Sugar Overdose

Today, as always on Wednesday was a lecture day. We went to Spain and France this morning with our wine lecture, having a producer from each country in to chat with us. Maria was from Alta Alella in Spain, her and her family have an interest in growing organic and natural wines. She chatted a bit about the bureaucracy involved in in running a vineyard that believes so firmly in the values of organic farming. As she said, “soil is the mother of all agriculture,” wouldn’t Darina be happy to hear that. We tried two different cavas from her vineyard, both were tasty – even if it was 10am. After our morning break (tea and small cakes!), Nicolas Mirouze a 7^th generation wine maker came in, he chatted to us about the different stages of the year on a vineyard and the importance of having great plants. Like Maria, he believes in organic wine making, and that the soil conditions determine the taste and texture of your wine. “We try to make this place, the place we live, as alive as possible,” they too, have a very Ballymaloe like philosophy on how to live and make a living. A great morning! There is so much to know about the world of wine, but the way that Colm has introduced us to it has been fantastic. Rather than being scared of it makes you want to learn more. Having the two producers in today opened my eyes to other aspects of the wine making process, with wine the learning never stops as Colm says.

After lunch Rory and Pam did the demo, which was all about afternoon tea, how lovely. Lots of cupcakes or “buns,” as Pam was calling them, baby meringues, drop scones, madeleines, macaroons, sponge, simnel cake, and then for something a little savory a chest of sandwiches and muffuletta. The chest of sandwiches couldn’t be more retro, but it’s kind of neat regardless, although I don’t think I will be racing to make one anytime soon. It is a loaf of bread with the inside cut out (ever so precisely), and you use that to make the sandwiches, which you stuff back into the loaf (all while keeping the top hinged on), and voila, there you have a chest of sandwiches.

I have been craving roast chicken so tonight I roasted a chicken and made a proper dinner. Erin, Alexis, Max, and Theresa came over from The Playroom to join Hannah and me for dinner. It was a lovely evening. Tucked into bed now, trying to ward off this damn dry cough I seem to have with some hot water, lemon, and honey. Tomorrow is our last day in the kitchen for the week, I am cooking chilli con carne, and hoping to practice a few of my techniques for Friday.

What a great day it’s been, two of my favourite things, wine and tea… Oh and friends!  

“This is absolutely made for… Here I go again, what is it with me and sandwich bars?” Rory explaining how a daily muffuletta could be the one thing you’re famous for