“Do you think it needs more salt?” my mom asks in Korean as she blows gently to cool a spoonful of seaweed soup and carefully ladles it to my mouth. “Maybe a tiny bit, but otherwise it’s perfect umma,” I respond in English while smacking my lips. Here, on the granite counter top next to the stove, is one of my favorite spots in the house. It’s in this corner where I get to taste what’s for dinner and be the Dixon Family sous-chef. My mom does a cute jig as she agrees and dashes some salt into the mix. She offers me a hand as I jump down onto the tile. After closing the lid and lowering the heat to a simmer, my mom pours...
I love soups. And this soup is so easy to make, while being a much more interesting version of a traditional split pea soup. I love being able to incorporate our Moroccan Mint, Lapsang Souchong, as well as Lemon Ginger tea into the soup as an extra twist. Enjoy! And join us for our brunch this Sunday to taste it! Ingredients: 1 TB olive oil 1 tsp Kosher salt 1 medium white onion, chopped 4 cups Moroccan Mint brewed tea 1 teaspoon Lapsang Souchong tea leaves 3 1/2 cups frozen or fresh shucked peas 1/4 teaspoon ground Lemon Ginger 1 cup fresh spinach leaves 1 small minced garlic clove 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper Preparation Steps 1) Place 8-quart stockpot over medium heat...
There’s something about Spring that dyes Winter rose. She has a kind of hypnotic quality that makes one instantly forget the months of thermal socks and frozen fingertips. Just a week ago, my ribs were caving inward in an attempt to keep my organs warm as I sat shivering at this exact spot near the window. And yet today, the birds have returned to their perches to sing new, but familiar melodies. The timid sunlight peers in and tiptoes across the wooden floor, and peach colored buds flutter on the once-bare maple branches just outside my porch. I freshen my mug of Purple Bamboo green tea and nestle back into my chair. The bold, asparagus flavor of this particular green tea is rounded...
I am sharing today one of my children's favorite dishes. After experimenting for years different types of "tea cuisine", I made up this recipe. It is one of my go-to-recipes because of how easily it incorporates tea leaves and how much of a crowd pleaser it is. I will always have fond memories of making this dish to celebrate important moments with my family. Donna Lo Ingredients: 2 salmon filet ( 1 1/2 to 2 lbs total) 2T rice wine 4 pieces of sliced ginger (chopped into finer pieces if desired) Pinch of salt (enough to over surface of fillet) Preparation Steps 1) Marinate salmon with the above ingredients for at least 15 mins 2) Sprinkle 1T Silver Tip Jasmine...
The wind breathes gently through the snow outside. Each flake seems to linger in the late winter air, as though in mid-sentence, hesitating to say its goodbye. As I wrap my hand around the steaming cup of white tip oolong, I let the experience slowly wash over my thoughts. The tealeaves have gone through a delicate, yet complex process in order to achieve this smooth, elegant and distinctive taste. Each leaf is hand selected, withered and carefully rolled. After some time, they are dried and placed in the fire. The tradition of crafting oolong has been handed down from generations passed; it is tried, meticulous and perfected. Like seasons, the process is methodical and each step is a necessity. I...
