coffee and tea festival
coffee and tea festival
- Espresso Yourself -
Celebrating the coffee art of Karen Eland

For self-taught artist Karen Eland, coffee is so much more than a steamy beverage that delivers her morning buzz, it is a way to express her creative imagination—she paints with it.

“I first thought of the idea of painting with coffee while watching rich, red-brown espresso pouring perfectly into my cup.” Eland said. “It occurred to me that perhaps I could take my passion for coffee to a deeper level. So I dipped my brush and began painting.”

We drink coffee, use it in recipes, and can even marinate a steak with it. But, paint with it? You’ve go to see it to believe it. Coffee art is a truly unique art form.  It requires a thoughtful and delicate touch. Eland uses a slow and sophisticated process of building layers upon layers of espresso to capture the depth of the classic works she showcases.  

Putting a modern and caffeinated spin on classic paintings by famous painters like Vermeer, DaVinci, Michelangelo, and Picasso, you’ll enjoy each of Eland’s interpretations--the most popular being Mona Latte shown here.

The local coffee house provides great energy for Eland and locals often find her there sipping coffee with paintbrush in hand. “Immersed in the delicious aroma of freshly ground coffee and the sounds of low conversation, steam, and grind, I get inspired” she says. 

Each painting contains 100% pure coffee on watercolor paper with no preservatives or additives.  Giclee prints are available in different standard sizes, prices vary. Eland’s coffee art is also available in limited edition 16” x 20” prints (unframed, $45) and greeting cards ($3.75 each). To view the spectacular collection by Karen Eland visit www.coffee-art.com.
- Treasures from Sri Lanka -
Take a sip to another part of the world

The history of Ceylon Tea dates back to the early 1860s when Ceylon (the former name of the nation now called Sri Lanka) was known for the production of coffee, not tea. It wasn’t until a coffee fungus destroyed a majority of the coffee plants and estate owners were forced to look for alternative crops to cultivate that the sowing of tea seeds began.

Today, following India and China, Sri Lanka and is the 3rd largest producer of tea in the world according to the Tea Association of the U.S.A.

The natural beauty of Sri Lanka's landscape draws many visitors, including Richard and Bernice Boehm. “When people visit Sri Lanka they immediately fall in love with the people.  Their kindness and gratitude will touch your heart” said Richard.

Frequent trips to the East helped Richard, a survivor of both triple-bypass surgery and corporate downsizing, and Bernice, a school teacher, find a wonderful way to help the people of Sri Lanka.  Their efforts started in 2002 when they sponsored a Sri Lankan child who lost her father to cancer, and continue today through their company, Ceylon Treasures.  Launched in 2003, Ceylon Treasures offers outstanding tea and beautiful gift packs created by Sri Lankan craftsmen.

After discovering the gift packs during one of their visits to Sri Lanka, Richard and Bernice began sending them home to family and friends. Eventually, they saw an opportunity to create an ethical business that would take them into their retirement years and help the people they had come to know and respect.

Ceylon Treasures offers several different lines that celebrate Ceylon tea—some for the tea purist and others for those with a more adventurous palate—each with a very distinct flavor. 

Hyson (hi-tshun) refers to the Sri Lankan tea company as well as the method for processing the tea. The twisted leaves are long and thin and unfurl slowly to offer its fragrant astringent green taste.  Hyson tea has been defined as warm, sunny and spring-like, reflecting both the color and the season in which Hyson is harvested.  Among the variety of black and green Hyson teas offered from Ceylon Treasures:

  • Ceylon Supreme Tea: The district of Dimbula produces Ceylon Supreme Tea, one of the world's finest harvests. Grown at 4,000 feet in the mountains of Ceylon, this tea is harvested by hand in January and February when the leaves are young, tender, and most flavorful.
  • Classic Earl Grey Tea: A fine quality black tea in its purest form, this tea is hard to resist for those who are selective and savvy. Processed with oil of Bergamot for a refreshing and aromatic cup of tea.
  • Premium Dimbula: A special Orange Pekoe from carefully selected lush green buds. It is exceptionally fine rolled to produce a mellow character. Great hot or chilled.
  • Jasmine Mistique Tea: Uses only a select quality of Ceylon tea and is delicately blended to create some of the world’s favorite tea. It emphasizes the unique flavor, evident in the quality of tea chosen.
  • Emperor's Dream Tea: As unique as the island itself, Emperor's Dream Tea comprises a fine selection consisting of rich flavor, fine aroma, briskness and a full bodied character in the brew—a contribution from the year long sunshine and intermittent showers nourishing the plantation soil.

A collection of pure Ceylon tea from some of Sri Lanka’s finest tea gardens is available in the Batik (ba-teak) Tea line. The Batik Tea line takes its name from the local art of hand printing textiles. Each Batik tea is also a work of art: distinctive in flavor, color, and aroma creating an exclusive range of high-quality teas for the world market. The fruit-infused teas are delicious.  Included among the exclusive blends are ginger, apricot, blackberry, cherry, peach, raspberry, cinnamon, and hibiscus. Ceylon Treasures also offers a great selection of organic teas as well.

“We know the farms, the farmers, and have relationships with the people.  That’s why we get the finest quality, most flavorful teas” said Bernice Boehm.  “That’s why, when you drink our tea, you’ll understand the value of knowing the families who grow your tea” she added.

All Ceylon Treasures tea comes with the seal of assured quality from the Sri Lanka Tea Board.  Ceylon Treasures tea can be purchased at www.ceylontreasures.com or by calling 1-877-990-1990.

Come sample some of Ceylon Treasures outstanding teas at the coffee and tea festival in New York City, April 27-28. For details about the coffee and tea festival, visit www.coffeeandteafestival.com.

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- Chocoholics & Coffee Lovers - Rejoice!
Fretzels Coffee Collection

So you think you’ve had great chocolate covered pretzels before, well, think again.  One sweet and crunchy bite and you’ll be hooked on Fretzels. Maybe you’ve seen them featured on the Today show, listed in national magazine gift guides, or recently heard Rachel Ray say “yum-o” and select Fretzels as her “Snack of the Day”. If you haven’t had them before, you are probably wondering…what’s a Fretzel?

Decadent and delicious, Fretzels are pretzels made with the highest-quality ingredients and hand-dipped in the finest milk, white, or dark chocolate.  Some Fretzels come adorned with delectable toppings like toffee, peanut butter chips, and cookie crumbles, and others with mini m&ms, non-pareils, and mini chocolate chips. 

The recently introduced Coffee Collection (shown here) is a wonderful addition to the Fretzel product line and was a big seller for the 2006 holidays. The six-piece assortment includes cappuccino, espresso, Irish cream, mocha latte, café latte, and hazelnut. 

Each undeniably delicious Fretzel receives special attention to guarantee exquisite and irresistible joy in every bite.  Fretzels make the perfect gift for family and friends (or a delicious treat for you).

Looking for the ultimate gift?  Enroll a friend in the Fretzel of the Month Club−this month’s special feature is Irish Cream, in honor of St. Patrick's Day.  It just doesn’t get any better than that!  www.fretzels.com.

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- Book Buzz -
Tasting Club:
Gathering Together to Share and Savor Your Favorite Tastes
Written by Dina Cheney

“Cheney proves to be an excellent guide, making her urbane subject matter accessible and her parties both fun and informative.”
-- Publishers Weekly (May, 2006)

Too busy to throw a dinner party but love to entertain?  How about a tasting party? Dina Cheney, author of Tasting Club, shows you how much fun it can be.

This beautifully illustrated do-it-yourself guide to hosting a themed tasting party offers 10 different plans for tasting. It includes the most popular tasting items like wine, chocolate, and cheese, but also includes more obscure tasting subjects like beer, honey, tea, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and apples.

In the Basics chapter, Cheney explains how to structure your party using the book and photocopied "tasting grids" that can be distributed to each guest for exploring and recording the experience. She recommends choosing six different variations for a tasting and explains how to set up a table to accommodate the foods as well as palate cleansers and complementary accompaniments. Each subsequent chapter is devoted to a single subject and offers important background information − such as how and where olive oil is made and how the product is graded in different countries − to add to the experience.

Tasting parties are a wonderful reason to gather with friends and Cheney delivers a fun, innovative, and easy way to entertain at home. 

Published by DK Publishing, August 2006.  $22.00

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- Tavalon Tea -
Tavalon Tea Celebrates First Anniversary with Special Offers

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- Coffee & Tea Festival: NYC -
April 28-29, 2007

Thousands will gather for this New York event in Manhattan's beautiful Metropolitan Pavilion to celebrate everything related to coffee and tea. The Coffee & Tea Festival: NYC will bring coffee, tea and confectionary vendors together and introduce them to sophisticated enthusiasts.

Come and enjoy:

  • Coffee and tea samples
  • Lectures / Classes
  • Shopping
  • Contests
  • Demonstrations
  • Coffee Art
  • A Java Lounge with music and other entertainment
Funds will be raised for the official event charity, The Freeplay Foundation and its Coffee Lifeline Project

Don't miss the 2nd Annual Coffee & Tea Festival: NYC!
Visit www.coffeeandteafestival.com for details.

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