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Tea and Travels

Rose's Blog

January - A New Year's Tea Party

1/1/2020

2 Comments

 
Picture

​
​The weeping pine points
Down at the cold earth, covered
With bright green ivy.


​
​

​Two dogs, heads down, sniff
Through fallen leaves; as they near,
All the quail take flight.


Picture
Picture


​Watercress thrives in
The winter creek beside tall
Stands of brown cattails.


​

​Let’s start the New Year with Afternoon Tea. Recalling the full title of our website, Sharing Tea: The Road Back to Civilization, can our New Year’s resolutions focus on living more civilized lives? Each person is welcome to define what a civilized life means to him or her. For me, a civilized person thinks about others as well as herself. He or she values honest work and ethical behavior along with the joy of celebrating with family and friends in life’s ordinary moments and appreciating the beauty of nature’s gifts and the glory of artistic expression. These are the simple elements of Afternoon Tea.
​
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​
​Since January is a winter month, (unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere,) our new Year’s Tea will celebrate winter. I recently hosted a winter tea party in my home for five friends as well as my husband Wayne and myself. The connecting link among all of my guests was that they were all born or raised outside the United States and all worked in careers related to health and healing. Two are Danish citizens born in Africa, one South African of British ancestry, one raised in England and one Canadian. All of these guests are familiar with the customs and traditions of Afternoon Tea, and all were eager to celebrate these traditions in their current home, Hawaii.
​
Picture

​Two cardinals perch in
A plumeria tree with
A view of the bay.

​Although the seasons change very little here in Hawaii, I chose menu items and ingredients that would remind my guests of the winter holidays in their homelands and add a bit of winter color, such as red and white, to the ambience. Here is the menu:
​


​Bright skies and a cool
Breeze in the redwoods. Finches
Feast on New Year’s Day.
Picture

​
Hot Tea:
            Twining’s Black English Tea, the Queen’s 90th birthday vintage
            Taylors of Harrogate Earl Gray Tea
            Sencha Green Tea form Japan (a gift from our friend, Yuki, who lives in Tokyo)​
  • ​(All of the guests chose the Queen’s 90th Birthday Tea, and all drank it with milk, although I offered both whole milk and half and half. I also offered lemon wedges, which none of them chose.)
 
Scones:
            Rum Raisin Scones (from the November/December 2019 issue of Tea Time magazine)
            Lemon Scones
                        Served with: Cranberry Curd (Find the recipe in my November 2019 blog.)
                        And Mock Devonshire Cream (Recipe in the Free Recipes section of this
                                    Website under Tea Menu Basics)
 
Savories:
            Cucumber and Watercress Sandwiches on White Bread
            White Cheddar and Chutney (Major Grey’s) Sandwiches on Brown Bread
            Artichoke and Cheese Frittata
 
Sweets:
            Traditional Dark Fruitcake with Hard Sauce
            Chocolate Biscuit Cake
            Pavlova (a sweet, cake-shaped meringue) with Whipped Cream and Sour Red Cherries
            Winter Holiday Cookies:        
                        Mexican Wedding Cookies
                        Spritz (Also called Danish Butter Cookies)
                        Orange Ginger Cookies
                        Maple Oatmeal Bars (Called “Crunchies” in South Africa and “Flap
                                    Jacks” in England.)
                        Baci di Dama (Italian for Lady’s Kisses)
            Dark Chocolate-Orange Truffles
​

Picture

​From all directions
In the misty pink twilight,
Frogs croak in the cold.
​ 
Clearly, this is a lot for one person to do, but many of these items were very easy to make, and others could be made in advance and aged or frozen. The Fruitcake should be made weeks before it is served, and the Pavlova can be made the night before and stored in the oven all night. My guests loved both the Pavlova and the Cranberry curd, which added two touches of vivid winter red to the menu. The Cranberry Curd can be made up to a week in advance and refrigerated or even longer and frozen. I whipped the cream for the Pavlova shortly before my guests arrived and colored it with a bit of the juice from a jar of American Spoon Fruit Perfect Sour Cherries (a gift from Kathleen.) Then I simply covered the Pavlova with whipped cream and arranged the cherries, right out of the jar, over the cream-topped Pavlova.
 
For your Winter New Year’s Tea, I recommend reviewing some of the key chapters from the Tea Book section of this Website: “The Philosophy of Tea,” “Guidelines for the Host/Hostess,” “Guidelines for the Guest,” and “A Checklist for Planning a Tea Party.” And as a little New Year’s gift to you, I am sharing one of the most popular items from my recent Winter Tea: Artichoke and Cheese Frittata. Happy New Year!



​Before dawn on New
Year’s Day, a distant rooster
Calls through the soft air.
Picture


​Artichoke Cheese Frittata
Picture
 
This recipe, adapted from the July 1983, edition of Sunset magazine, has never failed me. It can be mixed within seconds in a food processor, and it produces a delicious savory treat which can be enjoyed in all four seasons. I make it in a shallow 9” pie pan and let the guests cut their own wedges in the size they prefer, but you can serve it in squares on a platter if you wish. I perked up the original recipe by adding ½ teaspoon of Smoked Spanish Paprika, which adds both color and a tasty kick of flavor.
  • ​1 jar (6 ounces) marinated Artichoke hearts
  • 4 eggs
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ -1/2 teaspoon Smoked Spanish Paprika, or to taste (optional)
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) ricotta cheese
  • 2 ½ cups (about 10 ounces) shredded Jack cheese
  • Cooking spray for the pie pan
  • Sweet paprika for sprinkling, optional
​Special equipment: food processor, rubber spatula, decorative 9” shallow pie plate, wire rack
 
Makes: 8-12 wedges
 
Preheat oven to 350°F
 
  1.  Spray the pie plate with cooking spray and set aside. Reserve ½ cup of the shredded cheese and set aside. Place all of the remaining ingredients in a food processor and push the “On” button for a few seconds until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
  2. Pour the batter into the prepared pie pan, scraping the bowl of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the reserved ½ cup pf cheese evenly over the top of the frittata.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is lightly browned and the center feels firm when gently touched, about 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
  4. Sprinkle with sweet paprika and cut into wedges to serve immediately or cover and refrigerate overnight to serve cold or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers.
2 Comments
Marny
1/2/2020 08:35:13 pm

What A Superb Menu! Everything looks so good, and you look like you are having fun! What a beautiful smile you have!
One question--on the savories list, you have: White Cheddar and Chutney (Major Grey’s) Sandwiches on Brown Bread
Is this the type of brown bread that you bake in a tin can? Did I miss something?
Happy New Year!

Reply
Rudy Pedulla
2/4/2020 12:55:15 pm

Beautiful artwork and poetry. Thanks. Happy New Year!

Reply



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Copyright © 2015 by Epilogics
  • Home
  • About/Blog
    • Who We Are
    • Our Credentials
    • Tea Travels - Rose's Blog
    • Cakes and Tea - Kathleen's Blog
    • Contact Us
  • The Tea Book
    • The Road Back to Civilization
    • A Brief History of Tea
    • Philosophy of Tea >
      • Harmony
      • Humility
      • Respect
      • Creativity
    • Guidelines for the Host/Hostess >
      • Gathering and Greeting
      • Sharing Stories
      • Sharing Food
      • Sending the Guests Home
    • Guidelines for the Guest >
      • Respect Your Hostess/Host
      • Bring a Gift if You Wish
      • Practice Humility
      • Monitor Your Conversation
      • Arrive with a Grateful Attitude
      • Help if Help is Needed
      • Do Not Criticize
      • Leave Gracefully
      • Send a Thank You Note
    • A Checklist for Planning a Tea Party
    • Teas of the World and How to Make Tea >
      • A Sampling of Teas
      • Herbal Teas and Tisanes
      • How to Make Tea
      • Making Iced Tea
      • Tea Concentrate
      • Brewing Tea for a Crowd
    • Tea Utensils and Accessories >
      • Tea Kettle
      • Tea Pot
      • Tea Cozy
      • Teacups
      • Plates
      • Silverware
      • Teacart
      • Tea Strainer
      • Tea Infuser
      • Three-Tiered Server
      • Cream Pitcher and Sugar Bowl
      • Cake Pedestal
      • Trifle Bowl
      • Jam Pots
      • Serving Dishes, Platters, and Trays
      • Silver Tea Set or Silver Tray
      • Linens
      • Kitchen Equipment for Food Preparation
    • Tea Menu Basics >
      • Sandwiches and Savories
      • Savory Spreads and Dips
      • Scones and Tea Breads >
        • About Lemons
    • Afternoon Tea and the Four Seasons >
      • A Spring Tea
      • An Outdoor Summer Tea
      • An Autumn Afternoon Tea
      • A Winter Afternoon Tea
    • A Calendar of Tea Parties >
      • January: A Japanese New Year’s Tea
      • February: A Valentine’s Day Tea
      • March: A St. Patrick’s Day Irish Tea
      • April: An Easter Tea
      • May: A Mother’s Day Tea
      • June: A Wedding Reception Tea >
        • Lemon Yogurt Wedding Cake
      • July: A Picnic Tea
      • August: A Family Reunion Tea >
        • A North American Family Reunion Tea
        • An Eastern Mediterranean Family Reunion Tea
        • A Kosher Family Reunion Tea
        • A Scandinavian Family Reunion Tea
      • September: An Ozark Farm Harvest Tea
      • October: A Tea to Honor Our Ancestors (Dia de los Muertos)
      • November: A Post Thanksgiving Tea
      • December: A Christmas Tea >
        • In Defense of Fruitcake: Fruitcakes and Candied Fruit
    • A World of Tea Parties >
      • A Chinese Dim Sum Tea
      • A Portuguese Tea
      • A Classic British Afternoon Tea
      • An Indian Chai Party
      • A California Tea
      • A Hawaiian Tea
      • An Italian Tea
      • An American Southern Tea
      • A Russian Tea
      • A French Afternoon Tea
      • A Kosher Tea with Tradional Jewish Foods
    • Afternoon Tea for Special Occasions >
      • An Afternoon Tea for Children
      • A Tea for Our Elders
      • A Honey Bee Tea in the Garden
      • An Urban Tea on the Go
      • Tea for One
      • Afternoon Tea for a Large Group
      • A Vegan Tea
      • A Rose Tea
  • Purchase Recipes
  • Resources
    • Bibliography and Resources
    • Menu and Recipe Index
    • Commercial Food Products
    • Glossary