Care to travel to Yunnan? Gold Tip!

The Tea Drinker never ceases to amaze me. His knowledge and passion for tea continues to grow each day. All things Tea. We drink a lot of tea, read a ton about tea, and dream of visiting tea- growing regions. You guessed it, I am itching to travel. It’s been one year exactly since our visit to China. A trip that was packed with history, loads of tea, new sights and sounds, tasty morsels, and lots of laughter. I crave that adventure. Even though my work takes me on the road most weeks, I never tire of traveling to new places on my down time. I love to plan trips. True, most of our trips tend to revolve around food and wine. However, now we enjoy putting tea into the mix, too. Where to next. Back to China? Taiwan? Maybe hop over to Japan. What about South Africa to discover the fascination behind Rooibos? Stay tuned.

Back to the Tea Drinker, this week he is excited about a new tea that he recently added to the Drink the Leaf’s portfolio- Yunnan Gold Tip. Sounds like an expensive pen, or cigar. Nope, this tea is from Yunnan, a province in Southeast China. Yunnan is rumored to be the founding home of “Camellia Sinensis”. Now, that is exciting. To visit the birthplace of tea. This region borders Assam, Burma, Laos, and South China. Teas from this region are known to be full-bodied, bold, and robust in flavor. Black and Pu-erh teas proudly lead the pack. Right up my alley.

Yunnan Gold Tip- Our star tea this week. A high quality tea that goes through an arduous process. The young buds and tea leaves are hand-picked, then placed in the sun to wither and dry. The dried leaves then undergo pile fermentation; water is sprayed onto the leaves, covered with hemp fabric to prevent any of the heat from escaping. This environment jump starts the fermentation process, where the tips of the buds will turn gold, instead of black. The leaves are turned very carefully by hand, taking great measure to not break any of the golden tips. This process results in a tea that is rich, yet smooth in flavor.

Here are our notes from a recent tasting of this wonderful tea. Attractive to look at- wiry tea leaves with golden tips. Clear, bright golden orange and brown hue. Medium-full bodied and smooth. Malty and dried apple notes lead to a great finish.

Pour yourself a cup of Yunnan Gold Tip, and let your mind wander to a faraway place. Truly peaceful.

Gone Fishing!

A brief posting from Buffalo, NY. The Tea Drinker and I are visiting family to celebrate his parent's 50th Wedding Anniversary. Congratulations, Mops & Pops! A weekend filled with family, laughter, great food, wine and, of course, tea. Stay tuned for next weekend's posting, all things tea.

P.S. To answer the inquires of whether or not I ran into Chef Bobby Flay last weekend in Aspen...let's just say, he was called out of town for an important engagement. Oh, well next time.

"Free the Tea"

That’s it- I am on a new mission- “Free the Tea”.

As some of you are aware, I am in the wine industry, and something that we follow very closely is the “who and where” we can ship wine to in the United States. The coalition, Free the Grapes, is a national mix of consumers, wineries, and retailers all on a mission to remove restrictions on winery direct shipping. Basically, people want their wine, and we want to get it to them. Simple. Not really, but one would think so. On the flip side, Drink the Leaf can ship anywhere, anytime. We believe in freedom, too. We want to free tea in a different fashion. Loosen the constraints; offer a healthier, fresher, better tasting beverage to everyone. Yes, I am talking about that dreaded “tea ball”, and dare, I whisper, bagged tea. Come on people; let your tea breathe…

Join me in this cause- “Free the Tea”. Kick up your heels, let your hair down, and get wild. Spread the word, and drink loose leaf teas. Hands down, tea brewed from a loose leaf tea is a better tasting cup. Bagged teas or commercially available teas tend to be fragments of tea, and of a lesser quality. You wonder to yourself how long has that tea been sitting on the shelf. Trust me, once you go loose leaf, you will be squishing up your nose, when someone offers you bagged tea. With loose leaf, the aromas and flavors just pop. Plus, there is a basic enjoyment of the ritual of steeping tea. Watching the leaves unfurl to release a cup that is clean and fresh, there is nothing better. Use an infuser and dispel the myth that brewing loose leaf tea takes longer to prepare. I love showing people the Timolino Infuser, it’s my favorite party trick. Email me and I will help you choose a strainer/infuser that will work best for your lifestyle.

Free the Tea, Free the Tea, Free the Tea. Now, I Just need a cool logo like Free the Grapes. Tea in shackles is a bit too much…

Five More Days 'til Bobby Flay!

Sorry, Tea Drinker. But, at the end of this week, my eyes will be peeled for a sighting of the Grill Master, Bobby Flay. He is expected at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic. Truth be told, all wine aside, I will be in pursuit of another Bobby "How to Grill" cookbook. To my friends, I promise NOT to utter the following words to Chef Bobby: “ I am your biggest fan”. This was a rookie move I made a few years ago after spotting Chef Mario Batali dining with his wife at a local Aspen restaurant. Mario stared at me blankly, as my friends ran away mortified. I admit, I can be a bit star struck. This is what happens to mere mortals after Food Network sinks its teeth into you. Heck, ten years ago, I shared “fiddle faddle” and an alochol-doused banana smoothie with Mario and fellow Chefs at an after hour's party in Aspen. Who knew how famous these Chefs would become? I still crack up over that one.

So, today, in honor of my Bobby Week, we broke down and bought a One Touch Weber Charcoal grill. Our Weber Gas Grill will still remain a part of the family, but it’s now time to move back to the basics, and the art of grilling. The Tea Drinker is eagerly awaiting for me to hit the road to Aspen, so that he can experiment with baby back ribs. Until then, Grilled Turkey Burgers will have to suffice. Check out Bobby's featured recipes in the July issue of Food & Wine Magazine.

Grilled Turkey Burgers- simple, and delicious.

• 1 ½ pds. Ground turkey
• 1 Red onion, sliced
• Smoked Gouda cheese
• Hamburger Buns
• 3 TBSP Dijon mustard
• 2 TBSP whole grain mustard
• 1 TBSP prepared horseradish
• 1 TBSP honey

Directions
1. Light a grill. Brush the onion with oil and grill until charred and softened, about 5 minutes. Brush the cut sides of the buns with oil and grill until toasted, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
2. Form the ground turkey into four 1-inch-thick patties and brush with oil. Season with salt and pepper and grill over high heat, turning once, until nearly cooked through, about 10 minutes.

3. Top with the Gouda, close the grill and cook until the cheese is melted and the burgers are cooked through, about 1 minute longer.

4. In a small bowl, combine the mustards, horseradish and honey and spread on the bottom half of the buns. Top with the burgers and onions.
Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

Grilled Passila & Anheim Peppers, stuffed with Monterey Jack Cheese

• 2 Large Peppers( Jalapeno, Anheim, or Passila)
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, such as Monterey Jack, Sharp Cheddar
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 TBSP of chopped cilantro
• 2 slices of Bacon- you guessed it, I like to use Turkey bacon.

1. Take each pepper and create a slit along the top, scoop out seeds.
2. Mix together cheese, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper, to taste
3. Stuff peppers with cheese mixture. Wrap a slice of bacon around pepper, and secure w/ tooth pick, if needed.
4. Light the grill. Takes about 4 minutes per side, until cheese is melted. Enjoy!
( from my archives)

We drank Behrens and Hitchcock’s 2003 “The Contender” with our burgers. Quite tasty. After dinner we moved on to Ghirardelli Intense Dark Espresso Escapes. Highly recommended. Then Tea Drinker settled in, grabbed the Food & Wine Magazine, and exclaimed “Bobby is using a Gas Grill in this photo!” … Ah, well…the fantasy was good while it lasted.

By the way, if I do run into Bobby next week while sipping a margarita at Jimmy’s , I will challenge him to a throwdown. Tequila has that effect on me. Stay tuned.

First Came Loose Leaf Tea, now Fish?

Last weekend’s post about our twelve new fish resulted in an uproar with our cat, Little One. How dare we? She has lived in this house for almost eleven years- first came all the fuss about tea, now fish? This was the ultimate insult. Little One became a part of our family to keep the Tea Drinker company while I was away on business trips. They became inseparable- Little One watches his every move, always at his side, and peering over the keyboard as he processes orders for http://www.drinktheleaf.com/. And for me, I would return from my business trips, and see that where I laid my head down at night just a week before was now a welcoming pile of kitty hair. Touching. All kidding aside, Little One loves me too. Who else would feed her scraps from our dinner?

But fish, come on! They aren’t supposed to be made a fuss over. They are supposed to be in a can that we open, and reward Little One with while she twirls and wraps herself around our legs. Pure purring bliss. Now, the tables have turned, and we are feeding fish, instead of opening a can of her favorite treat.

How do we make it up to her? She loves to be outside and eat grass. Problem number one, is that she is an inside cat- and is not allowed outside without supervision. Yes, I am a strict Mom. Problem number two, the only yard we have is in the front of the house near the street. The back of our house is all paved patio. Solution? Plant grass in a pot and put in a shady area under the potato vine. Check out Little One’s reaction to this idea (see above photo). Man, these fish are really starting to get on her nerves...

Hurry up, and use the “twelve fish” discount, while I still have fish. Try Red Peony this week. No fuss, no muss.

**Enter “Twelve Fish” in the coupon code, and receive 20% off any Drink the Leaf product.

One Fish, Two Fish, Three Fish-

Twelve. That’s how many fish I have. One week ago the Tea Drinker gave me an Aquarium for my birthday. I have always wanted one, but never expected to actually own one. We have had many conversations back and forth over the years that went much like this---“You can’t have one, who would clean it, who would feed the fish, who would take out the floating ones?” Okay, we both know the answers to all of those questions. The same person that waters the plants, mows the lawn, feeds the cat, and cleans out the litter box- the Tea Drinker. So, how could I argue with that? Instead, I continued to decorate our bathroom with all things fish. Maybe that is what finally pushed him over the edge. And that’s why, this gift was so special, because it came with the caveat that my husband was agreeing to all the reasons why he told me we would never own an aquarium.

We were like expectant parents. Staging the baby room. First, came the aquarium stand, and choosing where we would put our crib. It had to go some where that was stable, and with out sunlight beating down on it, and needed to be easy to get to. Next, came choosing the gravel and plants, and filling the 14 gallon tank. Then we proceeded to get up three times a night to make sure we had not flooded our living room. Plus, the temperature and the GH, KH,pH,NO2, and the NO3 of the tank water had to be just right, before we could put little fishies in it. So, we waited a week while our tank sorted itself out. We could hardly stand it, we were so excited to go live! How many fish could we have? Our trusty local fish expert pointed out that size does really matter. The tank could probably hold only ten to fifteen fish. We chose five different types, and were told to start with one species, and add a new one each week.

We chose the first species- Balloon Mollies. I chose three- one black, one white, and one a blend of black and white. I must have issues if I am color coordinating my fish! Dan humored me and we left the store proud parents. We put our fish directly into the tank on Friday night, and on Monday morning discovered that we had a family of twelve. How does this happen? Pandemonium broke out. What were we to do? We weren't prepared. We were new aquarium owners. We aren't experts in the mating rituals of fish. We still don’t know who the culprit is, and no one has fessed up. They are just going about their business, while we try to figure out how to feed and nurture nine little baby fish smaller than the tip of my pinky nail. After much reading, surfing the net, and consulting the fish guy, we now have a mini-aquarium floating in our 14 gallon tank. Each morning, we wake to grind fish flakes to a fine powder and feed the babies on a regular basis. And, yes, we are still getting up in the middle of the night, and reporting to each other the head count every day.

Next up is cleaning the tank. As I write this the Tea Drinker has a tube, a bucket, a towel all in hand, and is about ready to tackle this next task. The gift that keeps on giving. I haven't had the heart to tell him that I read that our Mollies might make this a habit and give us a gift every 60 days...I am lucky girl.

What does all this have to do with tea? Nothing. Except that Dan told me that if I hurry up and write this he will offer our readers a fish discount for a limited time only. Enter “Twelve Fish” in the coupon code, and receive 20% off any Drink the Leaf products. I recommend trying White Peony this week. (remember to click recalculate to apply discount)

Bored? Think of Loose Leaf Tea Clues

The opposite of black is brown. Well, not exactly. But this was the clue that I gave last weekend while playing the board game Taboo with friends. Typically, I do not like board games, and this one was no different. Taboo is a game where you break up into teams, and try to get your team member to call out the word on the card drawn from the stack. Scenarios, thoughts, words and ideas are tossed around, all without using any of the obvious taboo words(also listed on the drawn card). The entire time, an opposing player looks over your shoulder making sure you do not give away any of those taboo clues, resulting in an unfair advantage. Ticking in the background is a timer, reminding you that you better get a move on with your witty self.

My aversion to board games stems from childhood. Doesn’t everything tie back to childhood? I remember panicking during Scrabble, Battleship, Pictionary, and even Mr. Potato Head! The only game that I did enjoy was Clue. This classic murder-mystery game set in a mansion, revolves around one of the guests who was killed. Telling…The idea was to solve the mystery, and answer the questions who, where, and with what. I think I liked the idea of solving a mystery, as well as, being a guest at a party that was held in a mansion.

Back to Taboo, I have to admit that I did have some fun, mostly at the expense of myself, and the wine consumed was a huge plus. However, here’s a card that I wished that I had pulled- Tea. Of course, I probably could not have used any of the following Taboo words: Black, Green, Oolong, leaves, bags, caffeine, China, coffee, English, water, steep, herbal, Camellia Sinensis, or Drink the Leaf. But, I am sure I would have confidently rattled off the following non-taboo clues to my teammate:

• 2nd most consumed beverage in the world
• All types are born from the same plant, which is native to Asia
• Has existed for almost 5,000 years
• High in anti- oxidants, helps with digestion, insomnia, and appetite
• Not just for afternoon, can be consumed morning, noon, and night
• Healthy, natural, organic, clean, refreshing, and soothing
• Much like wine, sight, smell, taste, and touch are important when evaluating this beverage
• Color, fragrance and flavor are enhanced by the varietal, season, elevation, climate, soil, geographic location, and creative hand of the grower
• A single pound yields 180 cups
• You do not need to raise your pinkie in the air when drinking this

Alas, this did not happen, and I pulled other cards like, crème de menthe. Doesn’t everyone know that my Mom enjoys this over her ice cream? Where’s a clue when you need it!

Comment here about your favorite board game. I will forward it to my friends…