Harney & Sons Tea Tasting: More Chinese Greens

Huangshan Mao Feng (back) and Taiping Houkui

Slowly and surely, I continue working my way through the Harney & Sons tea tasting guide. It's fun! Last weekend, I compared Huangshan Mao Feng (Yellow Mountain Downy Tip) with Taiping Houkui (Taiping Best Monkey Tea).

Closeup of Huangshan Mao Feng

Closeup of Taiping Houkui

The Taiping Houkui is a new tea to me. I find it very interesting. The tea leaves are long - some over two inches. Harney states that it's from a special cultivar of tea, prized for its long leaves. These are certainly the longest tea leaves I've seen. Also notice, in the image above, the hash marks on the leaves. This is an imprint from the canvas that the tea leaves are pressed between.

I brewed each tea at 175 degrees for two minutes. I didn't like the first brewing of either - very light. I brewed again at 3 minutes. Much more flavorful.

Huangshan Mao Feng, on the left, was light in color, aroma and flavor. I picked up a bit of sweetness. The Taiping Houkui was darker in color, aroma and flavor. It was quite vegetal, but pleasant. In my opinion, it's leaning more toward the Japanese greens in flavor.

Mondo Beyondo

I'm taking the March class of Mondo Beyondo! This is an "online class about dreaming big" and was a gift from my Mom for my bday later this month. One of the first activities was to print out a sheet of affirmations, add my own, and put them in a bowl for daily reflection. I chose a special tea bowl.

I'm looking forward to the class! If you are interested in this concept of dreaming big, visit the Mondo Beyondo website and the superhero journal.

Cardamom-Nut Scones

I love the flavor and aroma of cardamom, and I made these cardamom-nut scones for the first time this morning. Mmmm! Both the DH and I liked them a lot.

The recipe came from the book Tea Time by Nancy Akmon. This book was a gift from my Aunt K several years ago, when I gave a tea party for her. It was the prettiest tea party I've ever done, as we used my aunt's pink depression glass. She lived in a historic house, and the setting was perfect!

Back to the scones - here is the recipe. (See my recipe attribution policy.)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups flour (I used whole wheat)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar (or honey)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (I used orange)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces (I used half butter and half olive oil b/c I ran out of butter. Hmm...it made a really nice dough! I might do this again!)
• 1/2 cup milk (plus I added a splash extra of water b/c the whole wheat was a bit dry)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted (I used pecans)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. The instructions call for adding all dry ingredients to the food processor and pulsing to combine, then adding the butter bits and processing for about 10 seconds until the mixture is like a coarse meal. I didn't want to drag out the food processor, so I used our antique pastry blender. Worked great and made me smile!

I prefer to mix the milk, egg and vanilla in a separate bowl before adding to the dry ingredients. Then the directions call for turning the dough out onto a floured surface, kneading in the nuts (but not too much kneading!), then patting out the dough with hands to form a 3/4 inch circle. Cut into desired shape. Brush with an egg wash and bake for 14 - 17 minutes, until golden. (I baked for 15.)

Excellent with a cup of strong black tea. This recipe is definitely a keeper, as it does a fine job of featuring the aroma and flavor of the cardamom.

Gongfu Tea at Tao of Tea

Gongfu utensils

I recently had the chance to introduce my DH (dear hubby) to one of my favorite places, the Classical Chinese Garden in Portland. After a tour of the garden we shared tea at the Tower of Cosmic Reflections (managed by the Tao of Tea) tearoom.

Last time I was here I had tea in the gaiwan style. This time we shared tea in the gongfu style. Gongfu is a Chinese tea ceremony. It is used with oolong and pu-erh teas. I will describe the ceremony as I experienced it (there are variations).

The utensils are shown in the photo at the top of the page. You need a kettle for the hot water, a drain tray for rinsing the tea (and pouring out the water), a clay teapot, a container for the brewed tea, the aroma (cylindrical) cups and thimble-sized drinking cups (not shown in the top photo), and of course a special tea.

We were drinking Mensong tea, a pu-erh from an old growth tea forest.

First, the teapot and cups are warmed and rinsed with the hot water. The water is poured out through the slots in the drain tray.

Next, the participants take note of the shape, texture and aroma of the dry leaf. Then the tea leaves are added to the pot and and rinsed. This rinsing liquid is poured off.

Now the leaves are steeped again (considered the first brewing). In my case, the tea was poured into the glass pitcher and from there into the small cylindrical cups, then topped with the tasting cups. The two are inverted - and the participant uses the cylindrical (aroma) cups to inhale the essence of the tea.

First brewing poured into the aroma cups

Cups are inverted and participants appreciate the aroma from the tall, cylindrical cups

Again, this brew was poured off (and over the teapot).

Now we are ready to taste the tea! The next brew (and several more) are poured into the small tasting cups and enjoyed. According to tradition, this should be consumed in three sips.

It's a special moment focused on the conscious appreciation of tea. Unfortunately, my description leaves out a lot of nuance and detail. If you ever have the chance to attend a gongfu tea ceremony, please do!

(Apologies to my Oregon friends! I didn't have time for a visit this trip.)

Airplane Tea Party

On a recent trip, I had an airplane tea party! I brought my own goodies and enjoyed a healthy and tasty little tea party.


I drank a very nice cup of Monk's Blend. Thanks, Marilyn!


Rosemary-cucumber sandwich, Biscoff cookies (perfect with tea!), carrots and grapes. The tea party made the flight a lot more fun!

Lavender - Grapefruit Sachet

Here's a very easy and fun project! I recently blended lavender buds and grapefruit peel to make fabric sachets for my sweater drawer. Both lavender and grapefruit peel discourage moths from feasting on wool.

Sorghum Cookies

The cookie jar is empty today, not long after I made these sorghum cookies. We had sorghum syrup from the CSA, and I used it to replace most of the honey in this recipe. (I also used whole wheat flour.) The cookies were more like little cakes, simple and honest, and very very good with a strong black tea.

Spring - I feel it!

I sat on my sunny front porch for a tea break today, and I pulled off the hat and gloves! It was about 50 degrees, a heat wave for us!

The DH and I normally mark the start of Spring in early Feb. That's when he, the more-plant-than-human among us, notices a stirring of the earth. This year we've had layers upon layers of post-Feb 1 snow, and it was hard for me to feel Spring's gradual approach. Today was a glorious exception, and I hope the start of a gentle thaw!

Guest Blogger: Esmerelda

Esmerelda read this piece of her writing at a recent tea party. It was so funny (because I can see myself in it), that I almost spewed tea! Not very lady-like, I know, but read on and see for yourself. Thank you for sharing this, Esme, and thank you to Sweetcakes for the tea party!

How to brew the perfect cup of tea

Bow to the east to honor Shennong who accidentally drank tea when some Camellia Sinensis leaves blew into his bowl of hot water. Bow to the west to honor Lu Yu who realized the importance of quality water in the perfect cup of tea. Fill an aluminum kettle half way full with filtered water. Take a seat to watch it boil. Consider this a form of enlightenment and while you are meditating on the blue flame remember the Bodhidharma who fell asleep meditating and was so disgusted with his weakness that he cut off his eyelids which fell to the ground to become tea plants. Picture yourself without eyelids.

Meditate on the fact that you have never even seen a tea plant or even a tea leaf that was not smooshed up into a paper bag with a Lipton tag hanging from it. Root in your cupboard for some real tea. Someone gave you some as a party favor at a baby shower last year. Find the tea in the drawer you use for wayward coupons, used Bic lighters and screws that have come loose. It has spilled a bit so you sweep it up carefully along with a few pencil shavings. For flavor you think quite earnestly.

Run to the CD player to put on some music appropriate for the perfect cup of tea and stub your toe on the sofa and scream with pain just as the whistle on the tea kettle sounds igniting the fierce migraine that you were trying to avoid by having the perfect cup of tea. Choose the first thing to play that you see on the play queue which happens to be Burl Ives singing Rudolph the Red Nosed reindeer. It is February.

Shut off the heat under the tea kettle and remember to let the water cool a bit. Center yourself. Not too hot. Heat brings out the bitter flavors. You wonder how bitter pencil shavings are as the hot water flows over the tea bag you have constructed out of loose leaf tea tied in a nylon bag that is made of the toe of a pair of pantyhose that no longer fits. Lets face it. No pantyhose fit. Men must have designed them.

You head for the cabinet to find medicine to absorb the stunning knife-like sensation throbbing in your temples and the only pain reliever you can find is your child’s grape flavor Tylenol so you read the dosage information on the back and calculate the ratio of your weight to your child’s weight and say what the fuck and drink the whole bottle. It tastes like grape shoe leather and you are pretty sure that once the sugar in the Tylenol wears off your headache will be worse, but you do have the perfect cup to tea to drink which now has been steeping for about 20 minutes in your old pantyhose. The pencil shavings are floating near the top so they are easy to flick out. You fling the pantyhose into the sink, pick up the only magazine you can find which is your husband’s fall issue of “Storm water: a utilities magazine” and make your way to the sofa. Ahh you think, settling back and closing your eyes. Thank God for eyelids.

Amy L. Cornell aka Esmerelda

Me (left) and the author Esme

Photo from Sweetcake's blog

Totally Smooshable

Look closely at the photo above and you'll see one well-smooshed sock monkey! Pepper, the monkey, is in a state of bliss. Sock monkeys live for smooshings.

Pepper was a Valentine's Day gift for my 2-year-old niece.

Photos by my sister.

A New Tea Apron

Check out my fabulous new tea apron, a gift from AZ Tea Lover! (That's me, rolling my eyes at the DH.)

Here's a closeup of the detail. Look at the gorgeous edging and braiding! Wow!

And a closeup of the fabric itself. So cheerful! This apron makes me very happy.

Happy Valentine's Day to you all! I like this day because I can tell you how special you are!

Peet's Coffee and Tea

During my recent Sunday morning in CA, I found my way to Peet's Coffee and Tea. I wasn't expecting much, as I assumed this franchise was just like a Starbuck's. I was happily proven wrong! To start with, they had a full tea menu. Then, the servers were able to converse intelligently about the various teas. And finally, glory, they served the loose tea in a pot and with a timer. I was impressed! The next time I'm in town, I will seek out Peet's.

I had a very nice pot of Yin Hao Jasmine.

Have you been served a good cup of tea in an unexpected place? Tell me about it!

Hope Springs Eternal

It is 41 degrees as I walk to the library today. The sun bounces brightly off the melting snow. Everything glitters. My head is uncovered while I walk, a first in months. My personal dark days of winter are over. Spring is here for me, for earth. Beneath this snow, the life force stirs. The green nubs of daffodils poke through the soil. The paper whites we planted on New Year's Day perfume the air. The forced quince opens its blushing petals. Hope springs eternal, and none too soon.

Done and an En-Joying Morning

Early-blooming daffodils in a sunny spot, along American Parkway in Folsom, CA

My big project is done! Wahoooo! I'm exhausted and wired at the moment, but happy.

Last Sunday, the day before the event, I had a few hours to myself and was able to en-joy a very nice cup of tea (more coming on that) and also a run along the "bike path" in Folsom, CA. This multi-purpose trail parallels the American River. It was a magical morning for me. The experience gave me space to clear my head and ground myself for the coming days. Truly an en-joying experience. A few photos along the trail...

Shoe Bag

My creative brain has been neglected lately. Well, not in the work sense, but in the sense of making pretty and useful things. Finally, I had a night when I didn't have late meetings. I made this shoe bag. I'll use it next week for the big work trip.

Here's the tutorial I followed, from Betz White who wrote Sewing Green. The nice thing about this shoe bag is that it takes little fabric - a perfect scraps or salvaged fabric project!

Nurturing

Nurturing comes in many forms, but one of my favorites is tea and treats with a friend.

Sweetcakes and I planned some time together this weekend. When she asked me what I wanted to do I said, "I want to come to your house and do nothing." I think that's one of the highest compliments I could give her - that simply coming to her home is nurturing to me.

Well, Sweetcakes went above and beyond for this nurturing session, as we sipped hot tea and had raspberry financiers and warm toffee pudding in front of her fire. Wow - yumm! Thank you! Just what I needed! A good friend and tea.

I hold in my heart right now all my friends and family in need of their own nurturing, as well as those across our world, especially our brothers and sisters in Haiti. I send thoughts and prayers of safety, peace, and hope for the future.

I also hold in my heart those who find themselves in need of nurturing while being caregivers and nurturers to other. This is each of us at one point or another. May we find the courage to take care of ourselves so we can help others.

Baie Dankie

I learned to say "thank you" in Afrikaans this week. This came as part of my work project, where I'm preparing people all over the globe for a conference. Learning this has been one of the highlights of my week! I can now say thank you in five languages. Next up to learn: Japanese and Chinese.

Expressing gratitude is spiritual practice I am cultivating. I think it makes me a kinder, happier person.

Happy weekend!

A Homemade Life

I've been coveting this book for some time now. I've checked it out twice from the library. I'm still not sure if I will buy it. The dilemma is that I'm actually thinning my book collection, in anticipation of a move. Now's not the time to be getting new ones. But I love this book! I might give in. The DH (dear hubby) and I have a date to the book store tonight.

The book is written by Molly Wizenberg, author of the Orangette blog. Read the first chapter here. I love the book for two reasons: 1 - The recipes appeal to me. 2 - The writing appeals to me. The concept of the book is not new. She takes recipes and weaves them into stories. In this case, Molly's love affairs with food, her family and her husband. It's an interesting and touching read, and it has recipes that I want to make.

Last weekend, I made two recipes: Fretwell soup and custard cornbread. The soup is an Italian vegetable soup with white beans, cabbage (from our CSA), chard (frozen from our garden), tomatoes, etc. It's delicious and I've eaten it for lunch all week long. That's rare for me. I move on quickly with leftovers.

The custard corn bread is a bit of heaven. Take corn bread batter and pour heavy cream in the center before it cooks. The cream makes a custard that is really, really, really good. I didn't see this recipe on Molly's blog - so find it in her book! :-)

If you've read the book, let me know what you think. If you're waiting on it from the library, I took it back two days ago. :-)

White Whole Wheat Scones

I tried something new today - using white whole wheat flour instead of regular whole wheat or white flour for scones.

Let's start with the nutritional value of white whole wheat. I read several articles on the web about it, including one from the Mayo clinic. They all indicated that yes, indeed, white whole wheat is good for us. Read more here.

I modified a recipe from an old cookbook, Recipes from Scotland. I picked up this cookbook while I was on the Tea in London trip in March of 2007. The cookbook was first published in 1946. I have the ninth edition, from 1969.

Basically, I took a regular scone recipe and substituted white whole wheat flour. I also added frozen blueberries. One interesting feature of this recipe is that it called for syrup as the sweetener. I'm guessing this might mean golden syrup, which I didn't have. I did have leftover Caro syrup (from the homemade marshmallows), and that seemed to work OK.

The recipe also called for the flour measured in ounces. I'm glad I got out the scale (instead of chancing the Pyrex cup) because the measurement would have been off!

The recipe indicated that I should roll out the scones, which I didn't do because of the blueberries. And because I had added too much milk. ;-) My dough was very sticky. I had to bake mine about double the time called for because they were very think. Nonetheless, all's well...they tasted good!

As for the white whole wheat, I found it to be very pleasant. The taste was a little less nutty/intense and the texture was less crumbly than a normal whole wheat. I can't say I liked it better, as I'm a fan of regular whole wheat. However, the white whole wheat is a good transition tool for those in my life less inclined to enjoy the dark stuff! Plus, I think it will allow me to make some food items that don't work well with the dark stuff.

I encourage you to give white whole wheat a try! I used King Arthur flour. (Per the new blogging rules requiring disclosure in product reviews - I did NOT receive any money or product from the King Arthur flour company for this review.)

Busy Month

January is going to be a busy month for me. I will do my best to blog frequently, but I expect some gaps. Hang in there with me, and send me thoughts of health, organization and a level head. :-) I'm in the final sprint towards a very large work event in early Feb.

*Photo from Microsoft Images

Blog Wordle

Happy 2010! I was inspired by this blog to start the year off with a wordle. The wordle tool looks at your blog and makes a word cloud, based on words you use most frequently. Cool! See http://www.wordle.net/. I think it must have looked only at my most recent posts, given the words that appear.