Tangerine Tea Simple Syrup

I’m so grateful to get this recipe from Kasi Tenborg, the manager at the Boulder Dushanbe Tea House.  After tasting their Tangerine Bourbon Sour, I decided I MUST make this at home.

Here’s the simple syrup recipe:

• Steep 1 large pot of Boulder Tangerine Tea (available at the Dushanbe Teahouse) for approximately 5 minutes (and then REMOVE the basket of tea)
• Add 3/4 cup of white sugar to the teapot and stir until it dissolves
• Allow tea mixture to cool completely

The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse- Not Just Great Food and Fine Tea… Fine Tea Cocktails, Too!

Boulder is so blessed to have the gorgeous and intricately carved Dushanbe Teahouse right along Boulder Creek in our downtown park. Locals and visitors flock to this majestic space to admire the craftsmanship of the building- it’s design, hand-carved cedar pillars, ornate art- and the history of this completely hand-made gift from our sister city, Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

I’ve always loved the Teahouse and admire its beauty every time I pass by. The food, oversaw by Executive Chef Lenny Martinelli, is fantastic. Sara Stewart Martinelli’s tea program featuring a selection of over 100 premium loose teas makes the daily Traditional Afternoon Tea service an experience not to be missed. But now, I might be so inclined to visit a little more often for a cocktail.

Cocktails? What does a teahouse know about cocktails? Well, it seems they know quite a bit about crafting cocktails with tea.

Here’s one of my favorites: the Boulder Tangerine Bourbon Sour

Kasi Tenborg, the cocktail creator for the Teahouse, makes tea-simple-syrups to use in some unique libations. The Boulder Tangerine Bourbon Sour has a housemade tangerine and tea simple syrup, which is a concoction I had never heard of before. All I know is this cocktail was refreshing on a hot afternoon and I plan to return to sample more of these tea cocktails. Lucky for me, the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse is now a featured stop on some of my cocktail tours with Local Table Tours, so I expect to sample them all… in good time, of course.

Boulder Tangerine Bourbon Sour

• 1.5 oz Maker’s Mark
• 1 oz sour mix
• 1 oz Tangerine Tea Simple Syrup

Cheers!

First Roasted Beets of the Season

I was thrilled last week to see beets for sale at the Black Cat Farm stand at the Boulder Farmer’s Market.  I drizzled them with olive oil, roasted them in a foil packet at 400 for 35 minutes or so, peeled them, and devoured them on their own.  Delish!

June Savings at Savory Spice Shop

June is the BEST month to buy spices from Savory Spice Shop because if you bring in your “tired old” competitors’ bottles (empty or not), you save $1.00 off Savory’s 4 oz. bottles of freshly filled herbs, spices, and spice blends. This promotion runs from June 1-June 30, so let’s make June a spicy month.  Head to you nearest Savory Spice Shop and treat yourself and your tastebuds to some of the best spices available.

Bring a bottle, buy a bottle, get a buck!

I, unfortunately, will not be participating in this since every single spice jar in my pantry is filled with Savory’s spices. But, as Savory Spice Shop’s biggest fan, it’s my duty to suggest you start making the great migration from ordinary to extraordinary.

CASCADES- The Restaurant at the Historic Stanley Hotel

I was recently invited to join a number of food bloggers for a private dinner at Cascades in Estes Park.  I had never been to the historic Stanley Hotel, nor had I heard about their restaurant, Cascades.  I have, of course, seen The Shining, and have always been intrigued by that gorgeous white hotel sitting on the hillside in Estes Park that inspired Stephen King to write the haunted horror story.  And, as I approach my seventh year in Colorado, it seems to be about time I step foot in The Stanley. Lucky for me, I got to enjoy a fine meal there as well as meander the enchanted hotel.

Cascades is known mostly as a steakhouse, but Executive Chef Richard Beichner demonstrated his modern approach to classic steakhouse fare.  He told us that Cascades buys as much locally sourced foods as possible, and he presented us plate after plate of modern interpretations of classic dishes.

While we waited for everyone to arrive, cocktails were served.  I started with a French 75, a gin martini with champagne and lemon juice. After the first sip I had great expectations for the afternoon because, in my experience, a good cocktail is often created in establishments that serve good food.

Our first dish was Pastrami Salmon on a cucumber slaw with 1000 Island Panna Cotta and Rye Croutons.  This was a play on Reuben sandwich and it worked.

Garlic infused olive oil sat on the table.  I couldn’t stop dipping my bread in this golden delicious temptation.

Next came a raw vegetable salad with radish, carrot, fennel, and honey mustard dressing.  Again, a real crowd pleaser.

Our next dish was quite unique- zucchini spaghetti with rock shrimp in a San Marzano tomato sauce.  I love zucchini noodles and this dish, which was really well done, inspired me to make some as soon as zucchini is in season.

Our next dish was a preserved lemon and rosemary roasted veal loin with a red wine demi glaze served over fresh corn polenta and orange scented carrots.  I must say- I wasn’t thrilled to be served veal, but it was good.  I definitely wouldn’t order it… probably ever from any where, but, after casting my anti-veal opinions to the side, I enjoyed the dish. I could have eaten a large bowl of fresh corn polenta and would highly recommend looking for that on the menu at Cascades.

We enjoyed thoughtful wine pairings throughout the meal, though I did not pay close attention to them.  I have in my notes that a Pinot Grigio was served with the zucchini spaghetti and a Le Nez Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley was served with the veal. (My ears perk up when I hear Pinot Noir and Willamette Valley, so I made a point to write that one down). With dessert we enjoyed a Canadian Ice Wine, and if you’re not familiar with ice wines, they’re super sweet and have a concentrated flavor.  I really enjoy them.

Ice wine went well with nutmeg sugar donuts, bruléed red grapefruit, vanilla bean gelato, and grapefruit salt caramel.

And then more sweet bites came out, or “mignardises,” if you’d like to be proper. We all sat and nibbled on a variety of delicious mini pastries for a while before venturing off to explore the haunted hallways of The Stanley Hotel.

If you’re a resident of Estes Park, Cascades offers you 20% off year-round, so I’d suggest treating yourself to a nice meal there at your local neighborhood restaurant.  If you’re passing through Estes, you’ll see there aren’t as many dining options as we have in Boulder, so I’d give Cascades a try.