Tag: tea

  • Oxford, UK (I’m back!)

    Leili at Oxford

    Hey yolk fam. Been a minute, hasn’t it?

    I’ve decided to ease my way back into regular blogging, because, if you haven’t noticed, I’ve been taking a little break lately. And by lately, I mean most of the past year. But shhh, no one has to know.

    Exeter College Dining Hall

    In late August of last year, I moved to the UK. First I took a month long publishing course at Oxford, and then I went to London for a master’s program.

    I cannot fit all the details of this year of my life on one page of the internet, so this post will be all about Oxford and how I explored its history. Which for me mostly involved eating at some really old cafes and drinking at some really ancient pubs.

    The Kings Arms Oxford UK street view (more…)

  • Vegan Matcha Cake

    Matcha Loaves
    Well, it looks like we just had our first blizzard of 2016. Hopefully this will be the only one of this winter because walking to work for the next few days will neither be fun nor fast. Hopefully it doesn’t turn too icy either. I once fell on my butt twice within minutes of each fall and it left a huge bruise on my right side. Perhaps I’m just complaining about walking.

    Matcha Sliced

    Anyway, I hope you guys are staying warm out there with plenty of layers and hot chocolates. January is almost over and spring is hopefully not too far away. I will be going to New York this weekend and I’m crossing my fingers for clear skies and mild temperatures. If not, then I’ll just whine some more. (more…)

  • Matcha Chocolate Mousse

    Serving 1

    I’m just gonna say it. Don’t judge me, but I do not like Halloween. Actually, it might be my least favorite holiday. Wait, is Halloween even a holiday? In my defense, I scare really easily (ask Leili) and I have zero enthusiasm for dressing up in a costume. My idea of dressing up is wearing dark colors and making up my face. This lifestyle is encouraged by my sweatpants and YouTube makeup videos.

    Matcha Mousse 1

    Spoonful 1

    (more…)

  • Chocolate Orange Challah Bread

    chocolate orange challah

    I apologize, friends.

    zest and chocolateBecause I know you. I know that the knowledge that this challah bread exists will now eat away at you until you get the chance to make it for yourself. (Or at least until you can bribe your roommate/spouse/pet to make it for you so you can shove some in your face.) I know that one look at it already has you itching to get into your kitchen, and scanning the ingredients to see if you could get started on it right away, before any of the day’s other demands can be faced.

    challah dough challah dough1challah dough2 (more…)

  • Sparkling Jasmine Limeade

    Jasmine Limeade

    As we head into the long weekend to celebrate summer vacations and warm beaches, I am dreaming of lush greens and fruits at the local farmers’ market. It truly is the best time of the year and my favorite season to experiment with old concepts through new ingredients. I cooked ramps for the first time a few days ago and it was glorious.

    Ingredients

    Last summer, when we first started this blog, I made lavender syrup following Deborah Madison’s instructions. This summer, I decided to add my favorite tea to the party – say hello to jasmine tea syrup. (more…)

  • Pear Cake with Caramel Chocolate Drizzle

    slice

    Everyone thinks I’ve ruined Thanksgiving.

    This year, I thought it would be fun to try a new dessert. I just decided that if Thanksgiving comes every single year, then there’s no harm in playing around with new food. If it doesn’t work out or if my family hates me for taking away their pie, then I can do better next year.

    And honestly? I’m tired of pie. I like it just fine, but I’m bored with always eating the same ones. In the past I’ve been known to make chocolate cake in addition to pies for Thanksgiving, just so I would have something a little different on the table.

    drizzle

    That’s the other problem I wanted to fix: lack of chocolate. As I’ve mentioned before, I need it to survive. It baffles me that there is not a single ounce of chocolate in a traditional Thanksgiving. So I took it upon myself to finally put an end to this madness.

    (more…)