Blue Jasmine Gin and Tonic

I've been fascinated with teas that contain butterfly pea flowers because of both the pretty blue color and the fact that they'll change to purple or pink with the addition of acidic ingredients -- the pigment that makes the flowers blue reacts to changes in pH. I also love jasmine tea and when I found that Rishi had combined the two, I was excited to try it. I did not have their exact blend, but I had their plain jasmine tea and plain butterfly pea flowers at home, and seeing as those are the only two ingredients in their blend, I added butterfly pea flowers to the jasmine tea until it looked visually similar to their picture. I brewed some first to taste it and I liked it, so my next trial was to make their Gin Blossom drink with the tea I blended. It involves steeping the tea overnight in the gin, something that was new to me but seems safer than infusing liquor with fresh fruit at room temperature for weeks.

I only made half a batch of the infused gin because I wasn't sure if it'd be worth the extra work but I LOVE it. The finished drink was surprisingly complex and nicely balanced. It started out tasting lightly fruity and sweet, almost like a grape popsicle, and then as I sipped and the ice melted I started to get more of the bitterness and floral flavors from the tea.

Notes:

• I used a neutral flavored gin (New Amsterdam) and liked the result, but I could see an herbal or floral tasting one working nicely too.
• The color of the finished drink was less vivid pink than their photo but was still delightfully pretty.
• Don't skip the lemon peel! It helps balance all the flavors and also smells nice while you drink.

Verdict: This was unusual and lovely, and not particularly hard to make, though it takes some more planning than a regular gin and tonic. I would definitely make it again, especially for a fancy event or special occasion.

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RECIPE:

Blue Jasmine Gin and Tonic

adapted from Rishi Tea

Per 1 drink:

2 oz tea infused gin (recipe follows)

5 oz tonic water

Ice

Lemon peel

Tea infused gin (makes enough for 5 drink servings)

5 g dried jasmine green tea

3 g dried butterfly pea flowers

10 oz (about 300 ml) neutral flavored gin

To infuse gin: combine all ingredients in a glass jar with secure lid and let stand overnight (~8 hours) at room temperature. Strain out tea leaves.

To make the drink: Fill a rocks or highball glass with ice. Pour gin over the ice, then top with tonic water. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with the lemon peel. Serve immediately.

Banana Pancakes

I had old bananas and wanted to use them up but wanted something that wasn't banana bread. I've had banana pancakes before and hadn't made them in a long time, so I decided to give them another try. I made them exactly as written, so no notes this time, other than that they behave a little differently than plain pancakes and don't get bubbly on the top as quickly, so it's not as reliable an indicator for when to flip them.

Verdict: It's a solid recipe. They're sweet and smell nice, and were pretty easy to make.

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RECIPE: Banana Pancakes (Alicia Skousen, via Lil' Luna)

Lemon Lavender Pound Cake

A friend of mine made something like this for her birthday. I love this flavor combination, and her decorations of dried pressed flowers and pearl sprinkles were so pretty I wanted to make something similar for myself. I made it last minute so I didn't have time to go shopping for really fancy decorations but the dried lavender buds and gold pearl sprinkles worked pretty nicely.

Verdict: It's really nice! I like to try lots of different kinds of cake so I might not make it a lot, but this was a solid tasting recipe and not difficult to make.

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RECIPE: Lemon Lavender Pound Cake (Bon Appetit)

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

In preparing for International Lolita Day this summer I decided I wanted to make something traditionally served at high tea for an online meetup. For my last in-person tea party I made a Korean inspired sandwich with cucumber in it but today I was more interested in the traditional kind. However, because they're so simple and delicately flavored, it's easy to make them really boring or unappealing. I wanted, in the words of my friend, "a cucumber sandwich that doesn't suck."

I happened upon a missive by Felicity Cloake on the subject, and it was an interesting read, not having grown up around tea culture of any kind. If you'd like to read it, feel free to check out this link. But I'm just here to tell you how to make the version she settled on.

Notes:

• Admittedly I made my sandwich with brown bread because it was all I had. I liked it, though I think a white bread (but not Wonder Bread style white bread) is really what you want here.
• I tried cutting my sandwich into 6 pieces and it started falling apart. I'd stick with dividing the sandwich into 4 pieces max. I think a bread knife or a sharp chef's knife works best.

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RECIPE:

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

from Felicity Cloake

Serves 3-4

1/2 large cucumber, peeled (seeds removed if there are large seeds)

1/8-1/4 tsp salt

6 slices of good, fresh white bread

4-5 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

Ground white pepper

Slice cucumber very thinly. Place in a sieve over the sink. Salt the slices lightly and toss to coat. Let stand for 20 minutes. Taste one, and if it is very salty, you can rinse the cucumbers to remove some of the salt. Place cucumber slices in a single layer on paper towels and pat dry with more paper towels to remove excess moisture.

Butter each slice of bread generously on one side. Arrange cucumber slices to cover 3 of the slices of bread, overlapping the slices as needed, then sprinkle white pepper on top. Top with the remaining bread slices.

Using gentle but firm pressure, place your hand on top of each sandwich and cut off the crusts with a sharp knife, then cut into 3 equal fingers, 4 squares, or 4 triangles. Serve immediately, preferably alongside a cup of good tea.

Chinese Style Fried Chicken

This recipe scrolled by on one of my social media feeds a few years ago, and it caught my eye because it sounded really similar to a dish I like to get at one of my favorite local Asian fusion restaurants: crispy grilled chicken with ginger-scallion chutney. I was putting away chicken thighs this morning and remembered that I had this recipe, and realized I had everything I needed to try it out.

Notes:

• I served this with jasmine rice.
• I marinated the chicken for longer than directed, about 3 hours.
• I did not have a fresh chili pepper on hand so I used red pepper flakes to taste. If you don't want or can't have it spicy you can leave this out.
• I used fresh baby spinach instead of mizuna because it was what I had on hand, but any salad green would taste good here, especially a slightly peppery one like arugula.

Verdict: It's not exactly the same as the restaurant dish but it is close, and quite delicious! It was relatively easy to make and I was pleasantly surprised that the skin actually got crispy. I would definitely make this again.

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RECIPE:

Chinese Style Fried Chicken

adapted from Tasty Japan

Serves 2

2 chicken thighs, skin on

Marinade

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp salt

2 tsp sake

Sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

1 small scallion, minced

1 birdseye or Thai chili pepper, thinly sliced

4 tbsp canola oil

3 tbsp corn starch or potato starch

4 oz (1/4 lb) mizuna or arugula, or salad greens

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

On a cutting board, de-bone the chicken thighs if they have bones, then either score the skin with a knife or prick the skin all over with a fork. Place marinade ingredients in a quart sized plastic bag, then add chicken. Close the bag and move the chicken around inside it until marinade ingredients are mixed and chicken is fully coated in the marinade. Place in the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 30 minutes, and up to 4 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare sauce. Place all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

When you're ready to cook the chicken, heat the canola oil on medium-high heat in a shallow frying pan on the stove. Spread cornstarch on a shallow plate. Remove chicken thighs from bag and discard marinade. Gently press each side of the chicken into the cornstarch to coat the entire surface, and shake off any excess. When oil is shimmering, place chicken in the pan skin side down and cook until the skin is golden brown and crisp, about 5-6 minutes. Flip each chicken thigh and cook for 2-3 more minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

To serve, let chicken rest for a few minutes, then slice. Place greens on a plate and place sliced chicken on top. Arrange cherry tomatoes around the chicken, then pour sauce over the top.

Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice

I wanted something healthy with sweet potatoes in it, and something that would use up some odds and ends in my pantry.

Verdict: I enjoyed it. I liked how colorful it was, and the mix of different flavors, and the fact that it was reasonably healthy. I don't see myself making this a lot but I would consider making and eating it again if I felt like a coconut-based soup.

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RECIPE: Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Rice

Key Lime Pie with Marshmallow Meringue

This is another recipe I bookmarked during early quarantine and finally got the ingredients to make. I was underwhelmed by all the key lime pies I tried in Florida a couple of years ago (ahhh, remember when we could ride planes to go on vacation?) and wanted to see if I could make it better at home.

Notes:

• My filling ended up more brown than most key lime pies I've seen or consumed, and darker than the recipe author's photos. Most recipes have you whip the filling with a hand mixer (a process which aerates it and tends to lighten the color) but this one does not. My sweetened condensed milk may have also been the cause -- it was past its best-by date (but tasted and smelled normal).
• I put an extra egg yolk in the filling (one of the yolks broke during separation). It does not appear that this significantly affected it, except maybe to make it more silky.
• I used the lime zest but not the green food coloring because I don't like the bluish tone of most green food colors (it doesn't match the shade of green that lime is!) plus it was already pretty brown and I didn't want to risk making the color look even weirder.
• Since I don't have a kitchen torch, I used the broiler set to high and put the pie on the second highest rack to toast the meringue. The recipe author is not kidding -- it browns FAST. Mine was very slightly burned after 30 seconds so I'd recommend about 20-25 seconds. Watch it very carefully.
• The meringue wept a LOT once I put it in the refrigerator. The liquid soaked the graham cracker crust and made it hard to get out of the pie plate.
• I ate the pie at room temperature and cold from the fridge, and this pie is decidedly better cold from the fridge. It tastes a little too bitter at room temperature.

Verdict: It's not quite what I was hoping for but it was definitely edible. I'd try it again but I would whip the filling with a hand mixer, and maybe put less sugar in the meringue because I think that's what made it so weepy. My search for a really delicious key lime pie continues, and next time I think I'll try the more traditional whipped cream topping instead of meringue.

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RECIPE: Key Lime Pie with Marshmallow Meringue (Jess Pryles)