Tea With Friends

Rating:
Summary: More than just another book about tea....
Review: Amazingly, Elizabeth Knight's book achieves the Herculean task of providing a primer for beginners as well as delighting the avid and informed hostess with creative and polished tea themes. The menus serve as both a journey and a destination; have a look and enjoy both!

The art, coupled with the quotations and introductory material make this a delightful book just to leaf through, but the ideas and the warmth of them sing, "It's time for a cup of tea with friends."

The initial chapter, "Taking Tea," launches the novice but serves the informed as a succinct reference. Keep this volume in an easily accessible place!

Rating:
Summary: A delightful book celebrating the pleasures of entertaining
Review: Elizabeth Knight's book Tea With Friends is a real joy. Organized by months, she gives twelve great excuses for parties, both formal and informal. Full of ideas for decorations, music, menues, and setting the mood, she offers suggestions for entertaining with class but without hassle. A great gift for anyone who loves a party, not just for tea-totalers!

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful,concise,loaded with good information
Review: Hospitality, history, helpful and practical information all packed into one verbal and visual delight. This is what one finds inside the cover of the concisely complete book about tea and how to enjoy it by Elizabeth Knight. She has managed to tuck a large amount of information into a very pleasantly readable book that should be in everyone's home even if they aren't usually a tea drinker. This is practical information that can be used by real people, not some elaborate idea that takes a staff of half a dozen to implement.

Ms. Knight's writing paints vivid pictures even without the lovely watercolor illustrations, and the party ideas can be used as guidelines for launching many a celebration or even quiet gatherings. Her genuine enthusiasm for her subject is evident throughout and rubs off on the reader. Buy two copies,you'll find yourself thinking this is also a welcome gift.

Rating:
Summary: Ms. Knight pours forth history, advice, and humor.
Review: I have spent happy hours curled up with this book, leafing through the pages, planning parties and sipping tea. One can read for little known facts or recipes as easily as straight forward tea information. Ms. Knight's book is well researched and informative, but at the same time, it is creative and practical. She has a keen sense of humor which is reflected in her writing and in her ideas. The illustrations in Tea With Friends are charming. In our antipodal world, I have enjoyed adapting her calendar's teas for ours; wintery July and summery January have just the right tea . I look forward to the very great pleasure of this talented author's next work.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite tea book.
Review: 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".

Rating:
Summary: Tea With Friends- Comfort and Confidence
Review: I reach for my copy of Tea With Friends often.Great ideas and interesting information are communicated clearly. Beautiful illustrations give me comfort to browse through and confidence to plan a tea with unique, yet usable ideas.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good cup of tea, whether you entertain for many or simply yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Now I understand what tea time is all about
Review: I've given Elizabeth Knight's Tea With Friends several times as gifts to tea lovers and tea lovers-in-training. The recipient always loves it! This book combines information about tea with imaginative ideas, including delicious-sounding menus, for tea events for each month of the year. January's Hogmanay Tea sounds like fun. It comes complete with instructions for reading teas and a delicious recipe for Scottish Scones. And, as a book lover, I'm drawn to the literary tea for September. Perfect as a hostess gift.

Rating:
Summary: I love this book.
Review: Tea with friends is a delightful fun book full of great ideas for formal and informal tea parties. Anyone who loves tea and time spent with friends will love the ideas in this book. There are ideas for every month which include decoration ideas, fun activities, and recipies. The illustrations are fresh and colorful which adds to the beauty of this book. Elizabeth uses her creative talents to spin magic around a simple idea of gathering for a cup of tea with friends.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Book
Review: 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

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Book
Review: 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