Chai Masala - Hot or Cold

The Author is very fond of tea. Black, green Oolong, and Chai. Masala Chai is best prepared with fresh spices at home. The following recipe, culled from countless hours of undocumented internet surfing, is the basic and a personal favorite. One adjusts the ingredients to taste. Vanilla Bean may be added for denizens of the Pacific Northwest who are used to it in their Chai.

Make and use your Chai spice mix by weight. For best results, use whole or broken spices, not ground! To make 3 ½ ounces, start with about an ounce of shelled green or black cardamon and a half ounce of cinnamon bark. Then be sure you use some clove and ginger, and make up the weight from your favorites from this list:

• Allspice, cracked
• Black pepper, cracked HOT!
• Cardamon, hulled
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Coriander seed
• Ginger HOT!
• Mace and Nutmeg
• Star anise
• Fennel
• Bay leaf

Crack, hull and otherwise prepare your spices. Once blended, the spices can be placed in a cheese cloth bag or large, easy-fill tea filters. Brew a traditional pot of strong, black tea. The Author prefers single-estate Assam or an East Freisen blend. To the tea, add an equal part of milk and the bag of spices. Slowly bring to an easy boil then reduce immediately to a simmer and steep until the aroma is just right. Add sugar or Honey to taste. Remove spice bag and serve.

Technorati Tags: Chai, Tea, Recipe

Sweet Solstice Treats

This time of year is perfect for traditional recipies and Winter comfort food. Fine food is a pleasure, like fine wine, fine music and fine company. In our family, there are several traditional holiday treats. My eldest daughter calls herself a "halfer," because we are a racially blended family -- which makes for some interesting holiday dining. We do homemade Tamales every December, and often prepare a batch of the "world's greatest salsa" as a side dish. This year, we're adding sweet and savory Empanaditas to our holiday fest menu, in addition to Nana Vickie's Rum Cake (soaking in Myers' as I write).

We continue traditions from the British side of the family as well, making Persimmon and Sago Plum puddings, and Yorkshire pudding to accompany our holiday rib roast. And of course, we consume lots of tippy Assam tea with milk to keep warm.

This is the Persimmon Pudding recipe that has been passed down in my family for a couple of generations. The Latin name for the American Common Persimmon means "food of the gods." That's understandable, given the treats that these pulpy, orange fruit produce. My partner makes cookies and the bread-like pudding full of walnuts, raisins and goodness. Here's how the pudding works.

Ingredients: 1 cup flower; 1/2 cup sugar; 2 Tbs butter or margarine; 1/2 Tsp salt; 1 Tsp baking soda; 1 Tsp cinnamon & allspice; 1/4 cup of milk; 1 cup raisins; 1 cup chopped walnuts; and, 1 cup persimmon pulp (about three fruit).

Directions: Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes with the pudding pan resting in a pan of water in the oven. Cooking in water is a must for this dessert.

We also enjoy a stove-top steamed Sago-Plum pudding. In America, plum pudding was often made with figs and became "figgy pudding." NPR ran a great story about holiday puddings yesterday, and included this fine article and recipe for their very alcoholic version on their website, here. This pudding is steamed in a tightly covered pan (Bundt is a favorite) and because of its alcoholic content, will last for months and definitely benefits from sitting a spell.

World's Greatest Salsa

This is a recipe for the world's greatest salsa. And I don't say that lightly. John Dvorak agrees with this bold assessment, as he ran the recipe in Dvorak Online, his back-page column in Boardwatch Magazine in November of 94. That's right. Read it and weep. Right before the color Mustang Software ad that always seemed to grace the back cover of the greatest magazine in the geek-tech world of the 90s.

So here's the deal, I got this fantastic family recipe from my late father-in-law, Guadalupe Munoz (MHRIP). So naturally, we call it: Lupe's Salsa.

Lupe's Salsa

Ingredients:

12 large, green Anaheim chilis.
12 medium, yellow chilis (not "banana chilis).
6 small green Jalapeno chilis.
2 large garden tomatoes (Beefsteaks if available).
4 medium green tomatoes.
1/2 cup of finely chopped green onions, tops & bottoms.
Salt, to taste. Lemmon juice for extra zest, if desired.

Note on selecting chilis: choose straight and firm chilis that reflect proper coloring for their family.

Instructions:

CHOP onion tops and bottoms, place in medium-size mixing bowl. TOAST all chilis on a griddle (like frying without oil) over high heat until outside skin is quite blackened, turning as necessary. While toasted chilis remain hot, wrap lightly in a thoroughly moistened, clean dishtowel. Let sit for 20 - 30 minutes. This allows the toasted chilis to sweat, and makes removing skins easier. Remove all chili skins and discard, taking care to remove all stems. Retain all the meaty interior and seeds. Add to mixing bowl. That's right, add the seeds. Boil tomatoes or tomatillos until skin cracks, rinse under cold water and remove skins. Add to mixing bowl. Knead or mash mixture of onions, chilis and tomatoes (or tomatillos) with hands or potato masher until well blended.

CHILL until served. This recipe yields about two pints of the most delicious salsa in the world. And it's almost all chili meat. Yummy texture, deep and dark flavors. This salsa is perfect served with Carne Asada, Carnitas and Juevos Rancheros at breakfast. It is also a to-die-for appetizer. Just be prepared to work about 1.5 hours, and make sure to wash your hands multiple times. The salsa is hot, though not too hot. It has a wonderfully unique and strong flavor and is chock full of vitamins and fiber. The real deal.