diy at the y

I get lots of "things that are happening in NYC" type emails and read a few blogs of the same nature. Even if I don't make it to a quarter of the events, I like to have my ear to the ground to be aware what is going on around the city. One such source is Daily Candy which, among other things, broadcasts a weekly listing of interesting events around town. A couple weeks ago, they mentioned a fundraising DIY class series at the YMCA. I like learning new things and I really like what the YMCA does for the community, so I was sold right off the bat. And the classes are actually really interesting! AND they were super cheap. I may have gone a little crazy and signed up for three. (Having been to two already, I can say it was so worth it.)

Jenn came with me to the first class called "Frozen Treats". It was taught by Anna, a sous chef from Dominique Ansel Bakery (yes, the one of cronut infamy). We learned all about the basics of ice cream, sorbet, custards and any other icy sweet we could think of.

It's kind of hard to demonstrate making something frozen in a two hour class, but Anna showed us how to make a couple ice cream bases, how to cook egg yolks so you make custard and not scrambled eggs, and let us sample some concoctions she had made at work (sadly, no cronuts).

We even had a chance to try and make our own granita base. Jenn and I went with strawberry, blood orange, and basil.

Our instructor Anna was super personable and entertaining and really knowledgeable She had lots of greats tips and guidelines for tweaking recipes to fit your needs and ingredients. I can't wait to get an ice cream maker and start whipping things up!

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The other class I took was Web Coding 101, not quite as photogenic, but still really interesting. I'm not going to claim I've mastered HTML code in any way, but it does seem less cryptic and overwhelming. Don't expect any big changes around this Gravytrain anytime soon. That stuff is hard! I've still got lots of learning to do!

If you live in the city and are interested in trying a class, definitely check out the remaining options. I've signed up for Block Printing in September but stupidly bought a flight for the same evening and can't attend! Email me if you want my spot! And if you have any bright ideas for future courses or know someone who might be interested in volunteering to teach a class, email the coordinator Grace at grochford (at) ymcanyc.org.