google2db7a62a5b5f3156.html

Huevos Haminados - brown tea eggs!

Awesome! Pesach (Passover)is upon us. i have many fond memories of writhing in discomfort on the side of a road after gourging myself at passover seder. my wife standing over me gently proding me with a toe to see if i was still alive or if she should carry on walking home. good times! so i present here a recipe for a sefardic classic Huevos Haminados - tea eggs!! traditionaly prepared as part of the passover seders ritual meal in the homes of Jews deriving from Spain before it turned pear shaped.
tea. eggs. passover. matzah! im excited already
list of cooking stuff
1. eggs however many you like
2. onion peels
3. salt
4. oil
5. water
6. black tea

method
put the salt, eggs, glug of oil, onion peels and tea into a casserole dish with water. make sure there is sufficient water in it to cover the eggs. put into an oven and leave overnight on a low temperature.
the tea will colour the eggs through the shell, you can even lightly crack the shells when they are mostly cooked to make some patterning. the eggs themselves will have a rich and creamy texture.

tea tree house

i found this tea house on a link from www.uncouthpalate.blogspot.com (nice blog), in href="http://www.dezeen.com/2009/03/12/takasugi-an-by-terunobu-fujimori/">


now thats how i like it. it doesnt work with tea cocktails but its still good with me

shaken and stirred

thats it! not only has the world economy gone to pot, but tea is officialy in the drink.
Puza-faces will be delighted to hear about the upcoming pickling taking place in Vegas during Mays "world tea expo".

the rules are simple, come up with a winning tea cocktail in the online contest and you may be facing off against some other tea-totalers at the event. the final heat will be getting judged by some ardent foodies and the winners will become the object of love and adoration amoungst tea drinkers and alcohics everywhere

if it was possible to slur my typing, by this stage of the blog i would sound like i had a bag of marbles dribbling out of my mouth.

women cook, men BBQ (and billy tea)

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"

one thing that's certain about tossing a bunch of hardened criminals to ferment on an island/continent, and leaving them to their own devices, is you are unlikely to get clubs of teabag collectors or doily crocheters.

rather you get real man tea! burn-yourself-to-a-beetroot-red-if-you-mess-up-tea, hard core knock a roo over the head with that tea, BILLY TEA!

Polly doesn't put the kettle on this one, in fact, Polly better clear of and get her man a cold one before she looses her eyebrows.

this is is the tea version of the BBQ, and its easy to get right if you have the cahanes (not sure how you spell those).
1. simply hook a billy (can with handle) filled with water over a fire, bring to a boil
2. throw a fistful of tea leaves into the billy
3. let it simmer around for couple of minutes
4. extricate billy from fire using welding gloves, rags, wifes old skirt, whatever stops you melting.
4. (now for the fun) to get your tea leaves to the bottom of the billy, and easy to pour off, start swinging the boiling hot tin in a large arc, hoping that newton had it right and let the centrifugal force keep the brew in the pot.

pour into fine china HOOHA!

Yixing and Oolong - the idiot guides

although arguably the best oolong tea comes from Taiwan, the best pot for the job comes from China. Yíxīng tea pots refer to the small decorative, unglazed teapots that sell at astronomical prices. kuk and betaal for the best, only if you have something worth putting into it. for everyone else you can pick up a crappy imitation one at your local "China town",

There is much rambling about which pot to use for which grade/origin of oolong tea, but here is my idiots guide to Yíxīng teapots.

As a rule of thumb the lower grown or "rougher" the oolong tea, the "rougher" your pot should be. more absorbent pots will help to absorb astringency in the tea. smoother oolongs tea require less tampering around with, and one can happily choose even a glass pot, or fine gaiwan for prep' that wont be absorbent at all. try not to mix your pots and teas, if you can keep a dedicated pot per tea type. that way you will get a great cup of oolong instead of a drink that is more confused than David Bowie.

When judging the quality of Yíxīng teapots the following can be done:

• Tap the pots lightly together: the ceramic should make a distinctly metallic sound.


• Look at the fit of the lid into the pot, it should be flush and appear seamless.


• Fill the pot with water, place the lid on, and begin pouring the water. it should pour smoothly


• While pouring, place your finger over the hole on the lid, this action should stop the flow of water immediately and completely if the lid is well fitted.

Yíxīng teapots come in a number of colour shades, and you can even pick up a beautiful purple one if you are lucky. As the clay from the region gets depleted expect the cost to go up.

prep' for your Yíxīng teapot

Like a marriage, a new pot must be gently introduced into the relationship. one would not cock a leg and blast out a cloud of noxious vapours at a new bride any more than one should unceremoniously begin stuffing their pot with tea.

fist submerge your pot in cool, clean water. then bring the water up to a boil. the longer you expose your pot to this, the darker it will become.

later your pot will become as impervious to your slap dash preparations as your centennial wife is to your stained Y fronts and foul smells. gently does it.

The average Joe in the tea biz

I just started working for a company(Teabox) in the tea biz specializing in exotic teas, like I said being the average joe in the biz I never knew there were that many teas out there! who would think you can get a tea that tastes like strawberries and cream, Mint and most amazingly one that tastes just like chocolate!

I am a person who also looks for the nutritional benefits in products and tea seems to be the pioneer of anti-oxidants and vitamins.

In my first week at the job I had been ravaged by spiderbites, the doctor said I should try detox my system to rid the mild toxins from my body and to get rid of the somewhat disgusting bite marks on my arm and as true as g-d after drinking a variety of different teas I feel stronger and the bite marks are disappearing! As a result I am looking forward to working in the tea game as it is very interesting due to the fact they are from around the world, a healthy drink on the job and new to my knowledge reduces the risk of cancer by an impressive percentage! I am going to continue in the tea biz as I may just be looking for a healthy drink at lunch time and BANG turn into Superman;-)

By JuGeRnAuT

T'Tea

here is an interesting piece of research. Turns out that not only does coffee shrink breasts, but tea protects them!

Three cups of tea a day could help keep breast cancer at bay among younger women, researchers have found.
A US study discovered an increased intake of tea reduced the risk among ladies under the age of 50 by up to 37%.
The threat of another type of tumour, affecting the lobes deep inside the breast tissue, was cut by two thirds, the researchers at the Moffitt Cancer Centre in Florida found.
Britain's favourite drink may not help older generations fight the disease though.
The study published in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention found senior drinkers to be unaffected.
The results have prompted theories that tea can help fight tumours common among young women.
Thousands are battling breast cancer
Researchers compared the lifestyles of 5,000 women with breast cancer to a similar number without the disease.
The results will be welcomed by the 41,000 women, and around 300 men, who are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK every year.
Tea, particularly green tea, contains plant-based disease fighting polyphenols, which are believed to account for the cancer protection.
And that is not the only health benefits daily tea consumption brings.
Previous studies have found these to include a lower risk of heart attack and stroke, a lower cholesterol level, improved blood pressure management and alleviation of symptoms for common illnesses.
:: For more information and support see Breakthrough Breast Cancer or Breast Cancer Care.

yerba mate truffles

here's a cool recipe i picked up from wholefoods


Recipe:
Coconut Maté Chocolate Truffles


Makes about 30 truffles

Coconut milk, extra virgin coconut oil and cinnamon combine with yerba maté, a traditional drink in Uruguay and other South American countries touted for its health benefits, in this sinfully delicious treat. Serve with orange slices for an especially sharp contrast on the palate.
Ingredients

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons loose yerba maté tea
Unsweetened cocoa powder for rolling the truffles
Method

Place a saucepan, filled halfway with water over medium-low heat. Place a small metal bowl on top of the saucepan to create a double boiler. Add the chocolate to the bowl, and melt over moderate heat.

Pour the coconut milk into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the tea, cover, and remove from heat for 5 minutes. Strain the coconut milk mixture directly into the chocolate, using a fine-mesh strainer. Discard the tea leaves. Whisk the chocolate mixture well with a wire whip until the chocolate is uniformly melted and the coconut milk has been incorporated. Refrigerate the chocolate until firm, about 2 hours.

Sift cocoa into a bowl. Using a measuring spoon, scoop up 1 teaspoon of chocolate, and quickly roll into a ball about 3/4-inch across. Drop into cocoa; roll each truffle in cocoa to coat. Chill until firm. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition

Per 2 truffle serving (27g-wt.): 110 calories (90 from fat), 10g total fat, 6g saturated fat, 2g protein, 9g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 6g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium