The Melting Teapot

2:30pm, skipped lunch, wanted a light snack, decided to have a spot of afternoon tea

Trader Joe’s Cucumber Wonton Rolls (vegan):  Yes, this is a manufactured food product, but sometimes I just want something quick.   In 10 minutes I was ready with tea and a snack.  The rolls are small wonton wrappers stuffed with chopped cucumber, seaweed, and tofu.  They are light, subtle, and have a hint of Asian spices to make them interesting.  Take a few out of a bag,  then steam or pan fry.

SA Genmai Cha, Japanese Green tea – this genmai cha is coated with matcha, so the savory flavor of the classic powdered green tea joins the popped grain taste of the genmaicha.

To me, matcha always has an aroma and taste that is reminiscent of the ocean, in a salty seaweed-on-the-breeze sort of way.  It can be a little bitter if the water is too hot or the tea brews too long.  If you like dark chocolate, you might like making this is a touch overbrewed to get the roasted-bitterness at the back of your throat.  If you’re more of a milk chocolate fan, use water just before it boils and brew only a short time.

I prepared my tea, then sat back to watch this lovely 8-minute video about Gyokuro and Matcha in Uji Japan.  There is no speaking, just mellow music and an interesting video that shows how the the tea being grown, harvested, and processed.

If you are a twitter user, tomorrow night you’ll likely notice many tweets about Washington State merlot.  On Thursday, March 24, from 8-10pm PT, people will be sipping merlot from Washington and tweeting about it.

A rather large-scale event is taking place, with some wineries and wine shops offering special sale prices on merlots and others even hosting twitter tasting parties. You can find more details at DRINKnectar, or watch this video they prepared:

The wine regions of Washington produce sophisticated merlots, with complex flavors and a depth of tannin and acid that lends well to aging.  There are plenty of drink-me-now merlots to be found, but with even a few years on the bottle the wines begin to sing.  Merlot can be found as a single varietal wine, and it is often used to provide depth and character to beautiful red blends.

I’m not a twitterer, but I’ll be following the event online and raising a glass in honor of all of those participating.

What Merlot Will Cindy Sip?

Two years ago I went on a quest to find my personal favorite Washington merlot.  After several months of trying every merlot I could (wineries, wine shop tastings, parties, and more), I discovered a few things about my own palate as well as about Washington's varying styles of merlot.  In particular, I wanted less of the smoky campfire, heavy-handed oak, and more of that deep and intricate grape.

There were several I enjoyed, usually from grapes in the Red Mountain or Walla Walla AVAs.  Here’s the one that has been at the top of my list of personal favorites: Dunham Cellars Merlot Lewis Valley Vineyard (Columbia Valley).

http://www.dunhamcellars.com/

It is a fabulous merlot, and it had better be for the big price (around $60, lower if you’re in the wine club or stumble upon a good sale).  I don’t drink it often, preferring to save the few bottles we have for special occasions.

After an hour or two in the decanter, the wine really opens up and gushes with big, dark fruit.  It is quite easy to sip, yet there are enough tannins and acid to keep it from being overly soft. The aroma and flavor of the wine is filled with dark cherry, blackberries, and chocolate. That classic wild bramble of Washington state makes an appearance, and there is an occasional whiff of cherry blossom on the nose.

The winemaker, Eric Dunham, has done a great job of allowing his lush fruit to shine.  Yes, there are aspects of oak to this merlot – a hint of vanilla and some caramel.  However, the grapes are not overwhelmed by the oak, and there is no burnt wood or campfire aspect to the wine.

I think tomorrow will be a special enough occasion to open one of my cherished bottles of this merlot. Heck, I may even actually get a twitter account! 

While making dinner last night, I found myself once again pulling out three favorite spices.  I began to think about these three items, pondering why they are my “go-to” bottles and jars.

It shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did, to realize that often I am grabbing spice blends rather than individual spices.  This is probably for two reasons.  First, I use a lot of fresh herbs, so the dried versions rarely get grabbed when cooking.  I’d rather use fresh cilantro, dill, sage, or basil, snipped from my herb garden.  Second, my three favorites tend to be flavor enhancers, containing elements that work a lot like salt & pepper (but with a bit more zing). 

I tasted each of them alone, to get a sense of what they were adding to my food, and then inspected the list of ingredients.  I noticed that each of these spice blends include salt, which means I should probably add little or no salt when using them in a dish.   There are other interesting ingredients and profiles, which deserve some focused attention.

Lemon Pepper

The lemon peel pops in this seasoning, followed by a salty-sweet note, with the black pepper on the finish.  It is a great flavor enhancer, and I almost feel like I’m cheating when cooking with it.

I began using this in the last year, originally purchasing the bottle after seeing lemon pepper featured in so many recipes and strategies for grilling fresh halibut.  Lemon pepper is indeed wonderful sprinkled on grilled halibut (and other fish), but it’s also very tasty on anything that is roasted or grilled. I regularly use this spice when roasting vegetables, and I’m especially fond of it on brussel sprouts.

Note: It is worth looking closely at the ingredient list on a bottle of Lemon-Pepper, to make sure you aren’t sensitive to anything (for instance, there can be MSG or soy added). I’ve been using Spice Islands' blend, but I'd like to find a lemon pepper that doesn’t include salt, sugar, and MSG.  If anyone knows of a brand that is more simple and natural, please let me know!

Fennel Salt

There are a few different versions of fennel salt available, usually from specialty or gourmet food stores.  Mine comes from Seattle's Volterra restaurant and can be purchased locally or online. While Volterra does not provide a list of every ingredient, they do state that it is “made with freshly toasted, organic fennel seed, organic orange peel, and other traditional flavors of the Italian peninsula.”

On its own, the flavor of salt is muted by the licorice aspect of the fennel, by the notes of Italian herbs (oregano, maybe basil?), and by the contrast of orange peel.  When used in food, I notice the fennel as a primary element, more than  I do the herbs.

The salt is wonderful sprinkled in olive oil (for dipping bread, as they do at Volterra restaurant).  It is also a great when added to scrambled eggs, sprinkled on top of creamy soups, or whisked into salad dressings.  I rely on it as one of the main flavor enhancers of my favorite Fennel-Apple Salad.

Cholula Hot Sauce

The wooden ball topped bottles of Cholula are easily found in most American grocery stores, and they have been a staple in my refrigerator for many years.

In New Mexico, these bottles appear on most café and diner tables, right next to the salt and pepper.  If they aren’t in place, they are always available if you ask your server.  Cholula is made from two types of peppers (arbol and piquin), in a vinegar-water base. Think of this as a liquid form of salt & pepper, which you shake out from a bottle.

When you taste Cholula, you’ll get a pickled zing of heat, surrounded by a savory sensation.  It is definitely spicy, but when added to food it doesn’t bring as much heat as you might expect.  Instead, it rounds out the flavor profile of a dish, enhancing other ingredients.

I find it particularly useful in vegetarian food, especially soups.  It adds a necessary mid-level element to broths.  Cholula is traditionally used in eggs, and I always (ALWAYS) use at least a dash or two in any scrambled eggs or other egg dish I’m making. I keep it on the table when we’re having an egg breakfast or a meal with soup, so anyone else can add more spice if they’d like.

What about you?

Do you have go-to seasonings or spices that you turn to when cooking?  And, have you inspected the ingredient list to see just what is in that jar?

I first tried the wines of Castillo de Feliciana at a Village Wines tasting with winemaker Ryan Raber (previously of Tertulia). This is a new Washington winery, but the quality of the grapes and the experience of the winemaker are immediately evident. I was especially fond of the tempranillo, with its big tannins and long-lasting finish, but each wine we tried was very good. The wines are quite reasonably priced, with even the most expensive bottle under $30.

Bottles from Castillo de Feliciana are just beginning to show up on the shelves of Washington wine shops.  If you live in the Seattle area, you might want to try them paired with an upcoming Italian dinner at Bella Vita in Kirkland.  Jeff and I hope to be there one of the two nights, and we're looking forward to seeing which pairings work best with these very nice wines.

Bella Vita Italian Ristorante

and

Castillo de Feliciana Vineyard & Winery

Invite you to an intimate 6 course dinner with 5 incredible wines!

Winemaker, Ryan Raber will be here to describe the wines being presented and answer questions.



Sunday, April, 18th - 6:00 P.M.
Monday, April 19th - 6:30 PM

$60.00 per Person
(gratuity not included)


Featured Wines & Foods:

Bruschetta Al Pomodoro & Basilico

2009 Pinot Grigio
Gamberi Rossi

2008 Viognier
Penne Puttanesca
Insalata Della Casa

2007 Miercoles
Special tasting of 2008 Tempranillo
Bistecca Gorgonzola con Brandi e fungi

2007 Semillon
Exotica Bomba, Passion fruit, Strawberry, Mango sorbet w/ White Chocolate



(Additional bottles available for purchase)
Food substitutions available with prior notification.


Reservations Required due to limited seating.
RSVP - 425-823-2900


Bella Vita Italian Ristorante
12114 Juanita Dr. NE - Kirkland, WA 98034

Baked Wenshan Baozhong Tea
brought back from Taiwan this spring, by Brett Boynton
currently available at The Teacup in Seattle

Brett’s description of this tea was very appealing to me, with his tasting notes of fresh baked whole wheat bread, snap peas, and baked apples. I contacted him and purchased a few ounces (along with two other oolongs he brought back from Taiwan).

I usually brew baozhong oolongs in a gaiwan, but for this I decided to use something a bit more special and chose a small celadon pot from my mother.

This pot is from An Ta Pottery Art Col, in Taipei.  There was an informative insert in the teapot, with much information about celadon, including this:

The famous poet Lu Yu of the Tang dynasty (A.D. 618-907) insisted that the full glory of celadon ware could be manifested and appreciated only through the subtle shades reflected in tea ware (Lu is author of the famous Tea Classic).  One of his fellow Tang poets described the understanted elegance of celadon with such phrases as “celestial glow,” “thin sheet of ice,” “tender shoot of the lotus,” and “tantalizing jadeite."

With teapot and cups pulled out, I put my kettle on to boil. Before brewing, I sniffed the dry leaves.

The aroma was buttery, nutty, not as green and flowery as many baozhongs I’ve had before.  The fragrance was almost savory.  Brett talked about this having an aroma of fresh baked whole wheat bread, and I definitely get that nutty whole wheat characteristic.  Indeed, I’d say this is like a whiff of freshly-buttered wheat bread.

After a quick rinse, the aroma of butter disappeared and the a warm almond note took over.  There was a zesty note of peppers and spices coming through, and a touch of citrus is in the background.

Upon brewing and sipping, I found this tea to be silky smooth, with an aroma that was almost sweet.  The flavor was fresh, reminiscent of spring shoots, yet it still had that savory wheat note.  There was a subtle twist of lemon peel on the finish that made things interesting.  As the tea cooled in the cup, the floral element popped out, but it was not strident or overwhelming.  It was almost like clover or clover honey.

Aromatically satisfying, silky in texture, with several layers of flavor -- this is a beautiful tea, and I am very happy to know its history at the same time I enjoy sipping it.