teaspoons & petals

tea today: ito en sencha shot

As I made my way to the register at Whole Foods (with fresh watercress and raspberries in hand, yum!), I was tempted to take a quick glance at the beverage section. Beyond browsing the usual staples that quench my thirst, a tiny can caught my eye.

A sencha fanatic, I was thrilled to have come across the sencha shot from Ito En. This authentically brewed premium Japanese green tea "uses an advanced, deeper brewing method that yields both a high content of natural catechin tea antioxidants and a more full-bodied green tea taste."

This chilled, refreshing little pick-me-up was the perfect size for a quick walk down the street. My only complaint was the strength of the bitterness (a bit beyond the traditional grassy tang). Although for a canned tea on-the-go, it was pretty fabulous. While this won't replace my steep-at-home sencha experience, I'm glad to know that I can snag a shot of sencha when I'm on the run.

tea party in the park

Months ago when spring air was vibrant and fresh, I stumbled upon photos of this lovely tea party in the park on Oh Joy!'s fabulous blog. After visually devouring each image, I was craving more tea beauty and reached out to Lauryl Lane (stylist & floral designer) and Bonnie Tsang (photographer) requesting a few more tastes of their tea party in the park. Fortunately, they kindly sent me many more images to quench my thirst and to share with you.

These imaginative scenes are so very beautiful. Each delightful image carries a sweet sense of whimsy. The spring bounty of flowers and sweet treats are tantalizing. Beautiful invitations have me swooning for calligraphy (and custom invites from Victoria Hoke Lane).

As summer sun fades to cool fall breezes, I can only dream of a few of my own tea parties in the park. Take a peek of their creative touches after the jump, and let your mind wander as you plan your own tea festivities.

teaspoons & petals makes the list...

Hooray! teaspoons & petals was featured in Culinary Arts College's "50 Awesome Blogs for True Tea Aficionados"

A little background about the list:

"The most popular hot beverage on the planet, tea in some fashion has been enjoyed for millennia. With a lovely variety likely to suit nearly every palate imaginable, it receives considerable renown for its antioxidant properties and other healthful benefits. As with all other aficionados, passionate tea drinkers boast their own unique set of rituals, tastes and cultural (and sub-cultural) tics. In the following blogs – listed in no particular order – connoisseurs of the cuppa expound upon a number of relevant topics, voicing their opinions, sharing recommendations and recipes, exploring the latest accessories and much more. Tune in to what they have to say for a nice composite on the multifaceted tea culture."

48.) teaspoons & petals

"Fashionable tea drinkers who wish to indulge their tastebuds and look good doing it can certainly appreciate what teaspoons & petals means to accomplish."

I'm simply thrilled and honored to have been featured with 49 other fabulous tea blogs!

the new york times talks tea

A few weeks ago I was perusing the news via the search term, "tea," when I stumbled upon a fabulous article written by Michael Tortorello of The New York Times.

The piece found its place in the Home & Garden-In The Garden section, and was appropriately titled "Making Tea From Plants Grown in the Backyard." With a closer look at herbal gardeners who like to steep what they grow, this article offers fabulous information about the herbal brew.

"Ms. Gips’s instructions were both clear and open-ended: 'Go out to the garden and cut what looks good, and put it in your teapot.' Crumpling the leaves in hand helps to liberate the essential oils. 'Use about a tablespoon of fresh petals to about a cup of water,' she added."

A common thread running through this piece was that herbal steeping is not simple. With a variety of flavors and palates, it takes time to find a steep that suits you. Make sure that you take a peek at the slide show of images that accompany the article. Each image illustrates the beauty and process of herbal steeping and tasting.

With my first summer of herbal gardening almost behind me, I'm anxiously experimenting with herbal steeps as summer air shifts to crisp breeze.

photo courtesy of Chiot's Run

tea today: jasmine green tea & mint with cucumber melon simple syrup

I celebrated the beginning of this past weekend by expressing a bit of creativity in the kitchen. With a garden full of fresh mint, a craving for jasmine green tea and a few new vegetables lingering in the basket, I decided to steep something new to excite my palate.

After I gathered the mint, I took a long look at last week's Headhouse Sqaure Farmers' Market produce still lingering, and noticed my newly acquired Cucumber Melon (shown above) that I had yet to try. This vegetable, known to be a bit sweeter than a traditional cucumber, is from Three Springs Fruit Farm, which has been family owned and operated for over 100 years in Wenksville, PA.

Tempted to add a unique twist to the weekend iced tea, I decided to make a Cucumber Melon Simple Syrup. Slightly sweet, super refreshing and just a tad savory, this syrup will add a fabulous flavor complexity.

After steeping the Grand Jasmin green tea from American Tea Room (which is incredibly fragrant), I added the bright bits of refreshing mint to the pitcher. After the tea cooled, I placed the pitcher in the fridge and patiently waited for the tea to cool to an iced tea sip. The sweet notes of the mint balanced the savory notes of the cucumber melon simple syrup and the coppery flavors of the Jasmine. The astringent, grassy notes of the green tea blended perfectly with the refreshing cucumber and mint.

Each delightful sip highlighted the beautiful flavors of summer that I am so desperately trying to hold on to as fall air creeps in. Take the time to steep your last iced sip and soak in summer.

Many thanks to Three Springs Fruit Farm for introducing me to the delicious cucumber melon. Maybe next week I'll pick up a few of their aromatic white peaches to steep with a delicate white tea...

Cucumber Melon Simple Syrup

2 cups water

1 large cucumber melon (sliced into 1/4 inch pieces)

4oz agave Agave syrup (I recommend that you carefully taste the hot liquid as you cook to reach your preferred level of sweetness)

1.  Add water, agave and slices of cucumber melon to a saucepan and bring mixture to a boil. Stir. Reduce heat and continue stirring until the agave has dissolved.

2.    Remove from heat and let steep for approximately 30 minutes.

3.    Allow syrup to cool and then add to your tea.

martha stewart would bake...

A few weeks ago, I was taking a quick break from a new consulting project to sip and tweet about tea. As my mind began to wander to my next urban garden iced tea party, my eyes quickly caught a tweet from Martha Stewart encouraging tweeters to call her radio show and say hello!

With the iced tea party on my mind, I jumped at the chance to ask Martha what she would serve at her very own chilly tea gathering. Thanks to my speedy dialing fingers I was the first caller. I enthusiastically asked Martha my question, and she happily noted that she would love to serve shortbread cookies, lemon poppy seed cookies, English cracker biscuits and chocolate-ginger cookies.

As summer air seems to mingle with hints of fall, the chocolate-ginger cookies seem like the perfect warm welcome to the crisp season. Continue reading for the delicious recipe. Thanks Martha!

sip & style: pretty in pink

Summer breeze seems to be slipping through our fingers as we make our way into the heart of August. In celebration of carefree days, here's a pretty pair that celebrates the lovely details of open spaces.

This delicate doily coaster set creates the perfect resting spot for a chilly glass of iced tea. To match the frilly flair of these beauties, brew a tea with a pinkish hue (hibiscus or rooibos) and fill a small vase with flowers from the garden. When the sweet tea party has its sunset goodbye, just wipe down the doily set and store for your soiree (yes, they're vinyl).

Pair the intricate doilies with this delightful Bailey Cutout Halter Dress from Rory Beca. This cotton candy silk frock screams summer with delicate cutouts that reveal your sunny summer glow. 

Sip slowly and let the summer breeze flow through your next tea soiree with cutout details of doilies and silky summer dresses.

Amy Blogs Chow's Jasmine Tea Shaved Ice

The lovely food writer, Amy Cao, never fails to excite my palate with her delicious videos and posts on Amy Blogs Chow. While taking a peek at her site in search of inspiration for a culinary adventure, I came across this fabulous video from her Stupidly Simple Snacks web series for Jasmine Tea Shaved Ice.

Amy was joined by Ethan Frisch of Guerrilla Ice Cream, and together they created this sweet treat with just 3 simple ingredients: jasmine green tea, water and sugar. In the past, I've experimented with jasmine green tea, lavender honey, mint and water for a fresh tea granita, but I'm tempted to explore the simple beauty of this recipe and allow the jasmine green tea to shine through. 

I'm inspired to make a whole series of shaved iced tea treats, starting with the jasmine green tea and possibly moving on to earl grey with lavender, green tea with lemongrass & ginger and maybe a hibiscus herbal blend as well. Thanks for the inspiration, Amy!

tea talk: NYC sous chef Melanie Franks

I am so inspired by the passionate people who explore the many journeys within a tea leaf. Back in October of 2009, I shared a story about the journey of a wonderful chef, Melanie Franks, who was boldly experimenting with the art of cooking with tea. From expressing her love of food as a sous chef and tea sommelier at Hook Restaurant and Degustation, to receiving her Specialty Tea Institute certification, Melanie is a true tea chef.

After training the restaurant staff to cook with and serve tea, it only seemed natural for Melanie to make her move to the world of education. Now, as a Chef Instructor at The French Culinary Institute, she is teaching the new generation of chefs to appreciate the beauty of tea in the cup and on the plate. In fact, she generously shared tea and cheese pairing tips with me. Melanie noted that,

"One of my favorite combinations is Japanese sencha and goat cheese. The bright crispness of the cheese compliments clean oceanic qualities of a nice sencha. I also like Darjeeling and triple cream cheeses because the creamy texture of the cheese mellows the sharpness of the tea enhancing the perfume of a darjeeling."

In honor of Melanie’s love of tea, I thought I would share her answers from a previous post that truly portray her talent and enthusiasm. Thank you Melanie!

1. What are your top 5 favorite teas?

This is almost impossible to answer there are so many teas I love. However, there are a few favorites that I always come back to. In general, I am an Oolong girl. The complexity of flavor and aroma is unequal. From Pouchongs to Champagne, the range of oxidation levels in Oolongs creates an exceptionally pleasurable experience. I can talk endlessly about Oolongs so it is best for me to move on. Another tea I would have to mention is Silver Needles. Indeed, this tea has the power to transport me to a misty mountain day whenever I take a sip. From the leaf style to aroma, it is simply amazing. Another tea I can't live without is Puerh, because of its' distinct earthy qualities and deliciously mellow finish. There is almost a change in mood one experiences when they drink this tea. It is for this reason that I often drink Puerh after a long day at work. Pi Lo Chun, is a great tea that I revisit on a regular basis. Between the tea bushes of Pi Lo Chun apricot, plum and peach trees are planted which yields a beautiful aroma and clean finish. The last tea I will mention is Sencha. I love the oceanic quality of Sencha and brilliant color of the cup. It simply energizes me. In reality, I could easily mention a dozen more teas.

2. Do you have any favorite tea accessories?