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| Photo courtesy of www.chaitea.net |
I teach college, and I recently had coffee with one of my students during my break, where I ordered a soy chai latté, which I have not had since I lived in New York over four years ago. Just the thought of sipping on this warm handful of deliciousness took my senses on a much needed vacation! Oh my goodness! So I indulged, and closed my eyes for a spell as I gave in to this totally unexpected (yet very welcomed) sensory extravaganza. Boy oh boy was I the happiest person on the planet in that moment! So happy that I had one the next day, and the next, and the next. Thank God for the gift card that had been sitting in my wallet for months. But it finally ran out, and I shelled out the 4+ bucks for the drink. And, well, that was the last one I had. For some reason I just can't justify forking over 4 dollars to Starbucks daily the way I have done in the past. I mean, I just can't see that now. Perhaps I've outgrown the commercial feel of a nice cup of love. I like the feeling of a personal cup of something-hot, that makes me feel like I am having a rendezvous with something unique, made with care just for me. At commercial establishments like Starbucks, I feel the same as the next person...kind of like I am sharing my lover with the world, ya know? This part machine, part human made beverage that tastes exactly the same everyday, and that crosses a cold counter with such routine-ness, that it in no way seems especially made for me. Maybe I'm asking for too much...well, no I'm not! I want my hot-ness to myself and that's what I will have :-) So...I put my researching skills to use, in search of various chai latté recipes and techniques; and put that Starbucks money in the gas tank and headed to the north side, in search of an herb and spice store for ingredients.
My feet landed in Lone Star Culinary Spice Market, where I wanted to lick the walls it smelled so good! This place had every herb and spice you could conjure up. If I had hours to spare I would have spent them there, and possibly even spent the night. That's how heavenly it was. So, there I was able to buy everything I need. I got all the ingredients from all of the recipes that looked worth trying. That way I would not have to go back after every attempt.
Tonight I tried this one, from the Homemade Gift Guru:
- 1 small jar or small cellophane bag
- 3 teaspoons premium loose leaf black tea such as Darjeeling Tea
- 1 two inch cinnamon stick
- 1 four to six inch vanilla bean cut in 2 inch pieces
- 2 whole star anise
- 8 - 10 cardamom pods or 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 8 whole cloves
- 3 whole black peppercorns
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 inch slice of crystallized ginger
- Optional to go with mix: 1 inch or larger nub of fresh ginger root with peel (choose ginger root that is plump and juicy not wrinkled)
- Homemade Recipe Tag - or Print Recipe Gift Tag Here
I am finding that many recipes only list the ingredients and not the amounts. I suppose this is because everyone's tastes differ widely; however I need the amounts to at least give me a starting point. I am not familiar with how to pair these particular herbs and spices, or how they even work together, so I need as much guidance as possible. With that said, amounts and methods are greatly appreciated!
So...I hope to be sipping, well slurping (as I am supposed to do, according one Indian site I found), my perfect chai tea latté soon and very soon!
Until next time...
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