Haircuts, Fireworks, and Completed Assignments: A Report

Well, friends, it seems as though you'll have to endure my less-than-inspiring prose once again here at 42 Wallaby Way, as Wilson will be deeply buried in his studies for the next several days.  For all of you ardent readers out there (I know there are probably so many of you who monitor our blog daily), I'm sorry that our posting had stalled for a couple of weeks.  Truth be told, we were waiting for something slightly more interesting and worthy to write about than the rainbow we saw last weekend.

I'll begin with an update on Wilson:  this week promises to be an intensely academic one with two written assignments due, a mid-term presentation, and final cramming for the LSAT - but I should say he seems to have a grasp on everything in typical Wilson fashion.  Our excursion to Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Port Douglas to explore the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest at the end of the week will provide him a much needed break (all Testmasters study materials have been banned from the suitcase).  Perhaps the most exciting thing Wilson has accomplished (other than model my chef's jacket and hat) is getting a haircut.  Susie at Catwalk cut almost 3 inches from his locks on Saturday, much to Mike the barber's dismay, who warned via Warren that he may very well look like "he had been riding a trolley with his head sticking out."  Fortunately he doesn't appear to have just exited a wind tunnel - I personally think his hair looks cute, as do the other ladies at Catwalk, who plan to keep the film from their security cameras just in case he becomes President one day.

I, on the other hand, completed my assessments last week with a passing grade and am wrapping up Basic Patisserie with lessons on Buttercream Gateaux (cake) and Cheesecake.  Eddie and I continue to have a great time together, and today we informed the Le Cordon Bleu office today that we absolutely must be placed in the same class for Intermediate (or they would regret that we ever enrolled!).  Also, my brownies are selling well at Caffelatte, which gives me hope that customers might actually patronize my bakery should I open one someday.

This past weekend was actually quite eventful, as Friday evening we, along with the 7 other Rotary Scholars in the district, were graciously hosted for dinner by Patricia Harrison,  President of Sydney Rotary Club.  The views from her apartment were incredible, as evidenced by the two photos I've posted: the activity in Circular Quay and the grandeur of the Harbor Bridge dominate the vista from her front balcony (complete with evening fireworks), while the Opera House and Botanical Gardens grace the view from the back (including the giant bats that make their home in the gardens by day).  We connected with scholars from Scotland, Germany, England, Japan, Canada, and the U.S., all of whom have invited us to join in their Australian adventures, whether it be surf at Bondi Beach, bike to Canberra, explore Wollongong, or attend a costume-required Halloween party.  The next couple of months should be entertaining, so we'll keep you posted.

9 Gold Medals?

Look out Michael Phelps and Stephanie Rice - you'll have some stiff competition in London in 2012.  We've been swimming weekly at the 2000 Australian Olympic training facility in Ryde, and we swim a mean freestyle - at least compared to the elderly that also frequent the lap pool.  I realize that these photos are somewhat incriminating, but I hope they provide a bit of comic relief for those of you who follow the blog.  After all, goggles are a good look.

Aside from our recently developed hobby, things have remained fairly routine here in Gladesville.  I'm studying for a comprehensive theory exam on Wednesday and preparing for our practical assessment to be conducted over three days next week.  It's hard to believe my basic course will end in two weeks, but I'm certainly looking forward to refining my patisserie skills in the intermediate level of study.  Wilson's courses have demanded more of his time than he originally expected, as he seems to have a written assignment due every couple of days.  He is also continuing his preparation for the LSAT, which he is taking at Macquarie University on October 4th - only 4 weeks left!  Until then, we'll just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming . . .

Week in Review

Over this past week Callie and I have been quite busy with the arrival of another American friend to our first Australian "barbie."  Callie has been working and I had my first test, and so we have been pretty occupied over the last several days.

Last Thursday we met Daniel Ferguson, a fellow SpeakFirst debate coach who is actually teaching and researching in Japan over the next year, for a morning in the city.  Daniel was traveling in Australia and New Zealand with a group of Japanese teachers, and having some spare time, we decided to get together.  We walked through the CBD to Circular Quay and took the ferry to Manly, which is a beach community on the northern shore of the harbour.  Although it is less well-known than Bondi Beach, its southern counterpart, it is arguably more picturesque.  We spent our time walking among the abundant boutiques and cafes and along the ocean enjoying the clear water and the gently breaking waves.  Our time was short-lived, however, as Daniel had to depart for Brisbane and I had class in the afternoon, but having a chance to enjoy the morning with a friend from home was certainly a nice way to begin our eventful weekend.

On Friday afternoon, I joined Callie at Caffelatte and had a chance to meet Steve and Kate.  Steve, who Callie works with, and Kate, Steve's wife, are absolutely delightful, and we spent the next several hours getting to know each other.  As it just so happened, Steve and Kate were hosting a neighborhood bonfire and "barbie" the next evening, which they graciously invited us to attend.  The food was amazing as was the company, and we were again showered with the hospitality that must be required to live in Australia.  So . . . we have now attended an authentic Australian barbie, and although we didn't have shrimp (or rather prawns), it felt like an appropriate substitute for our usual end-of-summer Labor Day celebrations.

The only disappointment from the weekend was the fact that Australia suffered its worst Tri-Nations loss ever against South Africa, but our disappointment about the Wallabies was quickly compensated by our elation about the Tide and Tigers.  We were able to watch some of the Alabama-Clemson game through Skype, and having both teams win made the week's beginning more enjoyable.  Between studying and working, things have been pretty normal here.  Callie brought home a variety of fruit desserts, and I had a test in Governance and Civil Society, but otherwise things are routine.  The days are getting both longer and warmer, and with the arrival of spring, we continue to enjoy the abundance and opportunity that has welcomed us in Australia.

Are you ready for some . . . "football"?

Honoring the beginning of the college football season beginning this week, I wanted to post about Australian "football."  This past Saturday, Callie, Dom and I went to watch the Parramatta Eels play the Bankstown 

Bulldogs, which are two teams in the National Rugby League. The game was actually played at the ANZ Stadium, which was the national stadium for the Sydney Olympics in 2000.  

While it certainly didn't have the sentimental appeal of Bryant-Denny or Jordan-Hare, the stadium itself is spectacular.  Surrounded by sculpture gardens and light towers and elaborate fountains, the stadium looks a little bit like a giant satellite dish.  Modern- yet pleasantly aged- it was far from full, but it wasn't hard to imagine how exciting it must have been during the Sydney Games.  Parramatta ended up winning in exciting fashion, but Callie and I both found ourselves subtly wishing that we had we had been watching Alabama or Auburn.   

The first thing to understand about rugby in Australia is that there are three different kinds or "codes": rugby league, rugby union, and Australian rules.  Each code is played differently- different numbers of players, different scoring, and even different sized and shaped fields.  It has taken us the better part of our time here to differentiate each, but on any given weekend, all three codes will be in action.  The Wallabies, Australia's national rugby team, play rugby union, which is considered to be the "educated" version of the sport.  Elite private schools and universities are the purveyors of rugby union as it has a reputation of being more sophisticated.  Rugby league (what we saw on Saturday) appears to be a more commercialized code that is popular because it's more violent in nature.  Australian rules is a code that was originally played in Victoria and has since proliferated nation-wide.  As an outsider, Australian rules looks a lot like soccer.  The players do more kicking of the ball, but it's a faster, higher-scoring game than the other codes.  The games are 80 minutes long with two 40-minute halves, and play is continuous without the starts and stops like American football.

While rugby will never have the nostalgic allure of college football- with the tailgating, the crisp fall afternoons, and the atmosphere of ritual and expectation- we have enjoyed the game nonetheless. We particularly enjoy watching the Wallabies, and it’s hard not to get caught up in the national excitement that accompanies each game.  So, with the arrival of football season this weekend, we offer our best to our respective allegiances as we can’t help but miss the opportunity to attend arguably the greatest of Southern traditions.

For those of you who are also inclined to bake and might like to attempt an official Le Cordon Bleu recipe, I have finally gotten around to posting one. After 5 weeks of training, the Sables Diamantes that we made during our second week remain one of my favorites thus far. And, unlike the Sables Hollander (“chessboard cookies”), they can be easily made at home. A Sable is a French butter cookie – “sable” is French for “sand,” referring to the crumbly texture of this shortbread-like cookie. As you can see in the photo, there are several variations of the traditional Sable, which has fluted edges and is scored with a fork in a criss-cross pattern (not shown).  You'll be making the round cookies in the far right of the photo.  I apologize for the ingredient quantities - we weigh everything at school, and there isn't really a way to convert the weights into volume measurements, so you'll just need a simple kitchen scale.  I'll also clarify the "egg pulp" listed below - just whisk an egg to blend the yolk and white, then measure 30g.  The yolk of a large egg typically weighs 20-25g, so you can just use the yolk to make things easier; it shouldn't have much of an effect on your dough.

Sables Diamantes

225g unsalted butter
100g powdered sugar, sifted
30g egg pulp
2 oranges, zested
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
320g all-purpose flour

1 egg white

sanding or granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soften butter slightly, then cream with powdered sugar. (If you have a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.  You can also make this dough by hand.  The key here is to cream the butter and sugar but not to beat too much air into the mixture; you are not looking for a light and fluffy batter as you normally would when making cookies.)

Add egg pulp (or yolk), orange zest, vanilla and salt; mix until well combined.  Then add the flour and mix gently on low speed or fold in by hand.  When the flour is almost combined, place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and no trace of flour remains.

Take half of dough and roll into a cylinder about 1 1/2" in diameter.  Roll the dough cylinder up in parchment and refrigerate for about 30 minutes; repeat with remaining dough.

Remove one cylinder of dough from parchment.  Brush egg white onto dough using a pastry brush; be sure to cover completely.  Roll dough in a tray or plate of sanding sugar to coat.  Slice dough into 1/3" rounds and place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake until the bottom is golden, but the top is still light in color (sorry - they usually don't give us baking times, but it probably takes about 10 minutes).  While one tray bakes, repeat the process with other cylinder of dough.

Let me know if you have any questions or problems - hopefully my instructions aren't too complicated!  Enjoy!

Fish are friends, not food

As many of you may know, Callie and I are quite the fans of an aquarium.  Whether it's in Georgia or New Orleans, we like the chance to observe the graceful and exotic animals and environments that live in the world's waters.  As a result, we spent the better part of today in the Sydney Aquarium.  

I should mention that today's opportunity was actually the result of a very thoughtful wedding present from a friend of mine (thanks Webb), and it was precipitated by an invitation from another friend, Dom Blahut.  Dom had inquired if we wanted to go to the aquarium while we were living with his family, and so we agreed upon this Sunday.  The aquarium sits in in a lovely part of the city called Darling Harbour, which is home to the Sydney Imax, plenty of trendy clubs and restaurants, and a fleet of beautiful private yachts.  We enjoyed an early lunch, while celebrating Grant Hackett's 1500m performance, and spent the early afternoon in the aquarium.

While it isn't nearly as large or new as the Georgia Aquarium, it does have quite a few impressive exhibits from across Australia.  I won't burden any of you with any further details or descriptions, but I will say that we did see the largest skate/stingray that God has ever created: it was estimated to weight almost 1000 pounds, was almost 10 feet wide, and looked as if it could suck your head off.  

After the aquarium, we returned home to watch some of the Olympic coverage and to prepare for the coming week.  Callie will be working on cream puffs and eclairs, which means that we will definitely have to do extra laps in the pool- as swimming is something that we have taken to since our arrival.  And for me, things are pretty normal.  Between studying and reading and going to class, there is plenty to do; all while taking the time to enjoy the opportunities of the city.      

"Rollin' in the Dough"

        Hello friends! I have posted a photo of some sweet rolls I made last week (along with about 10 loaves of various types of bread) since some of you have requested to see the product of my culinary training thus far. This week we focused on chocolate, learning to temper, or bring the chocolate to a certain temperature so that it sets quickly and becomes shiny when cooled. I made several molds including an Easter bunny, a seashell, a pair of bakers, and a couple dozen truffles filled with coffee ganache (yum!). Wednesday we produced Florentines and continued to improve our chocolate piping skills, which is definitely testing my patience.
In addition to producing endless delicious treats, I have actually gotten a job here in Gladesville! Each Friday I’ll be the cook at Caffelatte, a local coffee shop and café. I began Thursday and trained with Renise, the Wednesday/Thursday cook, who was thankfully patient with me as I tried to adjust to the commercial cooking environment. Yesterday I was on my own, and aside from over-cooking a couple of eggs during a flood of breakfast orders, I managed to complete my first day without any disasters. Steve, the owner, kept me going with helpful instruction and encouragement (and a couple of cappuccinos). I’m excited to be earning a bit of money, but it’s probably good that I’m only cooking there once a week…
Wilson is still enjoying his classes, claiming Asia-Pacific politics to be his favorite. He also submitted his first writing assignment, a ministerial briefing about whether or not Australia should appoint a permanent ambassador to the Vatican. When he’s not preparing for class, studying for the LSAT, or working out, he’s glued to the Olympic coverage (as am I).
As for our tourist adventures, we’ve planned a trip to Uluru (Ayers Rock) in the Northern Territory and Port Douglas, an access point to the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest in Queensland. Tomorrow, we’re headed to the Sydney Aquarium, so we’ll let you know how that goes!