People say 'Cheers!' all the time in the UK. I've slowly picked it up after living here for two months. The phrase is quite encompassing in meaning, ranging from hello to goodbye to hey to hi to thank you to you're welcome and of course, you say it when you're having drinks with friends. Despite having rationally accepted that it's just a phrase, I still find it awkward to say; especially if I'm not all that cheery at the moment, I feel as if I'm telling a lie. Besides, it sounds weird with a non-British accent. So for the time being, my Canadian thank-you's and friendly how-are-you's will suffice.
Quick recap: As part of my course, I am working in the kitchen once a week at my university's restaurant for Semester 1. Cleaning raw chicken livers is the most animated and adventurous activity I have undertaken so far. It wasn't the most glamorous task but it had to be done. We are preparing partridges for November's menu so there will definitely be a post about the tiny birds. Our chef trainer showed us one today; there is hardly any meat on them. They should be quite similar in taste and texture as the roast pigeons you get in Chinese restaurants.
(Random insertion:"...and a partridge in a pear tree...and a peaar"- they are pretty much the same size!)
There has also been more cooking at home/residence. Groceries, especially fresh meats, are costly in Oxford. I'm having a hard time finding a decent slice of steak. I have turned (unwillingly) into a semi-vegetarian, meaning that I have roughly - very rough, the magnitude of the situation's gravity has probably been exponentially and falsely multiplied in my mind - been eating half the meat I am used to back home. Another dish that I dearly crave is steamed fish. I miss seeing live fish swim in overcrowded tanks. On top of it, I lack all my baking equipment. I have these frequent urges to bake and I don't even own a muffin tin. It actually makes me quite depressed.
Coming up: There will be some posts with photos of the budget-friendly meals I've been dishing up. I also have some challenges in mind. The macarons challenge is unfortunately indefinitely put on hold (due to lack of kitchen supplies). The caramel challenge, however, is definitely doable. Hopefully a few challenges will fully materialise within the next couple of weeks...
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