Earl Grey Teas & Spanish Sangrias

Left: Green Earl Grey tea and Right: Black Earl Grey tea that has been steeped overnight

Obviously I was finding something to do one boring afternoon. What can you make with left over, half-emptied wine bottle? Pour the contents into a simmering pot of Boeuf Bourguignon? Make the cliché, Poire Pochées with crumbled Danish Bleu Cheese? How about make Spanish Sangria!

Few months back, my girl pal, Mae-mae shared her Sangria project with me: It was a warm autumn afternoon in Sweden when Swedish moms and grand moms picked up fresh fallen flowers, wild berries and stored them in a jar, filled it with water and let it sit until summer. It's a household staple of sweet, fragrant and definitely healthy drink. It is kept in a jar, chilled and conveniently drank whenever thirst comes.

"It was so gooood!" Mae-mae said. Leaving me the sparkling interest of either visiting Sweden, asks the Mrs. Ahlund to teach me, pass on me their household tradition and cute culture of this summer quench. Or simply make my own; I want to make my own so bad! Sitting over that lunch, makes me thirsty of learning cultures through my palate.

Sangrias, a Spanish beverage made of wine, sliced fresh apples or cherry picked wild berries, and freshly squeezed fruit juice, sometimes spiked with brandy, then sweetened by honey. Sangrias are often presented in a punchbowl with a wooden ladle to prevent ice cubes and sliced fruits from falling into the glass .I think being a Spanish colony way, way back, this is where we got this wide, clear, crystal punch bowl tradition that we use over family reunions or baptisms..

Welcome to my tiny Sangria pantry!

There are infinite recipes on the web, some uses White Wine as per Sangria Blanca. For this experiment I tried using a red Merlot, 2013 and sweet white Chardonnay, 2010. Sangrias don't usually have teas, but my desired experiment with tea is my main reason for coming up with this entry.

I steeped 3 pieces Green Earl Grey tea and 3 pieces Black Earl Grey tea in separate containers and let it sit overnight. My objective is to find which variant of Earl Grey is best with wines. Certainly, Black Ceylon won me with Chardonnay and Citrus, and my personal favorite Three Layer Kuching Tea in my previous entries.

Left: Green Earl Grey tea vs. Right: Black Earl Grey tea

Left: Green Earl Grey tea vs. Right: Black Earl Grey tea

MERLOT & EARL GREY TEA  SANGRIA WITH CRISP GRANNY SMITH APPLES AND ASIAN PEARS

Makes 6 glasses

3 pcs  Earl Grey tea bag, steeped in 400ml warm water

325 ml Merlot, 2013

6 Tbsp Honey 

1 pc Granny Smith Apple, sliced

1 pc Asian Pear, sliced

Left: Green Earl Grey tea vs. Right: Black Earl Grey tea

Left: Green Earl Grey tea vs. Right: Black Earl Grey tea

CHARDONNAY & EARLY SANGRIA BLANCA WITH APPLE MINT AND BAGUIO STRAWBERRIES

Makes 6 glasses

3 pcs  Earl Grey tea bag, steeped in 400ml warm water

325 ml Merlot, 2013

6 Tbsp Honey 

60g Baguio Strawberries, halved

4 sprigs Apple Mint

The procedure is very simple: Once the teas are already steeped and cooled down (overnight), sweeten with honey and infuse with fresh fruits for at least 2 hours. Add wine upon serving, serve chilled or on the rocks.

Four different glasses: (Upper Left) Black Earl Grey tea- Merlot

(Lower Left) Green Earl Grey tea-Merlot, . (Upper Right) Black Earl Grey tea-Chardonnay and (Lower Right) Green Earl Grey tea-Chardonnay

I had each glasses passed around and asked which the guys and gals liked better. Over all, the Black Earl Grey tea-Chardonnay is the most favored. 

My verdict: I like the full bodied flavour of Black Earl Grey tea better than the light notes of Green Earl Grey tea. Black Earl Grey tea won my heart for combining with both Merlot and Chardonnay in Sangrias.

 Until my next adventure!

My Most Favourite Food In The World -Edited!

Appreciating food on its own sense: "Do I really have just one favourite food?" (In this wide, wide world) What does it make a dish magical in order to be favoured? Is it the ingredients, flavours or texture? Or is it the companionship, love for the person cooking and the memories that came along that dish? Those are what my thought bubble asks..

I don't think I can pick up just one dish to declare as my Most Favourite Food in the World. People change, we are constantly evolving and acquiring, some people develop or adapt in their environment, and some people don't. There are people who are giving their curiosities a try and there are people who are narrowed to their pantry staples.

What is my favorite dish? I have to pick one for this writing exercise and after 3 months, going 4 acually, I still can't decide. I'm frozen with this question.. I just wish if I were to represent Philippines in Miss Universe, that Donald Trump would not ask me "What is your World's most favorite dish and why?" because I can't certainly answer! Sorry my dear homeland!

Food not only nourishes the body and satisfies hunger. Food on its own sense feeds the soul. It associates memories (your comfort food), it stirs emotions (I will marry someone who can cook as good as my mother) and creates questions (Who made this dish?)

Isn’t really easy; I tried recounting my childhood and I barely decided if ever I have just one favourite dish in my entire life. It's impossible. But is there a special dinning experience I will never forget? I'm sure deep down my bunk of memory, there is at least one?

I recalled the feeling of sitting amidst a long family dining table.  A lot of times I was seated quietly observing the faces in front of me, observing the quietness when people are eating or listening to the clattering sound of silverwares against the glossy china. I was curious, what are these faces having in mind while chewing their food? Are they happy or are they sad?

Food shared over, not plenty but enough. Not fancy and not regal but brings back childhood. Food that is nicely seasoned and spooned with warmth of homeliness.  Food cooked by the woman who raised me as her own child, prepared by a parent who took time cooking for a sick child. Food cooked to celebrate a little achievement or intended to cure a broken heart. Food that ease the pain of failure, fires up cravings And brings joy to a simple family. Food that spices up friendships comforts a lover and caps a long tiring day. And Food that is meant to be shared, so good that it voices the best and most needed conversations. −Food that brings me back home.

I guess that is my Most Favourite Food in the World.

Matcha Egg Noodles, Shiitake Mushroom Pot Stickers and Three Layer Kuching Tea

Is there any happier place than Asian restaurants? The sight of hand pulled noodles, steaming pots of beef broth,  dimsums in bamboo steamer and brewed teas. Is there any other kind of place where the  aroma of slow cooking, with depths  of umami,  the scent of anise, ginger and soy are all together in a bowl?  Is there another planet with sticky rice and more comforting food than Earth?

I am Asian, Filipina to be exact. This means I eat carbohydrates three times (or more) everyday. Noodles, rice, dimsums and flavorful broths.. You name it! Asians eat the best stuff in life. We are not as healthy eaters as the Mediterraneans and why not? We got plenty Culinary gems in every Asian country. My favorites are Laksa, Tantanmen, Sushi, Sashimi, Mochi and many more with carbs. I want to ask God  why  other Asian girls are so petite than I am, but I like eating, so I must not really complain.

There are millions of Asian recipes to learn, some are tricky some are just complicated to look at, and to start up.. 

Welcome to our little Asian Pantry!

Onion Chives, Bok Choy, Chicken Egg, Century Eggs and Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms

Bread Flour

Beef Short Ribs for Nanking Beef Broth

Kutsinta with Dulce de Leche from Muntinlupa Day Market

FRESH PASTA

500g Bread Flour

1 tsp Rock Salt

3 pcs Eggs

1 pc Egg Yolk

Weigh all ingredients together in a bowl and make a well at the center, we wanted to add the eggs at a time

Transfer on the bench and continue kneading until a dough is formed

Gather into a ball and rest for atleast 30 minutes to relax the gluten. We don't need a Window Pane in making Fresh Pasta or Noodles, we don't like the gluten to fully develop as per Breads.

A rough ball of dough is supposed. Cover with cling wrap and chill. Let it rest for atleast 30 minutes

MJ's Pasta Machine

Once the dough is ready, cut into pieces and prepare by running through the Pasta machine. Start by the thickest width which is number 9 (or 10 for some Pasta machine) then go each number one by one.. 8,7,6,5 and 4 for Ravioli and Pot Stickers and until 3 for Linguini and Fetuccini

A rough looking pasta is expected at first, fold it and continue running through the machine. You will notice that the dough is getting smoother as it gets thinner.

Let the flattened noodles rest until it slightly dry to relax the gluten or the strands will curl and tear

MATCHA EGG NOODLES

500g Bread Flour

1 tsp Rock Salt

3 pcs Eggs

1 pc Egg Yolk
3 bags, Green Tea

Perfect strands <3

Hang the noodles in wooden noodle hanger until you are ready for cooking

SHIITAKE MUSHROOM POT STICKERS 

Filling:

400g Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms, chopped

2/3c All Purpose Cream

2 Tbsp Butter, unsalted

2 Tbsp Brandy, (optional)

The filling is very simple. Saute chopped mushroom in butter, flambe in brandy and finish with cream. Don't forget to slightly season it with salt and pepper.

Sauce:

3 Tsbp Butter, unsalted,

1 cup Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced

3/4 c All Purpose Cream

1/2 c Fresh Milk

To taste, Salt and Pepper

Sprinkle of Spring Onions

For the sauce,  Saute chopped mushroom in butter, and finish with cream and milk. Season to taste and cook until nappe consistency. Toss the cooked Pot stickers in the sauce before serving.

For Pot Stickers, the flattened noodles doesn't have to be dried or the formed skin will make locking of the pieces difficult.

Simply portion the filling on the laid flattened pasta. Using egg wash, seal the surface to paste two pieces of pasta together.

Lock and press together, release air pockets if ever there is.

Let it dry a bit before cooking

"Don't waste another day being bitter. Each day is a gift from God. Use it wisely" - Joyce Meyer

Cook in rapidly boiling water until Al dente

Toss in sauce and serve

THREE LAYER KUCHING TEA

I first had Three Layer Kuching Tea two years ago in The Chicken Rice Shop and it has always been the best Milk tea I ever had in my life that I can finish three glasses in one night, forgetting about the calories and letting go the  guilt..I gained 10 lbs in just a month. 

Using Panocha or Muscovado sugar, make the dark caramel syrup.

Steep teas in warm water and let it sit for atleast two hours or steep overnight for fuller flavor

 Muscovado Caramel as the bottom layer

then pour in Evaporated Milk, about 60ml per serving

then pour in the Black tea, watch the layers until it slowly blend in together. 

Bottom layer:

250g Muscovado sugar

150g Water

Second layer:

350ml Evaporated Milk

Top Most layer:
10 bags Black Tea

1 L Warm water

As needed Tube ice

The summary of my chow: Matcha Egg Noodles in Curry Laksa,Nanking Beef  Egg Noodles, Shiitake Mushroom Pot Stickers, Century Egg with Sessame Oil and Three Layer Kuching Tea

Cooked Matcha Egg Noodles

Curry Laksa Bowl

Lovely Century Egg-boats with Sessame Oil

Cooked Egg Noodles

 Nanking Beef Noodles 

Family style!

"Don't waste another day being bitter. Each day is a gift from God. Use it wisely" - Joyce Meyer

At the end of this day, I reflected on myself to annalyze that I have done something beautiful today even I was having a heavy heart while working. I like my subject, Tea and Asian food. But there are just some people who crosses your mind and distracts you like a curb. I also realized that this day was too beautiful to spoil with sad thoughts..actually, every day is made beautiful as I am loved everyday and to my bitter pill, just have a nice day. 

I would like to thank again my dear friend MJ and his family for his participation and help in this entry. Until our next cooking and Tealogy!

love always,