Blackberry Basil Cream Pie

I had my first competitive muay thai fight on Saturday night.  It was an amazing experience.  The lead-up was quite intense with all the training, diet and lifestyle regimen, but it was all worth it the minute I stepped into the ring.

For a while I was worried I wouldn’t make it to the ring.  There were three of us from my fight team who were scheduled to compete, but first, one girl broke her wrist, then the guy got called away for work and then we wound up spending an evening in the hospital with my coach; I definitely took care with every step I took to make sure nothing happened to prevent me from fighting!

My opponent was a lovely girl from another gym also competing for the first time.  We were quite evenly matched and both strengths and weaknesses were highlighted.  I was very pleased to be matched up against her for our first bout.  As funny as it may sound given the topic, we were respectful and proper competitors.  I even bought her a cupcake from my friend Lynne afterwards.

My weaknesses definitely won’t stay weaknesses for long.  I’ll be training hard over the next while to shore them up and can’t wait to get in the ring again.

yuuuummmmmmmm

The hardest part of all of this was the restricted diet.  I already eat fairly healthy, but I really had to monitor every morsel and track proteins-carbs-fats, times of day I was eating, portion sizes, cutting out anything remotely unhealthy, etc.  For someone who loves cooking, eating and feeding people, all I wanted to do was bake.  In the limited time I had when not training, I would lovingly turn pages in my numerous cookbooks, gazing longingly at all the recipes I was dying to make.

I spent the day after my fight in the kitchen, crafting chocolate shortbread and this delectable blackberry basil cream pie.

I wanted to make this pie since I saw it on the cover of the LCBO’s Spring 2012 Food & Drink magazine.  Layers of blackberry custard and basil-infused whipped cream, topped with syrupy sweetened basil blackberries, it fully delivered on its delicious promise.

I brought it to a gathering that evening and everyone delighted in its unique flavour combination and smooth, creamy texture.  With multiple steps it does require a little effort, but it is well worth it.  The recipe has already been clipped and put it my MUST-MAKE-AGAIN folder.

blackberry basil cream pie

I didn’t take pictures of the sliced pie as it would have been inappropriate to show up to a party with a pie with a missing piece, but you can see the LCBO’s picture; the beautiful purple jewel colour of the custard layer definitely came through in my finished product as well and looked stunning in addition to the exceptional taste.

Blackberry Basil Cream Pie

Slightly adapted from the LCBO’s Food & Drink Spring 2012 issue.

CRUST:

1 store-bought or homemade deep dish pie shell, pre-baked according to package or recipe directions

CUSTARD:

2 cps blackberries

4 eggs plus 2 egg yolks

1/2 cp sugar

1/2 cp whipping cream

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 grams powdered gelatin, only if needed (as indicated below)

TOPPING and SYRUP:

1/4 cp sugar

1/4 cp water

1/4 cp basil leaves, torn, plus extra whole leaves for garnish

2 cinnamon sticks

1+1/4 cps whipping cream

1 cp blackberries

To make the custard:

Purée blackberries in blender.  Press purée through a fine mesh sieve into a medium heatproof bowl to get rid of seeds.  Add eggs, yolks, sugar, cream and lemon juice; whisk to combine.

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil; turn heat down to simmer.  Position the heatproof bowl with the blackberry mixture over (but not touching) the simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture has thickened.  In the original recipe it says this should take 8-10 minutes.  The mixture did not thicken at all for me, so after the allotted time I added the gelatin, whisked it in, and continued whisking for another 2-3 minutes until the mixture started to thicken.  Remove bowl from over the saucepan and let the mixture cool to room temperature.  When cool, make sure to taste a little before you proceed; this is DELICIOUS.  Spread the custard into the baked crust, smooth the top, and put in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour.

To make the topping and syrup:

Dissolve the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Once the sugar mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and stir in cinnamon sticks and torn basil leaves; let infuse for 15 minutes.  After infusing, strain the syrup, pressing down on the basil leaves to extract as much as possible, into a small bowl and discard the solids.  Cool to room temperature.

Whip the cream until stiff peaks form.  Fold in 2 tbsps of the syrup.  Combine the remaining syrup with the blackberries, mashing 2 or 3 to infuse the syrup with purple colour and glazing the rest.

To assemble:

Spread the cream over the chilled pie to cover the custard layer.  Just prior to serving, spoon the syrup and berries over the pie and garnish with additional basil leaves.  Alternately you can decorate the pie with blackberries and basil leaves and let the guests spoon the syrupy berries over it themselves.

Be prepared to sigh with contentment, have at least one more piece, and longingly desire more immediately after it’s finished.

There are a few components to my training and preparation.

First, of course, there’s the actual muay thai training and technique I do with my coach, including sparring (practice fighting) other training buddies.

Then there’s the regular gym, where I work with a personal trainer and on my own to strengthen and condition my body (so I can deliver strong hits but also be able to absorb hits that land on me without too much shock) and work on cardio- the type of cardio required in a fight of three rounds, two minutes each is very intense and deals more with interval training and spurts of energy rather than endurance.  Fighting is done in short bursts, pushing forward with your attack or defending and countering, but without proper cardio preparation the fighter can “gas out” (tire) extremely quickly.  A two minute round may not sound like a lot, but it’s extremely intense.  And there’s three of them.

Mental preparation is also key.  If I can hold my composure and not get flustered in the ring I should do ok.  Prior to the fight, like many other athletes in other fields, visualization can help.  A friend of mine called these “mind scripts”; you visualize yourself in the fight, defending and blocking moves thrown at you, launching your own attacks and counter attacks and “seeing” them land, running through sequences of the fight- and of course, coming out on top.

Lastly, there’s the issue of diet and nutrition.  When a fight is on the horizon, many fighters cut weight (regardless of how fit or thin they are) as there are certain distinct advantages to fighting in a lower weight class.  It’s a delicate balance between ensuring you’re able to shed a few pounds while at the same time obtaining enough clean nutrients in order to train- and train hard.  Water is a key factor here too; I’ve taken to carrying around a half litre container of water wherever I go and try to get through 3+ litres daily.

I started in a good place for all of these preparations, having just come off Dr. Oz’s 48-Hour Weekend Cleanse.  I hadn’t known I would be fighting shortly thereafter, but I had been looking for an appropriate detox and cleanse I could do while maintaining my training regimen.  Most of these cleanses- although certainly healthful and detoxifying- do not provide enough energy or fuel in order to maintain the 15-20 hours weekly I was training.

The Dr. Oz two-day cleanse contains some protein in the form of quinoa for breakfast, which is crucial for athletic performance.  It contains plenty of vegetables, fruit, chia seeds and more to account for nutrients, flax oil to ensure essential fatty acids and even has a serving of naturally-fermented sauerkraut which aids in digestion and healthy bacteria.  Additionally, at only two days, I felt I could manage it and still remain strong and vital.

I loved this cleanse!  The breakfast of quinoa with prunes and almond milk was so delicious I’ve incorporated it into my regular diet.  The lunch of a blueberry-banana-chia seeds shake was tasty, although not filling enough.  I found I turned to the unlimited snacks of specific vegetables and juices a lot and- although sustaining enough to get to dinner- let it be clear that you can eat as many celery sticks, cucumber, radishes and green beans as you want, you’ll still be hungry.

Dinner was on point, however, because just as I was starting to get increasingly hungry from lunch, it was time to eat again.  Dinner is a vegetable soup you make yourself and although bland, you can spice it up with pepper.  It is definitely filling.  In addition to the soup, you eat a side of apples and sauerkraut, which surprisingly made for a lovely meal.  If you’re thinking of trying it, I do recommend cutting the amount of veg listed for the soup in half; I couldn’t fit everything into my large soup pot, which even at half the amount stated, still made enough soup to last me a week, let alone two days.

The same menu is repeated for both days.

There are a lot of nuances accounted for in the choice of foods, such as the good bacteria and digestive enzymes, which as a student of holistic nutrition, I caught and deeply appreciated.  This is certainly a well-designed, well-thought-out detox.  Post-fight, I’ll be trying it again.  Along with a warm epsom salt bath to nurse the inevitable impending bruises.

Classic and Cocoa Sables

Every Friday, an intrepid group of bloggers and Dorie Greenspan groupies (yeeaaaahhhhh DORIE!) blog about a recipe from her fabulous- and massive- Around My French Table.  Dorie has long been renowned for her virtuosic baking skills, and Around My French Table ventures into the realm of French cooking with recipes she developed and culled from Parisian cuisine.

This Friday, the recipe on tap was Cocoa Sablés, a thick buttery cookie with texture akin to shortbread (indeed, a sablé is a French shortbread of sorts).  I was excited to try not only the cocoa version, but also her classic butter sablés version as well.

Yum yum

I started with the cocoa sablés, adding a generous dose of cinnamon and making sure to include the optional chopped chocolate (do NOT omit the chocolate).  To make the cookies, you roll them into a log and chill for three hours.  I found the dough extremely crumbly and difficult to roll; I debated adding more butter, but the taste of the dough was delicious so I opted not to alter it further.  I simply pushed it into the best log shape I could, chilled it for the requisite three hours, rolled it in sanding sugar and chocolate sprinkles, and baked.  I baked one batch at 18 minutes and one at 15; the latter were much better.

I didn’t love either batch though.  They’re certainly good and my office will be appreciative, but I wouldn’t make them again.  The chocolate and cinnamon are important additions, but they didn’t wow me.  I strongly suspect though that if Dorie had baked them, they would.

Classic and Cocoa Sables

The classic version was MUCH better.  I made two batches, adding orange zest to both and further adding mini chocolate chips to one.  With a higher butter to flour ratio, these sablés rolled out much better.  After surrounding them with assorted decorative sprinkles and sugar, I baked them for 17- 18 minutes.  Although both good, my favourite was the version I added the mini chocolate chips to.  A nice, light, shortbread-type cookie.

Classic and Cocoa Sables

French Fridays With Dorie members do not publish the recipes; should you want to join the fun, feel free to pick up your own copy of Around My French Table.  You won’t be sorry.

I got there early and parked myself in the front row, armed with her book which I had pre-ordered and devoured (pun intended) and a tupperware of homemade chocolate chip cookies to give to her.  I know, I know, I gave the host of a professional dessert competition cookies I baked.  I’m sure they weren’t the best cookies she’s ever had, but I’m equally sure they were pretty darn good and that she appreciated the gesture from an admiring fan.

I happened to sit next to Gail’s neighbour, a supremely talented artist, who shared bits and pieces with me about Gail’s childhood and teenage years.  I recognized Gail’s parents in the audience from the pictures in her book.  I loved that she was surrounded by friends, family and fans.

When Gail graduated from McGill University, she knew that she loved to eat, cook, write and travel but had no idea how that could translate into a career.  From going to culinary school to working in prestigious restaurants, planning events for the esteemed Daniel Boulud to landing the glamorous and notorious position of Jeffrey Steingarten’s assistant, Gail worked tirelessly to achieve her end goal as a food writer.

Her extreme dedication and work ethic shone through in her book.  She clearly had to deal with her fair share of, well, crap, en route to her current life, but she dug her heels in and persevered.  It’s extremely admirable.

The book is written in a casual, straightforward manner, much like Gail herself.  During her presentation Gail related that one of the reasons that she wanted to share her story is to help the multitude of young adults who feel lost, with no direction or notion of what they want to do or how to achieve it, in order to share some guidance and show them that anything is possible with a few key words (eat. cook. write. travel.) and a lot of determination and hard work.  Gail is a wonderful mentor and staunch example of this.

I laughed through much of the book as Gail candidly describes what happens when you become an overnight foodie celebrity.  At one point she discusses the need to develop a thick skin and relays some of the criticisms she has read about herself.  Negative comments are a funny thing; some are insightful and constructive, others just plain stupid.  One person apparently critiqued her for her ears being “too pointy.”  Perhaps she’s descended from elves.  That would be an advantage in this day and age anyways, and really, what does that have to do with her ability to critique or write about food?

I’m not a celebrity person.  If it had been a Hollywood starlet, I probably wouldn’t have even bothered going.  But I just love Gail.  And yes, I was completely starstruck.

As vivacious and confident in person as she appears on Top Chef, Gail has clearly come a long way from her parents’ basement.  She is well-practiced and polished, and has obviously put a lot of work into changing her personal persona from being a nervous, eager ingénue to the gracious celebrity she has become.  It seems like she is still adapting to her fame and isn’t sure what to make of it yet.

I was proud of her.  I wasn’t expecting that feeling; after all, I don’t know her personally.  But I was proud of the work she’d put in and the person she’s become.  I felt honoured to be there to hear her.

We all have our roles to play and mine that night was the adoring fan.  I introduced myself to her father after; it’s always lovely for parents to hear and see the positive impact their children have on others and be proud of all their children have achieved.  We call that getting nachas in the Jewish world!

I was flustered though; when I gave her the cookies I baked for her I actually apologized!  Why?  I have no idea.  Giving someone cookies is definitely not something to be sorry about- especially chocolatey chip goodness. 

When Gail signed my book, I asked her to write a few of the pantry or fridge items she can’t live without:  “Pickles!  Champagne!  Chocolate!”

No wonder we love her- pointy ears and all.

Veggie Chili packed with millet, quinoa and lentils!

I’ve learnt a lot thus far in my few weeks at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition.  The health issues with white flour, for example, which make a strong case to switch to whole grains.  White flour robs your body of nutrients and the refining process removes most of the nutrients that are in the whole grain to begin with.  White flour doesn’t pack as much healthy fibre as whole grains, nor does it have the rich natural compendium of vitamins and minerals. 

I have a sensitivity to wheat (although I can eat it in small amounts) which has pushed me to seek out other delicious whole grains.  Brown rice, for example.  Oats.  Qunioa.  I can tolerate gluten, so am loving kamut bread.  But I had yet to try the fascinating grain millet.

Millet is a recent addition to the North American diet, although it’s been used in Asia for thousands of years.  A whole grain, it has some protein but no gluten, making it a smart choice for those with gluten intolerances.  It is also the most alkaline of the grains; our bodies are alkaline and therefore we generally want to eat a diet richer in alkaline foods over those high in acid.  This pertains to how foods break down in our bodies, so sometimes foods that are acidic in nature (ie citrus fruits) actually leave an alkaline ash in our bodies.  For the most part, fruits and vegetables are alkaline while meats and starches are acidic.  Too much acid can upset the pH balance in our bodies and cause congestion.  Millet being the most alkaline of the grains is thus potentially the least congesting.

It is high in fibre and contains good amounts of vitamins B1, B2, B3 and a little vitamin E.  It is especially high in the minerals iron, magnesium and potassium.  It’s a terrific grain to consume in Winter or colder weather as it is a warming grain and helps to heat the body.  (all information on millet from Staying Healthy with Nutrition by Elson M. Haas, MD)

One of my nutrition goals is to increase the amount of fibre I eat.  Also, with the amount I train, it’s important for me to consume plenty of protein.  All that coupled with my intense desire to try millet led me to come up with a high-fibre high-protein vegetarian chili.

It’s packed full of chickpeas and mixed beans for fibre.  Quinoa provides a healthy dose of protein while the combination of lentils and millet add even more.  I threw in some turnip on a whim.

I encourage you to experiment with the recipe.  Change the grains- omit millet if you can’t find it.  Throw in some brown rice.  Substitute or add other vegetables.  Play around with the spices (although the combination of turmeric, cinnamon and cumin is quite delicious).  Throw in whatever you have slowly rotting, erm, ripening, in the back of your fridge (just make sure it hasn’t spoiled yet!)  Add fresh herbs at the end.  Just don’t omit the zucchini- it becomes delectably sweet with a little cookery.

I enjoy leftovers and could eat this chili for a week so amounts are generous.  Feel free to slash everything in half.   I particularly like generous helpings of spices, so definitely doctor those to your preference.

VEGETARIAN CHILI STARRING MILLET

1 can chopped tomatoes with juice

1 can tomato sauce (pick something with the words “zesty” or “chiles” in the label- or make your own!)

Water

1 can mixed beans, drained and rinsed well

1 can chickpeas, drained and mixed well

1/2 cup lentils

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

1/2 cup millet

1 can green chiles

1 turnip, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

2 tbsps cinnamon

4 cinnamon sticks

1 tbsp turmeric

2 tbsps cumin

Salt and pepper to season

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chickpeas, beans, lentils, quinoa, millet  and turnip chunks to a large pot.  Add enough water to cover.  Bring to boil, making sure to stir often so the grains and other ingredients don’t clump and stick to the bottom.

Reduce heat to simmer.  Cover and let cook, stirring often, 15 minutes.  Add the zucchini and all spices (but not salt or pepper).  Continue to cook, covered and stirring often 7-10 minutes or until all grains, lentils and turnip are cooked through.  If too liquidy, leave uncovered for the last 5 minutes of cooking, but make sure the liquid doesn’t evaporate too much or everything wil stick to the bottom. 

Season with salt and pepper.  Leave the cinnamon sticks in to add flavour if storing leftovers but remove before eating.

I brought them to the gym, where amidst cries of “I can eat what I want because I train!” they were gone in a matter of minutes.  Of course I contributed my share.  I train so can eat what I want, no?

The trick with these blondies is an experiment gone right.  Frustrated by the hard chunk of what’s supposed to be brown sugar sitting in my cupboard (yes, I’ve tried everything to soften it from apple slices to microwaving to that block softener they sell at kitchen stores.  No, nothing works.), I decided to caramelize the brown sugar to soften it while at the same time intensifying the flavour.  The recipe called for melted butter so I melted the butter in a saucepan first and then added the brown sugar.  Of course, you must remember to put the butter-sugar mixture in the fridge for ten minutes before adding the eggs.  No one wants cooked egg bits in their blondies.  At least, that’s the assumption I’m running with.

Feel free to add more butterscotch chips.  A tbsp of cinnamon would make a nice addition to the dry ingredients too.

Don’t plan on having these around for long unless you hide them well. 

Inspired from a recipe in the March 2012 Food Networks magazine’s “50 Brownies” insert.

Butterscotch Chip Blondies

1 stick unsalted butter

1 + 1/2 cups brown sugar, preferably dark

2 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

1 + 1/2 cups flour (I used 1 cup unbleached white and 1/2 cup whole wheat)

2 tsps baking powder

1/4 cup white chocolate chips

1/4 cup butterscotch chips

1/4 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.

In medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter.  Increase heat to medium-low, add brown sugar, and cook 4 minutes or until sugar begins to caramelize, stirring slowly and constantly.  Don’t let it caramelize all the way; remove it from heat once you start to smell the rich caramelly smell or once 4 minutes have elapsed.  Pour mixture into heatproof bowl and put in fridge for 10 minutes.

Remove from fridge and stir, making sure it’s cool enough to add the eggs without cooking them.  Stir in eggs and vanilla.

Stir in flour and baking powder.  Fold in white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and walnuts.  Pour mixture into greased baking dish.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

I was away for most of the Fall.  If you read my blog regularly you’ll know all about my adventures at the muay thai training camp Sinbi in Phuket, Thailand, which were so helpful in improving my technique that I’m trying to figure out when I can head back this year.

I also spent time in Israel (twice), Chicago, Cuba, throughout Canada and other parts of the US.  I had great meals, accomplished a lot at work, got promoted along the way and dealt with new faces, new challenges and new lessons.

As 2012 hit, I went back to school part-time and am now studying at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition.  This school is AMAZING.  The more I learn, the more I want to learn, and you’ll be seeing some tips and information crop up throughout future posts.  I warn you, though, I am always happy to discuss but I won’t post everything I learn.  It will be too overwhelming to absorb at once- and frankly, not everyone would be pleased to read about some of the things I’m discovering.  I’m happy to answer any questions you may have though; and if I don’t know the answer I will do the research and find out.  This is the same deal I presented to my family; they may not be able or interested in changing their eating habits so I only share information with big impact, but I’m happy to respond to any questions or curiosities they might have.

We can talk about properties of food, supplements, diseases and how to treat them with holistic nutrition, why some diets work and others don’t, detoxing, what someone needs to eat at each life stage, etc.  Full disclosure:  I’m obviously not a certified nutritionist right now, but this is what my program is for and assuming all goes well, I will be once I’ve finished the program.

I also started ramping up my muay thai training as I’m looking to fight competitively in the next few months.  I now train 15-20 hours per week.  Plus school part-time, work full-time, finishing my MA thesis and a few other assorted goodies.  I’m loving it.

Chef school has been good to me recently as well although I’ve decided to put it on hold for a couple of months and likely won’t take another course until the summer.  I just finished Southern Italian.  YUM.

I’ve been working on some delicious recipes for you, including a vegetarian chili chock-full of quinoa, lentils, millet, beans and veg.  You can alter the ingredients as you deem fit, of course.  I’m healthifying up some dessert recipes too; don’t worry, when the post goes up, you can trust the recipe is delicious AND good for you.

I’ll keep you posted as life, school, work, training and of course, FOOD unfold.

Happy Friday.

I was surprised to see that Centro’s website really didn’t have much information on it at all.  There was no history of the restaurant, no information about the chefs other than their names and the press/ reviews section showcases an empty page.  Strange- also detrimental as some of the reviews easily accessible on-line are not the most flattering.  That being said, information is not hard to come by when you’re armed with Google and the gallery of pictures was certainly stunning.  I was surprised to see they don’t take debit but that’s not much of an issue these days.

I also have an inside scoop as several of my clients are regulars there, including a few that keep their own wine lockers.  They all rave about Centro and frankly, their opinions hold sway with me.  Not that I needed second opinions after the excellent experiences I had.

W has now taken me there twice, though I’ve yet to see a menu.  He and Chef Carter concoct elaborate tasting menus behind closed doors, with Carter applying his impressive culinary talent to ensuring an appropriate balance of flavours and tasting notes.  He doesn’t miss a single detail and each dish is thoughtful, elegant and refined.  However, Chef Carter doesn’t stop there; he goes out of his way to make sure the entire dining experience for W and his guests is exceptional.  On our first visit there, I was particularly impressed with the Chef himself coming out to greet everyone before the meal and personally ask about each person’s allergies and food preferences.  Throughout the meal, not a ball was dropped.  Despite quite a number of food restrictions, everyone’s tasting plates came out at exactly the same time catered to each preference.  The timing of each course was perfect and the generosity of Chef Carter and his team lovely; if anyone wanted anything extra, it was no problem whatsoever.  During the second visit, Chef Carter came up at dessert to ask if anyone wanted something else- fresh fruit perhaps, to go along with the most enjoyable poached pear with pecans and vanilla crumble accompanied by a vanilla glaze, buttermilk ice cream and perfect tuile cookie?  Of course there were platters of Centro’s famous freshly baked cookies being passed around as well.  Despite us being stuffed to the brim, Chef Carter decided that we needed more and no sooner had he disappeared to the kitchen than platters of beautiful fresh fruit appeared.

Chef Jason Carter thrives on personalizing each experience at his restaurant.  He makes sure that every guest is catered to and each plate a beautifully presented experience.  When evaluating the visits in order to write this post, the only critique I had was that there was actually too much food at the first visit- but isn’t that just the critique you want to experience? 

Especially when the food is of the nature Chef Carter strives to provide.  Each visit had an elaborate seven course menu, not including the extras Chef threw in for our dining pleasure.

Visit One started with a dish of smoked salmon with crème fraiche and a little crumbled hard-boiled egg, topped with a small spoonful of caviar.  A salad of delectable Burrata cheese surrounded by figs and arugula followed, the simple ingredients elevated under Chef Carter’s touch.  Burrata is an Italian cheese made of mozzarella and cream, giving it a soft, silky texture.  Indeed it is one of my favourites and I was delighted to see it come out.

The third dish was the highlight of the meal for me (although given the quality of each dish, the “highlight” competition was fierce).  Chef Carter served the tenderest octopus I’ve ever eaten.  As a general rule, I’m happy to eat octopus, but would never have considered it a favourite or first choice.  Clearly I’d just never had it cooked properly, because whatever Chef did to it transformed it and gave it a soft texture and flavour I’ve not seen elsewhere.  In fact, when I attended the International Food Bloggers’ Conference by Foodista a year and a half ago, they served octopus which was so tough to chew many participants left it on the side of their plates.  And this is a conference of foodies.  So now my list of whose octopus I’m willing to order includes just the one name.

A pea, mushroom and asiago cheese risotto followed.  For the less adventurous eaters in the group, this was a definite hit.  A pasta or risotto course is a staple of many tasting menus and this one rounded the menu nicely.

Seared halibut with bonito flakes appeared, followed by a baby rack of lamb with potatoes and sugar snap peas.  Chef had removed the lamb from the bone and presented it on the bone in a lovely nod to the original form.  This was the highlight for many around the table and I see why.  Even those who don’t usually enjoy lamb liked Chef Carter’s version.  By this point, of course, everyone was stuffed and even I couldn’t finish my entire piece.

Chef also brought a small plate of pork belly to W to taste- one of the “extras” I referred to.  It was lovely, yet I heard Chef Carter critiquing it to W afterwards.  I am always a little in awe of the perfectionism that some chefs strive to achieve.  It’s that desire to always go just a little further, reach just a little higher, that sets some apart from others.

Dessert was the perfect accompaniment to the meal, refreshing and not too heavy.  Tasting plates of berries with a honey tuile and passionfruit sorbet appeared.  I’m not much of a sorbet person- I like them as much as the next guy but it’s rare that that’s my first choice- but you can bet I finished mine.  Plates of biscotti and chocolate chip cookies made the rounds as well.

The second visit started with a purée of zucchini soup with barley, shrimp and lardons.  This was really delightful and a lovely way to begin.  A beef carpaccio drizzled with truffle oil and accompanied by arugula, frisée and a little sweet pickle followed.  This dish was very clever, with each flavour complementing and elevating the others.  It was clear that a lot of thought went into the components of this one (a lot of thought clearly goes into all of them, but these flavours really paired nicely).

The requisite pasta dish was pappardelle made in-house with a brunoise of veg and romano cheese all enveloped in a rich mushroom sauce.  In a larger portion, this would be the perfect dish to curl up with in front of a fire on a chilly Winter night.

Black cod surrounded by de puy lentils, braised endive and spinach purée came next, followed by slices of duck with brussel sprouts in a honey- chile sauce sprinkled with sea salt.  Like the tender octopus from the first meal, this sauce was the highlight of this second meal for me.  Wow.  That sums it up.  Perfect with the duck.  Chef Jason Carter could easily make a business of bottling and selling that sauce.  I’d be his best customer.

Venison tenderloin with pearl onions and roasted potatoes rounded out the meal before the beautiful poached pear dessert mentioned above- with pecans and vanilla crumble, vanilla glaze, buttermilk ice cream and tuile.  Of course, platters of biscotti, cookies and fresh fruit were passed around as well.

Chef Carter’s tremendous skill shone through, but although his expert technique was highlighted, it was his flavour pairings and attention to detail I enjoyed most.  I was also thoroughly impressed with his personal attention to each guest.  Throughout the meals he came out several times to check on everyone and make sure each person had what they desired.  There are many tasty restaurants out there; Chef Carter’s combination of amazing, creative food coupled with his attention to the overall experience make Centro stand out.  I must also acknowledge the tremendous team of waiters and staff at Centro who were courteous, funny and personable, and who attended to each guest with the utmost of care and not a single misstep.  Congratulations and thank you to the entire team at Centro for providing such a wonderful experience- twice.

I can see my technique improving, which I’m really pleased about.  I need to move faster, however, and when I spar with other students I tend to lose a lot of what I’ve learnt and bring out bad habits, such as bending over slightly at times instead of keeping myself nice and straight, which makes it harder for your opponent to hit you.  Pot has been working with me on that a lot, and will watch me during the group sessions to see what he wants to work on with me next.

I still feel that my defensive reactions are too slow, which is the main reason I’ve opted not to fight while here (foreigners are encouraged to fight as it gives experience to them and business to the camp).  I’m hoping that “slow” here will still translate to “speedy” at home, because here, the trainers are all ex-fighters with impressive stats (this one was Thailand’s #1 fighter, that one has over 230 fights, this one trains Saenchai, etc) and they all move faster than I’ve ever seen anyone at home.

I had all kinds of ideas about what I wanted to focus on when I arrived at the end of September, but once here, I realized I have so much to learn that I was thrilled to just go along with whatever they wanted to teach me.  The private sessions are the best for that, as the trainer you work with takes you under his wing and you become one of “their” students.

After watching my abysmal clinching techniques, Pot and I spent a full hour practicing clinching on Saturday- one of the most painful, tiring, and valuable hours of my training.  Afterwards, despite being bruised and thrown around, my clinching had definitely improved and when I practiced with another girl yesterday I could really see the difference.

Sunday is our day off from training, and boy, did we all need it.  A group of us spent a large portion of the day at the beach, which was rejuvenating for both bodies and souls.

That night we scootered out to the big night market.  What an interesting place!  You can get everything there- food, clothes, souvenirs, housewares, even pets (yup, there’s a stall that sells everything from meerkat-type animals to rabbits to dogs).  The most riveting part of all?  The drive to and from.  Our little “scooter gang” (thanks Aika for coining that analogy!) rode for dear life, weaving in and out of traffic and trying not to hit or be hit.  Now I know what people refer to when they say the driving is dangerous, and next time, I’m going to strongly consider cabbing over.  Fun though:)

Yesterday (Monday) was back to training.  I did the group session in the morning and then had back-to-back privates in the afternoon.  Pot worked me really hard, then a ten minute break, then an hour sparring with Bao V.  By the end of it I was exhausted so didn’t do the afternoon group session.  I think I would have keeled over in the middle of it had I tried!

After a quick shower I came back to watch the session, as you can learn a lot through observation.  There was a clinching tournament going on, where head trainer Pot had challenged everyone to see if they could throw Saenchai, one of the best muay thai fighters in the world, who trains out of Sinbi.  One by one, the students would clinch with Saenchai, and despite best efforts, Saenchai would throw each of them every time, even those much bigger and taller than him.

To avoid being thrown, Saenchai would drop his weight down into his legs and be very solid in stance and strong in technique.  For those much taller than him, he would jump up on them and glue his knees to their ribs, with his knees bent and shins resting on their hip bones, so they were carrying him much like you would a child.  He locked their neck in a ferocious clinch, and was able to continue kneeing them from that position as well, tiring them out.

I’ve only got two more days here.  I feel like I’ve only just begun, and will definitely be back.  I’m thinking March or April maybe….?

I felt like I was getting slower, not faster, and indeed I’m convinced that I was.  On Monday and Tuesday it seemed like no matter what I did I wasn’t blocking fast enough, hitting hard enough, or reacting like a proper fighter.  I suspect that’s because the amount and intensity of training had caught up with my body which was now trying to adapt and recover.  I certainly felt a little discouraged, but knew that I could push through this, and by the time Wednesday rolled around I was back up to par.

I started private lessons this week with instructor Bao V.  WOW.  The hour a day I’ve spent with him this week alone makes this entire trip worthwhile.  The camp has a policy of not letting you switch trainers for private lessons midway through a week.  At first I had intended to try different instructors each day, but this policy proved enormously strategic, as sticking with one trainer allows you to build off what you’ve done in the days before.

At the beginning of the week, Bao V worked with me on pad work, technique and some clinching, but by the end of the week we spent the full hour sparring and doing sparring drills.  Amazing.  So amazing, in fact, that I’m going to be doing two private sessions a day next week because while I do want to work with another trainer, I refuse to stop training with Bao V.  His vast experience and patience shine through, and he knows how to coax the best out of his students.

Once you start doing privates with a specific trainer, they take you under their wing.  Bao V often works with me first during group sessions, monitors that I’ve done my hand wraps correctly, sometimes wrapping them for me and sometimes checking my handiwork, and gives me tips and help as needed.  After private sessions, the trainers often give the students quick Thai massages to ensure that our muscles relax and recover properly, and I’ve learned some helpful tricks from Bao V.  It’s actually a mix of massaging and stretching, and you see trainers employing these same techniques on their fighters in between rounds of matches.

Thursday morning I woke up with a sharp pain in the back of my left heel.  I massaged it as best I could, and trained through it anyways.  Not smart, because Friday I woke up and couldn’t walk.  I wasn’t able to train at all.  When I limped out to Bao V to explain I couldn’t do my private that day, he tended to my heel by massaging a healing cream into it.  Whatever he did made a huge difference, and I felt much better by Friday afternoon, although I thought it prudent to skip the group training session anyways.

Saturday morning the pain was back, but less so.  I didn’t do either of the group sessions, but did my private with Bao V- hey, I’ve only got a limited amount of time here and I want to make the most of it- but we went lightly.  He again massaged the cream into my heel and this process seems to be working.  Sunday is the day off around here, so I’m hoping everything will be good to go by Monday.  I’m planning to do both privates regardless- training hard, if not smart, if you will.

I can’t quite figure out what it could be though.  My heel- not a joint, not a muscle, so what?  A tendon?  If that’s the case I’ll have to be very careful as tendons don’t heal easily once damaged.

Foreigners are encouraged to fight in competitive matches at the local stadium.  All fighters get paid win or lose, and the gym gets a percentage.  There are three Fight Nights each week.

On Friday night, one of our girls competed for her first time (she has some kickboxing experience but had never fought muay thai).  She lost- by a lot.  Her competitor, also a foreigner, had two distinct strategies she kept reusing through all five rounds, and our girl couldn’t seem to get around them.  The opponent would catch our fighter’s kicks and then throw her to the ground, or if they got close, grab her in a clinch which also ended with our girl being thrown. 

It was an eye-opener for me.  Training foreigners in muay thai is big business here, and from my understanding, they usually match someone’s first fight with an opponent that although may present a challenge, shouldn’t be too difficult to beat (if you stay and have several fights, the opponents get harder).  I was shocked to see this fairly grim match play out.

I found out later that they do ask the fighters if they’re ok with the opponent, and despite this opponent being much more experienced, our fighter had okayed the match.

Of course I managed to squeeze in some beach time with a few new friends, as well as discover some new delicious Thai restaurants.

On tap for Week Three?  Two private sessions daily, one with Bao V and one with trainer Pot, an extremely experienced and serious coach and former fighter.  Sparring where possible.  More exploring of the island.  Copious amounts of beach time and Thai food, and possibly getting out to some of the islands like Ko Phi Phi, where the movie The Beach was filmed.  I also have quite a bit of work to do for my job back home, a few hundred pages of readings for my Master’s, and must start writing my thesis.  The agenda also includes visiting some of the temples here and taking a Thai cooking class, but those can stretch into next week as well.

Two weeks down, two to go!