Tea for Two

When you get to be nearly morbidly obese, food becomes very important to you. It's important to give a metaphoric weight to healthier foods when striving to live better. Instead of having a beer tonight let's join Optimus Prime and The Fallen for a cup of green tea.

The key to elevating a simple beverage like green tea is making it a ritual not just a process. We start with loose sencha leaves from Japan. They are stored in a cherry bark canister, the traditional vessel. We use a dedicated tea-measuring spoon to get our infuser baskets ready to brew tea directly in our mugs. (Some day I'll get a cast iron teapot and warmer set.)


Fresh, cool water does the trick. We'll use an electric kettle to heat it. Don't get it too hot or the leaves will be damaged. Water boils at 212° F. We want our water at 175° when it hits the leaves. A thermometer used in frothing milk for fancy espresso drinks makes sure we're safe.


Green tea brews very quickly. More than two minutes of steeping will yield a bitter brew. Set a timer. (Optimus is so bulky he can't get his wrist into his line of sight. The Fallen doesn't have a watch, but likes to rub his agility in Optimus' face. What a jerk!)


After 120 ticks we pull out the infuser baskets and allow them to drain/cool in the dish drying rack. Now, enjoy your very important and delicious beverage. (Right about now Optimus is reconsidering his mouth plate.)