a cup of tea

I really like herbal tea. I've gotten in a habit over the last year or more of having at least a cup a day- sometimes more, depending on my mood. Sometimes I like it in the morning as my warm waking-up beverage. I love it mid-afternoon when I'm feeling the munchies, but don't really need anything to eat. Plus it's really great for taking a moment to slow down before moving on with the rest of your day. The British hit on something with Afternoon Tea. I wish my kids liked it. I think we could all use a moment to sit and reflect and calm down after a busy day. The other time I tend to drink it is at night, again when I want something warm and relaxing.

Since many of my friends wonder which kinds are best and don't drink much tea, I thought I'd share my favorites. All are caffeine free and herbal. Oh, and just a couple of tea brewing tips. Bring a pot of water almost to a boil and pour over the tea bag in a mug and let sit for 4-5 minutes. Squeeze out the bag and remove. I like to add a teaspoon or less of honey to the cup. It's better to not let the water boil, or to leave the tea bag in too long so the tea won't be bitter. I know you've probably done both, I do it sometimes too, but you will notice a difference if you do a side by side test. It shouldn't stress you out, just advice for the perfect cup. My current top three teas are:

Zhena's Gypsy Tea in "Fireside Chai". It has a very warm flavor with herbs and spices such as cinnamon, cloves, ginger and black pepper. It is particularly great on a cold day (like summer here in San Francisco!). I buy it at the store around the corner but you can always order some online.
Another one I love is Numi's Chamomile Lemon Myrtle. This is a good calming nighttime tea, but I also like it in the afternoon when I need to relax. It is sort of sweet with just a hint of lemon. Nothing overpowering. Of all the chamomile teas I've had so far, this is my favorite.

Mighty Leaf's loose tea, Verbena Mint Chrysanthemum, is so great. Something about it is so fresh and invigorating. This is the perfect tea for getting you through the rest of your afternoon. The mint provides a pep to your step and lemon verbena leaves you feeling nourished. So, to prepare a loose tea you need a tea pot with an infuser inside or a tea cup with the same. I have a great Bodum mug I usually use, but you can also use a tea ball. The advantage to using a bigger infuser is that it gives the flowers and herbs room to expand and flavor the water. Of course you can always just put the tea in your mug and then strain it out later, it just means you are dirtying an extra mug and strainer!

summer's bounty

This is what I had for lunch one day last week.

One of the things that makes me the happiest and makes me feel like I take care of myself is to go to the farmers' market and buy fresh, local, incredibly flavorful organic fruits and vegetables. I often go to the Ferry Building on Tuesday markets to miss the Saturday crowds and get in and out without it turning into a whole-day event. Last week I took the kids, and this bowl is one of the results of our excursion. Nectarines, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries.... I would be happy eating this all summer! It's funny, the kids rebelled about going with me (except Abby, of course, who goes with me all the time and knows exactly how good it all is). Once we got there I could not stop their sampling and asking for more and more. We got beautiful rich red pluots, tangy apriums, sweet berries and crisp, fresh butter lettuce. They tested the fruit at each stand to see which was best. Isn't summer great?

yael naim in sf

I've had lots of you comment how you loved Yael Naim's song I posted about back in January. Well, I have great news! She will be here in San Francisco next Tuesday, June 24, at Bimbo's 365 Club in North Beach. Anyone want to go? David says I can do a girls' night; he'll be watching the Lakers game anyway (if they make it that far). Tickets are $25...

my favorite cleaners

Maybe it seems silly to blog about my favorite cleaners, but as much as I dislike cleaning, and the fact that it must be done to have a happy home, these products at least make it bearable. In case you don't like cleaning either, I thought I should let you know about them!
Method products are so great. I've tried a number of them and here is why I like them, and particularly the Pink Grapefruit All-Purpose Cleaner.

• the design is very pleasing, simple and clean
• the fragrances are refreshing and are the kinds of smells you want to have around your house, and especially your kitchen
• they are biodegradable! need I say more?
• they are a nice, non-toxic-looking item to have sitting on my kitchen windowsill
• I can even use it on my wooden dining room table with out worrying about the finish... the table looks better using this than a damp washcloth
• you can get them at Target
  
  Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products are a recent discovery and just as great. I love that these are also biodegradable and the fragrances are wonderful. They have scents like lavendar, lemon verbena, geranium and rhubarb. I've been using the geranium dish soap and every time I wash the dishes, it just makes me feel happy and clean (and I am NOT a floral-scent person). I also just started using the dishwasher soap. Same great smell while the dishwasher is running...
  
  
  This last favorite is not on the eco-friendly list, so if you have ever used Bar Keeper's Friend as well as a biodegradable equivalent, and like the latter as well or better, please let me know! I'm happy to try something new. The reason why I always have this cleaner under the sink is because it is the only product I have found to get every mark off my kitchen sink, counter tops and stainless steel pans. It makes the kitchen look sparkly clean when everything is finished. It is amazing! And it only costs 2.50 at Safeway and Williams-Sonoma.
  
  
  

a match made in heaven

Is there much better than chocolate and peanut butter, together?

As long as I can remember my mom had a friend who make her a dish of these chocolate peanut butter bars every year on her birthday. My mom would hoard them, eat only half a bar at a time, and be very selective as to when and who could have some. They were very decadent (when you see the recipe you'll undertstand why you can't be making these babies any old day you please, without turning into a blimp).

Once in a while I make these to take somewhere to share. We never just make a batch to sit in the fridge for obvious reasons. They would never sit!

Anyway, next time you have a craving for that perfect match, try this recipe out. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

1 plastic wrapped package graham crackers, crushed fine
1 lb. box powdered sugar
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup butter, melted

Mix, press into a 9x13 pan.

Topping: Melt 12 ounces chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons butter and 2 1/2-3 tablespoons milk. Pour on top of peanut butter mixture. Store in refrigerator.

one of my favorite drinks

This is one of my favorite drinks. It is grape juice made from pinot noir grapes (the same used for wine) by a winery up near Mendocino. You can buy it here and there are a few restaurants in San Francisco who serve it. It is a delicious treat with a nice dinner, or for celebrations. The flavor is so rich and complex; it is not a juice you can drink glass after glass of. Mmmmm... At a restaurant we recently went to they served it over ice with a lime on the side. It was good. The vineyard also recommends drinking it as a spritzer mixed with sparkling water. I usually drink it as is, at room temperature.

Navarro Vineyards also makes a Gewutstraminer juice which is made from green grapes, and sweet. Since I don't drink wine it is hard to compare and explain the flavors from that point of view, but from what I understand Gewutstraminer is a dessert wine and is described as having flavors of lychee, peach and lime. It is sweeter than the pinot noir.

I only know of one wine store in Berkeley that carries it, if you don't want to buy it online. At the website it is $11 and you get 10% off if you buy a case. Split a case with a friend! Maybe I will go in on one with you... Yum.

Easter Dinner

I've been meaning to post about our Easter dinner for weeks now but we left for Mexico a couple of days after and then life has been nonstop ever since we stepped in the door from our return flight! Anyway, better late than never, right?

Easter is the signature day of the beginning of Spring. The Spring produce is beginning to hit the market, daffodils have hit Trader Joes for $1.29 a bunch, and the weather is beginning to look happy again.

Usually we have a number of friends over for dinner, where we all take a dish or two, and really "fancy" it up. Here are some pics from our house last year, compliments of Rachel, who was part of it.

This year David's parents were in town and we did a more casual, smaller dinner- well, it was more of a "brunch for dinner". It was pretty good! I had to do Susie's raspberry soup which is just to die for. It has become an Easter tradition and one dish I anticipate for weeks!! It is best made the day before, or even a couple of days before, and is served cold. De-seeding the pureed raspberries takes a little time, but it is pretty methodical and can be done while watching a good movie on tv. You can replace the sherry with water, if you prefer, and it is best to let the soup sit out on the counter for a half hour or so before you serve it because it is quite thick when it is cold. Garnish it with fresh mint sprigs, a few raspberries and a dollop of creme fraiche. All the recipes are at the end of this post.

After the cold raspberry soup we had everything else (except dessert of course!). There were steamed fingerling potatoes, ham, sliced strawberries, monkey bread, and cheese "souffle". I'm a little embarrassed to share my monkey bread recipe because it is such a cheater recipe, but it is sooo good. Everyone who has ever had it can't stop eating it and thinks it is much more difficult to pull off than it is. In fact, it is the perfect dish to bring to anything in the morning because it rises in the fridge overnight and then just has to be put in the oven for about 45-55 minutes. This recipe came from my friend Michelle, who brought it to her very first appearance at our dinner club. We knew she was a keeper!

This cheese souffle is from our stay at the Whitegate Inn, a Bed and Breakfast in Mendocino, CA, back in February (yes, I know I haven't written about it yet. It's on my list...). It is what they served at our first breakfast there along with these incredible orange cranberry scones and a yogurt parfait. I begged for both the scone and souffle recipes, which they were happy to give. Beware, it is filling, as it not really a true souffle. It has croutons in the bottom of the dish which absorb the eggs and milk and make it a little heartier than a traditional cheese souffle. It works best in the 8 oz size ramekins, but I made it here in a big gratin dish (you could also use a 9x13 pan).

We were so full after our meal that I had to wait probably five hours before I could even think about making dessert. I made a Strawberry Meringue Cake, adapted fromSaveur magazine, which I found on one of Tori Ritchie's "Tuesday Recipe" posts which you can learn about here. It was incredibly easy to make and the perfect ending for a rich, filling meal. It is a little like an Australian pavlova, except with hazelnuts. The outside is crisp and then inside is light and chewy. Make sure you bake it long enough so the inside is fully cooked. I needed to bake maybe 10 minutes longer than she says to, but every person's oven is different, so be sure to begin checking on it according to the recipe.

A great meal and time was had by all! Isn't Easter dinner great?


The Recipes

Raspberry Soup

1 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup cold water
3/4 cup hot water
30 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries- sweetened to taste
28 ounces sour cream
1 1/3 cup pineapple juice
1 1/3 cup half/half
1/2 cup sherry
1/3 cup grenadine
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Puree and strain raspberries of all the seeds and set aside. Mix the cold water with gelatin for 5 minutes, then add the hot water to dissolve. Combine all ingredients and chill overnight.

Monkey Bread

pecans or your favorite type of nut (optional)
1 package of Rhodes frozen dinner rolls (or your own recipe)
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large package of cook and serve butterscotch pudding mix

Grease the bottom of a bundt pan. Pour desired amount of nuts into bottom of pan. Arrange frozen rolls on top of nuts. Melt the butter and mix the brown sugar into the butter- pour over the top of the rolls. Sprinkle butterscotch powder over the top. Let rise about 6 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Bake at 350 degrees, with the rack set int the lowest position to account for the rise of the rolls, until golden brown on the bottom, about 45-60 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter.


Cheese Souffle

1 package of your favorite seasoned croutons
1/2 pound shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 pound shredded jack cheese
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 package cream cheese, cut into cubes
19 eggs
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
4 shakes of hot sauce

Cover bottom of 14 4-ounce ramekins (or 8 large ramekins or a 9x13 pan), generously with seasoned croutons. Top croutons with shredded cheese, generously. Sprinkle sliced green onions on top and then cream cheese cubes on top of that.

Mix together the eggs. Add milk, salt, pepper, dry mustard and hot sauce and mix well. Pour this mixture slowly over each filled ramekin until almost full. Cover and allow to soak overnight in the refrigerator.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

strawberry meringue cake

To make the prep go faster, toast and grind the hazelnuts a day or two before and store in an airtight container.
serves 6
prep time: 30 minutes
bake time: 1 hour

6 egg whites, at room temperature
pinch salt or cream of tartar
1-1/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted, peeled, and ground (see note)
1/2 pound strawberries
2/3 cups heavy cream

Preheat an oven to 325°. On the back of a piece of parchment paper, draw an 8-inch circle with a pencil. Turn paper over and use it to line a baking sheet. Set aside.With an electric mixer, beat egg whites with salt or cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Beat in 1 cup of the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the ground hazelnuts and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Pour meringue onto parchment sheet circle, then gently spread to the diameter of the circle. Bake meringue for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 275° and continue to bake until golden outside but slightly chewy inside, about 40 minutes more (it may crack). Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack.To serve, hull and slice strawberries. Whip the cream. Gently loosen meringue from parchment, then transfer to a serving platter (if it sticks to parchment, just transfer with parchment to platter and lift each portion off parchment with a spatula or cake server). Spread cream over meringue, then top with strawberries, leaving a border of meringue around the edges. Serve immediately, cut into wedges with a knife.

Note: to toast hazelnuts, place them in a pie plate and bake at 350° until skins start to crack and nuts smell toasty (18 to 20 minutes). Remove nuts and cover with a dish towel; let stand about 5 minutes to steam. Put nuts in towel and knead and scrunch towel around nuts to slough off as much skin as possible (don't worry about every bit). Pulse nuts in a food processor until ground, but do not let turn to paste.