Having Tea: Recipes & Table Settings (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Catherine Calvert (Author) "A tea like this is as English as a Devon hedgerow, where travelers often come upon a farmhouse gate with a sign offering "Cream Teas..." (more)
Key Phrases: Triple Sec, Lapsang Souchong

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

What could be cozier on a blustery winter's day than a mug of tea by the fire with freshly baked Irish soda bread slathered with sweet butter and tangy orange marmalade? Or more invigorating on a crisp, cool afternoon in autumn than a picnic in the country with sharp English cheeses; crusty white peasant bread; vegetable, cheese, and apple tarts; and Thermoses of steaming warm tea? Or a better way to celebrate the ripe berries of summer than a dessert party tea in the garden with lemon-curd tartlets, raspberry shortcake, raspberry sorbet, sugar cookies, and tea served in flowered china cups?

A cookbook and style book, Having Tea includes a range of stunning locations with recipes, menus, table settings, and serving ideas for tea. There are formal and elegant teas that ring in the winter holidays with rich dark fruitcake, shortbread, brandy snaps, and sherried English trifle; a tea for one in the study with spicy ginger Bundt cake and a plate of cookies; and tea for two in a loft, with slow-scrambled eggs, cornmeal muffins and apple butter, and panfried tomatoes sprinkled with fresh tarragon. Each menu provides suggestions for the ideal tea to suit the meal.

Since the American style of tea drinking originated in England, Having Tea goes to the source to show two classic English tea rooms, tea at the Savoy Hotel in London, and a tea dance at London's Waldorf. In addition, there are special sections on the history and different varieties of teas, selections of teapots and tea services, and directions for brewing the perfect pot of tea. A final section, the "Tea Larder," offers ideas for tea trimmings from honey to mint or ginger, tea sandwiches, and a directory of mail-order sources for tea.

With approximately fifty recipes for tea sandwiches, crumpets, scones, cookies, and cakes as well as hearty tea-time meals, Having Tea will make you want to make having tea part of your day. It shows how, far more than a beverage, tea is a grand indulgence that provides food for the body and the soul.

From the Inside Flap

What could be cozier on a blustery winter's day than a mug of tea by the fire with freshly baked Irish soda bread slathered with sweet butter and tangy orange marmalade? Or more invigorating on a crisp, cool afternoon in autumn than a picnic in the country with sharp English cheeses; crusty white peasant bread; vegetable, cheese, and apple tarts; and Thermoses of steaming warm tea? Or a better way to celebrate the ripe berries of summer than a dessert party tea in the garden with lemon-curd tartlets, raspberry shortcake, raspberry sorbet, sugar cookies, and tea served in flowered china cups?

A cookbook and style book, Having Tea includes a range of stunning locations with recipes, menus, table settings, and serving ideas for tea. There are formal and elegant teas that ring in the winter holidays with rich dark fruitcake, shortbread, brandy snaps, and sherried English trifle; a tea for one in the study with spicy ginger Bundt cake and a plate of cookies; and tea for two in a loft, with slow-scrambled eggs, cornmeal muffins and apple butter, and panfried tomatoes sprinkled with fresh tarragon. Each menu provides suggestions for the ideal tea to suit the meal.

Since the American style of tea drinking originated in England, Having Tea goes to the source to show two classic English tea rooms, tea at the Savoy Hotel in London, and a tea dance at London's Waldorf. In addition, there are special sections on the history and different varieties of teas, selections of teapots and tea services, and directions for brewing the perfect pot of tea. A final section, the "Tea Larder," offers ideas for tea trimmings from honey to mint or ginger, tea sandwiches, and a directory of mail-order sources for tea.

With approximately fifty recipes for tea sandwiches, crumpets, scones, cookies, and cakes as well as hearty tea-time meals, Having Tea will make you want to make having tea part of your day. It shows how, far more than a beverage, tea is a grand indulgence that provides food for the body and the soul.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1 edition (December 13, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517560070
• ISBN-13: 978-0517560075
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #39,741 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #9 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Special Occasions > Tablesetting
  #9 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Meals > Brunch & Tea
  #9 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Coffee & Tea

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lush photography and tasty recipes, December 29, 2000

By	Lissy Friedman (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

The photos in this book transport the reader to settings of fantastic themed teas, such as a picnic, a Christmas celebration, a hotel tea dance, or a scholar's study. The lush photography and the care that was taken to provide appropriate illustrations to accompany the recipes is worth the price of the book alone. But wait -- there are some darn good recipes here too. I love the honey mustard chicken -- it comes out moist, even using lean white meat. The Irish soda bread is hardy and irrestistably savory with the addition of caraway seeds. And the corn muffins are perfect for a cold winter's breakfast. There is some valuable information about tea, its preparation, and the accoutrements of the tea ceremony, although the emphasis is on the western tea ceremony, as opposed to the eastern version. This book was the first I bought about tea, and it inspired a rather large collection of tea books. Please see the list I created at my Amazon home page for my recommendations on other great tea books. This book is a valuable gift from the authors to all fans of tea.

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Only Afternoon Tea Book You Will Ever Need, January 14, 2003

By	"itsdavid" (Grosse Pointe, MI USA) - See all my reviews

I have been collecting books on afternoon tea for the last twenty years. This outstanding book, against which I judge all others, is a must have for anyone interested in afternoon tea. I have made almost all of the recipes many times and several items, particularly the Victorian poppyseed cake, can be found waiting in my kitchen for guests any day of the week.

Every recipe has consistantly turned out delicious and beautiful. The text is invites repeated reading by its gently lyric style and the photographs are at once dreamy and alluring. You will return to this book time and again.

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delectible Reverie!, April 29, 2000

By A Customer

This is an outstanding book with beautiful pictures and delicious recipes. I have been collecting books on tea for many years and this is by far my favorite. I have made almost every recipe in the book (several countless times), and all have come out tasting and looking better than expected. This book is worth owning for the Victorian Poppyseed Cake recipe alone. If I could only own one tea book, this would be the one!