illustration by the fantastic J. Homersham
Having started this blog to discover – and hopefully, publicise- the tea delights of London et environs, I'm starting to feel like I've acquired an expensive hobby. It's not quite in the league of Formula 1, say, or buying a football club, but our last few jaunts have left my delicate eyes watering with the cost of a piece of cake and a pot of tea in the Capitol. Something that's made with cheap ingredients has, through the vicissitudes of metropolitan rent hikes and the completely laudable need to pay people a living wage (plus, I have to think, a smidge of a desire to turn a profit)...has become dear. Fine, I'm a bit slow to catch on. But I'm not definitely getting the message that tea...is a treat. I won't! And I think with a little DIY magic, anything – even an affordable tea – is possible.
Last week my tea pal Mr. Things came down South, where living is a bit easier, and we had tea chez moi.
I share with you our menu:
First course:
Mariage Frères Tea: Thé Alexandra David-Néel (black tea with spices)
Caramel Toast
Second course:
Mariage Frères Tea: Thé Sur Le Nil (green tea with citrus fruit and spices)
Harry Eastwood's Passionfruit Cream Swiss Roll
Third course:
De Lieto Sandwich: Mini-baguette with coppa, sheep's cheese and pickled artichokes
De Lieto Apple Pie.
We then exeunted the premises for one of my favourite cheap nights out, Stitch London at the Stamford Arms.
Overall cost, about £10. Not dirt cheap, but we did eat a staggering amount (I like to carboload before Stitch London.)
Fancy doing a home tea of your own? In addition to the recommendations above, may I introduce you to a recipe by Ms. Julia Homersham? Julia, in addition to being an amazing illustrator and cartoonist, is also a dab hand with a tea treat. To whit – her marshmallow truffles, pictured above on the happiest day of their very brief lives.
Marshmallow truffles
1 packet of rich tea biscuits (about 250g), crushed
½ tin condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla essence
100g butter
½ cup brown sugar
2 tsp cocoa powder
desiccated coconut
1 large packet of marshmallows
Melt the butter and sugar in a pot. Add condensed milk, cocoa and vanilla
essence. Mix well. Take off the heat and add crushed biscuits.
Wet your hands and roll the mixture around marshmallows. Coat each ball
in coconut.
Put in the fridge to set.
Variation: try using other types of biscuits, e.g. digestives
You can get Julia's new comic Chuckle Sandwich here
And don't forget - in tea circles, as in everything else, when in doubt, DIY!
An update on a former Tea Report destination, the Tea Room at Liberty's of London. The Tea Room is now shut for refurbishment, pending reopening with 'an exciting new concept'. A bit terrifying, but fingers crossed.
An update on a former Tea Report destination, the Tea Room at Liberty's of London. The Tea Room is now shut for refurbishment, pending reopening with 'an exciting new concept'. A bit terrifying, but fingers crossed.
