Tea time

I'm sitting at one of my favorite tea houses in Houston- Te House of Tea. Since my wireless isn't working, I'm taking this time to update and catch up. I had to share an amazing tea I am trying. They call it Russian Imperial. It is a black tea, with scents of rose, which is served with jam that you mix in with the tea in a cute little glass. Delicious!
The last two weeks have kept me occupied with the wonders and woes of moving. It is my first time living on my own. Working my first full time job, at a stake house no less (ironic, I know), has been a little trying. But, one must pay the bills. I have been living on salads for lunch, often convincing the chefs to whip me up some assorted veggie with no butter/cheese/bacon topping. Once I get settled in I will start cooking again. But, for now I rely on quick fixes, take out, and travelling to my friends house to use his well-stocked kitchengalore. This past weekend we had a much needed beer and pizza party. Since visiting Brussels and trying Kriek (black cherry beer) I fell in love and have been dreaming of having more. To my delight, Spec's carrys not only Kriek, but also Peche (peach), Frambosse (raspberry), and another brand of Strawberry. We felt obligated to test them.Kriek is still my favorite, but Frambosse is a close second

Along with the beer we made two kinds of homemade pizza. One was a favorite we discovered a few months ago on a whim- tapenade, tomato sauce, dollops of tofu-basil ricotta, sauteed mushrooms and onions, and extra basil. The other was a total experiment- tofu-spinach mixture, topped with garlic roasted cauliflower, edamame, and drizzled with lemon chutney.The first was definately our favorite, but the cauliflower-edamame was an interesting mix, and the lemon chutney gave it a nice kick. It was great together on a spinach salad the next day. And one can never go wrong with basil-tofu ricotta.

I hope to get back to cooking soon. But, until then it is take out from the vegan chinese restaurant down the street. Oh yeah, did I mention I live smack in the middle of Chinatown? It's awesome!