Innehållsförteckning för January - February 2013 från TeaTime

January is a special month for me. My wedding anniversary and my birthday fall within its first eight days, which give me wonderful reasons for personal celebrations. Within the past few years, I’ve discovered that January is also National Hot Tea Month. Although my family and co-workers would say that every day is a hot-tea day for me, I’m glad there’s a month devoted to highlighting on a national scale this wonderful beverage that is at once soothing and refreshing, simple yet complex. The special designation affords us tea lovers an opportunity to share our penchant for a good cup of tea with others and provides a wonderful excuse—as if we really need one—for treating ourselves to a few more new tea flavors. This year, TeaTime turns 10! The anniversary…

1 Organic Fujian Silver Needle GRACE TEA COMPANY A top-quality tea such as this one is a great delight in which lovers of rare white teas should definitely indulge.” —Lorna Reeves, Editor 2 Avalanche KITCHEN T.L.C. Perfect for a dessert course or with a sweet scone, this white tea is laced with coconut and pineapple.” —Cailyn Haynes, Art Director 3 Ginger Peach REPUBLIC OF TEA Ginger gives this fruity blend a hint of spice, making it a wonderful tea to sip in winter months.” —Lucy W. Herndon, Stylist 4 Cinnamon-Orange MARKET SPICE I love the sweet orange flavors that complement the spice from the cinnamon in this refreshing white tea.” —Anne-Harris Jones, Assistant Editor 5 Cream Earl Grey CAPITAL TEAS The notes of bergamot and cream are delicious, making this…

Tranquil, stylized flowers and foliage stand out on this magnificent Royal Crown Derby china. Red hemstitched linens make a bold foundation for each place setting, and matching napkins contrast beautifully with gold and pearl rings. Whether celebrating the new year, reuniting with friends, or exchanging valentines, this scarlet-hued table is sure to impress.…

TEA sommelier A rich black tea, such as this lovely selection from Grace Tea Company, is the perfect pairing for this nutty, chocolaty scone. Order online at gracetea.com. Connoisseur Master Blend Black Tea Chocolate-Hazelnut Scones Yield: 24 scones Preparation: 20 minutes Bake: 15 to 17 minutes 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour* ½ cup sugar 2¼ teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup cold salted butter 1⁄3 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts ½ cup dark chocolate morsels† 1¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon cold heavy whipping cream, divided ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Garnish: fresh raspberries and mint leaves • Preheat oven to 350°. • Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. • In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, whisking well. Using a pastry blender, cut…

During Queen Elizabeth’s 60-year reign, Kenya has played an important part in the lives of the British royal family. How fitting, then, that tea from that country be served at a special tea party held at Queen’s House, Greenwich, as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Royal Kenyan Connections In February 1952, Princess Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, were on holiday at Treetops Hotel in Aberdare National Park in central Kenya. The visit was part of an international tour that originally had been planned for her father, King George VI, but he had become too ill to travel. Sadly, the king died in his sleep during the night of February 6, and arrangements had to be made quickly to bring the new queen back to England.…

Cirque du Soleil performers pretty well fill Chado on late afternoons. We’re right next door to the old Kodak—now the Dolby—Theater. After the performers get their makeup applied, many regularly come in for afternoon tea before returning to the theater to put on their costumes. To have a dozen beautiful dancers and acrobats in full makeup makes tea fun for everybody—and very Hollywood,” says Reena Shah, speaking of the latest Chado Tea Room location. About the time Chado opened on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, the lease expired on Reena’s first Chado, which had opened 22 years before. “Our regular customers grieved over the closing. Some had their bridal showers there and brought their children up taking tea at Chado,” Reena recalls. In 1993, Reena, then a new mother, and her…

Tea entered my life around age 6 as I contended with rheumatic fever one winter. For several months after dismissal from the hospital, monthly trips back to the clinic were necessary for blood draws to obtain sedimentation ratings, an indicator of inflammation in the body. My parents would bundle me up on those cold Iowa winter mornings, and we’d drive the 30 miles back to the hospital clinic for these traumatic sessions. I was hardly a cooperative patient. To try to ease my trepidation, my parents and I would arrive well ahead of my appointment, stop at a small café up the street from the clinic, and have a cup of tea and a caramel roll. Predictably, I ate only the sticky caramel and nuts off the top. I don’t…

Takes the Cake Help! There is a typo in your cover recipe [November/December 2012, page 44, White Chocolate Pound Cake]. How much baking powder do I add? JENNIE GOLOBOY Via Facebook There isn’t supposed to be any baking powder in the recipe. The words baking powder should not have appeared in the 4th step of the instructions. We’ve tested this recipe several times with the ingredients listed, and the resulting cake has a lovely texture and flavor. Treasured Pastime We love TeaTime magazine! Always a pleasure to see the new issue, and it flies off our shelves. Thanks for creating such a lovely representation of this treasured pastime. TEA BY TWO Bel Air, Maryland Via Facebook Scone Lover I just want to say that I made the Apple- Cinnamon-Walnut Scones…

FUN Fact Pink peppercorns add vibrant flavor and color to this butter spread. Peppery and slightly sweet, these rose-hued seasonings are actually dried berries from the Baies rose plant. Mini Sour Cream Muffins Yield: 24 mini muffins Preparation: 15 minutes Bake: 7 to 8 minutes 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup sour cream ½ cup whole milk ¼ cup butter, melted 1 large egg 1 recipe Pink Peppercorn Butter (recipe follows) • Preheat oven to 400°. • Spray a 24-well mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. • In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, baking soda, and salt, whisking well. Set aside. • In…

The Teapot, a remarkable exhibition of 66 historical teapots, is on view at Newark Museum. From a 17th-century hybrid porcelain and silver teapot to a line of colorful ceramic ones of the 1940s by Russell Wright, the examples were culled from the museum’s extensive collection of studio ceramics. “This is just the tip of the iceberg of the collection,” says senior curator Ulysses Grant Dietz. “It is a survey of how a single form changes in its function over time and how the vessel has shifted in its importance.” The teapot originated in China during the early part of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), but not until the middle of the 17th century did the fashion for sipping tea reach Europe, prompting the need for increased teapot production. The earliest one…

COVER Photography by Mac Jamieson, food styling by Janet Lambert, and photo styling by Lucy W. Herndon. Royal Crown Derby Red Aves 5-piece place setting ($259.95), creamer ($59.99), sugar ($149.95), and teapot ($469.95) from Replacements, 800-REPLACE, replacements.com. MASTHEAD Spode Stafford white dinner plate ($200) , salad plate ($145) and cup and saucer ($245) from Bromberg’s in Mountain Brook, 205-871-3276, brombergs.com. OUR FAVORITES Page 12: All teacups from Bromberg’s in Mountain Brook, 205-871-3276, brombergs.com. 1–Herend Golden Edge teacup ($55) and saucer ($30); Organic China White Fujian Silver Needle ($12.95 for 1.5-ounce tin) from Grace Tea Company, 978-635-9500, gracetea.com. 2–Anna Weatherley Simply Anna Polka teacup ($70) and saucer ($60); Avalanche white tea ($12) from Kitchen T.L.C., 406-219-0064, kitchentlc.com. 3–Royal Crown Derby Elizabeth Gold teacup ($115) and saucer ($75); Ginger Peach white tea…

January 13 Mommy and Me Tea 3:00 p.m. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Coral Gables, Florida Create a special memory with the Mommy and Me Tea, held on the veranda and in the ballroom of the Jean DuPont Shehan Visitor Center. Live music by local guitarist Rob Friedman enhances the ambiance of the afternoon tea, which is served at beautifully set tables by delightful garden volunteers. The tea service costs $27 for members, $37 for nonmembers, and $17 for children under 12. For information or reservations, please call Marnie Valent at 305-663-8059. 20 Tea Class and Tasting 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Margaret’s Fine Imports Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Join Margaret’s Fine Imports for an in-depth tea class and tasting. Covered topics will include history, types of tea, steeping techniques, storing tea, health benefits…

The role of tea in a healthy lifestyle was again highlighted at the recent International Scientific Symposium on Tea & Human Health in Washington, D.C., where researchers highlighted a portion of the nearly 1,000 tea and health clinical trials being conducted. Here are some findings that might interest tea lovers everywhere. Weight Loss According to Dr. Rich Hursel from the University of Maastricht, “Consumption of tea throughout the day may lead to a 4.7 percent increase in energy expenditure.” He translated that increase as an average of 102 extra burned calories per day. This is not a big increase, but you can see that the effect would be compounded to 350 calories if one substituted unsweetened tea for a daily sugary soft drink or a second glass of wine. Dr.…

Since December 16, 1773, American history has been inextricably linked with tea. On that evening, a group of boisterous Bostonians, some disguised as Mohawk Indians, boarded three ships anchored in the harbor and dumped several hundred chests of black Bohea tea overboard to protest British taxation, which helped spark the American Revolution. Today, historical venues from sea to shining sea host modern tea parties that feature a substantial slice of the nation’s past. In addition to fragrant tea blends and tempting treats, locales ranging from elegant mansions to an antique barn to museums use tours, reenactments, and knowledgeable interpreters garbed in period clothing to bring history to life, offering delighted participants intimate insight into some of the critical events, places, and people that have helped distinguish and define our proud…