teaspoons & petals

sip & style: daddy dearest

A few weeks from Father's Day and everyone is getting ready to celebrate daddy dearest. Personally, I always try to craft a gift that combines a keepsake and a shared moment. This year I'm going to create a custom iced tea blend inspired by my dear dad and then share each icy sip together. But when we're down to the last drop, I want to leave something for him beyond the steeped blend. So, this week's sip & style is all about the dear dads in our lives.

While the recipe for the custom, dad-inspired iced tea blend might take time to perfect, I am certain of the presentation. I will be serving and sharing the sip in this glorious glass bottle. IKEA's Slom Botte with Stopper is the perfect balance of ease of elegance. Personalize it with a handwritten paper luggage tag tied around the top for a sweet finish.

Your thoughtful sip would be perfectly paired with the style of this limited edition FORAGE bow tie, created by two of my favorite artists in the City of Brotherly Love from Something's Hididng in Here. While I admire all of their hand made creations, their new collection of bow ties is easily my new favorite. The amber gingham fabric captures the essence of summer sun with its shades of grassy green and summer sunny yellow. I would pair this particular tie with an iced citrus green.

Although if dad is more silly than stylish, take a peek at their mustaches on a stick. Maybe it's just me, but an afternoon of laughter and thoughtfully crafted iced tea, bow ties and photos using mustaches on sticks sounds like a fabulous father's day to me. Let's just hope my dad agrees... Gentlemen, care to comment?

from the shelf: fleur-de-tea

May breezed on by and June is jumping to take its place. In honor of bright summer days, this week's from the shelf features a pretty in pink pair. The delicate duo sits quietly next to standard cups and saucers, waiting for their moment to shine under summer sun.

The fleur-de-lys glass beauties are perfect for icy sips. I'm dreaming of hibiscus lemontea or maybe a jasmine green lavender blend. With just enough room for a 6oz iced steep, you might feel inspired to leisurely sip away the summer afternoons. Treat yourself to a whole set of the fleur-de-tea glasses, and gather your closest companions for a ladylike iced tea soiree. Break out the wide-brimmed hats and linen table cloths. Summer here we come.

summer sips of thai iced tea boba

 

Spring has quickly shifted into Summer sweetness. Lush green trees, flip flops and icy sips are welcomed with open arms. While I tend to craft my own iced tea creations in the comfort of my kitchen, I can't help but skip over to my favorite Vietnamese restaurant for a Thai Iced Tea Boba.

The earthy, smoky thai tea powder is blended with cream or milk, and served over ice with boba (tapioca pearls). It's the perfect treat when you're taste buds are craving an icy, caffeinated sip bursting with a rich, creamy flavor.

Craft Cocktails & Iced Tea Inspired By Ben Franklin

Handcrafted sips of any kind are my cup of tea. There is a true art behind signature tea blends and craft cocktails that make my taste buds sing. But maybe I'm biased...

Last night, I skipped over to P'unk Ave in Philly for a Junto discussion about The Craft Cocktail. It was a true treat to hear Felicia D'Ambrosio (fabulous Philly food writer and fermentation enthusiast), Mike Welsh (co owner The Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company) and Andrew Auwerda (president Philadelphia Distilling) share thoughts and tales about the resurgence, roots and culture of craft distilling and craft cocktails.

Rewind to almost two weeks ago when I happily stumbled on P'unk Ave's event announcement, and asked their fearless leaders if I could bring along a bottle or two of custom, crafted tea. Minutes later I was inspired to research the man behind the first Junto club in Philadelphia, Mr. Ben Franklin. After a bit of edible exploration, it was clear that Franklin was crazy for cranberries and addicted to apples. His favorite flavors led me to create Franklin's Fix, a blend of ceylon black tea, freshly sliced NY apples, dried cranberries (although I would search for the unsweetened bag next time), and a dab of local PA honey.

By the end of the night I left feeling a bit giddy and excited for my continued journey in the world of the crafted drink. The roots of handmade sips run deep in my City Brotherly of Brotherly Love, and are starting to sprout signs of green curiosity as folks begin to bring back the art of the handmade and the handcrafted. Just another reason why I'll continue down this new path of signature tea blends.

Franklin's Fix Iced Tea

• 60 oz boiling water
• 4 Apples (preferable red)
• 2 medium sized bags of dried cranberries
• 10-12 tablespoons of ceylon black tea (depending on your love of briskness)
• local honey

Fill a large pot (enough to hold 60oz of water). Thinly slice 4 red apples and add them to water along with dried cranberries. Stir. Bring to a boil. Fill a few large paper tea filters with 10-12 tablespoons of ceylon black tea and add to pot. Turn off flame and move to cool burner. Steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea and let water cool. Pour liquid into airtight pitchers (yes, keep the apples and cranberries) and refrigerate over night. In the morning, remove apples and cranberries and strain for pure iced tea. Serve & Enjoy!

terrain escape

We all need an escape now and then to feed our imaginations. And sometimes you don't need to skip into the forrest to find your secret garden. When I need some creative space from the City of Brotherly love, I take  quick trip to terrain at styers.

It's hard to believe that this natural mecca is a stone's throw from a strip mall, but I promise you that the moment you take a step onto their gravel or through the doors, you'll feel as though you spread your wings and flew to never never land.

Here's a visual journey of my afternoon in their shop, garden and cafe for a sip of jasmine tea. p.s. I picked up a few delicate, glass pieces that inspired new tea party thoughts and signature sips. stay tuned...

tea today: osthmanthus silver needle white tea

It's pretty obvious that petals have a special place in my heart. Walking journeys are based on which street has the most flowering trees. There is just something about blossoms that makes me jump for joy. Needless to say, floral teas are on the top of my steeping list.

I gave my standard Jasmine sip the day off, and opted for an osthmanthus silver needle white tea from Rishi. The beautiful white tea leaves scented with fresh osmanthus flowers steep to a sweet peach aroma. Every sip is rich with bright, refreshing flavors of the white tea blended with deep honey and sweet fruit notes.

While soaking in the perfumed sip, I often imagine that I'm sitting under a peach tree surrounded by a garden of honeysuckle and osmanthus flowers. This tea is truly a treat to be savoured, as you slowly inhale intoxicating floral notes and let the flavors linger on your taste buds.

sip & style: all dressed for tea

 

In a previous post about my dear Lucile's 1920's tea gowns, I was inspired to find a few dresses that made my heart skip a beat. This week's sip & style post features delicate blossoms and sweet details that send me swooning for an elegant afternoon tea party.

Pink rose petals and chrysanthemum blossoms linger with bits of white tea for a luxuriously perfumed sip of White Rose tea from The Meaning of Tea. The bai mu dan white tea stands up to the fragrant florals with a burst of refreshing, clean tastes. A heavenly aroma sends your senses to a pastel garden.

This lady-like sip is perfectly paired with the style of this Citrine Rose Peplum Dress from the dreamy collection at BHLDN. Designer, James Coviello, carefully crafted this silk creation with an attention to delicate details. The blush silk pairs perfectly with the pink petals in the White Rose sip. A petal applique mirrors the steeped chrysanthemum blossoms. Sequins add a glamorous, brilliant touch to this easy, breezy feminine frock, just as the white tea refreshes the blossoming sip.

And let us not forget the rich velvet bow straps that tie this dress into elegant perfection. The icing on the cake, or better yet, the honey to my tea.

teaspoons & petals' signature tea blend for carmelita couture

As I continue to grow my tea consulting services, I've started to craft more signature blends for brands and events. It's such a treat to take a client's favorite flavors and turn them into a thoughtful tea blend.

Two weeks ago, I was thrilled to have the chance to steep an icy sip for Philadelphia designer, Carmelita, of Carmletita Courture. A fan of currants and cirtrus notes, Carmelita was craving a refreshing and subtely sweet icy sip for her Tea & Hat party.

A few tea tastes later, I steeped a brisk black base to anchor the bright, sweet and tangy flavors of dried currants and rose hips (fruit of the rose). After removing the black tea, I let the dried bits steep for close to 20 minutes to extract their full flavor. As the black tea, currant and rose hip blend cooled, I added dabs of local honey for a touch of rich sweetness. Cooled and in their glamourous glass bottles, the tea was ready to party.

Next up, an iced tea inspired by one of my favorite Philadelphians, Mr. B. Franklin, for Junto: The Craft Cocktail. Stop by for a teaspoons & petals signature sip.

teaspoons at the table: tea smoothie contest on about.com extended

I try to add splashes of tea to each and every day. Whether it's a sip, an entire pot, a teaspoon of it in a meal, or an iced tea cube in my white chai smoothie (shown above). If you're longing to add tea to your table and into your edible creations, I suggest you start with a smoothie. Blend tea with yogurt, berries, or whatever makes your smoothie loving taste buds jump for joy.

So, take out the blender, steep a pot and let your creativity dance around in your kitchen. And when you're delicious masterpiece is complete, be sure to enter the recipe into the Tea Smoothie contest on about.com in hope of winning a "permanent place in About.com’s tea recipe collection." I'm thrilled to say that I am guest judging this month's competition, and can't wait to taste all of your smoothies. Steep and blend away...

p.s. get to steeping, because the contest ends on May 31st!

tea beer

I love waking up to emails from friends pointing me to tea stories that they've found along the way. This past week a beer loving friend, Brian, shared a brew moment that infused tea. A craft brew event in Philadelphia is featuring local brews, one of which has been made with chamomile tea.

Even though I won't be able to pull up a bar stool and sip the Weyerbacher Verboten with chamomile tea tonight, I am definitely excited to uncover more tea-infused brews in the world of craft beer.

p.s. Even though I'm new to the beer scene, I absolutely adore Dogfish Head's Sah'tea, "brewed with rye, we caramelize the wort with white hot river rocks, then ferment it with a German Weizen yeast. In addition to juniper berries foraged directly from the Finnish country-side we added a sort of tea made with black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and black pepper." It was truly love at first at sip. Hooray for chai tea beer!

photo courtesy of Chiot's Run

tea today: matcha latte & macarons

Matcha lattes are my go-to spring sip. The precious green tea powder is whisked into a vibrant green, frothy sip that's rich with grassy flavors. A bit of soy milk rounds out matcha's subtle sweetness (thanks to my dear friend, sara, for that tip). I often choose the traditional matcha and water mix, but signs of spring send me to comforting combos of the green tea powder and milk.

While in NYC, I skipped over to Tribeca to get a taste of Takahachi Bakery's limited edition Cherry Blossom macarons (hurry-these little pink delights will only line their sweet shelves until May 31st..and yes those are real cherry blossoms baked into the top). I couldn't resist adding a Matcha Macaron to the Cherry Blossom duo, and pairing them with savory yet sweet Matcha Latte (Takahachi Bakery makes one of the best in town).

Consider this my version of cookies and milk.

guest post: herbal sips on small measures

Inspired by Ashley English's most recent book that takes you on the buzzing journey of beekeeping, I decided to create two simple steeps that highlight honeys: Orange Blossom Honey with Dried Rose Buds & Hibiscus Flowers Chestnut Honey with Candied Ginger & Cinnamon. Ashley kindly featured my herbal recipes on her blog, Small Measures this week. Take a peek.

teaspoons at the table: tea dinner at studiokitchen in philadelphia

While tweeting about my passion for the steep and infusing the sip into my edible creations, I connected with Shola Olunloyo from StudioKitchen in Philadelphia. An acclaimed chef, I sincerely admire the vibrant, imaginative dishes shared on his blog. A simple tweet about tea would lead to a conversation at a favorite tea escape, Tbar. We sipped cups of Gen Mai Cha and Earl Grey while talking tea, tea and food pairings, and my dream for Philadelphia to soon become a true tea city (the goal behind my tea consulting services)

 

Days later, I received a call from Shola asking if I would like to collaborate on a 6 course tea dinner. I jumped at the chance to embark on this journey with such a visionary in the culinary world, and share my thoughts on essential sips and tried and true steeping methods. And the rest is scrumptious history.

 

As Shola continues to build his magnificent menu, I’m selecting a few of my favorite teas that I will steep and serve to introduce the dinner and awaken tea taste buds. RSVP to this culinary adventure steeped in tea on May 4^th in Philadelphia just by skipping over to Shola’s site, StudioKitchen.