Table of contents for July - August 2008 in TeaTime

As the tea market expands, innovative, flavorful tea blends are becoming more commonplace in our kitchens. So it is natural for creative chefs to explore the relationship between various foods and tea. Consumers are not only focusing on pairing the correct tea with favorite foods, but also experimenting with ways to use tea as an ingredient, rather than simply as a beverage of choice. With the onset of summer and the promise of picnics, holidays, and family reunions, we turned to our test kitchen professionals with a request for tea-infused ice cream that would be delicious and suitably impressive to serve at some of our summertime parties. If you have been hesitant to try cooking with tea, let me assure you that one taste of the luscious frozen desserts featured…

In Texas, where bigger is almost always better, The Adolphus towers over the heart of downtown Dallas. The historic hotel is both a beloved historic landmark of the Lone Star State and a beacon of elegance for travelers and teagoers. Built in 1912 at the height of the Gilded Age by beer baron Adolphus Busch, the 21-story luxury hotel was not only lauded as the tallest building in Texas, but also praised by critics for its exquisite Beaux-Arts architecture and poshly appointed commons areas and guest quarters. A darling of royalty, statesmen, and celebrities, The Adolphus has, over time, played hostess to such notable figures as Irving Berlin, Amelia Earhart, Edith Piaf, and more recently, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. The queen’s royal treatment in Texas during her 1991…

The carefree days of summer are as illusory as a dream, and there is no better way to savor the fleeting hours than with an afternoon spent ambling barefoot through the brambles in search of plump, ripe berries. For this simple pleasure, one needs only a pail or bucket, nimble fingers for picking, and thickets heavy with fruit-laden vines and bushes. The addition of a picnic basket brimming with sweet and savory berry-infused treats is an elegant grace note that exalts Afternoon Tea from an everyday occasion to a glorious summertime celebration. THE Well-packed HAMPER There is an art to packing and arranging a picnic basket, especially when the intricacies of Afternoon Tea are involved. Consider these suggestions, and your al fresco tea will proceed without mishap. Must-haves: A picnic…

Summertime in the south of France is arguably the most spectacular time of year. The warm, dry air is fragrant with dusky purple lavender and verdant wild thyme. Cicadas hum through the long, lazy afternoons, and bumblebees tumble along the backdrop of a deep azure sky. Fields of dinner-plate-size sunflowers keep their brilliant gold faces ever turned toward the blazing sun. Oleanders, colorful hollyhocks, and other Mediterranean flowers tumble out of olive jars and fill window boxes at nearly every cottage. Let the sweet joie de vivre of Provence inspire a brilliant tablescape ideal for a midsummer Afternoon Tea. Choose a sunny spot such as an enclosed porch or, if it’s not too warm, a shaded garden. Give a nod to ever-present Provençal lavender by serving a tea infused with…

Cover/Enchanting Details Cover and Page 56: “Royal Antoinette” by Royal Crown Derby~available at Replacements, Ltd. The Tea Experience Page 20-22: Special thanks to the Hotel Adolphus. A Fine Legacy Page 24-28: All patterns~available at Royal Doulton USA. The Fine Print Page 29: The Unspoken Language of Fans and Flowers~available through Heart to Heart Publishing. A Brambleberry Tea Page 30-38: “Wild Strawberry” by Wedgwood~available at Replacements, Ltd. Wrought Iron Bicycle Planter~available at HomeGoods. Special thanks to Blue Spring Manor in Vincent, Alabama. A Midsummer’s Ice Cream Page 40: “Royal Antoinette” by Royal Crown Derby~available at Replacements, Ltd. Recipes by Post Page 48: White “Berry and Thread” soup bowl and pitcher~available at Juliska. Special thanks to The Tea Room. Under the Provençal Sun Page 50-51: “Petales” by Sud & Co.~available at Bromberg’s.…

What could be more refreshing on a hot summer day than an icy cold glass of tea? Two serendipitous happenings led to the proliferation of iced tea. The first icebox patent was issued in 1830; shortly thereafter, cold tea recipes began appearing in community cookbooks such as The Kentucky Housewife and Housekeeping in Old Virginia. One of the most reported iced tea stories came from the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Richard Blechynden, a tea vendor, became weary of selling cups of hot tea in the summer heat. In an attempt to boost sales, he served tea in glasses packed with plenty of ice. This cool, refreshing beverage was a hit with fairgoers, who then popularized iced tea throughout the United States. Q I’ve heard cold tea referred to as…

1930 | Polka Rose Britain’s royalty changed in 1936, bringing George VI to the throne, along with his bride, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who became Queen Elizabeth. The king and queen gracefully led Britain through the beginning of World War II in the late 1930s and kept morale high. The soft, delicate Polka Rose pattern eloquently demonstrates the art deco style of the mid-thirties, while sweet polka dots and a single rose at the center of the dessert plate speak of the quiet charm of the time. 1950 | Festival Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1952 at the tender age of 25. Because television had become so popular, her coronation was seen around the world. The 1950s marked a time of rebuilding in postwar Britain. Morale was high, and the…

If ice cream be the food of love, indulge. And while its appearance on the culinary timeline falls somewhere between that of hasty pudding and lemon meringue pie, ice cream remains, after more than three centuries, as dreamy a dessert as ever. Little has changed since a plate of “iced cream” was notably served during a royal banquet in 1671 at Windsor Castle and, a few decades later, when the first known written recipe appeared in the pioneering cookbook Mrs. Mary Eales’s Receipts. The ingredients for making fresh ice cream now, as then, remain strikingly simple and largely unaltered: cream or milk, sugar, fruit or other flavoring, and sometimes eggs. And as for method, automated ice-cream makers may have replaced the tin pails and pewter basins of Mrs. Eales’s era,…

BLACK-TEA-INFUSED SHRIMP SPRING ROLLS Makes about 24 spring rolls 1 (750 ml) bottle white wine ¼ cup prepared black tea blend* 3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon peeled fresh ginger 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1 teaspoon peppercorns 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 tablespoon prepared wasabi ¼ cup julienned carrot ¼ cup julienned zucchini ¼ cup julienned red cabbage 1 (12-ounce) package spring-roll wrappers Garnish: blanched chives 1. In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the wine, black tea, garlic, ginger, 1 teaspoon salt, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Add the shrimp, and simmer until just pink. Remove the shrimp from cooking liquid, and discard cooking liquid. Set the shrimp aside to cool; roughly chop cooled shrimp. 2. In…

Dethlefsen & Balk This beautiful 27 oz. cast iron teapot was crafted obeying the century-old elaborate production process. The unique design is a new approach in the cast iron art world and resembles a Moroccan teapot with a refined pattern on the outer body finished with black lacquer. The inside is meticulously enameled. (item# 89142) One of the oldest importers and blenders of premium teas and the worldwide leader for tea accessories (strainers, porcelain, glass, samovars). 200+ teas of all origins include rarities and flavored black, green, oolong, yellow, white, fruit, herbal, Ayurveda, rooibos, and chai. Custom blends possible. Wholesale only! Shipping ex Aurora, IL 60504. 877-DB4-Teas info@dethlefsen-balk.us dethlefsen-balk.us MarketSpice, Inc. MarketSpice was established in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market in 1911, where our retail store is located. As a…

Mannerly Traditions napkins Watch for the hostess to unfold her napkin and place it in her lap; this is a signal for guests to follow suit. If table linens are smaller tea napkins, unfold entirely and place on the lap. Dinner napkins should be folded in half,with the fold facing the body. Napkins should not be placed on the table again until the end of the tea or the meal.Again, the hostess will be the first to do so, a silent indication that the tea is concluded. milk in last It is customary for servers to add sugar, lemon, and milk upon request, but the practice of placing creamers, plates of sliced lemon, and bowls of sugar on the table has become more acceptable in recent years. Though this is…

Ask renowned tea expert Bruce Richardson where to take tea in the South, and he will no doubt direct you to 7 East Broughton Street in Savannah, Georgia. There you will find a traditional, “gender-friendly” service at The Tea Room, one of the city’s most beloved establishments. “I’ve sent people there for years, and they always come back with glowing reviews. The owner, Elizabeth Ruby, is really a student of tea, and she and her staff have crafted a tea experience that takes the best of British tradition, mixes it with a bit of Mackintosh artistry, and leaves out the frump,” Bruce says. “That's not an easy balance to achieve.” Visitors to The Tea Room can choose from a bounty of fresh loose teas. Canisters of herbals and oolongs, unfermented…

Center stage is no place for the faint of heart. Legendary soprano Dame Nellie Melba knew that and capitalized on it. Though beloved by audiences worldwide, the opera star was frequently beleaguered by colleagues, whom she considered rivals rather than peers, especially onstage. During the run of her performances, those who questioned the singer’s demands or preening behavior were met with a single and oft-repeated answer: “I am Melba.” Now consider this show-stopping dessert. Our Peach Melba Sorbet Bombe is inspired by the famous confection that master French chef Georges Escoffier created to honor Dame Melba. It takes a person of courage and talent to earn or receive such deference, for we, too, often fear being labeled imperious or proud. But the willingness to stand unflinching in the center stage…