The Dutch brought tea to America in the early 1600s. The record on how to host the perfect afternoon tea for an American upper society audience set in a sophisticated setting appeared in 1847. Unlike the typical English tea, American menus ranged from cheese straws to lobster cutlets to caviar toast to crab croquettes to tomatoes stuffed with cress, along with many mini sweets.
An American afternoon tea that met all these requirements was recently held at the Mathews Museum. The menu was fit for kings and served with Southern hospitality. It included tea sandwiches of watercress, cucumber, chicken salad (several versions) and a vegetable tray centered with deviled eggs. The sweets included lemon and pecan squares, pound cakes, scones, brownies and macaroons, just naming a few.
The waitresses, all museum members, graciously kept the table’s teapot full of hot tea and never let the plates of goodies get empty. Dressed in costumes of the period, Martha Washington (Marilyn Iglesias) and Ma...