| Chirp-A-Tea Chirp
Dear Tea Friend,
Tea and travel, for me the two are inseparable. Wherever I travel,
I always look for tea. Throw in art and museums and I consider it
a great trip. On a recent visit to Charlotte, North Carolina, I
hit the jackpot. I went to Charlotte to see Porcelain American
Style, an exhibit that runs through June 26, 2005 at the Mint
Museum of Art. While there, I discovered that they have an excellent
ceramics exhibit permanently displayed in the Delhom Gallery. Their
collection includes many teapots, tea caddies, teacups, and tea
bowls (teacups before the handle was added). In the display case
of Chinese ceramics, there was an exquisite, marbled tea bowl from
the Tang Dynasty, and an unusual cobalt one from the Ming Dynasty.
To my amazement, there were many teapots with matching tea caddies,
both in perfect condition. Two such sets, a pineapple teapot (pictured
above) with matching caddy, and a cauliflower teapot, also with
matching caddy, were from 1765. Except for the diminutive size of
the teapot, they looked quite contemporary and would have been right
at home in any modern gift shop. The collection also included commemorative
teapots of Queen Charlotte and King George III (1762), and John
Wesley (1770). An 1810 Wedgwood Capriware set consisting of a flawlessly
intact teapot with covered sugar and cream dish caught my eye. Also
among the collection's Wedgwood pieces were two Jasperware chatelaines,
which the identification information stated would have been "worn
by the mistress of the house to carry keys to, among other things,
tea cupboards and tea caddies." I found this exhibit so captivating,
I stayed much longer than I had planned.
After leaving the Mint, I went to La
tea Da's for lunch. They served Stash tea and I ordered the
day's featured tea along with the Tea Set which included heart
shaped cucumber and pimento cheese tea sandwiches, a chicken salad
croissant, fruit salad, and a delicious butterscotch scone with
lemon curd. La tea Da's serves lunch, tea by reservation, and
dinner. Lunch is, as one fellow diner told me, "a ladies do lunch,"
affair. But, I understand the crowd is mixed at dinner. This is
quite possible, because the décor is very neutral except for the
hot pink tablecloths on some of the tables, which I expect could
be replaced with white ones like those that covered the other
tables. While I was there, other diners included a lady with two
young girls dressed for tea, complete with hat, gloves, and shawls,
and a group of four young women there for a baby shower.
After lunch, I went to the Mint
Museum of Craft and Design because admission was included
with the ticket I bought for the Mint Art Museum. There, I enjoyed
the Murano glass exhibit, then headed back to the hotel.
Day two of this trip was equally wonderful. My husband joined
me for lunch at Tea
Rex Teahouse where we visited with the celebrity owner, Wayne
Powers. Mr. Powers is an actor whose credits you can read
about on his website. He has chosen Charlotte as his home and
opened Tea Rex Teahouse there in 1997. The atmosphere is very
casual; food is served in carry out type containers, but is very
good. The tea takes center stage here with an impressive selection
and a knowledgeable staff. Tea Rex is located in the Atherton
Mill Complex, an old yarn mill that has been converted to a shopping
area and home of the Trolley
Museum.
When traveling, I like to see what can be done for free. Charlotte
held many such opportunities. The two we chose were the Ben
Long frescoes in the Bank
of America Corporate Center and the Jean
Tinguely kinetic sculpture in the Carillion Building, so we
took the drive to Uptown Charlotte to see them both. Ben Long
is a native North Carolinian, and I am always pleased when local
artists are appreciated at home. Seeing the work of Jean Tinguely,
a Swiss artist, interested me because my husband is Swiss and
we lived in Switzerland for three years. I grew to love the country
and am always excited to find connections to it here in the States.
However, I did not really find Tinguely's work to be my cup to
tea.
Viewing the aforementioned art had been on my itinerary for the
day; visiting the McColl
Center For Visual Art had not. A brochure I picked up in the
Carillion Building stated that there was no admission fee, so
we decided to go over and take a quick look. That decision turned
out to be the delight of the day. Quite unexpectedly, I spied
a sculpture entitled Oh, The Places You Will Go, that I
had admired when it was entered into a juried show a few years
ago at The Anderson County Arts Center. I have often wondered,
where did it go? Not only did I get to see the piece again, but
we also met the artist, Paula Smith, who was delightful. Tea,
art, and museums- this was a great trip!
Wishing you a pleasant teatime,
Donna Siemen
RECIPE
 The butterscotch scones I enjoyed at La Tea Da's inspired this
recipe for Oatmeal Butterscotch Scones.
Oatmeal Butterscotch Scones
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ˝ cup quick oatmeal
- 1-tablespoon baking powder
- ˝ teaspoon salt
- 1/3-cup sugar
- 1 stick butter softened
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- ˝ cup black walnuts
- ˝ cup of milk
- 1-teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift flour, baking
powder, salt, and sugar together. Cut in softened butter and mix
till crumbly. Mix in butterscotch chips and black walnuts. In a
separate bowl, whisk egg, adding milk and vanilla extract. Add egg
mixture to dry ingredients and mix to form soft dough. Sprinkle
flour and a little oatmeal on dough board and roll dough out to
about ˝ inch thickness. Cut with a biscuit or cookie cutter. Brush
with a little milk and bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly
browned.
Tea Tip
Tea is a no guilt treat. With all the different blends, you
can treat yourself to the tea that matches your mood. With no added
sugar or milk, this no calorie, low cost luxury can be enjoyed
anytime, to celebrate, console, or relax.
Etiquette Reminder
When visiting museums, libraries, or theaters, be sure to
keep conversations to a whisper, and avoid using your cell
phone. |
