Saturday, March 29, at three o’clock, I took my 7 year old cousin to a performance at the Birmingham Civic Center that she was required to attend as a school assignment. I was not really looking forward to it, but didn’t really know what I was getting into. We walked into the huge auditorium and were seated ten rows away for the orchestra pit directly in the center. The stage was decorated with bright fabrics, and the orchestra was warming up. I could tell that there were many different instruments that were used to create the wonderful music. The flute, piccolo, piano, and soprano singer, helped to create the mood of the pieces. All of the different instruments and the singers were all very different sounding and we found it very fascinating that these strange noises could make such beautiful music.
There were many different sections of this concert, but the second was my favorite. As it fell upon a Day by Aaron Copland seemed to stay in my mind through out the entire concert. In this piece there was a flute, clarinet and soprano singer. The voice was very high and was amazing. It was unbelievable to hear the pitches that were sung. This kept my attention through the entire piece and I found it very enjoyable.
All of the songs were very different and my cousin even enjoyed them. It is amazing to me that even though she is so young she still can enjoy that type of music and at times think some of it is boring, but it is opening her eyes to a different type of music. Most people her age are listening to what people my age are the typical hip music that is on TV and radio 24/7. She was very impressed with all the different songs and thought it was so funny when some of the instruments would make strange noises on purpose. For someone of her age to enjoy a show like this it is very impressive. I was actually shocked that at there age teachers were asking them to write reports on performances of this level.
Being able to attend this concert keeps me open to listening to more of this type of music. I have never really enjoyed these pieces but when I would hear them live and see how intense the musicians are, all I could think about was how much they appreciate what they are able to do. I highly enjoyed this experience and am so happy that I was able to take my cousin to something that would let me experience this with her. I didn’t think that I was going to enjoy it at first but once we got in the auditorium and saw all the musicians and singers warming up and preparing for us to see, I became very interested. I think my favorite part was when the soprano singer hit the really high notes and could hold them for minutes at a time. I am so happy to have had this experience and am glad that it opened my eyes to this style of music.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Country Biscuits
The year was 1997 and it was one of those unusually cold Thanksgiving days. My entire family packed up the cars and drove from Birmingham, AL to Collman, AL, for lunch at the farm. My great grandmother was famous for her country cooking, but more specifically her delicious biscuits. She had been cooking them for years. It was a recipe passed down form her great grandmother, slowly making its way down through generations. I had always wondered how she made these biscuits taste so good, and I was finally about to learn.
She used the same wooden bowl every time because “it enhanced the taste” she said. She pulled all the ingredients out of the pantry and placed them in the order of which she would add them along the counter. She poured the flower into the bowl, which made a beautiful white fluffy cloud rise from the bowl into the air. Mixing all the dry ingredients together we noticed she wasn't using any measuring cups. When we asked she said, “I don’t believe in measuring cups, I judge the consistency by the feeling of the doe.” As all the ingredients were getting mixed together she would already we prepping the pans for baking. She used four pans that she placed in the big old fashion ovens. After she placed flower on the counter and made an even bigger mess, she rolled the doe out to make sure all the air bubbles were crushed. This is a very important step, because when the doe has bubbles in it, it causes the biscuit to be airy and not as perfect. Then she pinched off the perfect amount and rolled it into a ball and placed it on the pan. After rolling hundreds of little balls she placed the pans into the oven and pulled up a stool to watch them bake. They baked for nearly thirty minutes and smelled more fantastic every second they were baking. She never set a timer or even opened the oven during the cooking time, she could judge when they were ready by the smell and how they looked through the class in the oven. By the time thirty minutes was up the entire family was drooling and anticipating biting into the biscuits.
My grandmother's biscuits had something that store bought biscuits didn't have. I had always wondered what exactly that was, and I finally came to the conclusion that it was because they were homemade. I never really knew the process of technique, and now that I know it, I am amazed. The process itself takes about an hour and it is well worth it. The most important thing about these biscuits is that you have to make sure that you don't miss a step, if you miss one than the whole batch is ruined.
The days at the farm for Thanksgiving are no longer the same. My great grandmother’s passion for her biscuits will be remembered as long as my family is using her recipe. Today the recipe is still being passed down and my children will someday get to see just how delicious and special these biscuits are. Every time I bite into one of those outstanding biscuits I think of the love that is put into them. I know that the one thing that made my greatgrandmother's biscuits so special and delicous was all the love that she put into them. I can’t wait until the day that I start making them, although I know for sure they wont live up to my great grandmother’s.
She used the same wooden bowl every time because “it enhanced the taste” she said. She pulled all the ingredients out of the pantry and placed them in the order of which she would add them along the counter. She poured the flower into the bowl, which made a beautiful white fluffy cloud rise from the bowl into the air. Mixing all the dry ingredients together we noticed she wasn't using any measuring cups. When we asked she said, “I don’t believe in measuring cups, I judge the consistency by the feeling of the doe.” As all the ingredients were getting mixed together she would already we prepping the pans for baking. She used four pans that she placed in the big old fashion ovens. After she placed flower on the counter and made an even bigger mess, she rolled the doe out to make sure all the air bubbles were crushed. This is a very important step, because when the doe has bubbles in it, it causes the biscuit to be airy and not as perfect. Then she pinched off the perfect amount and rolled it into a ball and placed it on the pan. After rolling hundreds of little balls she placed the pans into the oven and pulled up a stool to watch them bake. They baked for nearly thirty minutes and smelled more fantastic every second they were baking. She never set a timer or even opened the oven during the cooking time, she could judge when they were ready by the smell and how they looked through the class in the oven. By the time thirty minutes was up the entire family was drooling and anticipating biting into the biscuits.
My grandmother's biscuits had something that store bought biscuits didn't have. I had always wondered what exactly that was, and I finally came to the conclusion that it was because they were homemade. I never really knew the process of technique, and now that I know it, I am amazed. The process itself takes about an hour and it is well worth it. The most important thing about these biscuits is that you have to make sure that you don't miss a step, if you miss one than the whole batch is ruined.
The days at the farm for Thanksgiving are no longer the same. My great grandmother’s passion for her biscuits will be remembered as long as my family is using her recipe. Today the recipe is still being passed down and my children will someday get to see just how delicious and special these biscuits are. Every time I bite into one of those outstanding biscuits I think of the love that is put into them. I know that the one thing that made my greatgrandmother's biscuits so special and delicous was all the love that she put into them. I can’t wait until the day that I start making them, although I know for sure they wont live up to my great grandmother’s.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)