Lisa Messinger's
Cookbook of the Week

The Tea Box

by Gilles Brochard (Barron's)

Unlike some gifts—such as an umpteenth common necktie or an extra pair of bedroom slippers—The Tea Box is unlikely to be returned. If a tea lover is the recipient, many a cozy afternoon or evening undoubtedly will be spent rummaging through the box and perhaps sipping the magic that can ensue if the instructions are followed. The box, which is meant to look like a hinged wooden one, but is actually thick cardboard, is filled with forty 5-1/2–by–8-inch gorgeously photographed cards that show and describe how to make tea from all over the world. Brochard, a witty and enthusiastic guide, also breezily discusses the customs and history surrounding the teas. If hunger accompanies thirst, Brochard in addition presents an array of dazzling recipes that include tea (a fine blend of dishes: some are the author's, others are from the world's top chefs) like Earl Grey chocolate tea, casserole veal chops scented with Szehwan tea, zucchini mousse with smoked tea and zucchini carpaccio and the following tea-flavored baked apples (created by the pastry chef at the highly acclaimed Restaurant Guy Savoy in Paris). The perfect accompaniment from the publisher, of course, would have been a sampler of some of the more exotic teas—but that shouldn't stop you from including a few examples on your own before you bestow this box on a friend.

RECIPE: Tea-Flavored Baked Apples

Visit the Cookbook Corner table of contents