Veteran tea experts Gold and Stern share over 150 unusual recipes certain to delight creative cooks, from novice to connoisseur. The medical benefits of tea-drinking are legion, yet, while "Health can pique an interest," the authors know that "taste can create a devotee." What better way for a devotee to express their ardor for the leaf than to cook with it? Equally at home on coffee table or countertop, this handsome book begins with a thorough history and "flavor profile" of every tea type, visiting estates in Japan, India, Sri Lanka, and points between. Readers are then immersed in methodology (brewing the perfect cup; best storage techniques; best teapot types for the desired outcome) before the recipes begin. Broken into sections, stand-out offerings include Seared Tuna with Tea Spice Crust, Spinach and Ricotta Scallop Rotollo with Ceylon Beurre Blanc, and other promising entrées, but it's the desserts, such as Earl Grey Cream Tea Cake and Flourless Keemun-Cherry Chocolate Torte, that are truly divine. Rounding out the book's usability factor is a glossary, detailed index, and source guide complete with international tea vendors willing to overnight fresh leaves to the reader's front door. Illus.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Joseph Simrany, President, Tea Association of the USA, April 6, 2010
“For those of you who think you know all about tea, you have never met Cynthia Gold or her disciple Lisë Stern. Together, they will take you on a gustatory adventure that will span the globe in search of new ways to enjoy this amazing beverage.”
James Norwood Pratt, author of The Tea Lover’s Treasury and The Tea Lover’s Companion
"Beautiful, imaginative, and wonderfully clear, what Cynthia Gold and Lisë Stern have given us is nothing less than a new dimension to the culinary arts. Here is the simply indispensable work on tea with cooking and cooking with tea. In time we will all pay our compliments to the chef."
Ming Tsai, host of award-winning PBS series, Simply Ming
“Everyone loves tea, but not many know that you can cook with it as well, and not just the classic recipes like Tea-Smoked Duck. Cynthia and Lisë have put together over 250 pages filled with savory and sweet recipes that use tea as an ingredient. From the Orange Spice Tea-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Mango-Peach Salsa to the Earl Grey Cream Tea Cake, this book will take you way beyond a cup of tea.”
Nina Simonds, author of Spices of Life
“In CULINARY TEA, tea authority Cynthia Gold and food writer Lisë Stern offer generous information about all matters of tea, including tea history and varieties, advice on tea and food pairings, and a treasure trove of intriguing and mouth-watering tea-infused recipes.”
Adam Ried, Boston Globe Magazine cooking columnist and author of Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes
"In Culinary Tea, Cindy Gold and Lisë Stern offer an inspired, information-packed, eye-opening tea-torial on every aspect of this ancient, and modern, staple. Detailed taste profiles, flavor pairing recommendations, and incredible recipes help you see, and taste, tea in a whole new light—and in different cookware, too! Gold and Stern catapult tea from the cup right into the saucepan, skillet, roaster, and cookie sheet—and that’s just the beginning!”
Chris Schlesinger, co-author of James Beard award-winning The Thrill of the Grill, contributing editor to Saveur, and chef/owner of East Coast Grill
"As a chef, I am always excited to get reintroduced to an ingredient that has such a universal appeal and a broad function in the kitchen. After reading Culinary Tea, I am eager to try out several innovative concepts from brining and smoking to culinary rubs. Cynthia Gold and Lisë Stern’s book will satisfy everyone from the home cook to the restaurant chef and will open the eyes of every reader to the wonderful uses of culinary tea.”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 8/24/10
“A beautiful text, with many unusual recipes… Recipes are easy to follow, each to its own page and the sturdy book and thick paper stock stay open on the counter with no need for place-holding. A substantial and sophisticated cookbook for the price.”
Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, James Beard award-winning authors of The Flavor Bible
“Anyone who enjoyed the food and tea pairings in our book What to Drink with What You Eat but hoped to explore the subject in greater depth will absolutely love Culinary Tea -- and should add this beautifully-photographed book to their collection immediately. It is a welcome introduction to tea's myriad applications both in the kitchen and at the table, and has become our new favorite tea-related book. Bravo to authors Cindy Gold and Lisë Stern, whose passion for tea is contagious!"
Alice Medrich, author of Bittersweet and Pure Dessert
“Culinary Tea is authoritative, inspiring, and useful for any cook passionate about bringing new and authentic flavors to their cooking. Cindy and Lise give us a wealth of details, ideas, flavor profiles, and cooking methods in addition to tantalizing recipes. In no time you will be deglazing pans with tea, cooking rice in it, brining poultry and making soup with it, not to mention concocting ice creams, cookies and desserts. Tea may well be the next big flavor… I’m totally on board.”
Mary Lou Heiss, co-author of the IACP award-winning and James Beard-nominated The Story of Tea
“Cooking with tea? You bet! In Culinary Tea Cynthia Gold and Lisë Stern draw on culinary school training, tea knowledge, and recipe development skills to show us how easy it is to use tea in all of its guises (fresh and dried leaves, tea broths and powdered tea) to create a wealth of tasty foods, sauces, desserts, and beverages. The recipes in Culinary Tea are written with a sure hand and a clear sense of guidance. Readers will discover that Cynthia and Lisë breathe new life into the centuries-old Asian uses of tea in the kitchen as they shows cooks of all levels how the addition of the flavor of a certain tea can infuse today's favorite dishes (such as black bean soup, chicken salad, salmon, short ribs, scones, chocolate cake, and ice cream) with a new allure. In short, Culinary Tea is a terrific “how to” book for those looking to expand their culinary horizons or to explore another facet of tea.”
Marialisa Calta, “Eat in and Save” syndicated columnist, September 23,2010
“This elegant volume also tells you everything you need to know about sourcing, buying, storing and making tea. But it is the culinary uses that intrigue.”
Today’s Diet & Nutrition, January 2011
Cynthia Gold and Lisë Stern take an age-old but now largely unfamiliar practice--cooking with tea--and elevate it to an art form....Culinary Tea is the kind of cookbook you can spend hours leafing through, marveling at the creative combinations, learning new techniques, and trying to decide which mouthwatering recipe to try first."
Tucson Citizen, 12/15/10
“This is one of the most unusual cookbooks I’ve ever tested and also one of the most fascinating… a fun cookbook that should be an inspiration to find new and exciting uses for this timeless ingredient.”
