Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald

An International Tea Party Everyone Wanted Their Beverage a Different Way

By IDA BAILEY ALLEN

Among the special guests at the Boston Tea Party in Swampscott, were women from India, China and England, wives or daughters of tea growers or merchants. So I invited them to an International Tea Party in one of the lovely salons in the hotel to meet some of the guests from the United States and to have a "spot of tea". In the center of the room was placed a large round table covered with a white cloth; there was a low bowl overflowing with late garden chrysanthemums, and there were yellow candles. The guests sat at the table to enjoy the tea and the discussion.

The tea service was arranged on a separate table; a big pot of tea; a swinging afternoon tea-kettle of boiling water; sugar; jugs of cream and milk; thin half slices of lemon; and ice cubes to make iced tea. A second side table held American style tea accompaniments, large plates of bite-sized Boston brown bread and cream cheese sandwiches, and triangular-shaped chicken paste sandwiches made with thin-sliced white bread.

English Tea

The tea served to our English friends was strong and with cream and sugar. "What do you like best to serve with afternoon tea in England?" I asked.

"Bread, cut wafer-thin and spread with butter," they said, "plain or sprinkled with land cress."

The name "land cress" was new to me. "You don't have it in this country," they explained. "The stalks are short, and the leaves are almost as fine as parsley. You can sprout it in any moist place. We even grow it on a piece of moist blanket." I've sent to England for seeds, and when they come, I have a piece of old blanket waiting ready to try this out. When I broached this to the Chef, all he said was, "Madame, I have conducted many experiments under your direction, but this appears really 'fantastique'!"

I showed one of our Chinese guests how to make tea in a cup with a tea ball. And when I placed the saucer on top to keep in the steam, she remarked, "We do that in China, only we have special covers for our tea cups to keep in the steam." When I asked what she preferred to serve in China with afternoon tea, she described their special savory Chinese pastries, which are really miniature meat or shrimp pies. They do not often serve sweets with tea.

Tea with Lemon

My guests from India and Ceylon preferred tea with lemon. In the Far East with their tea they usually pass vegetable sandwiches made with thin-sliced cucumber or tomato, or sometimes with a fascinating vegetable chutney made by grinding together fresh mint leaves and green chilies, adding a little lemon or tamarind, salt and onion juice. This is spread on buttered bread.

All of the women were shocked at the high cost of foods in this country, and felt that American homemakers might take a few tips in food-economy from their foreign neighbors.

Lots of Meat

"British Hot Pot is good for two or three meals," said one. "You have lots of meat at the bottom the first time; then each day you add more potatoes and tomatoes!"

"I think American women could use more of the economical meat and vegetable combinations," remarked a Chinese guest. "Both pork and beef shanks are good, and they are cheap cuts."

India contributed the idea of more curried dishes, made with fish, eggs, shell fish, lentils or fresh vegetables, as well as the less expensive meats.

Our United States guests from Pennsylvania and Maryland drank iced tea-the all-American drink. We all pooled our ideas and evolved the following menu we hope you'll enjoy:

DINNER INTERNATIONAL

East Indian Purée

Chinese Pork with Vegetables and Rice or

British Hot Pot

Pennsylvania Sauerkraut

Maryland Corn Sticks

American Squash Pie

Coffee or Tea

Milk (Children)

All Measurements Are Level

Recipe Serves Four

East Indian Purée (Americanized)

Combine 1 can condensed split pea soup with 1 can of water, and 1 can condensed tomato soup. Bring to boiling point. Add ½ c. mixed cooked diced carrots, green peas and celery, or use ½ c. canned mixed vegetables. Season delicately with ¼ tsp. curry powder mixed with 1 tbsp. melted butter or margarine.

Chinese Pork with Vegetables and Rice

Small-dice 1 lb. lean raw pork and sauté 2 min. in a hot, slightly oiled frying pan. Meantime string and shred 1 lb. string beans. Combine with ½ c. coarse-diced celery and 1½ c. fine-diced carrots. Steam-boil 5 min. in 1½ c. water containing ½ tsp. salt. When the pork is fried, add the vegetables together with 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. sugar, ¼ tsp. pepper and ½ tsp. soy sauce. Slow-boil 15 min., or until the vegetables are tender. Then stir in 1 tbsp. corn-starch stirred with 1 tbsp. cold water. Boil 2 min. longer. Serve with flaky rice.

British Hot Pot

Cut 1½ lb. lean stewing beef or lamb into 1" cubes. Peel 8 small potatoes and cut crosswise into ¼" slices. Peel and thin-slice 4 medium-sized onions. Arrange a layer of the potatoes in an oiled casserole. Cover with a layer of onions; then with a layer of meat well seasoned with salt and pepper. Repeat until all is used. Dot with 1 tbsp. savory fat. Pour in boiling water to a little more than half fill cover and bake 2 hrs. in a slow oven, 325 to 350 F.

American Squash Pie

Make American pie crust and line a deep 9" pie plate with it. Brush with a little egg white. Fill to within 1" of the top with squash pie filling. Bake 15 min. in a hot oven, 400 F. Then reduce it to 350 F. and bake 30 min. longer, or until knife when inserted in the center comes out practically clean.

Squash Pie Filling: Combine 2 c. sieved cooked winter squash with ½ c. sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon, ¼ tsp. ginger, 1 slightly beaten egg, and 1½ c. scalded whole milk.

For an interesting finish on squash pie, before baking sprinkle over ½ c. any fine-chopped nutmeats.

TRICK OF THE CHEF