The Classic Tea Sandwich

August 4, 2015August 4, 2015Leave a comment

It’s August and my garden is overflowing with cucumbers. Yes, I’ve made pickles. I love half sour pickles …. absolutely delicious! And we’ve been slicing and dicing them for salads for weeks. But today, in this hot, sticky weather, I have friends coming over for tea ….. the perfect time to make my favorite classic English tea sandwich ….. CUCUMBER!

Garden fresh cucumbers

If you’ve never had a classic cucumber sandwich, you’re in for a treat. They are so easy to make …. light, delicate and refreshing …. ideal for a summertime treat. Just keep these few tips in mind and you’ll have the perfect tea sandwich:

1. If you don’t have fresh cucumbers from your garden or farmer’s market, use English cucumbers, which are readily available in most supermarkets today. English cucumbers have a much thinner and easier to digest skin than American-style cucumbers. Also the cucumbers we generally see in supermarkets have been dipped in wax to keep them from spoiling. Yuck!

Thinly sliced English cucumbers.

2. Slice the cucumber thinly and either spread the slices on paper toweling, or put them in a colander and then lightly sprinkle with sea salt. Leave them for about an hour. This will remove the excess water and ensure a more crisp sandwich.

3. Always butter the bread! Don’t think about unnecessary calories …. think about not having soggy sandwiches! The key to good tea sandwiches is to always lightly butter the bread.

CLASSIC CUCUMBER SANDWICHES
Makes 10 finger sandwiches
1 large cucumber
1 8 oz. pkg. good-quality cream cheese
softened butter
chopped parsley
Arnold’s Thinly Sliced White Bread

Lay out the bread (thin-sliced dense white bread is best) on the counter and spread both slices lightly with butter. On one slice arrange the thinly-sliced cucumbers. Depending upon how thinly you sliced them, you might use 4 to 6 slices. On the other slice of bread , generously spread the cream cheese. Put the two together and press firmly. Now is when you either trim off the crusts or cut with a cookie cutter. If using a cookie cutter, be sure it’s sharp, otherwise you’ll have slippage.

If you are having a tea party, to impress your guests, you can use two different types of bread – one white, one whole wheat. You can also lightly spread the outside rim of your sandwiches with butter and dip the edges in the chopped parsley. So pretty!

To make ahead, place the sandwiches in a plastic container covered with a very damp tea towel.

Cucumber Sandwiches …. easy and delicious!

Happy Anniversary Alice

August 3, 2015March 13, 20171 Comment

Yes, when I was a little girl, I read “Alice in Wonderland”! And I have loved her ever since. There have been untold printings of this whimsical, nonsensical book … and, of course, numerous movies, tv specials, plays, even comic books; but I had no idea how popular she really was until I started selling tea-related “Alice in Wonderland” items. It was almost impossible to keep them in stock. One evening a desperate father called and asked me if I could possibly ship overnight 12 cups and saucers for his little girl’s Alice in Wonderland themed tea party the next day. From teapots to mugs, jewelry, figurines, books, you name it, Alice fans were and are passionate collectors.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Written in 1865 by Charles L. Dodgson under the pen name, Lewis Carroll, this charming, fairy tale-like story follows a little girl by the name of Alice as she falls through a rabbit hole into a world of fantasy and illusion, populated by the most fascinating characters.

Alice Liddell dressed as a beggar. Photographed by Lewis Carroll (1858).

Legend says that in 1862 on a boating trip with the Liddell family for an afternoon’s outing, 10-year old Alice Liddell asked Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) to entertain her and her sisters with a story. Dodgson (32, was already a published author, poet, illustrator and photographer), created a fantasy tale of a little girl named Alice, and the adventures that followed after she fell down a rabbit hole. The origin of how the Liddell family befriended Dodgson are a little sketchy. One report says Dodgson had become friends of the Liddell family while photographing the Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford where Alice’s father, Henry, was the Rector. Another says Liddell’s father was the Dean of Christ Church College in Oxford, where Carroll was a math student or professor.

However they met, Dodgson was a family friend and had told many tales to Alice and her sisters, but this time he actually made Alice the main character. Alice was so delighted by this nonsensical world of rabbits in waistcoats and playing card gardeners, she pleaded with Dodgson (aka Carroll) to write the story down for her. It took Carroll months as he carefully penned the story, illustrating it with his own pen and ink drawings. Although the story is said to be for Alice, with her short cropped dark hair, it appears that Carroll used Alice’s sister, Edith, as the model for these illustrations.

Dodgson was an exceptionally gifted and talented man. Some might say he was also cursed with demons. He won many awards as a mathematician and scholar. Under the name, Lewis Carroll, he was a published author of short stories and poems. In addition to his writing and illustrations, he was a very respected and influential photographer, but gave up photography entirely in 1880 for some unknown reason. The success of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland made him known around the world.

Edith Liddell illustrated by William Blake Richmond

Since being written in 1865, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has never been out of print, and has been translated in more than 170 languages. Today, only about twenty copies of the first printing are known to survive. In 2009, at the Profiles In History auction house in California, a copy of the original book, which actually belonged to 10-year-old Alice Liddell, was sold for $115,000. Also auctioned was an extremely rare first edition, which sold for $40,000.

To celebrate this milestone anniversary, the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City has on exhibit the original manuscript of Alice (on loan from the British Museum), as well as original correspondence, unique drawings, hand-colored proofs, rare editions, vintage photographs, and some other very important objects associated with the story. Alice: 150 Years of Wonderland will be on view at the museum through October 11th. If you happen to be in New York City between now and October 11th and are as avid a fan of Alice as I am, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this 150th anniversary celebration!

And the next time you sit down to a pot of tea, be sure to pay homage to the Mad Hatter, the Dormouse and the March Hare! It is, after all, their anniversary as well!

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Refererences: The Famous People Society, Wikepedia.org, Paste Magazine, The Morgan Library and Museum.

Eton Mess??

July 15, 2015Leave a comment

The oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world has just ended and Serena Williams from the U.S. and Novak Djokovic from Serbia are the official champions in the men’s and women’s singles. All of Great Britain, as well as quite a few other countries, are celebrating! And where there is celebrating, there is food! The classics will all be served ….. from cucumber and cream cheese finger sandwiches, to chicken and leek pies, bacon with brie quiches and, of course, Eton Mess ….. all washed down with a refreshing Pimm’s. Strawberries and cream are so classically English, Eton Mess is the perfect summer dessert for any Wimbledon celebration.

This pudding of crushed light-as-air meringue cookies mixed with luscious, seasonal strawberries and rich, sweetened cream is thought to have originated from the famous school of the same name, Eton College. It seems this recipe was not, as legend says, the ‘accidental mess’ created by a dog said to have sat on a picnic basket containing the pavlova which was to be served after the cricket match. The dessert was actually created by the chef at the elite school in the 1930s to be this ‘messy’ sort of pudding. Bananas were the original fruit, but it is traditionally made with strawberries now (although any fruit would work beautifully).

This time of year, it’s all about the strawberries, so, let’s give it a go!

Eton Mess
Preparation for meringue cookies:
3 extra large eggs (whites only)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

You can buy meringue cookies at the supermarket which takes a lot of the work out of this recipe (but I just had to make them).

Preheat the oven to 250° and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer, in a super clean bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt. Continue beating and then add the sugar one tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated. Don’t rush this – it should take about ten minutes. Add the vanilla. The egg whites should now be very stiff and glossy.

These meringue cookies are going to be broken up into pieces so there’s no need to be careful about spooning them onto the baking sheets. If you want to use a pastry bag and pipe them, feel free. Otherwise, using two spoons drop mounds onto the parchment paper. They won’t spread out, so you can fit quite a few onto one sheet. Makes approximately 18 cookies. Bake for 1-1/2 hours at 250°. Then turn OFF the oven and leave the meringues inside the oven to dry out – two hours or more.

For the pudding
2 lbs. washed, hulled strawberries
lemon juice
4 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
1 pint heavy cream
4 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar (or to taste)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

To prepare in advance, whip the cream and keep refrigerated. About an hour before serving, slice the strawberries and sprinkle with the sugar (more or less to taste) and a squeeze of lemon juice. Let this mascerate while you whip the cream, if you haven’t already done so. Add the sugar and vanilla to the cream and whip until it mounds (but before it becomes butter).

To assemble
Take half the strawberries and mash up with a fork or potato masher and set aside. Squeeze in a little lemon juice. Break up the meringue cookies and add them to a large bowl. Add the whipped cream and the other half of strawberries . Fold it all together. You can serve this in one large serving bowl, individual bowls or fancy glasses. Spoon the mixture into the serving dishes and top with the mashed strawberries. Garnish and serve!

This recipe will easily make 8 to 12 servings, depending upon the size of each serving. The recipe can be cut in half. Experiment with different fruits if the strawberries are past season. Next time I’m going to try blueberries with white chocolate shavings and toasted almonds! Have fun with it!!

(Tip: don’t make meringue when the air is very humid. They’ll never dry out. I learned the hard way.)
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Resources: Epicurious, Just Like Mother Used to Make by Tom Norrington-Davies, The Kitchn

From the Wine Trail to the Whisky Trail

July 13, 2015July 13, 2015Leave a comment

While in New Hampshire this past weekend, we thought it might be nice to visit some local wineries. New Hampshire’s wine industry is in its infancy, with the oldest vineyard, Jewell Towne Vineyard of South Hampton, opening in 1994. Although there were two previous to Jewell Towne, they’ve since ceased operations.

Our day out took us to the Haunting Whispers winery in Danbury. As we drove up along the winding, tree-lined, immaculately manicured road, we were unsure about what we were going to discover. But there at the top of the hill was a large impressive home with imposing stone fireplace looking out over a magnificent vista. The vineyard was at the bottom of the grassy knoll enclosed in a Jurassic Park-like wire fence, laid out in perfectly aligned rows, with young trellised vines just starting to show their fruit.

Our host was very gracious and took us on a detailed tour of the winery, from the fermentation room to the bottling area. But what was most interesting, after touring the wine-making process, was being escorted into the distillery. Distillery? This, it seemed to us, was where his passion lie …. making whisky!

This visit brought us right back to our tour of the whisky distilleries in Scotland and how magnificent those distilleries were. There are approximately 10 different, organized whisky trail tours in Scotland, with over 50 distilleries. Because we were in the Aberdeen area at the time, we took a self-drive tour of the distilleries in that region. From Strathisla, established in 1786 to Glen Moray established in 1897, each distillery was unique in its approach to providing an impressive atmosphere where you could walk through the historic buildings and watch the intrinsic processes of malting, milling, mashing, and distillation of the barley. From there you proceed to the barrel storage cellars and then to the tasting rooms where an informative presentation is made and where you would be schooled in the art of tasting whisky, each with its distinctive taste, texture, color and smell.

Single Malt Whisky Casks

The word “whisky” evolved from the Gaelic “uisge beatha” meaning “aqua vitae” or the “water of life”. According to Wikepedia, the ‘art of distillation’ began in Ireland but was not recorded until the 12th century in Scotland. Some historians believe that the ‘Heather Ale’ drink could have been brewed since 2000 B.C. In the 12th century, however, whisky was being produced in Scotland, in monasteries by monks for the relief of colic, palsy and even smallpox. It’s amazing how beverages, such as tea, coffee, and whisky, were introduced to us for their beneficial and medicinal qualities. The practice of distilling grains solely for medical purposes eventually became a beverage to be enjoyed by the aristocracy. In 1494 James IV, King of Scotland, so enjoyed this “water of life” he ordered approximately 500 bottles “To Friar John Cor, by order of the king, to make aquavitae“.

Henry VIII, King of England

With the cold raw winters in Great Britain, it doesn’t surprise me that whisky became very popular very quickly. And when in 1536 King Henry VIII, self-proclaimed Supreme Head of the Church of England, forced the closure of the monasteries, monks had nowhere to go and needed to find a way to earn money. That was when whisky production moved into the farms and homes. With the merging of England and Scotland in “The Act of Union” in 1707, taxes were applied to this now very popular beverage. This is when the government, realizing the potential for additional taxation, introduced the English Malt Tax, forcing most of the distilleries underground, where they remained for the next 150 years.

Then let us toast John Barleycorn,
Each man a glass in hand
And may his great prosperity
Ne’er fail in old Scotland!

By definition, we are not ‘whisky drinkers’ (although we do enjoy a wee dram now and then), we did, however, come away with a new appreciation for this beverage and the dedication of the men and women who have been working in this industry for over 300 years. With its breathtaking landscape, warm and generous people, should you get the opportunity to visit Scotland this summer, or any time, you MUST make the Scottish Whisky Tour part of your journey.

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References: Scotch Whisky Association, Wikipedia.org, Biography.com, Visit Scotland

“A Sort of Tea from China”

June 30, 2015July 1, 20151 Comment

The Natural History Museum in London has just uncovered a box of tea …. how uninteresting you’re thinking …. except this small cardboard box with the glass lid has been sitting in the basement of the museum lying among other ‘botanical collections’ for more than 300 years!

The dried tea leaves found in London’s Natural History Museum.

Labelled “a sort of tea from China” it is believed this tea was donated to the museum by Dr. Hans Sloane in the early 1700’s. But where did it come from and why was it donated to the museum?

A Scottish surgeon employed by the British East India Company, James Cuninghame, is best known for being a passionate botanist, and an extremely unlucky one at that. During his trips to China and Southeast Asia in 1698 and 1705 with the trading company, he was able to collect and send back to Britain over 600 Chinese botanical specimens. Among his many samples were leaves from the Camellia Sinensis plant, both on the branch and processed.

At that time, western traders were limited by the Chinese to the ports on the island of Zhoushan, and Canton (now known as Guangzhou). In 1703, the Chinese forced the closing of the Zhoushan trading settlement, which was subsequently moved to an island off the coast of Vietnam. Driven by the spice trade since the early sixteenth century, this was a very important multi-ethnic port, with populations of seafarers, explorers and tradesmen. Commercial revenues were strong and in return patronage and protection were given. But on March 15, 1705 Malaysian soldiers, hired to protect the trading settlement, rebelled and set fire to the settlement, killing sixteen men. The survivors turned to the local authorities for help. Help came, but shortly after capturing and executing the Malaysian soldiers, they also turned against the English. Only Cuninghame and a few others survived.

In a letter dated May 4, 1705, Cuninghame provided a personal account of his treatment and trial following these traumatic events. Appearing before officials, he was made to answer charges against the English. His defense failed to impress his captors and he was held captive for another two years. Following his release, Cuninghame’s misfortunes continued. He narrowly escaped yet another massacre in Borneo and eventually died in 1709 on a voyage from Bengal to England.

Sample box of Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753), from the British Museum.

During his trips, Cuninghame corresponded with an even more passionate plant collector Dr. Hans Sloane. Dr. Sloane is actually credited with introducing England to another very popular brew – drinking chocolate. Sloane discovered that by adding milk to ground cocoa beans, the bitterness was reduced, and made the cocoa drinkable. Like tea, chocolate was first promoted for its medicinal value.

Among the botanical specimens that James Cuninghame sent back was this sample box of tea. Dr. Sloane labeled it #857 and cataloged it in his herbarium among his “vegetable substances” collection.

His collections grew so vast they became the basis for the botanical studies of both the British Museum and the Natural History Museum, which is where “a sort of tea from China” ended up.

Matthew Mauger, left, and Richard Coulton, the lecturers who found the oldest tea in England. Photograph: Graham Turner

Matthew Mauger and Richard Coulton are the researchers who found the oldest tea in England. Photograph: Graham Turner

Historians from the Queen Mary University of London, who are doing research for an upcoming book, were able to identify the sample as the oldest physical remnant of Britain’s favorite drink – TEA!

Although they wanted to taste it, they weren’t even allowed to touch it. The curators of the museum lifted the glass lid off the small cardboard box and they were only allowed to sniff the contents. “It had a very very faint scent of hay,” Matthew Mauger, said. “In the 18th century, writers struggling to describe this exotic new drink do refer to the smell of hay,” his co-author Richard Coulton said. However, he added: “Fresh tea really doesn’t last very long – I doubt very much that it would be drinkable.”

I know I’d love to give it a taste. How about you?

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References: British Library, Wikipedia.UK, The Guardian, Natural History Museum of London
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SUMMER PUDDING

June 25, 2015August 22, 2017Leave a comment

It’s June. My most favorite month of the year. It’s also our wedding anniversary and I wanted to make a very special British dessert. But when you think of British desserts, heavy, rich pastries, cakes and steamed puddings come to mind. So, what should it be? June is the month when strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are plentiful. Seems like the perfect time to attempt a Summer Pudding!

Of course, I can’t begin to make something without first doing a bit of research. All recipes, no matter the country or the culture, originated out of necessity …. using what was in season, as well as using up items that might already be in the kitchen (before they go bad). It seems to me this recipe originated for both those reasons. The ingredients are very simple, seasonal berries, bread and some sugar for sweetening.

This pudding (dessert) is not from Elizabethan England as I had thought. It was created in the early 1900s and originally called “Hydropathic Pudding”. “Hydropathic” because it contained a lot of water and was served to those who couldn’t tolerate the heavier, rich pastry desserts that Great Britain was serving at that time. Because it was deemed “healthy”, it was routinely served to patients in nursing homes and hospitals, as well as to those staying in “health spas” wanting to shed a few pounds. Is it healthier than other desserts? I’ll leave that for you to decide.

FIRST EDITION OF LIZZIE HERITAGE’S CASSELL’S NEW UNIVERSAL COOKERY BOOK, 1894,

The recipe seems to have first appeared as “Hydropathic Pudding” in 1894 in one of the essential Victorian cookbooks at the time, Lizzie Heritage’s Cassell’s New Universal Cookery Book. But apparently, the name “Hydropathic Pudding” didn’t make peoples’ mouth’s water. I don’t know who decided to change the name to “Summer Pudding” but it seems to have been established by 1904 when Miss E.S. Poynter, a missionary in of all places, India, used this name in her cookbook, “Cooking in India“.

The traditional recipe calls for a mixture of blackberries, raspberries and black currants. Unfortunately, this is NEW England and I can’t find black currants anywhere. So, it’s going to be cherries!

SUMMER PUDDING
³⁄₄ cup sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
5 cups of washed blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and cherries (pitted and halved)
10 slices white bread (I used Pepperidge Farm), with crusts removed
to serve:
2 cups sweetened whipped cream
sprigs of fresh mint

The preparation time for this is about 10 to 15 minutes. It does, however, have to chill in the refrigerator preferably overnight, but at least 5 to 6 hours. So, if you are going to be serving this after dinner, be sure to get it in the frig first thing in the morning.

Wash and prepare all your fruit. You’ll need at least 5 to 6 cups. Put the fruit into a saucepan and add 3/4 cup of sugar and the juice of one lemon. I think the acidity from the lemon juice helps to cut the sweetness of the fruits.

Bring to a boil and then simmer for about two minutes – just until the sugar is dissolved. If you cook the fruit too long, it will turn into jam. Turn off the heat and let cool.

Find a bowl (glass, plastic, ceramic – it doesn’t matter) which will be the pudding’s mold. The first cut of bread you want to make is the one that will fit on the bottom of the bowl (which will become the top of the pudding). Put the bowl on top of the bread and use that as a template. Cut to fit.

Dip the trimmed bread into the pan to sop up the sweetened berry juice, then place it juice-side down (which will be facing out after you unmold it).

Continue dipping the bread into the pan to absorb the berry juice and line the bowl. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Squish the bread together so there aren’t any gaps. When finished, take a slotted spoon and take the berries out of the pan and put them into the bread-lined mold.

Then cover the top with more bread dipped in juice. Make sure the seal is tight.

Top the bowl with a plate that will fit inside. Then place a weight of some sort on the plate. You want to press the pudding together so that it will setup. Chill til firm – 6 hours or overnight.

It’s time for the unmolding ……. keeping fingers crossed!

Run a knife around the edge of the bowl, when ready to serve. Place a plate on and flip. It should unmold without any difficulty. Garnish with whipped cream and enjoy! Serves 4 to 6 easily.

So light, fruity and refreshing. This is a dessert which will have your family and friends wondering how you did it. Absolutely delicious!!

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References: Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson, Household Books, BBC.UK/recipes
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“China” enters Britain

June 17, 2015July 1, 2015Leave a comment

It’s the late 1600’s and people are asking “What is this fine, white porcelain that is coming in from China on the tea boats?” Crates of this porcelain is being offloaded from the ships and stacked on the piers. But, what is it? What is it for? These crates would be stacked on the bottom of the hold in the ships to provide ballast as well as to provide a dry floor for the tea crates to sit on.

Dutch East India Company c.1620

Although the Dutch East India Company did not import these items at that time, the ships’ captains realized their value to the newly-enamored, wealthy tea drinkers and began profiting from their sale on the black market.

As early as 1530, fine Chinese porcelain in the form of vases, figurines and bowls were given as gifts to the Aristocracy (and are still on display in various museums around the world). Exotic items such as ostrich eggs, Turkish and Russian pottery, and Chinese porcelain were among Queen Mary’s and then Elizabeth’s most prized possessions. The delicacy of fine Chinese porcelain was valued and appreciated over the rough, heavy British earthenware.

It was about this time that the word “Chinaware” was incorporated into the English language to describe these porcelain bowls, pots and cups. By the 1700’s the demand for this fine porcelain had reached record numbers and the term “China” was being used by most people. From the records of the Fleet Frigate, “205 chests of China and Japan ware and a great deal loose earthenware, was packed on board.”

In 1724 in “Tour Thru the Whole Island of Great Britain” Defoe wrote, “The Queen brought in the custom, as I may call it, of furnishing Houses with China-ware….piling their China upon the tops of cabinets, structures and every chimney piece.” China-mania had begun!!

Painting by Arthur Devis, c. 1750

By the end of the 1700’s most of Europe had obtained a few pieces of this fine “China” and the practice of displaying these luxurious pieces came into play, hence the “China closet“. Louis XIV was so enamored of this decorative tableware he ordered a complete set consisting of hundreds of pieces.

Although a few other colors were imported from China, it was the very popular blue and white porcelain bowls, pots and cups that were the most popular. The Dutch East India Company was now the sole importer for everything from the East, and as a result, all imports came through the ports in Holland. Dutch potters, observing the demand for these items, became inspired and began to create their own pottery, which became known as Delftware. Colors, patterns and designs were copied directly from the Chinese, but slowly European images began to be used …. windmills, fish, swans, etc., and the first of new shapes took form. The best known was the creation of the “plate“.

English potters were desperate to create this fine white porcelain. European potters had created a soft porcelain made with white clay and ground glass. But how to create a hard porcelain that would stand up to the heat requirements of tea? It was discovered that the ashes of calcined bones could act as a strengthening agent in the paste. This then became known as fine “English porcelain” now identified as “bone China“.

Worcester porcelain teacup and saucer c.1700

The development of the pottery district in England came after bone China was perfected. From Davenport to Spode to Minton to Wedgewood, most of the successful potters located in the area of Stoke-upon-Trent.

I’ve seen other blogs which credit Robert Adams as the inventor of the tea cup handle. Unfortunately, I’ve never found any documentation to support that theory. Handles on tea cups came into use as soon as the Chinese realized that Europeans drank their tea much hotter than they did and in larger ‘bowls’. Handles started appearing on ‘tea bowls’ as early as the 1700’s. It was quite common before then to simply pour the tea from the ‘tea bowl’ into the accompanying saucer to cool, and then to drink from that. After tea cups had handles, it was deemed only the lower class would ever drink from the saucer.

Needless to say, “tea” and “tea equipage” at this point in history was only for the upper classes. A London magazine in 1744 noted, “it could cost more to maintain a fashionable tea table, with its expensive tea and utensils, than to keep two children and a nurse.” Despite this expense, tea continued to play an essential role in the social life of the British and the world.
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References: Antique English Pottery, TEA East and West by Rupert Faulkner, Comparative Arts & Media Studies, Specialization in Design Cultures , by Irene Maldini

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BLACK PUDDING or BLOOD PUDDING??

June 15, 2015March 16, 2016Leave a comment

Growing up my Dad would tell us how he loved blood pudding. He would regale us with how wonderful it was, how it was something he had grown up with, but could never find …. and when he did find it, on a menu in some obscure little diner, that place then became his favorite restaurant of all time! On occasion my Grandmother (his mother) would find a way to get her hands on some. We never knew how she got it, but when she fried it up with some eggs and toast, it was the treat of all treats for my Dad.

Blood Pudding

As children, would we eat it? Are you kidding? Pudding made out of “BLOOD”! Just the name alone was frightening. Even if he called it by its other popular name, ‘black sausage’, I think our young taste buds would have vehemently declined the invitation. At that time, blood pudding (black pudding, blood sausage) wasn’t made in New England. At least not that we knew. It was only available if someone coming from the “old country” secretly tucked it into their suitcase when they made the trip over, which didn’t happen often.

The first time I went to Ireland, I was amazed that blood pudding was on every breakfast menu. People were eating it … and enjoying it!! Huh? No longer a child screwing up my face at every food that didn’t sound good, I decided I’d be brave, I’d be an adult, I’d try it … which I did. Meaty, but with more texture, a hint of spice, but not overpowering. Bloody? Yes, but no more than a good rare steak. Sliced and fried up, it had a great crunch. Hmmm, was I missing something all these years?

Black pudding in the dairy case at the airport.

Going through the airport on my way back home, there was blood pudding available for sale in the dairy case at the duty free shops. I HAD to bring some home to my Dad! How could I not!! So, I bought it …. and, yes, I “tucked” it into my carry-on, hoping that it wouldn’t be discovered (which it wasn’t).

Blood pudding ….. known by various different names in the U.K., is also very popular in other countries. In Germany, it is blutwurst …. boudin noir in France …. buristo in northern Italy and sanguinaccio in southern Italy. In Spain, it is called morcilla. This delicious and very popular sausage originated from the days when no part of the freshly-slaughtered pig went unused. The ‘sausage’ itself was created as a way of preserving meat. Historians can trace sausage making back to 2000 B.C. and even earlier. Homer’s the Odyssey, written about 1000 B.C., appears to be the oldest written word about sausage. “there are some goats’ paunches down at the fire, which we have filled with blood and fat, and set aside for supper; he who is victorious and proves himself to be the better man shall have his pick of the lot”.

And in the satirical play by Aristophanes in 424 B.C., the sausage is described as the perfect preparation for a politician: “Mix and knead together all the state business as you do for your sausages. To win the people, always cook them some savory that pleases them.”

A traditional ‘fry up’.

In our ever-shrinking world, imported blood pudding is now sold everywhere in New England, generally available in the refrigerated or freezer section of the supermarket. Sales of blood/black pudding have made a remarkable turnaround …. up by 25% this year alone.

Made with fresh pigs’ blood and a filler such as oatmeal, barley or buckwheat, fat of some sort, with onions and a variety of spices, there are now local butchers who have mastered the art of making this classic sausage. A nutritional powerhouse, blood sausage is high in potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium. Unfortunately, it contains a lot of saturated fat, mostly because it is generally served fried as part of a traditional ‘fry-up’.

Is it possible that there is a renewed interest in this ofall. Absolutely! The resurgence of interest in this sausage is amazing as young chefs begin creating recipes using blood sausage and putting these delicacies back on their menus. – Great British Chefs Black Pudding Recipes –

Although I haven’t tried them, I will shortly. Meanwhile, you can count me in as …. a lover of BLOOD PUDDING!!

References: Sausage obsession.com, en.Wikipedia.org, Great British Chefs.com,

BAKEWELL TART

June 10, 2015June 10, 20151 Comment

Whenever we are in Darlington, the first place I have to go is to The Black Olive. This tiny, little patisserie has the most delicious baked goods I’ve ever had. Each morning they fill the window with the delicacies of the day …. freshly baked and delicious! Like children staring into a toy shop window, we stand there and point to “which one shall we try today?” My favorite has to be the classic Bakewell Tart with its rich shortcrust pastry, raspberry preserves and almond frangipane filling. (Please do not confuse this rich delicacy with the mass-produced packaged tarts which are covered in overly-sweet white icing, topped with a maraschino cherry, sold in all the supermarkets.) I had to find out more about this dessert. Where did it come from, this raspberry almond tart called “Bakewell”?

The Black Olive, Darlington, Cty. Durham

It seems this dessert originated as a ‘pudding’ from the village of Bakewell, which is in the breathtakingly beautiful Peak District of England. The Bakewell website states “In the 19th century a cook at the Rutland Arms was baking a jam tart but misunderstood the recipe and so Bakewell Pudding was created.” Apparently, the inexperienced cook at the Rutland Arms Hotel was to make the very popular strawberry tart for a nobleman who had ordered it, but misunderstood Mrs. Greaves instructions and beat together sugar, butter and eggs and then poured it over the fruit before baking. The guest so loved the new version of the tart that Mrs. Greaves added it to the menu. Local history says the recipe was left by Mrs. Greaves in her will to Mr. Radford who, in turn, passed the recipe on to the Bloomers Shop, which still exists in Bakewell.

Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management
Published 2011

As with any legend, there’s always a question with regard to authenticity. We do know, however, that the recipe is thought to have first appeared in 1845 in the cookbook A MODERN COOKERY for PRIVATE FAMILIES, and described as ‘served on all holiday occasions’. At that time, the recipe was a classic pudding and did not have a pastry crust or almonds … both of which seemed to have been incorporated before 1861 when the recipe appeared again in the BOOK OF HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT.

Don’t be afraid to make your own Bakewell Tart. Yes, it is a bit time consuming, but it is well worth the effort. Again, this is not the overly sweet supermarket version.
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BAKEWELL TART
Pastry
1-1/2 cups flour
pinch salt
1 stick ice cold butter, cut in pieces
3-4 tbl ice cold water
1 tsp lemon juice

I use a food processor to make pastry which makes it so-o-o easy, but if you don’t have time, just purchase a good quality brand at the supermarket. To the flour/salt cut in the ice cold butter til crumbly. Don’t overwork it. You should be able to see chunks of butter. Quickly add the ice water/lemon juice til dough comes together. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead quickly into a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 15 minutes. The colder the butter, the flakier the crust.

Preheat oven to 400° F. Roll the pastry out to fit into a 9″ round tart pan. Line the pastry with baking beans and chill the dough again. Meanwhile, make the filling.

Filling
1 stick butter, room temp.
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temp.
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
almond extract (optional)
3/4 cup fruit jam (raspberry, strawberry, cherry)
3/4 cup fresh berries (raspberries, strawberries, etc.) optional
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Beat the butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Stir in the flour and ground almonds and a tsp of almond extract (if using).

Blind bake the dough for 12 to 15 minutes til lightly brown. Remove the beans and let cool. Turn the oven temp down to 350° F.

Spread the jam over the bottom of the pastry crust. If you are adding fresh fruit, scatter them evenly over the jam. I’ve used cherries, raspberries and strawberries … all worked beautifully. Pour the filling over the fruit and spread evenly. Scatter the sliced almonds over the filling. Bake at 350° F for 25 to 30 minutes until the filling is set and golden brown.

Let cool and dust with confectioners sugar if desired.

Resources: en.Wikipedia.org, Bakewell Online, Paul Hollywood’s British Baking, Porter’s English Cookery Bible

Orange Pekoe?

May 20, 2015May 20, 2015Leave a comment

During my 15 years of tea lectures, exhibitions and shows where I’d present information about tea’s origins, types of teas and their unique properties, classics vs flavored, health benefits, steeping instructions, folk lore and traditions, inevitably at the end of the presentation someone would ask me if I sold “orange pekoe” tea. Aghhhhhhhhhhh!

After a big intake of air, and s-l-o-w-l-y regaining my composure, I’d say “Yes, I do. Would you like to purchase some?”

Orange pekoe tea!!
I have Estate teas, Chinese Keemuns and Yunnans, Kenyan teas, Darjeelings and Assams, teas from Sri Lanka and Nepal – all grades! I have English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Scottish Breakfast. I have blends with Assams and Darjeelings. I have blends with Keemuns and Assams. I have blends with Keemuns, Ceylons and Darjeelings, but, no, they want that “orange pekoe”.

I loved my customers and I appreciated each and every purchase. If they were interested, I really did try to give them a bit more information. A knowledgeable customer is going to make a more educated purchase (hopefully). But, how has this name, Orange Pekoe, become synonymous with good quality black tea (and, yes, despite my attempts to educate otherwise, some people do believe it is orange flavored).

Let’s start at the beginning. Tea originated in China. But it was the British industrialists who began to capitalize on the burgeoning tea market. In China, after the tea leaves are plucked, they are withered naturally, rolled and shaped by hand, wok fired and then sorted for size and quality.

Sorting Room in Chinese Factory.

This was far too slow and time consuming for the British industrialists. It wasn’t long after the British established plantations in India and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) before these innovators created machines to do this work. Heated tables for withering were invented. Rolling machines were invented. But having machines do the work created another problem. The whole leaf was now broken into particles which required a process to ‘sort’ the different leaf sizes. This led to a process of using fine screens (much like window screens) of various sizes to separate out these particles by size. Now there was a need to have a standardized sorting or grading system, which would identify the leaf by its size. With every solution came another problem. A grading system had to be created.

The system began quite simply with a single letter representing the descriptive grade. Today, however, the grading system is much more complicated with all types of fancy add-ons. Again, this grading system is not for Chinese teas, but only for teas from India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, etc. The letters are:

S = Special
F = Fancy
T = Tippy
G = Golden
F = Flowery
B = Broken
O = Orange
P = Pekoe

Oops, did I say “O = Orange and P = Pekoe”? Could it be that “orange pekoe” is a grade or size of tea, such as “tippy golden”? BINGO!

Tea Grades

Let’s start at the top of the list, assuming SFTG was probably the best ‘grade’, wouldn’t BOP be the lowest? Hmmmm. This doesn’t necessarily mean this tea wouldn’t taste good. It does mean, however, that it was/is the lowest grade of tea.

All the letters seem to have a logical description for a leaf … “special”, “fancy”, “tippy”, “golden”, “flowery”. But “orange” and “pekoe” … where did these strange terms come from and what exactly do they mean?

A Chinese belief is that the tea was originally scented with orange blossoms, hence the use of the word “orange”. Plausible but highly unlikely. A more likely explanation is the term “orange” refers to the Dutch royal House of Orange-Nassau. Tea was first brought to Europe by the Dutch in 1675 and it is believed that the Dutch tea traders coined the term to imply a higher classification of tea, suitable for their nobility.

The term “pekoe” (which is pronounced peck-o and not peek-o) could be derived from the mispronunciation of the Chinese words for “white hair” which are “bai hao”. “Bai hao” refers to the downy-like white hairs on the leaf just below the bud, which would be the bai hao leaf or in pidgin English, the pekoe leaf.

The next size down from the pekoe leaf would be the orange leaf; then the souchong leaf. The more mature the leaf, the less flavor the tea would contain. As a result, a fine plucking would consist of the unopened bud, or tip, along with the next leaf or two leaves, resulting in “orange pekoe”. After processing and sorting the leaves, you might end up with BOP, FOP, GFOP, TGFOP, FTGFOP or even SFTGFOP. The more letters, the better the grade of tea.

All this can be quite fascinating or painfully boring to you. The real question is how did the average tea lover get to believe that ‘orange pekoe’ tea was the best tea on the market? For that we have to look at that Scottish marketing genius, Thomas Lipton.

It was 1850, and although still very expensive, Great Britain and the new Americas were now consumed by tea, and Thomas Johnston Lipton is born. The youngest of five children Thomas Lipton was born in Scotland to Irish immigrants. Although not an academic, Thomas learned his three R’s and looked to move into the business world for his future. After a few failed encounters, Thomas found a job he loved, working as a cabin boy. This love of water and ships would continue throughout his life. Saving his money, at the age of 15, Lipton booked steerage passage on a steamship bound for New York. A few directionless jobs later, Lipton managed to secure a position as assistant at a successful grocery store in New York City. He was fascinated by American advertising and marketing and by how different American grocery stores were compared to the British stores.

Back in Glasgow, Thomas’ parents had opened a small grocery shop. After three years in NYC, at the age of 18, Thomas now returned to Glasgow to work in his parent’s shop. It didn’t last long because he wanted to replicate the NYC grocery store he had worked in. Two years later, Lipton opened his own store.

Thomas Lipton

Preferring to deal direct with the producers of the food, and not the middlemen, Lipton was soon buying direct from farmers. His Americanized concept along with eliminating the middleman was successful. It wasn’t long before he had opened many more grocery stores and with the opening of every new store, Lipton would create outrageous advertising campaigns. One Christmas Lipton announced that his cheese would contain sovereigns (about 20 shillings or half a one pound note) and half sovereigns. When the cheese went on sale, within two hours every last piece of cheese was sold. These cheeses became so large and so much a part of Lipton’s annual Christmas displays that the manager of Lipton’s Nottingham shop hired an elephant to transport the cheese through the town.

Vintage advertisement for Lipton Ceylon Tea.

With over 300 stores, Thomas now decided to turn his attention to tea. Continuing with his theory of cutting out the middleman, Lipton decided to visit plantations in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and learn the process himself. This was the time when the coffee blight struck the coffee plantations in Ceylon and the coffee crops were wiped out. Within a short period of time, Lipton scooped up five defunct coffee plantations and created tea gardens …. thus becoming the grower, the producer, the middleman, the wholesaler and the retailer!

Lipton was masterful, he made his tea affordable to everyone. He did not stop with just selling his tea in his own shops, Lipton distributed his tea everywhere, exhibiting Lipton Teas at the London and Paris world fairs, continuing his relationship with American grocers, and opening corporate offices in Hoboken, NJ.

“Direct from the tea garden to the tea pot.” Who wouldn’t want the freshest tea possible? Soon the famous goatee and captain’s hat became associated with good quality tea and was found in cupboards all around the World. And what could he call his tea to make it seem as if it was the best quality available ….. how about calling it “ORANGE PEKOE”.

References: Liquid Jade by Beatrice Hohenegger, Mitchell Library, Harney & Sons Guide to Tea, Wikipedia.

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Tea, Toast and Travel

Exploring the World of British Foods and Traditions

The Classic Tea Sandwich

Happy Anniversary Alice

Eton Mess??

From the Wine Trail to the Whisky Trail

“A Sort of Tea from China”

SUMMER PUDDING

“China” enters Britain

BLACK PUDDING or BLOOD PUDDING??

BAKEWELL TART

Orange Pekoe?