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August 16, 2010

How to Plan the Perfect Afternoon Tea Party

Filed under: Drinks, Food — Tags: buy tea, tea online, tea party — admin @ 11:00 am

The elegant and very luxurious break time celebration is said to have begun back with Anna who was the 7th Duchess of Bedford. The tea party is a time for entertainment and business type meetings. The tea party is a traditional and historically classy mealtime that was designed to have intimate and professional meetings around an upscale dining experience. Even though people do not buy tea like they use to it is still a very recognized and current tradition.

Tea party time has the prestige of the royals yet it is something that anyone can do with their families and friends as a form of social entertainment. For a lot of people, planning a party is always fun and exciting. Planning a tea party is exciting since it has historical backgrounds and it is a very upscale experience for fun and fine dining. The tea party is perfect for many different events and celebrations. You can buy tea and plan an elegant tea party for bridal showers, baby showers, birthday parties, and just a simple gathering of friends and families. There is no set way to have a tea party but just to have fun and have a good time Tea time can really take place anytime you like. Traditionally, tea time has taken place between mid and late afternoon. The exciting thing about hosting and conducting a tea party is buying the things, organizing the event, and being creative. You get to buy tea amongst all other little fine decors.

You should plan the day and time of your event well in advance as to give everyone time to prepare for it. Make a list of all the things you need to get. Some key things that should be on your to get list are buy tea, get a nice table to host the amount of people you want to have. Get some little elegant event decors like China dishes and little non-expensive party favors. The decorating for your tea party can be a creative ordeal. You can plan the guest list of all the family and friends you want to come if it is a personal tea party. If you are planning a professional tea party for a business, inviting colleague and coworkers will be best. On both occasions, the historical event is suitable.

I know many people think of a major event or planning when it comes to hosting and planning a tea party. The event is not that difficult at all. Planning a tea party is as simple as to buy tea for the party and other little things. Once you have your guest list and know who is attending, you can begin to decorate. Planning for a tea party should be a low-stress and enjoyable event.

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August 13, 2010

Best Accompaniments for Tea and Coffee

Filed under: Drinks, Food — Tags: coffee, Food, hot beverages, tea — admin @ 6:37 pm

Tea or coffee used to be just for breakfast or as drink that is used between real meals like lunch or dinner, perhaps combined with cookies or tiny sandwiches. Today, tea and coffee are accompanied by an assortment of breads, meats, cheeses and of course, desserts.

There are different types of tea and coffee, with each having favorites among diners as to which one best enhances the meals served. Tea, both the green and black kinds, compliments foods by helping to cleanse the palette as each course is served.

Things to consider when matching different foods with tea are the flavors of each, whether it is acidic or not, does it have a good flavor and the texture of the tea and dish it is paired with.

These are similar things to how wine and food are paired; with each bringing out the flavor of the other. The Whittard teas are among the best to be paired with meat, fish, seafood, salads or desserts when entertaining. Black teas are best when matched with darker meats and spicier food such as Thai or curries and rich chocolate desserts.

Green teas are best with salads, fruit and seafood.

A popular idea is to have Japanese or Chinese tea served with salad, chicken, fruit or seafood because the tea smoothes out the flavor of the dish. Chi loose-leaf tea is one of the best paired with light dinners and originates from India, where it served both day and night. Oolong teas are a mixture of the green and dark teas and most often served accompanied by grilled or Oriental foods. Chinese green and dragon teas are also often paired with salads, seafood or fruit.

Coffee comes in different blends and flavors and while is not as common as tea during meals, can be wonderful when paired with the correct foods. Fruit based desserts or even the fruit itself is great with certain types of coffee but it is not if the fruit is too sour. Ethiopian coffees go well with dark chocolate and rich tart desserts. The chocolate is often even better when combined with the coffee and sugar to make a rich full bodied drink.

Most people in the United States are used to having coffee with their breakfast but coffee goes well with other meals also. There are many rich coffees from different countries that have great flavors, some sharper than others, some perfectly matched with the breads, such as biscotti or sweet desserts. The espresso coffees and flavorings are wonderful when paired with fruity breads and rolls, even quiche.

Teas and coffees are a wonderful accompaniment to many of the foods that we enjoy. By mixing the flavors of the different drinks with the best known and loved types of foods, we can find new and unique accompaniments to the old ones we have enjoyed. Feel free to experiment and find the new Whittard blends that enhance every meal.

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July 2, 2010

Top food recipes using coffee

Filed under: Drinks, Food — Tags: coffee, coffee recipes, tea — admin @ 10:50 am

Apart from coffee for hot drinks, when we think of coffee recipes, for many,
tiramisu or a really sumptuous coffee and walnut cake comes to mind.

To call tiramisu an Italian trifle belittles it rather. It is an exquisite Italian sweet made with everything that is good about Italy; namely mascarpone cheese, savoiardi biscuits and good Italian coffee, and nothing less will do.

Coffee brands such as Cello, Lavazza, Kimbo, Mauro and Illy, the very best Italian mascarpone cheese, savoiardi lady fingers, sugar, eggs, Cognac and cocoa power all combine to make this luscious dessert. Everything works rather like an English trifle where the espresso is put into a shallow bowl, cognac and cocoa rather than sherry and jam added and the biscuits then soak it all up. The eggs yolks, sugar and mascarpone are then beaten together like custard, and the whole assembled together with sprinklings of cocoa power on the top.

Another top recipe using coffee would be something Austrian, like a rich coffee and walnut cake. Again ingredients are everything in this cake. Toasted walnuts are used, again the very best espresso coffee and lots of softened butter. All the ingredients including the eggs, butter, caster sugar, and flour are whisked together, then freshly made espresso coffee and the toasted chopped walnuts are added. The mixture is then divided into two sandwich tins and cooked for 30 minutes.

When cooked, the cake is left until cold, and then coffee syrup made of freshly brewed espresso mixed with demerara sugar is drizzled over both halves of the cake. Finally the frosting and filling made with caster sugar, mascarpone, full fat fromage frais and some more espresso is spread over the top and through the middle of the cakes and whole toasted walnuts placed on top for decoration.

Both tiramisu and coffee walnut cake would make sublime desserts to end those special dinner parties with friends.

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June 2, 2010

Brewing the best cup of coffee

Filed under: Drinks, Food — Tags: coffee, hot drinks — admin @ 4:00 pm

There are some strict rules to brewing the best cup of coffee. These are as follows:
• Where possible use filtered water as chlorinated tap water can affect the flavour of the coffee
• The temperature of the water is crucial when brewing coffee. Experts agree on 190 degrees Fahrenheit or 85 degrees Celsius. A high temperature ensures that all the flavour is extracted from the coffee.
• The quantity used should be an ounce or 30 grams of coffee to 20 ounces or 550 ml of water. Using less results in over extraction and a bitter taste. The flavour can be mellowed by adding more milk or hot water to the brewed coffee.
• Choosing the right grind; this should be coarse for a cafetiere, medium for drip filter and fine for expresso. The level of time the coffee should be in contact with the water also depends on the grind; the finer the grind the less contact time. So 15 seconds for expresso, 1-2 minutes for a drip coffee maker and five minutes in the cafetiere.
• Coffee used should be freshly roasted and ground immediately before brewing. As this is not always convenient, grounds should be kept in an airtight container so should be transferred straight away on opening. Do not allow the grounds to get damp as this will destroy the flavour.
• Serve coffee immediately. Don’t allow it to hang about and do not keep it warm on the stove as again this will affect the flavour.

If you follow the above, then brewing the best tasting cup of coffee for that early morning lift will become a matter of course.

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April 30, 2010

Top recipes using coffee

Filed under: Drinks, Food — Tags: coffee, coffee recipes — admin @ 4:12 pm

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, and a drink that many people refuse, or are unable, to start their day without. However, most people take their coffee the same way every time, either white or black, with or without sugar. Coffee doesn’t have to be this one-dimensional though, as there are thousands of different ways to take this delicious hot drink.

Here are a few of the more popular coffee recipes you could try:

Irish Coffee
Irish Coffee is one of the most popular forms of coffee liqueur, and it was originally invented for people to drink when they were crossing the North Sea in a seaplane. This hot drink requires coffee, whipped cream, brown sugar and of course, Irish Whiskey.

Strawberry Dream
Perfect for enjoying during the summer, and of course for watching the tennis; the Strawberry Dream is a delightful coffee recipe that also packs a punch. This coffee recipe is made with espresso coffee, strawberry puree, sweet cream and sugar syrup. It can of course be topped off with real cream and strawberries for a truly glorious summer hot drink.

Winter-Dream Coffee
When the summer nights aren’t quite as warm as you’d hoped, or for when the winter creeps upon us, the Winter-Dream coffee recipe is the perfect solution. This drink is made from two portions of strong coffee, mixed with 200ml of cocoa. You then add to this gingerbread spice and 100ml of milk, as well as some sugar. The hot drink is topped off with some frothed milk foam, sprinkled with gingerbread and accompanied by some gingerbread biscuits.

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March 8, 2010

Avon’s Wonderful Women IWD - Bloggers Competition - Voting Closed!

Filed under: Drinks, Food, Gifts, Uncategorized, ethical fashion — admin @ 4:11 pm

Avon’s “Wonderful Women” competition has now closed.
Stay tuned on Wednesday 17th March to find out the Beauty Blogger Winner!
Thank you all for your votes and support for International Women’s Day 2010!

Warmest Regards,

Avon UK x

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February 3, 2010

Best hot drinks for January chill

Filed under: Food — Tags: coffee, hot chocolate, tea — admin @ 11:52 am

Christmas 2009 gave us one of the worst winters we’ve ever had in the UK, with seemingly endless snowfall and icy conditions on the roads. The weather meant it was better for many of us to stay indoors, with the fire on and firmly hold on to a nice warm drink, while other people went outside to work or to build snowmen.

So what are the best drinks to enjoy during the winter, while you sit by the fire and look at the thick blanket of white snow on the ground?

In Britain we’re known as a nation of tea drinkers, and that is one stereotype that we’re comfortable with. A good hot cup of tea certainly serves the purpose of keeping your toes warm when it’s too cold to go outside. There are also a wide range of teas available to drink, rather than just the usual brands that you see advertised on TV by monkeys and men with flat caps.

If tea isn’t to your liking, you could always stay indoors with a good, strong coffee. Many people find that a cup (or usually mug) of coffee is the best way to start the day, whether it’s snowing or not.

Perhaps the best drink for staying warm in winter is hot chocolate. A tall mug of hot chocolate, filled with marshmallows and sprinkled with chocolate flakes, is the ideal way to sit out the cold weather. There’s no need to venture outside, so long as you have an ample supply of marshmallows on hand.

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January 11, 2010

Best recipes for Christmas

Filed under: Food — Tags: Christmas, cooking, Food, hot chocolate, recipes — admin @ 4:44 pm

Like every year, you have been once again designated to cook the Christmas lunch for everyone! Lucky you! Unfortunately, you can’t impress them with your traditional turkey and cranberry sauce as you have been cooking this for the past three years!! Your mother-in-law, as usual can’t stop complaining about your lack of creativity and your husband doesn’t want to be in the middle of the fights!
As a matter of fact, cooking can be really stressful and painful! You are always thrilled to discover new and funky recipes but they are always too long and too complicated to prepare!
To help our desperate housewives, we have combined a list of delicious and easy recipes to help you impress even the most sceptical ones!
Let’s start with the dessert. Yes, ladies! Even if it is the last course, it is generally the first one you prepare!
If you want to show some master chef gifts of yours without putting too much effort in it, go for the Baklava. (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baklava/Detail.aspx) To add your own touch, you can sprinkle some delicious hot chocolate powder.
If you are more into traditional dishes, here is a delicious recipe for a pumpkin pie. (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Libbys-Famous-Pumpkin-Pie/Detail.aspx)
Let’s look at the first course now. How about Bacon and cheese tartlets with a nice tomato coulis and a side salad?(http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Crescent-Bacon-Cheese-Tartlet/Detail.aspx)Really mouth-watering isn’t it?
Finally, (we’ve saved the best for the end) the main course which needs to be your master piece if you want to earn extra points with your Old and Bitter!
If you are sick and tired of making turkey every year, go for something different. Why not try the Lamb with Balsamic Fig and Basil sauce? (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Stuffed-Leg-of-Lamb-with-Balsamic-Fig-Basil-Sauce/Detail.aspx)! Seems very fancy right? Don’t worry, all the instructions are there to help you make it easier!
Or, if you are a Turkey lover and can’t imagine your Christmas without it, here is a recipe to shaken up the traditions: the Sherry’s German Turkey (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sherrys-German-Turkey/Detail.aspx)
This will make you without a doubt the Queen of the Kitchen for 2010!
Bon Appetit and Merry Christmas!

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