Cooking with tomatoes!

Check out my amazing recipes for cooking with tomatoes in MariettaAndBeyond.com!

http://www.mariettaandbeyond.com/2014/09/08/cooking-with-tomatoes-easy-fun-and-delicious/

A Taste of Britain, Indeed: A Tearoom Review

Mmm tea. In scones, in my cup, in my blender, in my iced mug. I love tea all ways but none other than within afternoon tea. When I found out about A Taste of Britain in Wayne, PA, my fiancé Stephen and I took a gorgeous Saturday drive to Wayne, and to enjoy a lazy, relaxing, delicious afternoon!

Owner Debbie Heth knows tea, and with delicious fresh loose leaf teas from prime tea regions, I knew that our lunch was going to be special. We arrived at this gorgeous restful place off Route 30, tucked among other cute shops and headed in.

When we first stepped in, the entrance was set up as an English country store, with delicacies and sweets not normally found in the US, only in Britain. Cadbury Milk Trays, Spotted Dick, shortbreads, digestives, treacle, pasties, clotted cream and specialty teas are all available for purchase, along with a special selection of tea ware and Royal Family items.

After being seated in a cozy table in a patch of sunshine, Steve and I viewed the menu. We both chose our teas, him with a hot pot of rich Assam, and me with the sweet and powerful white and green tea blended with pomegranate. The Assam is a full-bodied tea with hints of malt and when cream and sugar is added, is a delightfully smooth cup of tea. My tea exploded on my tongue with fresh, sweet, flavors. I didn’t even need to add anything to my tea! We each drank about three pots of our tea with our meals.

We both decided on the pasties for lunch. I chose the savory cheese and onion within a tender pastry and a salad, while Stephen enjoyed the rich ground beef and potato pasty with baked beans. This lunch was truly a savory, delicious experience.

 

For dessert, we enjoyed lemon scones, and an assortment of treats: sweet petit fours, mini vanilla cupcakes with sweet icing, fudgy brownie bites and tart lemon and raspberry bars.
 

The entire lunchtime experience was relaxing and delicious. One of my favorite places for sure!

A Taste of Britain also hosts many events per year- Mother’s Day Tea, Valentine’s Day Tea, Winter Tea, private parties such an birthdays or showers, and also does catering for an event within the shoppe or within your home.

You can find A Taste of Britain within the Eagle Village Shops, 503 West Lancaster Avenue, Wayne, PA.
Call for reservations at 610-971-0390

 

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Fun and Elegance at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon Afternoon Tea

In my travels, I always go to Washington DC once or twice a year. The museums, the culture, the food- I love it all!

Recently my fiance' and I spent the weekend in DC, staying at our favorite hotel, the Ritz-Carlton! Impeccable service, gorgeous rooms, close by to the Mall and the downtown and longer stroll to my favorite neighborhood, Georgetown.

My focus of this trip was to see family, drink tea and relax with Stephen. I was on a tea-buying trip and wanted to experience different teas in the DC setting.

Our hotel offered some amazing tea. A special blend was send up for Stephen and I in the afternoon to refresh us, and we got to sample the special cherry blossom blend as well. At night, I still had an extra teabag so room service brought up a fresh hot pot of water so I could make ourselves a cuppa or two before bedtime.

Friday and Saturday we visited the museums and shopped in Georgetown where I bought several teas- oolong and black teas- and saw family in Arlington, then on Sunday before we left we enjoyed another delicious room service breakfast in our gorgeously appointed room.

Note- If you have never stayed at a Ritz, get yourself to the Ritz Carlton Washington DC. It is the ultimate in comfort and luxury! And the people- so professional and accommodating. I never ever stay anywhere else in DC.

Ever.

So, on Sunday we headed back to Arlington to pick up Stephen’s two cousins and off we went to afternoon tea at the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City, overlooking the Potomac River and next to the Pentagon City Mall.

We were seated in the cool, stylish dining room next to a fireplace with high comfy couches and a square low table. The kids, Anthony and Genevieve were very excited to be out with Aunt Christine and Uncle Stephen!

The tea began with us choosing our beverages- creamy hot chocolate for the kids and a tropical, woody, green Chinese Sencha called L’Oriental for Stephen, and a green tea with lemongrass, lime, ginger and lemon for myself, called The Vert Jasmin. All the loose teas are designed exclusively for the Ritz win collaboration with Damman Freres Premium Tea Makers. Stephen and I also enjoyed a glass of champagne.

Then came a tiered tower of treats for us all- gooey brownies and gingerbread teddy bears for the kids, lemon tarlets and exquisite chocolate rolls for the adults. The chef came out and personally thanked the kids for coming in, giving them each a wrapped tower of specialty cookies in flavors such as mint chocolate chip, white chocolate macadamia, and chewy cinnamon oatmeal raisin.
(I got cookies too. I asked ☺) 

The Pastry Sous Chef Steven Sechoka said he creates everything from scratch, and wants each patron to enjoy their meal in the freshest way possible. For afternoon tea, he works with the tea makers to pair the tea seamlessly with the edible delights he creates daily. This man is a true artist!

We also enjoyed mini scones in lemon and chocolate chips, with savory sandwiches of tuna, cream cheese, cucumber and more. Each sandwich was more delicious than the last!

Alas, tea came to end and we were given more treats and bottles of water for our ride home. 
After dropping off the kids to their parents and hugging everyone goodbye, we began our trek back to PA.

What a gorgeous weekend! We’ll be back, DC!

You can enjoy Afternoon Tea at the Pentagon City Ritz Carlton on Saturday: 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. and

Sunday: 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. at 1250 South Hayes Street in Arlington, Virginia.

Special thanks to Michele Klarman and Nicholas Hines!!

August 19 Pantry Challenge!

Tonight I'm embarking on the Pantry Challenge! First, turning 3 pounds of tomatoes into homemade sauce to freeze, then.... Utilizing several ingredients in the freezer and pantry for dinners this week! What will I come up with.....!?!