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tea sarnies tutorial

salmon cucumber tea sarnies 2

i don't know anybody who invites anyone over for tea--well, nothing past a cuppa and a cake anyway, but you never know. it could happen. i do some informal catering for family members and occasionally i'll get a request for a tea sandwich or finger food (no, not like this, goofballs) for a party, and sarnies are usually an inexpensive, easy route to go. face it, no one is ever going to get full eating these, so you might as well make 'em pretty (okay, aesthetically pleasing). if you ever find yourself in need of some light nosh (or, if you need an excuse to serve cupcakes later), and you have no desire to break the bank, these cucumber salmon sandwiches look fahhbulous, taste great, are easy to assemble, and cost pennies. well, dimes, maybe.

ingredients:
any sort of sliced medium density loaf bread--you don't want something so soft that it can't handle the weight of the toppings, but you don't want anything too hearty to compete with the cucumbers
softened cream cheese or butter
wasabi (or finely chopped fresh herbs)
cucumbers (i use japanese variety ones as they have less moisture)
smoked salmon

cucumber sandwich  prep 1 1. mix the softened cheese or butter with wasabi or herbs, salt and pepper. spread a thin layer of this mixture onto a slice of bread. 2. slice the cucumbers as thinly as possible into long ribbons. you can use a mandoline, but i just use a good vegetable parer. lay and overlap the slices lengthwise across the bread.

cucumber sandwich prep 2 3. trim the edges off the bread with a sharp knife so you get a good square or rectangle. see? pretty already. cut these down to bars or triangles, so you get no more than two or three bites per 'wich.

salmon cutting 4. cut little rounds out of slices of smoked salmon. i use a kewpie mayonnaise top, but many drink bottle tops will work. decorate each sandwich piece with one salmon round.

impress your friends and family with your mad skillz, y'all. snort. only you'll know how truly dorktastic these were to make.

13 comments:

wow, they looked absolutely gorgeous!!! enuff said...

Delicious!!! :)

I have to confess to a love and longing for afternoon tea -- not something I grew up with or knew much about, since it's not really a common habit here in the States. There are a lot of places in NYC that serve a full tea, but at hugely inflated prices. Maybe I should just make these sleek, fab sandwiches for my mean selfish self, brew up a pot of Earl Grey (or maybe I'll try Corduroy), and buy some little cakes at the patisserie...

hi babe, sbm, and oslofoodie--just a little fun in the kitchen :-)

hi julie--afternoon tea was popular here for awhile, i'm not sure why it isn't anymore. the best teas i've been to have been at the hong kong peninsula hotel and my friend's mum's house in wolverhampton england. completely different experiences, but i loved them. why not do it for yourself? i did :-)

Yah, I had a great tea at the Savoy once, and here in NYC at Payard Patisserie. But I also put together a fantastic tea for my SIL's wedding shower. Gotta do it again.

I love the stipe motif! Stripes in the cucumber, stripes in the shadows...

Lovely.. lovely.. lovely.. Santos..!

Blimey, I couldn't eat that. I could frame it, maybe.

hey julie--i just remembered another great tea i went to in la in this weird post-modernist industrial building, but all the food was traditional. the best part was when the harpist busted out "stairway to heaven" and i think i was the only person who noticed.
hi jessica--the michael stripe motif? ;-)
hi mrs.t--thanks!
hey pieman-- :-) good for the minimalist home

Santos, so beeyooteefool!!! My sister and I, together with some friends, have made a habit of afternoon tea. I think it has a lot to do with growing up pinoy and trying to recreate merienda. New York has experienced a surge in tea salons, and those are always nice and charming, but my favorites will always be the Four Seasons and the St. Regis.

Ooops, that's me up there. Sans Rival Candy.

hi! now, where are the photos of sans rival? ;-) i've only been to tea at the t salon, which i think is gone now. what are the teas at the four seasons and st. regis like? you have to start a food blog so i know :-D

I grew up with afternoon tea with my grandmother, and I love the ritual now as an adult....

I must admit, I do not do anything fancy and go all out but do love having afternoon tea on my days off from work.

Sometimes I will go to a local tea house and pick up desserts and then head to the grocery store and gather tea sandwich supplies.

In fact my sixteen year old requested a sweet sixteen tea party at her birthday....I thoroughly enjoyed granting her wish!