Chop, Loin, Chump, Shank...

This will be a short blog post because the internet is being dodgy tonight, and I have an order of work to get done.

Blathnaid Bergin (Darina’s sister) was in for today’s lecture day, she runs classes on opening a café, or different food businesses. The day was interesting, but dragged on a bit, lots of interesting and helpful hints though for anyone looking to start a café, and definitely gives you a lot to think about in terms of concept and having systems in place to run a successful business.

After the lecture a few of us headed into the kitchen to make sour dough, everyone is at different stages. I am making a different shaped loaf, and hope it turns out as well as the first, will bake it in the morning.

This evening was spent in the kitchen with Phillip and a few other students doing lamb butchery. It is pretty neat to be able to learn some of the skills they are showing us, and to be given a side of lamb to practice on – even if I will probably never butcher a lamb in Alberta! It’s also good to learn the anatomy and different cuts of meat that come from an animal.

Darina’s Aunt, Florence is often around the school, and today she came in looking for something to eat because she had an awful experience at lunch in Cork… She went into the cold room in Kitchen 3, found me and asked me to get her the kidney because she couldn’t reach it… The kidney was still attached to the lamb. Made my day.

A few of us went into Garryvoe for dinner tonight after the butchery class, it was really nice to go out for a meal. On the way home we were talking again about how weird it is that we were all strangers less than four weeks ago, but we really are a little Ballymaloe family now, which is such a good thing.

“ That’s why I won’t go for a walk with my sister, because she has her backside sticking out of a hedge… ‘I’m sure we can eat this for dinner!’” – Blathnaid Bergin

Gillian and Phillip	Putting the puzzle back together	Jenni and me with our lamb!
Phillip showing us how it's done.	Learning from the expert.
Auntie Florence	Side of lamb	Alexis rocking the saw.
Jenni doing her thing!