8 June 2012

This morning we had a pizza demonstration where we learned: Classic pizza dough, Olive oil bread, Focaccia, Potato and rosemary focaccia, Focaccia with roasted red onions gruyere and thyme leaves, Roasted tomato pizza sauce, Pizza margherita, Pizza with slow roasted pork thyme and aioli, Pizza with roasted peppers olives and gremolata. Pizza bianca, Pizza with caramelized onions blue cheese and rosemary, Broad bean blue cheese parsley and lemon pizza. Pizza fritta (essentially 2 pizzas stuck together to make a pie, then deep fried ... I cannot go on like this), Breakfast pizza with smoked salmon and cream cheese (there is no reason why this can't be consumed for lunch or dinner too), Sfinciuni (pizza pie from Palermo), Calzone, Garlic and Mozzarella strombolli (essentially a savoury swiss roll), Piadina Romagnola, Mediterranean pizza with chargrilled vegetables, Nettle and ricotta pizza, Carta Musica (flatbread), Panzerotte (bite-sized fried dough), Sgabei (breadsticks), and Pizza with bananas and butterscotch sauce. 

Lunch was ... you guessed it .. pizza. I couldn't eat much because I was starting to get butterflies about the exams. I munched a few bites of margherita and then read through my exam notes one last time. The herb and salad leaf recognition exam was first. We had 15 minutes to identify 10 herbs and 10 salad leaves, and write down two recipes for each of the herbs (Think Masterchef Australia without the emotional blackmail and incessant ad breaks). We then had to put together a food processor (pretty sure I could do this blindfolded, although perhaps not wise if there's a range of attachments), present and pour a glass of wine (but sadly not taste it) and lay a table setting (I generally just set a large spoon, but I am aware that most civilised people like a range of cutlery). 

The technique exam was next - Everyone had to make a paper piping bag and sweat an onion, but students were also given two other random techniques which could be anything from making mayonnaise (by hand), jointing a chicken, filleting a fish or making scones just to name a few. My exam was meant to be at 2.10pm, but it was delayed until 2.35pm, by which time I had managed to work myself into a slight tizzy. Finally, my name was called and I was shown to my work station. The examiner revealed what techniques were required of me: making scrambled eggs and chopping a cucumber. Seriously? I can do that. I mean, I was happy to show off my filleting skills but if you want googies, I'm your woman. Cucumbers? Please, if it's in a Greek salad, I'm no stranger to it. I chopped, cooked, sweated (onions, not me) and folded my origami piping bag and it was all over in half an hour. I don't know how I did, but it's done and that the main thing. 

So now if you will excuse me I have a celebratory bottle of prosecco and a wedge of well-deserved apple cake waiting for me. 

p.s. Happy birthday Mum xx

p.p.s. I was given a message this morning that my non-drinking aunty objected to being referred to as a 'tee-totaller' in yesterday's post as she "opened a bottle of Pinot Grigio last week and has almost finished it". Adorable...