Agony of the Leaves: The Ecstasy of My Life with Tea
Tea and the role it has played in one woman's life forms the essence of this sparkling book. The author, a lecturer in tea history, a contributing editor for Tea Quarterly magazine, and a tea guru for Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, California, mixes personal remembrances and tea facts and lore with a selection of appropriate tea-time recipes (including cakes, cookies, and breads) to create a heady brew that will delight tea-loving readers. Various chapters offer a look at a childhood faculty tea party in Minnesota, a cherished meeting with the CEO of the Twinings tea empire, and some behind-the-scenes action at an English tea auction. Tea statistics, guidelines for buying and storing teas, the proper method of preparing tea, and the various measures for grading tea leaves are just some of the fascinating aspects of tea culture described in the author's brisk and endearing prose. So put on the kettle, pull up a comfy chair, and savor this enticing book. Recommended for public libraries.?John Charles, Scottsdale P.L., Ariz.Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.