Remembrance of summers past

                                                
“No sooner had the warm liquid, and the crumbs with it, touched my palate than a shudder ran through my whole body, and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary changes that were taking place…at once the vicissitudes of life had become indifferent to me, its disasters innocuous, its brevity illusory…”
— Remembrance of Things Past, 
                                                                                         Volume 1: Swann's Way.

   I have been organizing my photos and came across some pictures of madeleines I made for an outdoor showing of Harold and Maude at Bryant Park.  The grass was wet and my friend Donald and I fought tooth and nail for our spot. Patrick and Emily met us later on and we had a fun despite the most intimate nature of the contact between me and the legs of the hipster behind me.

   Will the summer ever come back? Also, how long before I  start complaining that it's too hot and begin to pine for the winter.

   

The madeleines were delicious.

Sourdough, a lesson

   Late in December I attended a bread class at Brooklyn Kitchen taught by Nathan Leamy. It was an excellent class. I brought home a little jar of starter to be named Phil 2 Electric Boogaloo. I have grown him and cared for him for weeks. The first few loaves were good. Then I hit a slump where I over analyze everything and my poor bread suffered. I began to obsessively watch videos from The Fresh Loaf, a youtube video about a boulanger in French, I went to Barnes & Noble and poured over technique.

   Yesterday, I finally made actual bread. The crust crackled after taking out of the oven like it was supposed to. The crumb was nice. Science prevailed. Now I just have to find people to give the bread to.