First Blood!

Its taken 10 days to do myself an injury, which i think is rather good considering the amount of danger that lurks in the kitchens in Ballymaloe. What should you do if you drop an extremely sharp knife? The answer is definitely not to try and catch it, this became apparent as the razor sharp edge got stuck in my finger! However panic not, it is only a small cut that required a plaster and a casual "get on with it" from my teacher!
The last two days have been really tiring, my 7am walks around the luscious gardens are continuing unabated but there are times when staying in bed seems a better idea, however once you walk around this idyllic place in the mornings before the mayhem begins, you cant think of a better place to be.
Yesterday was a theory day (every Wednesday will be the same) and we learnt a million and one things to do with milk. It started with the still warm milk being put through a separator to extract the cream and then we watched in amazement as butter, paneer (Indian cheese), a hard cheese (ready for eating in 3 months) and ricotta were all made in a short space of time. Then it was time for a well deserved lunch with the usual fine array of delicacies.
The afternoon was spent with Colm McCann, the award winning sommelier from Ballymaloe, where my limited knowledge of wine received a welcome boost, we focused on Riesling and Chardonnay with a particular focus on Chablis, we then tasted 6 different wines and learnt how to do it properly. To be fair there was a certain amount of deja vu for me as I have completed a wine course as part of my degree, however I retained virtually nothing so here's hoping that Colm will make the knowledge stick!
Today we were back to the kitchens and creme caramel with caramel sauce and caramel shards, I also cooked a spicy chicken dish. I have attached photos however the creme caramel looked so good I forgot to take pictures until we had tucked into it after "presenting" it to the teacher.
This afternoon we learnt how to fillet a round fish and tomorrow I will be filleting a cod then cooking it with creamy sauce!
Other than that, man flu seems to be abating and I hope to be in fine form to try and catch some of the Ryder Cup this weekend!
Speak Soon
T

Is it getting easier?

Well its now Tuesday evening and we are back at Mrs Walsh's cottage (where we live) digesting another frantic day in the kitchens. Things seem to be moving along quite quickly now and we have progressed quite a lot in a short space of time, the nickname for this course is cookery boot camp and it is certainly living up to its name.
Monday was a 12 hour marathon that included Dill and Gruyere quiche, brown soda bread and radish, cucumber and feta salad.
In the afternoon, Rory O'Connell (Fantastic chef) taught us how to joint a chicken, given that free range chickens can be up to 5 times more expensive, it was important to see exactly how to get all the meat off the chicken. We also learnt some amazing dishes that I will get on to later. The evening was spent with a gentleman from the St Emilion region of Bordeaux where we tried 6 different wines and learnt a little bit about the different grapes and areas surrounding Bordeaux. We got back to the house about 8ish and i was tucked up by 9pm!!
Today I jointed a free range chicken, made chicken breast with a creamy fake chanterelle and ginger sauce, white soda bread, boiled Irish potatoes (boiled in sea water) and I prepped some spicy drumsticks (cayenne pepper, turmeric, cumin, paprika, sugar, garlic, lemon juice, freshly ground pepper and salt) for cooking tomorrow. Lunch was fantastic again and this time we got to have some meat and no quiche in sight!!
We also had some chicken wings that were amazing. The gist is that you push all the meat down to the end and turn them inside out, roast them in sweet chili sauce then add a bit of soy sauce and sprinkle sesame seeds on them and cook for another few minutes! Awesome!!
The flat is still going well, although I am still the only male in the house, our new flatmate, Margie has settled in well and it feels like we have been here for a lot longer than 10 days. Living with 5 girls is interesting and it is fair to say that an occasional pint with the lads would be good, however they are all amazing in their own way and i wouldn't change it.
So another day is done, I am still enjoying it and my back is just about holding up, will update you later in the week, tomorrow is a theory day so a break from the kitchen will be good!
T
P.S The photos are from the last two demos that we have done.

First weekend

Well its now Sunday afternoon, there is a roast in the oven (courtesy of Charlie) and the girls are away to the beach for a walk. I am chilling in front of the Grand Prix and awaiting the slow roasted pork joint and fresh garden veg and herbs. The weekend has been a welcome break from the manic week we have just had. So today I will update you on what we did on Friday and Saturday.
Friday had the usual start with a 6.45am walk around the gardens with Lucy, Charlotte has attempted to join us on a number of occasions, however she has yet to make it out of her bed at a suitable time!! The usual frenetic activity continued  with everyone in the kitchen early trying to get their ingredients together and get a quick start to the day, I was on bread and lemonade duty so it added a few extra tasks to my day. I also made fresh raspberry jam and penne pasta with mushrooms and marjoram. I must admit that I had never heard of the herb marjoram, but it was absolutely delicious and worked out really well. I did however, get more grief for my seasoning which is really tough to get right but I guess that it would be pointless if they told you everything was great. My teacher last week was Rosie, who is an absolute gem and really good craic in the kitchen, it has taken me a week to understand her Cork accent though and now I will have a new teacher next week.
Lunch was amazing as we got to try the other pasta which was made (tomato, rosemary and chorizo), fresh green salad and a selection of amazing desserts (chocolate and hazelnut tart, and a rustic summer fruit tart).
The afternoon demonstration was excellent and featured one of my favourite topics, ice cream!! A raspberry ice cream was made along with a Gruyere and dill tart, a variety of salads, how to kill and make a dressed crab, crab and coriander tart and fresh fruit Popsicles!
After such a heavy week, we felt a few pints was in order, so we headed out to the Black Bird pub in Ballycotten for few hours, great craic was had and we eased ourselves home at 1am slightly worse for wear.
Saturday started a little later than normal, I took a nice walk down to the beach to ease the back and then we made plans to attend the farmers market in Middleton, it was great fun and we picked up a few treats to cook later on.
We had a quiet one on Saturday night, as we cooked quiche and the chorizo pasta for dinner. An unexpected call from Darina had me down in the manor home, meeting some of the family and having a glass of wine, it was really nice to meet them properly as I have seen them about the school but have been far to busy to stop and chat!
So that's it for now, Charlie has done an amazing job with lunch and we are looking forward to chilling out, meeting our new flatmate and getting some rest before the madness starts again tomorrow.
Man flu has also arrived so will be hitting the hay early to try and beat it before it takes hold, should make the tasting a bit harder!!
Will update you all later in week!
T

Days 2,3 & 4

Wow, I thought I was tired after day 1!! This has been the most hectic but brilliant week I have had in a long time. We have now had 1 welcome day, 2 days in the kitchen and 1 demo day and it has been fantastic throughout. I have attached some photos of the culinary delights myself and my partner (we are teamed up each week and have to cook 3 or 4 dishes each day) have created. We had our first assessment and it seemed to go well, although seasoning my quiche let me down a bit! However I am now competent in brown soda bread, shortcrust pastry (well maybe not that competent), quiche Lorraine and fork biscuits. We are also getting used to our "duties". Everyday you are tasked with completing certain tasks for the general good, this could be a simple as helping serve and clear the restaurant or more exotic like feeding the hens or gardening duty! Lots of fun and also teaches you a few extra skills that may or may not come in handy.
Yesterday we had a talk from an amazing local businessman, Peter Ward, not only did he give an impassioned speech about the benefits of sourcing locally and having a strong local following for your product, he brought in a whole Parmesan wheel that weighed 90lbs and was worth 1200 euro, it was absolutely delicious and was so different from that muck you get in Tesco.
I must admit, I was a bit skeptical about the whole food movement and approach that Ballymaloe takes with regard to its produce however I am happy to report that I will never shop in the same manner again. Well done Darina Allen, one more convert to the cause!
On a personal note, I went for another MRI scan today and the news ain't good, the prolapse has got worse and is only being held on by a thin strip of ligament, the short story is that I am to do nothing too strenuous and hope to god it dehydrates enough to stop crushing the nerves! Anyhoo, we shall see what happens, hopefully I will be able to complete the course and deal with the back issues later.
Hope you are enjoying this blog and I will keep you all updated over the weekend.

T

Day one

I think we are all suffering from information overload! The day started with an early morning walk around the grounds whilst everyone was sleeping, I have to say that the grounds around the school are beautiful. Set in 100 acres of organic farm, the gardens and grounds are amazing.
We converged on the school for a welcome breakfast at 8.30am, followed by a welcome by Darina and a tour of the gardens. Having spent time listening to the million and one herbs and plants I have to learn, I have now approached panic stations, thankfully the fridge in the house has a photocopied list of key herbs which will need studying for the test in week 6!
We then planted our own spring onion seeds so we can appreciate the effort required to grow produce. Each one has our name on it so we can check back and see the progress.
Lunch was a typical extravaganza which started with Tomato and Basil soup followed by a smorgasbord of smoked mackerel and eel, pickled cucumber, tomato and basil salad, egg mayonnaise, prawns, chicken liver pate and a smoked mussel, this was finished with a strawberry and raspberry pavlova, vanilla ice cream and a blueberry compote! None of it was made by us, although I am assured this will be possible after the next 12 weeks.
The afternoon was spent in the demo kitchen where tomorrows recipes were demonstrated by Darina. The afternoon finished with a list of dos and donts and a number of sing up sheets for the various things we can get involved in, for me milking the cows is a must along with the chance to work in an artisan bakery for a night!
Well we are all back in the house now, really tired but looking forward to the next day and the first day of real cooking, must go and iron my whites!!
Peace
T

Last day in Belfast

I am now officially excited! Tomorrow marks a great change in my life and I am finally really looking forward to it. I was up early to walk the dog, had lunch with some friends at the Dirty Duck in Holywood and have finally packed all my things ready for the drive to Cork.
I have joined the Ballymaloe group on facebook and there seems to be loads of young people so I should fit right in!!! I can hear you all giggling now.
So bags are packed, chefs clothing is in the car and I am ready for the East Cork part of my Eastern Adventure, god knows I better be a whiz in the kitchen before the end of this course or there will be plenty of upset people who I have promised some culinary delights!!
I will update you next week and let you know if I have burnt or cut myself or perhaps both.
Peace
T

baby Steps

Well, that is it, I have taken the plunge! Reality has definitely not kicked in yet, I am back in Belfast for a few days and i decided to start a Blog!! Not something that comes very easily to me, not because I don't like sharing my thoughts, more because I am totally technophobic and changing a scart cable is tough enough. However it seems interesting and fairly easy, so we will see what happens. The intention is to keep you updated about Ballymaloe, maybe even post some good recipes, tell you all about how things are going and then keep you updated on events in China. I am sure that there will be many speed bumps along the way to keep the reader amused, so i hope you enjoy it!
T