Customer Reviews

Tea with Friends

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The first 9 pages of this 60-page book contain a brief history of tea and then general information on how to plan and set up a tea party, including pictures of how to arrange the tea table. It has the best advice in this regard of any of the other tea books I've seen.

The rest of the book consists of a theme tea party for each month, with suggested table settings, activities, and menus. Only one recipe is actually listed per month, however, so you will DEFINITELY need more recipes from another book. Two of my favorite tea-time cookbooks are "The Book of Afternoon Tea" by Lesley Mackley and "Totally Teatime Cookbook" by Helene Siegel.

This is an excellent "how to" book and makes a nice gift, particularly if you include a tea-time cookbook.

TEA WITH FRIENDS is a terrific resource for those who need specific ideas for year round tea parties. Each chapter suggests one theme party for each month of the year. Within each chapter is background information on the theme, a section entitled "Setting The Scene" in which the author gives suggestions on what service and accessories you could use, as well as ideas for centerpieces and music. She also includes a menu, a featured recipe and a craft project or activity relating to the theme, My favorite is November's Victorian Afternoon Tea. Knight gives insightful background information on how tea became a British obsession during the reign of Queen Alexandria Victoria and the causes behind rise in the popularity of black tea, (one of the menu offerings she suggests). In essence, she not only makes menu suggestions, but she provides the background you need to understand why she is making these suggestions. She also includes an example of what an invitation for your November tea might look like. In "Setting The Scene" she lists excellent suggestions for accenting the table with Victorian charm, as well as detailed instructions on how to make a Victorian centerpiece. There are also music suggestions that would be appropriate for this setting. Knight also includes a full menu with a featured recipe for Watercress and Stilton sandwiches. Finally she incorporates detailed instructions on how to make lavender sachets. Sidebars tell about various traditions of the Victorian royal family. In just a few short pages, you have the background, recipes, serving ideas and special touches for a monthly theme tea party anytime of year.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves tea and is looking for simple, creative ways to share the pleasures of tea time with friends.

Cris Cunningham

I love this book! I'm a serious collector of books about tea and teatime (I currently own 95.) Tea With Friends is one of my top 5 favorites,maybe even #1. I turn to it again and again when I'm entertaining or just want to review brewing times for different teas. It's a great gift for tea novices because it is entertaining as well as informative. I have given several as gifts (with a tin of tea, of course). Several tea catalogs (including Harney's) feature this book as part of a gift basket.
I recommend this book for your "tea library".

Amazingly, Elizabeth Knight's book achieves the Herculean task of providing a primer for beginners as well as delighting the avid and informed hostess with creative and polished tea themes. The menus serve as both a journey and a destination; have a look and enjoy both!

The art, coupled with the quotations and introductory material make this a delightful book just to leaf through, but the ideas and the warmth of them sing, "It's time for a cup of tea with friends."

The initial chapter, "Taking Tea," launches the novice but serves the informed as a succinct reference. Keep this volume in an easily accessible place!

As a caterer and Tea shop owner,this book is well researced and chock full of wonderful tidbits and ideas.I have noticted this book outsells other tea books in my shop.It is a wonderful and needed addition to any Tea lovers library!

I reach for my copy of Tea With Friends often.Great ideas and interesting information are communicated clearly. Beautiful illustrations give me comfort to browse through and confidence to plan a tea with unique, yet usable ideas.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good cup of tea, whether you entertain for many or simply yourself.

Tea with Friends is the only book of any size I've seen that thoroughly explains everything a host/ess needs to serve a beautiful tea. In just 60 pages, author Elizabeth Knight offers a year's worth of themed teas, with suggestions for menus, music, decorations, activities, and invitations -- and all very do-able for the average person. The writing is clear and uncluttered, complemented by Carolyn Bucha's charming illustrations. Ms. Knight encourages readers not just to dream about serving tea, but to do it! Menus are based on familiar foods and dishes that most people know how to prepare at home or purchase ready-made. For anyone who wants to serve tea but is intimidated by not knowing the "right" way to do it, Elizabeth Knight shows you how to serve a tea that's right for you and your guests. (It also includes a section on formal afternoon tea service, if you're so inclined. And her historical notes are delightful and informative.) There are a lot of cookbooks available -- Tea with Friends does not pretend to be a book of recipes, although it does include some. Rather it is the essential guide to serving and enjoying tea in its many forms. This book may be slim but it's completely packed with information, and it's lovely to browse through. A copy belongs on every tea lover's bookshelf. You will find (as I did) that it won't spend much time there :-).

I've given Elizabeth Knight's Tea With Friends several times as gifts to tea lovers and tea lovers-in-training. The recipient always loves it! This book combines information about tea with imaginative ideas, including delicious-sounding menus, for tea events for each month of the year. January's Hogmanay Tea sounds like fun. It comes complete with instructions for reading teas and a delicious recipe for Scottish Scones. And, as a book lover, I'm drawn to the literary tea for September. Perfect as a hostess gift.

Hospitality, history, helpful and practical information all packed into one verbal and visual delight. This is what one finds inside the cover of the concisely complete book about tea and how to enjoy it by Elizabeth Knight. She has managed to tuck a large amount of information into a very pleasantly readable book that should be in everyone's home even if they aren't usually a tea drinker. This is practical information that can be used by real people, not some elaborate idea that takes a staff of half a dozen to implement.

Ms. Knight's writing paints vivid pictures even without the lovely watercolor illustrations, and the party ideas can be used as guidelines for launching many a celebration or even quiet gatherings. Her genuine enthusiasm for her subject is evident throughout and rubs off on the reader. Buy two copies,you'll find yourself thinking this is also a welcome gift.

I teach tea classes and although I show my students all of my MANY tea books this is the only one I offer for sale. I find lots of people are intimidated by what they feel are the mysteries of afternoon tea, high tea, cream tea, etc. One reason I like this book so much is it contains a wealth of the best basic information, simply presented, and it has terrific recipes. I love sharing this book.