Full On

Ballymaloe Week 4

I'm terrible at keeping track of time. Sometimes, this is a good thing, Turns out the Ballymaloe House 5k is February 7th, so I have an extra week of training. Running has always been a personal escape for me, something that I can do on my own time just to be alone and clear my head. I've never liked organized races, and I don't like bringing competition into my r&r. What I'm getting at, really, is that my training regime has been pretty half-assed. Speed work has proven hard for me; I'd much rather add a mile than shave a minute, but come next Sunday I know I'll be happy to have run.

I met with Darina after school one day this week. She encourages students to set up meetings with her to discuss life after Ballymaloe, and is happy to provide ideas and contacts, having impressive amounts of both. I'm still a little uncomfortable trying to plan out what I'll do next; I'd rather focus on the course than let it all fly by while I stress about what I'll be doing six months from now. There's a definite balance, though, since eventually I'll have to do something. 

If the course were to end today, first I'd be pretty bummed, but then I'd probably go home and make bread. Darina understandably knows a whole lot more about Ireland and the UK, but she's suggested reaching out to Chad Robertson of Tartine bakery in San Fransisco, who has apparently visited Ballymaloe himself. Tartine is kind of a special place to me, even though I've never been. My home sourdoughs are all made using the Tartine method, and it's given me results that make me genuinely happy. I still have no idea what's to come, but at least I know there's something out there that I really enjoy doing, and that's a start.

In the kitchens, this has been my favorite week, if for very selfish reasons. I'm in a new kitchen this week, my favorite so far. I've moved on from the 6 person demo kitchen into the 20 person kitchen 3. There's a lot more energy and a lot more happening in the mornings in Three than there is in Demo, but it's not quite as frantic as the kitchens were the first two weeks here. Maybe it's because all of us students are becoming a little more comfortable and a little more confident, but I've really enjoyed myself the past few days. It also helps that my partner for the week, Melanie, was out on Thursday and Friday. As nice as it is having a bigger group of cooks around you in the morning, it's just as nice having a full station, and all the space and equipment that comes with it, all to yourself.

Every night after demo, you and your partner get assigned your menu for the next morning's cooking from a list of the demo'd dishes. This is usually something like a starter, main, vegetable side, dessert, and something extra (either another side, starter, dessert, or a bread). You and your partner split this work up between yourselves, and end up making two or three dishes in the morning. No partner meant I had free reign over what I wanted to cook from the menu assigned to my section. In a combination of hubris and naivete, I chose to do everything. And make bread each morning. I'm glad I took on the work I did as I've learned a lot in a few short days, but unsurprisingly, I haven't done anything brilliant. I managed to plate up on time at noon on Thursday, but I started the morning early at 7:30. Friday I was plating at around 12:30 and didn't get out of the kitchen until past 1:00, after an 8:00 AM start. While I was happy with the quantity of work I got done, quality eludes me. There are little details in all my plates that continue to make me want to do better; bread that's slightly under proved, soups that have veg not finely enough diced, caramelized onions not quite taken dark enough. Doing everything isn't an excuse for doing everything poorly, and I need to dial in my focus in the weeks to come and get my details sorted out. This is what I came here to do, and I'm still excited to get into the kitchen day after day.

Menu rundown:

• Parsnip and Fennel Soup
• Sticky Toffee Pudding, Toffee Sauce
• Mushroom A La Creme
• Herb Frittata
• Marzipan Baked Apples
• French Omelettes
• French Peasant Soup
• Roast Stuffed Chicken
• Turnips with Caramelized Onion
• Roast Potatoes
• Sponge Cake with Kumquat Compote
• Laksa
• Chilaquiles
• Coffee Cake
• White Yeast Bread

Every day.

Baby's first 5 plait.

Thursday.

Friday - cake day!

All's well outside the kitchens. Our cheese has had it's week of daily turnings, now it just needs to be turned once or twice a week to help it keep its shape. I turned it this morning and it looks moldy in the best possible way.

Green mold is good mold.

Sourdough this weekend is an oat porridge loaf I've been working on for quite a while. It's a hard dough to work with, but the final texture and flavor is great. This is probably my best version of the loaf yet, my starter continues to impress with its liveliness.