Good Things by David

I was commissioned to make a set of Downton Abbey inspired, tea-themed cookies for a local event in my town.  With a set of cookie cutters in the shapes of a teapot, a teacup, a teabag, a cupcake, a scalloped round and a plaque, I quickly iced cookies worthy of any tea party. These cookies were made with a specific color palette at the request of a friend.  A deep turquoise, a soft pink, a dark lavender and some jet black (not to mention white, of course) is what you will need to make these specific cookie designs.  You may also want to add a bit of gilded touches to your cookies if you want to make them stand out even more. I don't know if Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, would ever have had a reason to own a  black and white bone china teapot, but this one works.  It almost resembles a piece of Wedgwood.  I do know that she probably would never have eaten a frilly cupcake like the ones you see here.  That's OK, though.   ...

I love green tea to no end.  It's the tea of choice for myself when I'm at home in the afternoons.  If I'm in the mood for only a cup of green tea instead of an entire pot, I reach for my precious supply of matcha powder.  I've never, however, eaten anything made with matcha until this weekend. After getting over what seemed like the worst cold ever, I felt good enough for some dessert.   I've repurposed this large fish knife for cake slicing. Cake rolls are the perfect thing to serve for those who don't like sweet cakes. Made with a sponge cake base (eggs, sugar, milk and flour--no butter), the finished product produces a very light cake that can be served with either tea or coffee.  It's great for a luncheon dessert or for the end to a weekend dinner.  Cake served on a vintage cake stand. Matcha Green Tea Cake Roll Recipe Vintage Wedgwood Queensware, old lustreware dessert plates and antique silverware.  Matcha po...

The daily ritual of making time for tea is one that is enjoyed by billions of individuals worldwide.  There is something absolutely soothing, centering and meditative about putting the kettle on the stovetop, choosing which teapot and teacups to use for the purpose, and carefully measuring out the tea leaves.  I would feel lost if I didn't have my cup of restorative tea in the afternoons.  For me, it is the perfect pick-me-up beverage. Many cultures around the world consume this beverage throughout the day, and here at home, we are no different.  In the mornings I prefer to have a pot of coffee with my breakfast, but my husband is partial to several cups of tea first thing, each day.  In the afternoons, however, tea is the beverage of choice, and if I'm lucky, I lay out a little something sweet to go with it.   In my opinion, it's a good idea to serve tea in smaller cups, rather than large breakfast cups or mugs, because it minimizes the chances ...

MARIAGE FRÈRES Having tea in the afternoon is something I do every single day.  I don't make a production of setting a table just for this purpose, but I do admire the 'art of tea'.  Cultures throughout the world have their rules and etiquette practices when it comes to having tea, and if you partake of this daily ritual, then I'm sure you have your own set ways of enjoying a cup or two.   Mariage Frères, the renowned French purveyor of fine teas and its accoutrements, is a company that elevates the art of tea to a very high level. I've known about this French institution for some time, but it's only recently that I've taken a moment to delve into their ways of proper tea. While perusing The Food Lover's Guide to Paris by Patricia Wells, I came across the tea salons & restaurants of Mariage Frères in Paris (they also have a location in Japan).  It was here that the golden rules established by this venerable tea importer cau...