TeaTime November - December 2006

I love the fact that, as the year comes slowly to an end, we have two great holidays to celebrate. Somehow, these joyous celebrations help me forget that another year is almost over, and it’s time to mail greeting cards, make resolutions, and buy new calendars. I can’t think of a better way to mark the passage of time than by having family and friends come for a Thanksgiving tea, or just for cake and tea. To help with your planning for such an event, we’ve included great recipes, sure to become your treasured favorites. About 12 years ago, I started collecting little Christmas books—you know the ones—they are typically much smaller than other books, they tell a story about the holidays, and they are easy reads. Around mid-November, I start…

Q When I get up from the table at an upscale restaurant before the meal is over, I loosely fold my napkin and leave it on the seat of my chair. Invariably, when I return, the server has refolded it and placed it on the table to the left of my plate, which is where I always place it at the end of the meal. Which is the proper etiquette: leaving it on the table or on the seat of the chair during the meal? A You are, of course, perfectly correct about the napkin placement, but the real question is this: Does the restaurant wait staff understand correct napkin placement? The placement of the napkin on the chair is a “silent signal” that “I’m not finished with my meal and…

Treasured holiday customs vary from culture to culture, and family to family. Cookie swaps, candles in the windows, towering trees laden with an array of hand-crafted ornaments, advent wreaths to proclaim the season of the Christ child’s birth—the ways we celebrate the season are many, and reflect our personal choices. One custom that gets little attention, but which binds us together in celebration, is the time-honored practice of sending greetings at the coming of the holiday season. For our Christmas mailing, we’ve chosen a charming hand-glittered card from the collection by Karen Adams Designs, and we’ll add a personal note inviting our friends to come and share a cup of holiday tea.…

Tis the Season With the holiday season just a jingle away, we turn our attention to searching out perfect presents for family and friends. There’s no need to fret, just sip a merry cup of tea while browsing through a few of our favorite finds. 1. For a pretty presentation, bundle a bevy of tasty tidbits in a beribboned basket. Tria Market, 205-776-8923. 2. The simple charm of vintage teacup pillows with embroidery details reminds us of the lovely linens in Grandmother’s home. Anthropologie, 800-309-2500. 3. This peacock proudly splashes its plumage on dessert plates and demitasse cups in bright Christmas colors.Kate Spade, 866-999-KATE christmas tidings 1. For the Uptown girl on your list, try the sophisticated scent of “Park Avenue” by Bond No. 9. Sold exclusively at Saks, 877-551-SAKS. 2. With her singular sense of style,…

To the Swiss youngsters, the sweet, unearthly sound of the bells heralds the arrival of Christkindli, a veiled angel in white, who, according to legend, plows through the snowy drifts of Switzerland on a reindeer-drawn sleigh laden with Yuletide gifts for each house and each child. Among those gifts are fresh and fragrant Christmas trees of every shape and size. These are handed over to parents who in turn shoo their children away to decorate them, gilding the tree’s branches with glowing candles, foil-wrapped chocolates, fruits, nuts, and the country’s premier Christmas cookie, Basler brunsli. The children of Basel no doubt take a particular pride in this fact, as the cookie is named for their city, where the cookie originated. A chewy, bittersweet chocolate confection, Basler brunsli is made with an almond-based…

It’s not uncommon, while combing through vintage offerings of antique shops, to come across silver pieces that are quite unique. It may be easy to guess the use of some of these pieces, but for others, the purpose is something of a puzzle. A little investigative work will solve the mystery. The lemon fork has three, or less commonly, two, splayed tines and is about the same size as a salad fork. It is used to serve lemon slices, but can also be utilized for serving sliced fruit, melon balls, and butter pats. Piercing the slice of lemon releases the juices of the fruit into the cup of tea. A bonbon server is usually between eight and nine inches long and, as the name implies, is used to serve bonbons or other…