sweatergirl's Profile

I'm so excited to see a bungalow reno in Minneapolis! My hubby and I are in South MPLS, and are looking to buy a house in the same fixer-upper condition. Can't wait to see the results!

Please please please write a design guide on the Twin Cities!

Honey is comprised of to main components: Fructose and Glucose (among the thousands of other little micro-whatnots that make honey so miraculous). So when you have a honey made of mostly sucrose, it will remain syrupy for a long long time. For example: Acacia honey are nearly entirely sucrose, and it never crystallizes. On the other hand, Lavender honey is mostly glucose, it crystallizes within hours of being extracted from the hive, into a luscious, frosting like consistency. And then there's everything in between.

KittyAtlanta: There's no need to keep your honey in the fridge, honey is an anaerobic environment, so it will last indefinitely. Jars of hundred year old honey have been discovered completely edible, albeit crystallized ;) Cool air actually speeds up crystallization.

Which brings me to the my final point, which is about the debate of pasteurizing vs. not pasteurizing honey. Pasteurizing honey is an attempt to kill off anything bad in the honey, but also to keep the honey from crystallizing. Pasteurizing not only kills the flavor of unique mono-floral hones, but it also destroys all the antibiotic properties that strengthen your immune system. Did you know that a rare honey from New Zeeland has proven more affective at warding off flesh eating bacteria than antibiotics?

Moral of the story: eat raw honey. Lots of it!

I teach tea! And I agree with OhCha all the way, Rishi is wonderful!

Iron Goddess of Mercy – This was my gateway tea, and I contend that if I was on a dessert island and could only bring one tea with me, I would be happy with the Iron Goddess of Mercy. For me the highlight of this tea in particular, is the apricot aroma released when the water hits the tea leaves.

Sencha Superior – I love the mouthfeel of this Sencha, it’s thick and brothy without any astringency.

Keemun Golden Buds – I find Chinese black teas to be fascinating, and this is no exception. I know that I’ve steeped this tea perfectly when I get a beautiful brown sugar maltyness that reminds me of the Mugolio we occasionally carry at the deli.

Cheers and Happy Sipping!

Thank you for the great post, after just getting off one of those ten hour shifts behind a cheese counter it hit the spot and made me smile!

Last June I was given the opportunity to demo Taste Timer before the app was available on the iTunes store.  I host a bi-weekly tea tasting program at Zingerman’s Deli, and the Taste Timer quickly became a fixture at all of my tastings.  The app is unlike any other food based timer I’ve seen, the list of teas is comprehensive while still allowing the user control over the settings to suit their preferences.  I have a tendency to forget about my tea once I’ve started steeping it, so I appreciate that the timer goes off even after the iPod has shut off.

At home I use the Taste Timer to perfectly poach eggs and to time my French press when I make coffee.  I always seem to be fuzzy on the cooking times of various grains and legumes.  If you don’t want to search through your cookbooks every time you want basic cooking times, this app hits the nail on the head.  You’ll see the amount of research Gormaya did on perfecting this app when you see some of the more obscure timings that can be difficult to track down, from Azuki beans to Xiam Mei green tea.

I always have my iPod nearby, so its wonderful to have a back pocket resource to all of the steeping, brewing, cooking, and grilling times that I can’t fit in my headspace.  If you enjoy cooking off the cuff like I do, you’ll appreciate having easy access to the basics.  It has become an invaluable resource both at my tastings, and at home. 

-Katie

I work in the food industry, and I have to say there's nothing that will ever compare to my 8 year old pair of birks that have gone through numerous resolings. I haven't found anything else that holds up to the grime of kitchens (although my colleagues swear by danskos). I've survived many a falling knife thanks to the their thick leather. I consider the olive oil encrusted patina to be a badge of honor!