Good-bye Ruca Malen

It is really staring to look more and more
like spring everyday. Especially in the
vineyards where the vines no longer look
like dormant sticks and are coming to back to life.














In this past week I have gone back and forth between Melipal, Ruca and Belasco. There has been a bit of juggling going on as preparations begin for events at the Belasco de Baquedano Winery. There will be a small dinner on Monday for seventy people then a larger reception with dinner following for two-hundred and sixty people on Tuesday.
I worked one day at Melipal then at Balasco doing some pre-prep work for the upcoming banquet. Martias and I spent most of the day getting the molds ready for the desserts, making the chocolate mousse and preparing an orange creme anglaise. We worked outside, as the kitchen was putting out the lunches for that day and was too small for the task of making mousse for two-hundred and fifty.

I have really enjoyed getting to know Martias. I know he loathes it, but everyone calls him by the nickname "ratatouille" because he looks like the boy from the movie. I have to admit that he does. I call him by his real name though. He is fresh out of school, very nice, one of my fellow workers who tries to speak English to me, and a very hard worker. I have come to really appreciate him.

Then it was back to Ruca for the weekend. It was busy as usual. Here is myself and a new picture of Pablo (he didn't like the last one I posted of him making bread) and Soledad after an exhausting day!

These were my last few days in this kitchen. I will miss everyone. Goodbye onion rolls and calabazas croquettes, risotto, fillet with sweet potatoes and eggplant ratatouille. And last but not least, goodbye dolce de leche mousse.
Good-bye Ruca Malen.
It has been an experience.
Buenas noches.