The Rebel Palate

(Click here to jump to the recommended song, Maple by Galgox (Googie on YouTube)!) In New England, maple trees are everywhere. We know them mostly for their sap that’s boiled down into delicious syrup, but they give us other things, too. Yes, other than wood. In fall they drop their helicopter seeds, and in spring they drop red or green blossoms (depending on the species). Spring is also when the seeds grow into little tree sprouts. Recently, I’ve figured out how to take advantage of this. The blossoms can be made into tea and the sprouts can be made into… cooked sprouts. This is a short one. I’m still trying to figure out the Average Joe Rule I talked about in January . Health and safety disclaimer: I highly recommend you wash anything you find in or on the ground. I mean, I’m pretty sure you do that anyway.  Also, I only think these are edible because I’ve eaten them and not died. Eat unfamiliar foods at your own discretion. MAPLE BLOSSOM TEA If you want maple blossoms, now’s th...

A Decent Cup of Tea   A tea-related post from me? Way overdue. Here I review a book where some Irish guy teaches us how not to suck at brewing tea. (Click here to jump to the recommended song, A Decent Cup of Tea by Frank Turner!) Howdy, rebels! In my last post , I mentioned that tea is the "food-related item I know most about". A friend suggested that I talk about tea, but I didn't know what to say about it until now.   This is because I don't like repeating readily available information. I could drop some tea knowledge on the Rebel Palate, but I would feel dishonest knowing there are already so many better sources . This doesn't mean I can't talk about tea at all, though- I can talk about a book about tea.   I've noticed a lack of "proper" reviews for A Decent Cup of Tea by Malachi McCormick. It's popular among tea lovers, but not in the wider scope, so I thought I would post about it here. The book contains history, advice ...