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A picture tour of some of the highlights and favourite memories of the summer of 2010:
A favourite way to spend a summer night in our newly landscaped backyard! We just didn't do this often enough!
Link:
* Wright Landscaping
Hot dogs taste best cooked over an open fire and eaten outdoors - slathered in condiments!
It’s been quite awhile since I’ve posted something (anything!) on my blog.
I’ve got excuses! Lots of them.
* I’ve been busy with my work blog – Everything Eggs.
* I had to develop recipes to teach a couple of Afternoon Tea classes – one at Thyme to Cook in Guelph and the other at Household China and Gifts in Waterloo.
Triangle- shaped herb-crusted egg salad sandwiches pair perfectly with a cup of tea!
* I’ve been doing some recipe development and food writing for Roomplanners‘ e-zine.
I’m a food magazine junkie, always on the lookout for the latest issues of my favourites, or the arrival of brand new publications.
A quick perusal of the magazine shelves at a Kitchener grocery store tonight rewarded me with a newbie – The County Grapevine. This newcomer focuses on the food, wine, art and culture of Prince Edward County (PEC) in southern Ontario.
It seems I’m a little late getting to the party on this one; the issue I picked up is for Fall/Winter 2009/2010 (it’s a biannual publication). The magazine has been around for a while. How did I miss it??
So where exactly is Prince Edward County? PEC is an island at the eastern end of Lake Ontario. It is surrounded on the north and east by the Bay of Quinte, and is west of the St. Lawrence River. Its mild climate (by Canadian standards, that is!) has made it home to numerous vineyards and wineries.
What initially attracted me to The County Grapevine as I leafed through it in the store was the article Steeped in Tradition by tea expert Melody Wren. As a tea lover always looking for new places to enjoy a good cuppa’, I was interested to read her review of tea rooms in PEC.
Since bringing the magazine home, I’ve read and enjoyed a couple light-hearted pieces – “I was a teenage waitress” by comedian Deborah Kimmett and “Table Manners: The Lost Art of Dinner Parties” by sommelier Natalie MacLean.
I also noticed that food stylist and blogger Ruth Gangbar was credited for food styling in the magazine.
Tomorrow I’ll have to take some time to savour the food and wine articles!
The County Grapevine is available free in Prince Edward County and surrounding areas and can be purchased at Chapters, Indigo, Metro, and stores within the Loblaws chain.
I had read many positive reviews about Lady Mendl’s Tea Salon in New York City, so this past weekend on a recent trip to NYC, I decided to check it out with my sister Loreen who lives on Long Island.
We’d made reservations for the 5 p.m. seating on Friday afternoon. Weekdays there is also a 3 p.m. seating, while on Saturday and Sunday the options are 12, 2:30 and 5 p.m. Reservations are recommended (Ph: 212-533-4466). I made reservations online a few days before coming to NYC. If you do this, you’ll need to call the tea house the day before your visit to confirm.
The tea room is located in The Inn at Irving Place (56 Irving Place, between E 17th and 18th Streets in the Gramercy Park area). It’s easy to miss as there is only a small sign on the exterior of the building.
Lady Mendl's Tea Salon in The Inn at Irving Place
Once we found the location and made the climb up the steep steps to the front door, we were greeted inside and shown to our table in the front room. (I’m not sure if there is an alternate entrance to the tea room for those who have difficulty with steps.)
The interior of Lady Mendl's
How much fun is this sandwich cookie cake?? It would be perfect as a dessert for any occasion from a spring or Mother’s Day tea to a birthday party or backyard barbecue.
Sandwich Cookie Cake (image from Williams-Sonoma's web site)
I picked up the pans to make this fun dessert this evening, racing into the Williams-Sonoma at Sherway Gardens at 8:58 p.m. (the store closes at 9 p.m.). Just in time!
Sandwich Cookie Cake pan (image from Williams-Sonoma's web site)
The 9″ cast aluminum cake pans are exclusive to Williams-Sonoma and sell for $29.95 (US) for the pair. Bake your favourite brownie or chocolate cake recipe or mix in them, then sandwich the layers together with flavoured whipped cream, ice cream or buttercream icing.
Visit Williams-Sonoma’s website for more information and to read reviews about the pans. According to the online reviews, it’s really important to grease the pan well with cooking spray to remove the cakes easily.
I’ll have to hold off testing out the pans until next week as I’m off to New York City this weekend to take a Four-Star Breakfast cooking class at the Institute of Culinary Education and visit with my sister Loreen who lives on Long Island. We’ve got afternoon tea reservations in NYC at Lady Mendl’s Tea Salon on Friday.
I’ve had tea at the White House a couple times in the last few weeks.
Before you start thinking I must be politically well connected, no, I wasn’t in Washington sipping tea and exchanging pleasantries with Barack and Michelle at that White House. I was in Waterdown, Ontario at this White House.
Tea at the White House in Waterdown, Ontario
Both times I visited Tea at the White House, I sat in the front room which surprisingly, given the size of the room, is able to seat 14 people. There’s not a lot of space between the tables, but considering the number of guests that came and went on both my visits, the tea room is a popular place and needs as much seating as can be squeezed in. (I’d recommend making reservations if you plan to visit, especially at lunch time.)
The menu can be viewed online. When we visited on Easter Sunday, I had the High Tea.
High Tea (for two) at the White House
I’m not sure why it’s called High Tea as it’s actually an afternoon tea complete with sandwiches, scones, Devon double cream and preserves, loads of fruit, and sweets. Murray and I enjoyed it as an early supper, but if we’d visited in the early afternoon, we’d probably have shared a single order.
The scones are really good – very tender and with sugared tops. You can purchase scones to take home. I was tempted but managed to refrain, opting instead to purchase some loose tea – Darjeeling Margaret’s Hope Estate Black Tea and Gingia Assam Black Tea – in tin containers. (If you bring the containers back for a refill, you can purchase the next batch of tea at a discounted price.)
On my second visit a week later, I chose the soup of the day (a tortellini and vegetable soup) followed by the Devonshire Cream Tea – two scrumptious scones with Devon double cream and preserves. (Love those scones!)
I’d like to try the Gloucestershire Sandwich & Cheese Platter on my next visit. One such order had just been delivered to a table we squeezed past on our way out and the assortment of sandwiches, cheeses, crackers and fruit looked very inviting.
Tea at the White House is also a retail shop and offers loose tea, tea accessories, books about tea, and even tea-based beauty products for sale.
You can read reviews for Tea at the White House at Restaurantica.
Tea at the White House
279 Dundas St. E.
Waterdown, ON (on Hwy 5, north of Hamilton and on top of the escarpment)
L0R 2H0
Ph: (905) 690-9987
A couple weeks ago (the day after Valentine’s Day to be exact), Murray and I made the 50-minute drive from Kitchener into Mississauga (Streetsville to be exact) to have afternoon tea at The Tea Room in the Robinson-Bray House (223 Queen Street South, Ph: 905-542-7674).
The side entrance to The Tea Room at the Robinson-Bray House in Mississauga, Ontario
The house was built in 1885 and owned by at least two families – the Robinsons and the Brays. In 1983, it was designated a building of “architectural and contextual value” by the City of Mississauga. It now houses several businesses including a gift shop, spa and The Tea Room.
The Tea Room is in the back of the building. You can enter either through the front or the side of the House. When we left through the front after finishing our tea, I noticed that a large room at the front of the house was vacant. The space had a lovely bay window looking out onto Queen Street. My first thought was that it would be a lovely area for The Tea Room to expand or move into.
But I’m ahead of myself. Let me share our tea experience.
You could order off the menu but we really didn’t give it much consideration as The Tea Room was serving a Valentine’s tea ($23 per person) which sounded really nice. It started with a delicious garden salad with sliced strawberries and cucumbers and pralined pecans. This was followed by a two-tiered stand filled with tea sandwiches, and heart-shaped chocolate chunk scones served with devon cream and preserves.
The tray of tea sandwiches included (clockwise from top right) egg salad on a mini croissant (which turned out to be a roll as you can see above), chicken and brie on a slice of baguette with sweet mango chutney, a roast beef and horseradish mayo wrap with caramelized onions, salmon mousse in a phyllo cup, and a cucumber and cream cheese sandwich.
Then, because we hadn’t eaten enough yet (!), it was time to choose a dessert. I don’t recall all the choices; the first couple our server described were all we needed to hear. Murray chose a Chocolate Crepe with Amaretto Cream and Mixed Berries.
Chocolate Crepe with Amaretto Cream and Mixed Berries
I opted for the Passionfruit and Mixed Berry Trifle, served in a tea cup.
The Passionfruit and Mixed Berry Trifle was garnished with a chocolate-dipped cookie and berries.
Whipped cream, passionfruit custard, cake and berries - a tart-sweet ending to a delicious tea!
Everything was washed done with a pot of Earl Grey tea for me and Assam tea for Murray.
The Tea Room’s servers were friendly and attentive. The decor of the two-room tea room was nice enough, although nothing outstanding. I’ll confess I wanted to straighten out the slightly askew picture hung off centre under a shelf on one wall of the room we sat in, but to Murray’s relief I managed to suppress the urge.
Other than the egg salad that was served in a slightly soggy mini roll instead of the promised croissant, the food was very tasty, especially the salad and desserts. Needless to say, we didn’t need to eat for the rest of the day!
