This is a Tokoname teapot from Japan. It's a type of stoneware from a specific region/kiln. This came from o-cha.com. I am having the problem that regular tea in bags doesn't taste as good as loose leaf tea. However, the small, plastic infuser I bought to brew tea at work is absorbing flavors from other kinds of tea! Yuk! I have been drinking Pu Ehr (pooooor) tea, which is very good for your digestion. It does, however, have a very strong flavor some don't care for. It also has imparted it's flavor in the plastic infuser. I tried brewing green tea after a couple days of drinking pu ehr and I nearly gagged! I had to air out my infuser for a few days because my Houjicha picked up whatever was already in the infuser. A lot of serious tea drinkers collect teapots for each kind of tea they drink. I have seen pictures of collections of 15-30 different kinds of Tokoname, tea bowls, cups, gaiwan and yixing. I have seen yixing for upwards of $500 - which I am not in the market for. I'm just not sure that I want that much "stuff" and I know I don't have the real estate on the kitchen counter to accomodate it! However, over time, the yixing (especialy) and tokoname will absorb the flavors of the one type of tea brewed in them and it is said that after a number of years you can just put hot water into a yixing and make tea with no leaves! How cool.Thursday, January 31, 2008
New Teapot!
This is a Tokoname teapot from Japan. It's a type of stoneware from a specific region/kiln. This came from o-cha.com. I am having the problem that regular tea in bags doesn't taste as good as loose leaf tea. However, the small, plastic infuser I bought to brew tea at work is absorbing flavors from other kinds of tea! Yuk! I have been drinking Pu Ehr (pooooor) tea, which is very good for your digestion. It does, however, have a very strong flavor some don't care for. It also has imparted it's flavor in the plastic infuser. I tried brewing green tea after a couple days of drinking pu ehr and I nearly gagged! I had to air out my infuser for a few days because my Houjicha picked up whatever was already in the infuser. A lot of serious tea drinkers collect teapots for each kind of tea they drink. I have seen pictures of collections of 15-30 different kinds of Tokoname, tea bowls, cups, gaiwan and yixing. I have seen yixing for upwards of $500 - which I am not in the market for. I'm just not sure that I want that much "stuff" and I know I don't have the real estate on the kitchen counter to accomodate it! However, over time, the yixing (especialy) and tokoname will absorb the flavors of the one type of tea brewed in them and it is said that after a number of years you can just put hot water into a yixing and make tea with no leaves! How cool.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Tomato Phyllo Pizza
We also repotted some Aloe plants on New Year's Eve.This is also known as "The Frances Pizza" at our house because it was given to me by a woman named Frances.
seven 17- by 12-inch sheets of phyllo, stacked between 2 sheets of wax paper and covered with a damp kitchen towel.
7 Tbsp butter, melted and kept warm (we add 2 cloves of crushed garlic to this - optional)
7 Tbsp fresh grated parmesan cheese (Parmigiana Reggiano is best!)
1 cup coarsely grated mozzarella (1/4 lb, but who measures)
1 very thinly sliced onion (we use red onion, have used green onion bulbs)
2 bls tomatos (about 5) cut into 1/4" thickness - I use roma, recipe calls for regular.
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled - I use fresh from the produce section
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 tsp dry
Brush baking sheet lightly with some of the butter/garlic mix. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo on the butter and brush lightly w/more butter! Sprinkle that with Parmesan cheese. Cover that with a new sheet of phyllo and pat flat and repeat the butter/parmesan process until you have 7 layers.
When you get to the top layer sliced tomatos and onions onto the phyllo, add cheese and herbs. Then salt and pepper to taste. Finally, sprinkle with a couple tsp parmesan cheese over the whole pizza.
Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges and cheese are golden to your taste. This serves 8-10 as a first course.
Shibata notes:
one pkg phyllo makes about 2 recipes.
we like more cheese: used about 2Xs mozz. and the fresh stuff from the deli works best if you can slice thin or grate.
You can also add dry or fresh basil if you like.
Ideas from the 8-31-03 New York Times Magazine: add goat, feta, Stilton cheeses and Calamata olives. (feta and Calamatas were awesome when we added)
Mannins also added prosciutto and pancetta sliced hams. Pancetta is salty enough that you don't need to add extra to this recipe.
Will add picture later. Kids took it off the memory stick.
seven 17- by 12-inch sheets of phyllo, stacked between 2 sheets of wax paper and covered with a damp kitchen towel.
7 Tbsp butter, melted and kept warm (we add 2 cloves of crushed garlic to this - optional)
7 Tbsp fresh grated parmesan cheese (Parmigiana Reggiano is best!)
1 cup coarsely grated mozzarella (1/4 lb, but who measures)
1 very thinly sliced onion (we use red onion, have used green onion bulbs)
2 bls tomatos (about 5) cut into 1/4" thickness - I use roma, recipe calls for regular.
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled - I use fresh from the produce section
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 tsp dry
Brush baking sheet lightly with some of the butter/garlic mix. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo on the butter and brush lightly w/more butter! Sprinkle that with Parmesan cheese. Cover that with a new sheet of phyllo and pat flat and repeat the butter/parmesan process until you have 7 layers.
When you get to the top layer sliced tomatos and onions onto the phyllo, add cheese and herbs. Then salt and pepper to taste. Finally, sprinkle with a couple tsp parmesan cheese over the whole pizza.
Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges and cheese are golden to your taste. This serves 8-10 as a first course.
Shibata notes:
one pkg phyllo makes about 2 recipes.
we like more cheese: used about 2Xs mozz. and the fresh stuff from the deli works best if you can slice thin or grate.
You can also add dry or fresh basil if you like.
Ideas from the 8-31-03 New York Times Magazine: add goat, feta, Stilton cheeses and Calamata olives. (feta and Calamatas were awesome when we added)
Mannins also added prosciutto and pancetta sliced hams. Pancetta is salty enough that you don't need to add extra to this recipe.
Will add picture later. Kids took it off the memory stick.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
New Year's Day
Augie as Guitar Hero. Emm's buddy brought over his Guitar Hero for PS2 on NYD. Tyler is pretty good at it after several days practice. Emmerson got kicked off stage. Augie just likes wearing Emmerson's wig and holding he guitar. I'm ready to go out and buy it. Has some good old classics in addition to Slipknot, 3 days grace, Disturbed, and others.
Our New Year's Dinner was Tomato Phillo Pizza, which I will publish later. We also had ice cream drinks until 12:15, at which time Augie gave us a lecture for staying up too late. Then he passed out. New Year's Day we enjoyed pizza soup and cleaned our house. Today i am back to work and John is keeping the kids one more day. Happy New Year to all!
Finishing Christmas Presents
December didn't go as we'd planned. So I am finishing Christmas (actually New Year's) cards and a few gifts while I have some time off from work for the Holidays. These are gifts for music teachers. I filled them with Starbucks gift cards and some tissues with music printed on them. The lining of the bags are sheet music. When the weather has been nice, we have been driving up to North Suburban IL to take Grandma Mannin dinner. She is still recovering from surgery the second week of December. Olivia and I decided to make her a quilt, although she doesn't need anymore stuff in her house (do any of us, really). I still haven't quilted the Dresden I made before I got sick.
We also had our cousin Spencer over for several days between Christmas and New Year's Day. John and the kids went to the Indiana State Museum and went to the IMax theater to watch "The Polar Express" (Augie's favorite movie) in 3-D. Then they spent an hour in the Lego exhibit before being thrown out of the museum. We also took the kids to Cheeseburger in Paradise, where Spencer enjoyed the macaroni & cheese plate off the Little Parakeet Menu.
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