Tarts & Tea Tasting

Is pie the new cupcake?  All the big food magazines have been featuring pie recipes lately, there are new pie companies popping up across the country.  Is there a pie movement that I didn't realize was happening?!

Well, actually pies have been speculated to have been around since 9500 BC, so that would make cupcakes the newer trend.  If we're in the cycle of old is new again, then I guess pies are on the rise!

We all know what goes well with pies...TEA!  And when you're in Toronto's Leslieville neighbourhood, Majesteas is the choice for tea.  This lovely little teashop is owned by Rob and Ian.  Rob is a Certified Tea Sommelier who I keep bumping into that I met a few years ago at one of the many tea events I've attended.

One Sunday afternoon, I brought my friend Kim from the new Leslieville Pie Factory to Majesteas along with some of her tasty tarts.

Fine tarts:  lemon, triple chocolate caramel and butter makes three.
The O Christmas Tea with a dash of milk beautifully complimented the rich chocolate tart.

Cinnamon Plum:  this warm, soothing cinnamon plum licorice hibiscus herbal blend went well with the lemon tart.  Also tasty was the Marakesh Orange Spice (cup to the right)

Spice for Life: this blend was reminiscent of ginger snaps, not too sweet, went well with the butter tart

Genmaicha - the toasty nuttiness was great with the lemon tart

this one was so good I nearly forgot to take a picture until it was half gone

These are the teas

  

So, if you're ever in Leslieville on Queen Street East, take some tarts to Majesteas for a fun delicious extravaganza!

Wine Tasting Workshop at Creme Fraiche Market Cafe

On a chilly evening back in February of this year, I attended a wine tasting workshop at the Creme Fraiche Market Cafe.  I met the owner of this cool local cafe, Constance, at a William Sonoma Artisans' Market at Yorkdale Mall.  Upon hearing that I was a Certified Tea Sommelier, she suggested that I should come check out a special wine tasting workshop she was holding at her cafe.  Since wine and tea have some similiarities, both are crops highly affected by the land or terroir.  The products take on and reflect the taste profiles of the land it's grown on.

I enjoy wine and actually had thought of taking some wine tasting courses.  I just needed to find time in my busy schedule.  So this workshop interested me very much.

Creme Fraiche Market Cafe carries local, sustainable, artisan foods.  It sounded like it could be a very yummy affair.

 Wine Sommelier, Luis Marquez led the workshop

Constance helping the guests get settled in

Think we're in for quite a ride, look at all the glasses!  How many are we going to be tasting?  A welcoming glass of sparkling wine to start the evening.

Some of the amazing cheeses made by Ontario dairies.  Of the cheeses we tried I found the Figaro and the nutty aged Lancaster were delicious.  A very good sharp blue cheese and a Monteforte Abundance was yummy.  There were sweet honey comb and a luscious pear chutney.

 Some of the Ontario-made cured meats, dill pickles and spicy pickled beans...mmm

 The nerd in me couldn't resist making notes throughout the awesome workshop.

One sparkling wine, three white wines, six reds and a dessert wine were tasted.  Luis took us through a great journey around the world of wine.  New world and old world wines were discussed and enjoyed.  We were given pointers on how to make educated guesses as to the region, age, and type of a wine.  

 Tiramisu and a Yuzu flavoured macaron served with the Moscatel, oh my...

What an awesome way to spend an evening!  It was so much fun, tasty, and educational.  Highlights were a German Reisling, a Cab Bourdeaux, and a Spanish Moscatel dessert wine.  Creme Fraiche periodically holds other workshops such as pasta making too.  Check their Facebook page to stay on top of what's available.  Boy, I thought tea was complicated, add the alcohol in wines and, um what was I talking about?  
Perhaps a caffeinated beverage... anyone?

TEA AND TALES: The Event

At last, the food, the teas, and the people were all set.  The guests have arrived and so begins our tale.

Every year since its inception, the Tea Guild of Canada has featured a tea and food pairing event.  This is a great way to open the general public's minds to the endless possibilities of tea.  This year's theme was "Tea and Tales".  There are many legends and stories associated with tea.  The four course event took place in different rooms of Montgomery's Inn on Saturday, April 6th.

The guests were split into four groups and rotated to a new room or tasting station for each course.  One or two teas were paired with each course.  A new tale about tea was told at each sitting.

 The worksheet for guests to take notes and the menu

Tales about Tea History took place in the dining room.  Certified Tea Sommelier, Jim Nicholson and "Tea Snob", Karen Bergman told the guests of the tales of Afternoon Tea.

Some of the tales included:
"Economics: Rule Britannia & Capitalism" - Industrial Revolution, East India Company, the Clipper Ships and India tea trade.

"Politics: Liberalism & Monarchy" - the pomp and ceremony of Queen Victorian times, Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford, Whigs vs Tories, Liberal Ideology, Gunboat Diplomacy and the Opium War.

"Social: Rising Middle Class" - Wealth, Emerging Middle Class, Temperance Movement and Embracing foreign cultures.

The first course of chicken consomme was paired with Dragonwell tea in all the rooms, except for this one.  Jim and Karen decided to serve a White butterfly (white tea) and Buckingham Palace (Earl Grey, Chinese Jasmine, Malty Assam, and Kenyan blend) tea for all four courses.

 Guest examining the leaves of the White Butterfly tea

In the ballroom, Certified Tea Sommelier, Carol Savage and Tea Sommelier student, Katherine Bellman told tales about Chinese and Japanese Tea Folklore.

They told of the legends of Sheng Nong, Tieguanyin, Bodhidharma, Dragon Well, and origins of Chinese black tea.

Dao Hong Pao (Chinese Oolong tea) and Jing Ping Gong Fu Black tea (Chinese fully oxidized black tea) were paired with the sandwiches and savories.  

Carol and Katherine served Jin Jiang Mi Lan Xiang (honey orchid oolong) and Jin Guan Yin (an oolong from Anxi province) with the scones.  Golden needle and iced matcha passionfruit lemonade with the sweets.

I think this is the room I should have stayed in, the pairings sound amazing!

Using a Chinese Gaiwan to steep the teas

In the tavern bar, Tea Sommelier instructor, Bill Kamula, told the tale of Sir Thomas Lipton.

Certified Tea Sommelier, Debbie Chang assisted with preparing the Dragonwell to be served with the soup and a Ceylon tea was served with the rest of the courses.  How fitting since this is the room talking about Thomas Lipton!

Package of the world famous Lipton Yellow Label tea in the background

In the historical kitchen, Certified Tea Sommeliers, Linda Gordon and Linda Gaylard spoke about Form, Function and Style in Teaware.  

The sweets were paired with a tasty iced Matcha Passionfruit Lemonade, Darjeeling and Assam teas

All in all, Tea and Tales was a fun and informative event!  A blend of stories, people, delicious foods and fine teas.  Montgomery's Inn provided a beautiful and historical setting for all the offerings.

Stay tuned for more tea adventures and my preparations for all the tea in China...!

TEA AND TALES: Behind the Scenes (The Food)

The Tea Guild of Canada presented their 4th annual tea and food pairing fundraiser event, "Tea and Tales" yesterday.  I was there taking photos and helping as a back up runner.  The event started at 1pm, but the volunteers from Tea Guild arrived at the historic Montgomery's Inn at 10 am to help set up and prepare the 4 course afternoon tea.

I was lucky enough to watch two master chefs and their volunteer staff at work preparing the delicious food for the guests.  Bill Kamula and Laura Bryan are George Brown Culinary School Chef instructors and co-chair the Tea Guild of Canada.  Laura is a Certified Tea Sommelier and Bill also teaches the Tea Sommelier program at George Brown.

1st course:
Chicken Consume with spring garden vegetables served with a cheese sable cookie. The savory cookie with the delicious soup was a great combo.

Cups with spring garden vegetables, ready for hot chicken consommé to be added

2nd course:

Sandwiches & Savories included curried chicken in cucumber and tomato cups, Deviled eggs, homemade hummus and sliced apple on rice crackers, watercress and cream cheese on white bread, smoked salmon with lemon butter on dark rye.  A little something for everyone including those sensitive to gluten.  All delicious!

Chef Kamula at work preparing deviled eggs

Chef Bryan preparing curried chicken in tomato cups

Smoked salmon rosettes with whipped lemon butter, pieces of red onions, topped with pieces of arugula and lemon.

 I now know how to make those rosettes, I'm ready for my next tea party!

Deviled eggs topped with a light sprinkling of paprika

Think I need to set my white balance...daylight on those sandwiches and savories looks good!

Volunteers preparing chocolate dipped strawberries.  First the fresh ripe strawberries were dipped in milk chocolate and then in shaved white chocolate flakes.

Mmm, milk and white chocolate dipped strawberries

3rd Course:
Clotted cream and homemade Ontario jams (made by Chef Bryan)

Cream scones and Almond Scones (Gluten free)

4th course:
The sweets were all handmade.  There were biscotti, pinkies (delicious coconut squares with pink frosting), matcha cookies, chocolates (including handmade jasmine tea truffles with orange and grapefruit zest by Certified Tea Sommelier, Carol Savage - they were simply amazing!  Carol also made the almond scones), and the chocolate dipped strawberries.

The food's all prepared.  Hey, what about the tea?  Let's go check on how the Tea Sommeliers are setting up and preparing for their tales around this old manor turned museum while we wait for the guests to arrive...

O5 Tea + Kale & Nori = Cocktails, Tapas and Tea Event (An Impression)

On the lovely dry fall evening of October 17th,  my impromptu field reporter Drew Taylor walked into the O5 Rare Tea Bar in Vancouver as part of a birthday gift from me.  

 Some readers may recall Drew from a previous post, when my coffee drinking friend joined me at the Urban Tea Merchant for their Sakura Westcoast Tea Service.  Little did he know what he was in for as he took another leap into the world of fine teas.  

 What happens when you add a rare tea hunter, a creative mixologist, and a talented chef?   

A collaboration of fine teas, cocktails and culinary delights!   Pedro Villalon of O5 Tea, Lauren Mote and Chef Jonathan Chovancek of Kale & Nori Fine Culinary Arts joined together to combine each of their special talents and showcase the beautiful teas of Yunnan, China. 

You can find the full menu and tea influenced cocktail recipes here.

Drew's impression of the evening, in his words: 

"The drinks took the edge off the gathering and allowed the ensemble of tea enthusiasts to relax and meet while enjoying succulent dainties, all infused with many fine teas.  All the hosts were passionate, articulate and informed.  For the ticket price of $50, people definitely got their money's worth."

Photos by: Drew Taylor

Kale & Nori's line of bitters created by Lauren Mote

That's a matcha tea grinder on the left

Pistachio crusted turkey marble, Moondog spice, apricot - Moonlight tea puree (paired with the "Moonlight Desires")

"Moonlight Desires" (Gin & Marigold Flower Cordial with O5 "White Moonlight" tea syrup)

Kombucha Squash-tea emulsion, sherry-maple-pecan glazed pork belly (paired with the "Hekou-Lao Cai")

"Hekou-Lao Cai" (with Bison Vodka influenced by "Golden Curls" tea)

hmm, this must have been good, Drew had seconds!

O5 Tea Hunter - Pedro Villalon and Kale & Nori Chef - Jonathan Chovancek

Silver needles braised mushroom and rice croquette, wild ramp kim chi, green onion tofu aioli (a vegetarian addition to the menu paired with the "Misterios")

"Misterios" (Mezcal with Silver Needle & Rosemary Syrup component)

Silver Needles tea steamed Gulf Island mussels, Chinese sausage, Indian carrot pickles (also paired with the "Misterios")

 Sakekasu beef kababs, sweet & hot peppers, rockets, coronation raisin (paired with the "Ushky")

 

The "Ushky" (with a pu'er component)

Kale & Nori mixologist - Lauren Mote

O5 Tea Server (Kendra)  and Event Photographer (Issha Marie)

Teas from Yunnan - the Inspiration

 

 Oh snap!  I should have been there!  Maybe next time...