Richard Kilgore

Free samples still available. PM now if you are interested.

Today a Puttabong Estate Darjeeling - first flush from TCC found its way into my cup early on. I let the aged TGY leaves rest in the Yixing overnight and got a really good infusion this morning. Nice! So what teas are you all drinking today?

If the budget for equipment and books is about $200, it may possible for us to be more helpful if we knew what the guy would like to cook. What are his interests starting out? For books, you might list 2 general cook books and 2 or 3 in his interest areas...and then suggest he check them out of a library and see which ones appeal to him before he buys any of them. People learn differently and are attracted to and work better with different approaches, book designs and authors' voices. The list that Dave and Janet use (above) is a good one, but $200 is not even going to buy all the "basics". A focus will help selecting the minimum he needs to cook what appeals to him.

Finishing the day with an aged TGY Oolong. Still using my aged ones to season a Yixing tea pot, so while the pot is progressing nicely, it's not steeping to my satisfaction yet - comments on aged TGYs yet to come in the Oolong topic.

I'll leave some notes on the Japanese Oolong after I have had a chance to get to know the leaf a little better. Thanks for IDing the Cylon, b&b. Last night I finished with the Lemon Myrtle Rooibos from The Cultured Cup featured in a new Tea Tasting & Discussion. This morning it was a Keemun Hao Ya B from Tea Source. Then a bowl of matcha, an Organic Uji Matcha Yuuki Midori from yuuki-cha.com.

Jeff pretty much said it. The ribs alone are worth a drive to Off The Bone. No, they're worth a drive twice as long. And the lean cut of the brisket was a tiny bit dry, but not dry. I tend to avoid using barbecue sauces, but theirs worked well with the brisket every few bites, adding a little moisture without the cloying sweetness of many sauces. No need to get that sauce any where near the ribs. Overall, I liked the sides at Off the Bone much better than those at Longoria's. The fried okra was a model for any restaurant that serves the much mailgned vegetable. In contrast to the often over-cooked greasy dish, these morsels were crisp and delicious. But no one goes to a barbecue joint because they're on a vegetable binge. The ribs at Off The Bone and the brisket sausage at Longoria's are both terrific. I brought home a pound of each. Thanks to Daniel Vaughn and D Magazine for a great public service for those of us who had long ago given up on finding great barbecue in the DFW area. Okay, given up on finding even above average barbecue in the area.

Here's an interesting Wiki entry on Rooibos, the South African plant used in the herbal infusion featured in this Tea/Tisane Tasting & Discussion. It covers the production, uses, nutritional and health benefits, grading and the history of Rooibos. From the section on the history of Rooibos: Send me a PM now if you are interested in a free sample.

Started the day with the fine Vithanakanda Estate, Extra Special Ceylon tea from Tea Source. Followed by the Ali Sha High Mountain Oolong (Fall '09) from Norbu Tea. Then later in the day the Da Hong Pao from Norbu Tea that's one of the Wuyi Oolongs featured in the current Tea Tasting & Discussion.

Started the day with the Assam Konghea Estate, Golden Bud from Tea Source. Followed by my daily matcha, now an Organic Uji Matcha Yuuki Midori from yuuki-cha.com.

The free samples for this Tea/Tisane Tasting & Discussion are available only to members who have never received a sample for a previous TT&D. Please PM me if you are interested.

And it serves as a thickener.

Someone told me that it is bad to clean a wood knife black by my method - blasting shower water through the slits to clean out the accumulation of dust and kitchen grime from time to time. He says it will raise the moisture level in the wood and make it split eventually. (I have so far had no ill effects that I can tell from doing this.) In addition, he says he has never cleaned his blocks because they never get dirty on the counter across and away from the range top. Is that even possible? So is there a good way to clean wood knife blocks? More and less damaging ways? How do you do it? Or do you not?

Welcome, AdrianB! Sounds like an interesting Bai-mu-Dan. Can you tell us anymore about it? Is this a regular tea for you, or do you enjoy exploring many teas?

Welcome, Mr. Tea! I may be mis-reading something, but the Jagasilk site appears to carry half organic maccha and half not organic. With regard to Pavilion, can you clarify what you mean when you say that their sencha is basically gyokuro?

Mostly playing with brewing parameters for the two gyokuros from yuukicha. Plus first brews of two black Japanese teas and a Japanese Oolong...yes, you read that correctly...both from yuuki-cha, also. More on all these later after a bit more experience with them. The newest Tea/Tisane Tasting and Discussion features an interesting rooibos from The Cultured Cup. Free samples for three members who have never received a free tea sample for a past Tea Tasting and Discussion. Check it out.

PM if interested.

Kyle Stewart at The Cultured Cup is providing their new "Lemon Myrtle Rooibos" for this Tea (Tisane to be more accurate) Tasting & Discussion. Kyle is providing 10 gram samples to me and three other members of the eGullet Society. The three free samples are reserved for members who have never received free samples for any previous Tea Tasting & Discussion and who also agree to the following. The three free samples are available to members who 1) will do at least two brewing sessions from the sample, 2) will report on their experience and participate in the discussion within 7 days of receiving the sample, and 3) who have previously posted at least ten (10) substantive posts (questions, answers, comments that add to discussions) in the Coffee and Tea forum. The 10 g sample is enough to brew four first infusion cups in a small teapot or infuser cup (about 2.5 g to 6 ounces of water). More brewing suggestions to come. As always, everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate in the discussion, whether or not you receive a sample. As I have mentioned in other topics, I have known Kyle Stewart, co-owner of The Cultured Cup, for some time now, having bought tea from his shop for many years, at least 10 years I believe it is. And for the past four years or so Kyle has been instrumental to my tea education through the T-Bar Club at The Cultured Cup. Kyle attended the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas last summer and completed his three years of training with the Speciality Tea Institute to become the first Certified Tea Specialist in Texas. I have had many pleasant times with Kyle and his staff - Adam, Kelly and Sam, trading teas and sharing new tea discoveries. More than just a tea merchant I happen to buy tea from, Kyle is a culinary friend as well as a tea friend - the wonderful tea pairings at Sharon Hage's York Street restaurant and a shared interest in Asian food. Please PM me now if you would like to receive one of the the free samples and participate in this Tea/Tisane Tasting and Discussion.

Bumping up this TEA 101 topic to remind other members and readers that tea can be brewed in a regular old mug or teapot - since we have so much "way beyond 101" tea brewing going on in the forum. If you are feeling confused or intimidated by all this gongfu/yixing/kyusu/gyokuro gibberish, no need to fear. Brewing a good cup of tea is relatively simple, and this topic has some helpful basic tips. Also a good place to ask any questions at all.

Not bad at all! Welcome beef_and_burgandy! Can you tell us any more about this Ceylon?

Another eclectic tea day. First, brewed an aged shu that I started yesterday and had been sitting in the Yixing overnight. Still good. Got in an order from yuuki-cha and have tried a new matcha and brewed a gyokuro twice today. And no, I have not turned green. More on these in the Japanese Green Tea topic after I have had a chance to play with them a bit more. And there was a sencha in with this order that will be featured in an upcoming February Tea Tasting & Discussion, with three free samples available to members who have at least a mere 10 posts in this Coffee & Tea forum. Watch for it!

Someone said to me today that they would make a large batch of C&D and then have it for several meals because it would marry well. Do you all find this works, or is it better to cook it for one meal only?

Started the day with a Dian Hong "Pure Bud" Black Tea (Spring 2007) from yunnansourcing.com. A malty, tasty one, though not in the same league as the Dian Hong Imperial from norbutea.com. I did not drink this when it was younger, so don't know if it is past its prime or not. A nice cup of tea, at any rate. So what are you all brewing today?

Really amazing, isn't it! And it appears you are enjoying increasingly richer leaf:water ratios, too.

Followed up with a few infusions of an aged TGY to continue seasoning a new-to-me Yixing. Coming along nicely. Maybe three more times will do it as a start. Now brewing the Sencha Select from The Cultured Cup that Wholemeal Crank has been drinking.

I don't use canned or jar soups very often, but I got a jar of the Tomato Basil in a jar that they are demo-cooking-promoting this week...about six months ago and put it on a shelf. Well, a couple of nights ago the temp had dropped again and it was cold and I was lazy and not really hungry, so I found the jar. I expected it to be better than Campbell's, of course, but didn't expect much. Wow! I could eat this cold. Had a cup of it for dinner and then the next morning for breakfast I poached two eggs in it. The soups are pricey, but if you get them during a promo they are often cheaper - merely expensive. Right now the deal is buy a jar of the Tortilla soup for $8.99 and get the Tomato Basil for free. I still have the unopened Tortilla from the time I bought the Tomato Basil, so can't say as much about it.