11 July 2012

Last night's dinner. Seriously. 

Today, a guest chef taught us to make sushi and some bonus random Turkish dishes: Sushi rice, Sundried tomato and mozzarella sushi*, Seared beef fillet and red onion sushi, Quick and easy sushi maki, Nigiri sushi, Gunkan Maki (aka Battleship sushi), Cling-film sushi (surely someone could have thought of a more creative name for this?), Californian roll, Temaki, Oshi sushi, Seared duck breast in rice paper parcels, Thin Japanese omelette, How to marinate mackerel, Lamacum Turkish pizza, Dolma (Dolmades in Greece), Miso soup, Turkish Bulgur. 

* I know, I too was surprised by this. This dish is literally sushi rice mixed with tomatoes and cubes of mozzarella cheese to form a peculiar, culturally confused salad. We were assured that this was authentic. the question is, authentically what?

This afternoon we had a special demonstration where we learned to cook things by special request of the students: Moules mariniere, Mediterranean fish soup with rouille, Rillettes of fresh and smoked salmon, Fish in paper parcels with Hollandaise sauce, Buttermilk fried chicken, Dingle pie, Cornish pasties, Roast haunch of venison with francatelli sauce, Homemade sausages, Potato gnocchi, Chocolate mousse with almond macaroons, Chocolat St. Emillon (boozy biscuits layered with boozy chocolate mousse ... genius), Baked cheesecake, Ottolenghi macaroons, White dough, Bagels, Iced Christmas cake, Mummy's plum pudding, Mince pies with Irish whiskey cream, and Mincemeat.

We also learned how to make our own flavoured liquors: Limoncello, Raspberry Vodka/Gin, Cherry Brandy, Orange Brandy and Rhubarb Gin. Being the ever-enthusiastic student, I shall commence work on these immediately. You will have to wait three months for an update ... and then I shall have to be sober enough to remember to write one. 

At the end of our recipes was some information on keeping hens. Depending on the breed, a hen will lay up to 300 eggs per year. So if I am to continue cooking and baking at my current rate I need to figure out a way to keep seven chickens in my backyard**. Our previous house barely had enough room for our garden gnome, George. So please feel free to send in your creative housing solutions for seven chooks (and one grumpy gnome).

** (Souffle + quiche + homemade pasta + eggs benedict + creme brulee + meringue + various cakes x weekly basis = seven chickens)