Mr. Rogers Type
Saturday and Sunday of Exam week
As previously mentioned immediately above this line of text, it is exam week. Let’s all take a deep breath. In…2..3…4… out…6…7…8. Excellent job, reader. Our instructors clarified last week that the exam is not meant to sweep the rug out from under us, but to assess where we are in the course and if we have been paying attention, which I have. So I have nothing to worry about, right? Correct, but I am choosing to worry because that seems like a fun use of my time.
The midterm exam consists of two sections: a technique practical exam, and an herb and salad leaf recognition written exam. The technique practical consists of chopping and sweating an onion, making a piping bag out of parchment paper, and then two additional techniques chosen randomly from a list of 30. The written portion includes identification of 10 different herbs and 10 different salad leaves. For the herbs, we have to include two recipes we have learned at Ballymaloe that include each herb. Due to these impending exams, the gang and I have decided to keep it rather tame this weekend. We began our Saturday morning getting scones and coffee from the Ballymaloe cafe down the road. Then we practiced some of the exam skills. I jointed a chicken* and segmented an grapefruit**. Others made shortcrust pastry and filleted fish. It was a quiet afternoon full of lots of eating and leftovers to be enjoyed for the remainder of our natural-born lives. Sunday was more of the same. We took a morning jaunt to Cork to breathe and try not to stress. We love secondhand finds so we rolled up to Mother Jones, a very ecclectic thrift store close to Cork city center. We each left with a little something as a treat for being the best students there ever were. I purchased a wool cardigan with a fun design. Anytime I showed it to someone in our group I was told “that’s so you.” I question whether this was a compliment or if everyone sees me as young alt gay Mr. Rogers type. Ultimately? Thrilled with the purchase.
Monday of exam week
Today my teacher, Tiffin, asked what I did before Ballymaloe. I explained that I used to do food styling in-house for a meal kit service. To which he facetiously retorted with a “we’ll see about that,” a challenge to produce a gorgeous plate of food. Obviously I crushed it. I made a spatchcock⧫ chicken with grilled and roasted vegetables and a mayo sauce to pair with it. While I have generally enjoyed making pastries more than savory dishes, I had a really fun time making this. My final plate was divine. I think he was impressed. He said “looks great” and gave me a nice grade. Then he went to the walk-in fridge and cried over how talented I am.
Tuesday of exam week
After class today I found myself getting bogged down with test taking anxiety once again. While I got to prepare today by practicing some skills in class, like shaping bread and making omelettes, I still feel this underlying dread. Furthermore, I am having a hard time writing this week. When I curl up in my little culinary school bed at the end of the night, I am much more keen on watching the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills than writing my reflections of the day. So hopefully you still enjoy this newsletter. And if you don’t, that’s really okay because this is free to read and you can exit this website at any time <3. Happy you are here though.
Wednesday of exam week
In a few weeks, the students will host a pop-up dinner open to the public. A little Ballymaloe Tradition with all the profits going to local food banks and charities. A few teachers mentor us and help us create a menu, we divide up into teams for each course and hopefully at the end of it, come up with something super tasty. To be quite honest with you, at our first planning meeting, there were a lot of cooks in the kitchen (i.e., there were like 40 students who wanted to participate) So I quickly decided not to stress myself by putting my name in the ring to be one of the head chefs. Instead, I am working on the vegetarian team with my pal Sim, who is serving as the leader of the team. Today we made vegetarian scotch eggs♥ and miso butter onions that Sim wants to pair with a gnocchi. Since Wednesday is our full day lecture day, it was nice to get into the kitchen in the evening and play pretend restaurant for a little.
Thursday of exam week
The exam is tomorrow and dear reader, I’ll be honest with you…I’m feeling pretty good about it! I’ll also be honest with you in saying that I do not want to write that much right now so I’ll give you the bare bones of what happened today. Got to shuck an oyster —neat. Practiced making scones —delicious. Watched our teacher butcher one the largest slabs of beef I’ve ever seen in my entire life—rad! Now time for some last minute studying, accompanied by the sounds of Denise Richards fighting with Lisa Rinna.†
Friday- Day of Exam
First part of the exam today consisted of the salad leave and herb recognition. One by one we were invited into the kitchen and placed at a station where there were eight different herbs and salad leaves. Once we finished Identifying those, we set a table space and poured a glass of wine for our instructor and sent on our way. Next we waited for our turn to enter the technique practical. Once it was my turn I was told I would be skinning almonds, and making shortcrust pastry along with chopping and sweating an onion and making a paper piping bag. and you guys… I think I did great on my little exam! What a world! There were only three little things that gave me pause. One of the leaves in salad recognition- not confident that it was indeed the ‘green mizuna’ leaf. And the others were silly little things that I quickly corrected. If you’ll recall shortcrust was something I have struggled with in the past. This time however, was perfect. I left the exam rooms exhausted but merry. And now? We celebrate at the pub like the girls from Beverly Hills celebrating Teddi’s baby shower along with Dorit’s partnership with the Italian family style eatery, Buca Di Beppo‡. While I don’t believe my test taking anxiety is cured by any means, I know that my time here is meant to be enjoyed and teachers everywhere generally want there students to do well- which includes me. Also just a quick heads up— there will be a mandatory exam at the end of the Ballymablog series of newsletters. So get studying. Cheers!
*Jointing a chicken is cutting up a whole chicken into wings, thighs, breasts, and drumsticks.
**Segmenting fruit is when you peel out segments of a citrus fruit while leaving behind the white film around each segment
⧫Spatchcock cut is when you remove the backbone of a chicken or any other poultry so it will lay flat and cook faster and often times more even
♥A soft boiled egg traditionally wrapped in sausage and breadcrumbs then deepfried or baked
†Denise Richards and Lisa Rinna are personalities featured on the hit show the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
‡Honestly don’t worry about it
BallymaBlog playlist here -This weeks selection will feature my fave 1989 Taylor’s Version vault track
