Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-05-01
EXCLUSIVELY YOURS
British Tea:
Perle- Saint,
Sinner?
BY BETTY BEALE

After 181 years of making
tea the wrong way-ever since
that famous Boston Party
when we dunked the leaves in
the dirty water of the Boston
harbor-the British have de-
cided to show us the proper
method. It will be a jolly,
pip-pip affair with nipples
in their maids uniforms run
ming back and forth to get
water boiled the proper length
of time and the tea stepped
just so for their "lyedyships"
to sip in the garden.
It will be staged at the
Flower Mart on Friday. On
the lawn there beside the
Washington Cathedral the
wives Of British diplomats will
present q typical tea party in
the garden. Dressing them
selves up like ldowager duch-
esses Of the Edwardian era,
three ladies will pour. Mrs.
Peter Garran, wife Of the
Commercial Minister; Lady
Jane Nelson, wife Of Col John
Nelson of the NATO Joint
Planning STAFF and sister Of
the late ninth Duke of Graf
ton: and Mrs. Mostyn-Owen
wife Of the Queens Messenger.
They'll Wear Shady Hats
Even II they weren't sitting
In front of three elaborate
silver tea services, you would
know them by their shady hats
Chats English for picture
hats or queen Mary type
toques. always with q bit
Of tulle wrapped around. the
hat or neck, with a rose. and
long gloves tucked in at the
wrist.
The l1ippieS-that's Mayfair
slang for maids-will be por-
trayed by Mesdames Mccall
Judson. Bailey. Roper. Wat
son, Leishman. Sharp and
Flett. Sounds musical.) They
will wear black fullskirted uni
forms with white collars, cuffs.
aprons and caps with long
black streamers, looking for
all the world like those de-
lightful New Yorker cartoons
by Mary Petty.
They will carry tea to the
several hundred ladies who
want it along with thin slices.
Of buttered' bread (the Eng
lish way is TO cut 1t so thin
4 the end Of the loaf has to be
buttered before it's sliced: the
proverbial cucumber sand
witches without which no Eng
, fish tea is complete. and ditto
triangular scenes or short
bread, sponge layer cake with
strawberry jam in between
and chocolate cakes. But
please don't make the shock
ing mistake of calling this
high tea. For high tea you
must add boiled eggs. meat
pastes, ported shrimp or some
thing that will help you skip
dinner.
Herewith, the Recipe.
Now for the recipe for Brit
ish tea-and believe 1t or not
they go through this much
trouble every afternoon and
sometimes at IL in the morn
ing to boot. Heat water until
it SINNERS, then pour into tea
pot to warm 1t and pour out
and dry thoroughly. Now put
: in tea leaves, a level teaspoon
to a cup and lone for the pot"
Then pour over the crisp
leaves water that hasn't
boiled more than q minute,
put on lid and let steep 4 or
S minutes. The first few cups
will be the best. and 10 min
utes later the whole process
has to be repeated or it's no
good. That's why the ladies
will use only small teapots
though they expect to serve
800 people. To the final prod
uct you may add sugar and
milk never cream) or lemon
which is now quite acceptable
in London. Ii you can pre-
pare all this. you're earned the
o. B. E.. the c. M. q. or what
have you. Good luck, stout
fellow!
-
NEWEST DINNER PARTY
TOPIC has the Democrats
wreathed In smiles. It seems
that George Z. Allen. friend
Of p. d. n. and II. 8. Truman
and closer friend Of Dwight