Widely famed as the tea guru of Berkeley's Chez Panisse, Helen Gustafson is perhaps the world's foremost tea lecturer, tea writer, and irrepressible tea personality. Gustafson's approach to the minutiae of the tea experience is a magically macroscopic one--she makes the subject of tea come alive as a nexus of biographical detail, stories, recipes and reminiscences. Full-color illustrations.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Tea and the role it has played in one woman's life forms the essence of this sparkling book. The author, a lecturer in tea history, a contributing editor for Tea Quarterly magazine, and a tea guru for Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, California, mixes personal remembrances and tea facts and lore with a selection of appropriate tea-time recipes (including cakes, cookies, and breads) to create a heady brew that will delight tea-loving readers. Various chapters offer a look at a childhood faculty tea party in Minnesota, a cherished meeting with the CEO of the Twinings tea empire, and some behind-the-scenes action at an English tea auction. Tea statistics, guidelines for buying and storing teas, the proper method of preparing tea, and the various measures for grading tea leaves are just some of the fascinating aspects of tea culture described in the author's brisk and endearing prose. So put on the kettle, pull up a comfy chair, and savor this enticing book. Recommended for public libraries.?John Charles, Scottsdale P.L., Ariz.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Journalist, author of The Reluctant Cook, and tea buyer at the famed Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Gustafson infuses her prose with a rare sensitivity toward food. Placed throughout her wonderful remembrances are approximately 30 recipes recalling pleasant teatime associations. Her writings gently inform us of the correct pronunciation of pekoe, the unbearable scarcity of Yunnan teas, and the true utility of Victorian slop basins, all without being terminally cute or overly pedagogical. Barbara Jacobs
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I wish I knew Helen,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Agony of the Leaves : The Ecstasy of My Life with Tea (Hardcover)
My daughter gave me this book for Christmas two years ago. It was my favorite gift. I would read it every night and jokingly refer to Helen as "my friend." When the night arrived that I read the final page, I truly felt that Helen was my friend. It made me sad that the stories ended and left me wanting to hear more of her wonderful tales of tea. Tea is an important part of my life and I was grateful to find another human being who shares that love and enthusiasm. I would recommend this book to all lovers of tea.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A sweet book for friends,
By Amy Nemeth (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Agony of the Leaves : The Ecstasy of My Life with Tea (Hardcover)
I was afraid this was going to be another restaurant-puffery book, but I was so pleasantly surprised! The engaging stories and accompanying recipes were charming. In fact, I borrowed this book from the library and then ran out and bought three copies to give away as gifts and one copy for myself!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful light reading,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Agony of the Leaves : The Ecstasy of My Life with Tea (Hardcover)
To meet her in person, one can't help but be struck with how Helen energizes the space around her as she moves through life. She is a presence. In her writing, she has a delightful and unintrusive way of inviting the reader along on a shared adventure, and some of her zest-for-life is bound to rub off on even the most introspective reader. For me, the "Agony of the Leaves" recalled the pleasing sense of discovery I had on first reading Brendan Gill's New Yorker Talk of the Town columns. It's a wonderful little book
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