I DON'T THINK YOU'RE READY FOR THIS JELLY

View fullsize

Last month, Emily was forced to dispose of her favorite pair of summer sandals: they were completely flat with a t-strap made of solid glitter that she purchased on her last day of a summer internship about 4 years ago. They were the kind of shoes she loved so much that she might never have let them go, no matter how frayed and cracked they got, if not for one of the perils of living in Brooklyn: during a sunset walk through DUMBO, she stepped on a dead mouse. Yes, she almost barfed upon realizing what the crunch was under her barely covered foot. Yes, she momentarily thought her shoes could be resuscitated, but no. Their time had come. She spent weeks daydreaming about the perfect replacement sandal -- could another shoe possibly exist that had such satisfying glitz? Then, on a recent, 24 hour stop in LA, she found them: JELLIES! Her amazing cousin was wearing the most marvelous pair of rainbow (mint green fading to bubblegum pink) jellies and showed her where she could find them in glitter. Perfectly platformed, these throwbacks were the exact update she needed. She'll be in denial about summer ending for the next three months.

View fullsize

Shoes available here!

Emily's Books

View fullsize

Growing up, Emily was a library kid. She spent September afternoons scrambling from elementary school to a building just a few blocks away, trading the sticky, sweltering Houston "fall" (which is really just summer and lasts until December) for the always glacial air conditioner in the local branch of the Harris County Public Library. Collecting armfuls of novels, Emily would stop by the kids section for Roald Dahl and move over to the teen area for Madeleine L'Engle and Lois Lowry, inevitably sneaking in a few classics like The Secret Garden or The Wizard of Oz. She was enchanted by the books' woody smell, dusty and familiar, the corners of pages soft and darkened from years of eager thumbs rifling through pages. Until college, she was more of a book sharer than a buyer, except for a few absolutely necessary purchases, like a stunning copy of Catcher in the Rye spangled with illustrations of flames, and Jane Eyre (she is too embarrassed to disclose the number of copies of Jane Eyre she owns . . . she is like the crazy cat lady of Jane Eyre). The books she's purchased since then have all been particularly special copies of beloved favorites, most recently books with beautiful and unusual design choices. Here are some of Emily's favorite books with great design.

The Picture of Dorian gray

“It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors”

VANITY FAIR

“And before her had time to ask how, Mr. Joseph Sedley, of the East India Company’s service, was actually seated tete-a-tete with a young lady, looking at her with a most killing expression; his arms stretched out before her in an imploring attitude, and his hands bound in a web of green silk, which she was unwinding.”

Anne of Green Gables

“Anne took the dress and looked at it in reverent silence. Oh, how pretty it was--a lovely soft brown gloria with all the gloss of silk; a skirt with dainty frills and shirrings; a waist elaborately pintucked in the most fashionable way, with a little ruffle of filmy lace at the neck. But the sleeves--they were the crowning glory! Long elbow cuffs, and above them two beautiful puffs divided by rows of shirring and bows of brown-silk ribbon.”

The Principles of Uncertainty

“My dream is to walk around the world. A smallish backpack, all essentials neatly in place. A camera. A notebook. A traveling paint set. A hat. Good shoes. A nice pleated (green?) skirt for the occasional seaside hotel afternoon dance.”

DAnce TEXAS DANCE

View fullsize

Last week, our attentions were drawn to a question on Facebook by a friend of a friend, a query that we BKTXers have regularly pondered ourselves. The question was this:

"Austin-NYC friends! I'm gonna throw this question out there but plz don't make fun of me... are there any dance clubs like Barbarella in BK?"

Barbarella is a majestic, myth-worthy dance club originally from Austin with an outpost in Houston. Named for the legendary Jane Fonda character, you're not going to find top 40 or nondescript techno. Barbarella is the best place to shake your booty: Footloose 80's Night is the best way to enjoy the Talking Heads and Blondie aside from dancing-alone-in-your-apartment-at-2am scenarios. Gritz n' Gravy (Soul, Rock n Roll, Motown) and SunGayz are not to be missed. It's rowdy, it's sweaty, and it's pretty much the opposite of any place Blaire Waldorf would have gone on a Saturday night. It doesn't matter how nerdy, how hipster, how glamorous, or how hardcore you are: everyone belongs and everyone has fun. Basically, imagine a place where you can freely attempt to match Michael Jackson's hip thrusts, David Byrne's knee swings, Morrissey's mime hands, or if you're lucky and show up on 90's night, any of these things are possible. It's truly the best, and nothing in Texas is quite like it.

That said, here's our recommendation of the dance places in Brooklyn that are remotely comparable to Barbarella. Don your pleather and venture forth.  

Bossanova A Brooklyn classic.

Happy Fun Hideaway If the backyard drinking in this tiny Bushwick bar doesn't make you nostalgic for Texas, I don't know what will. Go one of the nights a DJ is playing!

The Spectrum reminds us of SunGayz.

The Pyramid *NOT BROOKLYN but still cool* We recommend Temptation Saturdays

Runner up: Tandem You can get your dance on here most nights, but it loses some edge because there's so much kale and quinoa on the menu.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Thanks to Jay Bradley Becton for contributing to research efforts, offering suggestions, bestowing advice, and giving us excuses to go dancing. All photos by Chris Blaski Photo for H-Town Emo Club.

Lipstick with Olivia

When Olivia was little, she never snuck into her mom's bathroom to test shimmery eye shadow or tease her hair into a big Texan pouf: she was a serious tomboy and was far more interested in mud fights and skateparks than dresses and bows. That was until she got a drastic pixie haircut in college that left her feeling more masculine than her tomboy heart desired. Desperate to end her run as a Justin Bieber lookalike and find some color during a bleak, grey Brooklyn winter, she stormed into the Union Square Sephora and never looked back. The first tube she picked was a shocking neon pink worthy of Barbie—it's hard to get girlier than NARS Schiap—and it started an obsession. Olivia has worn countless tubes of lipstick into stubs, rocking bright, bold colors almost every other day, but only a few have stuck around in her permanent rotation. Here's the roundup of Olivia's classics. 

Red Lizard

Discovered:
January 2012, Paris 

Vibes:
Classy

Pairs well with:
A vintage fur-collared coat, Chanel Mademoiselle, and a glass of champagne

An adventure had while wearing this lipstick:
Playfully plotted the theft of a Poussin painting at the Louvre . . . 

View fullsize

NARS Lipstick "Red Lizard" 

HEAT WAVE

Discovered:
June 2012, Houston

Vibes:
Fun and flirty

Pairs well with:
Messy up-do's, striped sailor t-shirt, and a Fjallraven backpack

An adventure had while wearing this lipstick:
Once, while wearing this lipstick at a casino in Louisiana, I won $500 playing Texas Hold-em. 

View fullsize

NARS Lipstick "Heat Wave"

SCANDAL

Discovered:
February 2015, New York

Vibes:
Hardcore

Pairs well with:
Cut up band t-shirt, cigarettes, and attitude

An adventure had while wearing this lipstick:
Many shows at Palisades to see this band. 

View fullsize

Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Creme "Scandal"

Hot Hot Prickly Summer

With labor day just around the corner, we'd expect this concrete wall of heat to start to fade away and make room for a cooler and more pleasant fall, however, the hot weather has been relentless. We decided that instead of resenting this stronghold we would embrace it—taking advantage of our last few beach days, grilling in Prospect Park, frisbee at the Menil, and sweaty bike rides across Brooklyn. Inspired by the Texas plains and the window sills of trendy Brooklyn apartments, we bring you two painting honoring the plants that thrive and relish in heat like this.

View fullsize

View fullsize

PACKING LIST : THE BKTX BEACH EDIT

Whether you grew up taking the A train to Far Rockaway or, like us, driving your dad's pickup (let's be real, your mom's silver minivan with a trunk full of friends) to Galveston, summertime beach trips are universal. No matter where you are, there always seems to be a group of sunscreen streaked toddlers sloshing in puddles of sandy saltwater, overly tan women in underly sized bikinis flipping through magazines, bros with impossibly gelled hair playing volleyball. If you're driving down to South Padre or taking the ferry to Sandy Hook, NJ*, you're going to need to make sure to pack a few necessary objects to make sure you have the best. beach. day. ever. Here's our edit of essentials to bring with you on your next trip to the shore. Quoth Minaj: Let's go to the beach, each, let's go get a wave!

THE PACKING LIST: 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

*Though most beach trips have some universal qualities, there is one distinct difference about Sandy Hook, the beach that inspired this post: the clothing optional beach is NOT A JOKE. After arriving at 9am, Olivia went for a solo walk down an otherwise normal looking beach to discover hundreds of the happiest, most unclothed people (over the age of 35) just chatting and hanging out – it was like another world. While she was gone, Emily was "reading" on her beach blanket, i.e. eavesdropping of the group of men doing Sunday Funday right (they had already broken open their Cupcake Chardonnay before 10 am). One of them had just gotten back from attempting a few games of naked volleyball, and apparently, the naked volleyball veterans were "mean!" It sounded like they were just surprisingly polished players.

We highly recommend the day trip from Manhattan, but believe us: the word "nude," previously ascribed (by us) to the smooth bodies of models in paintings and classical sculpture, has forever been changed. FOREVER.

Kolaches

View fullsize

There are plenty of places to get bagels in Texas, but there's a Texan breakfast delight that's very rare in New York: the Kolache. It's pronounced Koh-LAH-chee. Originally made in Czech communities in central Texas, these pastries ultimately became breakfast staples all over the state (you can find them anywhere from truck stops to donut shops), though they are uncommon outside of Texas. We prefer the signature sweet dough wrapped around savory breakfast foods, like sausage, cheese, and jalapeno, but you can find them with fruit or cheese too. Though they're rare, they aren't impossible to find in New York thanks to Brooklyn Kolache, a cute Bed Stuy bakery claiming to be the king of kolaches. We wanted to see if kolaches could stand up as a breakfast food in a city saturated with specialty bagels, cronuts, and pretzel croissants, so we rounded up 8 friends, 7 of whom live in Brooklyn and 4 of whom have lived in Texas, to see what they thought of this traditional Texan treat.

View fullsize

Have you ever had a kolache before? If yes, tell us about your previous kolache experience. 

View fullsize

If no, what are your kolache expectations?

Please write a brief statement about what you just ate. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

Adrienne

Our friend Adrienne is super inspiring: she is a freelance shoe designer, and she just launched an Etsy shop for her gorgeous, origami-inspired jewelry (did we mention she's a contemporary origami pro?). She also happens to have grown up in Houston, TX, and has been living in Brooklyn since graduate school, which makes her a prime BKTXer! We sat down with her in our favorite Greenpoint Bar for some Texas whiskey and chatted about what inspires her jewelry, what it takes to be a good designer, and the importance of queso. Thanks Adrienne!

View fullsize

Tell us about how you started seriously thinking about being a shoe designer and going to school for fashion.

I went to FIT. Before that I was living in Austin doing research at the University of Texas in a cognitive science lab, and I would come home and draw things and fold things and sew things and do little fashion things, and watch project runway. I spent all this time working on cerebral research and I enjoyed it, but I needed a creative outlet. I applied for some funding to do origami in New Zealand. I was waiting to hear back, and I was bored of Austin. I was antsy after living there for 6 years. So, I moved back to Houston and decided to do some fashion classes because I thought, I’m not going to be here for too long, I don’t want to get situated. So I started taking classes at Houston Community College and I loved it, I was so excited to be there. And the classes were really good and really affordable, I’m a huge fan of HCC. It turned out I didn’t get my funding to New Zealand, it was very competitive, but by that time I knew I wanted to do fashion. So I moved to New York, and I was applying to FIT’s apparel fashion program and it just didn’t sit right. I was going through the course catalogue, and I was so excited by all of the accessories classes, and I was like, "Oh my God I’m going to do footwear!" It made so much sense. In high school I decorated all of my shoes and all of my friends shoes. I painted them, I glittered them, I rhinestoned them, I sequined them. I put flowers on flip flops, with glitter and confetti butterflies. The assistant principal at my high school had me decorate her shoes for prom. So ten years later, it made so much sense that I would study shoes. Like, why didn’t I think of this sooner, it seemed so obvious.

Take us through your process of designing shoes!

So it starts off with a certain customer in mind, and for a big section of the industry that is Macy’s because they are such a big chunk of the market. So you have to know who you’re selling to or who you want to sell to. If I was my own brand I’d make all kinds of glorious weird shit that probably wouldn’t sell. A company like Macy’s has their own trend forecasters and buyers, so they tell you they are looking for casual things at this-and-this price point, and this is what is selling right now. So, you have to know your market, see what they are looking for and what the trends are. Maybe Opening Ceremony and other boutiques will take more risks. You go through all the trends and the magazines, and see what celebrities are wearing because that actually is important because people follow them. From there, you make 10 million sketches and most of them just get thrown out. They say they want “something fresh, and that they want it to sell.” “Fresh” means they want to see something new, but “want it to sell” means they want to see something old, so they want both at the same time. 

Buyers are looking at what sold last year, designers are looking at what’s going to sell next year, and then there are a bunch of in between people that either want their opinion to be heard or they have input. So you’re trying to appease like 45 different people all at the same time, who want at least 5 different brands from you. They want whatever sold last year, but whatever’s new and fresh and cool but not so cool that their core buyer won’t buy it. So you have to please everyone. But then you make your sketches, and you scan them and write a million notes, you send them with references, with measurements, and photos of anything remarkably similar, all to China. China sends you back a prototype, and you fix it here and there, but then you’re running out of time, and you have to present 80 samples to Macy’s or Dillard’s. So then, you just go to China, because stuff gets done a lot faster when you’re there. I’m showing them stuff so there’s not a huge language barrier, and there’s not a 12 hour time difference. So it’s not like it takes 3 business days — it all happens in real time. We’re all there, and I’m like drawing on people’s feet. We’re putting tape, and scissors, and I’m cutting up shoes on their feet and taping them up and drawing lines and moving things, and they're like you can’t have that material it’s too expensive. So we’re running around the market trying to find a cheaper material that doesn’t completely look like shit. So I’m always back and forth. And meanwhile I’m in China, there’s something else that needs to be approved for production. You’re always in several different cycles because you’re doing four to six seasons a year, so you might be concept in one season, sales samples in another season, they’re making a buy in another season, production in another season, fit confirmations, all of these different things. And you have a sample factory making the samples and a production factory making the shoes. So you approve them at the sample factory, but then there’s a totally different place to make the shoes, and you approve the sample and they go to production. The buyers want Gucci for $15.99, the sales reps want Gucci for $15.99, both of them don’t understand why you can’t get Gucci for $15.99, and so the designer is stuck in between all of that.

View fullsize

What is your favorite pair of shoes and do you still have them?

Absolutely. They are a pair of laser cut, pewter, Haider Ackermann oxfords that I bought off of somebody’s feet. It was a coworker of mine at Kenneth Cole, she worked in prints. She showed up wearing them, and I was like, “Oh my god, those are Haider Ackermann!” and she was like, “I’m so impressed you know what brand these are!” And I bought them off her feet for $200. I have only worn them a handful of times, and I bring them in their little bag to my destination and then put them on because they are that precious. But if you look at these shoes they look like they were made for me.

What are your favorite shoes you've designed?

Actually the ones I’m wearing now! I wish they were in better condition. They never ended up making it to production. These the factory specially made for me. You might design thousands and thousands of shoes and only a small number actually make it to production and then to stores. They just go through so many rounds of edits. It’s very rare that your concept ends up being what is in the store. They want it, but $30 cheaper, or without all the ornaments, and with only three buckles instead of four. It goes through all those processes, the buyers want to feel confident in their choice. You can’t stray too far from what’s already selling or people get scared. I love the weird stuff, because I look at shoes all day, and I’ve seen everything that’s for sale today 3 years ago. My favorite changes all the time, but if I like them, then they are probably too weird for your standard customer. But that’s how it goes.

View fullsize

How did you originally become interested in origami?

When I was six years old, I saw this book on my mom’s bookshelf in Meyerland, TX, and it was an origami book. I was like what is this, and I’ve been doing origami ever since.

What book was it?

It was a classical origami book, I’ve since bought a hardcover version at an auction. It has diagrams. There are all kinds of art house books now, but historically origami books are diagram books and you fold from them.

What was the first pattern that you ever folded?

The first pattern I was really into and made a thousand times was a butterfly.

Origami has become a lot of things for me. It’s what has influenced me to become a designer, without which I wouldn’t have moved to New York. It also is a personal thing, I really enjoy the practice of folding. It’s very meditative, like how some people find knitting really relaxing, I find folding very soothing. I really like the process, but I also really like making things and at some point I got bored of paper because I had been using it for 25 years and I began making accessories and combining the two in more interesting ways. So I play around a lot with origami crease patterns. The jewelry I make is the crease patterns — which is what you get when you unfold something and you see a bunch of lines, that’s the crease pattern — and I play around with those crease patterns and get them 3D printed and cast in Long Island City.

I very facetiously, tongue-in-cheek call it post-paper origami. There are all kinds of people making origami. There are the purists who are not remotely interested in what I’m doing, and then there are other people who like it and are exploring in a similar way.

View fullsize

Tell us more about your jewelry.

This is a new project! I’ve always liked jewelry, and I took these 3D modeling classes at CUNY City Tech, and then I started making jewelry through Shapeways, which is really easy. For me, the hard part is modeling. You can spend years and still be a basic modeler. I’ve done other kinds of CAD, like Adobe Suite, which I learned quickly, but this is hard. I use Rhino for the jewelry, and sometimes I do things in Illustrator and import it because there are still little things I haven’t figured out yet.

How do you decide what metals to use?

Some of it is instinct and some of it is cost, and some of it is what is available and I like. But there are things like the rings which would have been much more affordable to do in brass and bronze, which turn your hands green so I decided to go with nicer metals. A lot of people think that “cheap jewelry” turns their hands green which is true, but it’s also because of the metal. I was thinking, "Oh this is poorly made, it’s turning me green" — no, it’s just brass. So I decided to go with sterling silver, rose gold, and gold plated brass. Rose gold is my favorite.

View fullsize

What do you miss most about Texas?

My first knee jerk reaction to that question is Tex Mex. QUESO. If it had to be one thing, it would be queso. I can make flour tortillas on my own, I’ve done this a number of times (editor’s note: Teach us how to do this!). They will never be as good as the little abuelitas’ in Houston, but honestly queso I haven’t attempted to make. I’ve never aspired to greater heights than Rotel and Velveeta. I say that to people here and they’re like “isn’t that just cheese?” It’s SO much more than cheese. I certainly miss the people… I miss queso, and then people, and people includes family.

Greenpoint, we will always love you...

Well folks, BKTX headquarters has relocated across Brooklyn. We might be off exploring new BK locations and their special links to Texas (which was always our plan), but Greenpoint is the neighborhood that inspired BKTX and it will always feel like our home. Here are a few of our favorite spots in Greenpoint, places that we’ll be sure to return to and places that are frequented by many Texan Brooklynites!

View fullsize

1. Word
A tiny bookstore with a great staff. Let them know what you like and they’ll recommend something great.

2. Littleneck Outpost
Feel transported to New England with one of their lobster rolls and huge bay windows.

3. Homecoming
Stop in for a fancy coffee or flowers for a special occasion. We love everything here but the price. 

4. Budin
Being on a nordic kick, we love this Northern European coffee spot (they also have nordic beer!). If you are feeling bold, giver their $7 Black Gold (a licorice latte) a try! 

5. Brouerwij Lane
The best selection of beer around! Pick up a six-pack to take home, or sit down and have a drink with friends. 

6. In God We Trust 
In God We Trust is pricy but very cool. They make all their clothes by hand in the back of their store. *Bonus Points* for having Texas employees!

7. Paulie Gee’s
Go early on the weekend or late on a weeknight to avoid their crazy lines! Paulie Gee's is our favorite pizza in town (even over the coveted Roberta's!). If you are lucky, Paulie Gee himself might stop by your table with shots of their homemade limoncello! *Bonus Points* for having Texas employees! 

8. Ovenly
Get the pistachio cardamom bread. Just do it. They have a morning stand on the India St. Pier too, if you want a snack while you wait for the East River Ferry.

9. River Styx
BRUNCH (make sure to try one of their cinnamon buns—oh so good)!

10. Transmitter Park
The most special park in New York City. Nowhere else competes with that view. There’s also yoga on the pier in summertime.

11. Kennaland
Somehow Amy manages to give the best haircuts for both the frizziest hair and the stick straight.

12. Ramona
Ramona's is always there to pick us up when we are down. This is the place to go for a seriously good cocktail.

13. Duke’s Liquor Box
The owner, Patrick is originally from Texas and wraps their bottles in butcher paper from a farm in the Hill Country. Note the Texan flag out front! *BKTX*

14. Wolves Within
We can not walk past this store without going in — it is dangerous. We always buy something. 

15. Dandelion Wine
Dandelion is probably our most frequented establishment in Greenpoint. It is a true neighborhood staple. They have wine tastings with cheese from Eastern District. If you don't know about them already, you should check them out. 

16. Moonlight Mile 
Oh how we love Gary, the groovy owner of this rock and roll bar. He is always down to talk about music or watch a an old school live video of Jim Morrison on their projector. With an awesome selection of American whiskey (including whiskeys straight from Texas) and always filled with lovely people, Moonlight Mile is one of our go-to neighborhood spots! *BKTX*

17. J&C Shoe Repair
SERIOUSLY THE BEST SHOE MAN. We will pilgrimage to him.

18. Propeller
Owned and operated by some lovely ladies, Propeller is our go to spot for people watching through their big front windows and for iced coffee on the go.

19. Franklin Corner Cafe (internet cafe)
Open 24 hours! The BEST bodega sandwiches around — we recommend the BLAT.

20. East River Ferry
While in Greenpoint, we always opted to take the East River Ferry whenever possible! It is the best way to travel in New York City (and the only way to arrive at your destination feeling remotely clean)!

21. Achilles Heel
This is one of our favorite spots. Part of the restaurant empire that includes Marlow & Sons, Diner, Roman's and many others, Achilles Heel is our favorite place to drink a Pastis and day dream about adventures to come. 

22. Alameda 
Our favorite place for a light dinner and a fancy cocktail. Their food is farm to table and cocktails change seasonally. A little pricy, but well worth it. This is our favorite Greenpoint bar. If you're not feeling fancy, get the cheeseburger, it's amazing.

23. Troost
Troost has a great garden and prosecco on tap! 

24. Eng Farm Market
This bodega is open 24 hours! They always have a wide and fresh selection of flowers. A great resource if you have are doing some late night cooking and forgot to get that one integral ingredient! 

25. Bakeri
Covered in floral wall paper, with bakers decked out in blue overalls, we are so happy to have this Williamsburg coffee outpost that makes us feel like Alice in Wonderland.

26. Eastern District
Fancy beer, fancy cheese, fancy meat — so good. Pick up a growler on the way to your next rooftop party!

27. Milk and Roses 
Owned by the nicest Italian man. Sometimes, if you are there alone, he will give you free champagne and chocolate cake! The real draw is the gorgeous rose garden in the back.

28. Glasserie
Glasserie is probably our favorite restaurant in all of New York. If you have not been, it is seriously worth the trek (for any meal any time of day)! If you are there for brunch, be sure to try the Mezze Plate. 

Bagels. Everything Bagels.

We like to think of ourselves as carbohydrate queens. However, as two Texan gals in New York, there was one carb particularly intimidating for us to bake: the bagel. True, there is no logical reason for us to make bagels in a neighborhood so oversaturated with delis and bagels shops that we can hop between them every weekend with shameless regularity, without repeating ourselves for months. Armed with a few long-weekend hours and courage inspired by Sunday Suppers, we worked up the guts to make a baker's dozen of everything bagels. You'll want to set aside a few hours to make these, but we promise they aren't as difficult as they seem.

View fullsize

3 1/2 cups bread flour

2 teaspoons sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2 cups warm water

Olive Oil

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon water

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeeds

1 teaspoon coarse sea salts

1 teaspoon dried garlic

Mix together flour, sugar, yeast, and kosher salt. With a stand up mixer on low (or by hand, like we did), slowly add the warm water, and mix until the dough comes together. This takes about 5 minutes

Increase the speed to medium-high and knead for 8 to 12 minutes, until the dough is smooth. Oil a large bowl, add the dough, and cover with a towel. et the dough rise in a warm lace until doubled in size. This takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Gently punch down the dough and let rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and then lower to a simmer.

View fullsize

Divide the dough into 12 pieces. press each piece to get rid of any air bubbles. Form them into smooth balls by rolling them between your palms. Coat a finger with flour and press it through each ball to form a ring, stretching the hole to about 1/3 of the bagel's diameter. Place the bagels on the baking sheet and cover with a towel. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Bring the water back to a full boil and gently lower the bagels into the water. Boil uncovered for about 1 minute, then flip and boil for another minute. Remove the bagels, drain, and return to the baking sheet.

Whisk the egg yolk with the 1 teaspoon of water to make an egg wash. Coat the tops of the bagels with the egg wash. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, salt, and garlic. Bake for 15-25 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. We recommend covering these with massive amounts of schmear, chives, and smoked fish.

View fullsize