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Making houses in paper architecture class last week. 

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About to begin our history bike tour of Prospect Park with Albert & James.

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Banh mi class in action 

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Some of the finished pom-poms from class a couple weeks back! 

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Our Newest Newsletter

Today in 1692 an alleged witch was hanged, beginning what is now known as the Salem Witch Trials. While you might have spent a day or two on it in middle school, there's a lot of context you probably missed!

Upcoming Classes

This Week  Psst, this Sunday is Father's Day! Grab your favorite NYC-based dad a gift certificate good for any class.  Change Of The Century: Ornette Coleman's Jazz Revolution - take a deeper look at the ways Ornette Coleman changed jazz, in advance of Thursday's Celebrate Brooklyn concert new  Street Art Tour: Meatpacking to Chelsea - an after-work tour of the street art outside the gallery walls  The Newtown Creek "Magic Lantern" Show - a virtual tour of the rich history and environmental issues of the Newtown Creek with Mitch Waxman  Doomsday Cults - there's always time for the end of the world  Umami: A Yummy Tour of Little Tokyo - learn to eat in the neighborhood where New York and Tokyo meet  Woolworth Building Lobby Tour - a peek inside one of the city's most iconic skyscrapers  Street Art Tour: Lower East Side to Soho - the street art of the Lower East Side

Artsy & Crafty  Intro to Jewelry Making: Beaded Earrings - walk away with earrings you made yourself and the knowledge to create them on your own  Bookbinding: Coptic Binding - an ancient binding with really beautiful results  Crocheted String Bag - put your crochet skills to good use new  Classic Charcoal Drawing for Beginners - tips from the Old Masters will have you drawing like a pro  Classic Charcoal Drawing - Level 2 - improve your technique  Make Your Own Stationery - your thank-you cards will never be the same

Social Science  Superfund: A Citizen's Guide - Superfund's a hot buzzword, but what does it all mean and how does it affect you?  The Arab Spring, Three Years Later - how the Arab Spring has unfolded, why it did so, and where the region is headed...now with new case study! new  Politics for the People: Monarchy! - a look at the oldest embodiment of political power new  Modern Evangelicalism - explore the beliefs of Evangelical Christianity and trace their influences everywhere from the halls of power to movie theaters new  A History of Royal Scotland - the story of Scotland’s monarchs and their colorful and often bloody role in shaping Scotland and Britain  The Egyptian Book of the Dead - a closer look at the myths, magic and monsters that fill this guide to the underworld new

Foodish & Drinkish  Homemade Ice Cream - I scream, you scream, we all scream for this class new  Wontons & Dumplings! - folds, fillings, and how to cook off your creations  Brewshop 101: Homebrewing Essentials at Bitter & Esters - everything you need to know to give your first homebrew a go new  An Introduction to Sichuan Cuisine - complex flavors that are easy to recreate at home Umami: A Yummy Tour of Little Tokyo - learn to eat in the neighborhood where New York and Tokyo meet

Music  An Intro to Jazz + New York City's Jazz Scene - breaking down the abstractions new  PUNK! A History: 1967-1982 - a crash course  Is Classical Music in Crisis? - explore the recent history and current state of classical music in America new  Contemporary African Music - start exploring the huge variety of sounds across the continent  Change Of The Century: Ornette Coleman's Jazz Revolution - take a deeper look into the cultural impact of Ornette Coleman's musical legacy new

Writing & Communicating  Getting Published: Nonfiction Book Proposals - agents, proposals, and all the rest  Interviewing People - tips and techniques for capturing great stories  Get Unstuck: Get Writing, Again - a daylong workshop to up your output  American Sign Language - Level 2 - develop storytelling skills and how to communicate more complex ideas and visual descriptions new  Writing the Personal Essay - one of the best ways to get your writing into the mainstream media

New York City: History & Walking Tours  Grime and Glory: A History of Prospect Park - from its original conception as a rival to Manhattan’s Central Park, through its glory days, decline, and rebirth  New York City and the American Revolution - a look at the people and places behind the stories  TRASH: New York City's Battle with Garbage - New York City's protracted struggle to contain its solid waste burden, from the 19th century to the present  Walking Tour: The Insalubrious Valley - a walk through the industrial heartlands of New York City along the Newtown Creek, with lunch at a historic diner new  Great New York City Buildings Few Guide Books Will Ever Mention - what's hiding in the Empire State Building's shadow?

Practical Skills  Presentation Skills - tools to finally get over that fear of public speaking  Natural Navigation in New York City - using the sun, stars, and streets as a compass  The Cream of the Crop: Finding a Winner in the Produce Aisle - practical tips for picking the best  Street Tree Care 101: How to Help Your Street Trees Thrive - a crash course in keeping your local street tree happy  Introduction to DSLR Photography - how DSLRs work + photography basics  30 Things To Know About Money Before You're 30 - create a solid foundation in your twenties that can pay off richly later on new

Board Game Olympics

The next installment of the Board Game Olympics is July 11 and only a few spots remain. Don't miss your chance to Jenga your way to greatness.

Backyard Potluck & Pie Bake Off!

Come on over to our backyard on Saturday, June 21 for an old-fashioned potluckfeaturing plenty of pie (+ prizes!) and hopefully lots of sunshine. Space for both bakers and eaters is limited, so be sure to grab your spot soon.

Summer Language Classes with Fluent City

The kind folks over at Fluent City are offering all Brainery newsletter subscribers (that's you!) a discount on their language classes this summer. You'll get $45 off group classes with the code BBrainsJune until June 20th. Select your class atfluentcity.com and be sure to hit "apply promo code" to make sure the discount sticks.

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Last Minute Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Looking for a last minute Mother's Day gift? Come make dumplings together on Saturday afternoon! 

We also offer gift certificates and classes on just about anything, from tree identification walks to stationery. 

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Brass Himmeli Mobiles at the Brooklyn Craft Company - May 29

Our pals at the Brooklyn Craft Company have a really neat class on brass himmeli mobiles coming up on May 29, and we're excited to help spread the word!

Inspired by a traditional Finnish Christmas ornaments, these brass versions are super modern and stylish, plus you can finish one and take it home in just a few short hours. 

Hop on over to the Brooklyn Craft Company's site to register, and be sure to enter the discount code BKBRAINS on the checkout page for 5% of your seat in the himmeli mobile class.  

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For Your Bookshelf: Culinary Reads from Brainery Teachers

Have you ever taken a class here at the Brainery and wished you could learn even more from your awesome teacher? You're in luck! Some of our amazing teachers have written equally amazing books!

In this episode of "Books By Brainery Teachers" we're focusing on three books in the food realm. We highly recommend each of these books and if you like what you read, you'll love the classes the authors teach.

The Chinese Takeout Cookbook by Diana Kuan

What's it about: In The Chinese Takeout Cookbook, Chinese food blogger and cooking instructor Diana Kuan brings Chinatown to your home with this amazing collection of more than eighty popular Chinese takeout recipes—appetizers, main courses, noodle and rice dishes, and desserts—all easy-to-prepare and MSG-free.

Diana's upcoming classes: Wontons & Dumplings - May 10

Viva la Pizza!: The Art of the Pizza Box by Scott Wiener

What's it about: In Viva la Pizza!, Wiener traces design trends over the past four decades and profiles some of the world’s most prolific box designers and manufacturers. The result is a captivating overview of pizza culture and a new way to look at one of the world’s favorite foods.

We're excited to be co-hosting a talk with Scott at the Brooklyn Historical Society on May 21st. Get your tickets. 

Knish: In Search of the Jewish Soul Food by Laura Silver

What's it about: With good humor and a hunger for history, Silver mines knish lore for stories of entrepreneurship, survival, and major deliciousness. The one and only absolutely definitive biography of the knish.

Laura's upcoming classes: Improve Your Knish IQ - May 12

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You like dumplings, right?

Of course you do! Then join us on Saturday, May 10 as we host our first-ever weekend dumpling-making classes with the awesome Diana Kuan. Three sessions to choose from! Read more and sign up. 

(P.S. Sunday is Mother's Day, just saying.)

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Coming up at the Brainery!

Cinco de Mayo isn't Mexico's Independence Day, so what is it really?

Upcoming Classes

Wontons & Dumplings Extravaganza on May 10  We're super excited about our upcoming first-ever weekend dumpling classes with Diana Kuan. You'll learn a variety of folds, fillings, and cooking methods, and there arethree sessions to choose from!

Coming up this week  The History of the Gowanus Canal - the lowdown on Brooklyn's most infamous toxic waterway  Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down: Writing Reviews for Film - examine the art and craft of writing informative, entertaining reviews on films we love (or hate!)  The Brooklyn Waterfront: Past and Present - the development, decline, and rebirth of the Brooklyn waterfront

Almost-full classes  Money Laundering 101 - want to know more about how dirty cash gets laundered?  Modern Corridor: A Walking Tour of Long Island City's Hunters Point - explore the former "workshop of America" in Long Island City, where residential towers now rise  Comic Book Super Science - from radioactive spiders to super soldier serums  TRASH: New York City's Battle with Garbage - New York City's protracted struggle to contain its solid waste burden, from the 19th century to the present  Fact Checking: Making Sure Nonfiction is Truly Nonfiction - tips and processes to keep your facts factual

Hands-on & crafty  Classic Charcoal Drawing for Beginners - tips from the Old Masters will have you drawing like a pro  Make Your Own Stationery - your thank-you cards will never be the same  The Desert Terrarium - a tiny world, perfect for the harsh conditions of your windowsill  Floral Design Project: Head Wreaths - make your own flower crown from scratch  The Urban Sketchbook - explore the pleasures of drawing from observation, focusing on scale and proportion, as much as impression, movement and mark-making  Floral Design: Spiraled Bouquets - create a full, three-dimensional arrangement, perfect for vases or hand-held bouquets

Skills of all sorts  Design Thinking Bootcamp with The Design Gym - the essentials of design thinking, and how to use it in everyday life  Money Pride: Financial Planning for the LGBTQ Community - what changing state and federal laws mean for your money  Talking to Kids and Teens About Sex: Beyond the Birds and the Bees - real life tips and scenarios to help you become a trusted guide  How to Write a Book - explore the art of the idea and take a look at the differences between non-fiction, fiction and memoir  Storytelling 101: How to Tell an Amazing Tale - learn the basics to crafting an excellent tale  Presentation Skills - tools to finally get over that fear of public speaking  American Sign Language - a four-week introduction to a new way of communicating

Social science  The Newtown Creek "Magic Lantern" Show - a virtual tour of the rich history and environmental issues which plague the largely unknown NYC waterway  A History of Royal Scotland - the story of Scotland’s monarchs and their colorful and often bloody role in shaping Scotland and Britain  Great New York City Buildings Few Guide Books Will Ever Mention - what's hiding in the Empire State Building's shadow?  MADE IN NYC: The Reinvention of Local Manufacturing - what's being made in NYC today and what you can do to support local manufacturing  Punk! A History: 1967-1982 - a crash course  Grime and Glory: A History of Prospect Park - from its original conception as a rival to Manhattan’s Central Park, through its glory days, decline, and stunning rebirth

Nature  Thirteen Ways of Looking at Mugwort - generally regarded as an unattractive pest, mugwort is also a medicinal plant with a long history of human use  Spring Tree Identification - learn a London plane from a linden; new Prospect Heights and Greenpoint sessions added

Foodish  Improve Your Knish IQ - a crash course in all things knish  Pizza: The Brooklyn Story - in partnership with Scott Wiener and the Brooklyn Historical Society

Adventure Club  The Brainery's brand-new excuse to get out and do things in NYC  Street Art Photography Workshop - shooting tips, a street art tour + time to practice  Explore the Flower District Before Work - an early-morning browse through the city's greenest block  Feast at a Food Court in Flushing's Chinatown - a weekend introduction to an outer-borough Chinatown

Brooklyn on Brooklyn: Elizabeth Streb and Jed Walentas at the Brooklyn Historical Society

Wednesday, May 7, 6:30pm Brooklyn Historical Society Reserve tickets - free with code BKBRAINS

Join two Brooklynites who transformed community through art: MacArthur Genius Award-winning choreographer Elizabeth Streb, and Jed Walentas, whose Two Trees Management Company made DUMBO an art mecca. Expect an evening of unvarnished talk about art, real estate, and an ever-changing Brooklyn.

Our friends at the Brooklyn Historical Society are generously offering Brainery fans free admission to this event; just use the code BKBRAINS when signing up.

MSG Presents: The Food of the High Seas

Tuesday, May 20, 8pm Littlefield (622 Degraw Street) Free, RSVP recommended

This month, we're revisiting the topic so awesome Mother Nature snowed it out in January: the food of the high seas!

We'll explore the culinary world of drunken sailors, seventeenth-century pirates, and the modern-day cruise ships that rule the waves. What's so tough about hard tack, and how exactly do you come down with a case of scurvy? We'll also be trumpeting the salty secrets of maritime alcohol: from legendary rum rations of the Royal Navy, to the the mythic history of IPA's.

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A very pickled, very cuminy Langsai Salad from Cafe Kashkar and tarragon soda from Brighton Beach. 

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From our pal Sarah at fourpoundsflour:

The Irwindale City Council has voted unanimously to declare the spicy smell of Sriracha hot sauce production a public nuisance.

I want to take a moment and point out the Irwindale City Council’s history of corruption:

Irwindale at risk of losing insurance due to allegations of corruption

Irwindale Four’ Plead Not Guilty To Corruption Charges

California cities mismanaged funds meant for affordable housing, Times investigation finds

Sriracha hot sauce complaints began with Irwindale councilman’s son

And many more here. 

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Ever wondered what that Texas ex-pat who's always griping about missing Tex-Mex is going on about? Are you unclear about what exactly Tex-Mex is? In this one-session class, we'll cover the history of the cuisine, the difference between various regional dishes and styles, and the reason why breakfast tacos have created a cult-like following among residents of the Lone Star State.

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Tonight! The Heated History of Chocolate at Littlefield

Come on down to Littlefield tonight to learn all about the history of chocolate at our monthly MSG lecture. It's free, there'll be chocolate, and plenty of beer available for your enjoyment. Doors at 7:30, 21+, no rsvp needed! 

All the details. 

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A few of the things we did this week: made earrings, planted a tree (and identified them!), marbled paper, talked Gowanus history at the Brooklyn Historical Society, and learned about starting a food biz in NYC. 

Thanks to Jessica Kaufman/ Happygocrafty for the marbling photo!

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Brainery Newsletter: Chocolate, Charcoal, and More New Classes

Today in 1674 a big hunk of modern-day New Jersey was sold to the Quakers, who controlled it as West Jersey for almost thirty years. While the dividing line between East and West Jersey was never fully settled, it was really New York and New Jersey whose borders couldn't get along. For over fifty years the two English colonies played host to the New York-New Jersey Line War; it wasn't settled until King George III stepped in during the 1770's, just in time for the Revolutionary War.

New Classes

Coming Up This Week and Next  The Design Gym - Street Research: User Research with No Budget and No Permission - understanding people to design for their needs  Paper Marbling - a couple last minute spots are available  Tie-Dye Techniques - personalize your wardrobe with this in-depth technique class

Hands On Projects  Shibori Tie-Dye - take your tie-dye up a notch  Learn to Knit: A Slouchy Hat - even if you've never knit before, you can make a hat (we promise!)  Kokedama: Make Your Own Living Moss Balls - bring a bit of greenery indoors  An Introduction to Tapestry Weaving - dress the loom, start the weaving, add a pattern or two, and tie it off  Floral Design Project: English Garden Baskets - perfect for spring or to brighten up your apartment anytime  Classic Charcoal Drawing - Level 2 - aimed at those with some prior experience  Lo-fi Printing: Block Carving - your own lo-fi print studio  Floral Design Project: Head Wreaths - using a few lovely flowers and some simple techniques, create your very own flower crown

Skills of All Sorts  Obamacare and Me in NYC: What the Affordable Care Act Means for Uninsured New Yorkers - last session before the deadline!  Storytelling 101: How to Tell an Amazing Tale - learn the basics to crafting an excellent tale  Presentation Skills - get over that fear of public speaking  ABCs of IRAs - juice up your retirement savings with tax-advantaged Individual Retirement Accounts  Poker for Beginners - shed the beginner label in two short weeks  Board Game Olympics - from Scattergories to sudden death Jenga

Writing and Publishing  Get Unstuck: Get Writing, Again - a daylong workshop to up your output  Screenplay Workshop Intensive - workshop, brainstorm, and conquer the formidable but all-important script outline  Writing the Villanelle - write poetry, under constraints  Fact Checking: Making Sure Nonfiction is Truly Nonfiction - tips and processes to keep your facts factual  Write an 800 Word Essay - the best way to get your stories into mainstream media

Foodish + Drinkish  Vegetarian Sushi-Making - all the fun of sushi, minus the fish  Tex-Mex: Demystified - exploring that magical food mashup from the Lone Star State  The History of Scotch Whisky - how scotch became the world's most popular spirit  Breakfast. Manly English Breakfast. For Dinner. - the history of the English Breakfast and what it all means

Social Science  A History of Royal Scotland - the story of Scotland’s monarchs and their colorful and often bloody role in shaping Scotland and Britain  Superfund: A Citizen's Guide - the stories behind the buzzword and how it affects you  The Biology of Mental Illness - how much we currently know about the relationship between mental illness and brain activity and the huge amount we still have to learn

New York City!  MADE IN NYC: The Reinvention of Local Manufacturing - what's being made in NYC today and what you can do to support local manufacturing  New York City and the American Revolution - a look at the people and places behind some of the war's overlooked stories  The NYC You've Never Seen - the hidden secrets of our five boroughs  Grime and Glory: A History of Prospect Park - from its original conception as a rival to Manhattan’s Central Park, through its glory days, decline, and stunning rebirth  Kill Van Kull Walking Tour - explore Staten Island, with lots of historic neighborhoods, old taverns, and tug boats along the way

Music  Blue Note at 75: A Cultural History of Blue Note Records - a look back at the jazz label's influenece and legacy  Sounding the Planet: Ecomusicology and Advocacy - how music and sound studies can change the way we think about our environment and be used as a tool for advocacy

The Rise of Chocolate: The Heated History of the World's #1 Candy

Visit us at Littlefield on Tuesday, March 25 for Masters of Social Gastronomy, our monthly lectures on all things food.

This month we're tracking the story of chocolate from its roots as an ancient Mesoamerican beverage to its current world-championship status. Burning questions of modern confectionery will be answered, and milk chocolate vs. dark chocolate will be settled once and for all.

What: Chocolate, of course Where: Littlefield, 622 Degraw St, Gowanus When: March 25, doors at 7:30 sharp How: Totally optional RSVP

Save the Date! Pizza History at the Brooklyn Historical Society

We're super excited to be co-hosting a talk with the awesome Scott Wiener, founder ofScott's Pizza Tours. Come on down to the Brooklyn Historical Society on May 21 for a dose of local pizza history. Get your tickets here.

Scholarly yours,

The Brainery

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Free Event! The Rise of Chocolate on March 25

This month our Masters of Social Gastronomy lectures tackles the world's most popular candy: chocolate!

We'll track the history of chocolate from its roots as an ancient Mesoamerican beverage to its current world-championship status. You'll learn how a yellow, football-shaped tropical fruit transforms into something Whole Foods can charge you $10 for, and what "Mexican Hot Chocolate" actually has in common with what Montezuma drank.

Peek at Europe's decades-long war about British chocolate and uncover why the whole continent seems to have it out for its American counterpart. Burning questions of modern confectionery will be answered: What's better, milk or dark? Why does Hershey's have its own theme park? Do M&M's actually melt in your hand?

And of course, it wouldn't be spring without a discussion of Easter candy, including everyone's favorite, the Cadbury Mini Egg. 

Very Important Details When: Tuesday, March 25, doors at 7:30 sharp Where: Littlefield, 622 Degraw Street, Brooklyn Free, 21+ Totally optional RSVP