Product Description

Taking tea is one of the quintessentially English occasions, and who is a greater authority on the subject than the sumptuous London Ritz Hotel? This charming Edwardian-style book captures the essence of this traditional British pastime, and provides us with all the expertise on the ceremony as well as the recipes. Stories about the legendary afternoon teas at the Ritz and fascinating details about the history of tea drinking are complemented with passages from such diverse writers as Charles Dickens to Oscar Wilde. Over fifty recipes are included for different kinds of afternoon tea specialities, from delicate sandwiches, strawberry shortcake and rose petal jam, to crumpets and muffins for hearty teas in front of a roaring fire. The author gives an infallible guide to the many blends of tea and their suitability to particular occasions. Beautifully presented and delightfully illustrated, this book is the perfect gift for tea drinkers everywhere.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4672 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-12
• Released on: 2006-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 64 pages

Homes and Gardens
"charming...It's quite right that everything should stop for tea"

From the Publisher
An irresistible collection of traditional teatime recipes and charming stories from the world famous Ritz Hotel

About the Author
After five years at Oxford, where she gained an M.Litt degree for a thesis called Unreasonable Laughter in Restoration Comedy, Helen Simpson won the Vogue Talent Contest. She worked at Vogue for several years, writing about travel, shops and food, as well as interviews and fiction. She currently writes short stories for Cape.

Customer Reviews

A traditional looking book with a wealth of recipes.
This little Victorian-style book in peach, black and white has lots of stories about the history of the afternoon tea as well as all the traditional recipes. Stories about the origins of the afternoon tea are illustrated with passages from Dickens to Oscar Wilde. There are chapters on 'winter teas', 'summer teas' and chapters on 'foreign cakes and wicked cakes'. There is a wealth of recipes as well as a description of how a to cook them. This is an ideal little book for an experienced cook who has been searching for a particular traditional recipe, this book is sure to have it.

A Little Gem!
I absolutely loved this book as soon as I opened it! There are lots of different recipes, some of which are really easy, to suit all levels of experience. If you're looking for a book on afternoon tea then this is the perfect place to start.

very cute and useful too!
This book is just lovely! It contains lots of trivia about the history of drinking tea and the rituals that go with it, as well as countless recipes for all the traditional foods served with tea in the UK. Very nice!