Dream Writing 2-Modern Rarity.

Embracing your weakness is your strength. Getting my head into my game

Embracing your weakness is your strength. Getting my head into my game.

This piece really sung to me and I am going to tell you why.

I have so enjoyed the Olympics. Have you? To see the mental strength, the personal vision these athletes, their resilience, the sacrifices made in everyday life to achieve goal they are working towards. The coaches and teams of people they have behind them and alongside them. What it means to them. What they are prepared to do achieve their goals.

I am very interested in the visualisation process. Because these journeys do not happen overnight. There is a road map, plan of where they want to be. This is the power of visualisation and manifestation.  Learning how to deal with the good days, having the bad days. These athletes are human beings, like all of us, with a skill they were born with and have worked hard to make their dreams come true.

It is what makes them get up at 4am to train and then go to work or whatever else they have to do. What they have learned is that mindset is also a muscle that needs to be exercised and mental strength is just as important as physical strength. Mental strength is a life game. And a Modern Rarity. Having to be brave and accept challenges and work hard with finding joy and enthusiasm. Hard when you have ‘cloud scribble’ – in your head, the feeling complete overwhelm with anxiety and OCD.  And what I have been working hard on – getting my head into my game.

I watch their magnificence in coping with the mental performance anxiety. Feeling and leaning in, not running away from those butterflies in the tummy, the shortness of breath, the rumination going around and around in their heads, the going back to the plan, the visualisation of the race – getting across the line.

And being human. Joyful in the win, humble in defeat, still so proud of themselves and thankful to their team around them for getting to where they are today. And getting ready for the next time.

So I have learned a lot from these Olympics. A loss does not mean giving up. And we can learn a lot by telling ourselves positive stories – not negative ones. They serve no purpose. I am working hard to change my mindset. And taking the small wins.

So how does this relate to me? Well it is my culinary performance anxiety. Harnessing my OCD as a superpower to deliver the perfect dishes. I constantly test recipes for my bespoke client requirements. These are my butterflies. I need to ensure that when it comes down to delivering my time plan nothing is left to chance. I have travelled that journey already, I can see the end result. Because I have tested, tested, tested. And in control.

The perfect brownie is all about time – 25 minutes, 30 minutes, 32 minutes, and now I believe I have it at 35 minutes with this recipe. These have been tested so many times. Much to my sons’ delight!

And could I do 35 canape style portions for a lasagne? This is Ixta Belfrage Prawn and Habanero Lasagne, from her incredible book Mezcla, in individual ramekins. Sized, tested, pasta cut to size to enable ease of eating for that memorable flavour bomb! Delicious and meets the brief.

So here is the recipe for the perfect Brownie, from Orlando Murrin and BBC Good Food. Timings are my own. And I use all white chocolate chunks! Always room to adapt a recipe! Can you share in the comments your best brownie recipe and tips and hints for the best one! Would love to hear from you. And see your creations!

Ingredients

• 185g unsalted butter

• 185g best dark chocolate

• 85g plain flour

• 40g cocoa powder

• 50g white chocolate

• 50g milk chocolate

• 3 large eggs

Method

• STEP 1
  Cut 185g unsalted butter into small cubes and tip into a medium bowl. Break 185g dark chocolate into small pieces and drop into the bowl.

• STEP 2
  Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full with hot water, then sit the bowl on top so it rests on the rim of the pan, not touching the water. Put over a low heat until the butter and chocolate have melted, stirring occasionally to mix them.

• STEP 3
  Remove the bowl from the pan. Alternatively, cover the bowl loosely with cling film and put in the microwave for 2 minutes on High. Leave the melted mixture to cool to room temperature.

STEP 3

Remove the bowl from the pan. Alternatively, cover the bowl loosely with cling film and put in the microwave for 2 minutes on High. Leave the melted mixture to cool to room temperature.

• STEP 4
  While you wait for the chocolate to cool, position a shelf in the middle of your oven and turn the oven on to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

• STEP 5
  Using a shallow 20cm square tin, cut out a square of kitchen foil (or non-stick baking parchment) to line the base. Tip 85g plain flour and 40g cocoa powder into a sieve held over a medium bowl. Tap and shake the sieve so they run through together and you get rid of any lumps.

•  50g white chocolate and 50g milk chocolate into chunks on a board.

• STEP 7
  Break 3 large eggs into a large bowl and tip in 275g golden caster sugar. With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar. They will look thick and creamy, like a milk shake. This can take 3-8 minutes, depending on how powerful your mixer is. You’ll know it’s ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume. Another check is to turn off the mixer, lift out the beaters and wiggle them from side to side. If the mixture that runs off the beaters leaves a trail on the surface of the mixture in the bowl for a second or two, you’re there.

• STEP 8
  Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula. Plunge the spatula in at one side, take it underneath and bring it up the opposite side and in again at the middle. Continue going under and over in a figure of eight, moving the bowl round after each folding so you can get at it from all sides, until the two mixtures are one and the colour is a mottled dark brown. The idea is to marry them without knocking out the air, so be as gentle and slow as you like.

• STEP 9
  Hold the sieve over the bowl of eggy chocolate mixture and resift the cocoa and flour mixture, shaking the sieve from side to side, to cover the top evenly.

• STEP 10
  Gently fold in this powder using the same figure of eight action as before. The mixture will look dry and dusty at first, and a bit unpromising, but if you keep going very gently and patiently, it will end up looking gungy and fudgy. Stop just before you feel you should, as you don’t want to overdo this mixing.

• STEP 11
  Finally, stir in the white and milk chocolate chunks until they’re dotted throughout.

• STEP 12
  Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping every bit out of the bowl with the spatula. Gently ease the mixture into the corners of the tin and paddle the spatula from side to side across the top to level it.

• STEP 13
  Put in the oven and set your timer for 25 mins. When the buzzer goes, open the oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, it’s not quite done, so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin. Take out of the oven.

• STEP 14
  Leave the whole thing in the tin until completely cold, then, if you’re using the brownie tin, lift up the protruding rim slightly and slide the uncut brownie out on its base. If you’re using a normal tin, lift out the brownie with the foil (or parchment). Cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into four squares and finally into triangles.

• STEP 15
  They’ll keep in an airtight container for a good two weeks and in the freezer for up to a month.