Beverages

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How To Choose A Thanksgiving Wine

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year… or throwing a holiday dinner party of any kind… or having the boss-man over before your end of the year performance evaluation… odds are you’re giving some serious thought to the wine.  Even if it’s not normally your beverage, you might be wanting to impress everyone with your fabulous taste in grape juice.  And you may be wondering, where to begin?  How do I go about picking that perfect wine to go with the turkey (or Tofurkey, as the case may be)?

Fear not, friends.  Drunken messybaker has tips for you.  Oh, happy day!

First off, you need to settle an important question.  What’s the main course?  If you’re hosting Thanksgiving, you’re probably roasting up a turkey.  The conventional wisdom says that you should serve a white wine – preferably Chardonnay – with turkey.  And while Chardonnay is fine, it’s certainly not mandatory.  What you want is to find a wine that will stand up to your main course without overpowering it.  Chardonnay is often the choice when it comes to white wines to serve with poultry, especially in the colder months, because it does have the body to pair with turkey, and its aromas – often toast, butter, or vanilla if it’s oaked, or lemon, apple and pear if it’s not – tend to complement the flavors most people associate with turkey and the Thanksgiving meal.  So if you want to pour Chardonnay, by all means, go for it.  Pick a nice Sonoma wine – I love the Chardonnay wines from the Russian River Valley and Los Carneros – or be a little exotic and pour a white Burgundy.

But I don’t like Chardonnay, you say?  It’s boring?  Okay, that’s fine.  (I happen to disagree, but there are plenty of people who are anti-Chard, probably because they’ve had too much mediocre stuff.  Sometime I’ll do a post about that.)  You don’t have to pour Chardonnay.  If you want to stick with white, you just need to make sure that you’re picking a wine with enough power and heft to match with turkey – so that rules out most Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio.  But you might always consider a lesser-known white varietal… like Viognier.  Just as “big” as many Chards, but a bit sweeter and fruitier, Viognier is the unofficial official wine of Virginia.  Since I’ve moved here I’ve come to love it, and it’s definitely worth consideration for your Thanksgiving table.  Plus, you’ll get the bonus of looking erudite and sophisticated by choosing a wine that half your dinner guests haven’t heard of.  Swirl on, my pretentious friends, swirl on.

Ah, but wait.  What if you don’t like white wine at all?  (That’s not crazy, Mom.  Some people don’t.)  Are you stuck swirling your water glass all evening?  I say… NO!  Now this might be sacrilege to some, but I don’t see any reason why you can’t pair turkey with a red wine.  You just need to pick carefully.  In this case, you’ll be doing the opposite analysis.  Unlike white wines, which you’d be evaluating to make sure they have enough body to stand up to a rich roasted  turkey  Tofurkey, if you’re going for a red you want one on the lighter-bodied end of the spectrum.  A big Cab or meaty Merlot is going to be too much for your poor little bird (or Field Roast!) to handle.  Steer toward a light, fruity Pinot Noir – I love the choices from, again, the Russian River Valley, or from Oregon.  Or go for a fruity Rhone red.  The key is to find a red wine with relatively low tannins and a good fruity character.  (Some of the Rhones are like jam in a glass.  You can tell people that they’re the alcoholic version of cranberry sauce.)  Sure, the establishment will gasp and say that you NEVER, NEVER serve red wine with turkey, but who cares what they think?  If that’s what you like, go for it – the only rule of wine pairing that I consider unassailable is that you should drink what you like, and only what you like.  Plus, it’s fun to stick it to the establishment.  That’s what the Pilgrims did… and isn’t Thanksgiving all about the Pilgrims?

Cheers!

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London Acquisitions: Ceramics Edition

You didn’t think I’d go all the way to England and come home without some new tea accoutrements, did you?  Silly rabbit.  I was in the land that invented afternoon tea.  Obviously I needed to bring home a mug or two… and a strainer… and a couple of tea tidies.  You know I love me some tea tidy.

 I planned to buy the Knightsbridge Map mug from Harrods, but when I saw it in person it was just way too big to fit in my backpack.  I was in the midst of shedding a tiny tear when I spied this cutie.  It was still a mug with a map theme, but it was more compact and colorful than the mug I had originally been eyeing.  Sold.

 I’ve been wanting a Cath Kidston mug for years.  I love Cath Kidston and wish it was easier to get their stuff here in the Colonies.  (You can order online from www.cathkidstonusa.com but I’m mildly allergic to paying for shipping.  Evidently I’d rather just buy a plane ticket.  You know, because they cost the same. /sarcasm)  When I saw this little mug, which came in its own (unpictured) tin, I had to have it.  Bonus points for good packaging that made it super easy to transport back across the Pond without breaking it!

 Okay, this isn’t ceramic but I’ve been on the lookout for a nice circle strainer for awhile now.  I loved this pretty one from Harrods – and it comes with a matching tea scoop too!  So cute.

 Tea tidies are such a great souvenir or gift from England – quintessentially English, but also small enough that they barely take up any space in Ye Olde Backpack.  I knew I wanted to get one from Harrods and I was going to go with the classic teapot shape until I saw this English telephone booth version.  My grandpapa loved English telephone booths – he collected them and even had a full-sized one in his backyard (sans phone, much to the chagrin of 16-year-old messybaker).  So it felt like fate.

 Impulse buy from Whittard of Chelsea right here.  I went in to pick up more tea for myself and my bestie R (because we can never have too much tea) and saw this tea tidy.  I see Whittard shops in just about every English town I visit, so it seemed fitting to bring a tea tidy home.  In addition to the tea, of course.  It was my reward for not saying “Whittard!” in a Borat voice to the chic store clerk.  Sometimes I need to bribe myself to act like an adult.

Stay tuned for the second round of London acquisitions coming up next week!  I’m a-gonna show you all the tea I bought.  Because, you know, I needed more tea.

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Tea Tasting: Japonica Tafe Pineapple Coconut Green

Japonica Tafe operates a regular booth at my local farmers market, and that’s where I got this lovely brew.  Pineapple Coconut Green tea is a flavorful blend of green tea with toasted coconut, orange peel and natural pineapple flavors.  When I bought this tea, I was just meandering through the market and asked to smell it – I love smelling teas – and they handed me the bag.  I said, “Thanks, but I really want to smell it first,” and was told, “You can smell it through the bag.”  And could I ever!  The delicious tropical, toasty flavor came through loud and clear, and I didn’t even need to open the bag to sniff it.  I bought it on the spot and spent the next hour with the still-unopened bag pressed against my face.  That’s how good it smells.

The Leaves… Simple rolled green tea leaves with shredded coconut and calendula for a sunshiny flash of visual appeal.

The Brew… It’s a dark golden cup with rich coconut aromas.  The pineapple aroma is in the background, but it’s there.  The taste is mild and tropical, but unmistakeably green.

The Experience… Great for sipping in the afternoon, it perks me up without making me too caffeine crazy.  But it’s a good tea to wake up to on a chilly Saturday morning, too.  One sip takes me to my own personal island paradise!

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Tea Tasting: Mariage Freres Vert Marco Polo

This was a gift from my tea-loving BFF, R, on her last trip to Paris.  Marco Polo is one of the most popular Mariage Freres blends, and for good reason – it’s mild, yet flavorful, with a gentle vanilla, fruit and floral aroma.  On my own trip to Paris, I didn’t buy any Marco Polo, because I knew I had it at home (and, in fact, it’s one of just a few Mariage Freres blends available Stateside, through Dean & Deluca), but I ordered it in cafes.  Marco Polo is a perfect introduction to the wonderful world of Mariage Freres blends.  C’est delicieux.

The Leaves… Shards of green leaves, dotted with blue flowers.  Gives off a soft vanilla-floral scent – it’s mild, yet enticing.

The Brew… Light greenish-gold brew with a heady herbal aroma and smooth flavor.

The Experience… There’s nothing like Mariage Freres blends to give you the quintessential French tea experience.  Marco Polo takes you back to the company’s roots as a purveyor of spices and tea from the Far East.  It’s wonderful anytime, but I like to sit down with a cup when life gets a little too mundane, and let it take me on an exotic journey right at my kitchen table.

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Tea Stash Tour, Part I: Home

Buckle your seatbelts, kids.  It’s about to get all cah-razy up in here.  Now, you know that I’m a tea person.  You know I would rather have tea than coffee… and you may suspect that I would rather have tea than any other beverage, except perhaps wine.  (Please don’t make me choose between tea and wine.)

Well, today, I’m laying it all out there.  I’m going to ‘fess up to the full extent of my obsession and give you a tour of my tea stash.  I had quite a bit to start with and I’ve just recently absorbed my college bestie R’s stash as well, since she had to leave them behind when she shipped out for a new job on the other side of the world.  Although I wish she had stayed home and kept them for herself, I was glad to give her teas a loving home and promised to savor them all on her behalf.  (Am I a good friend, or what?)  I’m actually just going to show you my home stash; we’ll save the work situation for another day.  (If you feel the need to pray for my soul, I will absolutely understand.)  Are you sitting down?  Great.  Here we go…

Here is a shot of my tea cupboard as it looks when I perch on the kitchen island and gaze dreamily at it as I sip my tea in the evenings.  It’s better entertainment than television, I’m telling you.  However, this shot doesn’t really do justice to what’s in here, since some things are hidden from view.  So let’s dig a little deeper, shall we?

I’ll start with the good stuff.  This is my Mariage Freres stash.  I firmly believe Mariage Freres makes the best tea in the entire world.  I’ve tasted a lot of tea and Mariage Freres just has no equal.  About half of this stash (Citron, Etoile de France, and Earl Grey French Blue) came home from Paris in my carry-on bag.  I also have The Vert Marco Polo, which R brought me as a gift after her last trip to the City of Light.  The others (The Rouge Bourbon, Bolero, and Prince Igor) were adopted from R’s stash.  Most of these blends are only available in Paris or Japan (or online, but I hear the shipping costs are insaaaaane), but the Marco Polo and The Rouge Bourbon are available from Dean & Deluca along with some other popular blends, if you want to be bad.

It’s no Mariage Freres, but I do have a special place in my heart for anything from Teaism.  Teaism is my favorite DC tea bar – it serves up tasty Asian fusion cuisine and delicious blends of black, green and herbal tea.  I go there for lunch at least once or twice a month, and I keep Teaism stashes at home and at the office.  My home stash includes Jasmine green tea (in the red fan caddy) World Peace (my absolute favorite herbal blend with cloves and peppermint), Moroccan Mint green tea (R’s stash), Ginger Zing herbal tea (R’s stash again), Quiet Evening (a blend of chamomile and peppermint, very soothing), and “Now & Zen,” Lavender Lemon Mint and Cinnamon Apricot (in the white crane caddy) herbal teas.  Good stuff.

As an Anglophile and tea lover, you couldn’t possibly expect that I wouldn’t have a British selection, could you?  I’ve got bagged Earl Grey and English Afternoon Tea from Harrods, another tin of loose Ceylon from Harrods, and three miniature tins of various classic English-style blends from Whittard’s, all of which I acquired in London.  And of course, a bag of loose Yorkshire Tea, brought back by my sister-in-law from her study abroad.  She’s an enabler.  Also beautiful.  Very, very beautiful.

Here’s some more favorites: Prince Vladimir tea from Kusmi Tea, acquired in New York City with R, Pineapple Coconut Green Tea from Japonica Tafe, a regular seller at my local farmer’s market, and two very special green teas – bird’s tongue Jasmine and a smoky disc – that R picked up on a trip to the Philippines and Hong Kong, which she passed to me before leaving for her job.  And also two tins from Teavana, one containing Earl Grey Creme (love that stuff) and one containing Blueberry Bliss rooibos, plus a bag of Teavana Almond Biscotti tea from R’s stash.  And finally, that huge silver bag hiding behind the Teavana tins is a pound of Blueberry Vanilla Cream black tea from Culinary Teas, and its little friend is Blue Eyes herbal tea, also from Culinary Teas, which is an online tea purveyor my friend and former coworker M turned me on to.

The Spice and Tea Exchange is a small chain of… duh… spice and tea shops (oh, and they also sell flavored sugar and salts), and they have an outpost in Old Town Alexandria.  Whenever I am in Old Town – which is often – I am compelled to stop in and I usually buy something.  My absolute favorite is the Coconut Oolong… sometimes I just stick my nose in this tin and smell it, just for fun.  Delish.  I also have Tropical Green Tea, Uncle Filbert’s Nutty Dessert Tea (soooooo good!), Blood Orange Smoothie Tea (herbal) and Chamomile Citrus Tea (also herbal, obvi).  Just writing this is making me crave some Coconut Oolong.

Oh, yeah, and there’s more.  Key Lime Rooibos, which I got from a little indie tea shop in Annapolis, MD… Serene Tea by Rishi, a wonderful way to unwind after work… CreativiTea, an herbal blend from R’s former farmers market, also a gift… Tazo mixed-berry white tea… and a couple of wellness teas (Tummy Mint by Celestial Seasonings and Breathe Easy Tea by Traditional Medicinals, great for allergy season)…

So, there you have it.  I have no secrets from you anymore – you have seen my tea stash and now know the full extent of my mania.  And if you haven’t run screaming in the opposite direction by now… stay tuned, because Part II of this stash tour is coming up, and you’ll be able to see how I got the “crazy tea lady” reputation at work.

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From Beans To Leaves: How I Became A Crazy Tea Lady

I may have been an Anglophile all my life, but that doesn’t mean I was always a tea drinker.  From the time I was old enough to start sneaking caffeinated beverages until about age 24, I was a coffee person.  I really didn’t much care about quality – probably because my parents drank instant coffee all my life – as long as it had caffeine and was made with coffee beans, I was on board.  I loved driving to Starbucks with my friends during summer vacations in college, but more because it got me out of the house and provided me with somewhere arguably cool to spend my evenings.  I’d usually order a non-fat decaf latte.  It was more about the company and the atmosphere than the beans.  As for tea, well, that wasn’t even on my radar screen.  In college I got to be dependent on a cup of coffee in the morning.  I discovered that it got me going after long nights of gossiping with my sorority sisters  kissing frat boys  studying.  Spring semester of my junior year, I got the idea that I was going to quit coffee, and I did for a few months.  Then I started my summer internship after junior year and realized that quitting coffee was not an option… at least, not when my days were filled with data entry for a survey on New York State employees’ sick leave use.

Coffee saw me through the LSATs, law school applications, senior year in college and two years of law school.  It was the quiet friend in the background.  I never gave it much thought; it was just there, part of my morning routine.  Then, during my third year of law school, I participated in an international moot court competition.  I tended to put a lot of pressure on myself before moot court arguments and frequently found myself hit with terrible anxiety stomachaches.  After some not-so-subtle hinting from a friend and teammate, I began to realize that coffee was exacerbating my stomachaches, but peppermint tea seemed to soothe them.  After our last competition, the whole team got sick – I attribute it to the adrenaline crash after a very intense experience; I always used to get sick after exams, too.  For two weeks I was practically floored by a very nasty cold.  Staying home from school was not an option; I had to catch up after months of focusing on moot court to the detriment of everything else.  On my way to class I would stop by Au Bon Pain and order the only thing that sounded good to me: a large chamomile tea.  I spent most of those two weeks in the law library, with a box of tissues and that chamomile tea next to me.  The chamomile really did make me feel better.  I was amazed.

After law school, I started working for the federal government in a two-year clerkship program.  For some reason, my office was freezing cold most of the time – winter and summer alike.  I would wrap myself in a sweater and try to type with gloves on, even in July in D.C.  When the cold got to be too much for me to stand, I’d run upstairs to a snack bar on the fourth floor, where the sweet cashier would always let me have a cup of hot water for free.  I’d bring it down to my office and steep a cup of Republic of Tea Wild Blueberry black tea.  Meanwhile, at that job, I started to become close to a few of my coworkers – to three women in particular, one of whom was a tea connoisseur.  We started to meet in her office each morning for tea – she brewed black tea from loose leaves, poured it into travel cups, and sent us off to start our days with a perfect cup of tea.  It was through this particular friend that I began to really appreciate the flavors and complexity of tea, and to learn that the flavors and aromas of loose tea are so often far superior to bagged tea.  Another new work friend introduced me to Teaism  and I started going for lunch regularly.  Soon I began brewing my own loose tea at my desk in the afternoons, although I still started my days with black coffee at home and favored herbal tea over black or green. 

When my clerkship ended and I left the government for a private firm, I was only really sad about one thing – no more tea with my friends every day.  And I knew I had to carry my tea ritual to my new workplace, even if it was just me brewing tea in my office alone.  I couldn’t contemplate starting the workday without a comforting cup of tea.  So I continued brewing loose tea at my desk, and my new coworkers – committed coffee drinkers, for the most part – might mock gently, but they do enjoy the cups of perfectly brewed tea that I am always glad to share.  Being in a new office, and no longer able to stop by my friend’s office for a cup of black tea in the morning, I had to start stocking some caffeinated teas in addition to my favorite herbal blends.  As I explored more and more black and green tea flavors, I started to enjoy and appreciate them to a new extent.  Gradually, it occurred to me that if I skipped my morning coffee, I could drink more tea.  I could replace that one cup of coffee with two cups of tea – even black tea – and not have to worry about bouncing off the walls all day.  I stopped drinking coffee except on the weekends, and I started looking forward to my morning tea much more than I ever looked forward to my coffee.  Sometimes I even fell asleep thinking about which tea I should have the next morning.  Eventually, I stopped wanting coffee at all – although I like it fine, I’d always rather have tea.  These days, I don’t even bother with coffee more than once a month or so.

Yes, over the past few years, I have grown into a full-fledged tea fanatic.  I’ve tried out different flavors and varietals, shopped for tea with my bestie, R, a tea fanatic herself, and discovered what I really love (fruit-, nut- or vanilla-flavored black teas and just about any herbal infusion) and what I’m growing to love (most green teas).  I became obsessed with Teaism here in D.C.  I traveled to England, where I had afternoon tea in the Lake District, experienced how pleasant it is to stop in a pub for a pot of tea when you’re soaked through by the rain, and took high tea in the Orangerie at Kensington Palace (pinky in the air, natch).  I brought tea home from the Harrods food hall in London, and from Mariage Freres (my all-time favorite tea, to which R introduced me and for which I will be forever in her debt) in Paris. 

Nowadays, I start almost every morning with a pot of black or green tea at my desk at work, and I end just about every day with another little pot of herbal tea at home.  I’m always on the lookout for new flavors and infusions to try, and I can’t resist bringing some tea home with me from vacations.  It’s not that I dislike coffee – I don’t – but I’ve come to much prefer tea.  I love the vast variety of flavors and aromas that I find in teas… the cuddly ritual of brewing a pot of tea from loose leaves… the feeling of intense comfort and well-being I get from opening up my tea cupboard and looking at all my favorites stored neatly within… the way my first pot of tea eases me gently into my day every morning without fail.  And whether I’m having high tea in London or brewing myself a small pot of Etoile de France (my favorite Mariage Freres tea), or just sipping a soothing cup of peppermint tea on a rainy afternoon, I always take time to appreciate the aromas, the warmth, and the ritual of my favorite beverage.  (Tied with wine, of course.)  The girl who eschewed tea in favor of black coffee has seen the error of her ways.  I am, and will forever be, a tea person.

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Tropical Sunshine Smoothie

Here in the mid-Atlantic it seems like the temperatures just keep climbing.  I keep thinking, “This is the hottest it can possibly get,” until it’s hotter the next day, and the day after that… Fortunately, hubby and I currently have a working air conditioner (hurray!) and we’ve been hiding inside for the most part.  Last week I went to IKEA (more on that later) and the walk from the parking lot to the front door and back was about all I could handle.  And I actually enjoy hot weather.  So that really is saying something.

So to beat the heat I’ve become quite the smoothie guru lately.  These tropical smoothies are a perfect way to start another hot-hot-hot day with some cool, fruity nutrition.  Just make sure to drink them, okay?  I know it’s tempting to pour them over your head, but that’s not the intent here.

Tropical Sunshine Smoothies

1 1/4 cups almond milk (or organic milk)
1 cup frozen mango cubes
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen or fresh pineapple chunks
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)

  • Blend all ingredients together in a high speed blender.  Enjoy!

Source: Covered In Flour

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Cucumber Coolers

If I ever decide to open a spa (instead of a wine bar like I’m currently planning), I’m going to serve these Cucumber Coolers to my clients.  They look and taste like refreshing cocktails, but there’s nothing in them except for whole fruits and veg.  Crisp and clean – does it get better than that?

Cucumber Coolers

1 cup water
1/2 cup mint leaves, packed
1 apple, peeled
1 English cucumber, cut into large chunks
juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon (to taste)
1 cup ice

  • Combine all ingredients, in the above order and starting with the juice of just 1/2 lemon, in VitaMix or ohter high speed blender.  Process until smooth.  Taste and decide if you need to add more lemon juice.  Serve garnished with cucumber rounds.

Source: Covered In Flour

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Carrot-Mint Juice

Confession time: I don’t like orange juice.  I’ll drink it on a very infrequent basis, when I’m really in the mood, but I am not the one throwing back a glass of Tropicana every morning.  For a long time, I was a “don’t drink your calories” person.  I stuck to water and tea (unsweetened) as my beverages on a daily basis, and wine for a treat.  I still don’t believe in drinking calories in the form of sugary soda, calorie-laden “coffee drinks,” cocktails (okay, I bend this rule occasionally) or sugar-bomb “juices.”

However… I have come to realize that there is a place for getting nutrients through liquids.  I’m talking about healthy whole-fruit smoothies (especially green smoothies) and fresh juices.  I recently got a VitaMix (cue angels singing) and I’ve been blending and juicing my veg-loving heart out.  Here is one of my first creations: a minty fresh carrot juice that’s full of fiber and Vitamin A goodness.  This is nothing but fruits and veggies, mint, and water.  No added sugar, nothing fake.  Just pure carroty goodness.

Carrot-Mint Juice

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup mint leaves, lightly packed
1 apple (such as Golden Delicious), quartered and cored
2-3 medium carrots, chopped into thirds
1 cup ice

  • Place all ingredients in VitaMix in the order they appear in ingredient list.  Start VitaMix on variable speed 1, raise quickly to 10, and then to high.  Blend on high for one minute or until desired consistency is reached.  Makes 3 cups.

Source: Adapted from VitaMix