cold weather sucks ass.

Pardon my language, but I just CANNOT get down with cold weather. Packing my bags for Costa Rica is the only thing getting me through this cold, rainy East Coast winter weather. To add insult to injury, I stopped by Shawn's house today before the gym and realized that the power was out in half the house - thanks to the weather, a fuse was blown. The fridge was out and things were starting to get mighty warm, and the freezer was beginning to defrost. I searched all over the damn house for the electrical box and couldn't find it anywhere. I then bundled up and searched the exterior of the house for a long time before climbing over double-seater bikes, beach chairs and scrap wood to find that the electric box was on the OUTSIDE of the house. The wood that covered it was rotten and had fallen off -- so it was just getting rained on. Me, not thinking things through (i could be electrocuted and DIE), started flipping switches. I flipped every one- once to the right, then back to the left. SUCCESS! The fridge started running, lights came back on, and the coffee pot came back to life (thank GOD). Now the problem was this shitty rain that was bombarding the electric box. Now I don't know much when it comes to this kind of stuff, but I'm sure that water and electricity don't mix. So I cut open a trash bag, found some Tac's, and stood out in the pouring rain tackin' up the electric box. Shawn, you're welcome. Add two fish taco dinners to the list for Costa Rica.

Now I'm really cold. To the core. And when I'm that cold I want two things: tea and soup. It's the only cure for crappy weather. Right now my favorite is a Thai twist on Split Pea Soup, something that my mom introduced me to. It's a hearty soup, with just the right amount of spice to warm you up.
Thai Pea Soup

1 Can Campell's Green Pea Soup
1/2 to 3/4 can of water

peas (frozen)
broccoli
asparagus
spinach
(about a handful of each - use your discretion, however much you would personally like)

turmeric - 2 teaspoons
cumin
cayenne pepper
caraway seeds
mint
cilantro
basil
lime juice (1/2 lime)
(use about 1 generous teaspoon of each spice - varying for some with the cayenne pepper. personally, I like it spicy!)

*Top with some sliced up (red) cabbage. It adds some great color and texture. MmMmM.

And that's it. Put it all into a soup pot, and mix it up. The veggies will cook just enough in the soup. If you'd like to sautee them for a minute or so before adding them to the soup then you can do that -- but I like my veggies with a bit of a crunch.

Now for the tea! I hate when people microwave the water and then throw in a tea bag. It makes me cringe. There is an art to making tea, a process that I enjoy just as much as drinking it. Each type of tea has it's own method, timing and temperature. I prefer loose leaf tea, but the convenience of the teabag, and the lack of actual tea stores around South Jersey keep me away. I love all sorts of tea - but on cold days I usually stick to green. It has a clean, healthy, warmness to it that is just right.

When starting the tea process, start with cold water because it has the most oxygen. As soon as the water starts to boil, pull the teapot off the heat - because the longer it boils the less and less oxygen the water will have. Also, the only tea that you would actually want boiled water for are black teas. White and green teas require cooler water -- it's not recommended to heat the water above 180 degrees. Black teas steep for around 5 minutes, I usually let them steep for about 7. Whites and greens are steeped for about 2-3 minutes, any longer and they will get a bitter taste. If you like a strong cup of tea, do not add time to the steeping period -- add more tea, or an additional tea bag.

The Guywan (or Gaiwan) is a tea brewing system used in China for green and oolong teas.

"The gaiwan is considered by many tea connoisseurs to be the preferred method for brewing teas with delicate flavors and aromas, such as green tea and white tea. The versatility of the gaiwan is also noted in the preparation of oolong infusions because of this particular tea's ability to be infused multiple times, but the gaiwan is suitable for any type of tea. The gaiwan is important in tea tasting due to its open and glazed surfaces, the former allowing the tea to be viewed while brewing, and the latter not altering the taste and flavours of the tea. The gaiwan consists of a saucer, bowl, and lid. The lid allows the tea to be infused right in the bowl and either be drunk right from the bowl (traditionally using the lid to block the leaves for ease of consumption), or decanted into another container. The gaiwan itself can be made from myriad materials, from porcelain to glass. Gaiwans made from Yixing clay or jade are particularly prized by collectors of tea paraphernalia.

Gaiwan is the preferred method for brewing green and white teas as the gaiwan's porcelain absorbs the heat and do not damage the tea. It is not suitable for Oolong and black teas as the large lid will let the heat out too quickly during the steeping process." - Wikipedia

My favorite green tea is Genmai-Cha, which is Green Tea with Roasted Brown Rice. It has a delicious nutty, earthy flavor. If I'm drinking regular green tea (a teabag...) I will add half a teaspoon of raw honey, and squeeze a bit of lemon into my cup. MMMM. So start brewing and enjoy.

"Time for the weather report. It's cold out folks. Bonecrushing cold. The kind of cold which will wrench the spirit out of a young man, or forge it into steel."

Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, Northern Exposure, Lost and Found, 1992