Featured often in New York’s Time Out Magazine is Brooklyn’s “Tom’s Restaurant.”  Escape the heat and all your troubles.  Classic Burgers served, but they also serve up sass with a little lime on the glass in the form of the good ol’ fashioned Cherry Lime Rickey that maybe hep cats like Brando sipped in “On The Waterfront.” Goes down well with anything!

Cherry Lime Rickey
1. Fill a frozen tulip glass with ice
2. Pour in 7-Up until 3/4 full
3. Add a dash of Fox’s strawberry syrup (or cherry syrup)
4. Squeeze in a 1/4 wedge of lime
5. Do not shake. Do not stir. Serve as is.

Reproduced from Toms Restaurant

So what is an egg cream? It is a terrific summer dream drink and nothing is cooler. It’s basically always Foxes U-Bet Chocolate syrup, fresh creamy milk and seltzer. There is an elite group of egg cream architects, dedicated to its arts and connoisseurship. I was actually intimidated in my early 20’s! I snuck into a dark corner with my long double bulge chilled 16oz glass with my secret recipe. Often I hung my head in defeat as the perfect near capuchine white bubbly hood was smeared with flat disarray or lost its pristine two tone perfection. Practice like a luncheonette counter duelist preparing for a throwdown eventually gave way to confidence.

The trick does seem to be in how you stir and pour fantastically cold seltzer simultaneously. Once you have mastered these initiation tricks and hazings, you are in store for one of the most refreshing devilish treats. Gives me the same feeling as having a chocolate sundae, yet without the guilt. It’s light, opulent and thirst quenching.

Here is a basic recipe here and please check out the soda scientist Ron Casolotti’s devotion here. Soon enough, you can easily by sippin’ soda and tellin’ tall tales all Summer too. Any egg cream veterans from the Croyden Bar? Feel free to drop us some tips!

Basic Egg Cream recipe:

Approximately 1/2 cup cold whole milk*
1 cup bottled seltzer
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup**

* Skim or 1% milk won’t foam as well

** Fox’s U-Bet Chocolate Syrup is used in New York.

Pour 1/2 inch of cold milk into a tall soda glass. Add seltzer or club soda to within 1 inch of the top of the glass; stir vigorously with a long spoon (this will cause it to become white and bubbly with a good head of foam).

Very gently pour 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup slowly down the inside of the glass; briskly stir with a long spoon only at the bottom of the glass where the chocolate sits. The resulting drink should have a dark brown bottom and a 1-inch high pure white foam top (if you mix it too much, the foam disappears).

NOTE: Do not let Egg Cream sit for a long period of time - 5 minutes or more; it will go flat.

Makes 1 servings.

Historical trivia on the milky moka bubbles here

Any Egg Cream stories or photos? Please feel free to share!

Direct Trade Certified beans of beauty with a hip name and a clever game.

I attended a Counter Coffee Culture tasting at Dean and Deluca recently, but I only got to try out a few. Here are the specs from Dean and Deluca’s online catalog for “Ndaroini-Nyeri … a Kenyan coffee is intensely flavorful, exquisitely rich, and bound by rules of law that make its purchase complicated to say the least. Our buyers are undeterred, seeking out the most flavorful ’single lots’ at auction directly from the farms that produce them. These pure, unblended coffee beans yield the Ndaroini-Nyeri coffee: bright, intense, with notes of blackcurrant, tropical fruit and dark chocolate. Born of beans directly purchased for a fair price from the farmers who grew them.”  Now can you say this three times? Thank goodness you don’t have to….

I found it hard to resist the intelligent process Counter Culture Coffee projects, so I delved a bit deeper on their website to find they are a veritable National
Geographic spread of expansive collaborations. Their team of Coffee People enjoy the cultural exchange of traveling anywhere from the Asia & The Pacific to Africa where locals might be bedecked in a brilliant plumage of feathers and leaves or wrapped in silk and satin head dresses of Sumatra stylings. I would be much too sleepy at first, to pronounce their “Doluk Sanggul” Sumatra coffee, but I would like to try it!

Their brochure reads: “Traditionally cultivated in the remote community of Dolok Sanggul-located near the giant Lake Toba in the mountains of Lintong, Sumatra—this unique coffee offers flavors of savory herb and spice, profound depth, and a smooth, syrupy body.” Dreaming of these skilled artisans plucking the berries would surely add to my fanciful awakening to clear and focused breakfast space. I might even wear a sarong too. What about the beans? They have some serious bragging rights, touting sacred beans sourced according to strict ethical policy of “Direct Trade Certification, sustainable, and basically serious about being green and treating their Moka-Java crew with love.”

Exotic micro lots equivalent to a Grand Cru or small batch of luscious beans of beauty are rare but an occaisional treat. Now here is a concept that reminds me an awful lot of the love that is applied to single origin teas.  Looks like I am going Counter Coffee Culture straying from my tea. Roasted fresh to each online order.12 oz goes for $15.00

Photos courtesy of: Counter Culture Coffee

The crystal sculptured amber and turquoise designed vessel brings to mind a sugar sculpture from the Food Network concocted by a calligraphy sugar wizard. Feng Shui of earthy yet delicate pu’er tea jelly. The first layer is made of a cave aged tea called pu’er, which has a luxurious plummy, smoky cacao mystical tea flavor blended into a jelly. Once with an Imperial Dian Hong, hand made, yummy Yunnan tea, Greg Glancy, founder of Norbu Tea was kind enough to send me (which added just the slight perfect zing of astringency). I also tried it with some rich ripe pu’er tea. (I will tell you more about Pu’er tea later, also from Norbu Tea out of Texas! I did not take this photo! I made this dessert, however, in a lovely elongated martini glass. The glass did not come in Giancarla’s email with this wonderful recipe. Thank you.

The second layer is an aromatic rose ice cream made of Chinese rose scented spirits (wine called mei qui lu jiu) and Mei Qui rose tea. I also made following the succinct royal orders of Giancarla from Milan. It is simply divine and seems to chase all the worries of last year away like a phoenix. The third layer is a subtle, creamy ecru jasmine cream which echoes it subtle perfume beautifully. There is a buttery layer sugared lightly caramel with a little lolliope of nutty lotus seeds.  The feather in the treasure is the exotic cocoa singed, 5 spice dusted fire feather leaf.

Molto Bella! Whomever did you get this recipe from?  Giancarla’s coutour tea sundae, she asks.  She will never tell! Tailor up a coutour Phoenix Tea Empress Sundae, and you will feel as if a Valentine Venus di Milo, whom arose in an Armani Empress makeover! Thank you Giancarla for sending your recipe. Are you sure you are not friends with Giada and an Emperor?

Jasmine Tea Cream

3-1/2 cups of whole milk
1-1/2 heavy cream
3 Tbsp. Yin Hao Jasmine tea
6 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dark brown sugar

Combine whole milk and heavy cream in a sauce pan over med. heat. When the mixture reaches around (180f/80c) add the jasmine leaves and remove from the heat.  Cover and steep for 20 minutes, then strain through a sieve lined with a paper towel.

Combine the cornstarch with the water and pour into a sauce pan with the jasmine mixture and dark brown sugar. Heat the mixture over medium heat,stirring to the bottom of the pan with a rubber spatula. When the liquid begins to thicken, place the pan in ice water to cool completely. Strain the sauce thru a fine mesh sieve and leave at room temperature.

Pu’er Tea Jelly

2 Tbsp. pu’er tea leaves (shu/ripe post fermented leaves)

1-1/2 cup of spring water brought to a furious boil!  (serious, the tea is quite hard and needs boiling h20 to break down the composed structure of its clumped leaves.) *(220F/100C)

2.5 grams Agar Agar or Kanten strips.
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. floral honey
2 Tbsp. of pu’er tea leaves (shu/ripe post fermented leaves)

Put the leaves in a teapot and brew for 3.5 to 4 minutes with freshly boiled spring or filtered water. Do not allow to become bitter or astringent. Sip as it goes. Strain tea infusion thru a sieve lined with a paper towel. Measure about 1-1/4 cups of Pu’er infusion and transfer to a saucepan.

Add agar or kanten strips, cover with a lid and place over low heat to dissolve the strips throroughly. Add the granulated sugar and honey. Remove from heat

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and place in ice water to cool, stirring with a wodden spoon to prevent separation. When th emixture thickens slightly (around 95*F/35C Refrigerate till firm.

Mei Qui Rose Tea Ice Cream

5 tbsp. mei qui rose tea (25g or 1/2 oz)
1-1/2 cup freshly boiled spring water
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 whole egg, beaten
2 cups whole milk
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp mei qui rose spirit (mei gui lu jiu)

Combine the Mei Qui rose tea leaves and the boiling water in a teapot and brew as for normal tea. Strain through a sieve lined with a paper towel.

Combine the egg yolk, whole egg and granulated sugar in a bowl. Whisk until the mixure thickens and turns white.
Pour the mei qui rose tea into a med. saucepan and add the whole milk and heavy cream. Heat over low heat until the liquid reasches about 180*F (80*C)

Place the egg mixture in a bowl over hot water, and graudally add the mei qui milk tea, stirring with a rubber spatula. Cont. to stir until the mixture thickens. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
Place the bowl holding the mixure in ice water to cool completely. Add the mei qui rose spirit, and use an ice cream machine to make into ice cream (if not using an ice cream machine, transfer the mixture to a shallow pan and chill in the freezer, stirring from time to time to make a granita)

Lotus Seeds in Syrup

3 cups dried lotus seeds, skin and bitter jacket removed and soaked overnight
Scant 1 cup of bottled spring water
5 tbsp. of granulated sugar.

Bring plenty of water to boil. Add the lotus seeds and simmer over medium heat until tender but still crunchy like water chestnuts about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse in water.

Place the cooked lotus seeds and scant 1 cup of spring water in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the sugar, dissolve and remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.

Caramel Sauce

Try this one by Chocolate Monsieur Levowitz with love

If you can order a jar and find it pleases you, this is a good thing.

Spring roll leaves

2 Spring roll leaves
2 tsp butter
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. 5 spice powder

Cut each spring roll wrapper into an ornamental shape. ( A decorative fire plumage is you are feeling artsy)

Mix the butter and the sugar well to form a smooth paste. Reserve 1/2 tsp. of the paste and spread the rest over the surface of the wrappers.

Mix the reserved 1/2 tsp. of butter-sugar paste with the cocoa powder and five spice powder. Spread the mixture along just the edges of the wrappers

Bake the wrappers in a 340*F (170*C) oven until crisp. About 5 minutes.

To assemble: Place the pu’er jelly in a serving bowl or cup. Spoon the jasmine tea cream sauce over the jelly, and top with the Mei Qui Rose tea ice cream and lotus seeds in syrup Spoon Caramel sauce over the ice cream and garnish with a spring roll leaf.

*(Yin Hao is white buds/greenish than harsh jasmine tea) Mei Qui* Substitute if needed with a great Chinese Red tea.(fully oxidized Black) Keemun tea 1/2 oz of food grade aromatic dried roses.* Lotus seeds in syrup available in Chinese markets. If you need any help sourcing some of the ingredients, feel free to ask in comments.

Max Brenner aka “Chocolate by the Bald Man” … I’m not going to lie, I have had a complete crush on Max for quite some time. I try to find ways to catch a glimpse, hoping I might get invited to a personal tour of his mad science laboratory of chocolates. After all, his philosophy is called “a chocolate love story.”  His principal rule is to teach his “chocolate drinking ceremonies.”   Ok, I am all ears Professor Max.

He has sort of an all year round Santa’s workshop of goodies with style, and kids can start their lessons in the finer things as soon as their milky silky chocolate stained fingers can fit around his “Hug Mugs.” Max Brenner may be international and have lots of other fans, yet I am so utterly magnetized to his 13th and Broadway location, within the mesmerizing Manhattan’s wowie ganache filled Big Apple.  Even the mirror in Max’s says “You look so beautiful today.” He has created a new cacao culture which is utterly lucious.  Thick 50lb slabs of white chocolate, dark chocolates line the lab, along with pearls, non-pareils, skinnies, globs, magnets, mixers and elixirs of the heavenly fudgy to sweet.

The ivory white versions to brown can be found churning in funky clunky nostalgic machines like Wonka. Some are some deluxe chocolate finger paints, which brings me back to the C is for I love Chocolate. A batch of Max’s chocolate power powder in milk or dark is what reminds me of a huge band-aid box! A fun-happy caddy. Chocolate, as far as the inner child, is concerned is definitely a priority first aid boo boo, only remedied by sumptuous rich luxuries. Please say hello to Maxie if you can find the King! I look, I sniff but where is Max? These two which are great for the little ones, are simply one little chocolate kiss from Maxie.

His kingdom is immense and makes a terrific den for first dates too. Light fare is offered as well. Anyone can experience a fondue, even the tea has fresh chocolate luxuriated in Max’s tea. A choctraption-chocolate shake it up voodoo mixer that can be served at the table if you require is magical. Hug a Mug in that funny shape? Did the Domestic Goddess Nigella cook this up like her sculptured measuring cups? Actually Hug a Mug is in the shape of the sacred cacao bean as well as keeping your hands cozy and warm. Little Max is running around the cacao bean cuppa design. Hug a Mug goes for $9.80, available online.  Chocolate Powder in Milk or Dark essential to his chocolate drinking ceremony at $10.80 Dr Max urges that chocolate is healthy. Ok Doc!  My milk or dark discovery, however, is a bit of a sad saga, upon recent munching I uncovered that there really is no Max! He must be a relative of Willy and Santa only seen by the eyes of a child. That is ok, I still love you Max!

Tea authority Sebastian Beckwith, founder of In Pursuit of Tea, is featured along with Winnie Yu, founder of Teance, in the category of “Adventures in the Tea Trade”.  It feels a bit like the Oscars for tea. I have a funny feeling this issue of Kyoto journal will be touted as the holiest of holy from the galaxy of tea. It covers the elite of the elite, from the appreciation of aged Pu-er teas from Yunnan Province to Uji Japanese green teas fluttering like feathery leaves.

Photographer Matthew London, aficionado of the East, who has also fallen in love with tea is listed as a contributor. He sent me a few snaps while he was on his travels. We met back in the 1980’s when he was knee deep in black rice and making his movie about Myanmar’s favorite sport called “Mystic Ball”.  Another contributor is Kevin Gascoyne, an expert on Darjeelings.  This provides a rare treat to get acquainted with my personal favorite tea. The best kept secrets are out, except for Greg Glancy of Norbu Teas.  He specializes in “diamond grade” everything tea and more surprisingly, is out of Texas. You will have to hunt him down on your own here. You will be getting quite a hankering for pure tea. You’ll see, mark my words. Kyoto journal as the title implies is based in Kyoto keeps our consciousness alert with ever so subtly with beautiful art and words. You can order copies of this limited edition and check out some of Sebastian’s hand discovered tea leaves at In Pursuit of Tea.

Don’t miss this issue if you want to get into that Umami state of mind.