teaspoons & petals

teaspoons at the table: pu-erh tea chicken & mushroom kabobs

Pu-erh tea, a tea category all its own, is generally known for its rich, woodsy and earthy flavors with hints of mushrooms, tobacco smoke and even a touch of leather, all depending upon if the pu-erh tea is cooked or raw and how long it’s been aged (above: a Moon Cake Shu Pu-erh from In Pursuit of Tea). I was inspired to infuse this steep with a summer smoked classic of kabobs on the grill, and create a recipe for pu-erh tea chicken and mushroom kabobs. The deep, earthy flavors of this tea add a complexity that sings when mixed with umami notes of soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and other ingredients in the marinade. Be sure to use meaty mushrooms like porcini or cremini, that mirror mushroom elements within the tea, rather than more subtle white button mushrooms. Swap chicken for tofu or sweet carrots for a vegetarian skewer. Watch my recipe video below, as part of a summer web series sharing my original tea infused recipes on The Daily Tea.

Pu-erh Tea Chicken & Mushroom Kabobs.

Makes 8-10 kabobs

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons Pu-erh tea
• 1 ½ cups water
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 8oz baby Porcini or Crimini mushrooms, sliced into ¼ to ½ inch thickness (note: use any mushroom you like)
• 1 pound chicken thighs (skinless & boneless) cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 red onion, cut and separate layers into 1-inch pieces
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 8-10 wooden or metal skewers (tip: soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes to ensure that they won’t be flammable)

Bring 1.5 cups of water to a boil. Add 3 tablespoons of Pu-erh tea to an infuser and brew in boiling water for 6 minutes. Strain and reserve tea leaves.Stir honey into hot tea and let tea completely cool to room temperature (for quicker cooling, place brewed tea in fridge or freezer, making sure that mug or tea pot is covered to preserve freshness/flavor).While the tea cools, prep chicken and vegetables. In a large bowl, mix soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, and wet steeped tea leaves and then add room temperature tea. Pour marinade into an airtight container or bowl, and add onions, mushrooms, chicken and mix to ensure that they are completed covered by the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap or seal airtight and let the ingredients marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (overnight recommended but no more than 24 hours).

Heat grill or an indoor grill pan on high heat until very hot. Thread mushrooms, chicken pieces, onion and bell peppers onto each skewer (note: do not crowd ingredients on each skewer or they will not cook properly).
Place each skewer on the grill and cook 5-6 minutes on each side until ingredients are slightly charred and cooked (if you find that they’re sticking, use a light cooking oil spray). Remove from the grill and serve warm.

Watch more of my tea infused recipes on The Daily Tea.

stare at the clouds & watch tea leaves dance

I am a dreamer. I always have been. I can still recall countless moments as a child settling into soft blades of grass on the subtle slope of my front-yard (which seemed like a small hill at the time). It was my nature made chaise lounge that offered just the right perspective for gazing at clouds. I would let my imagination sink into shades of blue until the first white puff slowly faded into sight, and then I'd let it take shape as my mind began to pain pictures in the sky. I remember schools of fish swimming, a ladies high heel, a classic car with puffs of smoke trailing behind it, and a painter's palette. But what I realize now is that what mattered was not just the challenge to mold and shape puffs of clouds, but also learning to be silent, quiet, reflective and appreciative of the details.

To this day, I still take moments to uncover lifestyle scenes hidden in the sky, but I often find I'm distracted by a deadline or text message ring. As I pull myself inside and let the flurry of life twirl around me, there's a part of me still grounded in the hopes of a quiet moment that I've found with tea. The moment that the water meets the tea, the leaves begin to dance about as if I had just wound up a music box. I watch the twists of leaves unroll like an ancient scroll. Oolong pearls unfurl like soft ball of yarn falling down a flight of stairs in slow motion. When you hear your kettle sing and your let water mix with leaves, promise me that you won't fade out of the room, but instead linger and find comfort in the dance of the tea leaves.

the new old fashioned {tea workshop}

On a sunny summer sunday, I filled totes and bags with tea tools, infused iced teas, tins of tea and (carefully wrapped) treasured tea pots and tea cups. The air was bright and clear as I made my way to the classroom to teach my tea workshop as part of a series of thoughtfully curated classes with The New Old Fashioned, founded and led by the loveliest ladies-Sharon McMulen and Anna DeMarco-Mills.

Steeped Sips and Bites, the theme of the workshop, featured a few of my favorite infused iced teas (rosemary assam black tea lemonade and lavender,rose,chamomile, sencha green tea with a splash of lime juice), along with fresh brewed pure iced teas, farmers market fruit simple syrups and a range of my homemade and simple tea infused treats: campfire tea ice cream sandwiches, matcha green tea goat cheese crostini, earl grey tea butter melted on popcorn, lapsang souchong butter melted on popcorn and watermelon and basil skewers with assam black tea simple syrup. I shared tea 101 tips, recipes for tea infused treats, iced tea techniques, a DIY tea blending bar, and stories within my steeped world. Rather than ramble, I recommend that you peek at the delightful video that captured the joy in the air on that delightful sunday afternoon (from the talented ladies of LoveMeDo).

p.s. I'll be teaching more classes this fall in philadelphia,  so be sure to subscribe to my enewsletter to be the first to know.