TANTE MARIE: WEEK 4...

Day 1...
It's really become cold, so wore my new sweater and walked to class as usual....
Made sone nice food today and the "lemon meringue pie" is going to be on my Christmas menu....
My new partner ...Ally...
She is very sweet and, we cooked well and in tandem with each other ...
Today we did not really get time for anything fun...
Was a full , action packed day ...
Came home tired, did not run ...
Music , reading and sleeping ...
Craving chocolate ...
But the Gods above have decided ..... NO!!!
And then my lovely land-lady gives me chocolate , saying ,"I know you're craving for it "... Ha ha ha ...heaven in a little bite ...

Day 2..
Could not get outa bed...
It was sooooo cold and I was so warm snuggled in my over-sized duvet...
Class today was all about cold food ....
Not my cup of tea.... At all...warm ...warm...warm...hearted and food and alll...
But the demonstration was great ...
Pigged out ...ok this has to stop ....
Went home and just felt like a run ...needed those endorphins ....happy hormones...
So changed and got out and found the most wonderful trail along a stream....
Yeah ! Yeah! Yeah!
Got home and had a big salad ...

Day 3...
Woke up at 6.15 and just had to go running ...
Because I had nearly given up , looking after what I eat because it's really difficult, you cook till 12.30 and then you are ravenous , and though most of the food is really rich , I'm not concerned any more ... I'm enjoying it all ..
and going running is a pain because it's really cold ...
But yesterday I found a beautiful trail by a flowing stream ... Serendipity I say ...
So went running this morning again ...
Today we had a Mexican menu ..
The Mexican palate is very like the Indian  palate, it's robust , colorful , spicy and really tasty ..
So we all buzzed about , and now after 3 weeks together , all of us have gotten into the groove of helping one another ...
So by 12.45pm , we were sitting waiting to jump into the food we so heartily cooked ...
Dessert was hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies ...

That were yummy and I did not even think twice , before dunking my cookie into the hot chocolate and devouring it ..
Calories and fat , you thinking ... Right ...
Well NO ... Because I'm thinking " THIN "... And that normally works ...ha ha ha ...
I can see my friends , shaking their hands...and saying , "there some more rubbish " ha ha ha but it works ...
When you enjoy your food and savor it without any guilt ... 
Your gastric juices, digest it even better , because they feel that more is gonna come ... 
And so they don't really hang on to the extra calories and fat ...
Yup .. 
That's my theory and I'm sticking to it ..

After lunch, we had a long break and had to have a double espresso shot , so that I don't feel sleepy during demonstration after my gastronomical affair at lunch ...
Met Yeisil, Georgia and Maya , and we hung in the sun and played cards ..
Well just two more days for Yeisil and Georgia and their 4 weeks are over and they will be off ..
Will miss them , because really connected with them and had a lovely time getting to know them ..
So today after class I left for london , for a macaroon class with Ed Kimber of the Boy who Bakes ...
and a few retail moments, later armed with boots made my way to class...
Was talking-to Eve my landlady who is a real spirited doll .. 
She was dropping me off to the station and asked me if I knew where I was going ..
Si , señora, I said ..., 
"theoretically".. Yes... 
And she laughed and said , but in real life ??
And I said ... NO !!! Ha ha ...
Well I guess thats why ,H my life is an adventure and I'm trying to live it as fun as possible ..
Sometimes .. I find fantastic places ..
And sometimes , though the path is beautiful .. I reach a dead-end and have to journey back ..
Well that's life ...
And then sometimes ... I walk to fast and cross something that catches my attention and so take a U-Turn ...
Well frankly my life , so yes I can change my mind ...
Sometimes I do stupid , immature things enroute ..and make crazy decisions when I don't understand stuff ..
But guess , I will have to live and learn 
Lost a ear-ring today .. Something that I have had on for years ...
But then again ... Could have lost something more precious than Gold .. 
So I'm Ok ...
And the macron class was great , learnt a lot and made a nice batch , they were not perfect and frankly that's ok , because you learn from your mistakes ...
Met a whole lot of people who were there because they love macarons ..
Met a lady Sadia from Pakistan , who is a GP, and has been in London for the past ten years , and she looks at me and says she knows my face ...
Ha ha ha really felt nice and funny to be recognized ..
Yup she used to watch me on MTV ...
And I was so worried about going back from Central London late ..
But providence has a way of working in mysterious ways ..
My partner Zoe.. 
(Zoe is also my little girls name )
So Zoe my partner stays two stops ahead of Woking ...
And I have company to go back ...

Angels ....Do you believe in them ....I do ...
Someone up there really does love me ..

Think I'm gonna call it a night now ..
Hope to wake up early Tom or may just stay awake and listen to music for a bit ... Because tomorrow is a light fun day ...
Wine course ... From 9.30 am to 4pm ...
Ha ha ha ...
I know what you thinking...
But it could well be only theory ...
Hmmmmm to another beautiful day ....salute...

Day 4
Did not sleep , till 1am, last night and woke up at 5am ...
Could not sleep ..
So decided to google Paris ...
And sat making an itenary for Maya and me ....
So yup .... Sat on my bed, cuddled in my duvet...
Trying to figure a plan of action , for two girls from Asia , who don't know a word of French...
Except of course a few food words that I'm still learning for my theory exam....so "parlez  vous anglaise " is something I'm gonna be saying a lot ..
This morning I was in a bit of a destructive mode ...
I did not run and breakfast was , chocolate chip cookies, grapes, berries , yoghurt and galaxy chocolate milk ....
I liked my lips like the cat that got the cream ...
And made it to class in the freezing cold , running late ...
What's wrong with me .....
Today was our "Wine lecture"...
Which was fun...
Realised , for the first time , that being an Indian is tough sometimes ....
John Downes M.W was simply fantastic ....
He was a treasure trove of knowledge about wines , and the whole day was fascinating and intriguing and so lightly intense ...
We were introduced to wines and regions and the various modalities that go into wine making ...
He said something that has now stuck in my head, 
"Crushing grapes with your feet in Portugal to make Portu wine , should be on your , 'to do' list , before you die "
I don't know about Portugal , but this happens in wineries in India too, and now I really want to do this ...
And I'm hoping that I do get a chance ......
Hmmmm ...it just feels like so much fun...
Ended our day with bubbly...
Amanda from class is really sweet, she is an upfront, talented chef and a lovely person...
I like hanging with her...
She has positive energy emanating from her...
Sam is sweet and shy ...
The restof the boys ...well , probably need to understand their groove ...
Georgina from Australia is leaving on Wednesday , really gonna miss her, she is absolutely adorable...pixie like and very cute ...
Maya is also finishing this week, she is a fire-cracker , that girl , and need to learn how to live for the day , like she does ...she is amazing and need to get over my shyness , now that I see her ...
So she is also leaving soon....
Don't like loosing people I have grown to love ...
Not the best week in that sense ...
But you know what...
Some people will continue living in a warm corner of your heart , even if they are not in your life ...
Gosh !!!! Yup!
But thankfully , Maja is with me till the end of the course, she is just beautiful , with a wonderful heart ...
A beautiful person....
Got to know Katie a little more this week and she is very sweet...
She rides horses and on weekends, has beautiful curly hair and has a very easy going personality ...she takes part in competitions for her club, how very cool is that , she has invited me over, I really hope that I can go, I have never really ridden a horse ...except on Juhu beach as a kid ...ha ha ha ...
So yup ... Hope this happens...
And I really like my land-lady Eve.....
She is adorable ...
And happy that I live with her...
Today ...really needed a hug ...
A good day..

Day 5

Woke up super super early ...
And was wondering why...
So went back to sleep ...
Class today was nice ...last night was wondering if we ever gonna get to cook alone ...
Just for a day....
because was not feeling very very sociable...
Come to class , and the menu was delectable...
Seared scallops on a bed of baby spinach, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and topped with pancetta and Parmesan shavings ...
Pasta from scratch with a mixed pepper sauce...
And Ally my partner , did not come , because she is unwell...
Missed her , but , I got to cook alone ....
Damn...if I knew I was gonna get what I wished for ...would have asked for something more exciting ...
Like for instance ....ya right , I'm gonna tell you ..ha ha ha ...
So I had a wonderful schizophrenic day with all my split personalities, all 7 of them .. 
We discussed a whole lot of stuff, ranging from food  ,to music ,to travel ,to love, friendships and everything in- between ...
I don't think , I was as ravenous as I was today , I think we all were..
Lunch as usual , always starts in a bit of silence...
Paying respect to the food we cooked ....
Nah ! Nah !
It's because we all got food stuffed in our mouth and that's that..
I have gotten so used to having desert with every meal , that if we don't make our own , then we all ask if , some other class is sending us desert...
Today was the last day of the essential course...
So yup,  Maya and Georgia , will not be in school on Monday ...
Damn... We had such a lovely time together...
Will really miss these girls ...

After we finished for the day, went to the 4week essential class, hugged Georgia, ate a chocolate eclair made by Maya and hugged Ryan .....
Good bye guys....
It was nice breaking bread with you ..

Today the 6 month course made an amazing wedding spread...
We went in to take a look...
Gosh ...I so love good food and the spread was , "edible art"... Nothing less..
Can't believe that 4weeks has just sped by...
Guess time flies when you are doing what you love ....

So till next week ..

Au revoir ....



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