Time for tea and coffee!

First off, I want to say a wonderful congratulations to the state of California! By having smart, intelligent educators, lawyers, lobbyists, and one sassy judge, Proposition 8 was ruled UNCONSTITUTIONAL! WOO HOO!





A challenge was set by a group of people bent on controlling what defines marriage, and the GLBTQA community stood strong and used not only superior intellect, but superior love to fight against the minority of people who don't support gay marriage. Enough was enough, and I extend all of my love to the state!

Not to mention my Judaism professor's sister....whose marriage was legally turned down the DAY after she got married. Mazel tov to her family!

Anyhow, onto the main topic! TEA AND COFFEE!


I will soon be departing to Columbia University (YAY!) in NYC (double YAY), and I wasn't sure if I was going to transfer to another coffee shop or not. This got me to thinking off all of the coffee and tea that I've consumed in my short life, and which ones reign as my personal favorites!





So, while I was over-caffeinated at work yesterday morning (calibrating espresso shot you see...), I jotted down a few faves. Hopefully some of the categories will speak to you and inspire you to look into some others :)





COFFEE


BEST DARKS ROASTS:





Corsica Blend at La Columbe (NYC/ Philadelphia)


I visited this place when I was visiting my friend Scott in the Village. I believe its location is in SoHo, but I distinctly remember also hearing about a cortado, the barista's favorite drink. It's been a must-recommend in my cafe ever since.





French Roast & Komodo Dragon Blend at Starbucks (pretty much everywhere)


So I know it's Starbucks, and if I vote democratically I should probably be going off to hug trees instead of drinking from the silver chalice of Corporate America, but Starbucks make a damn good cup of coffee. They're also a part of a big initiative to make all of their coffee organic by 2012. Not bad!





Flourish Blend by Metropolis Coffee Co.


AH! Chicago is so fantastic, and I was so lucky to go to a school so close to this coffee shop. Flourish is a separate blend created for the Flourish cafe off of Bryn Mawr Ave. in Chicago. Too many cooks DEFINITELY don't spoil the coffee! Their vegan spice cookies are a nice touch...just sayin'!



BEST LIGHT ROASTS:



*shudder* normally light roasts are gross to me, but I make some exceptions! My parents love light roast coffee, so I try to do them right when I come home with a few pounds!



Columbian roast- Seattle's Best Coffee

It's light, it has flowers in it. I've brewed it several times....because I have to! (haha) Barely any acid, and a smooth way to wake up in the morning.



Anything from Intelligentsia! A bit more luxurious in taste (and price), but it's some of the most ethical coffee you can buy in Chicago. Lattes here are absolutely amazing!



BEST ESPRESSO



In my limited travels of the world, of course I needed to add a Seattle locale! Caffe' Vita is amazing, and has some of the best brews you can find. Coffee in Seattle is like Wine in Italy...lots of tastes, and people coming in from all over to slurp and taste the best!



There is also Lavazza, an Italian import that just OOZES sexy Italian coffee. Make it a dubio ;)



And now for tea time...a very merry un-birthday to you! (unless it's actually your birthday- ha!)



Green tea... so metabolic, so controversial. Last year, I graced my boyfriend's presence with a box of Daily Green Tea from Republic of Tea. He didn't like it, so of course I was SHOCKED! The tea tasted SO good to me, so I thought there could be a number of things that happened.



1) Foamy tea. Don't be an impatient Polish woman like my mother warns against. The water has to be HOT HOT HOT or else a weird yucky foam comes on top of the tea. Boiling on a stove top instead of in a microwave will prevent this. Let the tea clouds fade away, and just make sure that your tea is immersed in good water!



2) You didn't let it steep enough, or it steeped too long. My dear co-worker Kat is always my go-to Tea Guru at work. We talk about everything from Obama to theater, but with tea I am never an equally informed conversationalist. Kat always recommends not steeping green tea more than 4 minutes! That way that light yummy flavor is there, without the bitterness that resembles my old drama club in high school. Leave the bitter for your lemon wedges! Kat would be proud!



3) You just don't like the tea! I am particularly a fan of tea, and I always have been. There are so many different kinds to choose from though, so if you're new to the tea game, just wait! There's plenty more where your first tastes came from!



TEA TEA TEA

Non-green-tea-discriminants' favorites:



Tazo China Green Tips



Tazo Green Tea Latte concentrated mix (so easy to make those lattes at home- some almond or soy and you have an inexpensive tea latte at home at a FRACTION of the cost!)

The aforementioned Republic of Tea is quite delicious! Very green-tea-i-fied!

For the people who WANT to like green tea (but just don't!)

Tropical Green Tea- Mighty Leaf Tea Company
I get this tea EVERY time I go to Union Station because it's offered at the Corner Bakery franchise. It's also at certain Jamba Juices too! It's kind of pricey, but if you divide up the cost per bag and the price at retail locations, it's at least 75% less than what you'd pay.

Sidenote: Paying for tea outside of the home will almost always be marked up this much. It's a standard. Don't shoot the messenger (aka fellow baristas who don't want to charge this much for tea!) Make tea in a reusable container and bring it with you!

Tazo Zen tea- Absolutely my go-to tea to relax and have a few sips on a cold day. One of my absolute best friends, Dana, remembered this and got it for me for Christmas! Such a simple gift, but it meant so much that she remembered. It's light and doesn't smell like pot like regular mint tea does after it's been sitting out a while (yuck!). DELICIOUS

Tulsi tea- Pomegranate Green Tea
I got my first taste of this at Chicago Green Festival. The taste is just so unique, and the "Original" flavor mimics an authentic tea my first roommate bought for me at a tea sale on Devon Ave (the Indian "district", if you will, of Chicago). Whole Foods has this tea at least on sale or with coupons. Channel your inner Dutch/Polish lady!

Chamomile: yeah also not my fave....but others LOVE it! :) One of my favorite quotes about chamomile regards an exchange between Mamita and Gaston:

M: Would you like a sweet?
G: No, thank you; but I would love a cup of your chamomile tea.

Then, of course, there's more dialogue about how cozy the life of the poor is....psh oh Gigi!


Tazo Calm tea- hit it up! The lemongrass is wonderful, and the "calm" is no joke. It basically makes you fall asleep!

Tulsi also makes a Honey Chamomile that is a bit sweeter. For those who know me, this is exactly why Chamomile isn't one of my favorites, but if that's your bag, go for it! It smells divine!

Non-Chamomile herbal teas:

Passion/Mambo from Tazo

ANY Rooibos Red Tea....Celestial Seasonings has quite a bit and it's CHEAP! I love steeping a bunch of bags in hot water, letting it cool, adding ice and popping it in the fridge. I finally found a good herbal tea that isn't so lemongrass-y!

I don't do a lot of specifically flavored teas, but this one had me SOARING.
After explaining to my dear friend Kelly that black tea was connected to helping people with diabetes lower and maintain their insulin level, she promptly took this opportunity to help a girl out! I have always loved Argo Tea (born and raised in Chicago- hehe!), but their Mango Mambo
flavor just reminds me of going to Chinatown for their Summer Festival, and using what little cash I had to buy tins of loose leaf tea. Strawberry was a good one, but my favorite was mango! Now I can get it all the time...and in NYC now too!



Hope this extensive list brought you guys closer to some sip-worthy beverages! HAPPY WEEKEND! :)

Why being vegan is made easier by being in Chicago!

Hello all,
Amidst making coffee, studying, watching children, and occasionally applying to graduate school, I have indeed been researching the vegan lifestyle, as well as the eco-lifestyle.

The transition has been incredibly strange for me. Throughout the past year, the amount of time that's past since I gave up meat...cold turkey (hehe), I've felt like more and more people have switched to a veggie or moderated veggie lifestyle.

One of the best things about Chicago (and I suppose any urban city) is the amount of cheap European/Mexican markets. My friend Travis and I frequent our local Morse Market, and we're able to stock up on not only cheap produce, but ORGANIC produce. Trav is also experimenting with the Raw lifestyle, which means nothing heated over 100*F to help preserve the food's natural enzymes. I've also read some of Ani Phyo's stuff (and subscribed to her podcast), and in addition to ameliorating some of my dairy-based habits, I've made a larger effort to incorporate some of the raw foodist's dream foods. She makes a peach cobbler on her show that makes me want to convert...or move to Georgia?

My boyfriend and I decided to celebrate a bit of an earlier Valentine's Day, and he took me out to the Blind Faith Cafe (of which I've blogged about before, when first experiencing Ratatouille!) and I had the BEST pasta dish ever! It had sprouts, broccoli (a generous heaping amount too, none of this "Noodles and Company" mostly pasta bullshit), and handmade pasta and tomato sauce....with cheese. My chai was milk based as well, but my boyfriend without realizing it ended up having a completely vegan meal. AWESOME! He's so supportive, and even though he gets a little anxious about what would happen if he had a vegan girlfriend whom he had to introduce to his McCain-lovin' crowd, at dinnertime he's willing to try some animal-free dishes.

*Note about Blind Faith....they're awesome...but don't try the Rice Dream Latte, or any milk alternative latte, without an extra shot of espresso- that's just my coffee snobbery opinion*

So, overall, I've subsided to a 75/25 vegan diet. If I had the time/money to go all the way, I probably would. I think the reason that people are leaning towards this (especially in Chitown) is that it's so much better for the environment, and because it just makes you feel better! Anytime I eat dairy, without my probiotics or zinc supplements, my face BREAKS OUT. Acne is not a fun thing, kids, and when in college...dairy, meat, and alcohol (and stress..duh!) are all super fine contributors. Gross. I'd rather have a "easy, breezy, beautiful Cover Girl" face (a phrase I've gotten accustomed to using during the support group I lead...Travis says I'm getting gay-er everyday!)

There's lot of networking food sites, like Vegan Chicago, but I prefer just a simply yelp.com search.

I'm going back to NYC in March for spring break, and my awesome friend Scott (omnivore extraordinaire) is also looking into getting some vegan/ vegetarian cookbooks. Kiss Me, I'm Vegan is a wonderful blog, as well! Ms. Wolf (Mrs?) has been essential in helping me be less-cruel to animals and find cheap places to eat vegan in NYC (which will be crucial considering how much this veggie girl spent the last time she was there!)

WEEEEE! I hope everyone has a magnificent Valentine's Day. As I always say, don't be bitter on V-Day, eat bittersweet chocolate :)

LOVE YOU!

Cupcakes

So I will frequently be discussing my obsession with cupcakes. This next place is fantastic for cupcakes, regular and vegan alike.

Molly's Cupcakes was introduced to me by my roommate from my freshman year. Having gotten off to a rough start, we're now very close friends and try to meet up when we can, and she always know what kind of food, tea, coffee, shopping places, etc. that I like! She suggested the Pita Pit (near the Red Line Fullerton stop) for some vegetarian options. After that we took a nice walk to Molly's Cupcakes!

Having already had my morning "cup" (which for me is usually about six) of coffee, perhaps the strong Intelligensia coffee was a mistake for my heart rate. Intelligensia being so delicious (and about as fair trade and organic and wonderful as it can get), I was still not hesitant to order a mug along w/ my strawberry shortcake cupcake. Delicious! Just the right size, price, etc. For any other yuppies out there, I say take it there!

There are a few other cupcake places that I plan to try out, so I'll have to let you know about those as well.

Yay for Molly's! Check it out!

Black Coffee

Here goes.

Coffee in my house was almost always available, my overachiever status winning in the ridiculous battle over natural teenage growth once I began drinking that lovely caffeinated substance. I now stand at a non-modelesque 5 ft. 5 inches, with still an ever growing love for the thing that employs me and keeps me awake to go to school full time and carry a job that helps me pay rent. I'm a Caucasian barista/college student hoping to stay awake enough to have unintelligible conversations about current politics and classic literature. Nauseatingly cliche, unforunately. Hehe, just like in "Stuff White People Like," coffee for me is number 1.

However, after having left my random shopping days with 2 good friends of mine (les deux "a"s) (as we frequented the Walker Bros. pancake house, and the local Ulta for the latest in makeup that our high school selves NEVER needed) I selected plain black coffee in lieu of the sugary Dr-Phil-warns-you-against-these Frappucino. In other words, I went with a heathier alternative (and cheaper might I add) on these excursions. Although I certainly wouldn't turn down that trip to the mall and pancake house....

Anyway, my semi-masculine ways of drinking my coffee (as well as tea) is kind of nice. You don't often see a woman ordering a Black Eye without adding cream or sugar. Matter of fact, I hardly serve espresso-laced coffee to women. I do of course "mix it up" on occassion, but perhaps my drinking habits will bend a few gender rules....