hello and bon jour adele

Check out this Bon Jour® model of lovely and transparent style at the Bon Ton:  Inspired by the elegance of Paris, the hand-blown glass teapot, charmingly named Adèle, has a distinctive look and is designed for loose leaf teas.

Something to think about when exchanging the unwanted toaster or putting Visa gift cards into play.

holiday focus

One of the best teas to accompany the onslaught of holiday sweet treats:  Tazo's Well-Being Focus.  Strong but not overbearing, with a blend of black tea, yerba mate, orange essence, cocoa peels, rose petals and rosemary that smells and tastes delicious while also cleansing your palate and getting you ready for more Christmas cookies, fudge, gingerbread, pfeffernuesse, pannetone, lemon squares, figgy pudding, marzipan, cannoli or whatever Yuletide brings your way. 

(A Christmas Carol image from Wikimedia Commons)

bad tea and burning the midnight oil

When I was in college, I lived on a food budget of about $16 per week and along the way developed a bit of an anemia problem, but beyond that I actually managed to drink generic tea.  It was a horrible no-name brand and the teabags had no strings, though not in the eco-conscious way of today's stringless teabags but simply because these were teabags that were awful and completely no-frills.  The tea itself tasted like whatever leaves might have fallen onto the Lipton factory floor along with maybe some sawdust and perhaps loose tobacco or rat droppings.  It was harsh, it was nasty, and it left stains on the cup that I could never get out -- but it was also weirdly addictive.  I drank cup after cup of that bad brew, especially around final exam and term paper time, and every December at what was once semester's end I get an odd craving for that nameless rock bottom-grade tea that I doubt they even serve in prisons.  In fact, I doubt they even make it anymore and I think the FDA pulled it off the shelves in the late 90s, but to me it still has a strange association with independence and knowledge -- and whatever not killing me making me stronger.

Pictured:  Tea Cups -- Juan Gris, 1914

december, vanilla, and cardamom

Somewhere along the line I've collected lots of vanilla tea.  Also somewhere along the line I've collected a jar of cardamom pods, so I thought I'd put the combination to use in semi-latte form.

10 ounces lowfat milk or vanilla soy milk 
2 cardamom pods
2 bags of your favorite vanilla tea or whatever vanilla tea you've collected along the way (I've used Harney's Vanilla Comoro and Bigelow's French Vanilla so far)
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
whipped cream
nutmeg

Pour milk into a small saucepan with cardamom pods and let simmer until it begins to boil and foam.  Remove cardamom pods and discard, then add vanilla teabags and allow them to steep in hot milk for about 3 minutes. Place brown sugar at the bottom of a 10 ounce cup and pour hot tea/milk mixture on top, then stir gently.  Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg.   

Regular soy milk does not taste very good in this concoction, i.e., sticking to vanilla soy is probably best.

Pictured:  Columbus Circle, Winter -- Guy Wiggins, 1911 (Smithsonian American Art Museum)

decaf without the bleh

Last year my father was given the kibosh regarding caffeine from his doctor, so since then he's been unhappily drinking decaf coffee.  And unless he's in a restaurant or at someone else's house, he prefers instant to brewed, yet we were both recently agreeing how instant decaffeinated coffee tends to have an "altered" taste.  Vaguely chemical, maybe a little salty or murky, whatever -- but never quite satisfying.  Not exactly blah, but more of an off-putting bleh.  I saw that Starbucks has its own instant decaf Italian Roast, and at first I was a bit nonplussed as to why Starbucks was venturing into the instant market and figuring their coffee quality would be compromised too once it become dry and powdery.  Still, I gave it a try and bought him some of the VIA® Italian Roast for his birthday.  Surprisingly, it really is delicious and robust -- not cheap, but definitely worth the extra quarters to keep caffeine out without losing flavor and intensity.  No bleh, and ideal if you get a craving for a strong cup in the wee hours but don't want to stay wired.

ginger delight

Ginger delight may sound like a stripper's name, but the post is really about a wonderfully delicious ginger tea recipe that, as someone pointed out in the comments, New York Magazine happily persuaded the Balthazar Bakery to share.  Mint, ginger, lemon, honey and a cinnamon stick make up a heady brew that not only tastes great but also helps knock out impending colds or ones that just won't quit.  Highly recommended, especially with winter on its way.

Pictured:  Still-Life with a Late Ming Ginger Jar -- Willem Kalf, 1669 (Indianapolis Museum of Art)

The Red Tea Set -- Hermann Max Pechstein, 1916