Where there's a Will...

by Joie de Vivre

Coffee, Tea & Tulips serves up high tea stirred with a loving spoonful


I have been waiting a looooooooooooong time for someone to open up a new place that serves afternoon tea with all the fixings.  I have been waiting nearly as long to visit Coffee, Tea and Tulips in Mission Viejo, CA which is no longer 'just down the road' ever since I made my green statement by forgoing an automobile.  Thanks to a willing friend and a bit o bribery I finally made the trek CT&T a week or two ago.


Conveniently located just off the 5 Freeway and La Paz, the tea room and "petit bistro" has been plying their since July of 2009, and voted one of the "Top 5" tea rooms of 2010 -- I am guessing that is top five in the OC?  The space offers attractive eclectic comfort, seating 24 inside, with a smidge outdoor cafe style seating in front.  

The man of the tea hour

Everything about the multi-course tea experience was a delight, but nothing more so than the charming, genuine service we received from newbie staffer Will, who had been in the tea room's employ for four scant days at the time of our visit, yet made us feel that he had grown up at the place, and was welcoming us into a beloved family member's home.  I have never seen such poise, joy and product knowledge in a new recruit -- I was very impressed.


The black vanilla tea (with just the teensiest hint of ginger) he recommended was the perfect accompaniment for all the courses that followed -- and here they are:

• We started with a black currant scone served with cream and apricot jam... my fave jam, though seldom served
• Soup - I opted for the tomato basil, my friend for the cream potato -- both tasty and topped with freshly-made croutons
• Tea Sandwiches - turkey with cranberry chutney, chicken salad with poppyseed dressing (veritable chicken breast, not canned - imagine that), cream cheese-nut-lavendar
• Salad with apples, and oh gosh I forget what else cuz I was too excited that it was topped with a generous portion of bacon!
• a light & flavorful dessert course
• petite pastries

Owners Michael (the self-proclaimed 'moody chef' whom we met) and wife Lina (who we were assured is the personality of the place) have become the darlings of Yelp.  And no wonder, given Michael's emphasis on infusing both his cooking and customer service with love! .... OK, it doesn't hurt that they also serve crepes.... 


Here is a sampling of recent rave reviews from their yelping fans: http://www.yelp.com/biz/coffee-tea-and-tulips-mission-viejo-2

"Awesome place with REAL food! It's hard to find non-chain places in this area. Had a tasty broccoli cream soup, a delicious salad on flatbread and the best mocha ever...with milk foam, orange zest and a hint of nutmeg! Thanks so much! Will be back next week for tea and biscuits :)" - Ariane G. 

"Orange County needs more places like this.  Just a great little mom n' pop (or in this case husband n' wife) shop.  Very friendly people and the place has a lot of character.  Great coffee and pastries.  The sandwiches looked amazing but I have not been for lunch yet... Do yourself a favor and give this place a try." - Jeff S. 

"Wonderful service! Thanks Will. Food is fresh, healthy and varied. Eclectic spot in a strip-mall wasteland ...  Seating is limited." - Michael S. 

"Just had great tea and scone @ Coffee, Tea & Tulips.  Such a warm and wonderful atmosphere and always excellent.  If you've never been here, GO!  If it's been a while since you were here - go back for a wonderful meal." - Ellis B.

(my iPhone camera & I don't get along)

CT&T is open Tues - Sat, 9a-3p, Sun 9a-2p, closed Monday.  What a refreshing treat to have a place like this open so early!  Ask about their Surprise Scones and Surprise Crepes.... which is what I am ordering next time... and yes, there will indeed be a next time... provided Will is working that day!

CT&T Website

CT&T on Facebook

CT&T on Twitter

Tea treats from South of the Border

Close on the heels of the world's preoccupation with Britain following the royal wedding, comes one of the most festive of holidays, Mexico's Cinco de Mayo.  The following are some facil tea-inspired ideas to keep your taste buds dancing like Mexican jumping beans:

The first is Mexican Tea Cakes (as seen on BusyCooks at About.com)

These traditional cookies are found in nearly every ethnic celebration. They are also known as sand cookies, butternut cookies, and wedding cakes. Try forming some of the dough around unwrapped chocolate kisses, maraschino cherries, or nuts to form a surprise center. One of my favorite things about these cookies is that the first coating of powdered sugar melts to form a thin icing, which is sealed in by the next coating. So make sure to coat them twice!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened (NO substitutes)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2-1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup pecans, finely chopped, if desired
• powdered sugar

Preparation:

Cream butter with sugar until well blended. Beat in vanilla, then add flour and salt. Mix well. Add nuts, if using. Chill several hours in refrigerator. Form 1" balls and bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 8-12 minutes. Cookies should not brown, but be light golden on bottom.

Immediately drop into powdered sugar, roll, and place on rack to cool. When the cookies are cool, roll again in powdered sugar to coat.

Mexican Tea Punch

Ingredients:
2 c Tequila
2 c Tea; strong, cold
1 c Pinapple juice
1/4 c Honey
1/4 c Water
1/4 c Lime juice
1/4 c Lemon juice
1 1/2 ts Cinnamon; ground
1 1/2 ts Aromatic bitters

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients; refrigerate until chilled. Stir before serving. Serve over ice.

Serves: 8 (from GreatRecipesOnline.com)

And one of my perennial faves:

Cinnamon Toasted Tortilla Chips

Ingredients:
1/4 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 flour tortillas
3 Tbsp melted butter


Preparation:
In a small bowl combine sugar and cinnamon.  Brush tortillas with melted butter.  Then sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of sugar mixture.  Cut tortillas into 8 triangles each. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place tortillas on ungreased baking sheet, with sugar side up.  Bake 10 minutes until crispy.

From Tie-Dye to Tea-Dye the Easter Egg goes from cutesy to classy

A quick little Tea-Dying tutorial from eHow.com:


Coloring Easter eggs with tea is a special way to share this holiday with your children or grandchildren. Using teas instead of commercially prepared dyes gives you a more natural look, and you don't have to worry about anyone being allergic to any of the commercial dyes. You can mix different types of tea, which will give you a unique color mix. Be creative and have fun!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy


Things you'll need:

• Newspaper or other paper to cover work area
• Eggs, hard boiled and cooled completely
• Teas of whichever types you want (herbal ones work best)
• Bowls or other containers
• Measuring cup
• Boiling water
• Egg spoon, slotted spoon, or tongs
• Empty egg carton

1. Cover the work area with paper to protect wood from moisture.


2. Wash the eggs in warm soapy water to make sure there aren't any oils or soil on the egg to interfere with coloring. Hard-boil the eggs.


3. Make the dye mix. Pour 1 cup boiling water over at least 2 tea bags and steep for 15 minutes. Squeeze out the tea bags to remove all of the dye and set aside. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to the mix and allow to cool to room temperature. Different teas can be used in different bowls for variety.


4. Gently add eggs to the desired bowls. Make sure each egg has room so that liquid touches all sides.


5. Allow the eggs to float in the tea bowls for at least 1 hour.


6. Lift the eggs out of the bowl and check the coloring on the eggs. Return to the solution if the desired color is not achieved.


7. Carefully remove the egg from solution and lay out to dry. Make sure not to let the eggs touch, an empty egg carton works great here. Try not to touch the eggs until they've had a chance to dry.


For some eggstra info on Easter Eggs read our post entitled Which Came First? The Easter or the Egg?
and for Health Benefits check out Protein made Pretty

Springtime presents your garden variety tea party, and happily so

Spring needs no assistance in enumerating the many ways the season makes for the perfect match for a tea party.  Flora and fauna nearly conspire to cajole the unsuspecting hostess into sending out invitations and dusting off her daintiest and most delicate table ware.  The next thing you know, guests are RSVP-ing and she wonders what on earth she has gotten herself into.  

The good news is when Spring is in the air and the kettle on the stove you literally can't go wrong.  Here are a few ideas to get you started planning a Spring tea of your own .... as always they are best comprehended when read while sipping your favorite cuppa.

INVITATIONS

If you are actually sending the real thing (ie 3D lovingly-addressed and sent via the USPS invitations as opposed to those of the electronic sort) consider tying/glueing a sprig of lavender onto the card stock on which you've printed the particulars.  I have been making festive inner envelopes for my invitations for years, and a simple lacy paper doily works perfectly folded around a garden tea invitation, and helps to protect the lavender sprig you just went to all the trouble to affix.

THE TABLE

Flowers flowers flowers... it's all but impossible to have too many flowers at a Spring garden tea. Tie them around napkins, around chair backs, strew their petals willy nilly, garnish your plates. Same goes for greenery.  Cut stems and leaves from around your own garden and just wash them thoroughly to make your tables and serving plates come alive. Spring is the season of rebirth so live it up!

MENU

Sandwiches

Cool Cucumber

For an easy and refreshing twist on a true classic, soak English/Hothouse cucumbers slices (paper thin) in  Rice Wine Vinegar.  Drain well, and sandwich between slices of white bread spread with sweet (unsalted) butter.  Cut in triangles ... one down!

Egg with Lemon-Basil Mayo

A bit of a different approach on this classic as well. Instead of chopping and mixing your hard boiled eggs, slice them! Spread a piece of egg bread (preferably cut with a round cookie cutter) with a mixture of mayo/dried basil/lemon juice and garnish with a fresh asparagus sprig

Chicken Tarragon

Mix canned or cooked chicken with a bit of may, sliced red grapes, a few chive snips and dried tarragon.  Serve on prairie/squaw bread spread with butter to bring out the flavors

Fruit Bread with Fruit Spread

We nearly always include a variation of this at tea.  This time we suggest sliced blueberry loaf... something like a pound cake available pre-sliced at most supermarkets... mix some soft cream cheese with a touch of strawberry jam and spread & but as you would any standard sandwich.  Tastes great and the colors are suitably vibrant.

Scones

Rose Petal Scones

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/3 cup coarsely-ground pistachios or almonds, unsalted

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon rose water (purchased by the bottle -- a little goes a long way)

2 heaping tablespoons rose petals, washed and shredded 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray a large baking sheet with vegetable-oil cooking spray.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry cutter cut butter into flour mixture until pieces are the size of peas; stir in nuts.

In a separate bowl, combine cream and rose water. Mix in the shredded rose petals. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to form a soft dough.  Roll quickly thenn cut with a flower shaped cookie cutter.

Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake approximately 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with clotted cream, lemon curd and blackberry preserves

Makes 24 scones

DESSERT

Petit Fours

These gorgeous little fondant-clad marvels are most often tastiest and prettiest when purchased rather than slaved over at home.  For your Spring theme opt for as many color as possible, optimally topped with an icing flower and leaves

Orange Blossom Chocolate Truffle

YIELD: 40 Truffles

1/4 cup sweet, unsalted butter,chopped

1/3 cup heavy cream

7 oz. semi sweet chocolate, chopped

1 egg yolk*

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

2 tablespoons zest of mixed citrus peel (orange, lime, lemon)

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier (or substitute 1 teaspoon Orange extract or to taste)

unsweetened cocoa powder

In a small saucepan, combine butter and cream. Over a low flame, heat until the butter melts and the cream bubbles around the edge. Remove from heat, add chocolate. Cover and let stand until chocolate melts. Stir until smooth. Stir in egg yolk*. Mix in orange peel, citrus peel and Grand Marnier. Chill until firm. Roll into balls. Roll balls in cocoa. Refrigerate in airtight container. Will hold for two weeks. * If eggs are a problem in your area, omit egg yolk from recipe.

(this recipe was gleaned from Old Fashioned Living) 

Beverages

Lavender Lemonade

Here are 2 (and a half) ways to go about this easily

1. Simply float sprigs of of washed lavender in your lemonade pitcher or glasses

2. Boil lavender sprigs in 2 cups of water.  Then (a) strain out all stems & pieces and either add this to your lemonade OR (b) pour the lavender water into ice cube trays along with a sprig per tray cube slot and when frozen add to your lemonade pitcher or glasses

Tea

How about a choice of Lavender Earl Grey or Herbal Rose Garden

(visit Empress Tea Company to purchase the perfect blend)

Cheers!

Joie