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tea a journey to steeping and cooking with tea Raelene Gannon CERTIFIED TEA SOMMELIER

I dedicate this book to my great friends and supporters including my dad my mom my partner and my two fabulous sons Without your daily encouragement laughter and support I couldn t be as strong as I am Also to my wonderful friends and customers a huge thanks for your words of encouragement and continued support I sincerely appreciate you Thanks for all of your love back at ya My journey to putting tea on my plate has been a rewarding and flavourful experience I have learned more about taste than I ever knew was even possible thanks tea You have opened up my world to taste geography history cultivation manufacturing and more

Favourite Tea Quotes Perhaps that is the true gift of a teatime celebration It fills our cups with joy and warmth and friendship May the echo of the teacups message be heard not only at Christmas not only on special occasions but anytime friends come together Emilie Barnes in A Cozy Christmas Tea by Sandy Lynam Clough You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me C S Lewis 1898 1963 according to Walter Hooper editor of C S Lewis s works Women are like teabags We don t know our true strength until we are in hot water Attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt Nancy Reagan and others While there is tea there is hope Sir Arthur Wing Pinero 1855 1934 English actor The spirit of the tea beverage is one of peace comfort and refinement 4 T E A F R O M C U P TO P L AT E Charles Dickens 1812 1870 Barnaby Rudge Yet sometimes when the secret cup Of still and serious thought went round It seemed as if he drank it up He felt with spirit so profound William Wordsworth 1770 1850 Matthew Arthur Gray The Little Tea Book A Proper Tea is much nicer than a Very Nearly Tea which is one you forget about afterwards A A Milne 1882 1956 Pooh s Little Instruction Book Polly put the kettle on we ll all have tea If you are cold tea will warm you if you are too heated it will cool you if you are depressed it will cheer you if you are excited it will calm you William E Gladstone 1809 1898 British Prime Minister 1868 1894

Contents Recipes Foreword 6 Preface 7 Acknowledgements 8 Introduction 9 Some Facts about Tea 11 The Basics of Tea Tasting 13 Tea Steeping Guidelines 16 How to Use Tea in Cooking 17 Green Tea 23 Green Tea Recipes 24 Oolong Tea 39 Oolong Tea Recipes 40 Black Tea 45 Black Tea Recipes 46 Rooibos 115 Rooibos Recipes 116 Tea with Friends and Family 133 Fillings for Tea Sandwiches 145 Tea Cocktails 151 Selected Bibliography 157 About the Author 159 Index 160

Foreword For the Love of Tea Oh it s one of those days I could fancy a great cup of tea my grandmother would say As I grew up I became fully aware of tea being a daily staple in Scotland for breakfast lunch high tea after work or after dinner Someone was always asking Would you like a cup of tea Tea was then and still is definitely a social affair Then eventually it became a Royal affair while working as a Junior Royal Cook at Buckingham Palace in the Royal Households for Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family We also served many a dignitary including the Queen herself and of course the staff had their fair share of tea Years later in conversation with Sam Twining of the famous tea house Twining s at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto where I was the Executive Chef he confirmed again that tea was certainly a social affair bringing many people together young and old Tea no matter if it s black green white or what have you is a beverage enjoyed by millions worldwide every 6 T E A F R O M C U P TO P L AT E day for multiple purposes socializing calming pleasure or medicinal An aromatic beverage with a variety of different tastes such as sweet fruity bitter nutty or floral it has also been promoted for having many positive health benefits Let s put the focus back where it should be on author Raelene Gannon whom I first met while we were both working at the King Edward Hotel We met again at George Brown College where Raelene completed the two year course and graduated as a Certified Tea Sommelier Kudos to Raelene as she was one of the first 15 Certified Tea Sommeliers in Canada and serves this elite group of specialists well and will continue to do so especially with her new cookbook tea from cup to plate Raelene is very serious and passionate about tea and with her tea recipes and fabulous tips on how to use tea in cooking this book is a winner Just look at her recipes for Earl Grey Tea Buttermilk Scones please Raelene bake me some along with a few Best Chai Brownies As one of the judges on Food Network s Chopped Canada I have an opportunity to try many creative dishes and I would be so happy to taste the recipes in Raelene s book cover to cover with a few cups of tea While Raelene s book is steeped in interesting facts and tea knowledge it also enhances a better understanding of making enjoying and specifically cooking with tea Being a chef my favourite section is How to Use Tea in Cooking as there are so many delicious recipes Raelene s book bursts with an infusion of flavours and inspiration a treasure trove for tea lovers and foodies alike This book is a must have must read and must try and should adorn every kitchen or tea table So what are you waiting for open the book sit back relax and read while enjoying a cup of tea today Chef John Higgins Director Corporate Chef George Brown Chef School Judge on Chopped Canada Food Network

Preface I wrote this book for all the tea aficionados out there who because of their love of tea have accumulated quite a stash in their cupboards and are wondering how they might incorporate more tea into their daily lives Because of my own journey and discovery of the greatness of tea in a cup and on the plate I have wanted to write a book to share with you not only my knowledge of the wonders of tea but also recipes you can make with tea as an ingredient Try them I think you will be happily surprised at how they complement your cuppa I also hope that grand foodies like me who enjoy the journey of experimenting with and tasting food will be inspired by these new ideas to refresh their old recipes with the addition of tea This book is a cookbook but it also includes basic information on the types of tea and how specific teas can be used in cooking If you want to learn more there are many great tea books available about the history of tea and its terroir geography soil and climate I have listed some of them in the selected bibliography on page 157 Please enjoy experiment and not only have a cuppa tea but also put some tea on your plate RAELENE GANNON 7

The Basics of Tea Tasting To truly appreciate tea how it tastes and how to use it you might want to have a tea tasting party or a teatasting session on your own to get your palate ready for the nuances of different teas An excellent resource is a book about the science of taste by Barb Stuckey called Taste What You re Missing The Passionate Eater s Guide to Why Good Food Tastes Good In it she introduces the term hypertaster to describe people who are particularly sensitive to tastes She also explains that your tongue can detect five tastes sweet salty sour bitter and umami which is the savoury taste and is associated with the distinctive flavours of aged cheese and soy sauce which have meaty or savoury afternotes If you try her taste test with jelly beans you will surely become a believer in how much your sense of taste is affected by your sense of smell To do the test take a bunch of flavoured jelly beans and without looking at the colours plug your nose and chew on one jelly bean at a time You will find that you can taste only the sweetness of each jelly bean without your olfactory glands which were cut off when you plugged your nose you cannot determine the individual flavours Now how many of you are dying to seek out some jelly beans so you can try this experiment Whether or not you feel you have a particularly sensitive sense of taste it is helpful to be aware of the tea tasting vocabulary A good reference book for the many words used to describe the nuances in the tastes of tea is James Norwood Pratt s Tea Dictionary For this book however I have narrowed them down to the most common words Some descriptions suit particular teas but not others for example malty can describe an Assam tea and it is the f lavour profile sought after for these teas Aftertaste Aftertaste refers to the taste left in your mouth after you have swirled the tea around and then either swallowed it or spat it out as you might do when taking part in a tea tasting session Astringency Astringent is the most common word used in describing tea It is the dry sensation you feel on your teeth It is common in green teas and it can result when tea is steeped for too long or is steeped in water that is too hot This isn t always a bad thing some people like it or at least a little it s when it is excessive that the drink becomes unpalatable Bakey Bakey is an unpleasant taste as if the tea was almost burnt RAELENE GANNON 13

Bitter Brassy Metallic or Tinny Dull or Flat A bitter taste is similar to an astringent taste but less dry and sharper Stewy is another word to describe bitterness in some teas These descriptions describe the taste of tea that is the result of poor manufacturing processes or the way it is stored for example in a tin or other container that imparts a metallic taste or a metal teapot or kettle that reacts with the tea A brassy taste is unpleasant or sharp and should be avoided Teas that are dull or flat lack flavour or fullness they are the opposite of bright Body Body refers to the essence a particular tea s taste that is you would judge its taste according to its substance is it too strong or too weak Bouquet Bouquet refers to the aroma of tea Our sense of taste is very much influenced by our sense of smell through our olfactory glands In her book Taste What You re Missing Barb Stuckey describes a taste test using jelly beans that will confirm this for you 100 The aroma of tea is essential to how we perceive its taste For example you may have noticed that if you have a cold or are congested your sense of taste is diminished This is where tea and the perfume industry meet 14 T E A F R O M C U P TO P L AT E Bright Although bright is often used to describe the visual appearance of a tea it can also describe its taste its freshness for example Brisk Brisk usually describes the astringency of black teas whereas a green tea with this quality would simply be called astringent Character Complexity or Richness These descriptions indicate the depth of flavour in a tea that is whether it is a one dimensional tea or if it has layers of flavour Earthy Earthy can be bad or good For example it is not good to have an earthy green tea this would indicate that the tea was poorly stored such as in a damp environment On the other hand a pu erh tea with a very earthy flavour is desirable Fruity Fruity describes not only herbal fruit teas but also peachy or apricot white teas and oolongs Full or Strong Teas with good colour and no bitter ness would be described as full or strong terms that are usually used to describe black teas Stale Stale describes tea that is old or has been improperly stored A tea that is stale may taste as if it has gone off

Tea Steeping Guidelines The following guidelines for steeping loose leaf tea will ensure you have a perfect cuppa every time 1 Start with cold fresh tasting water If your tap water has an unpleasant flavour use filtered or bottled water Cold water is preferable because it has more oxygen in it than hot water and the more oxygen in the water the better your cup of tea will taste Water from your hot water tap has been stored in a large metal heater which can impart a metallic taste to the water Minerals that accumulate in the heater can also affect the taste of the hot water from your tap 2 Ideally the measurement for tea is 2 5 grams per 200 mL of water but if you do not have a scale put about 1 teaspoon 5 mL of tea leaves for black tea rooibos and small leaf green teas and about 1 tablespoon 15 mL for TEA STEEPING GUIDELINES Tea 2 5 grams Water Temperature 7 oz 200 mL Steep Time Green Tea 165 F 185 F 74 C 85 C 1 to 3 minutes White Tea 160 F 175 C 71 C 80 C 2 to 3 minutes Oolong Tea 185 F 200 F 85 C 93 C 2 to 3 minutes Black Tea 205 F 212 F 96 C 100 C 3 to 5 minutes Herbal tisanes 205 F 212 F 96 C 100 C 5 to 8 minutes Different teas have different weights however to measure your tea in teaspoons the approximate equivalent to 2 5 grams would be 1 teaspoon 5 mL for small leaf teas such as black teas green teas and rooibos and 1 tablespoon 15 mL for large leaf teas such as white teas and herbal teas 16 T E A F R O M C U P TO P L AT E white tea larger leaf green teas and herbal tisanes per to 1 cup 160 250 mL of water into a preheated pot or cup Preheating ensures that the tea steeps at the proper temperature 3 Use a strainer that is big enough for the tea leaves to unfurl especially large leaf twisted or oolong teas 4 Use the steep times and temperatures for each type of tea in the chart below The length of time that tea steeps determines its strength and everyone has different tastes so the following guidelines can give you a starting point I enjoy different teas at varying strengths I suggest that when you buy a tea you haven t tried before as it is steeping taste it each minute with a spoon so you can blow on it and not burn your tongue This way you can note at which point it tasted best to you and write it down for future reference

How to Use Tea in Cooking You may be asking yourself How exactly do I use tea in cooking You can use tea in a recipe in the same way you would use a spice or herb You can use dry or wet tea or tea in a concentrate all work differently and each enhances a dish in a different way Following are guidelines for each form of tea Dry Use tea in its dry form when you want to add crunch You can also grind dry tea but make sure you use a teaonly grinder Coffee grinders work well however they cannot be used for both coffee and tea Dedicate your grinder to tea only as the oils in coffee cannot easily be removed from the grinder If you want to convert a coffee grinder to a tea grinder grind some white rice or bread in it to remove the coffee oils A small blender mixer or chopper can also work well Dry tea is best used in cookies such as shortbread You can also use dry tea in rubs for meat just mix some tea salt and herbs to make a great grill rub For example lapsang souchong tea kosher salt and rosemary make a delicious smoky rosemary rub You can also combine dry tea with butter to make a tea flavoured compound butter Wet Wet tea is tea when the dry leaves are first infused in water or other liquid You can use wet tea in pesto recipes Concentrate Tea concentrates can be used in different ways depending on what medium you infuse the tea in Vinegar oil and dairy products such as milk whipping cream buttermilk and butter can all be used to make a tea concentrate Tea concentrates are used in most of the recipes in this cookbook They can also be used mixed with oil and vinegar in dressings and they can replace vanilla for a different flavour in recipes Generally the ratio is 2 tablespoons 30mL of tea to 1 cup 250 mL of water or liquid Once steeped and the tea leaves discarded the yield is approximately cup 160 mL of tea concentrate

Infusions for Tea Concentrate Water Water is the conventional medium for steeping tea whether to make a cup of tea or to make a tea concentrate for cooking A concentrate is necessary for cooking to get the full flavour of the tea Generally to make a tea concentrate you heat the water to the temperature required for the variety of tea you are using and you let it steep for the same length of time however you use more tea than you would for a cup of tea Vinegar I find that rice wine vinegar works best because it has no taste profile that would distract from the flavour of the tea I prefer to heat it up and steep it as you would using water Oil I prefer grapeseed oil which you heat and infuse with tea and then use the mixture in salad dressings Dairy products Dairy products are a little trickier because they are thick and it takes longer for the tea to steep in them One trick is to wet the tea leaves first just dip them in hot water before adding them to the dairy product Following are ways to work with specific products Milk I find that heating the milk with the tea leaves in the microwave oven helps Forty five seconds to one minute depending on your microwave oven should be long enough and then let it steep as you would for the particular tea Butter I find that butter you make yourself results in a better butter for steeping tea in Mix room temperature butter with crushed tea leaves whip butter to combine and form into logs or put in dishes to set in refrigerator until hardened The resulting butter is wonderful for flavouring your scones Making your own butter is actually quite easy Put 2 cups 250 mL of whipping cream in a food processor and process on medium high for four minutes until the buttermilk and butter separate You will then be able to use both in your baking

Buttermilk If you have made your own butter as above you can also flavour the buttermilk with tea To do this heat the buttermilk in the microwave oven but be sure to let it cool down before adding it to your recipe Whipping cream Tea flavoured whipped cream is awesome especially on lattes or with cakes and waffles Just use a tea concentrate instead of vanilla in the whipping cream and whip away Using Tea for Brining A great way to use tea is in brining Brining is best used for chicken or white lean meat such pork and turkey Generally to prepare a brine you use equal amounts of sugar and salt and dissolve one part sugar and salt into eight parts water for example cup 125 mL of salt preferably kosher salt cup 125 mL of sugar and 8 cups 2 L of water To tea this up you add 4 to 6 tablespoons 60 90 mL of loose tea Teas from tea and all its splendour At tea and all its splendour we have many flavour combinations that are particularly suited to cooking with tea You can obtain the blends and single flavours that are used in the recipes in this book from teaandallits splendour com under the brand culinaritea Following is a list of our teas used in the recipes however there are many options Shoot me a line to cookbook teaandallitssplendour com with any questions or comments about using tea in your recipes Blends abha chai English breakfast Assam acerola cherry fig fallin for apple pie Ceylon Bahama mama French Moroccan mint chocolate Darjeeling bourbon vanilla butternut spice chai chocolate chai cinnamon roll cr me Earl Grey Earl Grey Single Flavours gingerbread ginger peach Irish breakfast lavender Earl Grey orange spice pumpkin cr me rooibos dragonwell lapsang souchong organic rooibos pu erh rooibos sencha wuyi rock oolong RAELENE GANNON 19

RECIPES

Green Tea Green tea is produced mainly in China and Japan from the Camellia sinensis sinensis varietal which originates from China However the production of green tea is expanding and includes India Vietnam Bolivia and many other countries This speaks to the growing popularity of green tea over the past several years not only for its recognized health benefits but also for its awesome taste Many studies on green tea have shown that it is very high in polyphenols antioxidants that help protect us from disease by protecting our cells against oxidation Oxidation is a chemical reaction that produces free radicals that lead to degenerative disease However there is no conclusive industry statement about the health benefits of green tea Nevertheless we have come to seek out foods and drinks that contain polyphenols and other antioxidants Chinese and Japanese green teas are very different in their flavour profiles Japanese green teas are rarely if ever flavoured in Japan and they tend to be more seaweed like and less astringent than Chinese green teas For this reason they go well with fish salty dishes and green vegetables Japanese green teas are primarily steam heated whereas Chinese green teas are generally dry roasted Matcha is a Japanese green tea that is stoneground after it is steam heated and unlike other teas you actually consume the leaves It takes one hour to make 1 ounce 30 mL of matcha therefore it is expensive and not abundant in supply Other Japanese green teas are sencha the most common green tea which is often used as the base for many f lavoured green teas outside of Japan gyokuro which is shaded for about three weeks before harvest to increase the chlorophyll in the leaves giving them that bright green colour and sweet finish genmaicha which is a toasted brown rice and bancha roasted green tea blend that sometimes has popcorn in it and as such is sometimes called popcorn tea and bancha which is a roasted green tea that in its dry form looks a little more like a brown coloured tea than a green tea Japanese teas range from matcha tea the very green stoneground tea to hojicha tea a cooked brown coloured tea Chinese green teas tend to be more astringent and go well with fatty or stronger flavoured foods such as nuts fruit and salmon along with milder vegetables for balance Chinese teas are generally pan fired or wok fired in the manufacturing process Common Chinese teas are dragonwell or longjing which is a fairly astringent tea with a long flat leaf bi lo chun which is a fresh green tea jasmine which is scented with jasmine by placing the f lowers on shelves under the drying green tea so they release their perfume on the tea above mao feng a wiry short leaf tea and chun mee called the eyebrow tea because of its lightly curved shape There is a wide array of teas within this spectrum from different parts of China in fact China produces more varieties of green teas than anywhere else in the world The caffeine levels in green tea vary as with all teas but in general the caffeine in tea is one third the amount in coffee in its liquid steeped state RAELENE GANNON 23

GREEN TEA RECIPES TIP Because Meyer lemons are smaller than regular lemons you may need more of them I like the Meyer lemons as they add a floral note and have a slightly different taste You can use regular lemons or Meyer lemons just adjust the amount according to your taste 26 T E A F R O M C U P TO P L AT E

Tea is a great substitute when you can t find fresh basil The walnuts in this recipe add astringency to the pesto and marry nicely with the salty vegetable seaweedy taste of the sencha tea Yield about 1 cup Tea Pesto with Sencha and Walnuts Wet tea leaves cup 60 mL loose sencha tea 175 F 80 C water Pesto 1 cup 250 mL chopped toasted walnuts 2 teaspoons 10 mL minced garlic Juice of 1 or 2 Meyer lemons or regular lemons Zest of 1 or 2 Meyer lemons or regular lemons 2 teaspoons 10 mL coarse salt cup 125 mL extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons 30 mL grated Parmesan cheese for garnish To prepare the tea leaves put the leaves in a glass measuring cup and add enough of the water to reach 1 cup 250 mL Let the tea steep for 1 to 2 minutes and then strain reserving the leaves and discarding the liquid concentrate To make the pesto put the strained wet tea leaves walnuts garlic lemon juice lemon zest and salt in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are coarsely chopped With the motor running add the olive oil and continue blending until the mixture is almost smooth Serve immediately over pasta garnished with the Parmesan cheese or cover the pesto and refrigerate for up to 1 day RAELENE GANNON 27

Tea Pesto with Dragonwell and Pine Nuts Dragonwell tea goes well with pine nuts as the nuts don t have much f lavour but have a fatty mouth feel The astringency of the tea also brings out the flavour of the Parmesan cheese to make a nice profile akin to regular pesto with a twist If you were to combine the dragonwell tea with walnuts however the taste would be too astringent Yield 1 cup 250 mL pesto Wet tea leaves cup 60 mL loose dragonwell tea 175 F 80 C water Pesto 1 cup 250 mL chopped toasted pine nuts 2 teaspoons 10 mL chopped garlic Juice of 1 or 2 lemons or limes Zest of 1 or 2 lemons or limes 2 teaspoons 10 mL coarse salt cup 125 mL extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons 30 mL grated Parmesan cheese To prepare the tea leaves put the leaves in a glass measuring cup and add enough of the water to reach 1 cup 250 mL Let the tea steep for 1 to 2 minutes and then strain reserving the leaves and discarding the liquid concentrate To make the pesto put the wet tea leaves pine nuts garlic lime juice lime zest and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the nuts are coarsely chopped With the motor running add the olive oil and continue blending until the mixture is almost smooth or it reaches the texture you desire Serve immediately over pasta garnished with the Parmesan cheese or cover the pesto and refrigerate for up to 1 day 28 T E A F R O M C U P TO P L AT E

GREEN TEA RECIPES TIP My friend Lisa turned me on to the Microplane kitchen gadget If you don t have one put it on your Christmas wish list The fine bladed Microplane is good for citrus zesting and grating hard cheeses and the coarse bladed Microplane is terrific for grating garlic and such so ask for both RAELENE GANNON 29

Oolong Tea Teas range in their levels of oxidation and of all the types of tea oolong has one of the largest ranges Oolong is a Chinese tea produced mainly in Taiwan but also in the Fujian and Guangdong provinces Oolong tea is produced from the Camellia sinensis assamica varietal favoured for its larger leaf This tea varies in oxidation from about 10 which is close to a green tea to 90 which would be much like a fully oxidized black tea Some oolong teas are called blue teas because their dry leaves can have a bluish tinge Art truly meets science in the tea gardens where teas are grown harvested and crafted when the tea master guides the production of the varieties of oolong tea from the lightly oxidized jade or ti kuan yin oolong teas to the highly oxidized wuyi rock oolong tea Oolong teas have such a variety of taste profiles the less oxidized or greener oolongs are similar to green teas although they often have a floral or peach apricot finish and the more oxidized or blacker oolongs have a fuller taste much like black tea Oolong teas are a good category to explore if you are trying to change your tea drinking ritual from black tea to green tea Oolongs can also be steeped several times some say up to seven times although the true number is what you like to drink For example some like the fourth steeping of a particular oolong best and they can hardly wait to get through the first three to reach the fuller richer taste of the fourth steeping However do not leave the steeped or wet tea leaves to be further steeped the next day they can develop a mouldy or musty taste and odour Full bodied oolong teas such as the wuyi rock oolongs go well in savoury dishes whereas lighter oolong teas such as jade oolongs with their slightly f loral nose go well with cheeses RAELENE GANNON 39

OOLONG TEA RECIPES

Savoury Oolong Tea Cheddar Shortbread Shortbread You can use either a more fully oxidized oolong tea for this recipe or even lapsang souchong if you would like a smokier flavour A lighter or jade oolong won t work quite as well here as the cayenne and old Cheddar cheese in this recipe need the intensity of a more oxidized tea This shortbread is a great addition to your cheese plate add a creamy goat cheese and you re all set Yield about 30 cookies Tea concentrate 3 tablespoons 45 mL loose wuyi rock oolong tea cup 125 mL boiling water 1 cups 375 mL all purpose flour 1 cups 310 mL shredded old Cheddar cheese 2 teaspoons 10 mL loose wuyi rock oolong tea teaspoon 2 5 mL salt teaspoon 1 mL cayenne or to taste cup 125 mL chilled butter cut into pieces cup 80 mL finely chopped walnuts 13 To make the tea concentrate put the tea leaves in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over them Let steep for 3 minutes and then strain and reserve 1 to 2 tablespoons 15 30 mL of the liquid To make the shortbread put the flour cheese tea leaves salt and cayenne in a food processor and process until just blended Add the butter and process until the dough resembles coarse crumbs and then add the reserved tea concentrate a tablespoon at a time and process until the dough forms into a smooth ball Turn the dough out onto a sheet of wax paper and roll it back and forth to form a log and then wrap the log in the wax paper and place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes Preheat the oven to 350 F 180 C Line a baking sheet with parchment paper Cut the dough into inch 1 cm circles and place them on the prepared baking sheet Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until just golden on the bottoms Remove from the oven and let cool before handling Store in an airtight container RAELENE GANNON 41

Jalape o Cheddar Oolong Tea Scones 2 cups 500 mL all purpose flour These scones are spicy and savoury and can be used as an accompaniment to chili other stews and soups They are great with an everyday soup adding a nice changeup If you make them in miniature you can add them to your appetizer plate Yield about 16 mini or 8 large scones cup 125 mL cornmeal 4 teaspoons 20 mL baking powder 1 tablespoon 15 mL sugar 1 tablespoon 15 mL dry mustard powder 1 teaspoon 5 mL salt teaspoon 2 5 mL baking soda teaspoon 1 mL pepper cup 125 mL cold butter cut into pieces cup 185 mL buttermilk 2 tablespoons 30 mL loose wuyi rock oolong tea 1 cups 375 mL shredded sharp Cheddar cheese cup 60 mL chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons 30 mL minced jalape o pepper seeded 2 tablespoons 30 mL Parmesan cheese for topping 42 T E A F R O M C U P TO P L AT E Preheat the oven to 400 F 200 C Line a baking sheet with parchment paper Put the flour cornmeal baking powder sugar mustard salt baking soda and pepper in a large bowl and mix well Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs You can also use a food processor but doing it by hand will result in flakier scones Put the buttermilk in a microwaveproof bowl and add the tea leaves Place in the microwave oven and heat for 30 seconds Be careful not to let it boil Remove from the microwave and set aside to steep and cool When cooled add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and toss a few times with a fork Add the Cheddar cheese cilantro and jalape o pepper and mix until the dough sticks together enough to be rolled out

OOLONG TEA RECIPES Turn the dough out onto a f loured surface and roll it out to inch 2 cm thick Cut the dough into your desired size of squares or wedges and place them on the prepared baking sheet Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and place in the oven Bake for 10 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the scones until they are golden brown and the cheese is melted RAELENE GANNON 43

Black Tea Black tea or red tea as it is called in China is the most oxidized tea in the realm of tea manufacturing Black tea is very often used as the base for many famous and historic blends From Earl Grey and all its variations to the range of breakfast teas English breakfast Irish breakfast and Scottish breakfast black Ceylon tea is often the first base Even though Ceylon is now called Sri Lanka the black tea produced there is still referred to as Ceylon tea Black tea is produced mainly in India China Sri Lanka and Kenya Many of these countries produce a teabag cut using a CTC cut tear curl method of manufacturing This produces a specific grade of tea that suits the requirements of the producers of conventional teabags The tea leaf is smaller and therefore the many leaves provide a larger surface area thus the tea steeps more quickly making the teabag a convenient method However pyramid shaped teabags using whole leaf tea are generally larger and have more room for the larger leaves to unfurl during the steeping process These teas need the same amount of time to steep as conventional loose leaf teas Some of the most common Chinese black teas are keemun from A nhui pu erh from Yunnan and lapsang souchong from Fujian The black teas from India include Assam from Assam Darjeeling from West Bengal and Nilgiri from Tamil Nadu south India A nd as mentioned Ceylon tea comes from Sri Lanka Black tea is the fullest bodied tea however there are specific guidelines for water temperature and steeping time as shown in the chart on page 16 If you want a stronger cup of tea it is better to add more loose tea to the same amount of water than to steep it longer otherwise the tea can become too brisk or bitter With the wide variety of black teas on the market you have many opportunities to try new flavours and combinations for drinking and cooking Black teas range from fruity to savoury and they also make great iced teas RAELENE GANNON 45

Tea infused Tofu Although I don t eat a lot of tofu this is a super way to get someone to try it it worked for me Serve with broccoli red bell peppers and steamed rice for a nice wellbalanced vegetarian dinner Yield 4 servings Tea concentrate 2 tablespoons 30 mL loose lapsang souchong tea 1 cup 250 mL boiling water Tofu 10 ounces 300 g firm tofu 2 tablespoons 30 mL soy sauce 1 tablespoon 15 mL sesame oil 1 teaspoon 5 mL orange zest 48 T E A F R O M C U P TO P L AT E Preheat the oven to 375 F 190 C Line a baking sheet with parchment paper To make the tea concentrate put the tea leaves in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over them Let steep for 5 minutes and then strain reserving cup 160 mL of the liquid To make the tofu slice the tofu into slabs about 3 inches 9 cm long 2 inches 5 5 cm wide and inch 1 cm thick you should have 4 slices Cube the slabs and place them in a glass pie plate or shallow flat bottomed bowl Put the soy sauce sesame oil orange zest and reserved tea concentrate in a bowl and mix well Pour this mixture over the tofu cubes and let marinate for at least 15 minutes Strain the tofu and take out the orange zest so it doesn t burn in the oven Spread the tofu cubes on the prepared baking sheet and place in the oven Bake for 15 minutes and then turn the cubes over and cook for another 15 minutes

BLACK TEA RECIPES

BLACK TEA RECIPES TIP Try this recipe with the salmon on a cedar plank on the barbecue add any leftovers to a salad

Butternut Spice Tea roasted Salmon cup 60 mL pineapple juice This recipe was once called Raelene s salmon recipe by my co workers but I have kicked it up a notch here with the addition of tea which makes it even better and is asked for even more often I tried it with some new chefsin training at Liaison College in Barrie and they were impressed with how good it tasted Yield 4 servings 2 tablespoons 30 mL freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon 5 mL loose butternut spice tea 4 6 ounce 170 g salmon fillets 2 tablespoons 30 mL brown sugar 4 teaspoons 20 mL chili powder 2 teaspoons 10 mL lemon zest 1 tablespoon 15 mL ground butternut spice tea teaspoon 2 5 mL salt lemon slices for garnish Put the pineapple juice lemon juice and loose butternut spice tea in a Ziploc bag Add the salmon and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour turning occasionally Preheat the oven to 400 F 200 C Coat an 11 7 inch 28 18 cm baking dish with cooking spray Remove the fish from the bag and place it in the prepared baking dish Discard the remaining marinade Put the sugar chili powder lemon zest ground tea and salt in a bowl and mix well Rub the mixture over the fish and place in the oven Bake for 12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork Serve with lemon slices RAELENE GANNON 51