Best of
Tea

2013

The Afternoon Tea Collection


Pamela Clark - 2013
    This beautifully illustrated keepsake book features everything that makes the teatime experience special: lovely small sandwiches (like prawn and lime pepper aioli), yummy scones, little tarts, and other treats—like pink velvet cake and ginger powder puffs with orange cream. And every recipe has been triple tested to guarantee your success first time, every time.

Puer Tea: Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic


Jinghong Zhang - 2013
    In the 1990s, as the tea's noble lineage and unique process of aging and fermentation were rediscovered, it achieved cult status both in China and internationally. The tea became a favorite among urban connoisseurs who analyzed it in language comparable to that used in wine appreciation and paid skyrocketing prices. In 2007, however, local events and the international economic crisis caused the Puer market to collapse.Puer Tea traces the rise, climax, and crash of this phenomenon. With ethnographic attention to the spaces in which Puer tea is harvested, processed, traded, and consumed, anthropologist Jinghong Zhang constructs a vivid account of the transformation of a cottage handicraft into a major industry--with predictable risks and unexpected consequences.Watch the associated videos at https: //archive.org/details/PUERTEADVD1.

Tea Sommelier


Gabriella Lombardi - 2013
    And, just like an excellent wine guide, this richly illustrated volume initiates drinkers into the art of tasting, making, and serving. A careful examination of 50 grand cru teas—including some of the best-known varieties available—will give drinkers a new appreciation of what goes into a cup. A selection of exclusive recipes, along with advice on pairing tea and food, completes this gorgeous book—a must-have for anyone who savors this ancient beverage.

Missy Franklin: Swimming Sensation (Y Not Girl)


Christine Dzidrums - 2013
    swimmer Missy Franklin at the 2012 London Olympics. Winning four gold medals and one bronze, the 17-year-old gained fans for her amazing athletic skills, remarkable sportsmanship and a genuinely warm personality. Referring to the water as her second home, the beloved athlete began swimming recreationally at just two months of age. By the age of seven, the youngster seemed destined for stardom, dominating local swim meets with her textbook stroke techniques and lightning-quick speed. By the time she reached high school, the teenager was a world and Olympic champion, all the while remaining a At kid who simply loves to swim. A children’s biography, Missy Franklin: Swimming Sensation narrates the Colorado native’s transformation from a talented toddler to queen of the pool. Who says nice girls finish last? Missy is swimming's biggest female star!

Soul of Science


Daniel Martin Diaz - 2013
    The inspiration for this new body of work comes from the mysteries of consciousness, self-aware systems, philosophy, cellular automata, phase transitions, time travel, and mystical behaviors at atomic and sub-atomic levels. In recent years, Diaz became immersed in scientific and philosophical theories. In particular, he became obsessed with scientific diagrams, which explain theories and properties though drawings. Although these rudimentary drawings were without any leanings towards aesthetics, he found them to be beautiful, though that is clearly not their intention. He was inspired to use the simplicity of drawing to create his own interpretations of the concepts of consciousness and other theories on a scientific, philosophical, and spiritual level. All of the projects begin as drawings, which have a beauty and intimacy that paintings cannot capture. Graphite's allure comes from its subtle lines and the quickness in which one can capture an idea.

The Art and Proper Etiquette of Afternoon Tea (Etiquette Series)


Bernadette Michelle Petrotta - 2013
    It is dedicated to tea connoisseurs who love going out for Afternoon Tea in beautiful teahouses and dining on delicious scones, savories, petits fours, and of course, sipping their favorite brew of tea. In The Art and Proper Etiquette of Afternoon Tea, explore the world of tea etiquette along with carefully selected recipes that will become a cherished part of your repertoire. With beautiful photographs, the prettiest china, gleaming silver, and floral bouquets, The Art and Proper Etiquette of Afternoon Tea will take the reader through the history of Victorian Afternoon Tea, High Tea, Formal Afternoon Tea, Cream Tea and other styles of tea. It presents historic individuals who influenced the development of tea. Learn how to prepare a “Proper” tea at home, how to brew the perfect pot of tea and prepare scones, savories, and petits fours. Instruction is also provided on formal and informal invitations, how to set a buffet tea table for a large event, and how to set a tea tray for an intimate tea for two. The Art and Proper Etiquette of Afternoon Tea contains guidelines on table settings, serving techniques, dining with stemware, teacups and saucers, and dining with finger foods. Continental and American style dining are illustrated by easy-to-follow diagrams depicting utensil rest and finished positions. Information on entertaining, napkin etiquette, and healthy organic tea recipes with nutritional information is also provided. Whether enjoying a cup of tea in the morning, the afternoon, or the evening, this wonderful companion never fails us. It warms us when we are cold. It soothes us when we are weary. It lends sophistication and grace to our gatherings. Tea can be counted on to always save the day and bring the proper perspective to each day’s challenges. So today, as with everyday, let us raise our cup to the hungry Duchess of Bedford who experienced that “sinking feeling” which she remedied by dining in her boudoir with tea, cakes, tarts, and biscuits. Thank you Duchess…and thank you Queen Victoria for popularizing “teatime” and making it a regular pastime of the proper English Lady and helping to inspire this book.

The Japanese Tea Ceremony and the Shoguns (Cultural History)


Linda Hewitt - 2013
    The contributions of leading tea masters of the past are summarized. A description of a typical tea ceremony is provided, together with a discussion of the appropriate environment and utensils. The spirit and purpose of the tea ceremony are also addressed. The text - by award-winning author Linda Hewitt - is approximately 13,000 words long. Elegant pen-and-ink illustrations drawn specifically for the piece by award-winning artist Robert Hewitt demonstrate some of the aesthetic elements associated with the ceremony. Related drawings from nineteenth-century Japanese chap books, hand-colored for this edition, decorate the text. The survey - which has been used as supplemental reading in college-level cross-cultural history courses - approaches the topic in an accessible, reader-friendly style.

Alice Eats: A Wonderland Cookbook


Julie Van Rosendaal - 2013
    Lamielle. The assortment of inventive recipes in this book, all inspired by characters and events from the original story, include such imaginative and enticing dishes as: Cheshire Cat’s Grinny Grainy Mustard RarebitWhite Rabbit’s Cucumber Frames with Three FillingsCaterpillar’s Double-Stuffed Mushroom CapsMock Turtle’s Mock Mock-Turtle SoupThe Queen of Heart’s Red Velvet Cupcakes with Regal Cream-Cheese FrostingThere is also a special tea-party section inspired, of course, by the famously chaotic and surreal Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. This section includes a 16-recipe menu—four sets of four recipes (a sweet dessert, a savoury dish, a scone and a drink), one set for each of the characters at the Wonderland tea party (Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Dormouse and the March Hare)—complemented by tips for making the perfect pot of tea, dipping tea biscuits and reading tea leaves as well as an illustrated glossary of tea sandwiches. Whether this book is for a child’s dreamy tea-party or a grown-up’s costume-fantasy event or a creative afternoon in the kitchen, Alice Eats will delight, entertain and inspire. Readers who are “curiouser and curiouser” about planning an Alice-themed event, who want to know what an “Eat Me” cake might taste like or who want to make a memorable English afternoon tea will find both classic and out-of-this-world ideas in Alice Eats.