Wolfie
Alien
- Joined
- May 31, 2009
- Messages
- 899
As the weather gets colder, I often see friends and coworkers indulging in cheap, fast food "coffee" and "tea" knockoffs that would otherwise be excellent but end up simply being passable for lack of a little care, time and quality ingredients.
Chai (or, more appropriately, masala chai) is a good example. As a matter of course, I keep the main ingredients in my desk at all times. Why not? I'll have tea throughout the year and the spices, properly stored, will keep for quite a while. While many people find it relaxing to go for a walk to the coffee shop or gas station on break, I like to stay in, keep warm and take a few moments out of my day to crush up some spices at my desk to brew up a quality cup of tea. Of course, everybody gets a little something out of it as the smell permeates the office.
Here's how I opt to warm up on a cold day:
1) 15 minutes or so before you decide to go on break, take one of two coffee cups and fill it half full of whole milk (half and half is an option, 2% is passable...Only have skim milk? Well, just don't make masala chai at all, then........ :angry: ) Place this cup on your coffee cup warming plate and let it gently warm.
2) 5 minutes before break, get a report running on your machine, read your email or in some other way occupy yourself with work that doesn't require your hands. While reading your email, take out 5 whole cloves, 1 star anise, three cardamom pods and roughly crush them. Simply out of convenience, I tend to crush them against my bare desk with the bottom of the jar I store them in. You don't want a powder, but something that resembles a coarse coffee grind:
The cardamom just needs to be "opened".
3) Take for break! Take your second coffee cup and brew up some tea. This is your preference and everybody has their ritual. I prefer to fill with boiling water, add prepared spices, then measure out loose leaf black tea to taste . I use a heaping tablespoon. By this time, the water should be off the boil long enough to be just the perfect temperature. I go for 4 minutes.
4) Add raw sugar until your tea is *just* "too sweet"
5) Place a strainer atop your cup of milk and add your brewed tea. Finally, add a whole stick of cinnamon. If you want a stronger cinnamon kick, feel free to add some ground cinnamon but I personally like the gentler hint and it's a nice aesthetic touch.
6) Bring this prepared cup of masala chai to a cute girl in the office. Use the remaining half a cup of tea to make one for yourself.
Chai (or, more appropriately, masala chai) is a good example. As a matter of course, I keep the main ingredients in my desk at all times. Why not? I'll have tea throughout the year and the spices, properly stored, will keep for quite a while. While many people find it relaxing to go for a walk to the coffee shop or gas station on break, I like to stay in, keep warm and take a few moments out of my day to crush up some spices at my desk to brew up a quality cup of tea. Of course, everybody gets a little something out of it as the smell permeates the office.
Here's how I opt to warm up on a cold day:
1) 15 minutes or so before you decide to go on break, take one of two coffee cups and fill it half full of whole milk (half and half is an option, 2% is passable...Only have skim milk? Well, just don't make masala chai at all, then........ :angry: ) Place this cup on your coffee cup warming plate and let it gently warm.
2) 5 minutes before break, get a report running on your machine, read your email or in some other way occupy yourself with work that doesn't require your hands. While reading your email, take out 5 whole cloves, 1 star anise, three cardamom pods and roughly crush them. Simply out of convenience, I tend to crush them against my bare desk with the bottom of the jar I store them in. You don't want a powder, but something that resembles a coarse coffee grind:
The cardamom just needs to be "opened".
3) Take for break! Take your second coffee cup and brew up some tea. This is your preference and everybody has their ritual. I prefer to fill with boiling water, add prepared spices, then measure out loose leaf black tea to taste . I use a heaping tablespoon. By this time, the water should be off the boil long enough to be just the perfect temperature. I go for 4 minutes.
4) Add raw sugar until your tea is *just* "too sweet"
5) Place a strainer atop your cup of milk and add your brewed tea. Finally, add a whole stick of cinnamon. If you want a stronger cinnamon kick, feel free to add some ground cinnamon but I personally like the gentler hint and it's a nice aesthetic touch.
6) Bring this prepared cup of masala chai to a cute girl in the office. Use the remaining half a cup of tea to make one for yourself.
