Eat your way around the world
I can't believe I'm going to do this, but here we are: I'm going to show you how to burn rice. It's for a perfectly good cause: a cool, refreshing glass of ranovola, or burnt rice tea. This toasty-tasting drink is popular in Madagascar, where the bottom of the rice pot is reserved to flavor the local river water. It's super easy to do, as long as you don't burn the rice too fast. You have to do it just right. Ahem. Start with a cup of cooked rice spread on the bottom of a … [Read more...]
The holidays are over. We stuffed our wrapping paper back into the closet and swept the confetti into the trash, right on top of the party hats that say 2012. The cookies and the friendly buffets of family favorites are long since gone, replaced by soulless detoxes and way-too-skinny drinks. I know some of us are even thinking about spring - scanning the frozen ground, vainly hoping to see some stray spot of green, willing a warm gust of air to come our way, instead of a moveable wall of … [Read more...]
Friends, it's time. Let's have a tea party. Cabin fever is setting in. Bring out your favorite dishes and your fancy hats. Shake things up. Wear those shoes you never wear and paint your fingernails red, red, red. Or, if you'd rather, we can do it in our PJ's, fuzzy slippers and robes.* As for what we'll drink? I haven't been this excited about a new tea since I had my first "London Fog" which, for the uninitiated, is Earl Grey tea made with half steamed milk. (It literally … [Read more...]
I drink a lot of tea, so I would have thought I'd seen it all. Apparently not. Introducing Ainar, the tea brewed especially for baby mama's and the guests who stop in to dote on their pretty newborns. In case you didn't know, Mamas need lots of things after having a baby. Rest. Love. Good, warm food. And this tea. The cool thing about Ainar is the treat at the bottom of the cup. Nuts. After cooking a bunch of warming, fragrant spices like cinnamon, caraway, anise, and nutmeg … [Read more...]
It's that time of year. Coughing. Sniffling. Sneezing. Right about now we all need a hug. And a big blast of disinfectant. Oh, and let's face it, something pretty. This lemony, sweet, cinnamony, vodka-tastic drink - popular all over central Asia and eastern Europe - takes care of it all. I especially love that the honey makes drinking it a huge bear hug (and would please grown-up Winnie the Pooh, I'm sure). The vodka is totally optional (Ava loved her booze-free version) but it does help … [Read more...]
Every time I sip a cup of tea, my lips naturally curl up into a smile. It's the world's best mood enhancer. Chai tea is particularly warming. In Kazakhstan people like to add salt, pepper, butter, and even sour cream (Kalmak) to their tea. It's a whole new world of flavor. If you're feeling adventurous add a few salty shakes, buttery tabs, or sour cream plops into our homemade chai. You can also try it with plain black tea - like we did with our butter tea from … [Read more...]
There's nothing as relaxing as sharing a cup of coffee with a dear friend. It helps you celebrate the life you are in. A part of the past. A bearer of the future. Everything connected. There are even coffee ceremonies organized around this special drink, in which the raw beans are carefully washed before grinding and brewing. To make an extra special pot of coffee, grind the seeds of 3-6 cardamom pods for every 1/4 cup of coffee. Brew as normal - with a smile and a … [Read more...]
Fills 10 standard silicone muffin liners or pour into 8x8 baking dish It's wiggly. It's jiggly. And it's in your drink. Jellooooo for adults. You can thank Japan for their love of mixing textures - there's nothing quite like slurping up jello squares into a round straw, along with a bit of milk. Gulp. Slurp. Chew. Note: If you substitute hot cocoa for the coffee, you won't need the sugar as long as your mix is sweetened. Ingredients: For the jello: 1 1/2 cups hot, … [Read more...]
