This week was heavy on traditional publishing tasks and business side of things. We needed a merchandising contract. We needed a lawyer to look it over. We had some IP questions regarding the audio books. We did some writing.
I’m a bear of very little brain at the moment.
I decided to bundle all of the recipes from the blog into a small cookbook. Surprisingly, we posted quite a bit over the years and people kept losing the recipes as the posts are archived.
Posts are archived and deleted for a reason. They become obsolete or we might have said something that now isn’t accurate because situation changes. When the posts are gone, it’s because we want them gone. Anyway, a cookbook would preserve the recipes in a single convenient place.
Unfortunately I’ve discovered that I’m terrible at food photography. Things I can do: make delicious food. Things I cannot do: photograph it.
I’m not sure if the cookbook will have pictures. I will try my best. I’m testing every recipe to make sure I can include actual ingredient quantities rather than a dash of this and a pinch of that.
On the plus side, I have been approved for a purchase of a massive air fryer. We will probably charge a couple of bucks for the cookbook to recoup editing and production costs, and the air fryer came in handy. This particular model has a shallow and wide basket. I stuffed 24 drumettes into it. It took a while for them to crisp because of the mayo coating, but Gordon, as the official sampler, pronounced them delicious.
I do not understand the deep air frier baskets. Nothing crisps for me in those.
Today might be pork carnitas day. I’m not sure.
Someone asked about my favorite tea. As you probably know by now, my blood is 78% tea water. I used to lean heavily into oolongs, but now I mostly drink black tea. Since we established that I take terrible food pictures, I will be stealing images from Harney & Sons. All teas will be linked below.
All teas were consumed without milk or lemon, although sometimes Splenda was added. We receive no compensation from the tea providers below and these are not affiliate links.
Russian Country
To no one’s surprised at all, this is my go to. My first cup of tea in the morning is usually Russian Country. It’s a smoky tea, strong flavor, blended from several tea varieties. It’s probably an acquired taste, but it reminds me of my childhood.
Harney & Sons: Russian Country tea.
Celebration
This is a milder black tea, and the lighter flavor lets the other ingredients shine: it has apricots, blue cornflowers, hazelnut, plum, and cinnamon. I will be honest, I can neither smell nor taste cinnamon in this, and I don’t miss it. This tea smells amazing, its taste is complex, and it makes you think of fruity desert.
Harney & Sons: Celebration tea.
Valentine’s Day
This smells amazing. The vanilla is strong and there are hints of chocolate. This is another milder tea with chocolate nibs and rose petals, and it’s Chinese black tea base allows those flavors to come through. Gordon bought this in bulk for me and I drink it when I want a treat during the day.
Harney & Sons: Valentine’s Day Tea.
Vanilla Comoro
Vanilla Comoro is a decaffeinated tea, and it is amazing. It tastes rich, with a strong hint of vanilla, and if you would like an evening or late afternoon tea without the caffeine spike, this is an excellent choice. I drink massive quantities of this and restock frequently.
Harney & Sons: Vanilla Comoro.
Vahdam Spiced Turmeric
The last tea on my list is an herbal tisane. When my primary doctor looked at my latest blood results, she saw some inflammation markers and she suggested turmeric to lower it. Not in a pill or supplement form. Apparently, turmeric is the latest “miracle” fad. Supplements are very loosely regulated in US and some people became sick taking them.
My doctor was very clear: turmeric consumption had to come in a way of actually consuming the spice itself, and this tea was my answer. It is spicy and strong, with turmeric, lemongrass, and ginger, and I honestly thought I would hate it, but instead I look forward to it.
It is a very acquired taste; however, so I would recommend sample size to try it out. It does help with inflammation, but I also drink a lot of it.
Vahdam: Turmeric Spiced Herbal Tea.
I am now going to brew myself a cup from this selection, check on my friend, and then dive back into work. we have some fun stuff coming down the pipeline, but too early to talk about it. More to come.
Eeee
Merchandising and cookbook!! So much to look forward to ☺️
Also also!! First?? It’s either me or Gordon 🤣
Don’t count him. He cheats.
Certified first 🥇
I have been wanting a cookbook for so long!!
Thank you so much for the cookbook. I am looking forward to it and I am sure I will be one of many to order. Thank you for your blog post as well. This is a stressful month and your posts give me a small break.
Many many years ago I worked with a photographer friend of mine on pictures for a little local cookbook. The styling we did to the food blew my mind. I remember hair spray and other things to get that nice glossy shine. Not to mention the specialized lighting above his normal lights. Definitely specialized profession.
I occasionally go on a tea kick – Lady Grey mostly, a Korean Sencha also features quite often, or one memorable couple of weeks full on brewed sweet Indian chai from scratch – and then leave it again for ages. Not sure why, but it doesn’t bother me or anyone else, so I just go with the flow. I did totally splurge on getting a whole collection of brightly coloured and patterned tea canisters to store all the many different teas. The look of them all together makes me happy 😊
Yay cookbook! Forget photos, just have some fantasy illustrations made for it. 🙂
Love the tea recs. Always on the lookout for more tea.
Now I’m picturing illustrations showing Orro demonstrating the recipes.
That would be funny if she wrote the cookbook in Orro’s voice.
I am extremely looking forward to cookbook! Written in Orro’s voice would be adorable! Fantasy pictures also a fun idea but I will take cookbook with no pictures at all.
Or comments by Orro? (Could be really funny…)
+1
A sketch of Orro on the cover.
I brew powdered tumeric in milk with some ginger, sweeten with honey. it’s called “golden milk”. very similar approach. I have systemic inflammation issues and I enjoy this drink as a supporting tool in my toolbox.
Asd pepper. It hugely increases the bioavailability of Tumeric.
yes I forgot the black pepper. recipes are easy to find online for golden milk.
I love golden milk! It’s especially nice as a before-bed hot drink on chilly nights. So cozy and satisfying. ☺️
As an Indian person who was made to drink haldi nu dudh as a child, I’ve yet to learn to like it. Ugh
Much prefer having it in hot water with lemon and ginger.
Also note we call it turmeric milk aka haldi nu dudh and golden milk I think is just western marketing for an ancient Indian drink
I bought some in a set from Harney a few years ago, it was too spicy to drink everyday, but it was pretty good. Came in gorgeous tins and a gift box.
My husband and I took a tea factory tour yesterday and sampled a dozen different flavors. I won’t name that brand but Harney & Sons is still the clear favorite in our household. Their flavors & aromas are just delicious. We go through Paris, Queen Catherine, Milky Ooling, and a variety of greens every month. Now we must try all of the ones you recommended!
Cookbook would be great. Will you include a recipe, or at least some sort of general instructions, for sbiten? I’ve made it from the YouTube link you shared, but recognize that there are all kinds of variations. We’re heading toward the season where it will be more and more welcome.
+1
There will be an Ilona version in the book 🙂
Awesome; thank you!
Yup now I’m buying a cookbook!
You are the one to actually get me to try Harney and Sons and I will say it is the best tea around!
I love Harney and Sons peppermint tea.
I was born, raised and still live in eastern North Carolina and was mainlining sweet iced tea practically from the cradle. I honestly didn’t know that people drank their tea hot until I started reading Phyllis Whitney and Daphne Du Maurier books as a pre-teen. Now, I enjoy the occasional cup of hot tea in the colder seasons, but I’m far from a connoisseur. I drink the various Stash teas because Fresh Market has them. I have no idea if they’re considered good teas or a travesty to the name.
huh, my dad was from Bertie County (home birth so not from Windsor, I was born in Ahoskie) and he would make cinnamon tea. 3 sticks of cinnamon and 5 tea bags in 3 quarts of water, brung to a boil then lagleder in to our mugs.
Not chalant at all. So excited for cookbook! Also what type of air fryer. We’re not happy with ours, but haven’t started looking yet.
So I broke down and bought an expensive one. We’ve had our old one for 5 years and the non stick coating wore off on the basket, etc. If the cookbook sells, I am planning to write this off as a business expense.
https://www.typhur.com/products/dome-air-fryer
If you are considering it, the video that they have on the site is helpful. Their 14 minutes for wings is wildly off – I did drumettes for 30 minutes, but they were delicious.
I drink the Vanilla Comoro most days. It’s delicious!
Love Harney and Sons Teas! Paris is my favorite, but like you, most black tea is acceptable to me. I’ll certainly be giving Russian Country and the Vanilla Comoro a try! Good luck with the cook book. I just used several recipes from The Lucky Gryphon which has no pictures, just drawings, so don’t feel like you must have pictures. 🍀😄
I don’t know if you have read the Obsidian Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory but the elves in this series have very discerning tea tastes and they describe tea to such detail that when I first read them years ago, it got me into drinking tea! I love fruit based teas and trying different kinds if tea and don’t typically put anything in my tea. I also love a good spiced tea so I appreciate your recommendations!
Your description of Russian Country tea makes me think it is what I’ve had that was labeled as Russian Caravan. Smoky, very different taste for a tea. I haven’t had—or found—any in years for for quite a while in my 20s and 30s (soooo long ago) it was one of my favorites. My complete favorite tea is Kensington Estate Ceylon, but I haven’t had that in a while either. Mmmmm, tea!
I found Russian Caravan tea at a spice shop in Rehobooth beach on Delaware
I loved & drank Russian Caravan for years, but havent been able to find it since my fave specialty tea shop closed. I’ll have to try the Russian Country!
I don’t know if you were told this or not, but Tumeric isn’t very bioavailable without the addition of pepper.
*Just looked at the ingredients, they have included pepper.
We make the golden tumeric paste as a supplement for dogs.It seems to help senior dogs. Fresh ground pepper was stressed as an activator along with Ceylon cinnamon, and organic oil coconut or extra virgin olive oil. They said we could add it to tea but that was. Big
no
Thank you Ilona for all the effort you’re putting into a cookbook for the BDH, that is very generous of you.
Pictures! Oh yes, pictures would be very helpful. Apparently, I must be a visual person.
I definitely would buy a cookbook in e form if possible. Food photos is an art, so unless you want a pro photographer just get 1 good pic for the book cover. Most cookbooks I have do not have pics.
The teas sound really interesting!
+1 on the cover pic, although I would prefer a print version to cook from, if possible.
Tea!! Soothing, warm, delicious!! My mom gave us tea with a touch of honey when we were kids, from the first day of the winter or summer “icks” (not the flu or a cold, just “ick”), to keep us hydrated and fix the sore throat.
Sleepy Time peppermint tea got me through college – not a coffee person. A good cup of Irish or English Breakfast tea is high on the list, too! 🫖
LOL, Morning Thunder from Celestial Seasonings got me through college. More caffeine than coffee had! And Red Zinger later in the day, though I can barely drink the current formula. If the formula has not changed since the late 70s, then my taste buds certainly have.
My tea habits have also changed, but I still remember the charging buffalo with great affection.
A recipe collection sounds like fun but please do it as you happen to feel like it. As an aside, your carnitas recipe is delightful with beef too, just takes a bit longer 😁
I agree, the deep basket air fryers just don’t work as well as flat tray ones. Our Covid pod is still going strong for cooking together and frankly I prefer cooking fries in the oven over using the deep basket fryer. Plus it’s a pain to pull out, clean and put away.
Have a great weekend!
There’s no rule that cookbooks need to have photos! I found imagine some fanciful or cartoon style illustrations of ingredients, recipe inspiration, or finished result instead.
Have you picked a title for the cookbook yet?
“Sweep of the Spoon”
“Magic Recipes”
“Cooking from the Edge”
“Cooking with Kinsmen”
Oreo and Elara are both addicted to cooking shows.
What about a fictional cooking show, the ‘House Andrews baking show ‘ for example?
Orro * autocorrect*
I like Sweep of the Spoon or Cooking from the Edge
Sweep of the Spoon! haha I love it!
+1 Excellent and on-brand.
Or just “FIRE!” 😉😂😂
I love those. Also thought Feeding the Horde?
+1000
I love every one of these title ideas, BRAVA!
I grew up drinking black tea with milk and sugar, which I thought was common, but when I would ask for milk for tea when I would go to coffee shops when I was older, the baristas looked at me like I had two heads (I’m in the U.S.). I think luckily tea lattes have become more common so people don’t think that’s as weird anymore. I was much older by the first time I tried an herbal tea. I do like them, but usually as an extra thing to drink after I’ve already had my black tea or coffee for the day. I love a strong black tea from the UK and Ireland. My go to is Barry‘s Tea. My one concession now, besides having to switch to soy milk from regular due to an allergy, is that I use a non-calorie sweetener cause my system can’t seem to take the sugar. I’m very intrigued by that Russian tea.
Tea with milk and sugar was the default for centuries, with lemon as a daring alternative. Sadly, outside the British Isles, the whole tea service thing has faded away. People switched to coffee, then came to drink tea as strangers, usually in fancy venues where they like it complicated.
I have three tea sets, but I’m Irish and I am fond of Belleek 🙂
Belleek china!! I have a Belleek pig -college graduation gift from my parents!! Very treasured!!
A whole tea set in Belleek – for the most special of guests!!
According to my Irish grandmother we should drink a cup of tea for our feast days (saint’s day). She would make it “pale as heaven and sweet as sin” for me. =Lots of milk and sugar, very little tea.
We love our air fryer! The only way my husband does steaks anymore….and I love WF kabobs in it!
Thanks for the tea reviews and a cookbook!!
Have a great weekend!
Lol I would love to have a cookbook with “bad”, aka REALISTIC photography.
What I make never comes close in looks to what the photos are like and it drives me nuts trying to figure out if I did the recipe right.
That brings up the scene with Orro at the taping of the cooking show, when they added soy sauce to the roasted turkey. Fire!
My poor efforts never look like the pics in cookbooks or online recipes.
😆
Yayyy cookbook! I don’t care about pictures, just the recipes would be a marvelous thing. Is it rude to request specific recipes be included? I have drooled over Martha’s honey muffins and Meli’s passion cones every time I read about them, but I don’t think they have ever been posted.
Yay! Recipes and tea (and the weekend, so hopefully the Bear of very little brain can relax and recover.)
HS cinnamon tea is my go to. Along with a few others – especially now that fall is peaking around the corner! After years of drinking my morning tea with a little sweetener I’ve started adding milk – game changer!
Thanks for sharing!
I also LOVE the Harney and Sons hot cinnamon tea! I’ve tried all their versions of it… and for now am settling on the green tea version of it. I have so many other tea blends (from Harney and other places) but I just keep drinking that hot cinnamon instead.
Yes! I love their hot cinnamon tea. Sadly I can only drink herbal tea these days, but their herbal version of it is quite good!
Before I forget, a quick thank you again to Gordon: I added two of the Wons Phreely songs to my 5k playlist and tried it out at the gym yesterday: they’re perfect! 😁👍
So, cookbooks: I am sure we will all love a cookbook, with or without pictures! If it helps, I’d like to offer an idea (use it or don’t, makes no difference to me, just offering this in case it makes your life easier!)😁
One of the employee groups in a company I used to work for decided to create a cookbook of employee-submitted recipes. They didn’t want to spend a lot of time or money creating it, so there were no pictures.
Instead, they just had a one-page drawing (I think they used plants?) prior to each section (appetizers, salads, bread, desserts….whatever.)
The drawings were unrelated to the section content, making it easier and quicker to create the cookbook, and they added some interest to the content.
Anyway, just an idea. I for one would love a cookbook….I’ve enjoyed so many of the recipes discovered here!
I found out that my tea has been trying to murder me for a while now. I took all my loose leaf teas, one of the loves of my life, and gave them to a good and deserving home with 2 tea lovers. I will miss my tea but I am not missing being nauseous all the time and that is a good thing.
Love Harney and Sons tea! I buy it by the truckload. Have you tried Malachi McCormick?
After reading this, was delighted to discover that iherb delivers Vanilla Comoro to the Philippines, and now happily awaiting my order.
Beta cookbook readers and recipe triers could send you photos!!!
I actually use tumeric in egg drop soup so if you like it, it may be another source to use it
You can put turmeric in all sorts of things. Try mashed potatoes, golden milk, and stuffings. I add some to breading if I’m frying, as a counterbalance to the free radicals. Basically, you can add some to anything savory and reduce your bodies histamine response. I buy mine by the pound, usually in a concentrated form. It costs less than 20$ in most places. It’s one of the most powerful antioxidant foods in that price range.
Beets are also up there, and you can buy powdered beet juice for a similar price.
And seaweed is always a superfood. Laver bread is traditionally made with 1/3 seaweed. Powdered kelp works well for this, and is cheapest.
There is an amazing selection of bulks naturals out there today that couldn’t be found five years ago.
My pot roast recipe includes curry powder (w/ tumeric) in the broth.
I like the slightly spicier taste.
I didn’t know it was good for me.
I know someone whose secret ingredient for deviled eggs is curry powder. Anyone new to hers asks about them, every time. They are fabulous without being fancy.
It’s heavy in my pickle recipe.
The turmeric-ginger-lemongrass tea sounds delicious. I routinely drink a turmeric-ginger blend tisane from Rishi Tea&Botanicals.
And a cookbook?! Woot! ❤️
I also love the Russian country, I found it in another tea shop under Russian Caravan tea and it just brought me home.
I’m a fan of Russian Caravan as well. I usually get it mixed at the tea shop. It is composed of equal parts of Assam, Ceylon, and Darjeeling.
Those drums look sumptuous so I don’t know what you’re on about with the photography criticism. Now I want wings.
I’m all in on a cookbook! I’m not a great cook, but I do love cookbooks. I just sit and look through every single page. It’s comforting.
Happy weekend!
Does your turmeric tea have pepper in it? pepper contains bio-piperine, which acts as a catalyst for the cucumin, making it much more bioavailable.
I also suggest golden milk, which is wonderful in both taste and health benefits.
maybe Include art from the books the recipes relate to or excerpts? I would love that and it’s not food! I know itight not be feasible but I can’t wait to buy the cookbook!!!!
food photography is best left to the exports. They do unnatural things to them to get them to look like they do.
Art Vandeley gets by with a few imports too 😉, but you’re generally right!
Thanks so much for these!
I highly recommend this Turmeric herbal tea mix if you want to try something new: https://www.theteaspot.com/products/organic-turmeric-ginger-chai. It’s heavy on ginger but also has fennel, cinnamon, chai flavor, nettle and of course turmeric (and peppercorns for absorption). Basically an anti-inflammatory allstar blend.
The above chicken photo that you called an epic fail looks delicious to me! I’d love to reach into it and pull out three or four drumettes. Yum!
Thank you for the cookbook. Ordered tea. I am imaging the spike in tea orders as the horde mobilizes.
Yay cookbook!!!
I highly recommend Mem Tea Imports, you can get their stuff online.
Hmmm, my favorite is their Red Chili Tea but I’m not sure if they still make it *sad face*
there are plenty of good food photos. Embrace the chaos and take ridiculous food photos instead.
yay, cookbook! can you write-off the airfryer as a business expense since it is being used to test your recipes?
Wow, a doctor that recommends a tea instead of a pill. I’m impressed, stick with her.
I buy the Vanilla Comoro because it makes the best iced tea. Bonus that it is decaf so I can drink it all afternoon.
Cookbook happy dance! (1) My husband thought your chicken photo looked delicious, and (2) I was chastised for not making sbiten.
My favorite tea is London Fog. I have not tried any of the ones you listed which is weird since I have tried alot of Harney & Sons. i am totally getting the Russion Country because I live in Okla and I am listening to the Bear and the Nightingale and dreaming of Russian winters.
I second the turmeric tea idea for health. I used to have non-stop sinus infections;
I’d be lucky if I got a full week in between finishing one antibiotic prescription and having to start another. This went on for years after my kids were born.
Then I made two changes that reduced my need for antibiotics to once every couple of years: I began drinking a turmeric and ginger herbal tea all day long, and I began propping my head up at a fairly sharp angle while sleeping, in spite of all my neck and back pain.
I’ve changed the specific type of tea as my tastebuds adjusted to more turmeric. Now I love a turmeric-ginger-cinnamon combo.
I worked at a rural hospital through COVID without catching it, and I credit the constant bathing of my throat with anti-inflammatory turmeric tea with helping me to fight it off then. And of course vaccinations once they were available. I’ve caught covid twice since then, and both times I was on vacation and not drinking my tea regularly (and it was about a year since my previous vaccination).
I also added turmeric and ginger to my homemade spaghetti sauce and I would freeze and eat the leftovers for lunches. These days, I add ginger and turmeric with pepper to almost any recipe.
the chicken drummettes look super tasty, edible, and normal so please take plenty of photos. also, YAY!!!!!, another book to order!!!
I highly recommend Upton Tea Company. I discovered them before the Internet and the web, probably in the ’80s. At the time, their catalog was a sheaf of mimeographed sheets. I too learned to drink my tea with milk and sugar, because of the influence of my English-born grandmother. The only herbal tea I like is rooibos (sp?), which I met on a trip to Zimbabwe. They drink it all over southern Africa. It’s particularly good with real sugar, although I usually use sweetener.
Thank you for sharing! I have chronic inflammation and did try turmeric supplements without noticing much difference. I’m also fussy about tea, but I love spicy flavors so I ordered the sample size of the tisane. I make my own Chai and it has a lot of the same ingredients, so I’m hopeful that I’ll like this!
yeah!! so excited for the cookbook!
and I love all your tea favorites too!
Happy weekend!
If you want to taste the cinnamon in your tea, try their Hot Cinnamon. Smells amazing, tastes just as good and has a little zip. I recommend both the regular and decaf.
I would love to have your cookbook because your recipes always appeal to me and are widely different from my usual routines.
I do own a set of measuring cups, but as a European measuring in grams and centiliters I would love a quick converting scale from cups and onces in the cookbook (rather than googling it each time, which yes my lazy ass can do).
My favorite teas are citrus-based, so I love all the variations on Earl Grey!
Have a nice cu of tea everybody!
Oh, that’s a good one, actually – I too would appreciate having things pre-translated 😉 to grams and liters. Not to mention temperatures in °C as well as F…
I wondered about conversion too.
I bought a fridge magnet for my (now) daughter in law at Christmas because she is American and my son is English. They enjoyed cooking together via video when they were apart.
It went on her fridge until she came to England.
So many ingredients are different too.
No comment on tea, I can’t stand the smell, including fruit teas!
I love the idea of a cook book. Fire! is my favourite name.
Ah, my favorite kind of discussions, tea and cookbooks! For my morning coffee equivalent, I usually drink Yorkshire tea, strong, black, dissolving spoons and putting hair on one’s chest. With milk and sugar of course.
Recently I’ve dicovered Bird&Blend teas, they do the tastiest things. Their Rhubarb and custard rooibos has become a favorite, when caffeine is not a good idea. I’m not a fan of the taste of pure rooibos, and this covers it perfectly. As for “regular” teas, how can you not love stuff like Peach cobbler :D.
As for the cookbook, I will totally buy it. Professional photography not needed, realistic, like someone put it above, is perfectly sufficient. And even without pictures is fine.
I love the idea of the cookbook having reviews / recommendations from different Ilona Andrews characters.
(Recipe reviews – next to specific recipes)
Would totally love a cookbook. Also just a suggestion, do you know an illustrator that could do cute little drawings of food instead of photos, I think that could be adorable
a cookbook! Yessssss, I’m so excited for it! I’ve been curious about some of the foods for years, and now I’ll have a starring point!
Cookbook sounds great but please 🙏🏻 will the amounts also be in grams for those of us across the water who don’t use “cups” as a measurement
I also buy tea from Harney and Sons and I can’t get enough of their chocolate tea. To real tea drinkers, it sounds as though it will be a gross cross between tea and hot chocolate, but actually, it’s not sweet at all, and the chocolate adds a really sophisticated note!. It is a black tea, so it is my Monday through Friday 1st cup of tea in the morning tea. Try a sample!
A nice Lapsang Souchang was my tea yesterday, today’s is a pleasant basic black tea without specific labels. (A gift.) And I have a not-often turned-to Turmeric Ginger from Rishi; I enjoy the tea, but not the way that material seeps through the brewing bag into the cup.
Best of luck with the cookbook; I look forward to buying a copy.
cookbook sounds lovely
We have used the Algerian Coffee Stores in Soho, London for many years. One of favourites is Russian Caravan. This is their blurb about it. “Russian Caravan dates back to the 18th century when tea was imported 6000 miles from China through Russia to Europe by caravans of camels. The smoky flavour was developed through the journey by the fires lit at night imparting their smoky flavour upon the teas.’’ The shop itself was opened in 1887 and is still going strong. Yummy teas!
oh no-fun recommendations from favorite authors while still waking up-splurge purchasing activated! and it’s September when I regularly try to reset my resolutions (it’s a go back to school habit that at 50 I still can’t break) – like drink green tea every day, increase anti-inflammatory intake, don’t shop when you’re not awake :-/
https://shop.dilmahtea.com/ I don’t know if you would like it or not but panda express has wonderful tea pomegranate passionfruit. This company carries it. https://shop.dilmahtea.com/ Unfortunately Amazon is not selling that flavor on peach.
I’m impressed that you can quantify your recipes. In college I visited with my best friend’s family and her Italian mother made an AMAZING marinara. I asked if she was willing to share the recipe.Useless. It included ingredients like “enough” sweet peppers, and “some” fresh basil, and instructions like “simmer until it is done.”
I learned some recipes with my Italian grandmother, and the quantities were “one big onion or two medium onions”, “just enough milk to cover the meat”, “simmer until almost dry”. So I totally relate to your experience… but that shouldn’t stop you from trying it a couple of time and adjust the recipe to your tastes. Also, in my experience, the small dried peppers (“peperoncini” in Italian) used in Italian cooking go from almost tasteless to very spicy, so that ingredient at least is really difficult to quantify
we make ginger/ turmeric tea by chopping up ginger toot and turmeric root and boiling it in a sauce pan. it tastes wonderful and I believe you get the most effect out of it.
Harney is good and they run lots of sales to lure you in and they have a large number of decaf black options. However, several steps up are the teas from Rishi or Mem tea which I highly recommend if you haven’t tried.
the trouble with this great recommendation is that there are many many (rabbit hole) such recommedations to be made from us truly mad tea drinkers or I wouldn’t have more than 50 different tea makers and at least 100 different teas in my tea shelves. I do wonder if sometimes less is more?? (as i go to look up Mem teas)
I had a basket-type air fryer, and I hated it. It required so much fussing and fiddling with your food that I just didn’t use it much. You couldn’t put too much food in it (in case the drumstick felt like being on the tube in a rush hour). Nothing would crisp to my satisfaction unless I turned it over 2-3 times. Soggy, limp fries come to mind. It was way too much hassle so I gave it away.
Three years ago, I bought a “shelf” style air-fryer (looks like a toaster oven) and have not looked back. I use it all the time so much so that my main oven has only been used 5-6 times in all these years. I LOVE my air-fryer now and use it for just about everything from dehydrating fruit to making rotisserie chicken. I love my gadgets and the “shelf” air-fryer is by far my most used kitchen gadget/appliance.
I grew up having herbal teas. After a nasty kidney infection as a child, doctors told me I had to drink 2 liters of some specialty tea every day. Now, I associate tea with being sick. Water is my drink of choice as I have never been into drinking coffee.
I am just about to try out my new air fryer oven, so glad to hear an endorsement!!
Also in the UK and would appreciate grams or ounces conversion in the cookbook, although I’m sure a section in the intro would cover it. And, I’d love to know what quantity a ‘stick’ of butter is and definition of ‘heavy’ cream. We have single and double cream here, and for years I thought US heavy cream must be UK double cream, but came across a description that implies it is not.
I know this one! (excited waving)
A “stick of butter” = a half of a cup [or about 113 grams says the internet]
Heavy cream is 36% milkfat; tbh I usually use heavy whipping cream and don’t have issues.
We have company coming this weekend so I pulled up my “recipe” for chocolate pecan pie. It’s one I made up myself because I don’t like corn syrup, a common ingredient for that pie. The first line reads: 3.5 ounces OR SO chocolate 100percent. Next line was “one stick of butter.” I sat and looked at that for a while wondering if I meant one cup or one stick (half cup).
So I feel your pain in trying to do a cookbook. All of my cooking is like that. And I can take pictures, but I don’t plate food well (but that is a good photography hint. Instead of doing all the chicken, plate it with some garnish or lemon slices or a dish of BBQ sauce and some lettuce). I grew up in a hungry family so it was “food is on the table, every man for himself.” Most things were served right out of the pan, not in a fancy serving dish. My cakes, especially my tiramisu is one of the most lopsided towers you will never see. I put it in a high sided container when making it so that it doesn’t fall over, slide off a plate or otherwise self destruct.
You cookbook will be delicious and a work of art whether it has pictures or not. What a wonderful idea. I hope you enjoy all the good food while you test and I’m looking forward to owning a copy! (No, I probably won’t follow the directions exactly. It’s simply not possible. But I will enjoy the recipes anyway!)
this!
We bought a microwave with an air fryer function. we can’t figure out how to work the darn thing. if you can, I’d love to know which sure fryer you choose.
Ilona Answered above 🙂:
“ So I broke down and bought an expensive one. We’ve had our old one for 5 years and the non stick coating wore off on the basket, etc. If the cookbook sells, I am planning to write this off as a business expense.
https://www.typhur.com/products/dome-air-fryer
If you are considering it, the video that they have on the site is helpful. Their 14 minutes for wings is wildly off – I did drumettes for 30 minutes, but they were delicious.”
Thank you for the info on turmeric. I’m going to pass that along to my husband, who is the chef of the house. Also, guess what he’s getting for Christmas?
Do you know how any of these teas do iced? We live in southwest Florida and I have a nonstop supersized insulated jug of iced tea at my side all of the time. I’m not opposed to hot tea, but my body cries when I add more heat.
I do Harney & Sons black teas iced. I just brew them a bit longer. Love the Earl Grey and the Comno (the one Ilona recommends but I am slaughtering the spelling). The company sells iced tea blends, but I found them weak.
I increase the amount of tea I brew and the amount of sugar/ non dairy milk so it isn’t watered down when I ice it after stirring together hot.
I look forward to the cookbook! I made the Maple Mustard Chicken (East Texas) and we liked it so much that I sent the recipe to my sister-in-law (Michigan.) In her words, her family “went crazy over it!” So she sent it on to the UP of Michigan, who sent it on to … You get the drift. That recipe should be world famous in, oh say, about 14 days. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes.
I thought your photo was good! Thanks for working on a cookbook; sounds yummy! have a great day!
When I was first given the notion to try turmeric, I looked up the drug interactions. It has the potential to interact with my bp meds if not taken 4 hours apart, so, I take turmeric in the morning, and my bp meds at night.
And if you have a tooth whitening product you like, cough it up, because my teeth are, erhem, no longer sparkly white, thanks to years of lots of tea. I only drink half a pot a day, buuuut, it’s a 46 oz. pot. Not white teeth, gah…. Lemon, yes; milk no. Milk in other things, not my d@mned tea!
Please include Roman’s Favorite Pierogi!!!!
I’ve had beautifully presented food which I honestly won’t eat again, and other foods that looked messy but were absolutely delicious (in French we call that a “goût de reviens-y”, which would translate as “taste of come-back-to-it”) so I don’t pay much attention to pics of food. Pics of the ingredients are more useful in my opinion, especially if they show the relative quantities.
I’ll definitely will buy the cookbook, especially if each food is “reviewed” by some characters from whichever series…
As for teas, I’m not sure which of the various recommendations are available in France (and I refuse to buy on the internet things that are readily available in real shops) so I’ll be finding some sample through the ingredients list when described.
I have been wanting to thank you for mentioning Dragon Pearl green tea from Harney & Sons. My husband is a green tree tea drinker and so I tried a sample package. He loves it. We buy it in bulk now, have tried others, and we buy all his green tea from Harney & Sons. I drink black teas and have 5 different of those lovely tins on my kitchen counter right now. So again, thank you.
Yay, a cook book! I would absolutely look forward to all the things bound together🤣 I have some written down but over the years they have disappeared.
Just came back from a trip to the west coast. I am now drinking turmeric/ginger herbal tea with added honey and pepper, to help with the sinus infection I get from flying🤢
I have yet to use an air fryer. The advertisement looks too good to be true. I’ll wait for any air fryer updates on the blog from the BDH, lol.
So I’m only recommending The Maker’s Playbook photo tutorials on the Tube of You because I similarly used to take bad product shots, and Rebecca really helped me figure it out in a low effort, very adhd friendly manner.
While she does sell a course, the free photo tips will set you up well enough to take some respectable shots.
(If the link isn’t cricket, I apologize to Mod R.)
https://youtu.be/U1e3wQ5n1Lk?si=js0CvyR-Yy26r9mY
Adagio has some very nice teas. We like the Irish Breakfast. Their Advent calendar is a lot of fun too.
I love Vanilla Comoro, I drink a lot of it. I drink genmaicha too, though I limit myself to one cup because of the caffeine. I add copious amounts of cream to everything.
I like a cup of decaf coffee in the morning, Mayorga Honduras, the decaf Cubano is too dark for me.
I hope your cookbook does well, pictures or not. I’ve bought quite a few pre2023 cookbooks recently, since AI slop makes finding an actual recipe on the internet pretty hard anymore. Pinterest is getting especially bad, I’ve taken screenshots of all my favorite recipes just in case.
Get the air fryer with the French doors. You will never go back! Love mine soooo much. It does great dried fruit & jerky. Your food will be crunchy. It does great puff pastries, you just need to learn to flip things over.
Vahdum ships directly from India, as said on their website. Are tariffs now being added?
Yay, a cookbook! That will be fabulous! The chicken recipe you posted is sitting on my desk awaiting a trip to the grocery store. And tea! I and my family have become avid hot tea drinkers over the years. I favor selections from Rishi Tea, Magic Hour, and Teapigs. We go through vast quantities of Earl Grey, Coconut Chai, Butter Assam, Bohemian Breakfast tea, and English Breakfast tea. If you want some different and interesting flavors, August Teas has some very unique tasty teas.
oooh cookbook! I will definitely get the cookbook.
not a black tea, but I highly recommend blood orange iced tea from Adagio.com. A wonderful overall source for tea and this time of year an iced tea is welcome. I add simple sugar, but I’m of Irish descent, my hot – only black – tea always has milk and sugar.
Yes I will buy your cookbook! and even though I am not a tea drinker the descriptions made me salivate. Sounded Yum!
Yay on a cookbook! Please let there be an Orro section (“Inspired By Orro” has a nice ring to it). Yay to more fun things!
I hope your tea helps. It sounds lovely. I am lucky to be near a few marvelous tea shops, one of which makes and sells its own tea blends. It’s better than a trip to the candy store for me. And then at home, such a wonderful opportunity to use all the pretty tea things!
Last night I had a very milky chai. I needed it
Very excited for a cookbook, I’ve had the Edge hamburgers saved on a separate tab for ages because I love to go back to it.
Will hunt some of those teas down, I love a good cup during fall and winter, mostly earl grays and pu ehrs (local tea store has what they call a chai pu ehr, and it’s ridiculously delicious).
I will definitely buy a cookbook! thank you so much for all your extra work in bringing that together. honestly, the pics don’t have to be great, just give me an idea of what it’s supposed to look like.
Woo and Hoo! Magically I asked for a cook book in the merchandise poll and you have provided it.
I say it again: Woo and Hoo!
I’m sure you have ten trillion suggestions, but one of the things I find most helpful in a cookbook is images of the techniques. The overview of the ingredients or even the mis en place that shows how big/small the ingredients need to be. When batter/custard is supposed to have a certain texture, dough to have a particular elasticity, the work-in-progress of the cook pan for the humble beginnings (mirepoix, sofrito, aromatics, etc.). Those images help me the most.
Also, when it comes to images two words will always help you: white space. Don’t fill the whole picture with the food. Pairing that with lights to remove weird shadows will help. But for my part, pictures of the steps help me more because food images is all about using weird techniques. There is nothing professionally photographed that is actually edible. lol I’d rather see the journey, as that helps me more.
Agree – this is totally what I do when I post my recipes on FB for Friends\Family, most of whom are not really big into cooking 🙂
I will absolutely purchase your recipe book – I love trying new things. I take half way decent “food p*rn” photos in my kitchen (I tend to post on FB – friends only though) when I’ve triumphed something. I’d love to help if I thought I had enough time to do your recipes justice – some day!
I have been experimenting lately though. Hubby had a stroke the end of June and was diagnosed with Diabetes. We don’t eat terribly, he just grew up on Cuban pastries so even though I didn’t make desserts much, we always had sweets around for him. I’ve been working on making desserts he can eat. My first real triumph was Flan (a classic one made with Allulose which browns like regular sugar). It doesn’t work for cookies though (my Snickerdoodles turned into Madeleines – good but not what I was going for LOL). I made my first try at Cinnamon Buns this weekend and while not terrible, weren’t quite what I was looking for, so that’s still ongoing. The cream cheese frosting I did for them though – that’s a keeper (and very glad I made a double batch, I may have to do some sugar free cupcakes …. for science LOL).
Best of luck with the recipes and I will have to sample some of those teas (for an occasional afternoon pick me up, I tend to start with coffee in the am then switch to herbal tea).
*ears perk up* Fun things? Did I hear fun!! I just re-read all of Inkeeper. The # of times I have is embarassing to list. I miss Orro!! I miss Dina, Beast and Sean. Who could forget Caldenia and her machinations?!!
Thank you both so very much for all of the new books to read!
I live in Northern CA and have loved hot tea (mostly during winter) since being a young adult in the 80’s. I find my body likes natural ingredients better. I also have an embarassing amount of Teas. I enjoy Assam, Oolong and other black teas. But in my dotage I have moved to more Green teas for my health. I used tea during Covid to improve my immune system and help me avoid catching it!! Teas with Zinc and high vitamin C to help with colds. Tea’s with Elderberry etc. Thank you for the Tea information. Now I know what I’ll be getting myself for Xmas *big grins*
I watched a show once about food advertising, and most of the “food” in the photos on the show was actually plastic or wax props, photographed by professionals with cameras that cost more than my truck, fancy lighting setups and such.
Anyway, yay cookbook!
Will definitely be ordering again soon!
The tea list sounds amazing, especially the Celebration one. I might have to try it soon. I’ve also been trying to take better care of my health and found SheMed’s blogs. That provides me simple tips, kind of like how your tea notes make things easy to follow. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
great idea with the cook book. could i make the request that it will be able to be used internationally? so with grams and generally available foods.
Hey Ilona,
I recommend trying authentic Ayurvedic tea, as it serves both as a natural remedy and a preventive measure.
Hope this will help.
Recipe
1 cup water
1-inch fresh turmeric root (sliced) or ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper (for better absorption)
½ inch fresh ginger (sliced), optional
1 teaspoon ghee (optional, supports digestion)
Honey or jaggery to taste (added only when tea is lukewarm, optional)
Juice of ½ lemon (optional, for flavor and increased detox benefits)
If it’s ok to recommend a different tea creator, I would recommend Desert Sage Natural
https://www.desertsagenatural.com/
She has an amazing array of teas, and she will create a special mixture based on what you need.
Yes! I love H&S Vanilla Comoro tea. It’s great for a last thing in the evening treat. Now I need to try Celebration. And thanks for the idea of a cookbook!
My fathers doctor told him too, to take turmeric, but he should Consume it with black pepper. The Combination does the trick.
Thank you for the teas. I‘m a tea drinker, too. The only smokey tea i tried so far, was at fortnumes and Mason in London during a breakfast tea.
Yeah, I was told black pepper and a bit of some kind of fat for best absorption. I use just a tad amount of coconut oil.
I would love to have some alternatives for some american “staples” like certain bbq sauces. Maybe some sort of dictionary at the end?
And, while we talk about food, Mod R did a nice post about an innkeeper themed arrangement of foods a while back. I found a red fleshed food! There exist serveral sorts of mostly red apples like Redlove, Baya Marisa, Rosette.
what a great idea to have a cookbook! love the tea recs too
that turmeric tea looks quite interesting with all the other things added in (big big cardamom fan!!) and adding in some natural immune booster along with all the pill forms sounds like a great idea plus something to add to the 100 or so teas I’ve already got
As someone who is lucky enough to have read an arc of Maggie….
You might need to start preparing for Cookbook, Volume 2. Everyone is going to want to try [redacted character’s] pastries and sambocades.
I came to the air fryer game late. I was skeptical since I hate it when I buy kitchen stuff I don’t end up using (looking at you, InstaPot), but I am now an enthusiastic convert.
I have the dual basket Ninja which allows me to cook larger quantities of one thing, or two completely different foods at different temps for different times. You can enter the times and temps and it will cook them so that both foods finish at the same time – it’s wonderful. I find it very easy to clean and use it almost daily.
I like cook books with pictures. It helps to know what something should look like when done. The photo of the chicken needs different lighting. The plate in the background looks shadowy light blue-grey instead of bright white. The lighting is too cool tone and dim. Look for warm tone and brighter light(s). Or take the photo outdoors an hour before sunset to get a nice golden glow (golden hour).
Thanks for the tea info. I ordered the tumeric for my daughter and she already got it, drank it and loves it! Ill try some too. I will read your cookbook. Pics or no.
Damn, your post made me realise how much I miss black tea. I love it, but my stomach thinks otherwise, categorizing it under ‘poison that must be ejected at first possible opportunity’. Will definitely be giving that herbal tisane a try though, it sounds lovely!
Mmmm. I love tea but am so so picky, and at the moment avoiding caffeine due to breastfeeding. Thank you for tea recommendations!
Long time reader from Singapore! We use a fair bit of turmeric in cooking. How about turmeric in chicken noodle soup (mee Soto/Soto ayam), tumeric fried chicken or turmeric rice with raisins?
I love tea. It’s all I drink. Mostly hot tea. Another author recommended Twinings 1706 black tea and that is now my absolute favorite. I also enjoy Harney & Sons Milky Oolong and Victoria London Fog.
Eeeek! So excited for the cookbook! I lost the Rugelach recipe from KD and my husband is pouting 🙁
Could you add your teas in the cookbook?
Just what you like, I know I’m gonna lose this blog post
This is a terrible long shot, but here goes! Back around 1999 my roommate’s older sister was dating a Russian American guy whose Russian grandmother gifted everyone mason jars of homemade “Russian tea.” It was an obvious mix with tasty spices in it, including cinnamon and possibly star anise? Not as sure about the latter. Sadly, I don’t remember much else. It was the first tea I ever enjoyed until I encountered Indian chai tea some seven years later. Would you have any idea what this might have been? I know it’s a huge area, and I have no idea where they were from. Just thought I’d try.
I understand your love of Russian Country, LOL. May I recommend the following? I shop at English Tea Store online, but there other suppliers I am sure. I always buy the 16 oz bags, I go through a LOT of tea, just like you.
Scottish Breakfast is quite strong. I found it when I was travelling in Scotland – where I would Love to return… if you like Scotch, you might like this. I am a great lover of good scotch!
Lapsang Souchang – very smoky. An aquired taste, but if you like smoky, you might like it.
the cookbook will be amazing – thank you in advance!
I echo the request for a way to highlight from whence each recipe originated be it by character, book, or frINNday panel review
I literally just bought the Harney and Sons Provence tea and it is delightful
Yay!
I am among those who have asked which tea(s) you most enjoy and appreciate the thoughtful answer. I will continue to enjoy the very restful images of tea y’all include with your blog posts and add a gentle scent with my imagination.
Thank you!