What a great gift this book would make to anyone who has been or would like to visit The Ritz for afternoon tea.
This gorgeous book is a must to have on your shelf for any lovers of afternoon tea and everything that comes with it, including some fantastic recipes to try.
The contents start with ‘Tea at the Ritz’ – is the last delicious morsel of Edwardian London. The light is kind, the cakes frivolous and the tempo calm…………..
This chapter takes you through the menu you will enjoy at the Ritz with some recipes for chocolate éclairs, strawberry tarts and puff pastry.
‘The History of Tea’ – the Chinese, of course, were drinking tea even on the misty borders of recorded time Â….
This chapter explains all about tea, the democratic herb, Victorian Worthies and the Invention of afternoon tea and afternoon tea now.
‘Sandwiches and Savoury Dishes’ – afternoon tea must always start with sandwiches, you are not allowed to move on to the cakes and muffins until you have blunted your teeth of your appetite with a sandwich Â…
This chapter explains The Archetypal Afternoon Tea , how to make the best cucumber sandwich, and recipes for the Ritz’s special egg sandwiches, potted shrimps, scotch woodcock and English Rabbit.
‘Winter Teas’ – the English and particularly English men, find it comforting to draw the curtain on a leaden afternoon sky, turning with relief to an open fire in front of which they toast and butter some little delicacy for themselves Â…
This chapter has lots of recipes for toasts, cinnamon toast, crumpets, English muffins, tea cakes and drop scones as well as The Art of Buttering Crumpets and muffins!!
‘English Cakes’ – in England it is possible to have your cake and eat it without being in turn consumed by guilt Â…
This chapter has loads of recipes for Madeira cake, coconut cake, seed cake, marble cake, sponge cake, Victoria sandwich, brandy snaps and Fruit cake.
‘Foreign Cakes and Wicket Cakes’ – all the cakes in this chapter and culinary ’emigres’ which have succeeded in winning plain English cooks to their delectable foreign ways Â…
This chapter has a load of recipes including Madeline, macaroons, meringues, Florentine, brownies, Pan-forte, and Devil’s food cake.
‘High Tea’ – unlike afternoon tea, high tea is not a dainty affair Â…
This chapters recipes are Rock cakes, flapjacks, Eccles cakes, shortbread, Dundee cake, gingerbread husbands, Helen’s rich gingerbread and Grantham gingerbread’s.
‘Summer Teas’ – golden summer afternoons in England are now scarce and fleeting, possessing the same umbra of mythicality as unicorns…
This chapter has recipes for every type of jam your can think of, strawberry, raspberry, damson, blackberry, rose petal and the novice guide to making jam. Other recipes are for lemon curd, scones and strawberry shortcake.
‘A Directory of Teas’ – everyone should build their own hoard of teas Â…
This final chapter in this lovely book is a tea guide through Assam, Darjeeling, nilgiri, Ceylon, keemun, lap-sangggggg souchong, jasmine, gunpowder, lung ching, formusa oolong, early grey, lady londonderryRussiaussia caravan – many I have never heard of and finally it finishes with ‘how to brew and not to stew’.
I do hope you have enjoyed my chunks from this beautiful book….
WE have all heard about it, seen in the movies or TV, but just imagine actually being invited in – for free of course.
Do you remember when we would go with our adults for tea at some of these lovely places? During tea time there would be a band playing, so that those who wanted could get up and dance together. “Tea at the Ritz!”
Here’s wishing you and yours a very happy New Year and may all your miserable pains be less.
Have you found out about the ‘Lazer’ yet? One can find it at Amazon. A friend, or hubby, can wear the dark glasses and hold the Tendlight for only one minute. “The World’s #1 Red Light Therapy Anti-Inflammatory, Medical Grade.’ It really works! JWXX