The Afternoon Tea Book by Michael Smith

For the Tea & Poetry Book Club, we run across good books about the history and experience of tea in different cultures, contains complementary dishes to serve with tea and the poetry of blending all of these ingredients together. The British Tea experience is one that we rarely experience in the United States, but find evidence of many people experimenting and enjoying the ambiance of what preparation and encounter entail.

The Afternoon Tea Book by Michael Smith describes every aspect of the teatime ritual and allows readers to recreate a complete English tea experience at home. This book also contains a nice, diverse collection of different recipes that is indicative of the British Tea experience. Michael Smith, the author who is also a British Chef, sprinkles authentic and amusing anecdotes from his childhood and the history of British tea.

The recipes have been updated for the American kitchen, but you may run across a teahouse during your travels that serves afternoon tea in the authentic British way. Nice book and very informative. This is an excellent addition to the Tea & Poetry Book Club bookshelf! Thank you Michael.