Saturday 16 February 2008

British curiouses

Living in England, I can't stop wondering about some strange things, that I face here.
I just want to share with you some of them.
One evening, we were going out with my husband.
Actually it was a first time that we left our daughter with babysitter here in England.
So we were on our way to a party, when we got closer to the restaurant my husband started to look after the parking place, and began to move slowly. After couple of cycles, and 10 minutes later, we still were without a parking… But no despair – we have continued to look. Couple of minutes later, we have noticed that there is a police car that is following us.
As we found a parking, the policeman got out of his car straight away to my husband and told him:"Why didn't you stop? Did you see I was following you, didn't you?" My husband answered, that he didn't know that he was supposed to stop if and only if the police car is going with sirens. In our home country, if the signal lights of the police car are on – it means that this police car is on duty and it doesn't mean that "the car in front of me, please stop!!!". "Why were you going so slowly - continues the policeman – Have you been drinking, haven't you? Let me check your breath!" - telling my husband to take the air off and smelling it :-). Realizing that my husband is not drunk he wished us pleasant evening and left.
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When I'm talking with Britons (sometimes it happens :-) ), they hear my foreign accent, ask what my name is and with no doubt ask me: "Are you Polish?" - With a bit of defiance.
There are a lot of Polish people came to UK, after Poland became the part of EU.
And, I suppose Briton's don't like that fact. Then I'm saying "NO, I'm from Israel" - and I see how the respect grows in his/her eyes :-).

A couple of weeks ago we were celebrating our daughter 5th birthday.
We invited a dozen of children and a Clown to our house. We and the children had a good time and when I was feeding them I have offered a food to the Clown as well. He said: "No, thanks, but I'll really appreciate if you'll organize me some "Doggy bag". My husband was near, and I see the confusion in his eyes, then he (my husband) said to the entertainer: "I don't think that this food is good for the dogs, it's quite spicy and contains salt, which is not good for the dogs". The Clown laughed and explained that the "Doggy bag" it's a take away lunch bag :-).
So that day, we have learnt some slang expression as well.
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Putting aside these curiouses, I'm started to think about my final exam.
We were given a list of 25 ingredients, from which we supposed to make a restaurant dessert. Everything is good, but one ingredient - rhubarb. I never cooked the rhubarb.
I only have a memory from childhood of some smooth rhubarb compote that I didn't really like. Rhubarb is very popular here in UK, and there are many British (means not tasty) desserts :-) contain it. But what this ingredient is doing in our French culinary school???
That's what I'm going to find out in a few next weeks, and make a Fantastic dessert for my final!!!

Wednesday 6 February 2008

Towards the end...

There is only one month till the end of my studies :-(
At the beginning it seemed to be so long - one and a half year, and that's it - the end.
I almost did what I wanted (still no chef hat :-) ), and it's time to think what I really want to do.
Here in UK there are only few professions highly payable - IT, bankers and probably plastic surgeons :-).

Chefs get a ridiculous low salary, may be till they open their own place.
But I still have a choice - to be a chef or to go back to the boring but highly payable IT.
To be honest my dream is to open my own place, but very small and exclusive. It could be even in my house (eventually we'll have a big house :-) )
Recently I saw a nice German movie "Eden" - about a chef, whose life is all around food and the food was his only passion till he meets a woman ...
And he had the restaurant at his house, which has only three tables. I find it very nice, except of the fact that the chef himself was very fat, which I don't want to become :-). Besides, it's not in fashion now to be a fat chef. Since my other "small" dream is to study for personal trainer, I'll very sporting one :-)

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Another hard decision to make is to stay in UK or to go back to Israel.
A couple of weekends ago I was in Israel, only for three days and the circumstances were not so joyful. But it was very nice to be there, to go to the sea, meet the family. And the weather was so sunny and warm, I just want to go back! The problem is that my husband has another opinion then myself, and since we are a family we should find some compromise, hope it will be more on my side :-).
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Meanwhile, at the school it was a week of restaurant style desserts and the week when we were preparing a tea party for thirty guests. It was very nice experience. During the first demonstration of the restaurant desserts chef said "You should look for the artist inside yourself, and some of you should look very deep :-) !".
I was hardly looking for my artist and finally found one.
See the pictures:












Lemon mousse , Chocolate fondant, Lemon tart











Apple parfait, Ricotta cream , Lemon mousse










Passion fruit mousse