High-SocieTea
"Where the Art and Elegance of Taking Tea is Treasured"
"A Mayoral Tea in the Mayflower State"
As Mayor of New England’s second largest city, The Honorable Konstantina B. Lukes maintains a full plate. A lawyer, a Councilor-At-Large and Mayor, she oversees the town of Worcester, Massachusetts.
Mayor Lukes received a B.S. Degree in Secondary Education from Simmons College in Boston and a Law Degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law in West 
Hartford. Her 20+ year political career began as a Member of the Worcester City School Committee which serves as the voice of the citizens of Worcester in the development of policy and in governance of the Worcester Public School System and its 25,000 students.
Her Honor is spearheading more than one billion dollars in major economic development projects, but believes that the real strength of her community comes from its people. Worcester’s citizens are known for their community spirit and willingness to help those in need.
Mayor Lukes also believes that reducing taxes and borrowing by establishing a long-range tax reduction program is an issue of high priority. She promotes public safety through a strengthened community policing program and healthy neighborhoods. 
However, in her private moments, mostly in the evenings, Mayor Lukes enjoys relaxing with a cup of tea. Chamomile is her favorite brew and on those special occasions, she treats herself to a slice of Walnut Cake with Lemon Glaze or a piece of Baklava made with recipes from her ancestral home of A
lbania. Her Honor has graciously provided us with the recipes for these two favored treats.
One of Mayor Lukes’ hobbies is collecting English tea cups made of Bone China. She enjoys scouring estate sales to find these treasured pieces. As you can see, her prized collection has grown considerably over the years.
Mayor Lukes is proud of her City. She feels that its citizens make Worcester a wonderful place to live and raise a family. The people of Worcester can trace their heritage to virtually every country around the globe. The community celebrates the diversity of its citizens and the zest and vibrancy it adds to the fabric of the City. Her Honor invites everyone to rediscover Worcester. She knows you won’t be disappointed!
A debt of gratitude goes to Mayor Konstantina B. Lukes for her generous support and contributions to this newsletter. And to Sarah Lenis, Chief of Staff and Mary Racicot, Press Secretary for their enthusiastic assistance with its preparation.
Source: www.ci.worcester.ma.us/may/home.html
www.wpsweb.com/adminisration/schoolcomm/
Photos: © Konstantina B. Lukes
Mayor Konstantina B. Lukes
Albanian Walnut Cake with Lemon Glaze
| Cake: ½ cup butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1/3 cup plain yogurt 1/3 cup buttermilk 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon lemon rind, grated 1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped Glaze: 3/4 cup water 1 cup sugar ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice Dash of ground cloves |
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Mix.
In a separate bowl, combine yogurt and buttermilk.
In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Add the yogurt mixture and flour mixture alternatively to the butter mixture, blending well.
Add lemon rind and cinnamon. Mix well.
Pour batter into the baking pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
Make the glaze by simmering together all the ingredients, covered, for about 15 minutes.
When the cake is done, remove it from the oven, turn the oven off, pour the glaze over the hot cake and return it to the oven for about 10 minutes.
Baklava
| 2 packs Phyllo dough 6 sticks sweet butter Less than 1 pack of walnuts 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 4 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup honey Cooking brush |
In a bowl, mix the walnuts and cinnamon and sprinkle with some sugar.
Brush every 2 sheets of Phyllo dough with the melted butter. Once one pack of Phyllo dough is used, lay the dough into the pan and spread the mix of walnuts, cinnamon and sugar onto it.
For the second pack, just brush every 2 sheets of Phyllo dough with butter. Spread the remaining butter on top.
Bake at 350° for about one hour or until a light golden red color on top.
For the syrup, boil 5 cups of water with 4 cups of sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and some honey. When the Baklava is baked and cooled, the syrup needs to be very hot before spreading on top.
