Off the hook

So the MBBS is finally over - 231 students and about 70 - 80 patients brought in each day for the long and short cases over the weekend. This year's MBBS was particularly challenging as the number of students we had to take had doubled. We had to coopt a tonne of new examiners and also work them really hard. The senior examiners literally had 3 long case students and 16 short case students to test each day. Thank God, the weather held - last year we had no-shows because of the weather, and this year, only 2 patients didn't turn up. Poor patients who came for the short cases had about 8 students examining them each. They were real troopers and the parents were amazing. Coordinating was no joke, hopefully this will be my last year. I literally had to run around 2 hospitals, plan the 2 days to the minute for an army of helpers ranging from clerical staff, doctors, nurses, housekeepers...my other coordinator called me a control freak - he's probably right, but at least it ran smoothly.

Anyway, had SUCH an urge to cook this whole traumatic weekend - as always, I need to cook when I feel stressed but had absolutely NO time. This evening, came home and made some brittle. The kids loved it and I think it looks kind of cute in significant other's el cheepo wine glass.

Here's the recipe for Quick Almond Brittle (for brittle moods!).

Ingredients
1. Blanched slivered almonds (about 2 tbsp)
2. 2/3 cup sugar
3. 1/2 cup water

Method
1. Mix sugar and water in a non-stick pot and bring to boil. DO NOT STIR.
2. Keep boiling (about 10 min or so) over a moderate flame. The sugar will caramelize and change colour. Swirl the pot occasionally to mix gently. Dip a fork into the mixture and drop a little on a kitchen towel. It should be a golden colour.
3. Pour on a non-stick silicon mat and sprinkle almonds on the surface.
4. When cool, break the hardened caramel into large pieces and serve.