Square Peg Ms Marmite Lover's Secret Tea Party: Exquisite recipes for ultimate afternoon teas

Afternoon tea is something of a forgotten meal. We all have our own idea of what it should be – scones and clotted cream, or tiny delicate sandwiches, or a high tea with a farmhouse table groaning with produce so beloved of Enid Blyton’s characters. In Secret Tea Party, Kerstin Rodgers, pioneer of the Supper Club movement, and hostess of the Underground Restaurant, covers most of these bases. Afternoon teas must be ideally suited to the home restaurant: you don't have to produce food in constrained courses one after the other, and you can finish the washing up before midnight.There are no mundane recipes in this book. Rodgers’ dishes, both here and in her previous work, Supper Club, are always creative and inspiring. Knowing that she produces her food, solo from her Aga, helps persuade you they are achievable. Too often with cookbooks, especially those from chefs, once suspects that they never cook without a battalion of support staff lurking the background just out of camera shot.She makes the more spectacular creations, such as the rainbow cake, or the gingerbread house, accessible by breaking down the recipe into step-by-step instructions, accompanied by admirably clear photographs.Rodgers is generous in citing her inspirations, and Nigella’s name comes up frequently. Indeed, Secret Tea Party and How To Be a Domestic Goddess make perfect companions: Nigella’s book will take you deep into your comfort zone, while Secret Tea Party is designed to take you out of it and to be more adventurous.The photography and illustrations are exquisite. It is a requirement of any cookbook for me that there should be some dishes you fall in love with at first sight, and so it is here: the Scandinavian biscuits photo’d in Arctic blue, or the long rectangular fig and chocolate tart which looks wonderfully sticky and gooey just sitting on the page.Secret Tea Party is an ideal gift book – and one that the recipient is actually likely to cook from.

Sorry, but this was such a let down - I don't know what I was expecting - but not this. I shall seriously consider purchasing "Used" in future; the pages smelt fusty, and some of the pages were covered in - what I can hopefully say - spilled ingredients. It won't go to waste; I have put it in the bag for my local Charity Shop.

the great thing about kerstin's is she gives lots of history and information as well as the delicious recipes. she is the modern Elizabeth David in that you can enjoy her books for reading pleasure before you make the wonderful cakes etc.

Lovely book. Purchased as a gift. Had a peek, great recipes and ideas

Very lovely book with great recipes and pictures. A good addition to any cookery book collection.Check out her other books too