May 2007Click here to read issue contents

Tea's Me Famous Chicken Salad



If you need a break from more regular varieties of green or black tea, try the fragrant green tea Japanese Cherry, shown above.



A tasty blend of raspberry and mango-infused teas makes a refreshing summer drink.

     by Laura Kruty

     Tea has been around for nearly 5,000 years, but its discovery was somewhat of a mistake.

     According to various Chinese legends, emperor Shennong believed in boiling his water before he drank it. One day, he noticed some leaves had fallen into his boiling water, and, ever the inquisitive one, he took a sip. Tea, as we know it, was born.

     Since then, the simple beverage has gained popularity all over the world, and the St. Louis area with its variety of tea rooms, is no exception.

     The Fleur de Lis Tea Room in Florissant opened in June 2005 and was the result of owner and manager Kitty Smith's extensive collection of tea cups and teapots.

     "I have been collecting tea cups and teapots for many years, and I ran out of room in my home to display them so I had to open a tea room," she says. "I have been collecting since I was very young, and I have always enjoyed going to tea rooms."

     The St. Louis Tea Room, which opened about two months ago, moved from its location in Kimmswick, where it was for 10 years before the owners decided it needed a new location. Seems that idea has paid off - "we've been very, very busy," says Judy Rusch, who co-owns it with her two daughters.

     Perhaps it's tea's health benefits that are triggering its popularity. Studies have found that green tea can help prevent lung, prostate and breast cancers. Tea also can increase bone-mineral density, boost immunity, combat diabetes, and protect against exposure to UV light, among other benefits, according to www.health.com.

     In addition to being good for your physical health, Smith and Rusch say they believe tea is popular because of the calm and laid-back setting in which tea is usually enjoyed.

     "I think tea is a more relaxed drink," Rusch says. "You have to wait until it's steeped. It slows everything down so that it becomes a more relaxed situation."

     Smith says, "I find that even though we are learning more and more about the health benefits of tea, the main reason it is becoming so popular is that the tea experience transports us back to a quieter, gentler time, and if we can step back a little and experience those times it benefits our mental and physical well-being."

     Marilyn Svoboda agrees.

     "Tea has always been something soothing and it relaxes you," says Svoboda, co-owner of Sister's Tea House and Gift Shop in Fenton, which celebrates its five-year anniversary this month. She adds Sister's "is just a fun girly place to go."

     But tea time just wouldn't be the same without the delicious foods and desserts that accompany it.

     Svoboda says the most popular foods at Sister's are the crab salad, crustless quiche and the chicken salad, the ingredients in which go well with the cinnamon spice tea. "People love our peach cobbler," she adds, "and the chilled strawberry soup that is available all year round."

     The St. Louis Tea Room offers scones with spreads such as butter, French cream and usually wine jelly, Rusch says. "A typical meal might consist of quiche with a side salad or maybe a small bowl of soup."

     And, she adds, "no tea room would be complete without desserts." They offer a buttermilk pie made from a Civil War-era recipe, a Mississippi Mud sundae with two kinds of ice cream and various toppings, and a lemon cream puff, among others.

     "One of our signature items on our menu is our special turkey sandwich," Smith says. "It has smoked turkey, Swiss cheese, baby spinach and sliced apples on toasted raisin bread. The contrasting flavors and textures of the sandwich are a real treat for the palate."

     However, picking which food to eat with which tea is really a personal preference, Rusch says.

     Whether you prefer your tea to be black or green, or anywhere in between, relaxation is just a tea room visit away.

     Tea's Me Famous Chicken Salad

     Take a bite out of this specialty chicken salad on panini-grilled homemade whole-wheat bread.

     Makes 10 to 12 servings

     8 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breasts

     1/2 diced red onion

     3/4 cup mayonnaise

     2 tablespoons Dijon mustard or to taste

     2 cups diced celery

     Prepare chicken by placing boneless breasts in enough water to cover them in a large pan or Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer over medium heat then cook on low until chicken meat has turned opaque or white and is cooked through, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

     Combine cooled and diced chicken in a bowl with remaining ingredients. Add more or less of ingredients to taste. Serve on toast.

     Sister's Special Fruited Chicken Salad

     Marilyn Svoboda from Sister's Tea House and Gift Shop says the fruit and pecans in their chicken salad are a great complement to Sister's hot cinnamon spice tea.

     Makes 5 servings

     2 1/2lbs. chicken tenders

     3/4 teaspoon lemon pepper

     1 1/2 blades celery, chopped into large pieces

     1/2 cup seedless red grapes

     1/2 tablespoon dried chives

     1 apple, either Fuji or Granny Smith, chopped into large pieces

     1/2 cup chopped pecans

     Salt and pepper to taste

     Real mayonnaise to taste (so it's not too dry)

     Boil chicken tenders on low to medium heat until done. They will actually start to shred as they cook. Add lemon pepper while cooking.

     Let chicken cool, then break it into pieces in large bowl by hand.

     Add the rest of the ingredients and toss lightly by hand.

     Serve with or without a croissant.

     Lapsang Souchong Tea-Marinated Pork Chops

     The Lapsang Souchong tea imparts a smoky flavor to the pork.

     Makes 4 servings

     6 teaspoons Lapsang Souchong tea

     2 cups water

     4 boneless (1-inch thick) pork loin chops

     2 tablespoons olive oil

     1 onion, sliced in long strips

     Salt and pepper to taste

     Pinch of dill, optional

     Combine the tea in a pot with less water than usual since it will be used as a marinade. Brew tea for 5 minutes then let cool. Pour tea over pork chops and marinate 8 to 12 hours in the refrigerator.

     Season chops with salt, pepper and dill if desired. In a large skillet, saute chops over medium-high heat to brown on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Remove chops then sautŽ onion until translucent.

     In a separate saucepan, bring tea marinade to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Pour heated marinade into large skillet. Cook onions until they soften then add chops back to the skillet. Cover and simmer over moderate heat about 12 minutes until liquid is reduced to thick syrup and pork reaches an internal temperature of 150 to 155 degrees.

     Let stand covered in foil and temperature will rise to 160 degrees. Serve chops with onions.

Article appears as published in the St. Louis Woman Magazine May 2007 issue.