Product Description

In a similar format to Storey's very successful Country Tea Parties, Tea with Friends presents a year's worth of occasions to bring friends together around a pot of tea. Includes 13 original, little-fuss party ideas illustrated with elegant watercolor paintings. Each party contains menus, tea recipes, and things to make or do to enhance the celebration.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41675 in Books
• Published on: 1998-01-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 64 pages

Review
" It is a book to be treasured and passed down from generation to generation." -- Joseph Simrany, President Tea Council of the U.S.A., Inc.

"If you're a true lover of the brew, pick up the slim volume Tea With Friends. Contains some intriguing recipes aimed at making tea-sipping an event. This fascinating book is from Storey Books." -- Newsday, Long Island, NY, 12/19/99

From the Inside Flap
Healthy, inexpensive, and enjoyed by everyone -- tea is the ideal beverage for parties large or small, all year round. In Tea with Friends you'll find 13 unique and colorful party plans drawn from traditional and lesser-known celebrations from cultures around the world. Each party contains suggested menus and things to make and do to enrich the festivity. Throughout the book, Carolyn Bucha's elegant watercolors set a joyful tone for party preparation.

From the Back Cover
Tea with Friends offers an occasion to celebrate, any time of the year.

January
Hogmanay High Tea

February
Not-for-Lovers-Only Dessert Tea

March
St. Patrick's Day Ceili Tea

April
April Fool's Day Madcap Tea

May
Mother Goose Nursery Tea

June
Midsummer Celebration Tea

July
Lady Liberty Tea

August
Dog Days Picnic Tea

September
Literary Tea

October
Halloween High Tea

November
Victorian Tea

December
St. Nicholas Brunch Tea
Winter Solstice Tea

Customer Reviews

a good source for planning & setting up tea parties
The first 9 pages of this 60-page book contain a brief history of tea and then general information on how to plan and set up a tea party, including pictures of how to arrange the tea table. It has the best advice in this regard of any of the other tea books I've seen.

The rest of the book consists of a theme tea party for each month, with suggested table settings, activities, and menus. Only one recipe is actually listed per month, however, so you will DEFINITELY need more recipes from another book. Two of my favorite tea-time cookbooks are "The Book of Afternoon Tea" by Lesley Mackley and "Totally Teatime Cookbook" by Helene Siegel.

This is an excellent "how to" book and makes a nice gift, particularly if you include a tea-time cookbook.

A Wonderful Book
TEA WITH FRIENDS is a terrific resource for those who need specific ideas for year round tea parties. Each chapter suggests one theme party for each month of the year. Within each chapter is background information on the theme, a section entitled "Setting The Scene" in which the author gives suggestions on what service and accessories you could use, as well as ideas for centerpieces and music. She also includes a menu, a featured recipe and a craft project or activity relating to the theme, My favorite is November's Victorian Afternoon Tea. Knight gives insightful background information on how tea became a British obsession during the reign of Queen Alexandria Victoria and the causes behind rise in the popularity of black tea, (one of the menu offerings she suggests). In essence, she not only makes menu suggestions, but she provides the background you need to understand why she is making these suggestions. She also includes an example of what an invitation for your November tea might look like. In "Setting The Scene" she lists excellent suggestions for accenting the table with Victorian charm, as well as detailed instructions on how to make a Victorian centerpiece. There are also music suggestions that would be appropriate for this setting. Knight also includes a full menu with a featured recipe for Watercress and Stilton sandwiches. Finally she incorporates detailed instructions on how to make lavender sachets. Sidebars tell about various traditions of the Victorian royal family. In just a few short pages, you have the background, recipes, serving ideas and special touches for a monthly theme tea party anytime of year.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves tea and is looking for simple, creative ways to share the pleasures of tea time with friends.

Cris Cunningham

My favorite tea book.
I love this book! I'm a serious collector of books about tea and teatime (I currently own 95.) Tea With Friends is one of my top 5 favorites,maybe even #1. I turn to it again and again when I'm entertaining or just want to review brewing times for different teas. It's a great gift for tea novices because it is entertaining as well as informative. I have given several as gifts (with a tin of tea, of course). Several tea catalogs (including Harney's) feature this book as part of a gift basket.
I recommend this book for your "tea library".