| Chirp-A-Tea Chirp
Dear Tea Friend,
Dégustez un bon thé. And enjoy it French style without ever leaving
the United States; just go to Texas. It seems the Texans' association
with things French didn't end in the 1800's with the naming of the
town of Paris, Texas. If you are visiting the Dallas area of Texas,
you can have your afternoon tea prepared by an authentic French
chef at Lavendou
Bistro. Owned by native Parisians, Pascal Cayet and Jean-Marie
Cadot (who is also the chef), Lavendou serves lunch, afternoon tea,
and dinner. The décor is authentic Provence and the service is impeccable.
We actually had dinner there, not afternoon tea, and the food was
delicious. For dessert, I tried the Tart Sampler, which gave me
the chance to try not one, but three of their desserts; apple, chocolate,
and apricot tarts. Très bien. We were also able to order tea from
their very substantial tea menu. They excelled in every component
of the ideal dinning experience; atmosphere, food, tea, and service,
so I have no doubt that afternoon tea there would be equally wonderful.
The Renaissance Garden Café inside Inessa Stewart's Antiques on
Lover's Lane supplies a more luxurious French-style setting for
their customers. With an entranceway brought from a Loire Valley
chateau, this combination antique gallery and tearoom entices you
in, to drink not only of tea, but also of the serene and
sophisticated atmosphere created with imported, authentic, French
architectural elements. This is a place of pure refinement, but with
a staff that is warm and inviting, and in no way snobbish.
Dallas tea merchants Phil Krampetz and Kyle Stewart afford tea
aficionados the opportunity to purchase Mariage Frères tea at
their shop, The
Cultured Cup . Mariage Frères has provided premium teas to
the French since 1854. Now, it's available to discerning American
tea drinkers. These two gentlemen also host a full calendar of
tea events. If you plan a trip to Dallas and love tea, plan to
add one of their events to your itinerary. They were getting ready
to move to a new location, but the updated address will surely
appear on their website.
Venturing over to McKinney, Texas, approximately thirty-four miles
north of Dallas, Marsha Yarbrough serves up French style with
Southern graciousness and hospitality at The
Lavender House Tea Room. What a charming lady! What a well-appointed
tearoom! Beautiful chandeliers adorn the ceiling; tables are covered
with black toile, and black furniture, silver tea canisters and
a marble topped counter provide an elegant ambience. In the adjoining
gift shop French soaps and lotions by La Bouquelière and Lothantique
promise that this elegance doesn't have to end when you leave
The Lavender House. With a purchase of French milled soap and
some tea, hours of continued elegant indulgence are assured.
I didn't discover a tearoom in Paris,Texas,
but I would certainly encourage the 100-mile trip from Dallas.
The opportunity to cap off a "Texas goes French" adventure with
a photo op in front of the 65-foot tall, cowboy hat embellished,
Texas Eiffel Tower is just too perfect to miss.
Wishing you a pleasant teatime,
Donna Siemen
RECIPE
 Lavender Curd Meringues
For this recipe you will need to prepare eight ounces of
lavender tea:
For the Lavender Tea:
Boil 8 ounces of spring water Pour over 3 teaspoons of
culinary lavender. Steep for 10 minutes Remove lavender and set tea
aside to cool.
For Lavender Meringues:
- 2 Egg whites
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon of lavender tea
- 1-3 Tablespoons lavender
- Pinch of Cream of Tartar
Egg whites should first be allowed to come to room
temperature. Use a chilled bowl and whisk or beaters. Preheat oven
to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat egg whites, adding a little sugar at
a time and the cream of tartar. When egg whites are stiff, carefully
fold in 1 tablespoon of lavender tea and 1 - 3 tablespoons culinary
lavender blooms according to preference. Line a cookie sheet with
waxed paper. Put 1 tablespoon of egg white mixture onto cookie
sheet. Using a tablespoon, swirl the dollop of egg white into a flat
cookie shape, or swirl until a hollow forms (the hollow will be
filled with the curd, or two flat meringues can be sandwiched
together with the curd. Bake for 1- 11/2 hours.
For the Lavender Curd:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 and ½ sticks of butter
- 1 and ¾ cups of sugar
- 2/3 cup lavender tea
In a double boiler, melt butter. Add the lavender tea and
sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs till frothy. Take a soup ladle
full of the lavender mixture and whisk it into the eggs, then slowly
whisk a little of the egg mixture at a time back into the lavender
tea mixture in the double boiler. Stirring constantly until the
mixture thickens (about 45 minutes -1 hour). Place in refrigerator
to cool.
To Assemble:
When ready to serve, place a small ball of lavender curd on a
meringue and gently flatten to size of meringue. Top with another
meringue to form a sandwich. To decorate, roll the visible portion
of the lavender curd in a small plate of lavender blooms. If you
formed hollows in your meringues, simply flatten the ball of
lavender curd to fill the hollow and sprinkle with lavender
blooms.
Tea Tip
Continuing with the Texas-France connection, Texas native,
Lance Armstrong, is now attempting to capture an unprecedented 7th
consecutive Tour de France win. Prepare your morning cup of tea,
tune the telly to OLN and watch as he cycles through the French
countryside. Then, plan a Texas-style Tour de France celebration tea
party for July 24, the final day of the tour. Jazz seemed to be a
favorite form of entertainment provided at appointed times at each
of the above mentioned tea rooms; so be sure to include it in your
Texas Tour de France tea party, either live or recorded. Set up the
deck, patio, or back lawn like a sidewalk café. Decorate with lots
of yellow. It's the color of the Tour de France jersey, and, along
with blue, is the quintessential Provençal color. Yellow roses
(Harison's Yellow Rose is the authentic Yellow Rose of Texas)
arranged in blue and yellow pottery would make appropriate table
centerpieces.
Etiquette Reminder
Traditional hat etiquette has always maintained that
gentlemen remove hats at the table, yet a woman wearing a hat to
compliment her outfit is not required to remove it. So, gentlemen
should be sure to remove official Tour de France caps or cowboy hats
before coming to the table, while for women, removal of these types
of headgear might be optional.
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