<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Tea and Scones anyone?
Review: I feel like I have had Tea with 13 different women and come away with 13 delicous recipes! The description of the countryside,and cities made me feel as if I was right there, I think I could actually hear the church bells ringing! The sharing of their lives was a fascinating read. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for such a book!
Rating:
Summary: I LOVE THIS BOOK!
Review: If you love tea and all that goes with it, you'll certainly enjoy this book. It doesn't have a lot of technical information about tea, but that doesn't matter and that's not the focus of this book. What it does have is "coziness" to spare. As far as I know, this book is unique in the tea literature in that it explores how people view the tea ceremony (or tea break)and the part that having tea plays in their lives--and who knew it could be this fascinating? One elderly lady is an expert (and award winning) maker of clotted cream and bemoans the fact that the standard loose tea bought in the market is just dust anymore instead of leaves (a result of mechanization where leaves are not left whole but are cut, torn, and curled. One has to buy premium tea to get traditionally made tea anymore.) Another lady works for D. J. Miles tea company, a small privately-held tea business in the country side, and gives an intersting glimpse into the business end of tea. The ladies interviewed by the author come from different walks of life, but their commonality is they take time out for tea. They have found it to be a comfort, a break and respite from the cares of daily life, and a time to gather friends and loved ones and enjoy each others company. It's a shame that the traditional afternoon tea is apparently falling on hard times in England, but not with these ladies. They recognize the value of taking time out for tea and just the sheer pleasure of a cuppa with a a bite to eat--no apologies needed! Each lady, by the way, also provides a few recipe for tea time treats. I've not tried any of them, but they generally sound tasty. One little side note: I work for an English boss who introduced me to English brand teas. Let me tell you, they are FAR superior to anything you can buy in American markets. Even though they are not even premium tea, they are stronger and have more complex and interesting flavors that American brands. I highly recommend PG Tips (for both hot and iced tea) and Yorkshire Gold, Typhoo, and Barry's (an Irish brand) for hot tea--all loose leaf, of course. It's been my experience that if a tea makes good iced tea it will also make good hot tea, but the good brands for hot tea don't always make good iced tea. British tea, afterall, is blended to be drunk hot. Normally, the only iced tea the British have tried comes in bottle and cans--no wonder they think it's nasty! You can find English tea all over the internet, but the cheapest prices and best selection I have seen are at britishexpress.com. You'll get your purchase quickly, and they always put in a few samples to try.
Put the kettle on, brew some English tea, and sit back and relax with this charming, entertaining, and fascinating little book. I guarantee that stress will vanish!
Rating:
Summary: I LOVE THIS BOOK!
Review: If you love tea and all that goes with it, you'll certainly enjoy this book. It doesn't have a lot of technical information about tea, but that doesn't matter and that's not the focus of this book. What it does have is "coziness" to spare. As far as I know, this book is unique in the tea literature in that it explores how people view the tea ceremony (or tea break)and the part that having tea plays in their lives--and who knew it could be this fascinating? One elderly lady is an expert (and award winning) maker of clotted cream and bemoans the fact that the standard loose tea bought in the market is just dust anymore instead of leaves (a result of mechanization where leaves are not left whole but are cut, torn, and curled. One has to buy premium tea to get traditionally made tea anymore.) Another lady works for D. J. Miles tea company, a small privately-held tea business in the country side, and gives an intersting glimpse into the business end of tea. The ladies interviewed by the author come from different walks of life, but their commonality is they take time out for tea. They have found it to be a comfort, a break and respite from the cares of daily life, and a time to gather friends and loved ones and enjoy each others company. It's a shame that the traditional afternoon tea is apparently falling on hard times in England, but not with these ladies. They recognize the value of taking time out for tea and just the sheer pleasure of a cuppa with a a bite to eat--no apologies needed! Each lady, by the way, also provides a few recipe for tea time treats. I've not tried any of them, but they generally sound tasty. One little side note: I work for an English boss who introduced me to English brand teas. Let me tell you, they are FAR superior to anything you can buy in American markets. Even though they are not even premium tea, they are stronger and have more complex and interesting flavors that American brands. I highly recommend PG Tips (for both hot and iced tea) and Yorkshire Gold, Typhoo, and Barry's (an Irish brand) for hot tea--all loose leaf, of course. It's been my experience that if a tea makes good iced tea it will also make good hot tea, but the good brands for hot tea don't always make good iced tea. British tea, afterall, is blended to be drunk hot. Normally, the only iced tea the British have tried comes in bottle and cans--no wonder they think it's nasty! You can find English tea all over the internet, but the cheapest prices and best selection I have seen are at britishexpress.com. You'll get your purchase quickly, and they always put in a few samples to try.
Put the kettle on, brew some English tea, and sit back and relax with this charming, entertaining, and fascinating little book. I guarantee that stress will vanish!
Rating:
Summary: Enchanting read!
Review: This book is enchanting, it touches the soul and reaffirms traditions such as tea time, in its many forms. The ladies in each chapter are as different as jasmine tea and Earl Gray and delight, each in their own way. The recipes are wonderful as well. I would recommend this book for any tea lover, or lover of tradition in our lives, the special rituals that shape us early on and touch us deep insde.
Rating:
Summary: Enchanting read!
Review: This book is enchanting, it touches the soul and reaffirms traditions such as tea time, in its many forms. The ladies in each chapter are as different as jasmine tea and Earl Gray and delight, each in their own way. The recipes are wonderful as well. I would recommend this book for any tea lover, or lover of tradition in our lives, the special rituals that shape us early on and touch us deep insde.
Rating:
Summary: Totally Charming Book
Review: You'll love this book if you like England or tea. The writer is an unusally skilled interviewer and her subjects reveal more than you would ever expect from an English woman. They don't always say the expected thing! The photography and presentation are excellent. Recipes are included. This is a lovely gift for someone else or for yourself. It's a charmer.
<< 1 >>
|
