Back to school - week 5

The mood in the classroom was somber when I walked in. The agenda for class included a review of  other red wine varietals, ports and sherries, sweet wines, distillation processes, and spirits followed by a study review.  It seemed I wasn't the only one the only one thinking about the upcoming exam.

The instructor tried to  keep the mood light as we reviewed the red or wine varietals.  As a group we provided feedback about each wine's acidity, tannin level, appearance, aroma and taste.  The instructor seemed pleased.

We moved on to sherries and ports. The class was less forthcoming in providing feedback about the sherries in ports. Noticing the shift in responsiveness the instructor told the room she would start calling on me people if the class as a whole didn't speak up. She repeated her question, "so what are you feeling?" to the room. A male voice replied, "drunk". The instructor stopped and the room burst into laughter.  The mood became light again.

Sherry and port highlights:

• Sherry is generally made from white wine
• Port is generally made from red wine
• Oloroso sherries that are sweetened with wine are referred to as cream sherry. I remembered the bottle of Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry that my parents had on hand to serve to guests. As a child I wondered by the 'cream' didn't spoil.  Mystery solved.
• There's tawny port and ruby port

The instructor surveyed the class to find out who had tasted a sherry or port for the first time in class. It wasn't the first time for anyone. However, some in the class had formed definite opinions about sherry and port. The class mood was  shifting again. We had more topics to cover and have a study review.

We tried one sweet wine, a Sauterne. but discussed how other sweet wines (eg. Eisewein) is prodcuced before moving on to discuss distillation and spirits.  Fortunately, we did not have to try any spirits.  Some fun factoids about spirits:

• Gin is Dutch for juniper the primary ingredient in gin
• Bourbon is aged for at least 2 years in new American oak
• In order to be called Tequila, the spirit must contain 51% of its agave from Tequila, Mexico. 
• Reposado (as in tequila reposado) means reposed or rest

While the talk of spirit production was fascinating to me the class in general was now anxious to move on to the exam review.  The instructor reminded the class that the exam was comprised of 50  multiple choice questions. We would have one (1) hour to complete the exam. In order to pass the exam we must answer 55% of the questions correctly. The class was asked about 12 questions covering various topics covered in class. Some questions were answered quickly, some two a few moments to respond. The instructor smiled encouraging and told the class we were definitely ready to pass the exam. When she asked the class if we felt confident about passing the exam. I shook my  head 'no', many were silent. The instructor encouraged the class to review each section and the take quizzes and the conclusion of each section as well as the practice exam. She reiterated that she thought we were well prepared. I stared at my class materials and began to mentally map out how to best approach exam review.

The exam is tonight. For the past seven days I've immersed myself in the class materials. I am hopeful the time and effort will pay off.


Be well,
Technicolor girl

image created by Ink+ LLC

A Belated Celebration of the Senses

Celebration of the Senses Day was June 24th. This is a day to fully exercise all five of your senses: smell, taste, touch, sight and hearing. I invite you to ponder  with me about the five senses from a Technicolor dining perspective.

All five senses are engaged in a dining experience (for those with  an impaired sense the remaining senses become enhanced/ more nuanced). Whether it's how the dish is plated,  the flatware used, the aroma of the dish, or noise level of the room, we are affected and we have a preference about which sense draws us or repels us.


Smell
I recently attended Woodford Reserve's Bourbon Academy. During the training we learned that personnel undergo sensory testing to determine how nuanced their sense of smell and taste is. The class was brought ten  jars of items to smell and determine what the scent is. The instructor told us that the sense of smell can be developed and that women tend to have a more nuanced sense of smell.  


Taste

The tongue's receptors tell us whether something in the mouth is hot, cold, bitter/sour, sweet or salty. What you prefer to taste is often  a matter of familiarity and preference.  I like tea because teas can be sweet, savory or bitter, prepared hot or cold,  and with the addition of sweetener, lemon, or other ingredients become more pronounced.


Touch
I've received quite a bit of commentary about my  dislike of okra. The primary reason I don't care for okra is how it feels (touch) on my tongue. In contrast, I like when spirits (e.g. bourbon, scotch, brandy) touch my tongue because the liquid seems to touch my tongue and slowly move to the back of my throat.





Sight
I clearly remember sending my pal BB a text with a picture of dish I was eating. Moments later BB replied that the dish was unappealing to her because it was monochromatic. BB also reminded me that the setting is also a factor - whether it's the plastic table cloth on a picnic table, the favorite tablecloth used for celebrations, or the 'special glasses' used when company visits it's the visual appeal the draws us.





Hearing
When I think of hearing I think of popcorn, the crunch of an apple and the crunch of fresh tortilla chips. As a child I loved Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory read to me  because I imagined Charlie eating the chocolate  bar with his grandparents, savoring each square.





Consider this: one of delights of summer is grilling, which can appeal to all five senses.

What's your primary sense?
What's your secondary sense?


May you have a day that celebrates all your senses!

Be  well,

Technicolor girl