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Class Recap

A Brief History of New York City's Early Cemeteries

Allison taught a wonderful class on the history of New York City cemeteries this fall, and on top of it all, she wrote an excellent summary for us to post here. You can find part one, on forgotten cemeteries like potters' fields, right here, and keep an eye out for part three very soon. 

Okay, onto the knowledge: 

New York City’s cemeteries are more than burial grounds for its citizens; they are a reflection of the city’s...

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Chutneys blog blog
How-To

Let's Make: Tamarind Chutney

We did a class on Indian condiments with Drake Page from The DP Chutney Collective, and it was awesome. We made so many condiments: chutneys, relish, achar, yogurt dips...we even made something spicy with mashed bananas. Here is a recipe for all you who missed the amazingness of class: tamarind chutney! Hop to it and make yourself some, it's super versatile and great. 

TAMARIND CHUTNEY

Ingredients:

1/2 lb tamarind, seeded
2 1/2 cups...

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Blog Post

Our Teachers Do Awesome Things - Handmade Edition

I don't spend nearly enough time singing the praises of the wonderful people who teach at the Brainery. Look out for lots of posts in the coming weeks where I do just that. 

Carmen Artigas runs Viva La Vida, where she designs the most fun totes and bike baskets, working with artisans in Mexico to turn plastic into woven awesomeness.

If you're interested in ethical fashion, also check out her Facebook group on the subject, always a...

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Dance at molenbeek blog
Blog Post

The Weird Phenomenon of St. Vitus' Dance

I was sitting in on Charlotte's Medieval History class when she mentioned the super weird phenomenon of St. Vitus' Dance, also know as Dancing Mania.

It's just what you'd think--outbreaks of uncontrolled dancing that swept through Europe during the late middle ages and even into the 1600's. Participants often did not live where they danced, or traveled from place to place, and no one seemed to be immune. The outbreaks mostly occurred during...

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News

Hey, anyone want a book?

Okay, so I'm usually wary of giveaways, BUT we have an extra copy of Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages kicking around the Brainery, and we might as well do something useful with it. 

How did we end up with two copies of this lovely book? Let's just say I don't pay all that much attention to what's in the Amazon cart before I place orders, and sometimes multiple copies of things magically arrive. 

And though I'm way too...

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