Teavana’s Customer Service

If you’ve been following me, you might remember that I “ranted” about Teavana’s terrible sales tactics.  Recently, after another unsatisfactory experience with our local Teavana, I decided to write to the corporate office to express my concerns, and to see how they chose to respond.  I had high hopes that they would at the very least, respond.

First, know that I’m not one of those customers who frequently writes companies with complaints in hopes of receiving free loot.  This was my first time ever contacting a corporate office.  After sending a polite, descriptive e-mail outlining the situation, I received correspondence within a day.

Thank you for contacting Teavana. On behalf of the entire Teavana Corporate Office, I would like to apologize for your store experience, and thank you for your valuable feedback. I would like to share this with the management team and the employees of the location you had visited in order to correct behaviors and prevent future experiences similar to yours. It seems that there was definite presence of aloofness on the employee(s) part, and lack of training. This can and will be corrected. Once again, I sincerely apologize – the experience you had does not represent the virtue that we exude, and this must be communicated. In order to extend our apologies, we would like to send you a gift. Would you mind sending me your shipping address?

I was pleased that Teavana took my issues seriously and aimed to make things “right” with an unsatisfied customer.  While I still don’t agree with some of the sales tactics I’ve witnessed, their corporate customer service has been excellent – and for that, they deserve some praise.  They had an opportunity to show their willingness to acknowledge and act upon unacceptable business when they could’ve easily written off my e-mail as frivolous.

Thank you, Teavana, for taking the time to address the concerns of your patrons.

As far as what they sent to extend their apology, I received a rectangle tin with two 2-ounce bags of teas, and an additional 1-ounce sample.

Mother’s Day: Reine de Saba Cake

For Mother’s Day, I decided to make the chocolate almond French cake, Reine de Saba.  It was a labor of love.  Four bowls, two saucepans, a hand mixer, and a food processor later, I had a lovely, petite cake waiting to be iced with Julia’s fabulous, simple chocolate butter icing.

The cake requires a few steps, including beating egg whites, grinding almonds for almond meal, and chopping and melting chocolate.  However, it’s not a difficult recipe, and it yields an impressive, moist, flavorful cake.  It looks like it’d be very rich, but it’ll surprise you.

The most difficult part is probably pressing the almonds onto the sides.  It’s only difficult because I’m very particular about the presentation.  I’ve seen this cake made with the almonds sprinkled on the top of the cake, which is gorgeous, too.

I cut four strips of wax paper to place underneath the cake so that after I iced and decorated, I could easily remove the strips and be left with a perfectly clean cake plate.

Reine de Saba Cake with Chocolate Butter Icing

Cake:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons brewed coffee, or dark rum (I used coffee)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + a pinch
3 eggs, yolks separated from whites
1/3 cup almond meal
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup (2 ounces) cake flour, sifted
About 1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds, for garnish

Frosting:
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons brewed coffee, or dark rum (I used coffee)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at cool room temperature

For Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8-inch round cake pan by buttering and flouring the inside, tapping the pan to remove excess flour.
2. Place the chocolate and coffee/rum in a medium heat-proof bowl and set atop a pan of simmering water. Melt, stirring occasionally, until smooth.
3. Beat together the butter and 2/3 cup sugar, until fluffy, and lightened in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
4. Add the egg yolks, beating until thoroughly incorporated.
5. Add the chocolate and coffee mixture, almond meal and almond extract, and mix until well incorporated.
6. In a medium mixing bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
7. Lighten the batter by mixing in 1/4 of the egg whites. Then alternate between gently folding in 1/3 of the remaining egg whites and 1/3 of the sifted cake flour, until no streaks remain.
8. Turn out the batter into the prepped cake pan, and gently smooth the cake batter to the edge of the pan.
9. Bake for 25 minutes, or until puffed, and just set in the center (it should jiggle slightly when shaken).
10. Allow to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then run a butter knife around the edge of the cake, and unmold from the pan. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

For Frosting:

1. Place the chocolate and coffee/rum in a medium heat-proof bowl and set atop a pan of simmering water. Melt, stirring occasionally, until smooth.
2. Off the heat, beat in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, with a wooden spoon. Once the butter is thoroughly incorporated, and no lumps remain, place the mixing bowl inside a larger mixing bowl that is filled  with ice.
3. Mix the frosting over the ice bath, until it has chilled down to a spreadable consistency.
4. Spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake.
5. Decorate with the sliced almonds.

Yield: 1 8-inch cake (serves 6-8)

I like to chill the cake in the refrigerator to give the frosting time to “set” slightly before wrapping.

Yesterday I attended a writing institute during which we discussed incorporating our sense of “place” into our writing – where we come from.  This proved to be a cleansing exercise, as many of the attendees read theirs tearfully to the group.

For Mother’s Day, I would like to share my “Where I Am From” poem with my beautiful, kind, strong, smart, funny mom.  She is truly selfless and the mother I will strive to be when I am blessed with children of my own.

I am from laundry baskets,
from Rainbow-Brite and Barbies.

I am from friendly, kid-lined neighborhood streets.
(Noisy, lively; mimicking a playground.)

I am from the Bradford Pear trees,
the Holly bushes
        whose prickly thorns grumpily “embraced” my clumsy falls.I’m from Humphrey’s Pine Room Thanksgiving dinners and church-goers,
 from itchy, transparent-green Easter basket grass underneath my legs in the back of dad’s Oldsmobile on spring break trips.I’m from the solemn pre-dinner prayers and bantering of opposing politics,
 the feeling of the first time burying my face into the cottony, white fur of a family member for which I so, so long awaited.

From “Remember the Golden Rule!” and “That’s not ladylike.”

I’m from heavy hymnals
        with music note-splattered pages and pristine bindings,
        heaving shoulders of laughter that shook our pew, resulting in the “eye of warning” to my sister and me.

I’m from Seoul and the BWI airport,
        early afternoon meals of crisp, fried chicken legs, and from glistening, jewel-toned miniature fruit cakes during the holidays.

From the burnt hands of my sister who fought through halftime even after        burning herself with fire batons, and “I’ll help you clean your room if  you help me clean mine first!”
Front porch rocking in the cool mornings of summer, and a household with shelves upon shelves of knowledge, wisdom, adventure, and marvels of the world in the form of books.

Tucked tightly into albums on dusty shelves,
pressed onto sticky pages,
Polaroids of happiness, pride, life’s most significant moments,
        some – painful reminders of life’s fragility.
I am from those snapshots–
        ashy knees, unruly hair, glasses, and soiled play clothes,
        birthday candles, Christmas morning Santa Claus wonder.
I am from grace, sweet grace,
        opportunity, resounding laughter, tears, and endless joy,
from family members who may not look like me, but whose souls are beautifully bound to mine. 

Happy Mother’s Day to the most beautiful woman I know.

Liebster Award

I’m so very thrilled to share that I’ve been awarded the Liebster Award, which is for blogs with less than 200 followers. This completely made my morning! Thank you, applepiezucchini!

The rules for this one are:

• Post 11 random facts about yourself.
• Answer the 11 questions made by the person who nominated you.
• Create 11 questions for the bloggers you pass the award to.
• Choose 11 bloggers to pass the award to and mention them in your post.
• Go to their blogs and let them know that they have been nominated.
• No tag backs.

• I love Julia Child re-runs. I really wish I had thought of the Julie & Julia blog idea first.
• I often wish for a “Brady Bunch” type of backyard (the outdoor carpet material found on miniature golf courses) so we wouldn’t have as many bugs.
• I have no patience when I’ve had less than six hours of sleep; I have very little patience even when I’m well-rested. Clearly, we don’t have kids yet.
• I played the flute for a little over seven years.
• When I asked my husband for a fact about me, he said, “You’re stubborn!”
• I would much rather be cold than hot.
• I prefer soft lighting in nearly every situation; fluorescent lights are harsh and offer no benefit to the complexion.
• I have a weakness for puppies. While I don’t want a household full of them, I do love holding a sweet, warm puppy.
• I’m terribly nearsighted. I got prescribed glasses in fourth grade, and have been dependent on visual aid every since. When I reach the maximum prescription for contact lenses, I’m in big trouble. (Read: bottlecap glasses)
• I do not enjoy the beach as much as most people due to the fact that I don’t like lounging in the hot sun, and I don’t like seaweed and debris wrapped around my ankles.
• I do not enjoy long car rides, as motion sickness quickly affects me.

And my answers in response to applepiezucchini are:

1. What was the first thing you ever learnt to cook? The earliest memory I have of cooking was making yeast rolls in preschool. Obviously, we were the “assistants” for the task, but I fondly remember those little clover rolls.
2. Where would your perfect holiday be? My perfect holiday would be in New England in the spring.
3. Are you an early bird or a night owl? EARLY BIRD.
4. What is the recipe that you’ve always wanted to make but have been a bit scared to try? Fried chicken. I love a great piece of southern fried chicken, but I’m too afraid of deep frying.
5. What is your favourite song / piece of music? This changes frequently for me, but currently, I’m loving the little intro piece to The French Chef episodes.
6. Best ice-cream flavour? I’m always a fan of fresh peach, but Homestead Creamery makes a delicious Butter Pecan.
7. Countryside or city? While I’ve always wanted to spend a day on a farm, I’ll have to say “city.” I could only dodge bugs and bad odors for so long.
8. Which chef do you admire the most? Julia Child!
9. Your biggest food dislike is? Raw tomatoes.
10. What is the next cookbook on your wishlist? Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan
11. Hearty plates of food or michelin-style precision? I love great presentations and value quality over quantity.

My questions for my nominees:

1. If you could cook with one famous foodie (chef, food writer, TV cook, etc.), who would it be and why?
   
2. What is your favorite kitchen utensil?
3. Hot or cold breakfast?
4. Tea or coffee?
5. What is your favorite cookbook?
6. Sweet or savory snacks?
7. What is your favorite travel destination of all time and why?
8. If you could only eat one specific meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
9. What is your most accomplished moment in the kitchen?
10. What are some of your pantry staples?
11. What are your top three food aversions?

Here are the under-200-followers blogs that I would like to nominate! I realized that I don’t follow many with less than 200 followers, but here are some great reads.

The Wayfaring Baker

Graceful Nutrition

Heaping Tablespoon

Soul Kandy

Whisks & Chopsticks

Sweet Life Daily

Auckland – A Survival Guide

fotog foodie

These Little Moments

It’s Only Rock and Food and…

Savory Cranberry-Pecan Cheese Ball: A Party Favorite

I’m not sure if, in other parts of the world, “cheese balls” are appetizer favorites, but for as long as I can remember there has been some sort of variation of the cheese ball at any significant gathering I’ve attended.

They typically contain cream cheese, seasonings, herbs, vegetables, and either a chopped nut or dried meat coating.  Some involve Cheddar, port wine, or Swiss.  Served with crackers, these are a crowd favorite at potlucks and holiday parties in the United States.

At a work Christmas party, I once had a memorable version laced with scallions and coated with bits of shaved ham.  My mom makes hers with deliciously salty dried beef; my in-laws favor port wine with Cheddar.  I’ve seen them dotted with chopped olives, bell peppers, and even dried fruits.

Our favorite cheese ball (and a favorite of many of our friends) combines savory and sweet flavors in a rich, smooth cheese spread.  I coat it in chopped pecans for a delicious bite.  At our recent derby party, we served it alongside my moscato punch, benedictine dip, and other finger-foods.  In the words of our foodie friend: “This may be the BEST cheese ball I’ve eaten…and I’ve eaten A LOT of cheese balls.”

I usually make the cheese ball, wrap in plastic wrap to chill in the refrigerator overnight, and then coat it the next day.  It’s easier to spread if not served directly out of the refrigerator, so I coat it about a half hour prior to serving.

Savory Cranberry-Pecan Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1/8 cup minced onion

1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries

3/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Cayenne to taste (a couple of dashes)

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

*Coating: 1/2 to 3/4 cup roughly chopped pecans

Directions:

Briefly whip the cream cheese with electric mixer and then add all ingredients except for the pecans and combine well.  Scoop mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap, shaping into a ball, and refrigerate for at least a few hours to allow flavors to meld.

A half hour prior to serving, remove the cheese ball from the refrigerator and unroll onto the plastic wrap.  Cupping small handfuls of chopped pecans, press them onto the outside of the cheese ball, using the plastic wrap to assist.

Serve with a variety of crackers.

 

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies. Ever.

Chocolate chip cookies can vary so much.

In high school chemistry, we had an extra credit assignment that required us to find a chocolate chip recipe, make them, and bring them in to compare with other students’ results.  The differences were amazing!  There were crispy, chewy, cakey, and soft cookies – and all from seemingly similar recipes.  What a difference baking powder, soda, fats (butter, oil, etc.), and sugars can make.

My favorite chocolate chip cookie is slightly crisp on the exterior with a nice, chewy texture throughout.  Semisweet chips.  No nuts or oats.  Unlike many people, I don’t like them overly chocolatey.  Those hard, crunchy store-bought chocolate chip cookies don’t cut it, and neither do the “Soft Batch” (the ones you can often find in vending machines) that have no crispness at all.

While searching Pinterest for some new dinner ideas, I saw a “pin” for “How to Make Perfect M&M Cookies.”  Whenever I see “perfect” I have to scan the recipe and photographs to see what might justify the usage of that label.  Picky Palate  claims that using instant vanilla pudding mix creates chewy, bakery-style cookies.  I was intrigued by this and had to try it.  Boy, is she right!

This recipe yields two dozen amazingly delicious, chewy chocolate chip cookies.  I didn’t use miniature M&Ms, but instead used extra miniature chocolate chips.  (They’re so good that I’ve made them twice this week.)  With the special pudding mix ingredient, you’ll truly get cookies that have that irresistible, crisp edge with a soft, chewy interior in less than 20 minutes.  After demolishing the first batch, we’ve decided that this is the best cookie recipe we’ve found.  Thank you, Picky Palate!

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from Picky Palate)

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 to 1 cup miniature chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl cream your butter and sugars until well combined. Add your egg and vanilla mixing to combine. Add your flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt, stirring to combine. Add chips and stir to combine.
3. With a medium cookie scoop, place dough 1 inch apart from each other. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cooked through. Let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Enjoy!

Makes 2 dozen cookies

 

Bircher Muesli: Quick and Healthful

On an old Barefoot Contessa episode, Ina Garten made a breakfast dish called “muesli” that used raw oats, apple juice, and fresh fruit, and was topped with yogurt.  While this dish is much less popular than hot oatmeal in the United States, I did find some great recipes that served as inspiration for my own version.

The traditional “Bircher muesli” is named after a Swiss physician, nutrition researcher, and raw food-proponent, Max Bircher-Benner.  You may see “muesli” in the boxed cereal aisle at the grocery store, but they are much different than Bircher muesli, which combines oats, grated fruit, juice and/or milk, yogurt, and various mix-ins to be refrigerated and served cold.

My version is very close to what I researched to be “traditional”: oats, grated apple, milk, juice, and yogurt.  I added spicy cinnamon to the mixture and topped it with salty pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and a drizzle of honey.  One change I may make next time is to replace the rolled oats for steel-cut to keep more of a chewy texture.

This is a healthy, portable breakfast, easily served in a paper cup to take on the go.

Bircher Muesli

Ingredients:

2 cups old-fashioned (rolled) oats

4 Tbs. shredded coconut

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 large apple, grated on the large side of a box grater

1 cup apple juice

1 cup almond milk

2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

*Toppings: Honey, pepitas, fresh fruit, additional yogurt

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients (minus the toppings) in a bowl and stir to mix well.  Refrigerate overnight (or a few hours) and serve with desired toppings.

Benedictine Dip

Served with pumpernickel fingers and rye squares, this cool, creamy, refreshing dip is a Kentucky Derby classic.  It does take a bit of time to grate the cucumber and onion and wring out the water, but it’s well worth it.  I look forward to using this “dip” as a spread on sandwiches, too.  It’d be a delicious spread on Jewish rye with tender slices of roast beef…or spread on a nutty multigrain bread and layered with fresh vegetables.

There are  other ideas you could try with this, such as hollowing out the middle of a pumpernickel loaf and serving it in the bread “bowl” or adding some  dill.  I actually had a pumpernickel loaf, but it was too large to be adequately filled with the amount of dip this recipe makes – which is about two cups.  I didn’t manage to get a great photo of the dip before setting it out on the food table, but we had baskets of pumpernickel fingers and also rye tea sandwich squares.

Benedictine Dip (adapted from Chow.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 large English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and seeded
• 1/4 medium white onion
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 Tbs. Tabasco Green Jalapeño Pepper Sauce
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Grate cucumber and onion on the large holes of a box grater. Squeeze both with your hands to remove as much moisture as possible. Place in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and press several times with a rubber spatula to drain the last of the water; set aside for 5 minutes.
2. Place cream cheese in a medium bowl and beat with a mixer until smooth, about 1 minute. Press on cucumber-onion mixture once more to drain out any remaining water, and then add to the cream cheese. Add remaining ingredients, season with freshly ground black pepper, and stir until well combined. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
3. Serve with toasted bread fingers, fresh vegetables, or as a spread on sandwiches.

Kentucky Derby: Moscato Punch

Refreshing, summery, and full of fresh fruit, this punch was a hit at yesterday’s Kentucky Derby gathering that we hosted at our home.  My husband and I prepared a variety of simple finger foods, including crab balls, Old Bay shrimp, Benedictine dip, a cheese ball, appetizer meatballs, tortilla chips and salsa, and cruditè.  Recipes for the cheese ball and Benedictine dip to follow this week.

I searched for a punch recipe for this occasion, and ended up combining a few different ideas.  The result?  A fresh, gorgeous Moscato punch with ripe berries and invigorating mint.  Served in a glass pitcher, it was almost too pretty to drink. Last month, we attended a chocolate festival that featured Moscato in a chocolate cup; we purchased a bottle to bring home, so I used that in this recipe.

Instead of adding ice, which would only water it down, I froze some of the strawberries and raspberries and added them to the pitcher before serving.  This was a convenient way to keep it chilled.  I washed the fruit and cut the strawberries the night before and refrigerated half of it and froze the rest.  The halved the strawberries I froze as “ice cubes” and quartered them for adding to the punch when preparing it.

Moscato Punch

Ingredients:

2 bottles sparkling pink Moscato

1  1/2 cups Sprite

1/4 to 1/2 cup Triple Sec or Grand Marnier

1 pint fresh strawberries

1 half-pint fresh raspberries

1 handful fresh mint leaves

Directions:

*For the fruit “ice cubes” you will need to freeze some of the berries.  The night before, you can wash both fruits, and cut the strawberries; I quartered half of the pint of strawberries to add when making the punch and halved the remaining strawberries to freeze.   Add half of the raspberries to the halved strawberries to freeze.  Stir in just before serving.

Pour two bottles of Moscato, Sprite, and Triple Sec/Grand Marnier into a glass pitcher and stir to combine.  Add the fresh strawberries, raspberries, and mint leaves, and refrigerate to allow flavors to meld.   When ready to serve, add the frozen berries and stir again.

 

Rant: Teavana’s Sales Tactics

I’ve recently begun to enjoy loose leaf teas, and conveniently, a Teavana store opened up at one of our local shopping malls a couple weeks ago.  I’d seen these stores on vacations, with their tea sampling stations right outside their entrances, set up to entice passing shoppers.  What I didn’t know is that their employees can be pushy, pressuring, and deceptive.

Our first experience at a Teavana was at the Columbus, Ohio location.  Their store is quite attractive and alluring, with artful teapots and sets arranged on suspended glass shelves, and a colorful “wall of tea” (giant tins of their loose leaf tea varieties) on the back wall at the check-out.  The new location near us is also set up this way.

First, let me say that I don’t like being followed around when shopping; I don’t like “helicopter salesmen” who hover over me while I’m browsing, especially after stating that I’m browsing.  If I have a question, I’ll seek out assistance.  I don’t need someone reading me the labels on everything, or intruding into my conversations with my fellow shoppers about the products I may be discussing with them.  I understand that they may very well be instructed to be this persistent, but when a customer indicates that they’re just looking around, that should mean something.

Our initial visit to a Teavana began with an upbeat salesperson pouncing on us like a lion on a gazelle.  We entered the store wanting to explore their offerings, not necessarily purchase.  Neither of us had been in one, and it looked full of interesting tea “things.”  As soon as we crossed the threshold, the relentless sales pitches began.  ”Are you aware of the health benefits of tea?”  ”Do you like that sample?  Let’s get you to the back where you can purchase it!”  ”These [$100+] cast-iron teapots are the best.  They retain heat so much better than the others!”  We sampled a couple of different teas, heard a boatload of sales pitches, and then simply had to flee because the small store was cramped and we couldn’t discuss the products of interest because our salesperson was so smothering.  We thanked her for her time and quickly left, looking at each other wide-eyed and whispering, “Uh, could she have been any more suffocating?!” upon exiting.

Perhaps that works for some shoppers…?  While I’ve never worked on commission, I do know from working in retail that customers typically don’t like being followed around and hounded.  There’s a good balance between being helpful and being annoying.  When your sales tactics are that vexing, they defeat their own purpose by running potential customers away.  However, after that first experience and the one I’m about to tell you about, I researched and found that they are trained to use these frustration-inducing methods.

So a couple weeks ago, I caught wind that a Teavana location was soon to open about 10 miles from our house.  Still wanting to try some  loose teas, we decided that maybe the aggressive sales were a characteristic of only the Columbus location.

WRONG.

Approaching the newly-opened store, we saw that it’s set up exactly like the other location.  We stopped at the sampling station at the entrance to try the advertised flavors, and were again pounced on by an overbearing salesperson…

“Are you new to tea?”  ”We only have the BEST quality teas!”  ”Are you aware of the health benefits?”  ”Here’s a book of ALL of our flavors!”  ”Why do you drink tea?”  …and many more.  I couldn’t even soak in what I was being told due to the fact that all these sales pitches were bombarding me, one after the other.

My “favorite” line was, “Here.  Try this Strawberry Rose Champagne blend.  It tastes JUST like Valentine’s Day!  I mean…strawberries…roses…champagne.  It has it all!  You’ll LOVE it!”  *I strongly dislike strawberry-flavored anything, so that was another tactic was lost on me.

I told her that we had been to a Teavana before, and that I was browsing.  She continued to follow us to the wall with tumblers and tea makers, urging us to move to the check-out so she could explain how to go about purchasing tea.  After I picked the Teavana PerfecTea Maker and a tumbler, we complied and followed Pushy Patty.

Purchasing.  This is where my husband got most annoyed.  Their main strategy at the tea-buying part is to open these giant tins of tea and “waft” the scent of the tea into your face (while spouting off what high-quality ingredients are in each one), hoping you’ll become enamored with the aroma and buy a whole pound of it.  You cannot purchase less than two ounces, and they make it seem like you must also purchase their tea tins in which to store it.  After researching, I found that this is a common deception.  If you don’t purchase tins, they DO have bags for the tea, too.  However, for first-time, uninformed buyers, they make you think that the $6/$7 tins are mandatory, and that only their tins will keep your tea fresh for longer than a week.  Our salesperson briefly showed me the half-pound size and then spouted off how the one-pound tin was better because you receive a 10% discount when you “fill it”…and that it was only $1 more.  I thought “fill it” meant with any amount of tea, as long as you were purchasing some with the tin.  With this information, I considered it a good deal to get $1 containers to store the teas.

You then tell them how many ounces you’d like, and they scoop the loose teas into your tin (or bag, now that I know that’s an option) on a scale.  This is where steam comes out of my husband’s ears…

I asked for two ounces of the Youthberry Wild Orange tea into the one-pound tin, thinking since I was getting it filled, it’d also be 10% off.  The girl started scooping large scoops of the tea into the one-pound tin.  Now, I’m terrible at estimating size, volume, etc. but I knew this was overabundant.  ”Uh, I’m sorry, but I just want two ounces.  Oops!  I thought I said that.”  (It wasn’t an omission on my part, because she over-scooped for all three teas, saying she was just getting used to measuring them out.)  So, she poured out maybe a tablespoon of the tea, and said, “How does that look?”  I saw on the scale that it was still closer to eight ounces than two.  I told her it was still a little much, so she dumps out another miniscule amount.  We did this maybe two more times, and then I gave up and let it go.  THAT’S HOW THEY GET YOU.  (Why wasn’t I more assertive?  That was actually abnormal for me.)

Being a new store and new employee, I gave her the benefit of the doubt that she was just inexperienced, but I now know they do this to customers in hopes that they will do as I did – just settle for the excess amount.  I know.  I could’ve kept having her dump more out.  At that point, our tea-buying was getting overwhelming.

Not knowing any better, I purchased three varieties in their own tins, thinking they were just an additional dollar.  Little did I know that the tins were an additional $7 each.  The “only $1 more” referred to the larger tins being a dollar more than the small tins, NOT $1 more than your tea purchase.  Needless to say, the total came to a higher amount than I had anticipated.  Due to the increasing crowd and cramped quarters, I quickly paid, and we left.  Grouchy.

I questioned whether maybe it was my fault not fully hearing the prices of the tins, but after reading review after review of dishonest Teavana sales tactics, I know that was not the case.  Reviews from former Teavana employees also stated that they were instructed to be dishonest in their sales pitches in order to meet sales goals.  This company has a reputation for their dishonesty and sales-aggressive employees.

Sigh.

Right at the time that I fall in love with loose teas, I find that our only local significant retailer of loose teas is quite deceitful.

I contemplate whether I should continue my patronage with Teavana, or just avoid their unethical business altogether.  Do I love some of their teas?  Yes.  Is the PerfecTea Maker one of my favorite kitchen gadgets now?  Yes.

Does anyone else have a similar experience with Teavana?  Experience with great online tea vendors?

Cheese Boards: Rustic, Assorted Gems

One of my favorite “noshes” is composed of a beautiful variety of flavors, colors, and textures.  Cheese boards.  Spreads of complementary and contrasting items, full of great potential.  Rustic, edible beauty.

When creating them at home, an ideal characteristic of cheese boards is that they can be assembled on a relatively small budget with just a couple of cheese selections, or they can also become impressive, gourmet presentations, depending on your chosen items.

We’ve had some pretty delicious boards in restaurants that have included spiced or sweet nuts, salty olives, ripe and dried fruits, and savory meats alongside carefully-selected cheeses.  Typically, cheese boards will also offer a variety of cheese textures, showcasing both hard and soft varieties.

For the very simple  cheese board above, I served a solitary cheese with a variety of other “accessories.”  This one wasn’t prepared to entertain – just to serve as a light lunch/snack at home.  Dried apricots and Montgomery cherries nicely juxtapose the tanginess of this extra sharp Cheddar from New York, while the freshness of a crisp apple provides somewhat of a palate-cleansing effect in between bites of rich cheese.   I just cut the Cheddar into small pieces for convenience when it’s just my husband and me, but whole wedges are more presentable.  My favorite crackers to serve are thin, crispy rounds called Carr’s Table Water Crackers; they don’t interfere with the subtle nuances of  cheese and have an irresistible, light crunch.  Roasted or salted almonds or candied walnuts would’ve been a perfect addition.

Other delectable items include fresh grapes, figs, slices of proscuitto or salami, small slices of fresh breads, honey, and preserves.

While Velveeta or Kraft cheese slices won’t quite make the cut for a respectable cheese board, you don’t have to go overboard and buy the most expensive cheeses available.  A small variety is nice, though.  Keep in mind that aged cheese are typically harder and saltier, usually packing a potent punch.  Creamy, soft Brie or Camembert, or tangy goat cheeses are also tasty selections for boards.  I happen to love blue cheeses, but the daunting, “moldy” veins may be off-putting for some of your guests.

Presentation should include a variety of shapes and colors, and the cheeses should be served at room temperature.  We were gifted three gorgeous Acacia wooden cheese boards for our wedding, but simple wooden cutting boards can serve the same purpose.

…the possibilities are vast.