25 May 2012

I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but there is no shower in our cottage (gasp!). I have particularly long hair and I can't tell you how delightful it is to wash it under a running tap whilst hanging my head upside-down (this is a particularly nauseating exercise the morning after a pub visit). As if this task could not be more challenging, this morning I had the added pleasure of barely being able to use my right arm after kneading bread and hand-squeezing lemons for homemade lemonade. My right arm was not taking orders from my brain, and as such there has been a patch of shampoo behind my left ear all day. Ugh. 

Today I made Irish stew and buttered cabbage (yes, I have discovered yet more things you can add butter to, and yes, it does make things more delicious). There is nothing interesting to report about either of these dishes - they are as you expect them to be. I did, however, have some spare time as my stew stewed, so I decided to try making something new. Considering I could barely wash my own hair this morning, I am not sure what I was thinking when I chose to make homemade mayonnaise. Let me explain the process - take two egg yolks, add a touch of vinegar and salt and then very slowly pour in 600ml of oil as you whisk furiously. That's right, it involves FURIOUS WHISKING. Let me tell you how I made my mayonnaise - add a little oil, whisk vigorously for 5 seconds, walk away from the bowl, return and whisk left-handed for 5 seconds, take a break, try holding the whisk between different fingers, discover that doesn't make any difference, more left-handed whisking, realise you're actually making audible whimpering noises, give yourself a pep talk, muster all your strength, whisk furiously for 90 seconds, OH MY GOD something is actually happening in this bowl!, excitement wears off, whisk some more, voila - mayonnaise. Next time I will use a food processor. 

Buttered cabbage, the mayonnaise that nearly killed me, Irish stew

Today we were taught to cook: A plate of Irish shellfish with homemade mayonaise, Casserole roast chicken with marjoram, Spatchcock chicken, Verdura mista, Carrot's vichy, Broccoli feta and cherry tomato salad, Carrageen moss pudding (a sweet milky mousse made of Irish seaweed ... sounds vile but tastes great), Irish coffee sauce (tip: whenever you see the word 'Irish' in a recipe, it generally means there is a high whiskey content), Poached apricots with sweet geranium leaves, Green gooseberry and elderflower compote, Gingerbread, Porter cake (traditional Irish cake, contains half a pint of stout), Banana bread, Carrot cake, Coconut and lemon loaf, and Parsnip and maple syrup cake. 

I am aware that Parsnip cake sounds especially horrid, but it was actually the best cake I have tried during this course and I am greatly looking forward to baking it on Monday. But for now, I've had enough of cooking ... The Editor and I are off to the pub for some chips.