Teapot (Head) Under Here

I think he's found his look!

That's my good friend D. I think the look suits him to a "tea"!  I love that he wore this and owned it, and not for a few seconds, either.  For a good long while!  

The tea cosy itself is a project that's been half finished for over a year.  I'm so glad that I can add it to the "done" list.  Every time I look at it, I smile.  I love the whimsy.  The idea came from Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol.  It's linen fabric with a vibrant turquoise flannel lining inside.  I sandwiched thermal batting in the middle.  The bias tape binding on the bottom was made by sewing goddess CO Tea Lover. I really love how the tea cosy turned out, and especially how it's worn!

Billy Connolly — "Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cozy, doesn't try it on."

Two Fun Tea Sandwiches

Beet-Gorgonzola-Walnut tea sandwich

While this pretty-in-pink sandwich above might look to be on the sweet side, it definitely falls within the savory category.  Its pink color comes from beets, blended with Gorgonzola, walnuts, cream cheese and garlic.  It's an Elmwood Inn recipe found here, the top one only. I have a friend who cannot eat walnuts and so I used 2 Tbsp of tahini instead and that worked well.

Egg salad in flower cups

Before going into the oven.  On the next batch, I rolled the bread out to be even thinner.

I got the idea for the flower cups from a book that Angela had recommended.  I modified the recipe to have less bread bulk.  You will need a rolling pin and a mini-muffin tin.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

*  Take a slice of bread and flatten it with a rolling pin.  

* Using an ~2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out three circles.  (You will use only two of them for one flower cup.)

* Using a pastry brush, generously coat both sides and the edges of the rounds with oil.  

* Take one round and press it firmly into the bottom and up the side of a mini-muffin tin.

* Take the second round and cut it in half.  Arrange each half in the muffin tin to make the second and third petals.  Press these firmly into the other pieces of bread.  This firm press is very important!  That's what holds it all together. 

* Toast until the tops of the petals are golden brown.

* Let cool in the muffin tins.  Store in muffin tins until it's time to use.  This ensures the flower cups won't fall apart prematurely.

* Stuff and garnish, serve and enjoy!

Grandma's China

I recently had the joyful experience of hosting a friend for tea, to celebrate Spring, Persian New Year, and March Birthdays.  I pulled out the china set that came from my Grandma T.  I know that she would have loved to join us. 

My grandmother was a very skilled yard sale shopper.  In fact, I believe that's where this china set came from.  A few years ago, I picked up this teapot at a consignment shop.  While not the same pattern as the other china, it blends beautifully.  It's a nice size (6-8 cups) and it pours well.  I can see Grandma T smile at my finding this treasure (for not much money).  She wasn't a financially wealthy woman and she had many hardships in her life.  Yet her life was rich with the things important to her.  I remember her playfulness; her laugh; her funny sayings; her biscuits, dumplings and fried chicken; her sewing; her creativity; her resourcefulness; her walks; her sweet tooth and her love and dedication to family. 

I didn't start out to make this post about my grandmother.  But there you  have it.  Sometimes we write what's in our hearts. 

Treacle Scones

Treacle scones

Ah, a slow Saturday morning!  The DH is out already and I slept in, then arose to nothing hurried.  I turned on Weekend Edition on NPR and made treacle scones.  Why do I make these only in March each year?  They are so delicious, I need to make them a regular treat.

For those of you thinking of St. Patrick's Day teas, here are a few additional ideas:

• Guinness soda bread scones
• Irish-themed tea party
• And another St. Pat's tea party
• Matcha brownies (gorgeous green and brown)
• Matcha jelly role (bright green!)

Do you have any fun St. Patrick's Day plans?  I'll be working, but plan to enjoy these treacle scones until then!

Robin's Egg Blue: Japanese Tea Sweet

I've been having so much fun playing with Japanese tea sweets!  This is one of my favorites.  It's made from a center of red bean paste, surrounded by white bean paste for the nest.  The little blue eggs are white bean paste that I colored.  (The bean pastes are sweetened.)

The naming of sweets is an important part of the process, as the guests may want to know the story of the sweet.  I'm learning what makes a good sweets name.  Generally, it should be something suggestive of the season, and poetic.  Do you have ideas for a name for this sweet?     

Matcha Brownies

OK, these were really, Really, REALLY good!  And easy.  And green.  :-)

Take your regular brownie recipe.  Pour the batter into the pan.  Spoon the filling (recipe below) in dollops across the top and blend with a knife for the swirl effect.  Bake as normal - it may need a wee bit longer.  I also keep them refrigerated, due to the cream cheese.

Matcha Filling:
*4 oz cream cheese
*1 egg
*2+ teaspoons of matcha, depending on how green you want it
*2 tsp sugar

Blend in mixer until smooth.

By the way, use food grade matcha for this.  Matcha can be expensive and you want to save the more expensive tea grade for drinking.  The less expensive food grade is perfectly fine for cooking. 

Frustration or Compassion? In Tea and Life

When I brew tea poorly, my first response is frustration with myself.  "I've wasted this pot of tea!  I've wasted my time!"  I scold myself.  I'm quick to frustration and slow on patience.  But I'm trying a new approach... I ask myself, "Frustration or Compassion?"  

When I approach my poor brewing (a metaphor for life) in a compassionate way, I have permission to go a little deeper and explore slowly.  I'll ask myself why I was in a hurry, not paying attention, or lacking skills.  Do I need to make space for the tea and put aside distractions (be in the moment?)  Do I need to prioritize and focus on the other tasks and return to tea when I have the proper time for it?  Do I need more practice?  Is this a new tea, a new pot/bowl/gaiwan, a new brewing technique, etc.?

 

With compassionate thinking, I give myself gentleness.  Surely, if I can learn to do this with myself in my tea brewing, I can expand it to the rest of my life.  And from there, it's an extension to the world.

Bouchon (Vegas)

One more reason to convince you that there is more to Vegas than gambling... Bouchon.  A friend who travels frequently to Vegas for work emphasized that I must visit this French-style bistro. I'm glad I heeded her advice!  I sat here leisurely on a Wednesday morning for an hour and a half, enjoying the food, the view and the people around me.  The tea was in a bag, but the hot water came in a pretty pot and I enjoyed the simple white and blue china pattern.  (Tip:  Ask for an extra plate on which to put your teabag.)  

The food was excellent! I had a three cheese plate, served with toasted raisin bread and a fruit compote. (Look for it on the dessert menu.)  I also had a side of brioche and jam.   I didn't really need the brioche, but it was a treat.

In the summer, there is patio seating in the rose garden.  On this day, I was happy with my indoor seat and a view of the sunshine.

Bouchon is definitely worth a stop!  My friend (and now I) recommend breakfast.  The prices are reasonable and the restaurant is less busy at this time so you can sit and take it all in.

Matcha Jelly Roll

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day...a matcha jelly roll!  Not only is it pretty, but it also tastes (gently) of matcha.  This was my first-ever attempt at a jelly roll, so it's a little messy, but I was pleased overall.

I used this recipe.  It worked pretty well.  I agree that you need to sift the flour three times!  Not only does it add air to the flour, but it also ensures your matcha is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Pre-sift

Post-sift

I had a tear along the side of the roll, but it remained intact overall and worked out OK.  I also thought the cake was a little dry. Next time, I will wrap it in a moist towel (instead of leaving it in its parchment paper). If you have jelly roll tips, will you share them?  Thank you!

Benevolence

I am thinking of my friend who thought of me when she spied this lovely cup and saucer at an estate sale, and procured it for me.   It's become a favorite.  I learned it's satsuma porcelain.  It's a diminuitive, delicate cup. (I'm drawn to the small ones, it seems).  It doesn't seem small in this photo because of its normal proportion to the teapot.  The thing is this:  That teapot is a little one, too!

This friend recently  had a birthday, and so I celebrate her from a distance!  She's a very benevolent spirit. 

Here's an excerpt from a Baisao poem.  It's  nice to contemplate...

"Sake fuels the vital spirits, works like courage,

Tea works benevolently, purifying the soul.

Courageous feats that put the world in your debt
Couldn’t match the benefit benevolence brings."

Afternoon Tea at the Mandarin Oriental, Vegas

Me, having afternoon tea at the Mandarin Oriental in Vegas

I was recently in Vegas for work and managed, despite my busy schedule, to squeeze in time for tea at the Mandarin Oriental.  A girl needs priorities and I was desperately seeking quiet time.  Working trade show events and being constantly 'on' can take a toll even on the most outgoing of us.    

 The Mandarin Oriental is a respite.  It has great views of the strip, but more importantly to me...it was peacefully quiet and smelled nothing of smoke, not even a subtle hint of it.

The tea I chose was the Mandarin blend, a black with essence of orange.  I should have known better and stuck with an English Breakfast.  I'm very, very picky about teas and this was so-so.  But the afternoon tea service more than made up for the just-OK tea.  It was delicious!  On the pricey side, but my mental health is worth it.

The afternoon tea was not an Asian theme; it's standard British-style fare.  However, the Mandarin does offer a gong fu cha service for parties of 3 or more.  Next year I will plan for this and drag along some colleagues.  ;-)

The three-tiered server was very novel. It's a stand-alone unit next to the table and curves back at a slight angle.  The savories were my favorite of the three courses (that's normal for me).  The presentation was spot-on!

Creamy deviled egg and lavash

Smoked salmon and cucumber with watercress spread

Tartlet of mango with goat cheese and spice bread crisp

Black Forest ham sandwich

Traditional scones with cherry preserves and imported Devonshire cream

And for dessert...

Blueberry cream puff (on the right), rum cake (mini bundt), yuzu tartlet with raspberry center and sugared rose (my favorite), a coffee-flavored cake in the little purse (not for me, I don't like coffee) and a passion fruit truffle in the back (also very good!)

If you are in Vegas, I recommend taking your gambling money and going to the Mandarin Oriental for afternoon tea instead!  That way, you're sure to win.

Sprouts Under the Snow (Japanese Sweet)

Sprouts Under the Snow

Recently, we had snowy weather in Oregon!  I was also playing around with my first batch of shiro an, a sweet bean paste made from white beans.  I'll write more about the process of making the bean paste soon.  But for now...the sweet.

This type of sweet is served with matcha, powdered green tea, during the Japanese Tea Ceremony.  It's customary to provide a poetic name to things...to utensils, the tea bowl and to sweets.  So in that spirit and given the weather, I named this sweet "sprouts under the snow".  This sweet is nothing more than bean paste and sugar (with a dot of food coloring).  It's naturally vegan and gluten/soy/dairy-free, so a great sweet for anyone with food allergies.  It's also DELICIOUS!  I know that sweetened bean paste sounds a little funny to most of us Americans, but it really is yummy! 

Daffodil sprouts under the snow

February is For...

Plum Blossom Herbal Tea

Plum Blossoms!  In Japanese culture, February denotes the time for the delicate and long awaited plum blossom.  The plum is an early blooming tree that blossoms despite the cold weather.  It is one of the three friends of winter, with bamboo and pine.  I haven't seen any plums blooming around here yet, but it may be blooming in the protected shelter of the Japanese or Chinese gardens.  The DH (dear hubby) brought in these plum branches so that they would bloom in February for me (Awww!)

Dried plum blossoms make a delicious tisane, with a pleasing aroma and subtle tart flavor.  The buds hold up to numerous steeps and are said to be good for general relaxation.  My plum blossom herbal tea came from New Century Tea Gallery in Seattle.

Both plum and cherry blossoms are common in Japanese arts and crafts.  A rule of thumb for telling them apart is that cherry blossoms have a little notch in the end of the flower petal while plum blossoms do not.  I believe the motif in the teapot below is plum (no notch).  If anyone thinks differently, please tell me.



The Naming of My Tea Bowl

The tea bowl, Richard Brandt (potter) and me

After watching my new Raku-style tea bowl's birth, I was lucky to be able to enjoy the first bowl of tea made it in.  Not only that, but it was whisked by my sensei.  Cool!  Before drinking, as is the custom with matcha, I  had a sweet. A red bean paste center with white bean paste outer - so, so good!  The sweet prepares my taste buds for the matcha.

Traditional style Japanese tea sweets

The tea was delicious!  And it was so special to be the first to drink from the bowl.

Enjoying the first bowl of tea

Next Richard packed the bowl carefully into its cedar box.  The box is an important aspect!  As you will see, it tells the tea's story.

The tie on the box lies flat, making it easy to stack other boxes on top!  I had to learn how to tie it correctly.

The next exciting part of this journey is the naming of my bowl.  My sensei, Margie of the Issoan Tea School, kindly offered to name the bowl and calligraphy its name onto the box.  She thought carefully about the names she chose and she practiced her calligraphy before working on the boxes.  Such a gift!
The top of the box says black raku tea bowl.  The character on the top left is cha (tea) - the only one I can recognize consistently.  :-)

Inside says Issoan Soya (name of tea school and Margie sensei's tea name), and Kin Pu - Golden Wind. That is the name of my bowl.  Isn't Golden Wind a beautiful image?

I know I will enjoy making and sharing many bowls of tea with Kinpu.

The Birth of a Tea Bowl

Meet this gorgeous new tea bowl that has decided to come and live with me.  I was very fortunate to be able to watch this bowl (hand made by potter Richard Brandt) come to life!  It's a black Raku-style bowl, which is considered very formal in the Japanese Tea Ceremony.  It is prized for its "wabi" aesthetic, its humbleness, simplicity and earthiness.  I learned to call this Raku-style because "Raku" is actually a family name and true Raku bowls are those made by this family.  Everything else is in the style of Raku.   (And if this isn't what you think of as Raku, you're probably thinking of Western Raku, with its cobalt blue and other shiny colors.  While sharing the same roots as traditional Raku, it's a different process.)

The bowl I chose was sitting in front of me, softly whispering my name

Raku is hand shaped rather than formed on a wheel. This makes each bowl clearly unique in shape and size. Those unique qualities get amplified when the bowl is coated with slip and then put into the kiln, where it's a mystery what will happen to the glaze and the ultimate character of the bowl! (Note that historical slip used lead, but this is lead free.)  We were using the last of Richard's "Barnard slip", a special clay and recipe. There is no more of this slip to be had; the earth deposits have all been mined.  It is with an extra sense of gratitude and responsibility for all that the earth gives us that I observed the process.

Richard is applying the Barnard slip

My bowl waiting to be fired

View from the top of the kiln.
The black shape is another tea bowl; the red glow is from the intense heat.  

The kiln got up to over 1850 degrees (F).  Seems pretty hot to me, and yet this is considered a low temperature firing!  The result is a rather porous bowl.  After 15 minutes or so of firing, Richard opens the kiln.  

I literally gasped - it's so beautiful!

Bowls ready to be taken from the kiln

After a brief period of cooling, Richard takes the bowls - still glowing red - and dunks them into water.  

Still glowing from the kiln

As the bowl enters the water, you see that it's black

A brave man; the water is steaming!

After a few moments, Richard reaches into the water and brings out the bowl.  It's still quite hot!

My baby!  Can you see that it's still steaming?

In my next post, I will share with you my first bowl of tea in this vessel and the naming of this bowl!