Brewing the perfect cup of tea for your Valentine

If it wasn't remarkable enough that Capt. Sullenberger successfully landed his crippled USAir Jet, his wife subsequently described him as "the man who brings me tea every morning." We should all be so lucky!

We asked tea expert Chris Cason of Tavalon Tea (www.tavalon.com) for the secret to making the perfect cup of tea: "Right water temperature is important - boiling water for black and herbal teas, and usually at about 180 degrees for green and white tea. Also, the correct steep time is essential as some teas require less stepping than others. And of course, a special someone to share that cup of tea with."

Tavalon, with offices in Los Angeles and New York, specializes in premium loose leaf teas that also offer assorted health benefits, including calming, slimming and anti-aging (http://tavalon.com/tea.aspx) . For a breakfast-in-bed menu, Cason recommends Tavalon's New York City Breakfast blend - "a great tea that can be served hot or iced, a hearty blend of the world's best black teas from India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia."

And the perfect tea blend for romance? " Cupid's Arrow - a chocolate flavored black tea garnished with rose petals and strawberry bits" suggests Cason. "Once you drink it, you wonder, 'why not make every day Valentine's Day?'"

You can enjoy Tavalon teas at Caffe Primo in West Hollywood and Glendale (www.iloveprimo.com), where they are served in loose leaf form in Tavalon's special gravity tea pot, purchase them at Vicente Foods in Brentwood (12027 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles) or order your favorite blend or a beginner's sampler (pictured above) online.

Until our next food find...may all your food finds be fabulous!