Myths about tea and mold.

Tea bags.  Wikipedia Commons.

Mold allergy sufferers are under constant attack from allergens that can be lethal for highly sensitive folks. The study of allergies is a relatively new area, and mold is one of the newer allergens to appear in scientific studies. Mold contamination in tea is an even newer topic of research, and scientists have not yet performed many studies specifically on mold and yeast spores in tea, so conclusive information is lacking.

Yeast expert Sidney M. Baker advises that allergy sufferers avoid brewing tea with tap water, which may carry mold spores, as well as chemical contaminants, and drink only bottled or filtered water. While many allergy sufferers have been advised to avoid all cheese, bread and other sources of yeast and mold spores, Baker has also said, "individual tolerances have to be determined on a trial and error basis by each person.” As with most new areas of study, the available information is often a combination of facts and myths.

Review: Bengal Spice tisane by Celestial Seasonings

www.CelestialSeasonings.com  Used with permission.

According to “Dish, the Food and Wine Blog” from Food +Wine magazine, January is Hot Tea Month.  Few things are more comforting on a cold, windy day than a hot cup of tea!  Bengal Spice, by Celestial Seasonings, is one of the popular tisanes available in local grocery stores.  Basically a caffeine-free chai substitute, the tisane is spicy with lots of cinnamon and nutmeg, and none of the tangy hibiscus or rosehips that make up most other tisane blends.  It is delicious plain, but when you add a small spoonful of local honey and a splash of milk, it really comes into its own.  It’s a little lighter in body than a regular chai with Indian black tea, but the spices are so bold that you don’t notice the absence of the tea.  With the slight sweetness of the honey and creaminess of the milk, it will warm you all the way down, and since there’s no caffeine, you can drink this chai as late in the day as you want without disturbing your sleep at night. 

For more information: Bengal Spice tea product page
Celestial Seasonings company page
Slideshow of tea recipes from Food+Wine magazine website 
“Virus, Infections, and Colds, Oh My!”  from the Tea Association of the USA
“Flu Season is Tea Time” from the Tea Council of the U.S.A., Inc.
“National Hot Tea Month” by Beth Johnston of Teas, Etc.
“It’s National Hot Tea Month” and January 2011 Sweepstakes info from Bigelow Tea
“How to Celebrate Hot Tea Month”

Time to pick some Meyer lemons!

Meyer lemon tree.

I love having a Meyer lemon tree in the backyard!  I love lemon anything, but Meyer lemons are a whole other kind of wonderful!  I will definitely be making some Meyer lemon curd (using the Gourmet magazine recipe), and anything else I can think of.  Here are some interesting Meyer lemon recipes:

Meyer Lemon Bundt Cake
Meyer Lemon Buttermilk Pudding Cake with Fresh Berries
Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie 
Meyer Lemon and Orange Flower Yogurt Cake

Happy New Year 2011!

from AntiqueClipArt.com

Ring in the New Year with some tea punch!

Pomegranite tea punch.

Tea can be combined into so many delicious recipes, both healthy and decadent.  This recipe is refreshing during hot weather, and festive for the holidays.  It is a favorite beverage with the members of the South Bay Ladies’ Tea Guild. 


Ladies’ Tea Guild Pomegranite Tea Punch
2 liters lemon-flavored carbonated water, chilled
1 liter brewed apricot or peach black tea, chilled
2 to 3 cups pomegranite juice, chilled
1 tablespoon rose water
ice cubes
culinary rose petals or nasturtium flowers for garnish 

Combine the iced tea, pomegranite juice and rose water in a large container and chill thoroughly.  Just before serving, transfer to a punch bowl and add the ice and lemon-flavored carbonated water.  Float edible flowers, especially organic rose petals or nasturtiums, on top for garnish.  Serve immediately. 

You can vary this recipe with any kind of red juice, if you don't have pomegranite.  Cherry and cranberry juice are very good, but orange juice would probably work just as well.  Rose water can be found in the International Food section of many grocery stores in the United States;  it is often used in Middle Eastern cooking, and will be on the shelf with the Middle Eastern  packaged foods.  If you don't have apricot or peach-flavored black tea to use as a base, you can use a bit of canned or bottled apricot or peach juice, or just leave it out and use plain black tea instead.  Edible flowers are most easily available in the late springtime, so if you can't find any this time of year, leave them out. You can replace them with lemon slices if you like.

This punch is lightly fizzy, floral and fruity, and has a lovely, festive, clear dark red color, plus it has antioxidants and Vitamin C.  If you wanted to make it alcoholic, you could use champagne instead of the carbonated water, and have something similar to a Bellini, which would be delicious.  However you celebrate, stay safe and healthy as you begin your new year!

Cuccidati for Christmas!

Homemade cuccidati!

I remember having a huge pink bakery box of Italian Christmas cookies at my grandma's house every year.  Being allergic to nuts, I couldn't eat many of those cookies, but I remember how good they looked and how everyone enjoyed them.  I've been making more of an effort to research Italian and Sicilian traditions, especially holiday and food traditions, and re-create them.  This year, it was Sicilian Spiced Fig Cookies, or Cuccidati.  Instead of the traditional filling of spices, dried fruit and nuts, I left out the nuts and made a cookie that I could eat!  Here is the recipe that I used:

Holiday baking.

Cuccidati (but they're missing their sprinkles) from Wikipedia. 

I'll be working on some holiday baking this afternoon before I sing my last two gigs with the Lyric Theatre Victorian Carolers later today, so we'll see how much I can get done.  On the schedule: Sicilian cuccidate, more gingerbread (cake) and gingerbread cookies, and possibly some Italian anginetti and/or anise toast. 

The gingerbread cake will be for gifts, along with jars of homemade jam.  The gingerbread cookies will be made in two shapes: houses and donkeys.  The gingerbread houses will be decorated as Victorian houses, and the donkeys will be decorated like Italian donkeys (with red saddle and blue bow around neck).  The other cookies will be for the family.  There is a lot of advance preparation, and chilling of the dough, so I'd better get started!