Product Description

What could be cozier on a blustery winter's day than a mug of tea by the fire with freshly baked Irish soda bread slathered with sweet butter and tangy orange marmalade? Or more invigorating on a crisp, cool afternoon in autumn than a picnic in the country with sharp English cheeses; crusty white peasant bread; vegetable, cheese, and apple tarts; and Thermoses of steaming warm tea? Or a better way to celebrate the ripe berries of summer than a dessert party tea in the garden with lemon-curd tartlets, raspberry shortcake, raspberry sorbet, sugar cookies, and tea served in flowered china cups?

A cookbook and style book, Having Tea includes a range of stunning locations with recipes, menus, table settings, and serving ideas for tea. There are formal and elegant teas that ring in the winter holidays with rich dark fruitcake, shortbread, brandy snaps, and sherried English trifle; a tea for one in the study with spicy ginger Bundt cake and a plate of cookies; and tea for two in a loft, with slow-scrambled eggs, cornmeal muffins and apple butter, and panfried tomatoes sprinkled with fresh tarragon. Each menu provides suggestions for the ideal tea to suit the meal.

Since the American style of tea drinking originated in England, Having Tea goes to the source to show two classic English tea rooms, tea at the Savoy Hotel in London, and a tea dance at London's Waldorf. In addition, there are special sections on the history and different varieties of teas, selections of teapots and tea services, and directions for brewing the perfect pot of tea. A final section, the "Tea Larder," offers ideas for tea trimmings from honey to mint or ginger, tea sandwiches, and a directory of mail-order sources for tea.

With approximately fifty recipes for tea sandwiches, crumpets, scones, cookies, and cakes as well as hearty tea-time meals, Having Tea will make you want to make having tea part of your day. It shows how, far more than a beverage, tea is a grand indulgence that provides food for the body and the soul.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #195197 in Books
• Published on: 1987-12-13
• Released on: 1987-12-13
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 96 pages

Ingram
With dozens of delectable recipes and handy tips on every aspect of tea drinking, Having Tea captures the charm and graciousness of the ritual in vibrant, full-color photographs of 14 teas, from the formal to the informal. 97 full-color photographs.

About the Author
Tricia Foley is an editor with the House Beautiful Home Group. She was formerly associate decorating editor at House Beautiful and architecture and design editor at Home Magazine. She lives in New York City.Having Tea presents fourteen different tea-time menus and settings, from tea for two by a pond in a lovely country garden to an elegant Christmas tea in a dining room filled with gleaming silver and crystal. There are almost fifty recipes for tea sandwiches, crumpets, scones, breads, jam, cookies, and cakes.Keith Scott Morton is a well-known photographer whose work is featured in the book White by Design and regularly appears in House Beautiful's Home Decorating, Country Living, Redbook, and other major magazines.

Customer Reviews

The Only Afternoon Tea Book You Will Ever Need
I have been collecting books on afternoon tea for the last twenty years. This outstanding book, against which I judge all others, is a must have for anyone interested in afternoon tea. I have made almost all of the recipes many times and several items, particularly the Victorian poppyseed cake, can be found waiting in my kitchen for guests any day of the week.

Every recipe has consistantly turned out delicious and beautiful. The text is invites repeated reading by its gently lyric style and the photographs are at once dreamy and alluring. You will return to this book time and again.

Average at best
The photos in this book are lovely, and some of the theme ideas are nice, but honestly, the recipes didn't do much for me, for the most part. If you want some inspiration, and you want some photos for ideas on creating ambience for a nice tea party, then this is a good book; if you're looking for a cookbook, best keep looking.

But does it taste good?
Sure, the photos are pretty but are the recipes any good? I tried the raisin scone recipe - it was very dry and the salt needs to be reduced by at least half if not three quarters. I wonder if any recipe testing was done before this book went to print.