My favorite German church windows - all 90 feet of them.At last, the weather is beginning to slide into November. It is getting colder rapidl y, the sky is gray upon gray and it is raining. Perfect weather for tea. But then, any weather is perfect for tea, isn't it?
The Boston Tea Company gifted me with some Darjeeling Tea Bags, so that is on for today. I do the usual for brewing - 1 tea bag, 212 degrees, 3.5 minutes. It has an intriguing smell, fruity, woodsy and nutty all at once, mostly hazelnuts, I think. It is a medium amber brew and tastes remarkably of nuts and what I imagine old oak would taste like. A very interesting flavor in tea.
I am feeling some sort of cross between gratitude and sentiment this season and find myself remembering Thanksgivings and Christmases past. I thought that this month, I would share some of mine and encourage you to share some of yours.
The first one that pops up is the first Christmas we were married and flew from Michigan to Rhode Island and then to Schenectady to be with our parents. Christmas Eve is special in Italian households for the 7 fish dinner that obeserves the fast from meat but also ensures good luck in the coming year. I hate fish in any way, shape or form. I can't stand the smell, the feel of it in my mouth nor the taste. But, hey, these are my very new in-laws and I will be a good daughter-in-law and eat up. That lasted until, much to my horror, my mother-in-law plopped an enormous hunk of conger eel on my plate. I tried to eat a bit - euuuw, fish grease - they're very fatty. I tried to hide it - not enough mashed potatoes in the world would hide that thing. I even tried to drop it on the floor for the dog, who wouldn't touch it and then I got another piece. Finally, my laughter-stricken husband told them I didn't like fish and all was forgiven. Since then, there had always been something non-fishy to eat, as my mother-in-law was one of the most loving people in the world.. So much for the good dughter-in-law gig.
Oh my, fights at the feeder station! The greedy little sparrows are giving the purple finches the bums rush. They are feisty, argumentative little buggers.
1 comment:
I can see greasy eel being unappetizing. It's funny though, I keep reading these days about how fish fat is one of the healthiest things for us. I have always loved fatty fish, and thankfully, my favorites, including Mackerel and smelt, are some of the cheapest.
On the subject of teabag Darjeelings, I've had a couple I liked a fair amount. Two that come to mind are Harney & Sons Darjeeling Highlands and Jacksons of Picadilly (no review of that one though). If you open up the door to higher quality (and price) pyramid sachets, there are more I could think of too.
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