Brooklyn Kitchen's Spring Sale.

This is bad of me because I believe the sale ends today.  My friend Michael and I went out yesterday and were blown away by all the great kitchen gear, the extensive canning selection, great cookbooks and a bustling crowd. 

Of course you don't need a sale to go to this amazing store, they offer a full calender of wonderful courses in their 3 fully equipped class rooms and an amazing butcher shop: The Meat Hook which specializes in unusual items. like for example yesterday a couple was sitting in the middle of the store at a retro table in front of the meat counter being served braised rabbit heads....

 

They smelled delicious!

On the wall as you enter is an area to post your food centric singles add, I thought this was a great , fun community service. There is an space to talk about what you will cook an an enticement to your perspective date, love that.

One of my favorite things about Brooklyn Kitchen is how they sell vintage kitchen gear along side the new.  I was also surprised to see that the makers of all my cast iron frying pans, Lodge Cast Iron is now making a much cheaper version of the enameled cast iron that Le Creuset has made famous.  Maye favorite is still Staub.  Not cheap, but unlike Le Creuset it comes with lids that don't melt at 350 F.

Lots and lots of canning supplies, get 'em while they last!

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!