Week 6; the half-way point of our course (can’t quite believe it really) and our mid term exams.
Exam prep filled most of our spare time this week; omelettes whisked up at any opportunity, fridges were filled of fishes to fillet and chickens to debone and individual salad leaves were inspected and named during lunch.
Friday morning Rory distracted us with a pizza making demonstration, covering all things pizza related. From different types of dough, to sauces, calzones (folded pizza), sgabei (essentially bread sticks), stromboli (filled bread) and Sfinciuni (a speciality from Palermo); he even made a dessert pizza despite admitting he wasn’t a fan of such things:
“Sweet pizza, you can decide if you think this is an abomination or it has a place… personally it’s my idea of hell” – Rory
(Clearly I was a little distracted by the afternoon agenda because I completely forgot to take any photos of the pizza-fest)
Top tips for best pizza from a conventional oven? Turn it up to its maximum temperature and cooking the pizzas on an upside down oven tray. The metal heats up quickly and is the best conductor of heat – meaning you’ll have a crispy base. Plus having it upside down makes it easy to slide the pizzas on and off.
And then it was exam time!
I was due to go into my practical technique exam at 2.10, so went in and did my salad and herb leaf recognition test just beforehand. And then it was into the practical. And it went… ok! Quite well in fact. Before I went in I told myself I was going to just enjoy it – and I’m pretty pleased to say that I did. I had to make scones, an omlette, chop and sweat and onion and make a paper piping bag. And I felt good and relaxed while doing it. And despite all the chicken and fish filleting preparation I didn’t even have to get the filleting knife out! So there you go. Results out next week.
Then it was only to anticipate the arrival that evening of some friends from London, for a weekend of catch ups and celebrations. A glass of wine felt well deserved!
xx
the sweet salt 