Tag Archives: tea

Farmer’s Market Find: Rose Germanium and Hot Chocolate

Posted on December 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

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I really had no desire to get out of bed early on Saturday morning. It was raining, cold, and dark. Though, I really wanted to get Recchiuti’s hot chocolate, farm fresh eggs, and a few other things that I would need for a holiday brunch potluck.  I am so glad I went to the Ferry Plaza Market because:

A little mistletoe action by the doorway to get the party started.

I have a good Aloe Vera story, but will save it for later. I was surprised to see it being sold at the Farmer's Market. It's grown locally but is native to dry, warm weather.

I bought this beautiful Acme bread to complete a cheese platter.

Rose Germanium. It's really special and good for tea and baths.-Eatwell Farms

Inside the Ferry Building

Pineapple Mint and Edible Flowers, a sweet holiday gift from Heirloom Organics.

Cinnamon Hot Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients Serves 2.
1/4 cup water
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cups whole, organic milk
2 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla
8 ounces semi-sweet cacao chocolate*, chopped
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Add water and cinnamon sticks to a stainless steel pot and place over medium heat. Once the cinnamon sticks open up, add the milk and vanilla.
2. When milk mixture is hot, add the chopped chocolate and salt. Stir constantly with a whisk or blend with an immersion blender until the chocolate is incorporated with the milk.
3. When mixture is starting to simmer, take off heat and serve.

*For the best results, use fairly traded, minimally processed chocolate. Otherwise, it’s not worth it.

Happy Holidays!

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Posted in Farmer's Market, Holiday Meals, Meatless Mondays, Recipes

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Sustainable Gifts To Give

Posted on December 10, 2010 | 2 Comments

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Shopping during the holidays is never as fun as it looks on television. Parking, long lines, the plethora of gizmos and gadgets leaves everyone dazed and confused. In the end, you may just end up buying something that the recipient really does not want or is environmentally damaging. This year, turn your focus on giving gifts that really matter and will make a positive difference.

1. Pick a charity that is meaningful to you and give in the honor of your recipient. This choice is more sustainable and thoughtful than anything material that will eventually end up in the trash. As cliché as it sounds, giving the gift of giving keeps on giving. You can determine how much you want to give so it  falls into your budget. My favorite charity is Heifer International. You can donate money to buy livestock, seeds, or trees which enables communities to generate food and income. Heifer trains the recipient family/community to sustainably raise their gift and share their resources with others. Equally favorite, Fair Trade (aka TransFair) empowers farmers and farm workers around the world to decide their most pressing local economic development needs for themselves, and reinvest in their products, cooperatives, and communities in sustainable ways.

2. A cookbook and pantry ingredients to help your recipient get started. My favorite starter cookbook is How to Cook Everything, Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition: 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food By Mark Bittman. Bittman simply shows how to make cooking at home easier, with an emphasis on basic kitchen skills.

3. Tea. Not only is tea a really delicious drink to enjoy slowly, alone or with company, it’s healthy. Tea has been used as an herbal, medicinal concoction throughout Asia for thousands of years and has picked up  steam in America. Choosing organic, Fair-Trade tea will make the gift even sweeter as you will do the environment and farmers justice as well. My preferred tea house is Samovar in San Francisco and they have an easy website for ordering tea and accessories. Follow Samovar on Facebook or Twitter for discount codes.

4. Give gifts that create memories. Buy a membership to the museum, cooking class, or a joint spa treatment. Doing activities together will make your relationship stronger and both of you will have memories (and pictures) to last a lifetime. If you live in the Bay Area, I highly recommend gifting a day pass or membership to the California Academy of Sciences. Sign up on flash sale sites such as Blissmo and Fresh Guide to save big on service oriented and green-minded gifts.

5. Give the gift of health. Signing up for a dance class, gym membership, or personal training may seem like an extravagant purchase for oneself, therefore in the form of a gift it will be most appreciated. A personal training session might just give your recipient the jumpstart s/he needs. I really like working out at my local JCC gym and love all the classes they offer to members. Flash sales site are a great place to shop for local health oriented gifts!

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Posted in Eating Tips, Going Green

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Earl Grey Cranberry Sauce with Dates

Posted on November 19, 2010 | 10 Comments

While thinking about how original I can get with the millions of cranberry recipes out there, it struck me like a bolt of lightning.  Okay,  I am being dramatic, but it was that exciting. A few months ago, I made an incredible (narcissistic self appraisal) Earl Grey Date Sauce as an ice-cream topping for a DIY Dessert Party at 18 Reasons. I don’t believe I have much dessert talent, except for eating incredible amounts  of it at once,  but the sauce was really well received. Someone even called it “Top Chef” caliber.  So, I just added cranberries to the sauce and viola, I had an original homemade cranberry sauce. This sauce is not as simple or fast as most other cranberry sauces, but it’s worth it. It really only take five minutes longer. This sauce actually gets better with a night in the refrigerator and it will keep your guests guessing on the mysterious Earl Grey flavor. It’s subtle and seductive. Use it as a side dish, dessert topping, or any other way you prefer.

Earl Grey Cranberry Sauce with Dates

Ingredients Serves 6-10
1-2 tsp Earl Grey tea leaves
1/3 cup boiling hot water (for tea leaves)
3/4 cup cranberries (1 bag)
3/4 cup whole dates
1 tsp ground cardamom
2/3 cup water
sugar (optional)

Method
1. Add tea leaves in the boiling hot water in a mug. Cover and steep for 15-20 minutes, depending on how much intensity you want. I like it intense.

2. Meanwhile, seed and chop the dates into quarters (tinier chunks if you don’t like the texture of dates). Wash cranberries under cool, running water. Add  dates, cardamom, water, and only 1/2 cup of the cranberries to the saucepan.

3. Stir mixture together and turn heat on high until it reaches a rolling boil. Turn heat to medium-low and let simmer for 10-12 minutes. Keep an eye on the sauce. If too much water has evaporated, add a couple of tablespoons of water, and cover. The sauce should be thick and about half of the water evaporated. Simmer for a few more minutes if it’s too liquidy. Stir occasionally.

4. After the tea is done steeping, strain it and pour the tea water into the sauce pan. Add in the remaining cranberries. Stir well and bring to a rolling boil again. Then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes. Taste for sweetness and add desired amount of sugar if needed. Stir and let sugar dissolve about 1-2 minutes.

5. Transfer the sauce to a glass container or jar and refrigerate for at least a hour. The sauce will thicken and flavors will develop over time.

Pumpkin Pancakes

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Posted in Eating Tips, Holiday Meals, Recipes

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A Perfect Cup Of Chai II

Posted on June 6, 2010 | 10 Comments

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I would run down the stairs at 5:00 each morning to indulge in chai with my grandfather (Dada) before he went off to work. My grandmother (Mum) would take a couple teaspoons from Dada’s chai, mix it in with a cup of hot milk and serve me as well. I felt so proud, like an adult. I had the biggest smile on my face, sitting next to the only man I adored so much, and watching him gulp his tea with Indian biscuits. It was a sacred ritual that only we were apart of every morning. Then, as he left for work, the TV turned on and I watched My Little Ponies and Care Bears. Life was great.

Twenty-two years have passed, and the memory of my grandparents will always live on with one hot, soothing cup of chai. Happy Birthday Dada.

Basic Masala Chai

Chai is highly personal and varies from household to household throughout India and elsewhere. This is the classic recipe I grew up on and has the basic “masala” mixture. You can use pre-ground spices or grind up your own spices using a coffee grinder or spice grinder. I prefer to use all organic, fair-trade ingredients. Whole milk gives the chai a richer, creamier taste. More tea leaves will increase the color, caffeine and strength of the chai. It’s important to add the sugar into the beginning to caramelize the sugar with the milk and other spices. You can always add more later if needed.

Ingredients:
Serves 1
1 Tbsp. Assam tea
1 cinnamon stick, broken up into pieces
2 whole cloves, ground
1-2 peppercorns, ground
2 cardamom pods, ground
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 Tbsp raw cane sugar, more or less for your taste
1 Tbsp fresh, chopped mint or ½ Tbsp dried mint (optional)
1/2 cup water
1 cup whole milk

Chai Spices

Grate fresh ginger

Boil all ingredients in water

Boil all ingredients in water

Add milk and let it come to a boil

Strain tea leaves and spices

Please compost!

Enjoy with tea biscuits

A Perfect Cup of Chai

Method:
1. Simmer water with all dry ingredients, except tea leaves, in a saucepan for two minutes on low heat.
2. Add the milk and give the saucepan a swirl.
3. Add tea leaves and and increase heat to high.
4. Remove from heat when chai reaches a boil.
5. Strain tea into a teacup and enjoy!

 

Follow-up to A Perfect Cup of Chai.

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The Perfect Cup of Chai

Posted on June 1, 2010 | 7 Comments

Truly authentic chai is hard to come by. I am so particular about the way chai tastes, that I just make it myself when I have the craving. Call me narcissistic, but they are my taste buds and memories to be pleased! Satish has coined “tea snob” for me. However, I have found some pretty good chai in the city.

Chai is a blend of spices and herbs brewed with milk, sugar, and black tea leaves.

Samovar Tea Lounge has my heart and palate won over when it comes to a great cup of chai. Just thinking about it makes me want to rush over to the closest location to indulge in a cup of their chai. They use only organic, fair-trade, whole leaf black tea and organic spices. Another key factor: they use organic, whole milk. I love Samovar so much that my girlfriends threw my bridal shower there last summer. The key to their creamy, dreamy chai is in their brewing time. In most households, chai is brewed for about 5-8 minutes over the stove then served quickly. However, Samovar brews their chai for about 30-45 minutes, strains it, and lets it simmer for another 30 minutes. Most people do not have that kind of patience for their chai. “I need my chai, and I need it NOW.” However, on this rainy day, I will let my tea brew and simmer for 90 minutes while anxiously awaiting the results. And then I will blog about it.

On a blustery day, I stepped into Kasa Indian Eatery to be comforted by spicy warmth. It was so cold out and missing my grandparents more so on this day, I decided to give their chai a try. I actually really liked it. I was transported back to 1995 in India, stopping on the roadside to have chai from a Chai Wallah. The flavor of the chai was dominated by cinnamon and cardamom. It was creamy goodness. However, this was a really sweet chai- a bit too much for my liking.

I always ask cafes and restaurants how they make their chai and the disappointing response is “syrupy concentrate”. So when Dolores Park Café said they make their chai from scratch, I had to give it a try! On another blustery day, this chai warmed up my soul. It was almost perfect. The flavors were a bit milder than what I am used too. I like my chai bold, leaving my senses in a (good) daze.

Chai at Dolores Park Cafe

I am dying to try the Chai Cart! I have heard many yummy things about this elusive Chai Cart pushed by Paawan Kothari (who also runs Green Coriander) in the Mission. Paawan steps away from the norm and concocts all sorts of flavors, such as the Lemongrass Chai. The Chai Cart has quite a following and I need to get in on this… I just may call up the Chai Walli myself for a cup of chai!

Chai is very special to me and I will share my recipe and fondest memory on June 6th.



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Posted in Deconstructing Food, Food, Restaurants

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