!, only 8 more to go!

I decided to whip up some black pepper pasta (the school has a lovely pasta press.) I steamed the mussels in a leek, shallot and thyme sauce. What I love about having a morning of cooking* is that once the dishes are tasted, my creations become my lunch. 

*We have a mix of classes and demonstrations throughout the day.  A few days ago we had a dem on boning a chicken, and we will be doing that for some recipes next week.

This is the focaccia that went with the mussels.  The recipe was specific on this one, so no herbs or olives that would have gone nicely in it. I hope that I haven't gained a stone by the time this cookery school comes to an end!