Tea

I had a some time before the Georgia O'Keefe and Ansel Adams exhibit opened downtown so I headed over to Teaism. They recommended Hojicha- delicious! I really enjoyed this cup of tea. It had a nutty toasted layer over the "green" taste of the tea. There was just enough sweetness to make this perfect for sipping.

Here is the link to the tea at Teaism

http://www.teaism.com/TeaShop/ProductDetails4-19.html

I received a gift card for Christmas and knew just what to do with it. I placed an order from each of my two favorite teashops Rishi and Tealuxe. I love Rishi tea- Whole Foods carries it- my favorite from there is the Jasmine Pearl. I thought it looked like fun and it is. The pearls slowly open as they float and sink as the tea steeps. This tea is very very delicious. I ordered some Hojicha and Jade Cloud to try too.

My cousin loves Tealuxe after visiting there in Boston and when she made a cup of Peachy White I was hooked too. I ordered a bunch of samples as soon as I got home and they were all very very good. My fave Tealuxe flavors are Kiwi-Berry Coconut (black), Pear and Pomegranate (black), Monk's Blend (black with grenadine and vanilla), and Mango Mist (black), and Gen-Mai Cha (green with toasted and popped rice).

I also found some very good bag teas at Whole Foods- Mighty Leaf Green Tea Tropical (very yummy), and Green Dragon (the label says nutty but I also think of buttery in a good way- maybe smooth and rich would be a good way to describe this tea- great with food). I opened a tea bag and noticed that the leaves are big and look just like good quality loose tea leaves. No tiny bits or powder. Another yummy brand is ineeka. I like Himalayan Green best. I have the Green Limon (with lemongrass) at work but need to give it another go. It seems weak and watery but I haven't brewed it properly. I also have the Himalayan black which I find a bit strong. I think it would make a great chai. I love ineeka's tea bag- you gently tear open the bag, pull on some paper wings and then attach the bag to your cup. This gives the tea leaves plenty of room to expand.

I would like to also mentioned that I tried the blooming tea at Tenpehn- very delicious and fun. I was a little disappointed that they brought the teapot to me with the flower already opened- I would have liked to watch it unfold.

The wonderful helper at Rishi recommened a glass teapot to brew my teas- she said glass would perfect to see the leaves open as they brew, that it would be easy to clean, and perfect for all types of tea. I'm off to find one (those gift cards don't last long with me!) and to order some blooming tea.

moldy wine cork

I took a bottle of wine to my brothers to share and when he went to open it, he found mold under the foil and on top of the cork. Eeeewwww. I saved the bottle hoping to take it back. It was a lovely french Chardonnay labeled with Michel Richard's name (BOURGOGNE BLANC, Michel Richard, Domaine Borgeot, Burgundy, France 2005)- he uses this as his house chardonnay. I called the wine store to ask and they said it happens often and that there is no problem. :) :) tg! They said that sometimes a bit of wine becomes trapped under the foil and will grow mold on the cork. I've never seen this before and hope I never do again but I am so glad to know that my wine is ok.

Menu for the week of 12/28

Sun
leftovers

Mon
black beans (Columbia Restaurant recipe)
rice
salad

Tues
Bhangra Burrito with chickpea-potato curry and spinach- rebar
recipe follows- I really love this! It reminds me a bit of a samosa but baked not fried.

Wed
still planning a New Year's Eve feast

Thur
black-eyed peas
Hopping John
mustard greens
cornbread


Bhangra Burrito
with chickpea-potato curry and spinach
rebar
yield: 6 burritos

"Unconventional burrito fillings are inevitable in the world of cultural food fusion. In this recipe, the corss-cultural mix makes perfect sense- the filling is pure Indian and the Mexican tortilla that wraps up the curry is a close cousin to the chapathi. The outcome is delicious and makes an ideal lunch or dinner entree. Serve with mint-mango chutney and steamed basmati rice."

4 garlic cloves
1 oz (30 g) ginger, peeled
1 jalapeno pepper, with seeds
1 red pepper, seeded
6 Roma tomatoes
3 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) toasted and ground cumin
1 teaspoon (5 ml) toasted and ground coriander
1 teaspoon (5 ml) sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon (1.2 ml) tumeric
1/2 teasoon (5 ml) cracked pepper
1 x 19 fl oz (540 ml) can chickpeas
2 lbs (900 g) red potatoes, 1/2" dice
1/2 bunch cilantro, stemmed and chopped
1 bunch spinach, washed, stemmed and sliced into 1/2" thick ribbons

Roughly chop garlic, ginger, jalapeno, red pepper and tomatoes. Place in a food processor and pulse to form a coarse puree. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and suate onion with 1/2 teasoon salt until translucent. Stir in cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric and pepper and continue to saute to cook the spices. Add the vegetable puree and simmer gently 5-10 minutes. Add chickpeas and cook a further 10 minutes to heat through. Set aside.

Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 350F. Toss diced potatoes with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until lightly golden and soft, about 15-20 minutes. Toss the chick pea mixture with roasted potatoes and chopped cilantro. Season to taste.

To roll, lay a tortilla and spread 1 cup spinach ribbons topped with 1 cup chick pea curry across the middle of the tortilla. Roll it up into a cylinder and place seam-side down in a lightly oiled baking dish. Repeat with remaining filling, cover with foil and bake 30 minutes to heat through. Serve hot with chutney and rice.

Sock doll and sock monkey

I really like how the sock monkey turned out- hopefully my niece will as well. The sock doll was inspired by a doll brought in by one of my first graders. The sock monkey was made with these directions- http://www.craftbits.com/viewProject.do?projectID=1104

I found the cute pink striped socks as well as the other socks at Target.

Paella

Someone asked how I could be having paella for my Christmas dinner. For me, paella is all about the saffron and rice and well, the saffron :) I use olive oil for the fat, a bit of extra garlic, sometimes a dash of liquid smoke, and veggie broth. Yum! My recipe is from the Columbia Restaurant Cookbook and is easily adapted now that I'm vegan. I made changes to it even before going all veg. I don't miss the seafood anymore and still love love love the saffron rice.

I would rec this wine for this dish. I had it last week and it is very delicious.

from finewine.com
MARTIN CODAX ALBARINO 2007 RIAS BAIXAS, SPAIN
"Albarino, from the wine region of Rias Baixas is considered to be Spain's most respected white wine. Martin Codax Albarino is a crisp and refreshing wine with citrus fruit, pear and peach flavors. Its medium-body, bright fruit character and subtle floral aromas, can be enjoyed with everything from salads to a wide variety of seafood and poultry dishes." -Importer's Notes

Old Dogs

The most exciting news this year- Indy is in a book! Nancy from Indy's vet called to let me know that someone was writing a book about older dogs and would I like Indy to be in it. Absolutely! The photographer (Michael S. Williamson) came over last Jun and took loads of pictures of Indy on his bed and in the front window. Then the writer (Gene Weingarten) called and we talked for about 20 minutes. Some paperwork came and then the wait.......Amazon noted the pub date to be October 7 of the following year! Well it finally came and Indy made the book! I had no idea if he would be in the book for sure, which photo would be used or what the story would say. I ran to B&N on Oct 7, found Indy in the book with a great pic and a lovely story. My boy! I would like to add that the book was published on Oct 7 which is my birthday and Indy is on page 107. Love those kind of co-inky dinkys!

http://www.amazon.com/Old-Dogs-Are-Best/dp/1416534997/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229947107&sr=8-1

Menu for this week

Sunday
leftovers- Thai and Indian

Mon
Sesame noodles with Napa Cabbage- I've posted this before but will post below
steamed broccoli

Tues
paella

Wed- Fri
in laws

Sat
pizza

Sesame Noodles with Napa Cabbage
Adapted from Veg Times by Joe
http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/sesame-noodles-with-napa-cabbage.html
he's got a great pic

(my adaptation is to triple the sauce- DH loves it- he's just a saucy guy!)

10 ounces whole wheat spaghetti or udon noodles
9 tablespoons natural peanut butter (I love the crunchy kind)
6 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
6 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons mirin
3 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 cups shredded napa cabbage
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to the directions on the package.

In a small saucepan, whisk together peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, sugar and crushed red pepper. Warm sauce over medium-low heat while the noodles cook.

Place cabbage in a colander in the sink - when the noodles are ready, drain them over the cabbage so the hot water can wilt the cabbage. Place the noodles and cabbage in a large bowl, add warmed peanut sauce and toss well to coat. Sprinkle each plate with a portion of the chopped cilantro before serving.

Serve extra peanut sauce for steamed broccoli that goes so well with this dinner.

Makes about 4 servings.

Mu Shu in Moments

I've decided to keep on blogging- my original intent was to have my recipes available when I was away from my home or computer. I've found lots of new recipes in the past year and will start to post them. I'll also keep on posting the week's menus. Have you ever felt- there's nothing to cook this week??? I've been feeling that a lot lately! So here's back at it!

My newest fave recipe- great for a weeknight.. I leave the chicken and eggs out but DH has found that he likes Morning Stars Chik'en Strips (I'll get the right name the next time I go to the grocery store.) Mung bean sprouts are also a good addition. This is quick and easy and sooooo much better than the Chinese restaurant's version.

Mu Shu in Moments
Gourmet Feb 06
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mu-Shu-in-Moments-233797
for the original recipe
my version below

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 (16-oz) bag coleslaw mix
handful mung bean sprouts
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
several scallions, coarsely chopped, served in a bowl at the table
8 (6-inch) flour tortillasI prefer whole wheat
1 package Morning Star Chick'n Strips, cooked separately for DH

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil to skillet and heat until hot, then cook ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add coleslaw mix, mung sprouts, and 2 tablespoons water and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until coleslaw is wilted, about 5 minutes.
Stir together soy sauce, sesame oil, remaining 2 tablespoons water, and hoisin sauce in a small bowl. Add to coleslaw mixture stirring, 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Immediately put tortillas between 2 dampened paper towels on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high power until tortillas are hot, about 1 minute.
To assemble, spread hoisin on each tortilla and top with mu shu mixture, chicken strips, additional bean sprouts, or scallions, then roll up.

Serves 4