use real butter

Recipe: tea jellies

When thunderstorms rage overhead, I try not to work on the computer. So this afternoon I busied myself in the kitchen cleaning the dishes listening to the sound of hail pounding on the deck and roof of the house. It lasted a little longer than anticipated and I wound up digging through the cupboards, looking for something to trigger an idea.

Summer calls for refreshing food, which is why I love salads, fruits, cold dishes, iced drinks, and jellies. A child of the 70s, I actually ate a lot of Jello&trade, not jellies. Although I did eat almond gelatin with fruit, grass jelly, and lemon agar jelly – all Chinese desserts, I didn’t get the full scope of Asian jellies available to the masses until I began frequenting Asian grocery stores in college. These days you’ll find an assortment of tiny jelly cups with a piece of jackfruit suspended in the matrix. They are delicious and apparently deadly if swallowed incorrectly. I imagine that would apply to almost anything though.

**Jump for more butter**

Today, I made mini panna cotta with espresso gelatin. They turned out wonderfully and make a great little pre-dessert or dessert chaser. Obviously, the quality of the espresso will determine how well the whole thing goes down. The last time I made panna cotta it had yogurt and cream. This one was half cream and half milk. Next time I will try Donna Hay’s recipe which I think has almost all cream. Decadent.

two great tastes that taste great together – reese’s eat your heart out

I got a package from Ro! What a total sweetheart. She went to a lot of trouble to send us this certain special tea from the Huntington. Love her so much. It’s the best smelling tea ever. If it wasn’t meant for consumption, I’d scatter it about my house as potpourri. We’re sending a few tins to our parents because both sets seem to love it too. Jeremy brewed a pot tonight and now I’m wired beyond belief.

gold rush tea

If only blogs were scratch-n-sniff. This smells of peach and passion fruit, but is a lovely black tea with orange blossom and other dreamy ingredients. I wish I could give everyone a tin of this tea. If you live in Pasadena – run now to the Huntington! They only carry it in the rose garden tea room this month.