Cooking with ramps

106/365
April 18, 2010

I used my ramps in a broccoli soup and it was good, but not that different from using onion. The other way I used them was as a sauce for steak. I sauteed them in butter (adding the leafy bits toward the end so they wouldn't overcook) and added some balsamic vinegar. We ate this with some grilled steaks and veggies, and it was good on both.

Ramps

105/365
April 17, 2010

Ramps, a kind of wild onion that tastes somewhere between onion and garlic, are very popular here during their very short season. The farmers' market near us had them at only one booth and they were $16 per pound, and people were more than happy to pay that for them (about $6-8 per bunch). I had never had them, so I had to get some to experiment with.

Another show

104/365
April 16, 2010

We (Craig, me, and our friend Charles) went to see a band called The Low Anthem at the Bell House on this rainy night. I had only listened to them a little, and was still kind of undecided on whether or not I liked them, but the venue is just a few blocks from our apartment so it seemed like something fun to do. It turned out to be a really fun show. Each of the band members played several instruments and there's a fair amount of variety in their songs (unlike the opening band whose entire set sounded like one long, boring song). It was an entertaining show so I didn't spend much time trying to take pictures so this one is about it.

Sourdough starter

103/365
April 15, 2010

This is my very active (bubbly) sourdough starter that I got from my bread class.

Carefree

102/365
April 14, 2010

I took this in Meadowport Arch of Prospect Park. I just liked the silhouette of the kids playing and running in the nice weather.

The trees are watching you

101/365
April 13, 2010

This is kind of a typical site in our neighborhood, Park Slope. Brooklyn has lots of artists and generally creative and crafty folks, so it's not odd to see faces or even sweaters on trees and sculptures everywhere. There are several trees, buildings, and fences with similar faces.

Evening classes

100/365
April 12, 2010

Cooking classes are abundant in NYC so I decided that with a slightly lighter class load for grad school, I should try out some cooking classes. On this Monday evening I went to Brooklyn Kitchen called "Artisanal Sourdough Bread in the French Tradition". I've baked a fair amount of bread over the years, but I figured a class might be fun.

I loved it. I learned a ton, including that all you need for pretty loaves is a nice proofing basket. I was so excited that I also signed up for another class on cupcakes, which I'll post about later. Using sourdough starter to make bread instead of commercial yeast can give the bread a lot more flavor. The teacher had all the flours he was going to talk about out in this nice display.

More signs of spring!

99/365
April 11, 2010

It was a gorgeous day, no rain or clouds or high winds, so we headed to the park. The magnolia blooms were fading and the cherry blossoms were at their peak (a few weeks before the big cherry blossom festival). This magnolia flower reminds me of the magnolia in our backyard in Pine Bluff. It was a good climbing tree.

What is it?

98/365
April 10, 2010 (I'll try to remember to the date on the rest)

I had quite a few lazy days in April, including this one. This is in our apartment. Any clue what it is?

Florence and the Machine

97/365
This is a self-portrait with the point and shoot. Craig, Burns, and Gwen are behind me in the shot.

I started listening to Florence a year or so back and was instantly hooked and eventually forced the cd on those around me and they all seemed to dig the music, too. When I found out Florence and the Machine would be playing in NYC I was over the moon. I was probably more excited about this show than any other because I knew she would put on a good performance with her lively music and I really love all of the songs, not just a few. Eight others people went to the show with me and I think we all had a great time.