How To Do A Proper British Afternoon Tea, Per TFD

March 25, 2018 by The Generalissimo Leave a Comment

Afternoon Tea Image Used Under Creative Commons License From taj.tajhotels.com

Citizens, the eminently civilized and always proper TFD wishes to share with you the nearly lost art of how to prepare a proper British afternoon tea!

As there are many recipes that are part of this process, I shall be linking to individual tea sandwich, etiquette and place setting links so that you too can set up a proper afternoon tea worthy of your glorious Leader and TFD Nation!

First, of course, you’re going to need a proper British tea set – bone china, of course! This is my preferred pattern and brand. You’ll also need a proper cake/tea stand, which you can find at the same link or here on Amazon.

Once you have your tea accoutrements in place, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with proper British etiquette at afternoon tea – this expert will guide you to the only true path!

There are, of course other styles of tea service besides British – learn about them here!

Next, you will need tea. TFD is insistent on drinking one of only two teas at this event: a specific blend of first flush Darjeeling tea from Vahdam Tea or Isaphan tea from L’Autre Thé in Paris, a surprising blend of Chinese black tea end green tea flavored with rose and violet. It is sprinkled with mallow petals, jasmine and rose petals.

As for sugar, be aware that not all sugars are created equal. At all. I insist on only Béghin Say La Perruche Variety: One 8.8 oz Box Each of Rough Cut Brown Sugar Cubes and Rough Cut White Sugar Cubes at my afternoon teas.

For tea sandwiches, it is imperative you use only the thinnest slices of white or brown bread. The trick is to slice each loaf LENGTHWISE. Crusts – of course – must be cut off. No exceptions! Serve 2-3 different varieties of sandwich at your tea.

Here is a list of some of my favorite tea sandwiches in the British, French, Russian and American traditions:

No proper tea is possible without scones – and they are properly pronounced “skons”. My favorite recipe is here.

You will also need proper Devonshire clotted cream and good jam to spread on your scones – TFD prefers strawberry.

Lastly, no proper tea is complete without a cake or two, served in individual servings. TFD prefers these pistachio cakes as well as Battenberg cake.

My Citizens, I hope you will enjoy this small bastion of civilized life in your own homes soon and following the TFD method!

Battle on – The Generalissimo

The Hirshon Georgian Purple Basil Thirst Quencher – რეჰანის ლიმონათი

October 29, 2017 by The Generalissimo Leave a Comment

Rehanis Limonati Image Used Under Creative Commons License From info9.ge

My Citizens, it is a veritable fact that I am one of a handful of people in the United States who has taken on the sacred responsibility of promoting the glories of Georgian cuisine!

No, I am not speaking of the fine state of Georgia, but rather the proud country of Georgia, found in the Caucasus mountains and home to one of the most richly-flavored food you will ever find on planet Earth!

There are many, MANY Georgian recipes here on TFD, each a symphony of unique flavors, and now it is time to post a simple recipe – but a new one even for me! I only discovered this by accident, when reading a Georgian cookbook and the author happened to mention “pink basil lemonade” when they were young. This got me searching – only to find NOTHING. After several arduous searches, I at last stumbled onto the recipe thanks to the power of Google image search!

“Rehanis Limonati” is Georgian for what roughly translates to English as “Basil Lemonade” – but I question the validity of this, as the classic recipe has no lemon in it – it is typically flavored only with purple basil and sugar!

The unique color appears thanks to the use of purple basil, which enriches the water with this profound color and adds a uniquely refreshing twist to the classic “flavored waters” found in many cultures.

In my version of this recipe, I thank my friend Tina Makharadze, a famous Georgian actress, for suggesting the use of both honey and lemon. I also add in a ripe peach and a bit of fresh lemon juice as I find it also adds very refreshing taste elements to the final drink.

Citizens, this is a refreshing and delightful recipe that I hope you will see fit to try – and as always, if you ever find the opportunity to visit Georgia – take it!!! 🙂

Battle on – The Generalissimo

The Hirshon Georgian Purple Basil Thirst Quencher – რეჰანის ლიმონათი

Ingredients

2 sprigs of purple basil
1.5 liter spring water
40 grams sugar
10 grams honey
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 ripe peach, cut up

Instructions

Combine all except the spring water in a large glass bowl. Bring the spring water to a boil, pour over the mixture. When the color is to your preference, remove the basil sprigs.
Chill in the refirgerator and serve ice-cold.

https://www.thefooddictator.com/hirshon-georgian-purple-basil-thirst-quencher-%e1%83%a0%e1%83%94%e1%83%b0%e1%83%90%e1%83%9c%e1%83%98%e1%83%a1-%e1%83%9a%e1%83%98%e1%83%9b%e1%83%9d%e1%83%9c%e1%83%90%e1%83%97%e1%83%98/

The Hirshon Finnish Fermented Lemon Soda – Sima

October 25, 2017 by The Generalissimo Leave a Comment

Sima Image Used Under Creative Commons License From pinterest.com

Citizens, I occasionally post beverage recipes I am fond of – Sima is definitely an unusual and delicious recipe straight from Finland, where your adventure-seeking Leader will be in December (far above the Arctic Circle on vacation!). 😀

Sima was originally mead, an alcoholic beverage produced by brewing a solution of honey and water. Nowadays the honey is usually replaced mostly or entirely by different kinds of sugar and there is only a very low alcohol content due to limited fermentation. Sima is nowadays a sweet sparkling brew that is mainly seasonal and connected with the Finnish Vappu festival.

It is usually spiced by adding both the flesh and rind of a lemon. During secondary fermentation, raisins are added to control the amount of sugars and to act as an indicator of readiness for consumption — they will swell by absorbing carbon dioxide and rise to the top of the bottle when the drink is ready. Sima is usually accompanied by a munkki (donut), a tippaleipä (a special Vappu funnel cake), or a rosetti (rosette).

Sima’s ingredients include lemon, active dry yeast, and raisins. Sugar is added as brown sugar, white sugar, honey or some combination of them. Hops are also called for in some recipes. The concoction of water and the lemon and sugars are mixed, boiled, and cooled to room temperature. The yeast is added and the mixture left to stand overnight. Then it is carefully decanted into bottles and a few raisins are added to each bottle.

The sima will be ready to drink when the raisins rise to the top of the bottles, about three to seven days depending on the temperature of the room where they are stored. It is usually served chilled. Usually, the alcohol content is low and the drink is suitable for children. Carbonation is produced by the yeast, and the drink is traditionally cloudy and not clarified or filtered. Because of this, traditional sima is a fresh product that does not store for long because fermentation may continue in a bottle and the alcoholicity may rise.

A commercial and possibly foreign cheap “sima” is produced by mixing apple wine, grape juice and flavor with carbonated water; this doesn’t produce the soft flavor of traditional fermented sima

I have made one small change to the classic recipe, Citizens – I’ve added a tiny amount of powdered ginger to the yeast starter as I find it really kick the yeast into high gear! You won’t taste any ginger in the final product, I assure you!

Battle on – The Generalissimo

The Hirshon Finnish Fermented Lemon Soda – Sima

Ingredients

14 cups water
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup plus 4 teaspoons sugar, divided
2 lemons (organic, if possible), washed and very thinly sliced
⅛ teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
20 golden raisins

Instructions

In a large pot, bring the water to a boil.
Add the brown sugar, ginger, 1 cup of the white sugar and stir to dissolve.
Add the lemon slices, stir and let sit until lukewarm.
Transfer the liquid to a nonreactive (non-metallic) container and add the yeast and stir.
Partially cover and let sit for 8 hours or overnight. Tiny bubbles should form around the perimeter of the liquid.
Strain the liquid into sterilized bottles.
Place one teaspoon of sugar per quart of liquid as well as 4-5 raisins.
Cork tightly.
Let stand at room temperature until the raisins have all risen to the top of the bottles. Leave it up to two more days until very fizzy.
SAFETY NOTE: Be sure to open the bottles AT LEAST once a day to release the pressure so the bottles don't burst.
Refrigerate until use, letting out some of the pressure from the bottles from time to time, if necessary. Fermentation should stop once refrigerated, however.

https://www.thefooddictator.com/hirshon-finnish-fermented-lemon-soda-sima/