Table of contents for March - April 2006 in TeaTime

I am happy to tell you that with this issue, TeaTime magazine will be published bi-monthly, giving us two additional opportunities each year to share with you the pleasures of tea. The world of tea is constantly changing and growing, and our hope is to spread the word about the joys and benefits of being a tea aficionado. This issue also brings some changes to our editorial contents, and we feel these are changes you’ll embrace and appreciate. In the ever expanding tea marketplace, there are key leaders whose work influences, directly or indirectly, all who consume tea. Through our work and our attendance at wholesale tea markets, we have met these individuals, and we feel you would like to know them as well. To that end, we begin a…

Q Aside from the tea service, cups and saucers, and known essentials, please describe the accoutrements that are used at formal teas. A The tea strainer is designed to be held above, or to rest on top of the cup to catch leaves that escape from the teapot when the tea is poured. I still use one, even though I don’t need to, since the leaves are contained in a tea filter. It’s the ritual of holding that little silver object over the cup, and the pouring of tea into it, that forces me to slow down and enjoy the whole process. A mote spoon or mote skimmer is usually made of silver, with holes in the bowl. It is used to transfer tea leaves from the caddy to the…

In a famous flurry of letters to her daughter during the seventeenth century, French countess Madame de Sevigny wrote fondly and often of the tea-drinking habits of others—most specifically, other women. In one letter the countess wrote of the Princess de Tarente, who “takes 12 cups of tea every day…which, she says, cures all her ills.” In another dispatch, Madame de Sevigny credited fellow Frenchwoman, the Marquise de la Sablière, with being the first to add milk to tea. “Madame de la Sablière took her tea with milk, as she told me the other day, because it was to her taste.” As amusing as the French noblewoman’s chatty letters are to read, they are also equally illuminating on many matters, most specifically that the tea table has long been the…

The Chefs Chef Antony Osborne, a native of Wales, includes preparing dessert for Prince Charles and state dinners for former President George Bush among his professional kudos. Chef Osborne is the dean of Culinard and developed our Cotillion Tea recipes. Natalie Brown and Barbara White are senior pastry students of Culinard. Both are members of Culinard’s special functions team, which orchestrates catering for charitable events in the community. In 1896, the daughter of Minnesota railroad magnate James J. Hill set a new standard for debutantes of the day. Dressed in the snowy white favored by young ingénues being presented to society, Charlotte Hill is said to have received guests in the drawing room of her family’s St. Paul mansion as some 600 people poured into her debutante tea. The sheer…

Lost Art of Letters Monogramming, a distinguished yet subtle means of personalizing one’s most treasured possessions, was born into fashion from the most humble of beginnings. As a practical device, monogramming gained popularity during the Middle Ages, when it was employed as a means to mark and identify household linens and articles of clothing. Artful initialing reached its peak in the nineteenth century with the Victorians, then gradually became less fashionable. More than a century later, however, what was old is new again, and the art of monogramming is back in vogue. And thankfully, its renaissance is helping to revive another sorely missed lost art—that of the personal letter. Unlike an email or other modern missive that is intended to be read and discarded, a written letter is meant to…

“Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.” —Rainer Maria Rilke Your son just proposed to the most delightful young woman, but you haven’t met her family yet. What better way to get acquainted than to invite her mother to tea? Nothing lends itself to good conversation like a perfectly brewed pot of tea served in beautiful surroundings. Set a table for two in the cozy quarters of the living room and bring the splendid hues of spring inside with a stunning centerpiece of pink roses arranged in a beautiful silver epergne. The brilliant roseate color of the flowers is mirrored in the bright bands circling the rims of the china, and the polka-dot tidbit plate adds a touch of whimsy. A floral teapot rests on…

Rites of Spring The spectacle of spring is more than a mere diversion, it is an awakening—of the senses and, if the blooming life that abounds is any indicator, of the world at large. Mother Nature’s vigor, however, is echoed not only in the bounty of blooms that thrive in every corner garden, but also in those traditions we cherish and hand down to one another. In the act of doing so, we breathe life into those intangibles which might otherwise perish, such as the artful ceremony of tea. This truism is reflected as clearly in the teacups we treasure and pass on as in the customs we impose upon the consumption of our favorite beverage…

Some men are men of letters. John Harney, however, is more a man of titles, among them: “food artisan,” “former marine,” “inn-keeper,” and, of course, “master tea blender.” But then, he is, at 75, a man of many talents, many blessings, and much volume. Anyone who has had the occasion to be on the receiving end of one his phone calls can attest to that, as can his employees, who clearly adore him. “Is he here?” a caller might hear a Harney & Sons employee ask a fellow employee while waiting to be transferred to Mr. Harney’s extension. “We can usually hear him when he’s here.” Conversations with Mr. Harney are as humor-filled, as interesting and as varied as the details of his working and personal past. In his lifetime,…

To gild refined gold, or paint the lily, according to Shakespeare, is both wasteful and ridiculous excess. And while the Bard certainly made an excellent point, it is also true that, in some cases, that which is perceived to be perfect can indeed be improved upon. Case in point: the classic cream scone—a thing of beauty no doubt. As appealing as cake yet as satisfying as a crumpet, a warm cream scone needs little embellishment other than a dollop of Devonshire cream and a bit of fresh jam. Paired with a warming cup of tea, the combination is nothing short of sublime. But as humans, we are constantly seeking if not to improve at least to change those things we love, including the scone. An affable sort of pastry, however,…

“Tea at the Ritz is the last delicious morsel of Edwardian London.” So begins the delightful and informative book, The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea, by London native, Helen Simpson. Petite in size, but long on charm, The London Ritz Book is part cookbook and part history lesson, with generous dollops of literary references thrown in for good measure. The London Ritz hotel is an exquisite venue for the serving of its renowned afternoon tea. The Palm Court, where tea is served at five sittings each day, is bathed in a complexion-flattering rosy glow thanks to the pink lights of the chandeliers. The result, according to the author, is that “people look more beautiful than they do in real life.” Dress is always uptown, hats are cordially welcomed, and…

For many years, hosts and hostesses have opened their homes to guests for wine tastings. Such intimate gatherings not only provide the basis for a lovely informal fête, they also afford novices and connoisseurs alike the opportunity to cultivate and refine their palates. Why not adopt the same attitudes and practices with tea? For initiates, the world of tea can intimidate—there are simply so many things to learn, from proper infusion techniques to appreciating the subtle taste differences between varietals. Tea education—like any other sort of learning process—involves time, trial, and error. One way to hasten the process is to host informal tea tastings with friends. To help you get started, Bruce Richardson, acknowledged tea expert, author, and owner of Benjamin Press, offers his considerable expertise. When professional tea tasters…

Fanciful, but definitely functional, veilleuses-theieres, or nightlight teapots, began to appear in France in the early 1800’s. The name is derived from the French word, veiller, which means “to keep a night vigil.” The purpose of the veilleuses was to heat nourishment for invalids in sickrooms and hospitals, and to provide a soft, consoling light in the days before the invention of electricity. A veilleuse consisted of a cylindrical base that contained either a candle or vegetable or nut oil with a floating wick. Above this base rested a bowl or teapot, known as a “godet”, that held a comforting cure, perhaps porridge or soup. It often contained tisane, an herbal tea. When the candle was lit, it provided the heat necessary to warm the contents of the teapot, as…

The famed Gateway Arch of St. Louis towers above the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, straddling earth, space, and time as though a portal between the past and present. Soaring some 630 feet high at its tallest point, the arch was built in 1965 as a monument to late president Thomas Jefferson’s dream of a continental United States, a dream that St. Louis played no small role in bringing to fruition—even before the birth of America as a sovereign nation. From its humble beginnings as a fur traders’ stronghold to its current raison d’etre as a destination spot for those with a thirst for adventure (and tea), St. Louis was, and is, a gem of a city. Explorations in History Founded in 1764 by French fur traders, St. Louis…

“I just fell in love with the whole thing and I started collecting teapots and other tea wares,” Susan recalls, adding the single elegant experience at the Ritz-Carlton in Arlington, Virginia was the inspiration for her Quincy, Illinois-based business, Thyme Out Tea Parties. “I thought for a long time about opening a tearoom, but I went with this concept instead.” Susan’s concept is two-pronged. Her mainstay at Thyme Out is serving as an in-home tea party hostess for Quincy-area clients. Armed with groceries, music, decorative accents, and her own natural high spirits, Susan prepares the party food and tea on-site, sets the scene with decorations, and serves the client and the guests. More recently, Susan has added a second branch to Thyme Out—sharing her self-taught art of tea catering through…

DIRECTORY OF COMPANIES Inviting Words Page 8: Stationery available at Dorothy McDaniel’s Flower Market. Set the Stage for Tea Page 14: Linens available at April Cornell. China, Kate Spade “Rutherford Circle” in pink, and “Larabee Road” tidbit plates in pink, available at Macy’s. Individual glass pedestals available at Christine’s. Coconut cakes courtesy Edgar’s Bakery. Spirit of St. Louis Page 33: www.explorestlouis.com, The Ladies of Lucerne Tea Room, The Kerry Cottage. Calling Cards Revisited Page 19-20: Stationery available through Smythson of Bond Street, Dempsey & Carroll, and Crane & Co. Enchanting Details Page 21: Teapot available at Tricia’s Treasures. A Cotillion Tea Page 42: Silver place card holder, platinum and glass floral rimmed salad plates available at Christine’s. China, Lenox Solitaire, available at Bromberg and Company - Mountain Brook and Proffitt’s…