Today is Andy's birthday, and it's a special one, so I surprised him with a special gift:
Huh? A banjo? Yup, it's something he's been talking about a lot lately. He can play guitar (I got him one for his twenty-tenth birthday!), and he'd like to learn the banjo. Not knowing a thing about banjos, I asked John Walkenbach, who blogs about banjos, among other things. He told me about the different types (resonator and open-back), directed me to a good vendor (Elderly Instruments), and even suggested which model to buy. He then pointed me toward an instructional DVD, which I also purchased. Thanks, John! Andy should be ready for "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" by his forty-twentieth.
For dinner we had veal chops and a lovely 2005 Joseph Phelps cab (a birthday gift from a friend), but I held off on baking a cake because we still had cupcakes left over from Julie's birthday, plus an ice cream cake from Andy's office celebration. I think I'll make this maple-nut tart again over the weekend.
Happy Birthday Andy! Have you ever listened to Terry Gross interview Steve Martin about his banjo playing? Very fun and interesting interview- bet you would both love it!
Posted by: Sara | October 14, 2009 at 09:06 PM
Oh golly. The maple-walnut tart. I'll be right over . . .
Actually, I make a similar dessert, but rather than use maple syrup, mine has you caramelize the sugar, and then douse it with whipping cream, after which you pour it over the walnuts and bake. I have a slightly limited sweet tooth, but this kind of thing, esp. when the weather is cool, is one of my downfalls. Enjoy!
Posted by: Wendy | October 15, 2009 at 02:40 PM
please federal express me some maple nut tart.
Posted by: peter c | October 15, 2009 at 02:54 PM
Happy Birthday a day late to Andy. A banjo! Both utterly fascinating and absolutely appropriate. Off to check out the maple-nut tart, mouth watering.
Posted by: Kelly | October 15, 2009 at 11:30 PM
I love banjos. I wish I could play one, but alas, I can not. My sister can, though. There is a guy here in town, his photo was in a recent TAB edition that is a great player and he goes to Berklee. He might be able to give Andy lessons. He's a good friend of my son's, so if Andy is interested in lessons, let me know and I'll try and fix him up.
Posted by: margalit | October 16, 2009 at 01:32 AM