Yellow Rose of Texas - Welcome to the Union

On this day in 1845, Texas was admitted to the Union as the 28th state.  In honor of Texas, the teapot is treating me to a cup of Yellow Rose of Texas tea this morning.

The teacup was a Christmas gift this year.

This tea came from the Mad Hatter's Tea Room and Boutique in Caldwell, Texas.

Spent Leaves

Until this past year, I had never been to Texas.  I have subscribed to the magazine Tea in Texas (now Texas Tea and Travel) since 2009.   I enjoy the magazine.  I was happy looking at the featured tea rooms and reading about their tea festivals and events, but never intending to actually visit any of them.  All of that changed when one of our sons decided to attend Texas A&M for grad school.  Before our first college visit, I emailed the Publisher, Editor-in-Chief of the magazine, Lee Q. Garcia for recommendations on a place to stay and tea rooms to visit.  She is very sweet and gave me wonderful recommendations.

The teapot did not accompany me on any of these trips, but she is enjoying looking at my photos of Texas tea room visits.

Mad Hatter's Tea Room - Caldwell, Texas

Located in the downtown area

I loved the hats on the shelf at the top of the wall.

My tiered server (Everything was delicious.  This tea room is close to College Station, so I visit during each Texas trip.)

Ristorante Cavour - Hotel Granduca - Houston, Texas

Interior

Savories - (in my order of preference) Lobster Salad with Caviar on Egg Bread, Smoked Salmon on Dill Bun, Chicken Salad with Pesto, Goat Cheese and Cucumber, Crab Salad on Endive with Avocado, Beef with Gorgonzola and Arugula on Focaccia, Prosciutto on Biscuit, and a Quail Deviled Egg on Pumpernickel with Olive.

Scone with Clotted Cream, Strawberry Jam, Nutella and Black Current Jelly

I started with White Lotus tea and switched to Jasmine Mist green tea.

Pastries - my favorite was the Berry Tart,

Chocolate Mousse with Edible Chocolate Butterfly, Lemon Meringue Tart, Apple Muffin with Pine Nuts and Whipped Cream sprinkled with Cinnamon, Sugar Cookie with Bavarian Cream and White Chocolate Strip

Kaleena was my server and she was excellent.  My teacup was constantly refreshed.

Kiran's - Houston, Texas

Starter - Mushroom and Feta Samosa with Fig Chutney

This course was served with a Chai tea.

Darjeeling Tea served with the Ladyfinger Sandwiches second course

Sandwiches in my order of preference - English Peas with Pea Shoots & Cheddar, Freshly Churned Peanut Butter with Passion Fruit Jelly, English Cucumber, Waldorf Chicken Salad, Vindaloo Deviled Egg, Tandoor-smoked Salmon with Dill

Cranberry & Orange Scone 

served with House-made Jam & Clotted Cream

Tea with this course was The English Way with Earl Grey

The desserts were set up on a buffet and guests served themselves.  This was my selection.

Mango Mousse, Chocolate Mousse, Almond Cake with Cream, Pecan Cake with Cream and Chocolate Covered Strawberry

I enjoyed the harpist, especially her Disney selections.

Cafe M Bloomers - Navasota, Texas

I wish my husband hadn't torn down our old grain storage bin - I would have one of these in my yard.  (My husband is so glad he tore down the bin, because he would not want to make one of these!)

 M Bloomers has this teapot is in the yard.

The cafe is located at the back of a gardening store.

Interior of the cafe (When I called it a tea room, they corrected me and said they changed it to a cafe in hopes of attracting more male clientele.)

My tiered server.  When you make a reservation, you select two types of sandwiches.  Mine were cucumber and chicken salad.  The middle tier held fresh fruit and the top was desserts.

My tea selection was their house tea - a powdered orange spice blend.  The other pot held hot water and tea forte teabags were available - Earl Grey, White Ambrosia and Oasis.

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden Harvest Tea - DeGolyer Tea Room - Dallas, Texas

Interior of the DeGolyer Tea Room

My table was the one near the alcove.

I was near enough to the fireplace to enjoy the warmth.  I visited on a rainy and dreary day. I always say rainy days are perfect days to go to tea.

First Course

Harvest Chicken Consomme with Cheese Wafer - both were delicious

My server was Mr. Robert Nelson, who introduced himself as Nelson.  He was been with the tea room since it opened.  Some people are just perfect tea room people and he is one of the best.  It was obvious, he loves his job.

Tiered Server - the garnishes on the server were so intricate.  The carrot flower on the top had a cherry tomato center.  The radish mouse at the bottom was cute.

The sandwiches included - Turkey with Orange Butter, Herbed Cream Cheese, Open Faced Chicken Salad, Curried Egg Salad, and Creamed Cucumber

Desserts were - Lemon Torte, Amaretto Brownie, Mini Pecan Tarts, Apple Spice Cake and  Assorted Scones with Strawberry Jam and Clotted Cream 

I also had a chocolate truffle, which was delicious

The teas were Pumpkin Spice, Earl Grey and Mango Mint Hibiscus.

The Twelve Days of Christmas Display had just opened in the gardens during our visit.  Each of the twelve days of Christmas are depicted in an enclosed gazebo.  This is nine ladies dancing.  

Some close ups

The sun came out after the tea and wrecked havoc on my photos.

Sorry about the glare

Beaus - Rosewood Crescent - Dallas Texas

I was supposed to have tea here, but since I was the only person who had made a reservation for that day, they cancelled afternoon tea.  When I arrived at the hotel for tea, I received a funny look.  Did I have a reservation?  Yes, I pulled out my email confirmation.  She went to get a manager.  He apologized that they were unable to contact me (they had left a message on my home phone) and said he would do whatever he could to make it right with me.  He gathered up a bag of tea things - 

My bag contained a wooden box of the six teas they serve, as well as one of their teapots.

We were staying at the sister resort, Mansion on Turtle Creek, which sent up a welcome gift of chocolate covered strawberries and iced mango tea.  It wasn't the afternoon tea time I had planned, but my husband and I did enjoy it.

I have enjoyed visiting Texas tea rooms and look forward to trying some new ones next time I visit.

Sips and Smiles,

Teresa and the Teapot

Tea and Chocolate Tasting on National Chocolate Day

Today is National Chocolate Day.  The teapot and I decided to do a Tea and Chocolate Tasting.  When I hosted the last traveling teapot in March of 2013, it was one of my favorite blog activities.

First, we had to decide on chocolates.  We have this wonderful artisan chocolate shop nearby, Stella Leona in Pettisville, Ohio.  (They have mail order if you are interested.)  I was planning to select four chocolates.  I ended up with seven, four fruit flavored chocolates and then three other chocolates.  All of the teas were from my tea cabinet.  Since this teapot is part of team oolong, I chose a black and oolong/green tea for each pairing.

The display case at Stella Leona is very enticing, hence my seven chocolates instead of four.

My tasting station all set for a bit of indulgence with the fruit chocolates.

My four chocolates and the dry tea leaves.

Cranberry Truffle

Consists of a white chocolate cranberry ganache that contains bits of real, dried cranberries surrounded by white chocolate and red accents (The descriptions of the chocolates and the teas are as written by the chocolate store and the tea companies.)

Malachi McCormick - Black - Harney & Sons on the left

The unpretentious flavors of muted dark honey and unsweetened cocoa.  It is perfectly suited for milk (and more than a splash) and sugar. (I used neither)

Goddess of Mercy - Oolong - Simpson and Vail on the right

This tea pairs well with seafood, meat, poultry, mushrooms, smoked foods, chocolate and fruit desserts. (In some online reviews - smells like cranberries and another - apples and nutmeg)

First I tasted the chocolate alone.

It was tart and tangy.  I felt the creamy white chocolate overpowered the cranberry.  Dried bits of cranberry added texture.

Malachi McCormick

The tea had a bit of a bite alone.  When drank with the chocolate, it brought out the cranberry flavor.  The tea tasted much sweeter and the bite was not as pronounced.

Goddess of Mercy

Alone, the tea tasted vegetal and grassy.  It was smooth.  When tasted with the chocolate, I did not feel it brought out the flavor of the cranberry.  The white chocolate made the vegetal taste of the tea smoother and sweeter.

Neither of these pairings did much for me.

Banana Cream Cheesecake Chocolate

Silky smooth banana cream cheesecake flavored ganache fills this hand painted, bright yellow piece molded in white chocolate.  (When I used the flash in the photo, the detail of the chocolate does not show up.)

Risheehat First Flush Darjeeling - Black - Harney & Sons on the left

Lovely passion fruit, grapefruit and other tropical flavors

Ginger's Oolong - Harney & Sons on the right

The subtle flavors of peaches and toasted nuts are nicely contrasted by the ginger

Chocolate alone

Lots of white chocolate notes.  The banana was very passive in flavor. Very creamy

Risheehat 1st Flush Darjeeling

The tea alone was smooth with hints of fruit and grass.  When tasted with the chocolate, initially I tasted the banana, then a creaminess in my mouth, followed by a white chocolate finish.  This chocolate and tea pairing brought out the flavor of the chocolate better than Ginger's Oolong.

Ginger's Oolong

The tea was very gingery.  I did not notice the peach or nut flavors.  This tea enhanced the flavor of the chocolate.  It was reminiscent of a creamy dessert, such as banana bread pudding with brown sugar.

These pairings were better, but nothing to rave about.

Raspberry Dark Chocolate

Hand painted piece is molded in a four step process to produce the beautiful marbled effect.  The dark chocolate mold is filled with raspberry dark chocolate ganache and a touch of raspberry preserves.

Uva Highlands - Black - Harney & Sons on the left

It is a blend of honey and citrus, with a strong note of wintergreen.

Wenshan Baozhong - Oolong - Harney & Sons on the right

Baozhong tastes of nothing but honeyed flowers

Chocolate Alone

When I cut this chocolate, you could see the layers inside.  When tasting this chocolate, it had the most pronounced fruit flavor any any so far.  I am not fond of dark chocolate, but the combination of the raspberry and dark chocolate married well. 

Uva Highlands

This tea mellowed the chocolate and raspberry flavors.

Wenshan Baozhong

The dark chocolate bite was softened and sweetened.  In contrast, the raspberry flavor was tarter.

Nothing was bad about these pairings, but nothing knocked my socks off either.

Orange Milk Chocolate

Hand painted piece is a simply delicious orange milk chocolate ganache in a milk chocolate shell decorated with orange accents

Amba Ceylon - Black - Harney & Sons on the left

The citrus flavors combine with some sweetness like liquorice and honey.  There are subtle floral notes.

Fanciest Formosa Oolong - Harney & Sons on the right

Subtle flavors of spring honey, fresh white peaches and buttered toast.

Chocolate Alone

Initially I tasted the orange, then the milk chocolate, so creamy and mellow is almost tasted like white chocolate.  This had the strongest fruit flavor of the four chocolates.

Amba Ceylon

The smokey tea really enhanced the orange.  It was very citrusy with a bit of floral following.  I only tasted a bit of chocolate in the finish.

Fanciest Formosa Oolong

This is a very nice tea with a very smooth, light flavor.  Paired with the chocolate, I felt it only melted the chocolate.  There was no improvement or contrast in either the tea or the chocolate.

Once again, nothing had a wowing factor.

My spent tea leaves

Chocolate and Tea Tasting Part II

I only used three chocolates this time.  Chocolates with dry tea leaves

Dulce de Leche

Caramel surrounded by a milk chocolate ganache lightly flavored with coffee and Irish Cream nestled in a molded, elegantly marbled milk and dark chocolate shell.  Very luxurious!

Vanilla Comoro - Black - Harney & Sons on the left

A simple flavor of vanilla, the underlying tea flavor has been lightened by the decaffeination process.

Lung Ching - Green - Harney & Sons on the right

The unpretentious flavors of muted dark honey and unsweetened cocoa.  It is perfectly suited for milk (and more than a splash) and sugar.

Chocolate alone

I could see the layers when I cut the chocolate.  I tasted the mocha, caramel, brown sugar, but no chocolate.  Very silky texture

Vanilla Comoro

The mocha flavor was more pronounced and really lingered.  There was a bit of caramel flavor.  I did not detect any vanilla.

Lung Ching

This was very light in color.  It brought out more caramel than mocha.  It really softened the grassiness of the tea.

These teas very noticeably altered the taste of this chocolate.  The chocolate tasted very different with each of the teas.  I preferred the Vanilla Comoro, even though I don't usually care for mocha.

Hazel Coconut Dreams

A toasted hazelnut surrounded by coconut ganache, dipped in luxurious white chocolate and rolled in coconut shavings.  Crunchy and smooth all in the same bite.  Dream away.

New Vithanankande - Black - Harney & Sons on the left

The tea has milk flavors and they tend toward the dark side of the citrus family.  This tea, like many British Legacy Teas, works well with milk and sugar

Green Coconut - Green - Tea Gschwendner on the right

Green tea from Japan, shredded coconut and flavor

Chocolate alone

Initially I tasted the white chocolate.  There was a  slight coconut aftertaste.

New Vithanankande

The tea was a bit bitey.  The chocolate softened the bite.  There was a very pronounced white chocolate taste.

Green Coconut

The tea tasted stale and had probably been in my tea cabinet for over a year.  When tasted with the chocolate, it just tasted sweet.

I did not detect any coconut with either of these teas.  Not a good pairing.

Dark Chocolate Truffle

Made from decadent dark chocolate mixed with fresh cream.  The center is enrobed with dark chocolate and finished with cocoa nubs

Black King - Black - Harney & Sons on the left

lovely cocoa flavors

Ali San - Oolong - Harney & Sons on the right

Ali San is among the creamiest of oolongs.  It gives a nice coating sensation and some butteriness along with lime citrus notes and a quiet, underlying vegetal flavor.

Chocolate alone

The chocolate was very smooth with none of the usual dark chocolate bite.  A smooth cocoa aftertaste.

Black King

The tea alone had a bite.  When paired with the chocolate, it brought out the smokiness of the tea.  The chocolate was more intense and really lingered on the palate.  It was very buttery.

Ali San

The tea was very creamy with hints of floral in the middle and a soft cocoa aftertaste.  The usual vegetal taste of a green tea was gone when paired with the chocolate.

This was a good pairing and probably the one I enjoyed the most.  The flavors in both the chocolate and the tea were enhanced by the pairing.

Spent Tea Leaves

I did not make good tea and chocolate pairings.  I focused on the chocolates and not the tea during my tasting.  It would be fun to try it the other way around and focus on the tea and not the chocolate.  I find these tastings to be very time consuming.  It would be a wonderful activity when you wanted time to visit with friends.  This was also a lot of chocolate.  I cut the chocolates into fourths for the tastings and found when I was finished, I really didn't care to finish the last fourth.  I found I enjoyed the two dark chocolate pairings the most.  Normally I prefer milk chocolate, but when paired with tea, the dark chocolate was not as bitter.  The milk chocolate was just too mellow to stand up to the flavor of the tea.  When tasting the chocolate, savor the flavor.  Allow it to sit for a bit to coat your entire mouth.  Every one's tastes are different, what appeals to me, may not appeal to you. 

I enjoyed the tasting, and learn more each time I do one.

Sips and Smiles,

Teresa and the Teapot