GCE2012: Chai #5

CHAI NUMBER 5 (8/26/12):

Ingredients:

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon and ginger (each)
• slightly more than 1/8 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 8 cloves and 5 cardamoms
• 1 water
• 1.5 milk
• 1.5 tbs tea
• 1.5 tsp sugar

Preparation:
Bring water and spices to a boil.  Add tea, simmer for 4 min. Add milk and sugar to heat up.  Recipe modified from Chai #4.

Picture:

Chai #5 rated 4 out of 5

Comments:

• Mmm, good. 
• Tastes creamy.
• Not as much pepper, can taste other spices.  I still want to taste more fennel, cinnamon, and ginger.

Rating (of 5):

• Ari: 4.5
• Luke: 4.3, but he doesn't know if he'd ever give a 5 unless it's really amazing.  Holding out for it.

GCE2012: Chai #4

CHAI NUMBER FOUR (8/25/12)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 tsp ground pepper, cinnamon, and ginger (each)
• 5 cloves and 5 cardamoms
• 1 cup water
• 1.5 cups almond milk
• 1.5 tbs tea
• 1.5 tsp sugar

Preparation:
Bring water and spices to a boil.  Add tea, simmer for 4 min. Add milk and sugar to heat up.  Recipe based off this one.

Picture:

Chai #4 rated 4/5

Comments:

• Nutty/milky but not too much - nice balance
• Pepper is nice for Jen and Ari but too much for Luke - overwhelms the other spices, but it gives the final product a nice kick
• Not flat or oversteeped
• Some spices still missing

Rating (of 5):

• Jen: 4
• Ari: 4
• Luke: 4 (3.8)

Female Perversions

For a woman to explore and express the fullness of her sexuality, her emotional and intellectual capacities, would entail who knows what risks and who knows what truly revolutionary alteration of the social conditions that demean and constrain her.

Or she may go on trying to fit herself into the order of the world and thereby consign herself forever to the bondage of some stereotype of normal femininity - a perversion, if you will.

— Louise J. Kaplan

GCE2012: Chai #3

CHAI NUMBER THREE (8/19/12)

After a disappointing iced chai at a café earlier in the day, I'm hoping to creating something better and more satisfying to make up for the gap in my expectation...

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of vanilla coconut milk
• 2 twists of black pepper from a pepper mill
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 5 cardamom pods crushed in a mortar
• 1/4 tsp dry ginger
• 1 1/2 tbs black tea (reused from last time)

(Based off this recipe)

Preparation:

1. Put all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes.  (I put tea in after 7 min)
2. Then add 1/2 cup water and black tea, simmer for 5 more minutes.
3. Strain and serve.

Picture:

Chai #3: Rated 2/5

Comments:

• Pre-taste: looking forward to the coconut milk, which is creamier than almond milk.
• Tastes "flat" - it's a little bland.  There's some spice at the end but the upfront taste leaves something to be desired.
• Spicy but no body, not very full.

Rating (of 5):

• Ari: 2
• Jen: 2

GCE2012: Chai #2

CHAI NUMBER TWO (8/19/12)

Ingredients:

1 cups water
2 cups vanilla almond milk
1 whole clove, lightly crushed
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, lightly crushed
4 whole cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons unflavored loose black tea (such as Darjeeling)
(Modified version of chow.com, reduced by 1/2 for 3 servings.)

Picture:

Chai Experiement #2

Comments:

• Definitely spicier than the last one
• Noticibly creamier
• The color seems lighter
• Not as sweet, which is good - an appropriate amount of sweetness to let you taste the other flavors.
• Still might a little over-steeped, but not nearly as much tea taste as last time
• Still not as good as the Lebanese ones.

Rating (of 5):

• Ari:  3.75 -- I think this one's way better than the last one.
• Luke: This one's a 3.5 and the other was like a 2.5.

The Great Chai Experiment of 2012 (GCE2012)

This post is the first in a series of attempts to make an awesome chai tea.   I've had two exceptionally good cups of chai within the last week, and I'd like to see if I can recreate the experience in my own kitchen.  Here I will document the journey.

The qualities about the 2 cups I really liked: creamy, spicy, and rich; not watered down.  They were also both at Lebanese restaurants/cafes so that might have something to do with it.

The two major modifications to the recipes are: I'm using non-dairy milk and this tea which is locally distributed (from Boulder, CO) and chocolatey.

CHAI NUMBER ONE (8/16/12)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups vanilla almond milk
• 1 whole clove, lightly crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 3 whole cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unflavored loose black tea (such as Darjeeling)

(Modified version of chow.com, reduced by 1/2 for 3 servings.)

Picture:

Chai Experiment #1

Comments:

• Probably should reduce the water/milk ratio if it's not whole cow's milk.
• Somehow forgot to do step two in the instructions.  Kind of nervous for the first time I guess. 
• Can't really taste the ginger.  Could maybe add more powdered ginger to make up for it not being fresh.
• Tea taste is a little strong -- 5 minutes is probably too much steeping for this tea.
• It is sweet, but this isn't necessarily bad.  Might want to reduce the sugar if using (sweetened) almond milk.
• The chocolate and vanilla tastes are good.

Rating (of 5):

• Jen: 2
• Luke: 3
• Ari: 3