DORA .... THIS IS FOR YOU!

As fate dictates what is the very 1st lesson taught on the very 1st day of my Basic Patisserie? Scones! The Chef may think this is just a tad more diffcult than washing ones hands before service in the pastry world, but did I sweat. My 'si-fu' Donovan has chastised me for deliberatly and defiantly ignoring recipes, 'now I know where Andrea inherited her rebellious traits', he said. Well, yours truly was following every single quantity today. I learned to 'tare' ie bring all weight on a scale to zero so the next ingredient can be added in perfect measures. I found out mixing butter with sugar, kneading a wet dough by hand or with a pin etc require strength. I must have 2 instead of 1 spoonful of cereal tomorrow morning, with full cream milk, none of this skim nonsense to build myself. I passed, the Chef said my tray is accpetable in consistency, shape & taste.

My dear wife, these 'virgin scones' are exclusively for you. I will prepare the whole Devonshire Tea routine for you on my return.

Now the bad news : I found out today my fingers are not very 'clever'. I see my young classmates prepare a piping bag from silicon paper in astonishing speed, I see them manouver it like a Waterman fountain pen and the only mental note I made to myself was 'book an appointment with David Kwan pronto t0 see what he can prescibe for digital arthritis'. I may have eaten at more restaurants than my classmates but man, did my age show when it comes to agility and being nimble in the pastry kitchen. ........ there is a God, and He is Fair!