Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Mad Hatter Tea Party

When I was a child, I was quite scaried by Alice in Wonderland movie: characters, stories, imagination, scenes, colours… everything conveyed a sense of discomfort and queerness. So, when a few weeks ago I went to the cinema with my friends to watch Alice’s movie by Tim Burton, I was sceptical but really curious to see what Tim Burton had created, since I honestly think he is a real genious. And I must admit, after only 2 hours, my opinion about Alice’s Adventures was completely changed!

This time, I was totally fascinated by colours, characters, music, the Mad Hatter (aka Johnny Deep)… everything! I was so changed that as soon as I had the chance to submit my idea for the Foodbuzz’s April 24, 24, 24 event, my mind flew istantly to a Mad Hatter Tea Party. So, go figure my happiness when I was chosen as one of the lucky 24 foodbloggers selected to organize 24 meals, over 24 hours, through 24 blogs!

The location: my garden. I started looking at weather forecast as soon as I knew the party should be held on the 24th, and there was a large likelihood that on that day it would have rained. What a pity! But Fortune favours the braves, and when I started to arrange the table and lay down table clothes, flowers, plates, sweet and savoury treats and cakes, a ray of light pierced the clouds!

The most exciting moment was studing the menu, so fun and amazing! I browsed through cookbooks, foodblogs, magazines and folders to find delicious and scrumptious recipes, fingerfoods easy to nibble in between a chat and a laugh. As regards drinks, there was obviously tea, black, strong and absolutely English. Besides tea, I decided to offer a selection of fresh fruit juices, with a little ‘Drink me’ tag on each bottle: iced tea and cranberry juice, orange juice, white grape, orange, mango, papaya and apple juice, white grape, red grape and pomegranate juice and finally blood orange and pomegranate juice.

As regard savoury things, I made a few dishes full of small white bread rolls, filled with:

• basil pesto, ricotta cheese and carrots
• Philadelphia cheese and red salmon
• artichoke paté and smoked ham
• goat cheese and red pepper
• ricotta cheese, herbes de Provence and carrots

But I must reckon that the most amazing part of the menu was the sweet side!  I made a few pound cakes, so easy to bake, very nice to present cut into slices and a perfect sweet accompanying to a cup of tea drunk talking with friends in the lawn.

• Matcha and black sesame seeds pound cake
• Dutch cocoa and Tonka bean pound cake
• Cinnamon, raisins, hazelnuts pound cake

I studied a suprise for my French friends, so I baked a batch of Macarons, according Meeta‘s recipe: they were not perfect, but absolutely delicious!

This cake was my favourite one, along with my strawberry and ricotta cheese muffins: a four layer sponge cake, enriched with a ricotta and cream filling, topped with lilac flowers and a multitude of colorful, thin and long candles: after all, it was everyone’s umbirthday, wasn’t it?

Obviously, small ‘Eat me’ cookies couldn’t miss! They were extra virgin olive oil, candied pumpkin and orange cookies, made following my recent recipe. Since my last recipe was so appreciated, I made it again and baked a doulbe batch of lemon cupcakes, too!

But my sweet treats are not finished, yet! There were also:

• chocolate muffins topped with orange whipped cream
• chocolate layer cake, topped again with pink candles
• little glasses filled with strawberry curd and whipped cream and with lemon curd and whipped cream

The funniest side of the party was our dressing! There was a perfect Mad Hatter (thank you Dario for bringing us every shape of hats) and cowboys, elegant and queer people, a beautiful Alice dressed in green and… a little Alice, our mascot. I decided to dress with an every day style, but choosing an appropriate make up: so my aim was to represent the butterfly, the result of the Caterpillar metamorphosis.

Now I leave you with a medley of our happy faces!