Friday Knows Tea

March in Seattle heralds the last gasp of winter. While I'm as eager as the next Californian transplant to return to the sunshine and flowers of spring, I'm not above finding an excuse to enjoy decadent, spicy, rich, silky winter flavors. For a super quick and easy "treat yo'self" moment, check out this creamy chai-tini. Tea and booze lovers delight! Note: If alcohol isn't your thing, replace the vodka/rum with a strong-brewed gingery light tea (like our Warrior Princess or Bard's Blend ), just be sure not to pick something with a high citrus content or your creamy cocktail will curdle.   Creamy Chai-tini (makes one) 2 oz. Ginger vodka (or spiced rum, if you prefer) 1 oz. Heavy cream (or almond milk, hemp milk, etc.) 1 oz. Strong-brewed Masala Chai 1/4 tsp Ground cinnamon  Throw all ingredients into a pint glass full of ice. Stir until the mix is well-chilled and strain into a chilled martini glass. Short and sweet, just like this week's...

Buckle up and prepare to get erotic, because today's blend post dissects a very adult concept: lust . While the rest of our Valentine collection moves along an emotionally chronological path (flirty crush tea to swept-up infatuation tea to sweet and long-lasting true love tea ), this blend runs thematically alongside the other three. Lust is a layered experience, so it follows that a lust-inspired aphro-tea-siac tea should be as well. To that end: oolong. Oolong is designed to be brewed repeatedly, savored at all its myriad levels of complex intensity. First brew's intriguing aroma and green edge will open and relax over infusions two through four, shifting the palate toward notes of orchid and butter. Light oolongs will melt delicately into spring flower and sunshine, while mid-oxidation leaf sasses back with bright bratty notes of peach and cherry bark and dark roasted oolongs bring the serious, passionate intensity of a "must have you now" tryst. O...

If you've read many blog posts here, you probably already know my superpower: I taste ideas. While I generally apply these thought-flavors to tea blends representing a specific character, place, or even as dialed in as a single word, I also experience themes and abstract concepts as rich, complex flavor profiles. A calendar recently told me that "National Tell a Fairy Tale Day" falls on February 26th. A delightfully silly made-up holiday that I am 100% using as an excuse to geek about historically common fairy tale motifs! Here are some of my favorite themes: Extended Periods of Sleep Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, even in fairy stories as modern as Cat Valente's Fairyland series. There's something enchanting (and for tired moms like myself, envy-inspiring) about the concept of a sleep so deep that only magic can break it. Magically-induced deep sleeps taste indigo, like buttery blue peaflower and drippingly ripe plums. Starvation/Gluttony Whe...

Let's be real here. Valentine's Day is just one big ol' excuse to luxuriate in sensual decadence. I 1000% support this, for the record. Taking a time out to play and enjoy a treat is a wonderful gift to give yourself. For some people this looks like taking a walk in the fresh air or going to the movies. For others, ballroom dancing or binging crappy TV shows in their jammies. For myself personally, this looks like baking five million delicious desserts and sharing them with my friends and family. My fifteen years as a professional chef made for a brain full of wild recipe ideas, and I hope you all benefit from them in tasty ways. This recipe is one of my favorite creations to date, with rich texture and palpatation-inducing flavor. From the crack of the burnt sugar to the last or the cream coating your tongue, I promise you'll be hooked. Oolong Earl Grey Crème Brûlée Recipe time: 1 hr active cooking, 2 hr chill Serves: 4 You will need: 2 cups heavy whip...