You guys are the greatest cheer squad imaginable - thanks so much for all the kind thoughts on my baking exploits! So I just had to stop by this evening and share all the gossip with you - it was such fun - I had completed all the baking yesterday, so there was no pressure at all and I was determined to enjoy the experience.
And it was fantastic. I got to plate up my chicken, sage and pancetta palm pies and slice my marmalade loaf cake, served with greek yoghurt, candied peel and blood oranges in caramel. And then my food was whisked off, with me trailing in it's wake, to meet Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.
And they were lovely - so amiable and keen to put me at ease (quite important, given the somewhat daunting presence of a film crew in the room). Mary had the air of the health visitor about her - immediately friendly, but you get a sense that she knows her stuff and wouldn't hesitate to tell you in the nicest possible way, if you were not doing things right. Or perhaps it's just that she told me twice that I was doing a good job bringing up my children. And Paul - well, quite frankly he could say whatever he liked as long as I could enjoy his twinkly blue eyes - swoon.
They said my pastry was very good (hooray!) although Paul thought I could have added cream to my pie filling to bring all the flavours together - I'm going to try that next time. And Mary said I had done an excellent job with the cake as it is apparently very hard to bake with marmalade without the cake sinking in the middle (good thing I didn't know that or I may have worried). Paul thought the cake was a bit on the dry side but Mary lept to my defence, disagreeing with him and saying it had a perfect Madeira texture. I get the impression those two quite like to disagree!
And then we had a bit of a chat about choux pastry followed by me shooting myself in the foot by admitting that I do not bake a great deal of bread. The simple truth is, I can buy excellent bread from an artisan baker made less than 5 miles from my front door and it has made me lazy. I'd rather spend my kitchen time making something that I couldn't buy as good a version of.
Which is truthful, but perhaps not a terribly well judged admission when you are auditioning for a place in a baking competition, when one of the judges owns an artisan bread company and believes baking is synonymous with bread.
But as I waited for the verdict, contemplating the challenges of the next phase of the competition, I have to admit, I was daunted. So when they told me I hadn't made it through to the last 60, I wasn't surprised and, if truth be told, a teeny bit relieved. Because it's pretty high pressure, this competitive cooking business.
And tomorrow, when I am back to the day job of being CEO of my own kitchen, I will smile to myself a little bit. Because I am still really glad to have applied - today goes down as one of my very finest cooking adventures. And if ever I am asked the question again "What is your greatest baking achievement?" I can reply that Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood say my pastry is very good.
And perhaps I might invest in that Artisan Bread book Rebecca was recommending...
well done you!
those recipe sounded awfully complicated and accomplished... I'm sorry you didn't make it through, but hey, I'm still unbelievably impressed you got so far!!!
well done you!
Posted by: Monica | 01 March 2011 at 22:17
wow, this is so cool! I'm 10000% certain that everything that you made was sssuuuuppppeeeerrrrr perfect good.
Posted by: Claudia | 01 March 2011 at 23:49
You are amazing! I was thinking of you all day yesterday. I'm so impressed you made it all the way to the semis. Just think how many applications they must have received. Will you share your palm pie recipe? They look fabulous!
And I added the bread book to my Amazon wish list too!
K x
Posted by: kristina | 02 March 2011 at 07:59
Blimey, I'm impressed anyway! I'd buy your food - it sounds fab!
And psssst, if you want to try the bread without shelling out for the book, at least to start with:
http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=1616
It has, quite literally, changed my breadmaking life. I even use locally ground wholemeal flour and it works beautifully.
Posted by: dottycookie | 02 March 2011 at 08:03
What a fabulous experience and one that I'm sure you'll never forget. Get to know your dough hook and I'd recommend the River Cottage bread handbook. Although I do confess the 5 minute bread is on my wish list too!
Posted by: Dragonfly | 02 March 2011 at 08:15
Well done - I think it sounds as though you did brilliantly (my marmalade cake always sinks in the middle!) I can't imagine how high the standard of baking must be.
Posted by: Gina | 02 March 2011 at 08:35
What a great day! Your pies sound great. I'd go for one right now, with or without the cream.
Posted by: The Coffee Lady | 02 March 2011 at 09:07
Oh no! Oh well, at least you got yourself a nice mixer out of it!! And I can imagine it must have been good fun to take part - I'd never have applied myself, I hate all stress and competitiveness in the kitchen!
Posted by: Petit Filoux | 02 March 2011 at 09:34
That sounds like so much fun! If it were me I would be boasting about the pastry compliments for YEARS to come!
Posted by: The List Writer | 02 March 2011 at 09:45
I'm suddenly feeling hungry, looking at your baking; it looks very very can-I-have-one-please-yes-NOW. What a great day!
Posted by: Jannette | 02 March 2011 at 10:21
I was thinking of you yesterday - wondering how you were doing and my thought flags were waving furiously. You've made me hungry too - I love the sound of those palm pies. I think I may have been a little relieved too - it does sound pressured - I wonder whether the camera would have taken away some of the enjoyment. It's so wonderful that you entereed and got so far down the line. There must have been tens of THOUSANDS of entries. Sheesh.
Posted by: Emma | 02 March 2011 at 11:46
Those recipes sound like absolute winners to me and I'm so pleased the judges approved. It must have felt like a lovely compliment to your culinary skills even if you didn't make it through to the next round.
Posted by: Helen | 02 March 2011 at 12:06
Hey ho, well done for getting as far as you did! You got a bit of excitement without the scary appearing on TV bit!
Your palm pies look scrummy too!
Posted by: Laura | 02 March 2011 at 12:09
Well done Ali - your pies looked wonderful and the cake sounded delicious (and highly complicated to make if you ask me!). I did wonder how you were getting on yesterday and well done for getting so far, what an exciting adventure xx
Posted by: simply h | 02 March 2011 at 12:37
Good going - blimey 'phew' talk about a brow wiping moment.
I've just caught up with your last post as well and am mightly impressed - hats off 100% for even getting to that stage.
Happy baking,
Nina xxx
Posted by: nina - tabiboo | 02 March 2011 at 13:11
Well done you. What a great experience.
I got into bread making a few years ago and I use The Bread Book by Linda Collister. It's very good, thorough and has lots of nice recipes.
Posted by: Simmy | 02 March 2011 at 13:46
Wow! Sounds like a really fun experience -- if not VERY nerve-wracking! Do you have a link where those of us not in your fair country could have a gander -- I'd love to be able to view it. (Ok, just to listen to your accents would do it for me -- forget those blue eyes LOL!) Congratulations on all that effort AND success!!!
Posted by: Thimbleanna | 02 March 2011 at 14:13
Well done, Ali, it sounds as though you had a great day! Many congratulations on your pastry talents - hold your head high!
Posted by: Louise | 02 March 2011 at 15:12
well done - how nice to have met those two as well
Posted by: Janice Perkin | 02 March 2011 at 16:06
I think it's a great achievement to get as far as you did,Very well done.
Posted by: patchwork linda | 02 March 2011 at 16:26
You've done fantastically well and your baking looks delicious! I'm hungry now!! Lucy xx
Posted by: lucylocket | 02 March 2011 at 19:16
I think you did so well to get so far and to have such high compliments for your pastry and marmalade loaf. I am sure that you definitely got the fun end of it too, just as you said. More pressure in the later rounds could have made it a lot less enjoyable.
Posted by: Tracy | 02 March 2011 at 20:41
It sounds like you had a great day and your baking sounds very scrummy
Posted by: Catherine | 02 March 2011 at 21:01
I'm so impressed!! How marvellous to have made it that far. Well done you. And you get to keep your recipes to yourself, and us of course... x
Posted by: Cat | 02 March 2011 at 21:42
O Ali, the thrill of it all, you tell the story perfectly. I am a little sad that I won't be seeing you on the screen, this time, but you are top of my cool list for getting to the point of baking go Mary & Paul and "good pastry" is something some of us will never achieve.
So now, how about a little recipe sharing, those pies sound divine.
Posted by: Rebecca | 02 March 2011 at 21:45
It sounds like so much fun! Congratulations!!
Posted by: Katherine | 02 March 2011 at 21:52
Well done Ali! It sounds like it was an eventful day. You must be very proud of your pastry. Something to dine out on for years! x
Posted by: PinkCat | 03 March 2011 at 13:10
What an adventure, it must have been quite pressurised baking in a competitve environment but Paul Hollywood looks delicious...........I mean your pies look delicious! Congratulations on having done so well.x
Posted by: French Knots | 03 March 2011 at 13:11
Hooray for honesty. Hooray for marmalade cake and hip hip hooray for tip top pastry. Am in awe of your calm and bravery. Welcome back to real life! Ax
Posted by: Magic Bean | 03 March 2011 at 15:23
That may be your finest achievement so far...
But your recipes sound delicious and I'll be waiting for the publication of your first book eagerly!
mmm tiny pies with little sage leaves and mmmmm marmalade cake!!!!
Posted by: mooncalf | 03 March 2011 at 16:08
I don't know if I would have been able to even prepare anything. It takes stamina so congrats to you.
Posted by: Paola | 03 March 2011 at 18:17
wow-well done Ali, you must be delighted! what a brilliant achievement and experience, certainly something to go on your 'Cool things I did in 2011' list! Your palm pies sound delicious, my mouth is watering! you will no doubt enjoy the series when it airs all the more for having taken a small part in proceedings-you were far braver than I could have been!
Posted by: Anna | 03 March 2011 at 19:16
Well done Ali, sounds like you had a great time and what a lovely complement to come away with. Definitely a super experience to have had and now you can sit back and relax with a glass of wine and watch the people who make it through sweat and swear and generally get very hot under the collar as competition unfolds and probably be a little bit glad that you're not there under the studio lights!
Posted by: Julie | 03 March 2011 at 19:26
Oh well done you getting to the stage that you did - what an experience x
Posted by: ali.b. | 03 March 2011 at 20:04
Oh Ali, I'm so proud of you! Wish I could say Mary Berry has eaten my cake and pronounced it perfect!
Posted by: domestikate | 03 March 2011 at 22:25
Well done you - so exciting and soooo terrifying!! I would have fallen to pieces along with my melting moments!
karen
Posted by: Karen | 04 March 2011 at 11:17
It really does sound like a fantastic experience, getting to bake for and impress Mary Berry and crumb-structure-aficionado Paul Hollywood.
That really is the stamp of approval for your pastry!
Posted by: Two Owls | 04 March 2011 at 14:30
It sounds like you had an excellent day despite not getting through to the next round. Well done you.
Monda
x
Posted by: Monda | 04 March 2011 at 17:14
Well done, I hope you will be sharing your recipes with us!!
Posted by: lazylol | 04 March 2011 at 18:27
That sounds like such great fun. I think good pastry is way harder to make than bread.
Posted by: Megan | 05 March 2011 at 20:15
Hiya, I'm one of those people who read a blog but don't always comment, but I really wanted to say it was quite inspiring what you did, havingthe confidence to actually do it and not just talk about it. And to meet Mary Berry too! I swear by her cake book and completely imagined her as an efficent health visitor!
Posted by: gtlady | 10 March 2011 at 09:38
Wow, how brilliant, well done!
Posted by: Karen | 10 March 2011 at 12:42
Well done! Just reading about it all made me feel slightly nervous. I don't think I could cope cooking under pressure like that. Funnily enough I've just bought a copy of the book that came out after the first series, and I've been writing up a little piece about it. I wasn't that taken with the show at first and then, very suddenly, I was completely gripped!
Posted by: Charlotte | 29 March 2011 at 22:26