Table of contents for January - Feburary 2015 in TeaTime

My mother is an avid knitter, and she’s also a tea lover. While I inherited her love of tea, I’m afraid I missed out on the knitting gene. (The sweater I’m wearing in this photo is one of many Mom has made for me.) Associate editor Betty Terry, a skilled knitter in her own right, discovered several shops that combine the two and suggested I stop by at least one while I was in Seattle for the 2013 Northwest Tea Festival. I obliged—I rode the ferry over to Bainbridge Island to visit Churchmouse Yarns & Teas. Owners Kit and John were delightful, the yarn offerings were exquisite, and the teas and tea wares were excellent. I could go on, but I’ll let Betty tell their story, and those of three…

Something Sweet Sugar lace doilies are a sweet addition to a cup of tea, and Raynaud’s stunning Polka White is the perfect cup in which to serve them. ($12.80 for a set of 8; sweetdejavu.com. $153 for cup, $67 for saucer; brombergs.com or 205-871-3276) Nesting Hearts Gift these heartshaped cookie cutters in varying sizes, complete with a recipe card, to send a message of love. ($7.95; mainstreet-store.com or 909-223-0680) Elegant Earrings Put the finishing touch on your look for afternoon tea with these mother-of-pearl “ear hearts.” ($29.95; victoriantradingco.com or 800-700-2035) Scooped with Love Dress up your tea routine with this charming tea scoop decorated with hearts and a hook to match. ($23.95; stashtea.com or 800-800-8327) Lovely in Lace These pearlized wrappers will give your tray of cupcakes a delicate flair.…

TEA sommelier Present your guests an impressive trio of Harney & Sons teas, perfectly suited to each course of this elegant menu. Order online at harney.com or by phone at 1-800-TEA-TIME. SCONE COURSE: Magnolia Oolong SAVORIES COURSE: 30th Anniversary Blend SWEETS COURSE: Mother’s Bouquet White-Chocolate-Chip Scones Yield: 17 scones | Preparation: 25 minutes Bake: 17 minutes 2 cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest 4 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into pieces ½ cup white chocolate morsels, such as Ghirardelli 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream, divided ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract • Preheat oven to 350°. • Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. • In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon…

COVER Royal Albert Old Country Roses teapot ($119.95), cup and saucer ($19.99), and bread and butter plate ($11.99) *. TITLE PAGE Page 2: Herend Fish Scales raspberry teapot ($275), 800-643-7363, herendusa.com. R. Haviland & C. Parlon for Mottahedeh Syracuse Rose cup and saucer ($260), 800-443-8225, mottahedeh.com. MASTHEAD Page 5: Royal Crown Derby Elizabeth Gold dinner plate ($165), cup ($120), and saucer ($80) from DeVine Corp., 732-751-0500, devinecorp .net. Royal Crown Derby Royal Pinxton Roses salad plate ($59.99) *. Oneida Michelangelo flatware ($63 for a 5-piece place setting) from Macy’s, 800-289-6229, macys.com. OUR FAVORITES: WHITE TEAS Page 15: 1—Royal Albert Lady Carlyle cup and saucer ($29.99) *; Silver Needle ($33 for ¼-lb. box) from Silk Road Teas, 415-458-8624, silkroadteas.com. 2—Royal Albert Celebration cup and saucer ($29.99) *; Peachy Keen ($8 for a 2-oz. package)…

TeaTime Recommends Living near Pasadena, I was excited to see the story on tearooms in that city [“Finding the Way of Tea in Pasadena,” TeaTime, November/December 2014]. My very favorite is the Rose Garden Tea Room at the Huntington Library. My daughter, sister, and I go there every Christmas for tea, and we try to get there at least one more time during the year. The food is wonderful, and the ambiance is just lovely. I wanted to point out that the photo you have for your story on page 48 is not actually the Rose Garden Tea Room but is the Japanese Garden. The Rose Garden Tea Room is housed in the former billiard room and bowling alley of Mr. Huntington and opens onto the rose garden. Thank you…

1. Silver Needle SILK ROAD TEAS “This exquisite Silver Needle tea has a light, refreshing flavor with a velvetysmooth finish.” —Cailyn Haynes, Art Director 2. Peachy Keen CHA FINE TEAS “This tea makes me think of ripe, juicy peaches and summer sunshine. It’s a nice way to recall summer when the weather is cold and cloudy.” —Janet Lambert, Test Kitchen Professional 3. White Orange Blossom Peach AN AFTERNOON TO REMEMBER “I love the combination of peach and orange flavors in this tea. It’s wonderful hot, but I know it would be great iced.” —Janice Ritter, Dealer Program Manager 4. Raspberry and Bubbles REENA SHAH TEA “The effervescence of this raspberryflavored tea reminds me of champagne. It’s perfect for toasting with on New Year’s Eve.” —Lucy W. Herndon, Stylist 5. Imperial…

K2tog. Experienced knitters will recognize this common abbreviation for the process of decreasing by knitting two stitches together to make one. But when two or more friends who knit come together over a cup of tea, the result is not a decrease, but an increase—in helpful advice, sociability, and fun. For our Knitters’ Tea, we’ve devised a menu of treats, both savory and sweet, perfect for a gathering on a cold winter’s day. Greet your guests with Cinnamon Scones, warm from the oven, and a freshly brewed pot of tea. Then feed their creative spirit with Shepherds’ Pie, Italian Sausage Meatballs, and clever Mitten Muffulettas. Your reward for an afternoon of rows completed will be sweet treats like Date and Walnut Spice Cookies, easy-tomake Caramel-Apple Mini Tartlets, and chocolatey Lamingtons.…

John Harney and I were good friends who gradually became close friends, and I’ve felt closer to him than ever since he died this past June. That goes for many of us who have long loved the man—tea has not lost a friend but gained a tutelary or guardian spirit. John was a piece of work. Just thinking about him makes me throw my head back and laugh with delight. He could bring a smile to the stoniest face. He, no doubt, was born smiling—first at the vicissitudes facing an orphan hardened by farm labor so that basic training as a Marine seemed a piece of cake. He made a good Marine, then a good student at Cornell’s School of Hotel & Restaurant Management, and then a good husband and…

January 18 Mommy and Me Tea 3:00 p.m. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Coral Gables, Florida Introduce your children to the pleasures of tea at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s annual Mommy and Me Tea. Enjoy a traditional English afternoon tea with elegant china, cupcakes, tea sandwiches, and honey from the Fairchild farms. The cost is $27 for garden members, $37 for nonmembers, and $17 for children age 12 and under. For reservations, call Marnie Valent at 305-663-8059, or e-mail her at mvalent@fairchildgarden.org. 29 Breakfast at Tiffany’s Tea 7:00 p.m. The Mad Hatter Restaurant & Tea Room Anoka, Minnesota Come dressed in your best Audrey Hepburn–inspired look for The Mad Hatter’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s Tea. (Little black dress and pearls suggested.) The best Holly Golightly costume will receive a fabulous prize.…

TEA sommelier Treat yourself and those you love to an outstanding black tea, such as this exquisite selection from Grace Tea Company, available at gracetea.com or by calling 978-635-9500. China Yunnan Silver Tip Choice Gluten-free Strawberry–White Chocolate Scones Yield: 18 scones | Preparation: 20 minutes Bake: 18 to 20 minutes 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour* 1⁄3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into pieces 1 (4-ounce) bar white chocolate, such as Ghirardelli, finely chopped 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon cold heavy whipping cream, divided 1 large egg ½ teaspoon vanilla extract • Preheat oven to 350°. • Spray wells of 3 (6-well) mini heart pans† with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. • In…

I magine curling up cozily beneath a warm afghan you are knitting on a cold winter day. Add a freshly brewed cup of tea within easy reach, and some people might consider this hypothetical scene a wintry version of heaven on earth. Heavenly, yes, but for knitters and tea lovers in the Pacific Northwest, this scene is no longer a figment of their imaginations. In Washington State, four yarn-shop owners have turned their establishments into havens for knitters who also love tea. THE TEA COZY 5816 24th Avenue NW Seattle, WA 98107 206-783-3322 • teacozyyarn.com Four years ago when Jean Johnson decided to open a yarn shop in Seattle, Washington, she didn’t hesitate. Although she had learned to knit only six years before, Jean had a strong belief in the…

Some tearooms are just simply tearooms. They serve tea, they sell tea, and they may even teach a bit about tea. But The Tea Box in London’s posh borough of Richmond is so much more. Take the lid off , and this box is full of surprises. When Jemma Swallow and Mike de Souza nurtured the idea of opening a tearoom that would really do Britain’s national drink justice, they determined that it would bring together east and west, happily blend different elements of the tea story, and create a space in which absolutely everyone feels comfortable. So, when The Tea Box opened on appropriately named Paradise Road in 2007, the décor combined a beautiful Indian carved wooden screen with a Moroccan table, crystal chandeliers, Vietnamese images on the lacquer…