Richard Kilgore
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Posts posted by Richard Kilgore
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Yes, that does make some sense.
What I have been doing is 3-4 infusions in a small pot, which are then combined into a large thermos that I drink throughout the day. So I don't really taste the different brewings one by one, nor have I tested whether the results are really different from a single larger pot brewed a little longer.
Let us know what you discover if you try tasting each of the infusions separately.
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For me, growing up mostly in Texas was also an iced tea much more than a hot tea thing. I recall that in the early 1970s, using Constant Comment for iced tea was about as special as you could get. Sometime after that I began buying loose leaf teas at Whole Foods and its predecessors in Austin. Then about ten years ago began buying loose leaf fine teas from The Cultured Cup (TCC) in Dallas.
But it was not until I joined the monthly T-Bar Club at TCC 2 or 3 years ago that I really started exploring and understanding the huge, diverse and complex world of tea. A tea pairing dinner co-sponsored by TCC with Chef-Owner Sharon Hage at The York Street Cafe was an electrifying experience.
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Do try the Lapsang Souchong from Republic of Tea. I use it both for beverages and in cooking and find it has the deepest and most complex flavor of any brand I have tried in recent years.
At one time I depended on Taylors of Harrogate but like the RoT much better.
Andie, when you say you use it in "beverages" do you mean something more than hot tea?
Yes, I like to combine it with beef or chicken broth for a lower fat and lower salt hot beverage - pick-me-up.
However, I also like it on its own.
Thanks, andie. I'll have to try that. Broth combined with the LS smokiness sounds good.
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Today I am drinking a Mariage Freres tea from The Cultured Cup: 1854, named after the founding of the company. It is similar to Earl Gray, or perhaps closer to a Lady Gray, but with Oolong in the blend. I like it better than traditional Earl Grays and usually drink it without milk.
One great thing about Oolong in the blend is that I got three good infusions and a fourth okay infusion out of this tea. That makes it not only tasty, but especially cost effective for a finer morning tea. The infusions were 3, 4, 6, 9 minutes.
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The New York Times Sunday Magazine targeted Kangaroo as a solution to global warming in its Year in Ideas Issue.
George Wilson of Australian Wildlife Services, in a paper published in June by the U.S.-based Society for Conservation Biology, wrote, “I began to speculate, What if we managed the kangaroo population up and the cattle population down?”
So I was wondering if anyone has cooked Kangaroo at home or in a restaurant? The article describes it as gamy in taste". What's the best way to cook it?
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We're not serious coffee drinkers, but occasionally we buy whole beans. We're currently using a small blade grinder. Will a burr grinder make a difference or should we stick with the blade? Is it possible to find a decent burr grinder on a budget in the $50 range?
We're on the edge of our seats (laptops, whatever) -- what did you end up getting, or have you decided?
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Do try the Lapsang Souchong from Republic of Tea. I use it both for beverages and in cooking and find it has the deepest and most complex flavor of any brand I have tried in recent years.
At one time I depended on Taylors of Harrogate but like the RoT much better.
Andie, when you say you use it in "beverages" do you mean something more than hot tea?
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Today I am drinking a Mariage Freres tea from The Cultured Cup: 1854, named after the founding of the company. It is similar to Earl Gray, or perhaps closer to a Lady Gray, but with Oolong in the blend. I like it better than traditional Earl Grays and usually drink it without milk.
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my morning brew today is lanyun winter 2007 fromwww.shanshuiteas.com
the dry leaves were long and twisted slightly-
the tea liquor is light yelllow - taste is slightly dry, and flowery-
joanne
What type of Oolong is that, Joanne?
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I don't have a long personal history with LS, but I recently got some in loose leaf from TenRen and it seems pretty robust to me -- to the point that I had to brew it a few times to tame it.
I would like to try LS from a couple of other sources to get a sense of different levels of quality. So I'll be interested to hear about other's experiences.
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What are you all drinking today?
For me it's a Chinese red tea: a Dian Hong Imperiale from Norbutea.com. Brewed western style, but in a 300 ml Yixing teapot. Have had 6 infusions using about 240 - 250 ml water for each infusion, with 3.7 grams of leaf. This is my favorite red tea so far.
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The word is spelled percolator. I sometimes wonder what ever happened to them. Guess drip was just a better method.
Thanks, Ruth, I hovered over the word when writing, but did not stop to look it up. Percolators are still around, at least at most stores that carry outdoor cooking equipment. And, surprise, here are a zillion percolators in an Amazon search.
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I do like to cruise the used bookstore every now and then, and cam across a "campfire cookbook" and came across an interesting recipie for coffee.
The book was written in the early '20's and for the life of me I can't remember the name of it. Most, if all coffee back then (N.America)was brewed in "perculators", and this recipie called for a "sprinkle of salt and a crushed eggshell" to placed ontop of the grounds." Don't think I'd try it, but it sounds interesting.
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Yes, eggshell and salt used to be a common thing for campfire coffee perculators. Of course these days some people rough it with drip machines, French press pots and a version of "stove top espresso makers", but there are still folks out there with perculators who use the eggshell and salt method. It's been so long since I have had coffee made that way that I have no way to compare.
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Irish Breakfast this morning again. Now drinking the Tie Guan Yin Oolong from jingteashop.com I mentioned about a month ago. Brewed gongfu style in a 50 ml gawain. 10 sec rinse; 1: 20"; 2: 25"; 3: 20"; 4: 25"; 5: 35"; and more to go. Mild, pleasant vegetale taste with sweetness emerging increasingly after the second infusion. My aroma-detector is still not working properly, so can't have much to say there....
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The Rubbermaid or similar storage for your patio sounds like a practical alternative. Cookware is treated more harshly while earning its keep, so I doubt it would even notice it was Winter. If it's something that is prone to rust, you may need to do something extra to protect it, but I have kept well seasoned cast iron Dutch ovens in patio storage with little problem.
Looks like you can get a lot more on that closet wall storage, unless weight is an issue. Lots of white space showing between and around things. White space is an important design element, but you could just close your eyes -- or at least squint a bit -- when you open the closet door. Or turn your head and feel around with your hands for whatever you need.
A few questions, Janet: on the top shelf, are those two black things more coffee makers? If so do you use them, and how often? Can you lose the old printer?
I think Chris H is on the right track. At some point you may need to get really ruthless with yourself. As a culinary hoarder, I know whereof I speak.
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The glaze on a tile is rock-hard. I wouldn't be as sure about the enamel paint on an appliance. Not that I'd care. I'd completely disregard the building's rules, mount stuff to the walls and ceiling wherever possible, and just fix up the holes on move-out day. But assuming Janet's desire not to violate the terms of her lease, the only available forces would seem to be gravity and magnetism.
Sometimes the terms are flexible. You can just do it, but may find out it's actually okay if you ask and fix it when you leave. Especially if you have been there more than a year.
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This is quite a challenge, Janet!
Lots of thoughtful ideas so far. From past experience, I have a few suggestions, which may or may not appeal to you or work here.
First, is there no wall space at all above your knife block on the end wall? I can't tell from the pic.
Second, what about the wall above the cabinets. Is there any way to mount something like an Enclume bar rack and hang pots and pans?
Third, I agree in general with the idea of thinking outside the kitchen area proper for storing things you do not use daily. Beyond the living areas, I have put storage in a garage and in an exterior patio closet for much less frequently used items.
Fourth, the wall on the other side of the bath tub, facing the kitchen, could accomodate a low, shallow shelf (such as your bookcase) with a wall-mounted grid above. I have used grids for hanging pots and pans and kitchen tools. Alternatively, narrower grids on one or both walls opposite (on both sides of the entrance to the kitchen) would semi-hide them from the living areas.
Fifth, what about the W & D closet and the Planning Desk area opposite it. This is a radical solution, but when strapped for space, I have used the W&D space for metro shelving/cart and wall grids. And what about the Planning Desk area, including the walls?
I'll be interested to see what solutions you eventually settle on.
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Have a cold today and not wanting to waste really fine tea on my defective sensory organs, I have been alternating between English and Irish Tea blends.
Reprieve late with a "2007 Winter Feng Huang WuDong - Old Bush DanCong Huang Jing" from Hou De. Brewed GongFu style in a gaiwan of about 120 ml. Rinse of 10 sec, followed by a 20 sec first infusion. A lovely floral aroma and floral, honey taste with a linger after-taste. The floral quality is close to honeysuckle. I am going to sip on several infusions yet tonight.
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Have a cold today and not wanting to waste really fine tea on my defective sensory organs, I have been alternating between English and Irish Tea blends.
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Today I dropped by The Cultured Cup and had two teas I had not tried before. One was the MF French Breakfast Tea, which I liked better than the good English and Irish Breakfast teas I have tried.
The second one is an Organic Ceylon tea that they got in a couple of weeks ago. Very nice. Organic does not always mean delicious, but in this case I liked it better than other good Ceylons they have introduced me to.
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Here are a few tea cups.
The white one on the left is about 150 ml in white bone china from silkroad.com. Simple, elegant and pleasant to drink from. Teas usually look their best against a white cup.
The small (30 ml) one in front that the - erm, photographer - neglected to turn to the front - has a fish design on it. Used for gongfu.
More on the other three:
Chinese tea cup from an Asian grocery
Tea bowl, a gift from a friend many years ago, made by an Austin potter, name forgotten. A pleasnt vessel to drink from with its monks bowl shape. I use it for drinking Sencha.
30 ml Yixing tea cup for gongfu from Chinese Teapot Gallery on eBay
Hello-Regarding the tea cup you got from the asian grocery:1) I have a gaiwan of the same 2)Did you know that the thinner parts were created when rice grains, placed around the cup, were burned off during firing?
Interesting. I knew that rice grains were used, but not much in detail about how the effect is created.
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I have had a conversation or two recently with others who are trying to conserve on energy useage and expenses. One person thought that small appliances like toaster ovens, popcorn air poppers, coffee roasters and water boilers use a significant amount of energy and their use should be reduced or eliminated in favor of using a microwave oven. This surprised me. I have assumed that using a 1500 watt water boiler for drinking tea all day long, for example, would have a negligible impact on useage and an energy bill over a month period.
Does anyone know anything about this or how to figure out how much it costs to use such small appliances?
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I often go on fishing trips to northern Ontario where we have native Ojibwa guides. I would generalize that they often have more respect and reverence for nature than the average person, as the woods and river provide their livlihoods and have for generations. However ,I have seen (what I consider to be) brutal things happen to fish while they are being dispatched for lunch. Although, I cannot say I've ever seen anything go to waste.
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As a flyfisher and bird hunter I have some interest in these issues since they frequently come up in the philosophical, ethical and practical writing and discussions of those who fish and hunt.
Can you tell us what are the brutal things that happen to the fish?
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On Dec 5 2008, 11:40 AM, Chris Hennes said:
I'm a weigh everything kind of guy but I admit that I have a strong wing-it tendency with tea. Pure morning laziness, I think. (For info on this type of scale you might want to check out this topic, and in particular the scale Chris Amirault recommends here. Dirt cheap, accurate to 1/10 gram, works great.)
Wow! Even half the price of mine! If I was getting one again, I might go for that one.
Holiday Teas
in Coffee & Tea
Posted
Anyone have a good recipe for making a holiday spiced tea?