This morning begins with a demonstration on how to use the discarded green tops of carrots to make a scrummy pesto. A range of green herbs are added with pumpkin seeds and a little cheese flavouring, XCHEDAR. This is a blended mix of exotic mushrooms powders and spices. Put down your Parmesan and try this at home. I promise you you’ll be amazed at the results.
Today I was given Greek Kebabs to make using seitan. This is the first time I’ve cooked with seitan. The teachers prepared it with us yesterday using wheat gluten and beetroot juice. It looks awful, like a sheep brain but as we cut into it, the beetroot has given the substance a pinky brown colouring that looks almost identical to lamb. We fry it off with oil and SAXOREE, a smokey meat flavouring designed by the Academy.
Though when we try it, the texture is like eating the rubber sole of your shoe.
Two things I learn; the more you knead seitan, the thicker/chewier it becomes, so 8 students kneading yesterday didn’t produce the best result. Secondly; cut it as finely as you can, and fry it until it really crisps up.
We throw our seitan back in the pan, crisping it even further and add more flavouring. The crispiness and seasoning go someway to transforming this strange substance.
The recipes today were Spanish Chorizo Salad, Slovenia Stuffed Gobs (Baked mushroom with cheese), French Super Socca and Malta Kwarezimal.
Here are the ladies with their beautiful artistry preparing the Malta Kwarezimal.
The French Socca is melt in your mouth delicious. It is a popular dish from Nice and is made using chickpeas. Garam Masala and Tumeric give this a delicate fragrant flavour and the cashew nuts on top add a nice crunch to it.
The Chorizo Salad is one of my favourites today. The Chorizo is made using white beans, Kappa Carrageenan and UMAXI. It works so well with the balsamic, tomatoes and lettuce and for meat cravers serves as a real fix.
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