Yearly Archives: 2014

Eco-Cha: Dong Ding Oolong

Description

This batch of tea comes from Yong Long Village, just above Dong Ding Mountain. Yong Long is known for a rich red soil which differs from other locales in Lu Gu Township. The unique flavor of the Dong Ding Oolong produced here is attributed to this soil quality, along with the fact this region is home to the most concentrated population of the most skilled oolong tea artisans in Taiwan.

Flavor: Roasted summer squash, artichoke, cashews, dried fruit. Clean, tangy finish.

Available through Eco-Cha | Facebook

Tasting Notes

Though roasted, this tea is still light. The aroma is of roasted corn, nuts, and leaves–perfect for the first crisp day of Autumn. Sipping on the tea after brewing, I get a strong taste of barley, but it isn’t strong enough to be off-putting. This would be great brewed as an iced tea with some honey, or brewed extra strong since the flavor was a bit watery for me.

About Eco-Cha

Eco-Cha was created to represent the artisan tea industry in Taiwan. The tea is responsibly sourced, artisan tea direct from family-run tea gardens in Taiwan.

Disclaimer: Photos are from Eco-Cha. Tea was provided for review.

Cold Snap


Sometimes on the weekend, the week’s work can catch up to you and you just need to take a nap. My fiancé made this for me recently to help me ease into a night of wedding planning after a nap. At 15% alcohol total and with a heavy dose of cold brewed coffee, this is the perfect way to jump start an evening.

The SNAP liqueur with the other spirits make this taste like a tasty, adult chocolate milk.

Singaporean Curried Vegetable Noodles

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For this month’s Secret Recipe Club I got to take a mini trip around the world with Tara’s Multicultural Table. Tara actually has a similar background to me, including Filipino, Japanese, German, and the Southern United States. Her passion for different cultures through food is apparent through her delicious blog. Looking through her recipe index was painful — there were so many things that I wanted to make, how could I choose between Northern Thai Curry, Mango Cinnamon Basil Smoothie, Afghani Kebab with Gravy, Macarons with Vanilla Cream Cheese Filling, Yaki Udon, Cong You Bing (Scallion Pancakes), or Sichuan Wontons in Chili Sauce.

My decision was made instantly easier when I spotted her recipe for Curried Vegetable Noodles.

One of our favorite dishes to get when we order takeout or visit the local dim sum restaurant is Singaporean Curry Noodles. It has the perfect level of spiciness (flavor, not heat) and the little nuggets of meat and vegetables break up the monotony of the noodles. I was a bit lazy and used some stir fry vegetables and packaged sauce from Trader Joe’s, but I counter-acted that laziness by topping the noodles with some home-grown Thai Basil.

To make it closer to the takeout version, throw some chicken, pork, or shrimp in with the noodles. Or, as my fiancé suggested, the addition of some egg would add a nice amount of protein.

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The Persimmon Tree® Tea Company: Mandarin Cream

Dry Leaves
Packaging

Tasting Notes

Tea, Wet Leaves, Green Tea CakeThis tea is quite decadent. Dried leaf aroma smells exactly the same as the way it tastes, which I always love. This is like drinking a nice, hot version of vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet, but less sweet. The first taste is of a strong vanilla, then it ebbs a little bit into some floral fruit flowers, a bit of oak and rum, then comes back to the creaminess. Sadly, I think the oolong is a little lost in this blend, but it still tastes very good. I don’t think I could drink this too often since it is a heavier tea, but I have brewed it up several times and gulped it down before writing any notes!

This time I ate it with a nice piece of green tea castella cake while relaxing after a long day of work. I’ve had it a few other times, including on a recent visit from my sister, Ariel.

Flavors: Butter, Cream, Rum, Vanilla

Description

Our Mandarin Cream tea awakens the senses with oolong loose tea leaves, hints of cream and a stimulating citrus finish. Blended with lemon myrtle, marigolds, and natural essence of vanilla, Mandarin Cream is a rich and smooth tea experience with an utterly heavenly aroma.

Available through The Persimmon Tree Tea Company | Facebook

Disclaimer: I was given these teas by The Persimmon Tree to review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Classic Mini Waffles

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Waffles are one of my favorite things to eat. I always order them over pancakes or French Toast when I’m at breakfast or brunch. The reason is that I can’t make them at home. I don’t have a waffle iron, let alone a waffle recipe or mix.

That’s why I was excited for this month’s Secret Recipe Club pair-up with Rebekah from Making Miracles. Rebekah had not one, but two recipes for waffles! I chose to go with her “Classic Waffles” because Not only does this recipe whip up in a jiffy, but it is a tried and true “Family Favorite” from Rebekah’s family.

This recipe also gave me an excuse to use my parents’ “Circus Waffle Iron” to make some mini-waffles. Because of that, I halved the recipe and still was able to get around 12 mini waffles from it.

Check out Making Miracles for more about Rebekah’s family, food, and memories and the Secret Recipe Linkup below to so who else participated in this month’s reveal.

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