Chef...who me?

Six months of hard work has paid off, I am now officially a bona fide Cordon Bleu chef!
Passing with flying colours with a distinction in the Theory of Cooking and Practical cookery.

As if that wasn't enough , I scooped the Tante Marie 21st Anniversary trophy awarded to the student with the highest practical mark, an accolade I shared with my fellow classmate Charlotte Taylor -Turner.

I felt such immense pride when  I collected the trophy from my principal Andrew Maxwell. The endless and sleepless nights trialling out new dishes and practising for the exams was definitely worth it.

My time at Tante Marie Culinary academy, has flown by. It has been such an rewarding experience for me.
I thoroughly recommend following your passion, and at Tante Marie that passion is definitely nurtured

Tante Marie have a smorgasbord of courses available, so do visit their website.

If you are really curious they have some open days coming up, so be nosey and book yourself visit!

www.tantemarie.co.uk

Now the course is over I shall get back to regaling you with my culinary adventures, so stay along for the ride!

Love

Me Mẹ

Merry Christmas

Wishing all our readers a wonderful Christmas and a marvellous new year.  Drink , eat and be merry !

See you all in 2013

Love

Me Mẹ

Tante Marie

So as you well know, I have begun my Intensive Cordon Bleu Diploma course at Tante Marie in Woking.
I have always loved cooking classic European dishes, it makes a change from having Pho all the time- just kidding !

However I have never be formally trained in classic European cooking, it has been on my wish list to gain a formal qualification. Being at crossroads at this moment in my life  I decided to bite the bullet and enroll on the course 

Now having had my first full week at Tante Marie, I can safely say - I am loving it. What more could any foodie but, to be learning about, and eating food all day long.
Lunch at Tante Marie is definitely something to look forward to. Every day is the same- mountains of food as far as the eye can see.

The course is slowly but surely gaining momentum as the days past. We have had our first theory class regarding our first practical exam and consequently the nerves have set in. The staff at the school are really friendly and helpful and want to nurture the students in to becoming the best that they can be.

The rigors of the course are tough, but ultimately rewarding. Meeting other like minded people at the school is great-  and as expected conversation always ends up about food.

I type this post whilst waiting for my next lecture, my mind begins to wander, and I linger of the prospect of tomorrow's lunch...definitely not going to be a boring  sandwich!

Love

Mẹ Me

Yes Chef !

You may have notice the lack of posts recently, unfortunately they will become a little more sporadic, as of this moment. 

I am embarking on the Cordon Bleu Diploma course this week which will last until March. The Cordon Bleu  Diploma  has been on my lists of things to do for sometime now, keeping company with ' to marry George Clooney'  and  'to discover a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel'  Seeing as I am very close to achieving the last two mentioned, it seemed only right to proceed to the next on the list! 

I will attending the incomparable Tante Marie Cookery School to complete this course.
I made my application back in April, and as the saying goes, 'time flies when your having fun' and so we come to September, and I am busily organising my Mẹ Me schedule to accommodate for this course. Do not worry, our Halong Bay Supper Clubs are still running, and gaining momentum!

As I write this post I am wrought with mixed emotions, a splash of anxiety,a sprinkle of apprehension, and the giddy feeling of butterflies - very much like your first day at school or work.
However this time round, my blazer isn't two sizes too big for me, and the words 'you'll grow into it" are not being drummed into me, having said that, have I ordered the right sizes for my chef's whites? Oh dear, history may indeed repeat itself!

I am looking forward to this course, it will be a challenge but I will relish every moment. I live and breath food; from the moment I was old enough to be able to sit on the counter top in the kitchen to watch my mum cook, to now running our mother and daughter Supper Clubs, food is always in our hearts.


I will keep you posted with my trials and tribulations Mon Cherie's

Until then

Love 

Mẹ Me

Sunday Lunch

After a busy week, Sunday's are all about relaxing, and recharging the batteries before commencing another long week.

On the menu this Sunday was a rather rich and sumptuous stew- with a few thoughtful sides thrown in. 

Sunday lunch

 

 

 

 

 

I have always thought that there's something rather pleasing about being presented with pot of stew.  And so we all huddled around a rather rustic dining table and tucked into our  lunch.

As the meal drew to an end, being true Stew aficionados, we all obtain a healthy chunk of crusty bread and made sweeping motion around our plates.
Using the bread as a sponge, we mopped up any stray stew that had lost it's way. Finally after every last morsel of stew cleared from the plates, we all relaxed and sunk back in our 
seats. 

With a rice pudding slowly cooking in the oven, care of my brother I thought to myself what a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. 

Great food, wonderful company.


love

Mẹ Me

21 Again!

Birthdays are always an excuse for over indulgence,and so when it came to my birthday this week I made  sure I indulged!

Cucpakes anyone?

In the morning I was surprised with some delicious cupcakes by my sister courtesy of Bakers Heaven, www.bakersheaven.co.uk They were divine and were thoughtfully decorated.

Don't mind if I do!

In the afternoon we enjoyed  an al fresco coffee a la Parisian style, and then wonder around the local boutiques, perusing their wares
In the evening we tucked into a hearty meal of my  favourite Chinese dishes, Roast duck by care of Chinatown and crispy roasted pork belly, prepared by my very own hands!
All very decadent dishes, but if you can't do it on your birthday when can you?

Crackling on!

Finishing off our meal with a rich  homemade coconut cream cake, I wondered is it possible to be too obsessed with food?
As I lounged on our sofa I thought to my self, I definitely look like the cat who has got  the cream, double cream to be precise!

On Saturday night I will be treated to a belated birthday meal at London House by my fiance. Keep you eyes peeled for pics of the evening until then...

Love

Mẹ Me

Dinner time

Lamb Cutlets... yummy who wants seconds?