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August 2008
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Tina Danze reports: The dinner was organized by members of The T-Bar (a local tea club) and The Cultured Cup, the tea emporium in The Shops at Preston Center. It takes a finely tuned palate to identify multiple flavors in a tea and mirror them in an intriguing dish with clean flavors. But Ms. Hage -- a five-year veteran of such pairings -- was up to the challenge. Course after course, she delivered remarkable flavor and texture combinations that paired seamlessly with the complex teas. A Tie Guan Yin oolong tea with lilac notes found a perfect match in a salad of Jerusalem artichoke with fennel, ripe pear and chive vinaigrette served with lavender-flecked puff pastry twists. Next, the tropical fruit, green melon and floral notes of the Golden Phoenix Mountain oolong beautifully complemented a dish of poached scallops with pomelo and hearts of palm, presented on a puddle of tangerine-carrot emulsion (our table asked for spoons to lap up every last drop of sauce). Perhaps the most brilliant pairing was with an osso buco of Berkshire pork served with caramelized onions and a silken chickpea sauce; the earthy dish found an ideal partner in Keemun Mao Feng, a black tea rich with peat, tobacco and caramel notes. Ms. Hage even created a pecan-molasses pie to match with a Great Red Robe oolong (move over coffee!). The pie came with two sauces: one chocolate, the other a blood orange caramel. "The layers of caramel and toast in the tea make it work," explained Ms. Hage. "It's fun to pair dessert with oolong." Clearly, Ms. Hage was as passionate about these tea pairings as the 31 tea aficionados who reserved seats at the dinner. Snow swirled around as we left the restaurant. But at least there was no danger of anyone drinking and driving. Still, one must exercise moderation when drinking caffeine. I limited myself to five small cups -- and slept like a baby. Tina Danze |
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Comments
Posted by Kim Pierce @ 9:45 AM Wed, Mar 05, 2008
Let's not forget that chef Hage has been nominated for a James Beard Award again. Here's hoping the judges finally recognize and appreciate her culinary creativity the way we locals do.