"MatthewAmster-burton" news and stories

Sometime during my college years, a teahouse called the Tao of Tea opened in Portland, OR. I often went there with friends during my holiday breaks and summer vacations. It was there that I was first introduced to the world of loose leaf tea (we were strictly a Lipton and Celestial Seasonings household during my childhood) and learned that there was more to tea than just black and herbal.

Recently, Matthew Amster-Burton rounded up eight of the best teahouses across the Pacific Northwest for Gourmet.com, and included my beloved Tao of Tea in his piece. He's put together a wonderful selection of spots between Portland, OR and Vancouver, B.C. If you're a tea lover who's planning a trip to that area of the country, this list is a must-read.

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I am a big fan of sausage, especially the kind you buy in bulk (as opposed to the stuff that comes in casing). I use it as the protein/flavor base for egg scrambles, pasta sauces and stews. However, despite my love for ground, highly seasoned meats, I've never actually tried to make it on my own (I like to leave tasks like that to the professionals).

On Monday, Culinate posted a piece by Matthew Amster-Burton that's got me thinking that maybe I should change my ways and start experimenting with homemade sausage. I like the idea of avoiding all the perservatives that you find in commercial sausages and Matthew makes it sound so darn easy. He says you don't need many tools (I would have to buy the meat grinding attachment for my KitchenAid mixer) and that there are recipes to turn to until you feel confident enough to create your own flavor blends.

I think I might need a bit more encouragement before I become a home sausage maker. Is this something that others of you have done? Any tips or tricks?

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