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Book Review of Having Tea : Recipes Table Settings

Having Tea : Recipes  Table Settings
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Helpful Score: 1


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 Poppy-seed Cake recipe alone. If I needed to reduce my collection to only one tea book, this would be the one!

HAVING TEA is divided into chapters that group teas by: Pleasures of Tea, Tea Services, The Perfect Pot of Tea, Tea Tasting, and the Tea-Room Tradition. What is especially delightful is the coordination of tea services and dishware with the teas and location of the tea party.

Some wonderful examples: the Strawberry Cream Tea is set on a lovely spring afternoon on a veranda set with wicker furniture and white linens and traditional white porcelain cups and saucers with quaint Victorian roses. The menu includes scones: buttermilk, cream, and raisin, with strawberry jam, whipped cream, strawberries, and Queen Mary Tea.

Another: Fireside Tea for Two (or for one if you have a cat and a good book) includes these wonders--Irish Soda Bread, Wheatmeal Bread, Crumpets, Orange marmalade, Sweet Butter, and Assam Tea. I think we could call this a Good Irish Tea.