Tea Blog

I have three passions in life: food, tea, and books. When all three come together, I’m in seventh heaven.

It often happens through cookbooks—and when I discover a new one, it can be hard to resist. My cookbook shelf is already overflowing, yet I’m always tempted to add just one more.

My most recent find? A slim volume by Ellen Easton, purchased for the bargain price of sixty-nine cents at a local thrift store. At that price, even Mr. Tea Scoop couldn’t complain!

This book offers more than just a few tea party recipes—but not all of it is directly tea-related.

The first forty pages focus largely on general cooking basics and kitchen references. While useful for beginners, much of this information is fairly standard and can feel like filler for more experienced cooks.

The section on

tea basics and brewing

covers familiar ground, including preparation methods and a brief glossary of tea grades.

However, I found the section on pairing tea with food particularly helpful, along with a practical tea party checklist.

Entertaining with Tea

For hosts, the book includes thoughtful details to elevate a tea gathering—such as napkin folding techniques and complete menu suggestions.

The “travel” aspect of the title shines through in the recipes, many of which originate from well-known hotels.

These recipes range from simple to gourmet, and they are definitely the highlight of the book.

I was especially intrigued by the Green Tomato Jam & Reggiano Cheese Tea Sandwiches from The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida—which even include baby rosebuds!

I’m also tempted to try making Tea Jelly, flavored with orange juice.

Final Thoughts

As a thrift-store find, this book is a bit dated—it was published about fifteen years ago. Even so, while some sections may feel outdated or unnecessary, the recipes themselves look well worth trying.

A small, affordable book with inspiration for any tea lover’s kitchen.

Don’t forget to check out Stephanie’s blog,

The Tea Scoop
!

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