A Nice Cuppa

Must Haves ??? Reef Teapot from Anthropologie

Peggy Bourjaily — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 06:40:19 +0000

One of the greatest things about living in the Northeast is the clear definition and extension of the four seasons. The clear crispness and browning leaves ease us into fall. By winter, the branches are bare and the days are unbearably short. And then the crocuses usher in spring with their sturdy heads pushing their way through the ice. Summer, however brutal the heat can be, brings with it an easy spirit where it???s ok to walk a little more slowly, lounge a little more often and take vacations even if it just means spending the weekend at the pool.

With the clear seasonal borders in the Northeast, I felt I had an excuse to fall in love with a teapot at Anthropologie called the Reef. Although it???s fashioned out of porcelain, I think a fish would be quite at home. White and clean, the middle looks like a sea urchin casing and the handle and spout are pieces of coral. This is my summer indulgence and I will be looking longingly at it when winter sets in.

* The Reef teapot can be found online at anthropologie.com

Must Haves ??? Payard Patisserie Macarons

Peggy Bourjaily — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 20:40:50 +0000

Whenever my parents visit me in New York, my mother and I branch off from my father for a day filled with shopping and eating. We rejoin him each evening for dinner where we try in earnest to eat, but aren???t very convincing. Though we???ve never revealed the secret behind our full bellies, I think my father is catching on. You see, my mother and I never miss afternoon tea. New York has loads of hotels and tea salons beckoning to the lowly shopper to sink into a comfy armchair and partake of goodies. Once you???re there, the sandwiches, scones and pastries take over and it isn???t until you???re stuffed that you realize dinner is in two hours.

Payard on the Upper East Side has one of our favorite afternoon teas. When I want to go somewhere beautiful, this is it. Designed in the footsteps of 1920’s Art Deco Paris, the soft brown woods and the round yellow glass fixtures are enchanting. Up front is a beautiful rotunda rimmed in pastry counters and in the middle of it all are tiny cast iron bistro tables where you can leisurely sip a caf?? cr??me and nibble on an ??clair. Or, if you???re like my mother and me, you gobble down everything in sight and go back for more. I???m certain we could win an eating competition if it were Payard treats rather than hot dogs. We???re particularly crazy about the delicate, chewy almond macarons which are as pleasant to look at as they are to eat.

For those of you who don???t live in New York City, Payard???s sublime almond macarons can be delivered to your front door. Perfectly reminiscent of the little cookies you see all over Paris, Payard???s macarons are incredibly light with a slightly crunchy outside and a lovely chewy filling inside. Shaped as tiny little colorful sandwich cookies, they come in an assortment of flavors that change often. Host your own tea party or just hoard them for yourself.

* If you live in New York City, Payard is located at 1032 Lexington Avenue

*For those of you who don???t live in the New York City, Payard is also online at payard.com.

Must Haves ??? Brown Sugar Swizzle Sticks

Peggy Bourjaily — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 22:05:57 +0000

These days, health is everything and the phrase “you are what you eat” is truer than ever before. But, don???t you just get tired of it all sometimes? I mean, eggs were bad for you. Now the good outweighs the bad. Eat fish twice weekly, but here???s the exhaustive list you should avoid unless, that is, you want mercury poisoning. I find myself playing ping-pong with my eyeballs trying to remember that grapes from where is it? are evil while those from what???s that place? are a-ok. What???s a health conscious girl to do?

When I find myself reading the backs of boxes and analyzing the real meaning of organic a little too much, I pull out my big stop sign and freeze before wandering irretrievably into the land of wheat gluten-free breads and fruit extract baking sugar. That???s when I do something bad like adding sugar to my tea in the afternoons ??? something I???d sworn off years ago. As a girl, two lumps were never enough and several teaspoons were more like it. It was until the old freshman 20 reared its ugly head that I decided the easiest things to cut out were soda, and sugar in coffee and tea.

Now, I understand the French swear by sugar lumps, most Englishmen are fine with loose sugar and Southerners add sugar syrup to their iced tea. I recently stumbled upon my new favorite mode of adding sugar to tea: rock candy sugar sticks! They???re the old-fashioned rock candy lollipops and they???re very attractive for company. Just plop a few in a crystal cup or shallow jug and your guests will think you???re terribly creative.

* Rock candy sugar sticks can be found online at stashtea.com

Must Haves ??? Fragrant Tea Soaps by the Soap Fairy

Peggy Bourjaily — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 21:32:51 +0000

Until recently, the only things I knew about Delaware were my sister-in-law was raised there, the Duponts reside there and major corporations are headquartered there. I had heard about the beaches from friends, but had never really spent any time there. Then my grandmother purchased a house along the peninsula in Bethany Beach. I have spent the last few weeks there with my parents, husband, grandmother, brothers, their wives and their children. As you can imagine, we were packed in and I found myself often escaping to explore.

I definitely thought the Delaware coast would be the last place I would find an inspiring Must Have. As you can imagine, beach culture is usually more about salt-water taffy than coffee and tea. But, one day, I was lunching with my mother and grandmother at this wonderful restaurant called The Buttery. Grandmommie told us about a place called the Soap Fairy where they hand make fragrant natural soaps. She couldn???t remember where it was so we drove around while Grandmommie tried to remember. Finally, we found it.

Located in a defunct ice plant in the old town of Lewes, Delaware the Soap Fairy factory welcomes visitors to watch them make the soap or you can just head right into the shop like we did. Being a caffeine freak and investigator, I was instantly drawn to the green tea flavored soaps and lotions. They smelled phenomenal and I was thrilled to see all the product are vegetarian and contain shea butter which is important for parched and sensitive skin like mine. I also loved the milk and honey (perfect accessories for tea) and the bergamot flavored products (the main ingredient in earl grey tea). At the end of the day, we all made out like bandits and have been taking very relaxing baths ever since.

*Handmade soaps and lotions are available online at www.soapfairy.com

Must Haves ??? Iced Tea Spoons by Meadowsweet Kitchens

Peggy Bourjaily — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 22:45:33 +0000

In Virginia, summer arrives early. Trees bud and crocuses pop out of the ground in late February. By the time April ends, we???ve already had our share of humid days followed by evening thunderstorms. Even so, as with the rest of America, summer doesn???t officially begin until Memorial Day. We don???t really go swimming or have barbecues before then, and it???s understood that lemonade and iced tea are meant only for those dire days when nothing will due, but a cold drink.

Last week, I wrote about Juliska iced tea pitchers and I simply couldn???t let another week go by without telling about my favorite iced tea spoons. I???ve only known a few people who actually own them, but, let me tell you, iced tea spoons are essential to feeling special when you are entertaining on a hot day and serving iced tea. When my grandmother makes it for us, she uses big tall glasses filled with ice, fresh brewed tea, mint leaves and lemon wedges. Of course, we???re Southern and we must have our iced tea sweet. Iced tea spoons are essential so your guests can kick up all those sugar crystals in the glasses??? bottoms and smush the mint and lemon into bits mixing it all harmoniously to get the perfect flavor.

I recently found these wonderful glass iced tea spoons from Meadowsweet Kitchens. They are handmade and come in six different colors. I am used to seeing stainless steel or silver spoons everywhere. These are a refreshing take on an old classic. But be careful, you won???t be able to pound at your iced tea with abandon. They seem sturdy enough, but I???d pound a bit more gently. They are also useful for mixing martini???s or other drink in a pitcher.

*Meadowsweet Kitchens Iced Tea Spoons (also known as Swizzle Spoons) are available online at www.reamsofdreams.com

Must Haves ??? Juliska Pitcher

Peggy Bourjaily — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 22:43:35 +0000

Regardless of where you live, whether it???s north or south, east or west, the heat will set in. There will be gloriously hot days where your shirt sticks to your skin, your face is beaded with water droplets and all you can manage is sitting in the shade somewhere with a cool drink. During the summer, I brew iced tea on my windowsill. I get a large pitcher, throw in some tea bags, a generous handful of fresh mint, some lemon slices and top it off with warm water. I let it all steep and brew together for a few hours in the sun until it???s deeply colored. Then I put the pitcher in the fridge where it???s cold and strong and ready for when I???m in dire need.

There are the pitchers you have in the fridge. You know, those plastic bulky things, which are basically containers and never see the light of day except for when you fill, empty or wash them. They are the workhorses and the first one you bought is probably the last since they never die and always serve you well. Then there are the glass beauties you bring out for friends and family which show off a beverage in the most flattering way. You use them less often because even though they are loyal, you never know when you???ll chip or break one. If you???re like me, you often leave it empty on the countertop as a showpiece while secretly depending on your poor old stained pitcher which is probably sitting in your fridge right now full of something luscious and cooling.

While I admire my plastic pitcher???s work ethic, this week I have to tell you about my new favorite glass beauty. The Amalia and Isabella pitchers by Juliska are large and round; perfect for holding lemonade or iced tea for parties. They are artisanally made in the countryside on the outskirts of Prague. The glass is mouth-blown with exquisite detailing added to each pitcher. They are perfect for a picnic, barbecue or cocktail party and they look beautiful placed in a sunny window.

*Juliska pitchers are available online at Juliska.com.

Must Haves ??? Travel Mugs

Peggy Bourjaily — Sun, 28 May 2006 22:08:48 +0000

I live in Manhattan and I have to ride the subway to work squished up against and in between hordes of strangers. At the office, like almost every other office building in North America, there is a coffee maker fitted with large circular filters and ground coffee sealed in single pot bags. I used to anger the rest of my colleagues by using two or even three of these bags for one pot. You see, I like my coffee strong and bold. I drive my in-laws insane with it whenever I visit. Finally, someone at work told me I was being selfish and shouldn???t make such strong coffee. I reluctantly agreed and had to figure out a better way to get better coffee.

Here I was, unable to take advantage of the free coffee at work and unwilling to shell out the big bucks for some strong brew from the tasty coffee shop down the road. I was left with one option: making coffee at home and bringing it in every day on that smelly subway. And so I discovered the travel mug. Besides my way, there are loads of reasons to use a travel mug. First of all, coffee gets cold pretty quickly when you???re using a disposable paper cup. Second, you???re saving the world just a little bit by reusing rather than just trashing everything. Third, and possibly most important depending on your klutziness factor, you can avoid becoming that lady who sued Mcdonald???s.

There are so many travel mug options out there, but the two I like best are on coffeecakes.com. The first one is made out of white ceramic and shaped almost like an Italian water pitcher. Surprisingly attractive and useful, it has a polypropylene lid and is great for the office or in your car. I wouldn???t call the second beautiful, but if you want to hang upside down or even put it in your bag when on the subway with the hordes, then this baby won???t leak. It???s pretty incredible.

*Both travel mugs are available online at coffeecakes.com

Must Haves ??? Delonghi Metropolis Electric Tea Kettle

Peggy Bourjaily — Tue, 16 May 2006 22:28:24 +0000

I am sitting at my dining table attempting to stare through the clouds and foggy mist that have vanished the tallest buildings in Manhattan. New England hasn???t seen this much rain in 70 years. With moody weather like this, I tend to think back to my first visits to England when I was well advised to take an umbrella everywhere. The problem as I understand it isn???t that it rains all the time, but that you never know when the drizzle will come. One minute you???re walking down the street on a fine day and the next, water starts falling for no apparent reason.

The first time I went abroad to England was right after high school graduation. My best friend is half British and her family had just moved to Bath, England. She was going to University in Scotland and I to New York. So, I came to visit my second family that summer and stayed for a month. I had always known them in Virginia and I saw some of the ways England changed how they lived. Perhaps the most comforting change was from stovetop teakettles to electric ones. Instead of shrieking when the water is boiling the electric kettle just bubbles softly for a minute or two and shuts itself off.

Until recently, they weren???t widely available stateside. But the world has gotten even smaller over the last decade and they???ve been popping up everywhere. My favorite model is the Delonghi Metropolis kettle. It is beautifully shaped like an old fashioned coffee pot. Unlike so many of the older models, this one is sturdy and has a cordless option. If you find yourself regularly sprinting to the stove to stop the insanity, then I recommend trying an electric teakettle.

* The Delonghi Metropolis Electric Tea Kettle is available online at
Kalyx.com.

Must Haves ??? Marie Belle Dark Obsessions Chocolate Rose Tea

Peggy Bourjaily — Mon, 08 May 2006 21:57:34 +0000

Shopping in Soho on a warm sunny day is wonderful. The sidewalks are crowded with people from everywhere. Vendors busy themselves selling goods ranging from beautiful art and jewelry to incense and used shoes. The streets are always packed with an intriguing mix of taxis aspiring to speed through and cars sauntering slowly trying to be seen. Shops, caf??s and art galleries all share claims to this turf and, somehow, they all belong. On a warm spring day, I wake up early and head downtown to spend my day eating, shopping, strolling and watching. On a day like this, there???s simply nothing better to do in New York.

One of my favorite places to stop in for an afternoon treat is Marie Belle???s chocolate shop on Broome Street. Old wooden shelving and bright blue walls welcome you in along with a virtual chocolate paradise of candies, cookies and accessories. The surroundings are sophisticated and old world while the chocolates and other treats are salivatingly good. There???s the Cacao Bar in back where I always collapse and reenergize with a hot chocolate and cookies.

Perhaps the best part is Marie Belle also makes their own coffees and teas with sensual names like Scent of Night and Blooming Heavens. My personal favorite is the Dark Obsessions Chocolate Rose tea. This is the best chocolate tea I???ve tasted yet with a strong chocolate flavor and aromatic hints of rose. I often drink it instead of dessert. All of the teas come in gorgeous blue and brown tins which I use to stash pens and other sundries when it???s empty. If you are still agonizing over what to get your mother for next Sunday, then I highly recommend some tea from Marie Belle. She???ll love it.

* If you live in New York City, Marie Belle is located at 484 Broome Street

*For those of you who don???t live in the New York City, Marie Belle is also online at mariebelle.com.

Must Haves ??? Floragraphics Tea Cozy

Peggy Bourjaily — Mon, 01 May 2006 20:14:36 +0000

I have been trying to figure out where tea cozies were invented, but there are so many countries with so many stories, it???s hard to declare who actually invented them after all. However, my favorite story (from teastash.com) originates in 17th century Ireland. Legend has it that a farmer was sitting at the table when his hat accidentally fell onto a full teapot. Later on, he poured himself a cup of tea and marveled that it was still hot. The next day, his wife knitted a little cover for the pot and called it a cozy. Whether it???s truth or mythology, I love its happenstance nature.

I???ve wanted to write about tea cozies for a while now but, as you can see, they haven???t changed much in the last 400 years. That is, I didn???t think they had until I walked into La Cuisine in Old Town Alexandria last week. First off, if you are in the neighborhood and would like a refreshing change from the generic cooking stores, La Cuisine has a wonderful selection of cook???s tools, books, spices and chocolates. Honestly, I was astounded and wanted to buy everything. Alas, I could not, but I did find a wonderful tea cozy by Floragraphics that breaks the centuries old cozy mold.

What sets this tea cozy apart is its wonderful round shape reminiscent of Cinderella???s pumpkin carriage. Instead of acting as a hat like most cozies, this one is a cute little bag. You place the teapot inside and pull the black velvet ropes at the top, gathering the whole thing into a tidy bundle. Instead of the usual floral motifs, the silken fabric is mocha colored with black polka dots. If you feel like a change, it???s reversible. The other side is sleek, solid and black. This sophisticated cozy is perfect for the modern tea lover and her modern teapot.

* If you live in Alexandria, Virginia, La Cuisine is located at 323 Cameron Street between North Fairfax and Royal Streets.

*For those of you who don???t live in the DC area, La Cuisine is also online at lacuisineus.com.