The Meat Hook, Brooklyn KItchen and Cooking Classes

Last Sunday I went to the Brooklyn Kitchen Labs which is a collaboration between the Brooklyn Kitchen the Meat Hook.

These foodies have really out done themselves, with two spaces for cooking classes, a big meat market specializing in odd bits, offal and dedicated to local and humanly raised animals and a food shop cooking supply store that when I was there was still getting up to speed. So much so the doors on the class hadn't been installed yet and the oven had only been connected hours before we go to class.

What class you wonder? Why I took my first ever cooking class on how to make sour dough bread. It was taught by the smart and charming sour dough expert Nathan Leamy and it changed my life. Well, at the very least it has changed the way I make and think about bread.

It certainly has changed my relationship to bread making and everyone in my circle is very happy because even though my bread was pretty good before it really has jumped to an entirely new level.

When I got to the class a selection of bread, cheese and butter were laid out for us to nibble before the class got started. We were also given a plastic dough scrapper and a small jam jar filled with sour dough starter - pretty damn good for 40 bucks! The class lasted two hours and was really fun, informative and encouraging.

I highly recommend you check out the class schedule and consider taking a class. Just be aware that they are still working out all the kinks so the day I went it was pretty cold and the ambient noise from the store area made it hard to hear so sit close and take a sweater. These are minor and temporary issues and even if they weren't it's worth it to be part of this exciting new culinary epicenter in Williamsburg.

The space is a fantastic large old warehouse (maybe garage?) with high ceilings and skylights. In addition to kitchen supplies the goal is to also have bulk local food stuffs, spices, and other artisanal local foods.

This is a definite must - put it on the to do list for this weekend! And don't forget to sign up for a class!