The English Tea, presented by the Women of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church every December to universally rave reviews, is a study in contrasts. Otey Hall, which is turned into an elegant tearoom, is serene and soothing.

IMG_2989The back hall, from which thousands of sweets and savories emerge, is orderly and precise. The menu this year: orange cranberry scones, cucumber sandwiches, Blue Moon sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, chicken salad in phyllo cups, smoked turkey and arugula mayonnaise sandwiches, sugar plums, lemon curd tarts, chocolate mint mousse cups and French almond macarons. All  homemade, naturally.

IMG_2983But the kitchen? Let’s just say that if you wanted to have the best fraternity/sorority party in the country you would not go to a university of any kind. You would come to the kitchen at St. Paul’s. There is alcohol involved. A few photos from this year and years’ past.

GeraldLeslie and KatieTomEnglish Tea 2012 036CheersYou will look at these photos and you will assume it’s just one big boozy lovefest in the kitchen. And it is…kind of.  But there’s a lot of pressure involved and – you know the old saying – if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. So we have a dedicated crew that’s used to the heat. There will be yelling (quiet yelling – we have two seatings of 125 guests not six feet away). Hope you are speedy. We have 500 plates to assemble in 45 minutes for each seating. Then we have to wash all of those plates in an hour and a half. Plus the silverware. So you have to be the kind of person who can wear multiple hats, never get flustered, never say “I don’t know what to do” (it indicates fear – not allowed), and cheerfully undertake any job including emptying the garbage. Here’s a recap of a previous year. There’s recipes for my favorite tea sandwiches there.

So we earn our Pino Grigio. Because after we have it, we have the toughest job ahead of us. Cleaning everything up. Nobody wants to stay for that part. But they all do. Cheerfully.





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