food in wonderland

The only thing Alice eats in the recent Tim Burton rendition of Alice in Wonderland is a bite of carrot cake (or so it appeared) with white icing. The one that makes her grow to be a giant. The other food featured in the movie are the cakes and sweets at the tea party where the guests include the Mad Hatter, the March Hare and Dormouse. The party reminded me of the high tea they serve in Scotland. I visited parts of the country with my Uncle and Aunt in the late 80's. We had tea at a cafe in a little town and they served the loveliest little sweets. A three tray layered serving platter that included coconut cakes, vanilla cream sweets, and miniature cold pancakes with cold butter to spread on them. It felt like something out of a movie. And I'm not a big tea lover. At least I wasn't then. Times have changed. I now love my Nighty NIght or Lemon Zinger or Ginger tea before bed. I've heard the Hilton in Montreal serves a high tea similar the UK style. And of course there is The Red Tea Box on Queen West in Toronto. Toronto Life says this: "With its tiers of little cakes painted in lilac-, pistachio-, and indigo-coloured icing, this Queen Street tea room is a culinary fantasyland. There’s a bewildering array of desserts and teas, such as maple–brown sugar meringue cake, pandan coconut custard cake and chocolate crumble cardamom tart. Unlicensed." They also serve Asian style Bento boxes for lunch $25–$27. Lastly, speaking of tarts and back to the movie, there is the bit where the Red Queen freaks at her frog servant guards because someone stole her tart. She finds a tiny bit of purple jelly on the corner of the frog's mouth. He admits it. "Off with his head!" She is overreacting of course. But I'd be pissed too if someone at my tart without asking. However she has a tendancy to be a bit...overdramatic, greedy, selfish. Not into sharing. And food is a thing to be shared.