This week, I was on a lychee kick. An Asian market near where I work had bags of beautiful, colorful lychees and I simply had to have some. But other than eating them straight out of hand, I didn’t know what to do with them. They are yet another food item that I did not grow up with and only became familiar with at the end of some Chinese meals. So, I set out to find some good lychee recipes. But first, a little info…

What Are Lychees?

Lychees, also spelled litchis, are native to China. They’re a roundish tropical and subtropical fruit of the soapberry family. The outside rind is pinkish/reddish and is pliable but tough, and has a rough texture. This rind is inedible and must be peeled away. Underneath that rough skin, however, is a soft, juicy flesh that is unlike anything else. It’s sweet, with floral notes and an equally floral perfume, and creamy white with a slight translucence. Despite its softness, it’s also firm, which makes it ideal as both an eating fruit and a cooking fruit (where texture is desired). Beneath the flesh is a dark brown, hard pit, which can be germinated to grow a lychee tree. It’s particularly popular in China, parts of Southeast Asia, and India.

Okay, now that we know what it is, let’s cook with it!

Cooking with Lychees

I found a bunch of very interesting recipes, but my week was busy, so I focused on three: two beverages and a dessert.

The dessert was a Lychee Tapioca Pudding. It called for cooking tapioca pudding and adding the lychees to it. Now, I’m not that familiar with tapioca. Again, it’s not something common in Italian households. And the last time I had it was many moons ago. So, as tapioca puddings go, I’m not quite sure how it came out. It was very thick and sticky, which I don’t think it’s supposed to be. But the flavor was very fruity, although it could have used more sugar. This is it on the right.

The first beverage was Lychee-Coconut Frappe. This is made with coconut cream (not cream of coconut), lime, and, of course, lychees. These are pureed together in a blender, like a smoothie. It was mildly sweet with a decidedly tropical flavor. (It tasted like something I’ve had before, but I still haven’t been able to figure out what that is.) It was reminiscent of a piña colada, so I think adding some rum to it would be fabulous. I’m doing that tomorrow night.  Tonight it’s…

Lychee Margarita. That’s the second drink. Of the three recipes, I like this one the best. It’s like a margarita, but with a delicate fruity edge to it. Yum.

Lychees are a great source of vitamin C and other nutrients. According to Nutritiondata.self.com, 1 cup of raw lychees has 226% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, or 135.8 mg (according to the USDA), as well as some calcium, phosphorus, copper, potassium, and B2 (riboflavin). They’re also high in something called polyphenol, which is an antiinflammatory and antioxidant. In China, they’ve been used to treat stomach ailments and as a source of nutrition to newborns; in fact, the Chinese have even used peeled lychees as pacifiers.

Aside from the fresh fruit, lychees are available canned. Like anything else that’s canned, the flavor is inferior to fresh lychees. But since the season for fresh lychees is summer (May, June, July, August), you may want to avail yourself of the canned stuff in other seasons. You can also find lychee juice, syrup, and puree on the market.

I’m going to get more lychees this week while they’re still around and try out some more recipes. Below is the recipe for Lychee Margaritas, from LycheesOnline.com. If you have a great lychee recipe, feel free to share it here. See you next week, everybody.

Peace

Lychee Margarita

1 cup lychee juice
1 cup lime juice (about 8 limes)
1 1/3 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
½ cup water
2 tablespoons grated lime zest
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
¼ cup sugar
3 tablespoons of salt
1 ½ cups tequila
1 ½ cups Triple Sec

Combine the juices, water, zests and sugar.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Rub the rims of your glasses with the leftover lime rind or lychees, then dip the rims in salt.
Fill the glasses halfway with ice.
Strain the juice thru a fine sieve into a pitcher or cocktail shaker.
Add the tequila, Triple Sec and crushed ice.
Stir or shake 30 seconds and strain into the glasses.

Anyway, if you’ve visited my blog before, you know that I like to pick up random things sometimes and just give them a go. Well, this time it was soda. Specifically, Goya coconut soda. To some of you, it may sound strange. To others, it may sound yummy. It’s kind of both.

This coconut soda is part of Goya’s line of tropical soft drinks, and like other Goya sodas,  it comes in a long-neck bottle and has a rather tropical (of course) logo. It gives you (okay, me) the illusion that you’re drinking a beer. It’s clear in color and lightly carbonated.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, but how does it taste? Like carbonated, sweetened coconut water. And like coconut water, the coconut flavor is very light, rather than overpoweringly “coconutty.” For people who like natural coconut flavor, I think you’ll like this. For those who like a strong coconut flavor, it may seem weak. The nice thing about it is that it’s not overly sweet, either.

Don’t misunderstand me. When I say “natural coconut flavor,” that doesn’t mean that it’s a natural soda. Nope. It still has high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors. I’m not a big soda drinker and it wouldn’t be the first thing I’d reach for, given a choice of beverages (I’d much rather drink alcohol). But I do enjoy a glass of cola with lime once in a while, and the occasional experiment with something “exotic.” To people in the Latino community, coconut soda is hardly exotic, but coming from a culture (Italian) that doesn’t use coconuts that often in its cuisine, I consider it unusual and different. Next on my Goya list is guaraná and cola champagne.

So, that’s it for this week, my friends. I hope everyone has a great (and comfortable) weekend. Ciao for now.

If you ever find yourself in Boulder, CO, consider a tour of the Celestial Seasonings factory. Yes, the tea company.

It’s as simple as walking in asking for the tour. It’s free, and you can’t ask for more than that to kill an hour. Your ticket for the tour will be a Celestial Seasonings tea packet (mine was Lemon Zinger). There, in the tour center, you’ll find various displays, such as a dress made of CS tea packets, a collection of artistic teapots—some whimsical, some reverent of the tea leaf—and artwork. Here is where the CS Cafe is as well. You can purchase any of their specialty drinks and prepared foods, but you can also sample several varieties of tea absolutely free. The day I was there, I sampled warm Sleepytime Green Lemon Jasmine Decaf (yum), Safari Spice Rooibos Tea (spicy), Goji Berry Pomegranate (fruity and sweet), and their new Sleepytime Vanilla (light with just a hint of vanilla flavor). Over on the chilled side were Raspberry Sweet Zinger and Acai Mango Sweet Zinger, both  refreshing and quite tasty.

While you’re sipping away, you can read a little of the history of the company on one of the walls. Right below that is the actual sewing machine used to sew muslin tea bags (for loose bulk tea) in 1969.

Speaking of history, here’s a condensed timeline for Celestial Seasonings:

1968—CS is founded by Mo and Peggy Siegel, Wyck Hay, and Lucinda Ziesing, who picked their own herbs in the Rocky Mountains.

1970—The first CS production factory opens in Boulder, CO.

1982—CS is included in the top 100 companies to work for in America.

2000—CS merges with Hain Food Group and is now called Hain Celestial Group. This group includes numerous natural/organic food and personal care product lines, such as Arrowhead Mills, DeBoles pasta, Earth’s Best, Spectrum, Garden of Eatin’, Avalon Organics, Alba Botanica, and others.

2005—CS welcomes its one millionth visitor to its tour center.

The actual tour starts with a 15-minute video that explains (briefly) the history of tea and Celestial Seasonings, and the manufacturing process of CS. Next, you’re taken into the factory (after donning very sexy hair nets and, if needed, beard nets) to view how it all happens. The tour guide takes you through the tea and botanicals storage area and explains what tea is how they make their blends. And you’ll learn a few things about tea in general. For example—

* Black tea has the most caffeine, while green tea has the least (white tea is somewhere in between).
*Rooibos is not technically a tea because it isn’t related to the tea family.
*Herbal teas are not really teas, either. Any “real” tea will have caffeine in it.
*”Pekoe” means “tea leaf” and “orange pekoe” is just another term for black tea (according to my tour guide, it’s the English classification of black tea).

What you will notice is that as you move from area to area, just feet from each other, you are met with different aromas, setting off different olfactory experiences. The most dramatic of these will occur in the mint room. A door is raised and the second you step in, you are hit with the unmistakable aroma of peppermint and wintergreen. It’s quite fascinating because of the immediate ocular and nasal reactions—your eyes water and your nose starts to clear with that familiar cool sensation that comes from mint. It was much like inhaling a menthol stick (you know, the kind your mother used to make you inhale when you were sick). But it’s not at all unpleasant. In fact, there’s a soothing, relaxing quality to it (but if you’re allergic to mint or having breathing problems, you might want to stay out of that room).

It always fascinates me to watch products being assemble, packaged, and pushed down a series of machines and this time was no exception.They package 350 boxes of tea per minute on each line and make 10 million tea bags per day. I find that amazing. I’m provincial that way.

Best of all, CS produces its products with sustainable, earth-friendly, and farmer-friendly practices. They commission original artwork for each of their boxes and use low-impact packaging. Actually, the best part is all the yummy flavors they produce. You can purchase all their varieties (and other products) in their tea shop at the end of the tour at lower cost than elsewhere. (If you have trouble sleeping, you might want to try Sleepytime Extra, which contains valerian root. I tried it and it seemed to help with my insomnia.)

Interesting Tidbit: According the Guiness World Records, the largest tea bag was made by Celestial Seasonings. It weighed 48 kg (106 lbs) and was displayed at the Celestial Seasonings Tea Party in Toronto on December 15, 2007. They have the certificate on the wall to prove it.

The Celestial Seasonings factory and tour center is at 4600 Sleepytime Drive (cute, right?), Boulder, CO 80301. Tours depart hourly every day, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mon-Sat and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sun. For safety reasons, children under the age of 5 are not permitted in the factory. And you can have breakfast or lunch Mon-Fri. Visit www.celestialseasonings.com. For information and reservations (for groups of 8 or more), call 303-581-1202.

Okay, gang. That’s it for this week. Hope you all have a great week ahead. And if things get stressy, brew a pot of Tension Tamer. Relax and enjoy.

Peace.

Let’s get drinking…

A while back, I made kumquatcello, based on the recipe for limoncello, except that I used kumquats. (The blog for that is HERE.) The resulting liqueur was unique and smooth, with a delicate citrus flavor, and it’s getting better as it ages.

I’d been wanting to try orangecello and I finally got a chance to do that. All you do is replace the lemon peels with orange peels. Right now, the orange peels are infusing the vodka, and in about a week or so, I’ll be finishing off the recipe. After that, it will sit for a month before I taste it.

I’ve also got a bag of naked oranges now. I’ll squeeze those for some fresh orange juice. I love that! Nothing compares to fresh-squeezed orange juice, no matter what the commercials say.

I’ll let you know how that goes. In the meantime, have a great week, everyone. And for those of you being hit by Arctic blasts, stay warm.

Peace

www.countryliving.com

Don’t get me wrong, I think one of the fun aspects of the holidays is getting to indulge in things that we often avoid all year long. But let’s face it, we sometimes overdo it. We find all the scrumptious-looking cakes, cookies, and pies on the dessert table simply too tempting to resist. And when we’re gathered with our families, we simply can’t taste Aunt Mary’s bûche de noël* without sampling Aunt Geraldine’s pumpkin cheesecake. (Avoiding Grandma’s fruitcake, however, has become an art form.)

* Bûche de noël—French for “yule log.” Traditional Christmas cake. It is a genoise cake rolled up, frosted with mocha or chocolate buttercream frosting, and decorated to resemble a log. You will often see “mushrooms” perched on the log.

Holiday gatherings become a particular nightmare for people with food sensitivities. Imagine someone with Celiac disease watching everyone around her drool over the beautiful rugelach, or someone who is lactose intolerant having to say no to Auntie Barbara’s famous cream cheese cookies or cousin Josephine’s semifreddo. **

** Semifreddo—Italian frozen dessert, meaning “half cold.” There are many different versions, but mostly they’re made of ice cream or custard.

Sometimes, we just wish we could have healthier choices without feeling like we’re missing out, right? So, for my lactose-intolerant friends—and for those who just want to indulge a little without having to take out the seam on their pants on January 2, I’d like to direct your attention to a recipe for vegan eggnog from Vegetarian Times. (This appeared in the print edition a few years ago but is not available on their website. What is on their website is another version HERE.) It’s rich and decadent without having all the fat in regular eggnog. I really enjoy making it and sharing it. And p.s., I add rum to “up” the holiday cheer factor. So, here you go:

The Ultimate Vegan Eggnog
Courtesy of Vegetarian Times

12 oz. silken tofu
1 very ripe banana
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, plus more for garnish
1 cup almond milk, or soy milk or rice milk
1 cup rice milk
1 1/2 cups soy milk

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and frothy. Ladle into cups and sprinkle nutmeg over each serving. (Store refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Makes 4 1-cup servings.

Have a fabulous holiday, everyone. And considering the very heinous weather we’re experiencing all along the easter seaboard, I hope everyone stays healthy and safe. Merry Christmas.

Having said that, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with enjoying the occasional libation. And with the resurgance of cocktail culture and the emergence of the mixologist—which is basically a bartender schooled in chic and complex drink making, versus a bartender, who may not know what to do with Chartreuse (a liqueur made in France by Carthusian monks) but will make you a wicked dry martini—you can really have a lot of fun trying out all different kinds of concoctions, from wild and crazy to sophisticated and classy.

Join the party…

So, because both of us are out of work and need something fun to distract us (and maybe drown our sorrows), a friend and I have decided to embark on a mission: come up with as many funky, fun new cocktails as we can for as little money as possible. Not that the goal is exactly “Budget Boozing” or “Recession Cocktails” (I’m sure somebody somewhere is already working on that), but it’s got to be that way for us because we simply don’t have a whole lot of money to spend. (It’s interesting to note that during hard economic times, the liquor industry is one that not only does not suffer but actually increases in business. There are two reasons for this: 1) More people entertain at home and so need to stock their bars and 2) people want to forget their troubles.)

My friend and I went out today and bought about $90 worth of liquor. But we got some sweet deals—for that $90, we got a box of booze. We made some good choices, caught some good sales, and walked out with enough alcohol to inebriate all the members of Phi Beta Psi.  We’re going to have some fun and put our minds on something other than finding jobs that obviously don’t want to be found and meeting freelance deadlines.

What amazed me is the proliferation of flavored liquors. Fruity flavored rums and vodkas have been around for a while but I was floored by the black cherry whisky I saw. And the macadamia-flavored vodka. And the pineapple tequila. Even Kahlua has upped the ante by introducing a mocha, a French vanilla, and a hazelnut version of their coffee liqueur. People are looking for new and exciting, and the liquor companies are gladly obliging. This opens up a whole new world of cocktail making.

If anyone wants to contribute their thoughts to the art of cocktail making, feel free to comment. Let me know what your favorite drinks are, where your liquor loyalties lie, and what gets your party rockin’. In the meantime, below is a recipe for a Kahlua Martini, courtesy of drinksmixer.com.

Hopefully, I’ll be recovered enough by next week to make my next entry. Have a great week, everyone.

Kahlua Martini

1 oz. Kahlua
1 oz. vodka
1 splash coffee