After six months of waiting and anticipating, I finally walked into Leith’s School of Food & Wine on Tuesday to begin my Culinary Diploma adventure.
Joining our crisp new uniforms in our lockers were three Leith’s aprons and a box of delights…! After a considerable information download on the term ahead from Head of School, Lou Kissane, we opened our boxes with the excitement and delight of Christmas morning. Inside there was a treasure trove of utensils, gadgets and very sharp knives.
Day two took us into the kitchen for the first time. There was a frisson of excitement and nervousness in the locker room as we changed into our full chef uniforms, discussing hair nets (yuk), varying shoe styles (comfort over style); and the right way to tie the neckerchief (thank you Alix de Mauny). We were eased in gently with a spiced carrot cake muffin recipe. Becoming familiar with the kitchen, appropriate etiquette, and how to clean up after ourselves were the key objectives. Everyone was on their best behaviour. No licking the spoons or bowls like you might (definitely) do at home! In the afternoon, Sarah from Leith’s List Connect (careers service) spoke to us about all the inspiring opportunities for work experience (yes please Saturday Kitchen and a week with Rick Stein in Padstow) she can assist us with. Suffice to say, we all went home buzzing!
Knife skills was the focus of day three. An Asian inspired salad which took a luxurious two hours to prepare. Never have I spent so long chopping one carrot! We got to grips with julienning, chiffonading, and rolling our chops! Garlic is not to be crushed in a crusher (sacre bleu!) but by using our knife and pressing down with a paddle motion.
Is it strange to be immensely proud of a bowl of chopped vegetables?! I think that’s probably what gets you through the intense kitchen sessions. Certainly it made for a delicious, and well deserved, lunch whilst chatting to my fellow students and congratulating our efforts. The afternoon was spent in dems (short for demonstrations / teaching sessions): three different types of stock (fish; white chicken and veal; brown chicken and veal) and veg soup with garlic sourdough croutons.
I make a veg soup about once a fortnight. I’ve never over-thought and second-guessed my actions as much as I did making it in Leith’s kitchens yesterday. I’ve been fat-sweating onions for years (thanks mummy!) but that didn’t stop me getting in a tizz using a cartouche and flapping about keeping the gas flame low but without putting it out. Against the odds, after two hours we each had a silky, sweet and well-seasoned soup, plus some crunchy garlic croutons on the side. We were all exhausted!
Friday afternoon pepped us up in anticipation of week two: eggs dem with Ryan. Mayonnaise, Turkish poached eggs, egg and bacon salad, shakshuka, and lemon curd. He made it; we ate it!
What would I say to my mum and dad about this week if they were alive to hear it? To my dear dad, I’d be telling me about all the good quality ingredients and feeding his love of food with detailed descriptions of the dishes we’ve cooked and been shown. To my mum, I’d be thanking her for everything she taught me from her own training as a home economist, which is still relevant and standing me in good stead!
@Shelovescake 