05 February 2011

stormtrooper in the kitchen

thursday
i've been thinking quite a bit about what makes a day in the kitchen a 'good day' or 'successful day'. i don't necessarily think that it's one that goes without any hiccups or mistakes, but rather when you learn something (or multiple things) you weren't expecting or planning to learn.

there was an aberrant energy in the kitchen thursday morning and it was an overall consensus that everyone's cooking was unsatisfactory. i can't really pinpoint what it was for me, specifically, but i was relieved when we sat down in the dining room at quarter past one with the morning behind us.

i had the opportunity to filet a fish again and while i enjoyed it, i didn't get the same satisfaction as i did in week two. i also made cucumber neopolitana (cooked cucumbers, tomatoes and onions in a cream sauce), boiled potatoes and homemade pasta (which i'm definitely looking forward to making again). my partner made the lemon meringue pie which turned out beautifully. the lemon curd was perfectly thick and tart.

lunch was quiet for the most part, aside from chatter about the unfavorable morning. i suppose we're bound to have a few days where the energy in the kitchen is 'off'.

in the afternoon demo, rory showed us how to section and debone leg and shoulder of lamb. he then made lamb tagine with medjool dates, couscous with dried apricots and pistachios, several citrus salads, an orange jelly (or jell-o, as we know it by in the states), almond and orange florentines (a sweet biscuit), zucchini stir-fry, scallops in buerre blanc sauce and a warm scallop salad.

hazel and i decided to forgo our run because 1) we desperately wanted to try the lamb tagine 2) it was extremely windy and 3) we were completely depleted from the morning.

the evening in the pink cottage was very low-key and everyone shared the relief in the week coming to a close.

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