I’m typically the milk and granola type. Pour some milk over a vanilla or honey granola and breakfast is perfect. Good wholesome granola is hard to come by without all the extra ingredients so I was excited to partner with Oh-Mazing Foods to share their story. It tastes homemade with only a few ingredients, like something I would make at home. And it’s the perfect snack to travel with because even if it’s smushed in your bag it still tastes amazing (duh!).
Oh-mazing Granola brings out the Adventurer in me
Stephanie Williams founder of Oh- Mazing food has created delicious granolas that you’ll find yourself munching on throughout the day. That perfect in between snack without all the junk. All of her products take on the true flavor of the ingredient and the crunch is always so fresh! The brand inspires people to live full and love all the good. The adventurer in me will never say no to a great snack.
Go check out her products and support black owned businesses! https://www.ohmazingfood.com/
Snacks for Puppy Shark
This guy is like a little Parm Crisp Puppy Shark. He’s making his next best move. And you should too, by heading over to @parmcrisps to get your snackie fixing. I love them crumbled over hot soup or with Salumi boards. And it’s a perfect weekend for movie watching so you could replace your popcorn with these. Heck! Toss buttered popcorn in crushed Parm Crisp bits to elevate your movie cravings tonight.
You know when they say, don't play with your food...
I had a fun time putting together the imagery for these snacks as a collaboration with Parm Crisps. Sometimes those snacks are all you can think about during munch time (which is kind of an all day task)! But, these gluten free, keto friendly, carb-less cheesy bites are quite versatile. I’ve even tried melting them over soup. I’m one of those people who loves finding little bundles of melted cheese in my soup, it’s sometimes more delicious to get a mouthful of all the goodness at once.
Also, if you’re missing checkers to your game-board then these are the best replacement. Whether you win some or lose some, you can also eat some! These crisps are here to made snack time and meal time a little more special. Check out their webpage on where to purchase yours!
Alleyway Ice Cream & The Garnished Palate Churn Out New Flavors
It amazed me, all of the unique ice cream flavors at the quaint, tucked away Alleyway Ice Cream spot. Sure, you find lots of concepts similar to this in big cities, but Julian Hom’s ice cream doesn’t compare to anything I’ve seen upstate. His flavor combos are developed through the critical eye of a foodie and well-seasoned traveler. It’s a complete experiment of risk that he is always willing to take! So, I took it upon myself to experiment flavors with him. We both found beauty in the prettiest colors and textures imagining the final product to taste as lovely as it looked. Our first flavor was made with an elderflower ice cream base, edible flowers and homemade crunchy honeycomb. It’s floral and refreshing reminding me of a sweet cocktail encompassed in an ice cream scoop! And, as a gal who loves her toppings, this one should only be consumed solo. It’s rare that I ever want to do this!
Julian also wanted to create a flavor with some tang to it! Creamy goat cheese with swirls of pomegranate molasses gave this cone some edginess. It’s definitely a flavor that should also be eaten without any added toppings other than a little drizzle of more molasses.
Check out my article in Hudson Valley Magazine for more details!
Sip and Crunch with Pomp and Whimsy & The Perfect Puree Napa
Fabulosaaa times with @pompandwhimsy and @theperfectpuree. Some of the “in process shots” of the event to share with @lesdamesny . It was so great to connect with all of the women and brands that came out. I would love for you to check out my recipes for the drink and crostini in part by these brands. The recipe to the drink made with @pompandwhimsyand @theperfectpuree as well as the Pear and Ricotta crostini inspired by @theperfectpuree
The Speckled Lychee
Photo credit: The Women’s Cocktail Collective
The event turned out successfully! I have been waiting to share these recipes with you for a few months. My cocktail was going to be this pineapple basil-infused simple syrup concoction and I thought, well this doesn’t quite fit the bill for me! Instead, the drink turned out to be a refreshingly sweet, floral bubbly beverage. Feminine and light for summertime, just as I would drink year-round. The Perfect Puree of Napa Valley and Pomp and Whimsy Gin in partnership with The Women’s Cocktail Collective were awesome enough to offer their product for my creations.
I was even asked to create another recipe using what I chose to be the Pear Puree from The Perfect Puree of Napa. With that, I created a ricotta pear crostini with smoked sea salt and candied ginger. A little zing and a little ping! And of course, everything was topped with a micro mum flower.
The event comprised of female-driven brands like Babbo, Felidia, and Lupa Osteria who was tossing fresh tonnarelli in cacio e pepe. Dinner reservations were made there shortly after my first bite!
London Fog Makes Me Think About Earl Grey
England is a moody place. The air is chill and the sky almost, always painted grey with clouds packed with pockets of rain. I was only there for a couple days nearly a year ago ( it bizarrely seems like a decade now) and I mostly remember days of solid rain and gloom. I think of London because of Earl Grey tea.
The name Earl Grey tea was coined after a British Prime Minister from the early 1800’s. No better name for a British tea, I think! Mr. Earl Grey always requested tea with bergamot oil which has since been a characteristic flavor and aroma of the black tea. This tea is one that I associate with an afternoon tea time in England; one where you sit at the Ritz London sharing laughs and chatter over a tower of pastries and finger sandwiches. It’s timeless and simple, no frills other than the flavor of bergamot.
I am a huge fan of citrus and cannot seem to stop talking about it either! Bergamot, is a type of orange grown in Italy and looks cross between a lime and lemon! How oddly beautiful a fruit variety could be? And, not to mention I never got my hands on one while in Italy, at least I don’t remember. But, goodness it is an amazing fruit and it’s made itself one of the most important teas in Harney and Sons vast tea collections.
Turn Savory Cornbread into a Harney Tea Citrus Tea Cake
As an after school snack in grade school, my grandmother used to bring over corn muffin tops for her and I to snack on. She loves them! We would toast and smear with butter. So so delicious, even right from the local grocers bakery. So while I believe that we should treat ourselves to something different and calorie filled every so often, it was in my best interest to make fried chicken and test out a new cornbread recipe this weekend. Cornbread could either be really tasty or quite dry and boring, and I have had it both ways.
So here is my proposition. Savory cornbread is best for a dinner of greasy, buttery, tender and juicy fried chicken. You can sop up the leftover juices on your plate with cornbread! In my opinion cornbread is at its best the day of too. After a day it gets super cold and firm unless you toast it, but then you run risk of drying it out. I do believe that day old cornbread is the perfect model for some simple syrup action! Turn a savory carb into a sweeter treat.
A fried chicken side turns itself into an after dinner tea cake.
It’s citrus season baby! And I love my citrus. So. I have turned my day old cornbread into a sweet blood orange soaked cake. And! I glazed it with a mixture of powdered sugar and Harney and Sons Blood Orange tea. I garnished it with a beautiful spiral of orange peel that I coated in sugar and fried in olive oil!
I always look forward to my next meal- gratefully so- and I think this is a nice treat to pack for lunch during the work day. A sweet pick me up, and hopefully it doesn’t knock you out ;)
A Collab Effort with an inspiring Podcast
I am continuously inspired by Food Media trends so I am very happy to collaborate with and help promote my friend Raymond Delucci, host of Line Cook Thoughts on Spotify. Ray has began a podcast series that will highlight the thoughts of young and seasoned professionals in the food industry. What will their stories be? What have you yet to understand about the kitchen behind the scenes? While sharing the stories of those who are challenged, he inspires those to fine optimism in an industry that can be quite grueling.
Ray has interviewed rising culinary star EJ Lagasse, amongst many other talents who are making waves in the food world. Check out Ray’s podcast Line cook Thoughts every Sunday and Wednesday on Spotify!
Get out of that holiday funk
So here we are at the holiday’s end. The fun has blown over. How? That fast really? It always happens that way and when all is said and done we go back to work and school feeling kind of funky. But, there is no need for that because our blessings are more exciting everyday than what Christmas could bring us once a year. And the Harney and Sons tea giveaway has closed and one lucky person will be receiving something a little extra this year.
Thank you to those who participated! The garnished selection has taken place and the winner will be contacted shortly. Gifts are fabulous baby!
Harney Sons Gift Giveaway Continues with Chai Tea Moments
Nothing more do I love than a perfectly creamy and indulgently sweet chai tea. I am in love. I always get Chai tea wherever I go even if it’s the cafe at the edge of town. Except Italy! I don’t remember how I got through without my chai? Nonetheless, it’s my favorite, so at home in the absence of a milk frother I lightly whip heavy cream instead. This “foamy” version of frothed milk made me say “hell yes!” The heavy cream sticks around a little longer and doesn’t melt into the tea like foamed milk would. Sweet, dense, warm, yum. The spices are equally balanced throughout, yum!
So, what the heck is Chai tea anyways and why can we purchase jugs of Chai tea concentrate at Harney and Sons? Chai is a black tea base with cinnamon, clove, cardamom, nutmeg, and vanilla. Black tea is full of caffeine, so I must take caution, but I rather enjoy my 20 minutes of bliss no matter the consequence. I feel as if though Chai tea, like matcha, has been morphed into its own category. You have white teas, black teas, oolongs, and greens, but within those categories are the all mighty sub category of bold, concentrated, and noteworthy teas. Teas that don’t necessarily act as cold remedies and teas that you don’t make in the morning like a cup of Jo. These teas like Chai are what memories are made around. Charismatic and full, Chai tea is best to drink in moments where only good things happen.
Harney and Sons Gift Giveaway!
This year along with Harney and Sons Tea I will be giving away a special gift inclusive of Harney and Sons Tea products! Here is what you need to tell me….
I want to know what it is that makes your favorite food memories so special. Food in some form is always a part of our culture. Food memories are nostalgic and they evoke feelings from past experiences, memories with people, and memories of feelings. When I learned about this simple concept in culinary school it always stuck with me. Part of why I tell stories in my posts has to do with my love for sharing memories in relation to food. Even though we may share the same food with the same people in the same space, we all take something different away from those moments.
I’m not sure that every one of us has memories with tea, but if we do then I want to know what it was! What did you drink, who were you with, what did you talk about, and why was it special?! Or was is it that time you ordered Bucatini Amatriciana from Pasta Beach in Rhode Island that kept you going back again and again… (if you want to know more then you tell me your stories too)!
Tea or no tea, what foods or drink evoke your best memories?
Subscribing to The Garnished Palate will double your chances of being chosen! Regardless, everyone who shares will be placed in my bag of tricks to be considered for a Harney and Sons gift!
Hauraki Frost Vibes
Thanksgiving is brisk this year, which means more reason to indulge in food that makes you feel cozy. More reason to drink a stronger, astringent @Harney teas Hauraki Frost from Southern India. A tea that mellows out the buttery Cherry Diane, Pumpkin, and Apple Crisp pies! There’s something comforting about taking the initial bite of pie and sipping hot tea to chase. It’s a feeling I wish could last forever but theres no way around avoiding the feeling of being full!
There are never enough ways to be thankful for all the good there is. But I am blessed to have a dual life living and working in a world where I surrounded by food in all ways imaginable.
Cinnamomum
I wasn’t quite sure what story to lead on Cinnamon tea for the month of October. Not to mention I am a bit behind on this post now that we have landed in November. But I feel this is all for good reason. I think that the last two weeks of straight work on and off set has written the story for me.
Cinnamon is a universal flavor to almost everyone. It’s one of the all-American spices that highlights the foods we find in the average supermarket; cinnamon toast crunch, cinnamon buns, coffee cake, red hots, French toast- the list can simply multiply itself 5 more times. It’s universal in other cultures too; Vietnamese cinnamon spice, Chinese 5 Spice, Cinnamon in Arabic spice blends, heck my Italian Grandmother even cooks with cinnamon! Harney and Son’s cinnamon tea is the best example of the usage of cinnamon. It’s sweet when paired with sugar, it’s bitter when you’ve steeped it for too long, and it’s savory all on its own. It channels itself through food in many ways. But, I also believe that it can relate to the themes of life. And I finally realized why this tea was perfect for October. There was a moment of realization while away on the west coast last month, working for nearly 2 weeks straight. There were moments that I realized life was like cinnamon- savory, sweet, and bitter. Moments that taught me so much.
The all nighter I pulled alone while everyone went to bed responsibly. I carried glass carafes full of liquids and heavy props up and down the stairs quietly. I got maybe two hours of sleep in before the alarm rang for another 15-hour day. That was Bitter. Yet all those moments of laughter over compensated for the intense days we had. Those long delirious laughs kept me going, even when I didn’t know what I was laughing at anymore. I sound crazy right? And altogether I savored the experience to its fullest. The shows, the talent, the 15 plus hour days, my team, the beautiful home we stayed. Everything. And literally, after it’s all said and done this week, I WILL be drinking a cup of cinnamon tea, pretending that it feels like fall on the east coast although I still feel like I am on the west coast. Cinnamon too has a story to tell if you can find the relationship.
Blooming Art Tea Part 3: A Series Of Fashionable Teas
And it’s Autumn! I waited to post this later in the month although I was eager to do it sooner, but I had to wait for fall to show itself even (just a little). According to the calendar it’s fall, but it barely feels like it. There were days during the summer that felt more like Autumn than it does now so I do know that it’s gonna take a minute to readjust itself. For now, we just go with it and imagine the beautiful crips air, produce, and fashion trends that comes with it. This month- the final month of fashionable teas- Jessica and I decided to represent Harney and Sons Jasmine Fairy Maiden. A less bountiful tea than the previous ones in our series, but the best one to put in a glass. It’s orange blossom is a bit small which makes it perfect for a singular cup of tea.
Because the tea is a bit subtle in color we wanted to tie in some bright colors and textured patterns to bring it to life. The orange cloth automatically makes you think of fall, evoking the feelings of warmth, delicious pumpkin soup, decked out Jack o’lanterns, and thick knit sweaters. The milk carafe is essential to this photo because I bought it at an antique fair in Alberobello, Puglia while the weather was wisping cold air off the sea. That little copper vessel was the perfect buy during that cold winter season and I knew it would come to fit an occasion like this. The copper color fits the warm tone of the scene.
The Jasmine Fairy Maiden is a green tea with jasmine tea leaves flowering around and upward the blossom. The small lemon colored thread of flowers bloom out from the center of the tea leaves leaving a whimsical trail of beauty. These blooming art teas are subtle in flavor but they carry so much sophistication, that they are perfect when decorating a table scape for an elegant party. Think festive halloween party or a chilly fall morning tea meet- up with friends when sipping this tea!
Blooming Art Part 2: A Series Of Fashionable Teas
The edge of summer is near, which means there will be many less days of vibrant sun. It also means the cool colors become warm and everything in trend turns to fall. The last few days of summer are being held tightly before they are lost in a long year of work. Before all the bright and bubbly colors of summer turn to darker versions of themselves. And, not that I don't love fall because it actually is my favorite season, I really enjoy the beauty of summer and how lively everything becomes in both worlds of fashion and food. Like days I get to prance around in my yellow mini skirt or bright purple polka dot romper. Even the moments I crave a large glass of iced tea while baking for hours in a very warm kitchen. All these summery vibes will soon change over for all things warmer and more snuggly.
The name of Harney and Sons Tea, Dancing Snowflake is a bit ironic when thinking about summer. But it actually perfectly mimics the beauty of both fashion and food with its bloomed essence. A fluffy yellow flower opens up to hot water and garnishes any glass teapot with sunny sophistication. I love this tea for August because it symbolizes a time when fashion and drink are at their peak in season. Right now the trends of clothes, shoes, accessories, and colors of summer are almost full-filled. We will soon see the life of fall come to fruition. We will see lines of people waiting inside cramped coffee shops defending the cold and awaiting their order of hot tea. We will see food and beverage brands marketing their best and new fall items with clove, cinnamon, or pumpkin spice. But for now, we will savor the last moments of summer with the Dancing Snowflake tea (don't mind the name too much).
Blooming Art part 1: A Series Of Fashionable Teas
It's quite simple if you think about it, that tea is this gorgeous, perfume like, colorful substance that you add to water and miraculously it has a way to heal, entertain, warm, and form relationships. In my home growing up we always had pouches of tea and nothing more. It was then how I viewed tea as a white pouch that turned brown once saturated where I figured the in-complexity of it. It was when my dad and I bought my mom loose tea leaves in this 2 oz tin can for her birthday one year, that I first started liking the idea of tea even more. There are cultures that swear by it too, like England and their clocked in routine tea time. The stores I visited while spending time with a friend in London all made sure their teas were prominent above all other specialty food items sold around. Even India, China, and Japan find a greater importance for this dainty sipping drink, that does wonders for our bodies and mind.
Besides the healing properties and mental wellness it provides there is something more physical to tea. There are teas mixed with dried flower petals or citrus rind, grassy textures, and herbs and then there are those that sprout like flowers and create the idea of an underwater garden. Harney & Sons, Seven Sons Congratulating tea is this pinkish red flower, surrounded with jasmine petals. The tea grows in the Fujian Province, China nearest Taiwan which is one of the largest regions in China to produce tea . It's a beautiful combination of dainty meets feminine meets chic with touches of the color pink and jasmine. Jessica Haryanto and I spent some time thinking about how we could portray tea in a modest yet fashionable way. Jessica has spent some time in the fashion world and helped me collaborate on how to make this blooming art tea the perfect look for mid- summer. While we feel that pink is floral, feminine, fragrant, and loving, it allows us to create a tea scene that fits all these characteristics in any setting.
Tasting Notes
While this tea is especially delicate, the raw tea sphere- before it flourishes in water- smells of Fig Neutons. Steep the tea ball in hot water off heat and wait for its reveal in only a few minutes; the water should turn a pale yellow. With the addition of sugar or honey it's mild jasmine flavor is just as good either room temperature or hot. Some opinions my say it's not a hearty tea you drink with milk, especially because you don't want to hide its beautiful bloom. Seven Sons Congratulating Tea is refreshing and fashionable for any evening or morning sip in July.
Hot and Slushy Berry Tea Granita
Spring has turned into summer incredibly fast, and I am way ahead of the season by preparing this icy granita made from Harney and Sons Berry Young Tea. As I head up to the Hudson Valley every other weekend, I notice the vast change in quietness and the peace of the countryside and how much more motivated I am to get creative. I use all and anything lying around, like the plaster and sample paints that my brother had leftover from renovating his room. While in NYC- at this moment in my life- there is only so much room an apartment can offer. I have started to bring my props down in batches, but always love knowing that I have enough items back at home to work with when I'm there. And when I am really motivated I create surfaces like the one above. A subtle blue textured wave with the bright pinkish- red contrast is just right. The surface adds a little something different but it also doesn't take away the essence of what the photo is really about.
It's quite simple to make so instead of turning brewed hot tea into a cold drink, just blend it with some sugar and berries and pop it in the freezer for a quick treat. Granitas are delicious when your sweet tooth is weak and you are quenching for something fruity. Granitas melt fairly quickly, but they taste just as delicious if you consume the rest through a straw- I know it seems odd but trust me on this. I think this treat also leaves you feeling less guilty because it doesn't contain the fat from dairy as you would get in Ice cream. Maybe I'm contradicting myself here, but I would recommend having ice cream after lunch (work it off) and save granitas for your end of meal, sweet snack.
TEA NOTES
RECIPE
The vibrant fuchsia tea is certainly flavored by a mix of unexpected ingredients. Rose petals, goji berries, kiwi, bits of apple, and pieces of orange peel take action in flavor and what's so beautiful about this tea are the dainty ingredients that make it quietly complex. The loose leaves tell a story about the tea before drinking it and what you will taste is up to your senses. Perhaps it's easier to taste these various ingredients when observing the tea leaves as you sip, picking through each dried piece (this is for very observant tea drinkers). Try drinking this tea hot and then drinking it cold and see how the entire profile changes. The strawberry is subtle when warm and immediately you think of Mama's berry cobbler. But, when chilled the berries are crispy and ripe just as you would eat them at the strawberry patch.
1 Cup water
2 T Berry Young loose tea leaves
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries
METHOD
1. Steep the tea in hot water until a bright fuchsia color develops. Let cool.
2. Add all ingredients to a blender, including the tea leaves and blend until smooth.
3. Strain the liquid and pour into a metal pan. Place in the freezer for about 45 minutes to an hour.
4. Scrape with a fork and put the mixture back in the freezer for another hour. It should be completely frozen and slushy after two hours.
***The bigger and shallower the pan is, the bigger the granita chunks will be. For smooth scraping, pour into a smaller, deeper container. You will get nice scraped-up fluffs of granita this way.
Japanese Green Tea Horchata Anyone?
Just as we round off Cinco de Mayo weekend, we may still be thinking about horchatas, concha, and beef tacos. I have been thinking about horchatas and the fact that I never found them appealing until now. What could you do with tea other than sip it hot under a blanket or drink it with ice on a warm sunny day? Horchata is generally known as a Spanish and Mexican milky cold drink blended with raw rice. The rice sits in the liquid for hours so that the fine starch particles can soak up the water and create a viscous beverage. My version is Japanese due in part to the sushi rice I used as well as the tea, Genmaicha which is made from the leaves of Bancha tea, brown rice, and popped rice kernels. I thought, well, if I'm going to spin this classic around I better use a tea that makes sense like one with rice in it.
TEA NOTES
Genmaicha is classified as a Japanese green bancha tea that has been picked a few weeks after the first tea harvest. The first harvesting of the tea's plant would be considered the sencha tea leaves. The Gemaicha has course bancha tea leaves and toasted grains of rice with a few popped kernels per handful. Wafting the dry leaves will immediately get you envisioning yourself snacking on buttered popcorn with the initial aroma of a toasted butter. While the tea steeps, you will notice the aroma loosening up a but due to the dilution from water, but it still holds strong in flavor. When sipping Genmaicha you taste toasted rice as if you were parching some in hot oil for risotto, however there is a grassiness that comes forward too. The longer you steep the more intense the flavor and color will be, so while steeping at the appropriate temperature of 190 degrees for maximum 3 minutes, you should see a light minty green color appear. This is a great detoxing tea when you're feeling a cleanse or after eating stuffed Castella pancakes or super sweet Custard Fish.
MAKE IT
2 Cup Water
2 T Genmaicha Tea leaves
1/2 Cup+ 2 T Sushi Rice
3/4 Cup Coconut Milk
2- 3 T Honey
1. Bring water to 190 degrees and add the loose Genmaicha tea leaves. Let steep for 1-3 minutes. Let tea cool down before adding rice.
2. When tea has cooled, add raw sushi rice and blend in blender until course. Let sit for 2 - 3 hours and strain liquid through sieve leaving rice bits behind.
3. While liquid is sitting, fry 2 tablespoons of sushi rice in hot oil until they pop into mini kernals. Transfer to paper towel to soak up any leftover oil. Set aside.
4. After a few hours, blend honey and coconut milk into tea liquid until smooth and frothy.
5. Add ice cube and kernels to the Genmaicha Horchata and drink through a straw in a sassy tall glass.
MAKE AHEAD
Make Genmaicha tea ice cubes instead of using regular cubes that will dilute the drink. Make tea as you would above and pour hot into prepared ice trays. You can purchase cube shaped rubber ice trays at any home goods store.