Recently there arrived in my mailbox the most lovely new tea cookbook, "Tea in Season" by Janice T. Mussell. The author is a teacher in Stockbridge, a town I haven't traveled to in years but certainly need to since there is a tea room there I've never visited! According to an article in the Henry Herald, it was after a visit to the Pinehurst Tea Room with her daughter Mindy that Janice got the idea for her book. The title was inspired by Ecclesiastes 3:1, which says there is "a season for every activity under the heavens." I love that!
And what a great book this is! The book is divided into five sections: Festive Teas, Holiday Teas, A Medley of Teas, Ministry Teas and Motivational Teas, with each section offering menus and recipes for four teas. In addition to some of the traditional holiday teas (Valentine's, Easter Brunch, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Bridesmaids' Tea), some of the other teas included are a Neighborhood Tea, which can be adapted for "at home" or "at work"; a Jesus and Me Tea, which encourages taking time alone with God and enjoying tea (awesome idea); and a Rainy Day Tea for the children.
Janice includes recipes from her family and friends, and there are so many of them I can't wait to try. There are "Thursday Raspberry Bars" (someone brought them to work every Thursday), Chocolate Syrup Brownies, Christmas Divinity, Tropical Coconut-Pineapple Tarts, Heart-shaped Cheese Mold, Sausage Swirls, French Toast Casserole ... well, actually I haven't seen anything I would *not* like to make! At 194 pages, this hardback book is much thicker than the usual self-published cookbook. And I have to tell you, I have seen a lot of self-published books over the years that were so dreadful, the kindest thing I could do was never mention them. This one is a real gem, a beautifully photographed and written book, and I am delighted to have "met" Janice Mussell through my blog. Interested in getting a copy of her book yourself? Visit www.teainseason.com or e-mail her at janice@teainseason.com.
I really wanted to attend Mindy's Pampered Chef show recently and get my signed copy of Tea in Season. Her mom was scheduled to be there to meet and greet and sign her new book. Thanks for your review; I think I'll be adding a copy to my tea library.
ReplyDeletePinehurst is a pleasant place to have a meal, although they are not a traditional tearoom. There is a limited tea menu and no scones or finger sandwiches.
That sounds like a great tea book with interesting ideas and some tasty recipes. (The "Thursday Raspberry Bars" sound especially tempting...)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of tempting recipes, I was just flipping through the new Dec. issue of "Coastal Living" magazine, and on page 102 there is a recipe for "Chocolate-Earl Grey
Pound Cake." The half-page color photo of the cake stopped me in my tracks--it looks that yummy. It's baked up in a bundt pan and dusted with powdered sugar, and looks wonderful for the holidays. Plus the directions sound fairly easy. My kind of recipe! If anyone wants the recipe, I'll be glad to oblige.
That sounds like a lovely book.
ReplyDeleteWow...a Tea Book I haven't heard of......love it!
ReplyDeleteI have just ordered this book and am waiting for it to arrive in Australia, then I plan to give a quick review on my blog. Thanks for sharing the info.
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