Our Upcoming Events


Join us at one of our presentations on chocolate or tea
and chase away the winter blues!

February 9th
5th Annual American Heritage Chocolate Celebration

Bob has been invited back to once again to lead his ‘standing-room only’ chocolate tasting at 12 noon and again at 2 PM during this events-packed, day-long program at Historic Deerfield. Be sure to be there !

For details, contact Historic Deerfield: 413-775-7214 or www.historicdeerfield.org

February 10th
2008 Home Show Celebrity Chef Series Cooking at Yale Lighting and Appliance

We will be conducting tea brewing demonstrations ( with tastings ! ) and signing copies of our books from 12 noon until 3 PM in one of the show kitchens in this ‘kitchen wonderland.’

For details, call Yale Appliance toll-free:
1-888-925-3463, 296 Freeport Street, Boston MA

February 27th
Cooking with Tea Class @ Lamson & Goodnow

ALL ABOUT DRINKING AND COOKING WITH TEA

Join us for an evening of all things ‘tea”. We will prepare a menu of our delicious, original recipes that use tea as a primary ingredient ! A tea tasting will accompany the dishes.

Chinese Marbled Eggs
 These exquisite eggs are boiled twice in a mixture of black tea and aromatic spices to produce gorgeous marbling.

Asian Shrimp Boil Made with Genmaicha Tea
Shrimp flavored with a Japanese tea prepared with toasted rice, plus seasonings of hot chili paste, fresh ginger, black pepper, and fennel.

Crunchy Sesame Seed Crusted Pork Tenderloins
 Featuring a sweet and hot spicy green tea rub.
Oolong Rice with Squash and Chestnuts
Both long grain and Japanese multi-grain will be used.

White Tea Snow Sorbet

6:15 - 8:45 PM $ 55.00
Contact Lamson & Goodnow to register (413) 587- 0009

 

 
 Greek Beans

Beans and legumes have always been essential to the Greek table. Some of Greece’s best beans, such as the famed Gigantes - Elefantes variety of giant white kidney bean and the smaller, pinkish Plake Megalosperma beans are renowned for their excellent flavor and quality. Travelers to Greece have no doubt encountered fasolada, a hearty bean soup that is made with plenty of onions, tomatoes, olive oil and aromatic vegetables like celery, carrots and herbs such as parsley. A seemingly endless variety of delicious bean dishes showcase the country’s flavorful extra-virgin olive oil, fresh herbs and soft, ripe tomatoes and tangy sheeps milk feta.

Gigantes Beans with Honey and Mint
from the Olive and The Caper by
Susanna Hoffman, Workman Publishers, 2004

 

I pound dried gigantes beans
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
 

 ½ tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 whole cloves
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 cups water
½ cup potato Skordalia (accompanying recipe)
1 tablespoon shredded fresh mint
 

1. Place beans in a saucepan and add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, cook for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Set aside to soak for 1 hour.
2. Drain the beans, rinse them, and set them aside in a colander.
3. Heat the oil in a large non-reactive pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, celery, and sauté until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, bayleaf, oregano, cloves, honey, vinegar, salt and pepper. Simmer until the mixture is well blended and a sauce has formed, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the 3 cups of water and the beans and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer briskly until the beans are very tender and some of their skins begin to break apart, about 1-2 hours, depending on the age of the beans.
5. Remove the pot from the heat, swirl in the skordalia, and sprinkle with the mint. Serve right away or at room temperature.

 
 


~ SAVE 1.00 ON THESE PRODUCTS ~

• Sarabeths Legendary Spreadable Fruits
large jars - any flavor

Sarabeth has been setting the standard of excellence for award-winning fruit jams since 1981. Beginning with an old family recipe for orange apricot marmalade, Sarabeth has gone on to create a selection of mouth-watering jams that are truly ‘spreadable fruits.’ Whether you know Sarabeth from her jams or have visited one of her restaurants (in the Whitney Museum of American Art, or at several other locations, she is a force in the NYC food world.

• Geetas Mango or Pineapple Chutney
our best selling chutney, all natural !

• Spanish Smoked Paprika
how did we live before this ? !

~ SAVE 2.00 ON THESE PRODUCTS ~

• The Cape Herb & Spice Company
Elements of Spice Rubs
any blend, your choice ( and our favorites ! )
 

Apipharm GREEK HONEY

 

We are thrilled to offer this wonderful collection of Greek honey – it is such a great addition to our current European artisan honey selection. So for all you honey lovers who slather honey on morning toast or spoon a healthy portion into your tea or over your bowl of yogurt or soft goat cheese, now is the time to delve into new flavors and textures.

Our Greek honeys are raw, and collected by hand using traditional methods. The bees are allowed to forage in season to collect the nectar from distinctive sources at the prime of flowering. The honey is allowed to ripen in the hives, which contributes complex and rich flavors to the finished product.

• Fir Honey from the mountains of Vitina, Peloponneses
• Heather Honey from Sterea Hellas
• Orange Blossom Honey from Epirus, northern Greece
• Pine Honey from the island of Evia
• Wild Thyme Honey from Western Crete
 

 


Our Pledge to Mercy Corps

When our book The Story of Tea A Cultural History and Drinking Guide was published, we pledged to donate 2% of the profits from in-store and internet sales of our book to Mercy Corps for the humanitarian work they do with tea farmers in Darjeeling, India. Through their program, the Chai Initiative, tea farmers are gaining stability in their lives despite the market forces that continually put their livelihood in peril. We are proud to say that last week we sent them a check for $500, which we hope will be the first of many contributions
 

 


Potato Skordalia

1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/3 cup blanched almonds

15 cloves garlic, peeled

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

1. Place the potato in a small saucepan and add water to cover. Place over high heat and cook until soft all the way through.
2. Drain the potato and transfer it to a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Use right away or cover and refrigerate overnight.