Frozen Chai Latte
serves 1-2

1. Blend on high speed until smooth! Pour into a large glass (or two) and enjoy!

There has been some recent controversy regarding sun tea and it’s susceptibility to developing bacteria. To combat any possibilities of growing anything yucky in my tea I always start with filtered or bottled water and I make sure to place the jar in direct sunlight on a very hot day so it warms nicely.

The benefit of sun tea is that because the water is slowly warmed in the sun the tea is not as strong and actually more flavorful. I like to use good herbal tea bags because the flavor is so clean and crisp. I usually throw in some sliced lemons or oranges and even mint. With this added flavor, I tend to not need to sweeten it any further but you can do so when the tea is still warm.

Sun Tea

1 gallon glass jar
Water
8 tea bags
slices of lemons or oranges

Fill jar with water and 8 tea bags. Set in direct sun until brown, as desired, about 4 -6 hours. While warm, sweeten to taste.

When the weather starts to turn warmer and the days are becoming longer it is time to start making the sweet iced tea. Now seeing as I am currently living in the South, sweet tea in most cases means large amounts of sugar and water with a couple of tea bags. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy my iced tea sweetened but I would like to actually taste the tea and not proceed to bounce off the walls for the rest of the day. Most people drink “sweet tea” as it is known all year long but I think it is more suited for the hot and humid days of summer around here.

I found this recipe for a fruity iced tea a couple of years ago in an Ina Garten Cookbook. It has just a hint of sweetness from the fruit juice and it really enhanced the wonderful flavors of the tea. It is wonderfully refreshing with lunch or on your front porch watching the sun set. Pair it with some cute tarts or desserts and you have yourself quite a tea party.

Ina’s Fruity Summer Tea

4 Celestial Seasoning Red Zinger Tea bags
4 Celestial Seasoning Lemon Zinger Tea bags
4 cups cold apple juice (I actually used white grape juice this time around)

Steep all 8 tea bags in 4 cups of boiling water for about 10 minutes. (I usually throw in a bit of ice to cool it down before combining with juice.) In a large pitcher combine tea with juice and add as much ice as desired. Enjoy!

The coffeehouses today look much like they did hundreds of years ago; rich woods, white tables linens, and waiters dresses in their finest. Your coffee will be brought to you on a beautiful silver platter accompanied by a glass of water. From then on your waiter leaves you to linger as long as you like. There is no rush when in an Austrian coffeehouse, and you often have to run down your waiter to settle your bill.

Many students are seen hovering over schoolbooks while businessmen sift through the paper. The Austrian coffeehouse is a microcosm of the culture and a perfect way to immerse yourself in the Austrian way of life.

Below are the traditional coffees served in Austrian coffeehouses, so you will fit in like a local on your next trip to this beautiful country.

• Mokka: plain black coffee. The name is interesting though, because it is the name of the original coffee-plant in Africa.
• Maria Theresia: black coffee with orange liqueur (and whipped cream). Named after the Austrian “Empress” (1740-1780).
• Einsp??nner: served in a (high) glass. Black coffee with whipped cream.
• Brauner: coffee with some milk in it.
• Kapuziner: coffee with milk and whipped cream.
• Melange: (French pronunciation) half coffee, half milk.
• Kaisermelange: Melange with a yolk and honey.
• Franziskaner: Melange with whipped cream and choclate flakes.
• Verl??ngerter: black coffee diluted with water.
• Fiaker: Verl??ngerter with rum and whipped cream.

Tea actually came to England by way of the Netherlands after 1610 with tea houses showing up in 1659 (ironically, 7 years after the first coffeehouse opened in London). The traditional High Tea began in the 1700’s as an aide to stave off hunger and is usually served between 4pm and 5pm.

The most popular and probably most famous blend is English Breakfast. The tea is one of the strongest and as the name suggests, is mostly consumed in the morning with a splash of milk. Black teas have more caffeine per pound than coffee but because less is used to brew a cup, it contains less caffeine per serving. The tea leaves are smaller than other teas so as to brew quickly and to impart more of their flavor. Traditional black teas are brewed using boiling hot water with a brew time of between 4 and 5 minutes. Loose tea is best brewed in a teapot to allow the leaves ample room to activate. The teapot should be warmed with a splash of hot water that has been discarded before the leaves are added. For a 6 cup teapot, 3-4 teaspoons of loose tea leaves or 3-4 tea bags are to be used for proper strength. If using loose tea, it is said that the leaves left at the bottom of your cup can be “read” to predict your future. I wonder if they have special “leaf readers”?

Incidentally milk was first added to tea in attempt to make it healthier. Now the benefits of tea are widely known but milk is still added to stronger black teas. There has been a bit if a milk debate in England, should milk be poured first or second? In Victorian England there was a great deal of snobbery associated with tea…does that shock you at all? Milk was poured into the cheap ceramics so the cups would not crack due to the heat of the tea. Those that could afford the finer quality ceramics would pour the milk after the tea to show the superiority of their cups. Today, it is easier to add the correct amount of milk into your cup after you tea has been poured. Though the milk does dissolve beautifully if poured first.

So now you are on your way to a perfect “cuppa” British tea. Stay tuned for some yummy treats to enjoy with your morning or afternoon tea.

Never being the corporate type, I went from getting my MBA to baking bread for a living. Not a natural transition but it is pretty much the story of my life. My love for all things food, wine, coffee, and tea related resonate through my little site, Fallen Souffle, which tells the tales of my successes and failures in the kitchen.