&music nightlife

FEBRUARY 24 & MARCH 3

Courtyard Jams

MCA Courtyard

23 W Broadway St., Ocala

6-9pm Music, dancing, drumming, poetry and limbo. Free to all, Friday nights weekly.

FEBRUARY 24

Houston Keen

Homestead Park

1050 NE 6th Blvd., Williston

6-9pm Live music, line dancing, food and drink.

FEBRUARY 24

Raging Woody

Charlie Horse

2426 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala

7pm Live music, DJ Bingo, trivia games and karaoke.

FEBRUARY 24

Fareeza

Crazy Cucumber Market Street at Heath Brook, 4414 SW College Road, Ocala

6:30pm-9:30pm Live acoustic music, food and drink.

FEBRUARY 24

Miranda Madison

The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala

6-9pm Dinner, drinks and entertainment.

FEBRUARY 25

Cali McCord

The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6-9pm

FEBRUARY 25

Jack Kite Charlie Horse 2426 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 7pm

FEBRUARY 26

John Johnson Crazy Cucumber Market Street at Heath Brook, 4414 SW College Road, Ocala 1pm-4pm

FEBRUARY 26

Houston Keen Charlie Horse 2426 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 2pm

MARCH 1

Palomino Blonde The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala

MARCH 2

Mark Smythe The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala

6-9pm

MARCH 3

Conrad Marcum The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6-9pm

MARCH 3

Reggie Stacy Homestead Park 1050 NE 6th Blvd., Williston 6-9pm

MARCH 4

The Mudds The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6-9pm

MARCH 4

Ecliff Farrar Homestead Park 1050 NE 6th Blvd., Williston

6-9pm

Free to the public during business hours. For more info, see ocalafl.org/artincityspaces

Through April 9

Focus on the Essence

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala

Tues-Sat; 10am-5pm; Sunday 12pm-5pm

The photography of Anne Noggle came from a donation to the museum and highlights self-portraits and those of her friends and family. Her photos are known for their composition and exquisite lighting. For more info, appletonmuseum.org

Through May 21

Big & Bold

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala

Tues-Sat; 10am-5pm; Sunday 12pm-5pm

The museum goes big with large pieces of art in this collection, including historical, modern and contemporary art pieces. Works include a 10’ x 4’ painting by Valenkamph and Snyder’s “Florida Pink Ignition,” which is almost 7’ x 7’. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for youths. For more info, appletonmuseum.org

Through May 25

Revolutionized Textile & Fiber

Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place, 1821 NW 21st Ave., Ocala

Daily when center is open

Artist Ingrid Humphrey, a native Floridian, exhibits handmade dolls and tapestries that portray the sisterhood of women of color all over the world. Free to the public. For more info, ocalafl.org/artincityspaces

Through June 9

Blessed Be the Birds Clerk’s Office, 110 SE Watula Ave., Ocala Mon-Fri; 8am-5pm

Part of the Art in City Spaces program, Courtney Kravig-McGuire is a local artist with a special interest in showing the connection between nature and spirituality in her works. Her medium of choice is printmaking. Visit ocalafl.org/artincityspaces

Through June 13

Aerial Dream Views of Land and Sea

Ocala International Airport, 1770 SW 60th Ave., Ocala Airport hours

Part of the Art in City Spaces program, artist Maggie Weakly shares her ocean-themed collection. Free to the public. Visit ocalafl.org/artincityspaces

Through June 18

Paper Thin & Shadow Deep Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala

Tues-Sat; 10am-5pm; Sunday 12pm-5pm

The artworks from Hiromi Mizugai Moneyhun are three-dimensional cut paper pieces that feel both lighthearted and alive. Moneyhun’s style combines traditional Japanese art forms along with modern elements from today’s Japan. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for youth. For more info, appletonmuseum.org

By Matthew Fairman America’s Test Kitchen

Making these candied jalapeños is as easy as heating the sliced fresh chiles in a seasoned simple syrup and then letting them cool. Yet for such a seemingly basic recipe with so few ingredients and steps, the end product is extraordinarily versatile. The key to their versatility (and to the success of this recipe) proved to be in the balance of flavors and textures.

Ample sweetness — from 3/4 cup of sugar — helped keep the potent heat of the chiles in check. Fruity, tart cider vinegar complemented the vegetal flavor of the fresh chiles and balanced the sugar’s sweetness, and a generous amount of salt accentuated all the flavors.

Whole coriander seeds contributed vibrant pops of complexity and a welcome textural contrast. Finally, using both red and green jalapeños not only provided a pretty contrast between emerald green and ruby red but also ensured a balanced, assertive level of heat, since the ripened red variety tends to be spicier than the green.

Candied Jalapeños

Serves 12; makes about 1 cup

4 green jalapeño chiles, stemmed and sliced ¼ inch thick (about 1 cup)

4 red jalapeño chiles, stemmed and sliced ¼ inch thick (about 1 cup)

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons table salt

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)

1. Combine all ingredients (including turmeric, if using) in a small saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until jalapeños just soften, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

2. Using a fork or tongs, transfer jalapeños to an 8-ounce jar. Pour syrup over jalapeños to fill the jar, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Affix jar lid and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. (Candied jalapeños can be refrigerated for up to one month.)

(For 25 years, home cooks have relied on America’s Test Kitchen for rigorously tested recipes developed by professional test cooks and vetted by 60,000 at-home recipe testers. The family of brands — which includes Cook’s Illustrated, Cook’s Country, and America’s Test Kitchen Kids — offers reliable recipes for cooks of all ages and skill levels. See more online at www.americastestkitchen.com/TCA.)