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Finished my last exam at 1030 this morning, got home at 1130, ate a sandwich and slept until 1700 this afternoon. Said that the mystery missing ingredient in Sole Dieppoise was fumet de poisson (it’s cream), but did remember that it takes 20 minutes to cook a fumet (not 2 hours as everyone else was…
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We’re going out to eat now, not because I have the energy for it but because I don’t have the energy to cook something here. Up at 5 am this morning to leave at 6 for a 0645 exam start – which didn’t get underway until 0830 because they were waiting for one of the…
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Just about to leave the house for my practical exam, so wish me luck.
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Last day at scool today. I have mixed feelings about the year; I’m very glad I went, but the whole process has literally worn me down to a state of permanent and total exhaustion. I’d originally intended to go on and do a second year straight away in Patisserie or Traiteur, but (a) I don’t…
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Much better services yesterday and today, including doing 60 covers last night (albeit 45 of them in one lump for a wedding party who didn’t leave the dining room until FOUR FUCKING AM IN THE MORNING, the inconsiderate wankers. Getting my mise en place in place BEFORE service starts works well, along with putting all…
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Crap service last night. Everyone turned up at half past seven, when they normally arrive between 8 and 9 in discrete lumps. I was in the middle of farting about with my Trilogies (dried tomato, goat cheese and aubergine caviar in layers) and hadn’t even put my amuse bouches in place. Luckily Chef was there…
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So now I’m a proper cook. I’ve even managed to persuade Chef to put something on the menu – smoked quails eggs. OK, it’s only one item in a dish with other ingredients, but hey, you have to start somewhere. We smoke the eggs ourselves and serve two (one cut into quarters, the other plopped…
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The French – well, the French people that I meet – start off surprised to find a English person cooking at all. There’s a famous TV advert here for After Eight chocolate mints which shows a group of BCBGs (French for ‘yuppies’) eating After Eights with their post-diner coffee and finding them distinctly edible, if…
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So, yes, a month or a bit less since I last wrote anything other than ‘Two pints please’. Where does all the time go? I’ve been working most days, usually mornings only, but even that has been tiring. But then I went to school yesterday, worked last night and worked this morning and feel OK…
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