Laughing all the way to the café

The ban begins today!
I'll actually be able to enjoy une noisette in the closed up cafés during the winter without choking on cigarette smoke.





The question is...will they actually enforce the new law down here in these little towns and villages?

A Thank You & Blog Hop!

If you are a blogger, you know that 'dry spells' occur occasionally, and works and ideas just don't seem to flow from keyboard to computer screen. After nearly six years of blogging and more than 3,500 posts, this writer hit a major creative roadblock!  Blog posts on Gracious Hospitality this summer have been few and far between.  Thankfully inspiration is returning and ideas are starting to flow again, so maybe, just maybe, posting will resume on a more scheduled basis . At least that is my intent.  It's pretty easy to think that after a period of silence, your blogging friends will forget you and move on to more interesting places to read and share their friendship.  But through it all there have been some faithful blogging friends who have encouraged me by their continued comments whenever I did develop a post.  Their messages of affirmation have meant so much to me, and I would like to say THANK YOU to them for their gracious words of encouragement to keep on writing!  

Let's go on a blog-hop so you can meet just a few of these encouraging  bloggy friends!

Susan from Writing Straight from the Heart has been a most faithful encourager.  She has stuck by from one sparse post to the next, always giving an encouraging word or thought.  Thank you, Susan, from the bottom of my heart.  I cannot adequately express how encouraging you have been to me.  Readers, please stop by Susan's beautiful blog.  Her blog is a place of beauty that flows with the seasons.  I think you'll enjoy her inspiring words and photos, as I have!

And there is Bernideen.  I love her name and like to say it several times so that the syllables roll through my tongue several times.  Bernideen is a 'tea lady' who writes from her lovely tea shop in Colorado.  She is a kindred spirit when it comes to porcelain china and creativity.  She always has a kind word and her gentle spirit is expressed sweetly through picture and word.   Her faithful comments are some that have kept me blogging along.  Thank you, Bernideen! You can visit her here at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog.  If you visit soon, you'll hear a gentle song by Willie Nelson to soothe your day.  Moonlight in Vermont. . .

Then there is Vee.  She is quintessentially northeastern, terrifically creative, and authentic to the core.  I love her ability to ask a simple question about a blog post that rocks me to the bottom of my socks!  She pays attention and I love that!  Her words are always encouraging and her faithfulness blesses me.  You can visit her at A Haven for Vee, and be sure to tell her I sent you!  

I have been fortunate enough to meet two bloggers from my own neck of the woods.  I've shared tea with both of them and we have bonded as bloggers and friends.  Marilyn writes at Delights of the Heart.  She is always a delight!  Marilyn is a woman who gets things done!  And whatever she sets out to do, she does with creative energy and focus!  I have learned a lot from her !  I am inspired by her vision as she sees the world through the eye of her camera.  I also admire her perspective as she shares about her outlook on life.  She chooses a 'word' each year to focus on.  This year the word is JOY --- and that's what she brings to my life!  I really appreciate you, Marilyn.  Thank you for helping to keep me focused!  The other encouraging blogging friend from my neck of the woods is Clarice.  If you have ever read Storybook Woods, you'll know already that Clarice epitomizes authenticity, uniqueness, and extreme creativity!  Her home in real life IS a storybook house in the woods!  Walking into her home is like stepping into the house of Louisa Mae Alcott's Little Women!  Clarice's daughter's complete the role, as they are like characters from the same.  But never fear, Clarice's husband has a wonderful "man den" that doubles as a library and retreat.  I am especially proud of Clarice because this year she published her first novel and she has done a lovely job of expressing who she is and what homemaking means to her through the life of Wren Bay.  Clarice especially inspires me because she has dyslexia, but she didn't let that stop her from reaching for the stars and achieving her dream of becoming the published author of a charming book! Congratulations, Clarice, and thank you for being the positive example you are!

And last, but not least, I would like to thank Paula for always encouraging me to keep on blogging.  Paula doesn't have a blog, but she has a lovely gift and antique shop that I love to visit!  She encourages me to keep on posting, shares ideas with me, and lets me take pictures of her lovely vignettes to my heart's content.  Without her constant encouragement, I think blogging would be a little duller for me.  So, thank you to Paula as well!

I hope you enjoy the blog-hop to a few of my friends who have left such encouraging comments to posts in the past few months.  On another day, I will take you on a trip to visit a few others who have encouraged as well.  Enjoy your day!

Thank you for visiting Gracious Hospitality. Please come back soon!

Taken from http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

Worth the Wait - Tea and Orchids (Harney & Sons SoHo)

Waiting happens. It's the involuntary part of every process and it's included in every endeavor. For example, there is no tea without waiting for it to steep. The wait itself is involuntary and out of our control. How we respond to a wait, however, is voluntary and completely within our control. Sometimes we respond to waiting well and other times we do not. Yet the insights we gain during each wait is what distinguishes us from each other. I call this process character building.

Orchid Overtures

Orchids take their time to develop and those who cultivate them must develop patience in the process. The elegant orchid that captures a room's attention begins with very tiny seeds. In fact, the microscopic seed size is a distinguishing characteristic of the orchid. Then, these tiny seeds must be caught, mixed with a sticky substance to keep the seeds together, and then watched in hopes of it being germinated. The process is complex and at times tedious, but those who engage in cultivating orchids believe that seeing the resulting blooms will be worth it.

Like tea, orchids are the result of a labor-intensive process that goes beyond the pot which contains it. An orchid's silent and graceful presence in any room testifies to the fact that it not only survived the wait, but it also thrived beautifully. It also signifies that someone recognized its worth and was willing to pay the price. As a result, we all benefit. The purple orchid (pictured above) greeted me during a recent visit to SoHo's Harney & Sons tea tasting room.


Harney & Sons Tea SoHo (433 Broome Street, NYC)

In 1970, John Harney decided to found Harney and Sons Fine Teas. Even though we can view the news clippings and other documents from its beginnings, we are not the ones who endured the process. We are beneficiaries of a process that started more than 30 years ago. Harney & Sons Tea SoHo's general manager, Emeric Harney, continues the family tea tradition offering tea, teaware, books and a place to lounge. Find Harney & Sons SoHo on Twitter (@HarneySoHo), Facebook places and Foursquare for upcoming events and special offers.

Worthy Sips and Edibles
> Kenyan Milima (black tea) - rich, fragrant and full-bodied
> Ham and Gruyere Scones - served with Dijon mustard, these savory scones make taste buds smile

Taken from http://straightfromtheleaf.blogspot.com/

1970's Jingua - Golden Mellon puerh

depuis le mois de décembre 2007 j'avais un échantillon de ce thé qui m'avais été envoyé par Stéphane .
je n'en ai pas parlé jusqu'à présent car , pour être honnête , il ne m'avait pas emballé des masses.
je l'ai donc laissé dans mon armoire à pu'erh ( hygrométrie entre 60 et 70 % environ , chaleur tempérée du salon : entre 19 et 25 degrés suivant les saisons ) depuis tout ce temps sans y avoir retouché. avant hier je ne savais pas quoi me faire comme thé , et ma petite nanfang m'appelait: ""utilise moi !!! je suis là !hou hou ... y a quelqu'un ? ..
du coup je n'ai pas pu résister à son appel et je l'ai sorti de son armoire . elle m'a conseillé d'utiliser ce thé , alors aveuglement je me suis exécuté .Il y a trois facteurs différents dans l'envie d'un gongfu cha : parfois c'est le thé qui m'appelle et me conseil d'utiliser telle ou telle théière , parfois c'est l'inverse ( comme ici ) ou alors cela dépend de mon humeur : vif ou calme , serein ou énervé etc etc ...

donc je m'arme de ma petite nanfang , je préchauffe ses 6.5 cl , je lui donne goulûment le thé , j'attends et je sens l'intérieur chaud.... ho putain ( désolé c'est le premier mot qui me sois venu à l'esprit ) c'était plus pareil . la première fois c'était " commun " sans aspérité , lisse ; bref : chiant !Alors que à cet instant c'était suave , chaud , sucré, mielleux , des notes boisées , se veux .
on a là tous les ingrédients du miel de foret . on est en plein dedans.

la couleur même de l'infusion n'est pas sans rappeler ce délice de la nature qu'est le miel de foret ( j'adore le bon miel .... )




en bouche il a de la mâche : ce thé a de la texture , on à les gencives qui " pétilles " on sent le nectar se diffuser dans le corps à chaque respiration .
ce thé avec ses petites feuilles , en à sous le pied : deux tetsubin y sont passé pour le rendre exsangue .
les feuilles sont petites , je viens de le dire , mais elle sont toujours belles , pas ratatinées ou méconnaissables .



la théière m'a bien conseillé. bien qu'au départ je m'inquiétais pour sa santé car elle n'a pas de filtre et les feuilles du melon sont petites : j'avais peur que ça bouchonne à la sortie du bec . et bien non pas du tout ça coulait avec un bon débit , comme une petite source de jouvence qui jaillirai .

Taken from http://tetsubin.blogspot.com/

Moonlight White

Buying a few Rishi teas is what initially made me tea crazy, so it was a little sad when I finished my last bit of my last tin. (Well, I continue to store much of my tea in the tins so Rishi is never too far from my mind.) Moonlight White is an organic Yunnan white tea. The leaves are among the most autumnal I've ever seen: just look at the mingling red, green, and brown. The tea is tasty, though not nearly as nice as the leaves. It is viscus and fruity but, above all, refined. The flavors don't come out and hit you at all, you have to chase them. Nice tea, though I'm not heartbroken that it's all gone.

Taken from http://teaandfood.blogspot.com/

Self Talk

This is not a race. You don't have to compete with anyone, not even yourself. The only thing you need to prove is that you can do this without being "perfectly" trained. You can have fun, eat an ice cream cone and enjoy the ride.

No hurry. No worry.

Taken from http://stephcupoftea.blogspot.com/

Deb Babcock

Deb Babcock of Steamboat Springs, has worked with clay for seven years now, but each new piece often is her favourite.
She admits, though, teapots hold a special place in her heart. "I love making teapots because of the animation and personality that you can put into one," says Babcock, who started working with clay after she left a corporate job in Michigan.
More details here

Taken from http://teapotsteapotsteapots.blogspot.com/

Xin Yan Mao Jian

Thé vert de m3t, Xin Yan Mao Jian , très rond presque "huileux" sous la langue mais qui à la deuxième infusion s'est avéré pétillant. Très changeant et beaucoup de goût . On passe du vert ( épinard- artichaut) au fruité ( fruit de la passion-mangue ) puis on revient à des arômes de fraise et citronnelle, notes légères et volatiles sur la fleur de sureau et la citronnelle , une petite pointe citronnée désaltérante. Rose-raisin suivent . Très très différent de mes habitudes et des thés verts de tous les jours, un régal .

Taken from http://tpotginkgo.blogspot.com/

Victorian Manor Tea Room

Victorian Manor Tea Room in Orange, CA. I was happy to be visiting with a friend and colleague! Here are a few photos...if you're ever in the area, it's definitely worth the stop.















The day was warm. The 80s temps felt heavenly compared to my 40-degree Midwest weather! Here is my friend standing in one of the arched entrance areas.


















The tea room is a historic home in "Old Orange." Lovely grounds surrounded the wrap-around porch. Here, I'm standing in the gazebo.













The menu was very full - scone, soup, several finger sandwiches, fruit and veggies, truffles, and an assortment of desserts!

Taken from http://stephcupoftea.blogspot.com/

Charleston Tea Plantation

The gates opened at 11am but we got there around 10:30am to get a good place in line which would insure a good seating spot. Armed with tickets in one hand, a blanket in the other, and my camera bag on my back I waited eagerly for the third party company who was hired to set up and handle parking and tickets to start checking in people.

Finally the time came to hand over my printed tickets to the young guy with the scanner. As he took my tickets I heard him utter “I hope this works” under his breath as he scanned the page. He let out a small sigh when the scanner beeped reassuringly in his hand. We were then ushered over to get paper bracelets so we could come and go as we pleased.

I wasn’t sure what to expect after this because my first complaint about this whole ordeal was that the Charleston Tea Plantation fails to say anything about the First Flush Festival other than when and where it is happening and how to get tickets. That frustrated me because it was only from one single picture of the last year’s event that I knew to bring a blanket (or chair) to sit on. I also had no idea if there was going to be any food or drinks sold at the festival other than them briefly mentioning free tea. It just really bothered me that this is only the 5th annual festival and it seemed like they expected you to know what to expect. It wouldn’t be that hard to give a description about their plans for this event on their website.











Anyways, as we walked away from the check-in booth we saw another ID verification booth off to the side of the path. I was confused about this at first until I realized they were checking ID’s for those over the age of 21 so they could strap a blue Budweiser bracelet around the wrists of beer drinkers. Fine, I thought. This IS a festival, have a beer stand along with the BBQ stand and the taco stand. That’s fine. It’s going to be all about the tea anyways… or so I thought.

I was wrong. The fact that this festival was held on a tea plantation was really the only thing “tea” about this. There were three beer vendors. Three! These were accompanied by only one tea stand which was the place to get free sweetened or unsweetened black iced tea. Further more, I saw a couple of comments on the Charleston Tea Plantation’s Facebook page that said they would like to see more beer vendors at next year’s festival. What? That is like saying, “I want to see more strawberry vendors at the blueberry festival.” It is called the First Flush Festival… it is supposed to be celebrating the first harvest of the year. If you want to drink beer, then go to a damn brewery.

So, we find a place to sit; a nice, cool, shady place amongst a few trees. Before too many people arrived I decide to walk around and take some pictures of the tea and the land. We end up making our way into the store and getting asked to join the factory tour that was about to start. I will have to say this was the best part of the whole visit. Through windows we saw the withering bed, oxidation bed, and sorting area. The aroma alone coming from the factory was worth it. This tour only took about 15 minutes then we exited through the store.

We headed back to our blanket to listen to bands that played on two stages – they switched every 30-45 minutes or so. One five dollar taco and two free cups of tea later, I was bored. The bands were okay… too soft for my kind of music and the plantation was getting crowded by the second. We ended up packing up and leaving around 4:00pm (the festival didn’t end until 8pm) and there wasn’t a bare spot on the lawn; we had to step over people as we were leaving. What’s more, there was still a line of people coming in… and three lines 20 people deep for the beer vendors.

Is the Charleston Tea Plantation worth seeing for a tea aficionado? Yes. Is it worth seeing during the First Flush Festival for a tea aficionado? No. They used the plantation tour bus to haul people from their cars to the check-in booth and, as a result, they were not giving field tours with it. I wasn’t too disappointed not to take a field tour because I’m sure they would just talk about tea information I already knew. Plus, they allowed people to walk anywhere on the plantation while at the festival anyways.

There were way too many people there. The atmosphere of the festival had nothing to do with tea; in fact I think they ruined what little it did have. Three beer vendors? I mean, come on! They could have done so much better. Instead of huge cups of one type of iced tea, why not slightly smaller cups of different types or flavors of tea? Not only would this help sales of the dry leaf stuff they sell in the store, but it would at least make the festival more about tea. For $25 a ticket (and that was the early ticket price) I was disappointed in the festivities… but at least I got a t-shirt.



Just so you know the Charleston Tea Plantation is NOT the only tea plantation in the whole United States… only the continental US. There is the Mauna Kea Tea Plantation on Hilo, Hawaii (the big island).

Taken from http://mysteepedidentitea.blogspot.com/

Tea GW Travel Pillow

I’ve heard of pillows filled with just about everything, but tea? Tea GW is offering a line of pillows that are exactly that. According to the manufacturer the tea inside the pillows inhibits and kills bacteria in addition to stimulating relaxtion. They are also purported to to improve eyesight, calm the nerves and help alleviate allergy symptoms. Each pillow is covered in a removable zippered pillow case with an elastic strap that allows you to attach it to head rests of cars, airplane seats or chairs. The pillowcase is a great feature because it can easily be washed if need be.

The two that I received were filled with lavender and tie guan yin oolong teas. Both of them smelled amazing. Whether or not these pillows will work for you depends on your firmness preference. They are very firm, reminiscent of the trendy buckwheat pillows from a few years back. I tried them out on a long road trip as well as just lounging around at home and I really liked them. They made a great air freshener for the car too! The packaging for these pillows was absolutely beautiful. If you are looking to give a unique gift for a tea lover, they certainly fit the bill.

Taken from http://teaformeplease.blogspot.com/

Time & a Perfect Day

 

When sharing time with friends, it is always interesting to observe what decisions people make regarding use of their recreational time.  "What shall we do today?" is a question asked each morning.  Responses vary and a melding of ideas occurs.  Tradition (things done or places visited on other trips) decrees that some things simply must happen.  Individuals new to the group come with their own, unique ideas.  Answers range from walking the beach (a must for each visit to the ocean) to shopping in the quaint little town nearby.  Favorite bookstores must be visited, fudge or caramel corn purchased in tiny candy shops, and trinkets examined in stores where shopkeepers work to vend the most unique things they can find.  Seagulls and sea lions beg be fed.  And it is always entertaining that fishing boats observed.  No matter what the activity, relaxation occurs (yes, even with shopping).  Lively conversation over a cup of tea and an afternoon nap cap off the days activities.  A perfect day.  

Thank you for visiting Gracious Hospitality. Please come back soon!

Taken from http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

japon_suisse_france_....

Quelques photos envoyées depuis le Japon par M. Hidehisa de MAGOKORODO .Splendides cerisiers . C'est agréable de pouvoir "voir" un peu au loin et à défaut de prendre l'avion je reste derrière l'écran ....
Près de chez moi aussi les arbres fleurissent , mêlant des parfums frais, envoûtants et légers.


C'est beau.

Ps : suite à cela Fortunato m'a envoyé sa photo , donc la France se rajoute dans cette suite ! Si d'autres intéressés veulent poursuivre cette "série", envoyez-moi votre photo !

Taken from http://tpotginkgo.blogspot.com/

Lavender Sorbet

Lavender Sorbet

A delicious, cool treat for a hot summer day!

1 cup sugar
2 cups water
1 tablespoon organic lavender flowers
2 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons white grape juice

In a saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water and heat until the sugar dissolved. Add the lavender flowers and stir gently. Continue heating until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat, cover saucepan, and allow mixture to sit for about 10 minutes.

Place a fine strainer over a large bowl an pour the syrup mixture through it, straining out the lavender flowers. Add the lemon juice and white grape juice to the syrup. Stir until completely blended.

If you have an ice cream maker, process according to manufacturer's instructions. To use a freezer, pour the mixture into a container, cover, and place mixture in the freezer. When it is semi-solid, mash it with a fork and refreeze. When frozen, place in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Cover and refreeze until serving time.

Serves 8 - 10

Photo: a pretty lavender basket from Blue Mountain Lavender Farm

Thank you for visiting Gracious Hospitality. Please come back soon!

Taken from http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

Deuils d'Alsace

Habitant Taiwan, je n'ai pas pu assister à l'enterrement de ma grande-tante. La cérémonie a lieu au moment où j'écris ces lignes. Par ce Cha Xi, je veux lui rendre un dernier hommage concret et public pour lui témoigner affection et mémoire.

Ce dessin de la façade de la cathédrale de Strasbourg d'Albert Koerttge de 1895 est un symbole à la fois alsacien et spirituel. C'est l'époque où les femmes portaient encore la coiffe noire et où l'on se déplaçait encore à cheval. Toute l'Alsace parlait le dialecte alsacien, mais chaque village avait ses intonations. Cette Alsace folklorique et historique a pratiquement disparu, elle aussi.

Déjà à la fin du XIXe siècle, la Tour Eiffel plus que doublait la hauteur de la cathédrale (142 m). Une ère de fer et d'industrie s'annonçait, puis deux guerres mondiales. Avec ma grande-tante, c'est toute cette génération ayant connue la seconde guerre mondiale qui s'en va.

Deuil d'une personne, d'une génération et de toute une région. L'Alsace ressemble de moins en moins à celle que j'ai quittée il y a 15 ans.

Je choisis mon puerh cru sauvage de 2003. Ses odeurs fruitées sont proches de mirabelles mures. Et son côté fumé peut rappeler le lard si caractristique des tartes flambées, choucroutes et autres plats traditionnels. Avec un peu d'imagination... Mais je le choisis aussi pour avoir un thé déjà un peu ancien, qui a dit au revoir à l'innocence de sa jeunesse. C'est un thé qui sait comment faire face au temps qui passe, comment transformer la mort en vie.

C'est le symbole de ces chatons de saule qui poussent en hiver (saison de la mort). Faire un thé pour marquer un deuil, c'est encore faire jaillir la vie de feuilles sèches. Ainsi, si les couleurs du Cha Xi sont surtout noir et blanc, celles du thé et de ses accessoires rapprochés sont plus chaleureux. L'infusion a une teinte orange-brune, la théière Xishi est rouge et les coupes blanc ivoire. Le bol de David Louveau et la jarre de Petr Novak ont des accents de terroir campagnards et vivants.

La présence de 3 tetsubins est d'abord expliquée par le goût plus profond et charnel qu'elles donnent à l'eau. Celle-ci convient bien aux puerhs.

Ces vieilles tetsubins me rappellent aussi cette époque contemporaine de cette Alsace mythique. Elles viennent du Japon (autre pays en deuil actuellement, comment l'ignorer). Mais, si en Occident l'industrialisation est allée de pair avec des changements radicaux de la société, au Japon, les traditions semblent avoir été mieux préservées.

Notre défi est d'arriver à puiser dans notre passé ce qui peut donner un sens profond à notre vie actuelle. C'est une des joies d'utiliser des objets anciens dans un Cha Xi. Ils reprennent vie entre nos mains.

(Tetsubin signée aux motifs d'herbe. 1.95 kg)

C'est particulièrement vrai pour les tetsubins anciennes. En effet, il plus on les utilise, plus les parois internes seront 'stables' et meilleure sera l'eau. Il convient donc de faire bouillir de l'eau de nombreuses fois dans la tetsubin. L'odeur de fer se dissipera avec le temps. Il faut surtout veiller à ce que la tetsubin soit bien sèche après chaque session. Un peu d'eau causerait de la rouille néfaste et abimerait la paroi. C'est une habitude à prendre.

Mais l'eau plus moelleuse de la tetsubin ne convient pas qu'au puerh. Les Oolongs torréfiés et même les Oolongs de haute montagne frais gagnent en longueur et douceur avec une eau bouillie en tetsubin. C'est pourquoi, vous me voyez presque tout le temps en utiliser une. Il n'y a qu'avec les thés verts que je change de bouilloire.

Tetsubin 'peau d'orange' signée d'1.65 kg

Le thé apaise mon coeur.
Je me rapproche de l'Alsace,
Mais je m'en éloigne aussi.


Le monde est devenu tellement plus ouvert qu'il y a 100 ans. Aller à la ville voisine représentait une aventure. Maintenant, l'expatriation est commune. Mais cette plus grande liberté requiert aussi des bases et des racines fortes pour rester soi-même et trouver un sens à sa vie. Le passé se meurt seulement si l'on ne transmet pas son esprit.


L'Alsace est morte. Vive l'Alsace!
Des Elsaas isch tot, long soll es lääwe.

Taken from http://teamasters.blogspot.com/

Kitchen Garden Update

April showers bring may flowers, and we all know what Mayflowers bring, but this morning I discovered that March showers bring March garlic.

The bulb that I split up and planted back in November has finally raised several green flags down in the kitchen garden, heralding the return of the kind of weather that couldn't kill you.

Speaking of which, I cannot believe that this tuft of French sorrel survived the winter:



That's because from mid December until a couple of weeks ago, the yard looked like this:



But those few, fragile leaves somehow emerged triumphantly after being buried under feet and feet of snow, ice, and fox pee.

Now I survived the winter too, but the difference between me and the sorrel is that it didn't have a coat, hat, gloves, snow tires, hot toddies, oil heat plus an electric space heater, wool socks inside Tibetan slippers, gourds upon gourds of mate, a freezer full of meat, carpeting, an apartment, and a girlfriend.

Now doesn't it seem unfair that it's me who gets to eat it?

Taken from http://teaandfood.blogspot.com/

Breakfast Tea Sale!

School has begun, which means no more sleeping in until noon and laying around all day in your P.J.'s! For those of you who are out of school, the same old daily routine can get boring, mundane, tiresome... well you know how it is.

Mighty Leaf wants to help you drag your butt out of bed and greet the day with something other your bunny slippers. From now until September 18th, select breakfast teas have been discounted!

That's right! Save 20% on select breakfast teas from Mighty Leaf by clicking on the picture to your left! Start jazzing up your mornings with Organic Breakfast, Organic Earl Grey, Orange Dulce and many more! Your bunny slippers will thank you for it!

Taken from http://mysteepedidentitea.blogspot.com/

Gary's Open day

Gary has two more exciting teapots nearly finished for you collectors to place orders for and the modified silver surfer is finished as well.
Sue Blazye has lots of new stock as well as she has just bought another collection. Lots of bargains for you.

Taken from http://teapotsteapotsteapots.blogspot.com/

Les Journées Patrimoine

Last weekend was the once-a-year Journées Patrimoine, when various historical & artistic buildings are opened to the public (when they're normally off limits). 2008 marks its 25th year, and Le Figaro said attendance was high again. Over 12 million people took advantage of the open doors, with over 20,000 people alone visiting the Elysée (France's equivalance of the White House). We went to the Elysée last year. Eric woke up early that morning, and while watching the morning news, he learned about the event. (I was working so much then that I didn't even know what day it was, let alone what was happening in Paris!) Next, he woke me up & we literally got out the door in 5 minutes or less. We rushed to get in line at 8:00....well ahead of the 9:30am opeing.... and still, it was a 6 hour wait. But we became fast friends with our neighbor, waited it out with the crowd, and once we were finally rewarded with the entrance tickets, we walked in building and we were amazed & awed at every corner we turned. Luckily, it was worth the wait. Too bad we forgot the camera at home!

This year was equally unplanned. On Saturday we were on our way to some mysterious address to exchange our cable box (at a Tabac of all places), and as we were passing through Palais Royale, we noticed lines were forming for the event. So, of course we did a detour & headed straight in. What we saw here were grandiose offices of the Minister of Culture & Communication, the Conseil d'Etat, and Le Conseil constitution, each overlooking the interior gardens of the Palais Royale. These guys work in class! All of it was incredible. The architecture is amazingly fluid and majestic and breathtaking. All the gilded rooms were over-the-top beautiful that can only be beautiful in spaces such as this, I think. And guess what, no camera again on this day, too!

Sunday was going to be different on the pictures front. We decided to check out places "dans nôtre coin" (in our neighborhood). We went to the Bank de France. This is an enormous series of buildings, in the Haussman style, with various courtyards hidden inside. I thought we might see the lobby of the bank, which is very magestic in it's own right (turn of the 20th century I would guess). But no, what we saw were rooms & rooms filled with antiques, and more gilded mirrors and moldings! This time there are pictures to share. We also went to the Bibliotèque Nationale (picture on right). It's going under a renovation right now to restore it to its original glory, so next year it won't be open for this event. All the books have been removed from the shelves in preparation for the restoration, but that didn't mask the sense of history and revrence. We learned that this library was really cutting edge technology for it's time. It even had a pneumatic tube system installed where all book requests would be sent to the back warehouse, where someone would receive the tube & find the book out of shelves & shelves of inventory! We also learned that there's quite a large collection in the coins museum. I might've expected to see that at the Banque de France, but oh well, who says things always need to be logical!

What Stopped the Pott?

I have started an intensive training program, studying massage therapy. This new direction will lend itself more fully to more independent and holistic pursuits -- which will include the inclusion of a tea business.

I have a lot more to write, but time is precious today (as it always is when checking in so infrequently)...I hope to check in more often.

Just know that thePott is very much alive and well and spreading the Gospel of the Infused Leaf to people everywhere.

Taken from http://teaguru.blogspot.com/

2009 Handong Green Tea- Picked In The Spring, Oxidized Through the Summer, Roasted In the Fall

This tea was shipped with others from Korea a few months ago. It gives no hints as to what kind of tea it is other than the generic 'Hadong Green Tea' package that is used by the producers in the area.

Tearing open the top of the bag then opening the zip lock reveals a surprise- the smell of roasted nutty chocolate and cherry notes that transform into a more common nutty cereal odour. This doesn't smell like your typical Handong green tea. Perhaps its a yellow tea, or an autumnal green, maybe a roasted green?

The leaves are scooped out and examined- small, faded, dusty brown leaves. The dry leaves look too dark to be a green tea yet too faded, dusty, and light to be a yellow. The leaves are rolled like a green tea, not tightly wound like a yellow. These clues and the predominately toasty cereal scent of the leaves suggests a roasted green tea. A tea not all that common in Korea.

These leaves are guided into the pot and after the water has cooled, it to is added. The tea pours out a turbid yellow-brown.

The first infusion carries a strong taste of hay, nuts, and strong cereal notes that almost drown out all of the sweetness and actual tea tastes. This first infusion is pondy and roasty. The lips numb, the tongue and mouth are sparsely coated. Its body is thin in the mouth.

The second infusion brings more of that hollow roasted cereal which is still felt mainly on the lips, tingling them. The flavor becomes more tart. Hay notes linger just a short while on the breath.

In the third infusion a rubbery mouthfeel and aftertaste develops. More hollow graininess. It doesn't move much from here. The later infusions are more of the same with the taste becoming thinner, lighter, and more grassy. In the end one attempts to over steep this tea, attempting to pull something interesting from it. One is only greeted with thin, bitter, astringent graininess.

The faint qi of this tea is quite mixed up and impure. It leaves one feeling somewhat more energetic but more hazy and lethargic than one should feel from a green tea. The overall presentation of this tea leads one to believe that it was improperly produced. The production did not harmonize with the tea resulting in a product that doesn't flow throughout the body and mind but instead clouds it.

When the wet leaves are examined there are little flecks of ash deposited in the small, still curled up, leaves. This could be evidence of a wood burning roast. Roasting tea using a wood burning method is much more difficult to achieve good results compared to the easily controlled setting of gas roasting.

One has learned from this tea. One hopes the producer learns from this tea too, correcting mistakes and improving production next year.

Peace

Note: The comments clear up which type of tea this is.

Taken from http://mattchasblog.blogspot.com/

Banana Nut Bread

1 cup mashed bananas, ripe
1/4 cup nuts, chopped
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. flax seed, ground
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups flour*
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Combine bananas, sugar, oil and vanilla in a medium bowl. Whisk together. In another bowl, combine the flour, nuts, baking powdre, baking soda, and salt. Stir together and then form a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the banana mixture into the well in the dry ingredients. Stir until blended. Do not overstir. Pour the batter into two 8 x 4 inch loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 50 - 60 minutes or until done. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans.

*The banana bread loaves pictured are gluten free. I used 1/2 cup of gluten free all-purpose flour blend (Bob's Red Mill), 1/4 cup garbanzo flour, 1/4 cup white rice flour, and 1/4 cup sweet sorghum flour. Any combination of gluten free flours will work well in this recipe or only rice flour.

Thank you for visiting Gracious Hospitality. Please come back soon!

Taken from http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

Mission: Taco Tour. Part I - Taqueria Vallarta

While visiting San Francisco's Mission district, Elise and I decided to take a local friend up on a thorough tour of the area's infamous taquerias. We went to as many as we could before they closed for the night, all three of us sharing one taco at each locale. Saving our disposable silverware from the first stop, we did a good deed for the environment and developed what proved to be the best way to tour a neighborhood: with outstretched fork in hand.

Our first stop was the Taqueria Vallarta. The large sit-down section was packed, but there were even more people standing in line for a quick bite at the specially designed grill by the door. From above, the grill would look like a wagon wheel, each spoke representing a divider separating different fillings. The center was thereby kept clear for warming tortillas, which were rapidly filled with different kinds of meat, doused in grilled onions and sauce, and sprinkled with cilantro, more raw onion, and served with a lime wedge. We ordered an al pastor.



The flavor was fantastic and made even better by the strong accoutrements, though the texture was a little chewy. While it tasted great, I know how tender such slowly cooked meat can be, and was a little disappointed, though only in that aspect. We discussed the "pastoral" origins of the dish and the general (and thankful) disappearance of those hard shelled tacos we'd each grown up with on "taco nights" in our respective homes. As with all good taquerias, the price was inconsequential.

Taken from http://teaandfood.blogspot.com/

2 blogs

It's thanks to that first tea blog that I found TEAfiles. This guy (I assume the author is a guy) likes to clean his teapots and tells us how. My advice was to use a micropore sponge and no chemicals. But his method also makes sense with the kind of heavily stained old teapots he found.
Besides, Teaparker also recommends to clean old teapots before starting to use them (from scratch). Some people think that a teapot only has value if you have used it for a while (or if you've seasoned it). But while it's true that this will increase the benefits it provides, a good teapot will brew good tea from day 1. This allows you to better get acquainted with your teapot as you both grow more experienced together.

Taken from http://teamasters.blogspot.com/

A Supper Sauce for Fruit

Because it was a hot day, something cool and refreshing seemed perfect for a simple supper last evening. Beautiful strawberries, kiwi fruit, and bananas sliced and sweetened with the sweet herb stevia made a pretty fruit salad for our meal. It was all topped off with a pear sauce that added exactly the right sweetness and creaminess. Although the spearmint sprig was for garnish, I couldn't help but nibble it with every bite or so. It added just the right amount of 'perk' to the fruity combination. Delicious!

Pear Sauce

2 cups soft tofu
2 cups canned pears
1 cup pear juice (from jar of pears)
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. cinnamon

Whiz in blender until creamy and smooth. Pour over individual fruit salad servings (or fold into entire fruit salad for a creamy salad). Garnish with a strawberry piece and fresh mint. Enjoy! You'll never miss the whipped cream!

Thank you for visiting Gracious Hospitality. Please come back soon!

Taken from http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

From this day forth

I’ve never been a big one for hot beverages. Oh, I do like a cup of coffee every now and then, as well as the occasional mug of hot water with a slice of lemon on top, but aside from that, meh, I could take it or leave it. Part of the problem, I think, is that I’m forever burning my tongue. It’s a tender little bugger. Having burned it so many times, I hardly even want hot drinks anymore. If

Next Month in Seattle!

I'm also excited for my mentor Jason Chen, who will be at the Northwest Tea Festival selling and signing his new book: "A Tea Lover's Diary" which contains lots of beautiful, original photography along with great information about Tie Kuan Yin and Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong production!

In other news... my "Third (almost) Annual Black Dragon Tea Bar Chinese Tea Appreciation Party" (I know that is quite a mouthful) will take place at Seward Park's picnic shelter #2 from 2:00 to 4:30 PM on Sunday, October 17th. The theme is "Tea and Nature" and will include three wonderful teas, vegan treats, and a few games with prizes. This party costs $10 per guest and still has some space available so please email me (blackdragontea@gmail.com) if you wish to RSVP.

Here are links to posts about my 2007 "Tea and Music" and my 2008 "Tea in the Garden" events.

Taken from http://www.blackdragonteabar.blogspot.com/

Trivia Challenge

Thanks to everyone for playing along with the first Cooking with Amy Trivia Challenge. And a challenge it was just coming up with a question! It's tough to find a question that you can't easily answer by heading over to Google these days.



What pastry from vienna made a big splash at the 1889 Paris World's Fair?

Pretzel, Croissant, Cheese Danish or Sacher Torte



The answer comes from Harold McGee's recently revised and updated version of On Food And Cooking, The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, page 567 :



"According to Raymond Clavel, croissants first made a splash at the 1889 Paris World's Fair, where they were one of many kinds of Wienerbrod, or vienna goods brought from the city that specialized in rich, sweet pastries. The original croissants were enriched yeast-raised breads shaped into a crescent. It wasn't until 1920 that Parisian bakers had the idea of forming them from a laminated dough, thus creating a marvelous pastry that is both flaky and moistly, richly, tenderly bready."



This piece of trivia was particularly tricky because both the Sacher Tort and Danish pastries come from vienna. Pretzels on the other hand, can be traced back to Roman times, but seem like they could be Austrian.



Congratulations to Rochelle, Liz, Eric, Rachel and Laura! I have sent you each an email regarding your prize.