Slow Food and Slow Tea

This is a picture that was all cut out with scissors.  It is only about a foot square. It is an Old World  craft, although I am sure it is also practised here in the USA.

It’s another beautiful day in the neighborhood; warm, sunny, bright blue sky, great day to be out and about. My jaw no longer hurts from the tooth extraction and I can have hot tea today! The only real question is which?

Another flavored tea. I am trying to get through them and I am sorry I got whimsical and ordered so many. I really prefer plain teas, they have enough different flavors and are generally better teas. This one is Morning Meadow, from Blue Raven Teas. It is a green tea, with nice big leaves and it does indeed smell like all outdoors, with lots of additions, the clearest being dried apple pieces. It smells a bit of anise, pine, floral, apple - too much to clearly identify.



I brewed it up for about 2 minutes with 180 degree water. The resulting liquor is kind of an olive gold and smells like jasmine! And that is just what it tastes like - jasmine that is on the sweet side. No anise, pine or apple. Quel Surprise!



Alex Zorach’s blog - see at right - has a good article today on the Slow Food Movement, which I heartily endorse. Even when I was working and had kids we felt home cooked meals, together, were important. There is so much help these days from people like Rachel Ray and many others on the Food Channel and in magazines, so we can cook fast, but good and take the time to appreciate the food and each other.



As Alex said, this can apply to tea as well: taking the time to appreciate what we are drinking. Most of the time, I do that, savoring the dry leaves, the aroma, the pots and cups, the taste. I like knowing where my tea comes from, how it is made, who makes it (if possible). Sometimes, my brain is too full of other things and I just don’t care. There is room for both, but I am in trouble if the latter is always the case. Speaking from a life that is closer to the end, rather than the beginning - life isn’t worth much unless you appreciate its components. Tea time can be a brief time in your day that allows you to do just that.



If you are into herbal teas, there is a good article on the Herb Gardener’s Blog http://theherbgardener.blogspot.com/ .  It is about harvesting the herbs, but I am sure you could look them up on the blog and find a wealth of information. Be prepared, the top logo is a large snail.

Up, Up and Away

A cute little kids' riding plane in the market square in Bern,
Switzerland.


I am so excited! We put up the bird feeders and suet yesterday morning and by afternoon the birds had arrived - usually it takes a few days or a week before they notice and arrive. Already we have had 3 kinds of finches, chickadees, nuthatches, tufted titmice, a downy woodpecker, a hairy wood pecker, and a blue jay. I am so glad I put them out side my computer window - I would much rather look at them than the gray trees. Downy and hairy wood peckers look just about alike, but the hairy is quite a bit larger; with a downy about the size of a purple finch.


This morning I had some of Bigelow's Green Tea With Peppermint. I can't say I could taste much green tea, but the mint was quite pleasant, not overwhelming as it sometimes can be. It was a tea bag and the water wasn't very hot. I was at a meeting, and this seemed safest. Another green for those afraid to try them. I'm not sure easing into them is the way to go, but for folks who only want to use green teas as an antioxidant, this is a pleasant way to do it.


Well, I see Prince William finally asked Kate to marry him, and gave her his mother's engagement ring. Even I, who avoids the news as much as possible, saw that. Guess I will go and have a cup of Lady Londonderry to celebrate, as that was Princess Diana's favorite tea. In my never humble opinion, Culinary Teas makes the best blend of this.

Music and Tea

This is an example of scherenschnitte, or scissor cutting, which is a craft indigenous to Switzerland and Germany. Beautiful, no?

Last night we had a real treat. One of my cousins was in town to participate in the 1st Ithaca College Alumni Band Reunion Concert - 187 musicians. IC is highly regarded for its music programs and this concert was proof of it. 7 conductors, 8 pieces and it was spectacular. I especially love to watch conductors and this was such a treat to compare their different styles, from almost flamboyant to barely moving. Just wonderful, wonderful music and only 3 rehearsals. His sister and I were thrilled to be able to be a part of it.


With the hot weather, I have been making pitcher after pitcher of ice tea. I generally use Lipton's Cold Brew as I am really unfussy about my ice tea. I think it makes perfectly good ice tea, especially if I add a bit of lime or lemon juice. However, I have also been making pitchers with my loose leaf teas, also using a cold brew method.

The most recent loose leaf was Adagio's Apricot Green Tea, which was a gift from them, and I have to say I was really pleased. I used ¼ cup of tea in a pitcher that holds almost 2 quarts and “brewed” it for about 4 hours. The resulting tea was a lovely lime green and tasted wonderful. It had a very full apricot taste with a pleasant green under pinning that was very satisfying. We had it with a Chinese stir-fry with an orange/kumquat sauce and it was all delicious. I want to try some Lapsang Souchong and see how it works. That would really be good with Chinese food.

For those of you who care about using Fair Trade tea or coffee, especially if you are part of a church, group or small business, I just found this website you might want to check out http://interfaith.equalexchange.com . There may be something there you can use. I have only had the coffee and it is quite good.