Contemporary Art – A Musician's Travels

“Mann tracht un Gott Lacht”* and Baked Apple Cider Donuts

* “Man plans and God Laughs”- The old Yiddish expression took on new meaning this past week. The plan was this-my Birthday week was crammed full with students, an early rehearsal in NYC for a Salisbury Four Christmas concert, teaching at Hofstra University and getting ready for the release of my group Hevreh Ensemble’s new album, Meserole Street. I thought that I would be too busy to write much in the way of my blog and the idea of a guest blogger appealed to me. My husband took a walk at the Keystone Arches in Chester, MA and returned with beautiful photographs- he would be the perfect guest!

*“Keystone Arches”- Chester, MA- photo Paul DePaolo*

But as it happened, too much transpired that I needed to write about. I will look forward to featuring a Keystone Arches guest blog soon!

This year, my birthday fell on a Friday, the day I travel to New York to teach; Paul suggested waiting until Sunday to celebrate. The plan was to attend an Orchestra ONE concert at Bard College’s Fisher Center. A group of my talented Advanced Ensemble students from the Indian Mountain School were planning to meet us at the concert; being kindly driven by another IMS faculty member. After the concert, Paul and I would drive to nearby Rhinebeck, New York and have dinner at one of our favorite restaurants; Gigi’s Trattoria. I returned home Saturday night; tired but happy and inspired by the rehearsal I had that afternoon. Exquisite melodies from works by Schutz and Monteverdi were still dancing around in my head and for a brief time all felt right with our crazy world. At the rehearsal, we had all talked about the soothing power of music.

Then, Sunday morning after I woke up late, I came downstairs and my husband ominously said that his throat hurt and it felt scratchy. We both took Covid rapid tests and his came back with the dreaded 2 stripes! Quickly all plans were scuttled and we were thrust into the place where no one wants to go….

Feeling frustrated with the sudden change in direction, I decided to take a hike by myself. I made sure that Paul was comfortable with plenty of tissues and herbal tea nearby and I am so glad that I decided to tell him my planned destination!

I set out for The Drury Preserve in Sheffield, Massachusetts for beautiful solitude. My car was the only one in the small lot and this suited my mood just fine. Kicking leaves, I strode off on the trail that led through a pine forest. My thoughts were full of frustration, anger, worry about Paul and plenty of self pity! The trail leads gradually down into a swampy area with narrow planks of wood over the small marsh; the entire round trip is about 3 miles. As I tramped through the woods, gradually my mood began to lighten and I thought there might even be enough time to get back to The Bistro Box in Great Barrington to bring home chicken and falafel burgers and a salad with the freshest organic greens. Things were beginning to look brighter!

I crossed the last wooden plank over the marsh and looked forward to reaching a small idyllic pond with a small wooden bench that has a lovely view of Race Mountain in the distance. Somehow I got off the trail without knowing it, but I saw the pond in the distance and climbed up a small hill and then down to the pond.

I sat for a few minutes on the bench, breathing in the fresh fall air deeply and then started to head back. Very quickly I realized that I could not find the trail. The ground was covered with leaves and there were no blue blazes on the trees to mark the way.

I started off in one direction, realized it was not leading to the trail and went the other way. This did not work either, but I saw the pond peeking through the trees and headed back to the pond.

After a few mores tries to orient myself to the trail, I knew that I was completely lost and as the sun sank lower in the sky, a small amount of worry trickled into my mind and I decided to call my sick husband. With one bar of power on my phone, the call miraculously connected and I said “I think I am completely turned around, please come!! I had a good 45 minutes to wait for my rescuer and went back to the lovely bench by the pond; plenty of time to “cool my heels”, mediate and take pictures of the beautiful surroundings.

I even took a picture of a possible candidate for a “Tree of the Week”!

As I heard Paul’s voice calling out to me through the woods, I felt palpable relief. I bounded down the path towards him; Paul was so relieved to see me that he did not pay close attention to the way back and soon enough both of us were lost! Our friends Peter and Caroline were also coming to my rescue. Luckily, Paul remembered Peter’s advise to “cross the marsh and head east” after Peter had checked a map of the preserve. With great relief we soon saw the wooden slats of the trail in the distance and we headed back to our cars just as the sun was setting!

And best of all, my dear friend Carol created a beautiful piece of artwork, “Tree and Bird” for my birthday; this could not be a better birthday treat! To see more of her extraordinary artwork: Carol Ober.

As I write this post, Paul is recovering nicely and I wait to see if I will develop symptoms.

In the Fall, I often pass by farm stands that sell Apple Cider Donuts and I resist eating them because they are greasy, overly sweet, full of calories and I am often disappointed with the lack of apple flavor. I set out to find a recipe for Apple Cider Donuts that were baked and full of cider flavor and I think I may have found the trick! I adapted a recipe that I found online from Sweet Cayenne. The recipe calls for apple cider that is cooked down into a syrup and with the addition of allspice, cinnamon and ground cloves, they tasted light, delicious and best of all are guilt free! I liked them plain, but they could also be glazed or dipped in coconut sugar and cinnamon.

Baked Apple Cider Donuts- adapted from Sweet Cayenne

Ingredients

For the donuts:

⅓ cup neutral-flavored oil (canola, avocado, grapeseed, walnut)
3 large eggs
1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 cup applesauce ( I did not have a jar of applesauce on hand, so I just cooked down a few apples and mashed them up with some cinnamon).
½ cup apple cider, boiled down to about 2 tablespoons of syrup
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

For the glaze:

1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons milk or enough to make a spreadable glaze

Instructions

Making the donuts:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a non-stick donut pan with cooking spray. My pan makes 6 donuts, so I had to fill it twice.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, sugar, applesauce, cider syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder until smooth.
Add the flour, stirring until just smooth.
Fill a pastry bag or a sturdy gallon-sized plastic bag with the batter. Use scissors to snip off the tip of the bag, creating about an ½”’ hole.
Pipe the batter into the wells of the doughnut pan nearly to the rim. Or, just carefully spoon in the batter.
Bake the doughnuts for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. .
Remove the doughnuts from the oven, and loosen their edges by running a knife along the outer circle.
ENJOY!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”

HAPPY HALLOWEEN AND STAY SAFE!!

Foodie Heaven! Iceland: Part 3

When planning our recent trip, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the restaurant scene in Iceland. I had heard that the food was boring and not very creative; I decided to plan with an open mind and with not very high expectations. What I discovered was a vibrant food scene that has changed greatly in the last few years. We found restaurants that used the freshest, often locally sourced ingredients; the food was creative and lovingly prepared.

The first day of our trip was spent in Reykjavik; we arrived early in the morning and dropped off our bags at the charming Apotek Hotel. We asked the desk clerk to recommend a good bakery and her eyes lit up. She said, “You must try Baka Baka for the most delicious pastries”. We decided early on that for this trip there were no holds barred; we were going to enjoy as much sugar and rich food as we wanted! We headed down the street, walked up a small hill and saw the open door of Baka Baka beckoning to us.

As we entered we were welcomed with the rich smell of coffee and freshly baked pastries. We ordered a yeasty fragrant Cardamom Bun filled with almond paste and enjoyed it with coffee and a pot of herbal tea that had the light delicate taste of currents.

The plan for our first day was to explore Reykjavik and at the the same time try to stave off jetlag. We spent the next few hours walking slowly around the quaint streets and adjusting gradually to the lovely cool windy temperature of 50 degrees F!

The time flew by and we were ready for our first lunch reservation at Hosilo, a small unpretentious restaurant on a quiet side street. The other diners were young Icelanders and as we waited for our food to arrive, we enjoyed listening to the lyrical sounds of the Icelandic language. The food was creatively presented; I started with an appetizer of “watermelon” sushi-cool, rosy slices of fruit in a savory gingery sauce. Expecting the taste of raw fish, my taste buds were jolted awake- a good remedy for my sleepy mind!

I had some of the freshest and most tender shrimp I have ever tasted with house made pasta, basil, tomato and roasted garlic.

It was all bathed in extra virgin olive and served with a slice of crunchy parmesan toast.

We were starting to fade quickly, but thought a walk down the hill to the harbor and to the Harpa Concert Hall might revive us.

Luckily for us, we discovered that there was a short interactive visual installation offered; Circuleight. As we entered a large gallery, we were surrounded by animations that were inspired by eight natural elements: lava, glacier, water, algae, micro organism, flora, basalt, and volcanic gas. If you waved your hand or came close to one of the images, the image would respond to the motion; it gave the effect of the artwork improvising. The installation was accompanied by a score written by the Icelandic composer Hogni Egilsson. I found a place to curl up, leaned against one of the walls and immersed myself in the experience; although I confess, I fell briefly asleep! It was time for a short nap at our hotel.

Just an hour of sleep and we were refreshed and ready to continue on our culinary adventures of the day! For dinner, I had a made a reservation at The CooCoo’s Nest. From our hotel, we walked a few miles to the quirky, newly developed section of the waterfront with art galleries, specialty food shops and restaurants. CooCoo’s Nest was opened in 2013 by Anna and Lucas Keller.

A passionate chef, Lucas is originally from California and trained and worked in Italy. Since opening, the restaurant has gained a loyal local clientele.

It was Taco Tuesday, so we ordered the sampling menu of 3 different tacos that included tequila marinated fish with guacamole, shredded cabbage and spicy sour cream; slow cooked lamb, salsa verde and pickled raddish; and a vegetarian taco with sweet potato, charred broccoli and a spicy romesco sauce. They were delicious and the flavors danced in our mouths.

We ate our dinner outside the restaurant at a picnic table and watched young families strolling by; several of which were licking ice cream cones. Glancing to our right we saw an inviting ice cream shop- well one more treat for the day!

An interesting flavor was listed on the wall that looked very similar to my last name- “Danskur lakkris”. I asked for a taste and the young clerk told me that the flavor was Danish licorice. Very nice, but I settled for a double dish with dark chocolate and lemon ginger crunch and then enjoying our ice cream, we walked oh so slowly back to our hotel; the sky still bright blue in the late evening. Shortly after we returned to our room we fell into a deep slumber!

Thus ended our first day in Reykjavik. Coming soon…. one more Icelandic blog detailing the other food highlights of our trip; some from restaurants where the food was simply but expertly prepared in lovely peaceful settings.

*Silfra Restaurant- Nesjavellir, Iceland*

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”!

HAPPY SUMMER-STAY SAFE AND COOL!!

The New Museum: An Excellent Art and Food Adventure!

While driving to teach at Hofstra University a few months ago, I heard an interview on WNYC about an art exhibit by the African American artist, Faith Ringgold at the New Museum in Lower Manhattan. Her work and life story sounded fascinating and compelling and I made a mental note to visit the museum soon!

Recently, I had a free Saturday morning before an afternoon rehearsal and saw that Faith Ringgold’s exhibit was still at the New Museum. I headed down in my car to the Lower East Side and ended up parking not far from one of my all time favorite places DiPalo’s Fine Foods, also close to the venerable Italian pastry shop Cafe Roma; this was going to be a wonderful food and art expedition!

The New Museum opened in 1977 and was the first museum devoted to contemporary art created by New York City artists. The mission statement of the museum says: “the museum is a catalyst for a broad dialogue between artists and the public by establishing an exhibition, information, and documentation center for contemporary art made within a period of approximately ten years prior to the present.”

Designed by Tokyo-based architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa/SANAA the museum is a seven-story, eight-level structure located at 235 Bowery between Stanton and Rivington Streets in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

Faith Ringgold at 91, has enjoyed a long career as an artist, writer, educator and activist. She was at the center of the Harlem Renaissance and her works document her struggles for social justice and equality.

I found the exhibit to be inspiring on many levels; as I viewed the works of art, I felt the rich legacy of black history. I also learned about the activism that Ringgold engaged in during her life in New York City.

I chatted briefly with one of the guards, a middle aged African American woman; she seemed eager to talk about the art work with me and seemed to show a special pride for the exhibition. She also shared information about a recent visit that Ringgold had made to the museum for a reception held in her honor.

I enjoyed viewing a series of works called story quilts that depicted the stories of important figures in the 20th century.

**The Sunflowers Quilting Bee at Arles- Faith Ringgold**

In “The Sunflowers Quilting Bee at Arles”, a quilt is surrounded by famous black luminaries including Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman. To the right stands Van Gogh holding a bunch of sunflowers!

In the story quilt, “Dinner at Gertrude Stein’s” from the French Collection, Part #9 991, the black writers Langston Hughes and Richard Wright sit along side Toklas, Gertrude Stein, Picasso and Ernest Hemingway.

**“Dinner at Gertrude Stein’s from The French Collection, Part #9 1991: Faith Ringgold**

“Bessie’s Blues” portrays the jazz singer Bessie Smith. For this exhibit, the work is own loan from the Art Institute of Chicago. I was drawn to the bold colors and patterns and found this description talking about the parallels between art and music compelling:

“Faith Ringgold employed thick lines and forms to portray the singer Bessie Smith, also known as “Empress of the Blues.” The deliberate dissonance between Smith’s melodies and their musical accompaniment finds a visual echo in Ringgold’s pared-down portrait of the glamorous Smith (known for bespangled dresses and sparkly jewelry). The subtle variations among the repeated portraits hint at the variations in pitch and rhythm in the choruses of Smith’s songs“. Art Institute of Chicago

There was a stunning view of Lower Manhattan from the 7th floor of the museum with the Freedom Tower in the distance. I reflected on our fragile democracy and on it’s resilience. Even with all of it’s flaws and challenges, change is possible; made so clear this past week with the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson!

After experiencing such a beautiful and uplifting exhibit, my spirits were soaring and I was full of energy; ready for the well anticipated culinary part of my expedition!

I headed towards Grand and Mulberry Streets and to Dipalos Fine Foods, which has served the freshest Italian cheeses since 1925.

I love the homey atmosphere of the store; customers range from ultility workers, tourists and fellow foodies! On this particular day, owner Lou Dipalo’s wife brought out a tray of freshly made riggatoni, Italian sausage and tomato sauce. A delicious aroma wafted into the air and there was a collective sigh of appreciation by all of us customers standing in line.

Big hunks of cheese line the counters. Before the pandemic, customers were often treated to tastes of each cheese that they ordered. I ordered my usual; parmesan reggianno and freshly grated pecorino.

The next step was to get a Bubble Tea across the street from DiPalo’s at Ya Ya’s Tea. Often times Bubble Tea is too sweet for my taste, but here they made freshly brewed camomile tea sweetened with a bit of honey. I ordered a large with plenty of ice and with the addition of chewy pearl tapioca bubbles it was irresistible!

My next stop was to Mimi Chengs Dumplings on Broome Street. The plan was to get some dumpling to take home for dinner; I ordered chicken and zucchini and vegetable dumplings; some made it home!

Almost directly across the street is one of the best Italian pastry shops in the city; Cafe Roma. The day had gone so well, I thought I would treat myself to a pastry to eat on the way home.

As I entered the cafe, I was greeted by the heady scent of espresso and pastries. There was quite an assortment of Italian delicacies, but this day I was drawn to the flaky sfogliatelle that sat on top of the counter.

There is a story that the pastry originated on the Amalfi coast and was created by a nun at convent with left over semolina, lemon liqueur, sugar and dried fruit.

Driving home, I enjoyed my sfogliatelle immensely. I bit into the crispy buttery crust; filled with ricotta cheese, semolina and flavored with vanilla and small pieces of lemon citron, it was one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted! I have to say, I did make a bit of a mess; the front of my jacket was covered with powdered sugar and bits of crisp flaky pastry!

Often times when I am walking, my thoughts turn to what I might make for dinner that evening. I will think about what ingredients are on hand and then go from there. On one cold blustery early spring day, I was thinking of making a middle eastern fish stew. I had a nice piece of cod and some oil cured black olives. But when I started to cook, my mood started to shift towards Italian spices and a way to use some of my pungent grated pecorino cheese that I had just purchased from DiPalos. I saw a jar of capers in the fridge and imagined my stew served over whole wheat linguini and in a flash Fish Soup ala Pantelleria was born!

Fish Stew Ala Pantelleria

Ingredients:

1 pound cod

1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes

1 medium red potato cut into small pieces

1 onion finely diced

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

4-5 mushrooms sliced

handful of green beans cut into small pieces

handful of lacinato kale, tough core removed and cut into small pieces

1/4 cup pitted oil cured black olives

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup capers , rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

red pepper flakes to taste

water to cover casserole

1/2 box whole wheat linguini

freshly grated pecorino cheese

To Make Fish Stew:

Rinse cod and cut into medium size chunks- set aside.

In a large heavy cast iron pot, add olive oil and heat. Add onions and saute until softened and then add garlic, cook briefly for a minute or so.

Add all other ingredients except the fish and then cover with water. If you have a good white wine on hand, you could add a cup or so here! Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook about 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Add fish and cook just a few minutes more until fish flakes easily. Do not overcook the fish!

Prepare linguini.

Serve with freshly ground pepper and grated pecorino.

ENJOY!!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”

HAPPY SPRING AND STAY SAFE!!

A Joyous Outing to The Aldrich Museum!

**Jeff, Laurie and Paul at the Aldrich Museum: Ridgefield, CT**

What an exhilarating and joyous experience; this was our first visit to a museum since last March! It was also my husband Paul’s birthday and close friends and fellow Hevreh Ensemble members Laurie Friedman and Jeff Adler joined us. It was especially meaningful to visit the Aldrich Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut and to have the opportunity to view a special exhibition by the kinetic sculptor Tim Prentice.

Sculptor Tim Prentice

For the last three summers before the pandemic, Hevreh Ensemble presented concerts at Tim Prentice’s idyllic West Cornwall, Connecticut barn. It was an incredible experience to be playing music surrounded by his lyrical sculptures moving gently in the breeze.

At the barn concerts, my main focus was on performing; seeing his work in a different context at the museum gave me the opportunity to appreciate his work more fully.

The exhibit also included a touching and very informative video with Prentice talking about his art and what inspires him.

Here is a description of his work and process in his own words:

“In my current work in kinetic sculpture, I am trying to concentrate on the movement, rather than the object. I take it as an article of faith that the air around us moves in ways which are organic, whimsical, and unpredictable. I therefore assume that if I were to abdicate the design to the wind, the work would take on these same qualities.”

“The engineer in me wants to minimize friction and inertia to make the air visible. The architect studies matters of scale and proportion. The navigator and sailor want to know the strength and direction of the wind. The artist wants to understand its changing shape.”

“Meanwhile, the child wants to play.”

After we viewed the exhibit, we walked around the grounds of the museum. Paul noticed bamboo plants that looked similar to the cane (arundo donax) that we use to make our clarinet and oboe reeds. I picked up a few pieces from the ground thinking that I would take some home and try to fashion an oboe reed from the cane. And then, the inner child came out in both Laurie and myself! It was so great to see Laurie in person that silliness just poured out of us. I think it was partly a sense of relief after the months of being cooped up and not seeing each other in person.

This summer, Hevreh Ensemble hopes to return to Tim Prentice’s West Cornwall barn at the end of August where we will look forward to sharing our music and also experience more of Tim’s inspiring and beautiful work!

The other day, we were in the mood for a light vegetarian dinner and Paul reminded me about a soup that I had made a while back that had both red lentils and quinoa. For this soup, I used mixed grain quinoa along with plenty of ginger, turmeric, cumin and ground coriander. I had onions and carrots on hand, but any vegetables would be good. I had made some hummus the day before and this along with a spicy mushroom shawarma spread on fresh slices of whole wheat sourdough bread from Bread Alone, made a delicious little feast!

Curried Red Lentil and Quinoa Soup

Ingredients:

2 cups red lentils rinsed

1 cup cooked mixed grain quinoa (any kind is fine)

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 large carrot finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely diced ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground tumeric

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 bay leaf

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

To Make Soup:

In a large pot, heat olive oil.

Saute onion until it is translucent and softens.

Add ginger, cumin, turmeric and ground coriander. Stir and cook for a few minutes.

Add carrots, bay leaf, salt & pepper and red lentils. Cover with water and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer until lentils start to soften, about 30-40 minutes.

Add cooked quinoa and cook for for 30 more minutes. If soup seems too thin, remove cover and cook about 20 minutes more over medium heat.

This soup tastes even better the next day and freezes beautifully!

Enjoy!

Mushroom Shawarma (based on NYT Cooking Recipe)

Ingredients:

3/4 pound mushrooms, stems removed and cut into large chunks. I used button mushrooms, but sliced portobello mushrooms would also be good.

1 medium red onion, halved and cut into wedges.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

pinch of red pepper flakes or to taste.

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

To Make Mushroom Shawarma:

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Place mushrooms and sliced onion on a large flat rimmed baking sheet.

Pour on olive oil and mix everything together with your hands.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roast until tender and browned about 25 minutes, turning once or twice.

Enjoy!

AND: Here is the first wildflower sighting of the season!

**Bloodroot**–**Sanguinaria Canadensis**

HAPPY SPRING!!