We are teaspotting on Foodspotting

We joined Foodspotting.  Visit our Notes on Tea-spotting Sightings guide at http://www.foodspotting.com/notesontea.  Hat tip: Alexis at teaspoons & petals

Damask, a romantic setting for tea

Here is a new post in our occasional series on staging interior and exterior settings with tea for magazine photo shoots.

This set features a cup of black tea served with a lemon slice and brown and white sugar cubes.  I really like the pink fringe on the saucer as well as the oval shape of the teapot, tagged as a Wedgewood Jasper Conran teapot.  The manufacturer of the saucer was not identified.  The image was scanned from a recent issue of Martha Stewart Living with photographs by Pia Ulin and text by Melinda Page.

Previous posts in the Tea Styling series
Glossy tea settings
Staging with tea

Tea offerings at Illy airport coffee shops

On recent trips out of JFK and Boston Logan airports, I have purchased coffee at new Illy cafes and notice that the cafes stock Damman Frères, Tea.  Do you have any experience with this tea?

Were you there?

Some of the guests at the tea and cheese tasting I wrote about last time are pictured above.  Alexis of teaspoons & petals attended the tasting, but we did not meet each other.

Notes from an In Pursuit of Tea and Cheese Tasting

One does not often associate cheese tea, but the two make a great pair.  In Pursuit of Tea hosted a tea and cheese tasting in November 2010 at its pop-up shop in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City.  The tasting was led by In Pursuit co-founder Sebastien Beckwith; Saxelby Cheesemongers co-owner Benoit Breal; and French Culinary Institute chef instructor Melanie Franks.  There were 14 women in attendance including me.

Melanie Franks told the group that when pairing tea and cheese one should consider complementary or contrasting flavors.  For example, salty cheese (chevre) + sweet tea (green or white).  Another consideration is cutting the tannic flavors of a tea (Darjeeling) with a fatty cheese or smoothing out the acidity/astringency of a tea (Sencha) with a thick cheese.

Here were the pairings and my notes:

Sencha + Ardith Mae Chevre
Thick, *sweet* cream flavor

White Peony + Goat Tomme (dry)
The floral (nose), soapy (taste) tea paired with the cheese yielded a gamey taste. The cheese rind in combination with the tea produced an ashy taste at the back of my throat.

Second flush Darjeeling + Ascutney Mountain (raw cow's milk cheese)
One of my favorite pairings. A fruity cheese combined with this astringent tea reminded me of a Bavarian spaetzle (similar to macaroni and cheese).

Dong Ding (oolong) + Cabot Clothbound Cheddar
A toasted, floral green paired with this cheddar resulted in a salty flavor. The Dong Ding tasted with the Ascutney produced mushroom flavors.

Assam + Humble Pie (similar to brie)
Malty Assam paired with this brie-like cheese filled my mouth with cocoa flavors.

Pu'erh + Vaquero Blue
One of my favorite pairings; the roasted, barny pu'erh combined with this blue tasted like butter, salt, and oysters!

Update on I guess I like Harney brand teas

Original post, Dec. 20, 2010: An upset stomach sent me in search of peppermint tea in my cabinet.  I selected Harney & Sons Peppermint Herbal, a Christmas gift featured in the O, Christmas tea booty post.  During my search I came across a HT tin of Chocolate-flavored Black Tea now filled with miscellany tea bags.  That was a good tea, but the peppermint herbal was no slouch either. 

Update, Jan. 9, 2011: I forgot my 4-ounce tin of Keemun Mao Feng!