Since coming back from Fenton, I seem to be playing a lot of John Adams for some reason.

Specifically, Phrygian Gates by him. The score is just about 60 pages long. It has no movement designations that I have been able to find. But I am noticing that there are some places that feel a bit like movement ends. This is handy because since it’s John Adams it’s a bit, how shall I say?, repetitive and actually a bit on the tricky side for me to learn. So sections are helpful not only for learning but maybe for excerpting on the street (which is where I would like to play this piece…. specifically in the park).

Also have been doing a bit of cooking.

Went to the Farmer’s Market yesterday and bought

cherries,

blueberries, bib lettuce (not pictured) and

broccoli.

Yesterday I made

a ricotta cheese pie, banana bread and braised the broccoli in olive oil that had been seasoned by cooking garlic and ginger in it.

The broccoli worked. The banana bread was soft in the middle.

I used two recipes for the ricotta cheese pie.

For the crust, I used my Italian Time/Life book I have been perusing. I used a spring form pan. The crust is great!

For the filling I improvised a bit using a recipe I found online. It called for 2 lbs of ricotta cheese and I only had under one. I supplemented with about a half pound of whole milk yogurt. Basically to make the filling you beat egg whites (I used my whisk instead of the electric mixer. It’s much more fun whisking.) and then mix together the cheese, yogurt, sugar, flour, egg yolks, orange and lemon zest, almond extract, vanilla and a bit of lemon juice. Fold in the beaten whites and bake.

I cooled it overnight and cut a piece this morning. It fell in the middle and is also a bit gooey in the middle. Probably needed more time in the oven. But what is done is pretty good.