by Paige Luck | May 31, 2016 | Eat, June 2016
What do you do when you can’t sleep? Ryan Hinson, co-owner of Tin Roof Teas, looked to the calming effects of a good cup of tea. A native of North Carolina, Ryan moved to downtown Raleigh in 1999. He and his brother, Richard, who handles the administrative side of the business, decided to open a specialty teashop. Hard work and grassroots efforts have paid off.
“I remember pushing a wooden cart around, within a half-mile radius, begging banks and stores to allow me to show up early with two thermoses full of tea for folks to try,” says Hinson.
Today, he showcases his collection of teas at a shop in Cameron Village, a warmly inviting space with dark wooden cubbies and filled galvanized bins of loose tea. Tea cups displayed in the front window, ranging from Japanese to English styles, welcome visitors and beckon them inside to taste different varieties in the cozy space.
Part of the store’s success is attributed to listening to customers and increasing product diversity. Initially, the store carried a selection of teas from a German manufacturer, but Hinson wanted to expand the selection, customizing it to Raleigh’s citizens. Developing relationships with a broad variety of purveyors has increased the depth of selection, including many classic and aromatic teas.
“The quality you can’t beat,” says Hinson. “All the teas are tested for pesticides, residual metals, and most are certified organic.”
The tea selection is based on some of his favorite classic teas mixed with customer requests, and you won’t find the custom curated teas anywhere else in the Triangle.
“All of our contracts stipulate that [tea manufacturers] cannot sell our teas in a 30-mile radius,” he adds.
Community interest in local honey has also lead Tin Roof Teas to expand the retail space and create a honey bar with samples. It’s also recently focused on developing online sales and branding their products. Look for a new logo and custom tea canisters soon.
The store has been so well received that Tin Roof Teas is raising the roof. A tin roof on the storefront will be installed in the fall creating an outdoor seating area.
Cantaloupe Mint Sweet Tea and The Gentleman’s Sweet Tea
Tea on the Rocks
Hot weather pairs perfectly with a glass of refreshing iced tea. For every day, try the cantaloupe mint tea, and save the Gentleman’s Tea for an occasion.
Cantaloupe Mint Sweet Tea
Servings 4 large glasses
2 tbs loose white tea leaves
32 oz. cold water
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup whole fresh mint leaves
2 cups cubed cantaloupe
Add tea to cold water. Allow to sit in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. Strain out tea leaves from water. In a microwavable bowl, mix sugar and water. Microwave on high for two minutes. Add mint leaves. Allow to steep for 30 minutes. Remove leaves. Place cantaloupe in a blender. Blend for one minute until smooth. Pour the fruit into a strainer over a bowl. Allow to drain until the liquid is almost done dripping. Fill an ice cube tray with the cantaloupe juice and freeze.
In a 22 oz glass, place 1 cup of ice cubes, two cantaloupe cubes, 8 oz. of white tea, and 1 to 2 tbs mint syrup in the glass. Mix well. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs.
Try: Tin Roof Tea’s China Fancy White Peony tea, a mild floral variety.
The Gentleman’s Sweet Tea
Servings 4 cocktails
4 tbs loose black tea leaves
16 oz cold water
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
1 orange, peel removed and juiced
8 oz whiskey
Rizzo bitters, made by Crude Bitters & Sodas
Add tea to cold water. Allow to sit in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. Strain out tea leaves from water. In a microwavable bowl, mix sugar, water and orange peel. When removing the peel, avoid the white pith. Use only the orange peel. Microwave on high for two minutes. Place in the refrigerator.
For each glass, fill an old fashioned glass with ice. Mix together 4 oz. tea, 3 tbs orange syrup, 1 tbs orange juice, 2 oz whiskey and 4 to 6 drops of Rizzo. Mix and pour over ice. Serve with a sliver of the orange peel from the sugar syrup.
Try: Tin Roof Tea’s Kenya Milima GFOP black tea which has earthy and spiced notes. Rizzo is available at Crude Bitters & Sodas, Whole Foods Raleigh and Cary.
by Paige Luck | May 31, 2016 | Eat, June 2016
Small round and white. Long, slender and mottled green. Oblong round and purple-black; these are a few of the many varieties of eggplants at the farmer’s market. Eggplants are a tropical plant related to potatoes and tomatoes. It’s no surprise that they grow well in our NC summers.
Unsure what to do with this spongy, meaty vegetable? Head out on a world tour of cultural cuisine. Eggplant is a world traveler with roots in Arabic, Asian, Indian and African cuisine. Don’t stop at the gazpacho recipe below, buy some extra eggplants for experimenting. Look for skins free of wrinkles or blemishes with a firm but springy texture.
Traditional Spanish gazpacho gets its creamy texture from stale bread. Here, I’ve amped up the vegetable content by using roasted eggplant to yield a creamy texture. Serve the soup cold or at room temperature as a first course or a lunch paired with grilled steak.
Servings: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
• 1 purple eggplant, about 1 lb
• 3 small tomatoes, about 1 lb
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 large onion
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 4 tbs olive oil
• 1 red pepper
• 1 small jalapeno (optional)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tspfish sauce
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 2 tbs chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Slice eggplant, two of the tomatoes, onions and zucchini into ½-inch rounds. Lay pieces out on two baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with 1 tsp kosher salt. Rub vegetables with oil and salt to be sure all surfaces are covered. Place garlic on a sheet of foil with a drizzle of olive oil. Wrap the foil around the garlic. Roast the veggies and garlic in the oven for 40 min or until browned.
Remove from oven. Put ¼ cup water in each sheet pan. Using a spatula, scrape up the browned bits from the pan. If anything got a bit too brown, leave those alone.
Pour roasted veggies, garlic and liquid into a blender. Add the remaining tomatoes, chopped, ½ tsp salt and remaining ingredients to the blender (reserve oregano and parsley).
Blend for one minute until soup is relatively smooth but some texture remains. Stir in the oregano and parsley. If the soup is too thick for your taste, add more water.
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped cucumber and red pepper and a sprinkle of herbs, if desired.
** A note about the hot pepper, add as much or as little to your spice liking.
by Paige Luck | Apr 29, 2016 | Eat, May 2016
It’s a heady time when the first strawberries start to come in during late April, when most of NC’s crop is sold at farm stands and farmers’ markets during the spring. But that could change soon. More farmers are using high tunnel production methods to extend the strawberry season. Soon we could see local strawberries at the farmer’s market during winter!
For now, look for firm and aromatic berries free of blemishes. When you’ve eaten your fill, and the bucket isn’t empty, think about preserving them. Use the berries that are slightly blemished, but still tasty, to extend your strawberry enjoyment with jam, and get the most bang for your buck.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes 1 pint jar (plus a little extra for your bowl of ice cream)
Ingredients
1 ½ cups (11 oz.) sugar
1 lime, about 1 teaspoon zest and 3 tablespoons juice
3 ounces of raspberries
4 heaping cups capped and quartered strawberries, about 2 lbs
Don’t be intimidated by making jam! If you can turn the stove on, you can make it. This jam has the soft spreadable texture of an old-fashioned preserve because it doesn’t have any added pectin. If it’s a little runny for your taste, pour it over pound cake or ice cream. It will still evoke the essence of strawberries in a jar!
Put a small plate in the freezer. Cut the top off the strawberries and quarter them. If you would like smaller chunks of fruit in the jam, thinly slice the berries. You should have about four heaping cups of quartered berries.
Add all the ingredients to a 3-quart saucepan. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking at a rolling boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for 15 more minutes until very thick, stirring occasionally.
Remove the plate from the freezer and place a small spoonful of the jam on the plate. Place the plate back in the freezer for one minute. Remove the plate again and turn it on its side. When the jam is very thick and flows very slowly, possibly not at all, it’s done.
Keep jam in the refrigerator for up to one month. Want to keep it on the shelf for winter? Check out this website for more
jam canning info: freshpreserving.com/tools/waterbath-canning
by Paige Luck | Mar 31, 2016 | April 2016, Eat
Want to cook more vegetarian dishes, but miss that meaty flavor? Mushrooms pack a powerful umami-filled punch to vegetarian dishes and enhance meat dishes.
The Japanese term “umami” means ‘savory taste.’ Mushrooms have it in spades; use them in any dish you want to add a savory, brothy depth of flavor.
In the past 15 years, mushrooms have emerged as a specialty crop in North Carolina. Shiitakes, a mushroom prized for its especially meaty flavor, are grown on oak tree logs. In the recipe below, use any mix of mushrooms. Weaning off meat? Go for shiitakes!
The walnuts push these “burgers” into meal status, rich and filling. Or consider them for a hearty appetizer. Just make the patties smaller. Serve them with rice and a side of steamed, buttered green beans for a hearty vegetarian meal.
Mushroom Walnut Patties
Servings: 2 patties per serving,
4 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
• ½ cup rolled oats
• 5 ounces shiitake mushrooms
• 5 ounces baby Portobello mushrooms
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½ small onion
• 1 stalk celery
• 4 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
In a food processor, grind the oats until finely chopped. Remove to a medium size bowl. Finely chop the mushrooms, garlic, onion and celery in the processor. Place a skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and mushroom mixture. Sauté for 3 minutes or until moist and fragrant. Place in the bowl with the oats. Add walnuts, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the beaten eggs and stir to mix.
Place the bread crumbs onto a plate. Wipe out the skillet. Return to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Form a palm full of the mushroom mixture into a loose patty and drop it into the bread crumbs. Coat the patty with bread crumbs and gently knock off any excess. Place the patties in the skillet as you form them, pressing down slightly to make the patty about ½-inch thick. Cook patties for 3 to 4 minutes and then flip. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the other side until patties are golden brown and firm. To cook the remaining patties, add 2 tablespoon olive oil and repeat.
by Paige Luck | Mar 2, 2016 | Eat, March 2016
Craig Rudewicz, owner, creator and operator of Crude Bitters & Sodas faced a daunting hurdle when starting his business in 2012. Few people knew what bitters were or how to use them. Even the Wake County ABC Board didn’t know how to classify bitters—a product that’s 100 percent alcohol.
Today he offers cocktail classes teaching the “bitters” art and, at $6 a pop (sometimes free), they fill up fast.
Rudewicz began making bitters and mixers at home to avoid high fructose corn syrup and additives found in commercial products. His experimentation gave him leftovers, which graced his friend’s doorsteps.
Eventually, his at-home production grew to the point that he had three options: find more friends, stop making bitters or open a business.
He was the first bitters manufacturer in North Carolina—only after reading the entire ABC code book, finally finding his product classification at the very end. The question answered: Bitters are considered a food additive, similar to vanilla extract.
Rudewicz has a gift for finding that perfect balance of bold, light and the unexpected in his flavor combinations. Most bitters are historically used in combinations with heavier liquors, such as bourbon or whiskey. His desire to use bitters in lighter liquors, such as tequila or gin, drives both his flavor combinations and his popularity.
What are bitters?
Bitters, which began as digestive aids in the 15th century, are made by steeping a mixture of roots, spices, herbs or fruit in a clear spirit, like vodka. Today, a few drops of bitters are used in cocktails to enhance flavor. Crude Bitters also makes and sells “shrubs,” which starts with fruit covered with sugar and vinegar and allowed to soften. Mix a shrub with soda water and a natural soda pop is born.
Make your own?
Do it! Go to www.crudebitters.com for a list of cocktail classes offered three to four times a month. Crude Bitters and Sodas is a one-man show. Rudewicz does everything—production, packaging and marketing.
Spiced negroni:
1 oz Durham Distillery Navy Strength Gin
1 oz Cocchi Americano
3/4 oz Cappelletti or Campari
1/2 oz Crude Old Fashioned Tonicola
Stir with ice in mixing glass. Pour into coupe glass. Add 4 dashes Crude “Sycophant” bitters. Garnish with lemon twist.
Crude bitters classes
March 4 6:30 p.m. – Manhattans
March 12 4 p.m. – Manhattans
March 19 3 p.m. & 5 p.m. – Barrel Aged Cocktails
March 26 3 p.m. & 5 p.m. – National Cocktail Day #1
Register at crudebitters.eventbrite.com.
