Savory Honey Scones by Tea Expert Lisa Boalt Richardson

A good cup of tea can be transcendant, warming chilled bones, soothing frayed nerves, or settling a tired body after a busy day. It is shared with a good book, over good conversation, or when in presence of royalty. The many methods of enjoying tea can take us far beyond the comfort of our own kettle. China, Morocco, France, England, Kenya, and Russia are all tea-drinking countries with their own unique serving traditions and tea preparations. Lisa Boalt Richardson’s latest book, The World in Your Teacup: Celebrating Tea Traditions, Near and Far
illuminates the rich culture of tea around the world. For each of eight different countries, you’ll learn about the culture and history of tea, how tea is served there, how to prepare tea in the style of the country, and which foods (recipes included!) can accompany the tea.
Stunning photographs by Lauren Rubinstein, one of Atlanta’s premier food photographers, illustrate the wide variety of teas and accompanying menus eaten all over the world.

Savory Honey Scones

2-1/4 teaspoons rosemary, finely chopped and divided
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/3 cups semolina (I'm trying gluten-free all-purpose flour for all the flour in this recipe)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
6 ounces soft goat cheese
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup heavy cream, divided
1 egg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix 2 teaspoons rosemary with all the other dry ingredients. Add goat cheese to the dry ingredients and set aside.
Whisk together honey, half the cream, and egg. Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.
Form the dough into a ball. Turn out onto a floured surface and separate the dough into 2 equal portions and pat each portion into a circle about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 16 wedges. Separate and arrange wedges on a baking sheet.
Brush tops with remaining cream and sprinkle with remaining rosemary. Place in oven and bake 1o to 12 minutes or until golden brown. It is yummy to serve these with butter, honey, and/or softened goat cheese! Makes 16 scones.

Food fact! Lisa Boalt Richardson is a Certified Tea Specialist, and was one of the first fifteen people in the world to be honored with that title. She currently travels the country to speak at conferences and special events. Lisa uses her expertise in tea and marketing to consult with tearoom owners on strategies to increase visibility and business, and has trained many hoteliers, tearoom management, waitstaff, and culinary students in the art of proper tea service. Contact her at 678.-867-2088; http://www.lisaknowstea.com/.

Low Carb and Gluten Free - Pizza for Everyone!

Pizza is one of those universal favorites; most every kid loves it, it is the champion among armchair sports enthusiasts cheering on the team, and it's favored by frozen low-cal cuisine companies because women crave it, yet are wary of the carb count and calorie load. For example, a single slice of cheese-only pizza at Little Caesars packs 330 calories, 10.9 grams of fat, and 42 grams of carbohydrates.

This recipe opens a flavorful, nutritious new option to pizza lovers--and invites new fans in the form of carb-counters and the gluten-intolerant.

Rather than using sausage or pepperoni as a topping, the protein is used as the crust. Your choice of veggies are tucked neatly inside and your favorite cheese(s) marry this substantial, easy, rendition of the deep-dish delight. Mangia bene!

1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 egg
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon basil, chopped fresh or ground
1 teaspoon oregano, ground
1/2 teaspoon rosemary, crushed or ground
1 15-ounce can organic crushed tomatoes with basil (I recommend Eden brand, which are BPA-free.)
1 1/2 cups chopped veggies (I used roasted red peppers, chopped fresh spinach, onion, and black olives)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (Option: add a mixture of your favorite cheeses, or try Trader Joe's Quattro Formaggio, a blend of Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina and Mild Provelone Cheeses.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium size bowl, mix together ground meat, half the can of tomatoes, the egg, and spices. Place in a 9-inch pie plate and use fingertips to press into a crust shape. (Wash hands and workspace thoroughly afterward to prevent foodborne illnesses such as e coli infection.) Lay your veggies in the well of the "pie" shell, and cover with the rest of the crushed tomatoes. Bake in over for approximately 40 minutes until bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle the cheese to cover everything completely. When it comes to cheese, more is mo' better! Be lavish. Return to oven for another 10 minutes to let cheese melt and become just a little golden on top.

Pizza for brunch?! Consider crumbling your favorite breakfast sausage instead of ground beef or turkey, and using herbed eggs and your favorite veggies as the filling!

Food fact! Bisphenol A, also known as BPA has been under scrutiny as hazardous to humans since the 1930s. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic estrogen used to harden polycarbonate plastics (used in some baby bottles, and bottled water) and in the epoxy resin used can linings. As with many toxic chemicals, infants and young children are at the greatest risk of harm because their bodies are still developing. The National Toxicology Program has expressed concern that children’s exposure to BPA may lead to problems with brain and reproductive system development and behavior. Since pizza is a favorite among little ones, it is particularly important to use BPA-free ingredients. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has compiled this list to help you avoid BPA exposure.

Kid-Proof Cinnamon Zucchini Muffins

Like many children, my preschooler Joseph loves music and singing. He is always game for interactive songs, such as B-I-N-G-O and Old MacDonald. In fact, if any song happens to pose a question of any kind, my son is quick to "holla back," as it were. At the beginning of a track on a disc we have about farm life, the vocalist asks, "What is your favorite vegetable?" Joseph didn't miss a beat: "Fruit!" he exclaimed. Then she asked, "how about string beans?", to which he replied, "I like jelly beans!"
Hmmm. It wasn't so long ago that I introduced my little newborn to his first veggies, laying the foundation for a lifetime of healthy nutrition. Have I strayed so far from my mission? Where and when did my son learn to like jelly beans more than string beans? Not to be defeated, there has been plenty of exploration of veggies at our house, which, as it turns out, can be lot of fun with an almost-four-year-old. The word "zucchini" is, in itself, a mouthful of fun to say. Put "cinnamon" in front of it, and you've built quite a tongue-twister! My son very proudly baked these muffins, executing every step from hand-grating the fresh zucchini, to measuring the flour, vanilla and spices, to dotting each muffin top with a pecan. "I'm a chef!" he declared. Sure, why not?

3 cups fresh zucchini, grated
2/3 cups unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cup organic brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch sea salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
12 whole pecans, or 1/3 cup pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add the grated zucchini and the melted butter. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the mixture and blend. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add all dry ingredients to the zucchini mixture. Bonus antioxidants! If your kid will eat them, fold in 1 cup dried cranberries. (Note: Our goal was to foster a positive experience with a green vegetable. Forgoing convention, we dumped all ingredients into one giant bowl and mixed. The muffins were in no way negatively affected.)
Lightly coat your muffin pan with a little butter or canola oil spray. Using two spoons, equally distribute the muffin batter, filling the cups completely. Bake on the middle rack until muffins are golden, and the tops bounce back when gently pressed (about 25 minutes). Set on rack to cool for 5 minutes, then remove muffins from the muffin pan and let cool another 10-12 minutes. Makes 12.

Food Fact! Pecans offer a variety of forms of vitamin E, a natural antioxidant. Just a handful of pecans each day may decrease the risk of cancer, coronary heart disease, and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s. According to Nutrition Research (August 2006), the vitamin E in pecans "protect blood lipids from oxidation. Oxidation of lipids in the body---a process akin to rusting--is detrimental to health. When the "bad" (LDL) cholesterol becomes oxidized, it is more likely to build up and result in clogged arteries."
More than just a vitamin E dynamo, pecans contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, several B vitamins and zinc. A good source of fiber, pecans are also a high-quality source of protein that contain very few carbohydrates and no cholesterol.

Ham-Wrapped Eggs Fromage de Gruyère

This elegant egg dish is ideally (or, idyllically) served as breakfast-in-bed for two. (Would it sound more romantic if I said, "déjeuner dans le lit pour deux?")
A lazy, lovely morning with your beloved is enhanced by the suggestion of being wrapped up in a blanket while at the same time, the ham reminds me somewhat of a little tuxedo jacket. The pink rose was picked from just outside my door, and a piping hot pot of French-pressed coffee both warms and rouses sleepyheads.

4 eggs (I prefer the cage-free, brown, Omega-fortified variety)
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup gruyère cheese, shredded
1 cup organic baby spinach
1/3 cup vidalia onion, diced
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
2 slices nitrate-free ham
1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Place a little olive oil in a small frying pan and heat gently. Add the vidalia onion and cook until soft, stirring occasionally. Set onion aside. In a medium bowl add the eggs, salt, pepper, and milk and beat gently. Pour half the egg mixture into the pan and cook over low heat. Once it is sufficiently firm to be turned easily with a spatula while maintaining its circular shape, flip it over and lay out some baby spinach leaves, cooked onion and cheese across the circle. Place a ham slice on a serving plate; when the egg circle is completely cooked throughout (the cheese will have melted and the spinach will wilt, releasing its flavor), lay it on the ham slice and roll them together. Repeat this with the rest of the ingredients. Serves 2.

Food Fact! Vidalia onions are unexpectedly chic in their exclusivity. According to Georgia's state legislature--the Vidalia Onion Act of 1986--only 13 counties in Georgia are authorized a trademark to use the name "Vidalia Onions," as defined by the state's Commissioner of Agriculture. An unusually sweet variety of onion, due to the low amount of sulfur in the soil, and higher water and sugar content than other storage onions, vidalias leave no burning after taste, and cause no tears. Moses Coleman is considered the person that discovered the sweet Vidalia Onion variety in 1931, reports Wikipedia.
A fresh vidalia is rounded on the bottom and somewhat flat on the top or stem end, and has a light golden-brown bulb and a white interior; look for firm onions without decay or blemishes. There should be no sprouts attached and the skins should be dry.

Fresh Peaches and Whole Wheat Pancakes with Roasted Walnuts

Night after night I read a poem, Rise The Moon (by Eileen Spinelli), to my sleepy three-year-old Joseph. The following stanza is accompanied by a lovely illustration (by Raul Colon) of an artist painting a gorgeous bowl of gold, white, and orange peaches--orbs resembling a twilight sun:

"...In a rooftop attic in the quiet hush of night, a moonlit artist takes his brush to paint a bowl of light."

We borrowed Spinelli's book during a recent trip to the San Clemente library, along with Round is a Pancake, by Joan Sullivan Baranski. When it comes to art and eating, inspiration may spring from anywhere. The nightly ritual of reading these books inspired this recipe. What has inspired your cooking?

3 fresh peaches, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons organic brown sugar, or agave
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter (I used Earth Balance Organic Vegan Buttery Spread. Wonderful taste, no trans fat, organic—it’s a beautiful product. But butter is yummy, too.)
¼ cup organic walnuts
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons walnut oil

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a griddle or heavy skillet. Set aside 1 chopped peach for later. Add 2 chopped peaches and 1 tablespoon sugar or agave and cinnamon. Stir occasionally, cooking until peaches are softened and caramelized.
In a 400-degree oven, place walnuts on a piece of aluminum foil and bake for 5-8 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, remaining sugar/agave, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of dry mixture and set aside.
In another mixing bowl, beat egg slightly, stir in milk and oil. Add mixture all at once to the dry mixture, along with caramelized peaches* and any liquid from the skillet; Stir just until blended (batter will be lumpy).
Pour ¼ cup batter into hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet. (For mini pancakes, pour 1 tablespoon batter) Cook over medium heat for two minutes on each side or until golden brown. Top pancakes with uncooked peaches that were set aside and roasted walnuts. Serve with warmed syrup, preserves or plain yogurt. Serves 8.
*I usually use the roasted walnuts as a topping, but if you prefer, you can also stir them in to the batter with the cooked peaches.

Food Fact! Whole wheat flour, with all of the nutritious bran and germ still intact is hailed as the "staff of life" for its historical importance to human survival, and an essential part of a healthy diet. All types of whole, unrefined, grains are good sources of complex carbohydrates, fiber, important nutrients including selenium, potassium and magnesium, and are naturally low in fat. Diets high in unrefined, high-fiber whole grains are recommended for insulin-dependent diabetics and for the prevention of cancer and heart disease.

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Apple Whiz

Any recipe with the word "whiz" in the title obviously predates the Food Network. My mom Jane scribbled this recipe when CFPL's Bill Brady recited it over the radio one morning when she was yet a stay-at-home-mom---decades before anyone coined the acronym SAHM---and she has relied on it ever since.

A family staple, as children, my brothers and I would excitedly call out our favorite accompaniment when she served it warm from the oven: I liked a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My father insisted on grating cheddar cheese over it, but mom now suggests drizzled butterscotch sauce. (Funny, that was never offered when we were little.) Good baking apples can be found nearly year-round, and this recipe's tried-and-true flavors win favor as a warm brunch dish, or apres-leaf-raking or snowball fight treat. (See Food Fact below for apple variety suggestions.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a greased pie plate, mix together:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar (turbinado would work well; Or, substitute 1/2 cup agave)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2 apples, sliced (might I recommend this!)

Pop in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
p.s. If you're looking for a great off-the-shelf butterscotch sauce, I came across a good one while visiting Camden, Maine last Fall. It's Stonewall Kitchen Spiced Rum Butterscotch Sauce.

Food Fact! The very best choices for baking apples include Cameo, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Jonathan, and Rome. Pippin, Gala, Braeburn, Northern Spy, Gravenstein, Rhode Island Greening, York Imperial, and Winesap. Taste and texture are the two most important qualities to consider in a baking apple. The best varieties offer a little bit of resistance (maintaining hint of crunch) and are not too sweet, since most baked-apple recipes call for sugar, which both flavors and helps thicken the juices of the apples as they cook.
Granny Smith is a reliable, easy-to-find choice which holds up during baking and can take a lot of extra flavor from sugar and spices. Gravenstein, Braeburn, Fuji and Pink Lady Apples are all crisp and sturdy, as well. Red Delicious and Golden Delicious, despite their promising names, are not good choices for baking, and neither are Gala and Cortland, since they tend to become mealy.

Peach Abracadabra

This foundation for this delectable peach recipe was a grand-prize winner in a recipe contest, sent in from Lois Schlademan of Stow, Ohio, and was created by Lois's mother in the 1940s. I've altered the procedures and ingredients for maximum flavor and improved presentation and, with a tip of my hat to the Schlademan family, respectfully concur that this dish "deserves a seat alongside cobbler and crisp in the pantheon of simple American fruit desserts."
The Abracadabra Moment: This mystifying recipe begins with a ramekin placed upside down in the center of a pie plate. Sliced peaches encircle the ramekin, and are then drizzled with a lovely mixture of brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and vanilla. A buttery cake dough covers the peaches, and then this unusual dish goes into the oven. Once cooled, the pie plate is flipped over to reveal tender peaches nestled into a crumbly biscuit-cake. And where is the creme brulee-like syrup? In the ramekin, warm and ready to be poured over each serving!

Choose peaches that are neither very ripe nor rock-hard. They should give a little when squeezed.

Peaches and Syrup
6-8 medium peaches, peeled, cored and cut into half-inch slices
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Dough
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
6 tablespoons milk

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
1. For the peaches and syrup: Combine brown sugar, water, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, liqueur (if using) and salt in medium saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and butter melts, about 5 minutes. Place a 6-ounce ramekin (or custard cup) upside down in the center of a 9-inch pie plate. Arrange peaches in a circle around ramekin. Pour syrup over peaches.
2. For the dough: In food processor, pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well-mixed. Add butter and pulse until flour mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Place mixture in a medium bowl.
3. Fold milk into flour mixture, pressing mixture against sides of bowl to form dough. On lightly floured work surface, roll dough into 9-inch circle. Lay dough directly over peaches and ramekin and press dough so that it fits snuggly around them, but do not attach dough to pie plate.
4. Bake until top is golden brown, about 25-28 minutes. Cool on rack for 30 minutes.
5. Place a large-rimmed serving plate on top of the pie plate and very quickly invert onto serving plate to avoid losing any of the syrup. Serve with vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche, pouring syrup over each portion. Serves 6-8.

Serve your Peach Abracadabra with a great cup of coffee. New Vienesse Dark Roast Blend from Joffrey's
Food Fact! The modern botanical consensus is that peaches originate in China, and were introduced to Persia along the Silk Road before Christian times. Around 300 B.C., the Greek philosopher Theophrastus named them Prunus persica, believing they came from Persia. Its English name derives from the Latin plural of persicum malum, meaning Persian apple; In Middle English, it melded into peche, much closer to what we call it today. When selecting peaches, look for those with a cream-to-gold undercolor. The amount of red on peaches depends on the variety, and is not always a sign of ripeness. Look for fruit that has a well-defined crease and a good fragrance. Unripe peaches have a green undercolor and will never ripen.

Banana and Spinach Smoothies

No really, I'm serious. I don't remember where I found the recipe (and I like to give credit where credit is due) but there were literally thousands of comments attached to it regaling the simplicity and surprisingly delicious result of this combination, so I gave it a try.

Our little Joseph has always been a fairly adventurous eater. Tonight, he ate sole stuffed with crab and scallops right off my plate. However, there are days when he digs his heels in, hollering for "wogurt" (yogurt) at every meal. I love giving him these smoothies on those days when we've reached a stalemate over what he'll agree to eat. He thinks he's won the battle, but I know I've won the war: He's drinking fresh spinach--and asking for more. And they are sugar-free! (Yes, bananas are high-glycemic. I'm still happy. And you will be too, when you try this yummy smoothie.)

If you are trying to get more greens into your child's (or your, or your husband's) diet, blend together:
8 oz. of milk (or soy or almond milk),
1/4 to 1/2 cup of fresh spinach
one whole banana into your blender
Puree until it is a fluffy, frothy green smoothie.

Special note: If you'd like to spoon-feed this to your infant, try the following: Blend together 4 ounces of formula or whole milk, 1/4 cup spinach, and half a banana, then thicken with organic rice or multi-grain cereal--let me know what your little cherub thinks!

Food Fact! Bananas contain Vitamin C, potassium and Vitamin B6. The Vitamin C helps the body to defend and heal against infections and aids the synthesis of the connective tissue, absorption of iron and the formation of blood. The mineral potassium helps the building of muscles and protein synthesis. A diet rich in potassium is said to reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke. Vitamin B6 helps in the synthesis of antibodies in the immune system apart from red blood formation, protein metabolism and functioning of the central nervous system. Bananas contain three natural sugars: sucrose, fructose and glucose along with fiber, providing an instant and substantial boost of energy.