A Nice Cuppa

Pike Place Peet’s?

Alicia de los Reyes — Fri, 09 May 2008 06:00:55 +0000

So, having heard all the hullabaloo about Starbucks’ new coffee (and having gotten one of those snappy little cards in the paper), I sipped for myself last week. First thought? Wow — it doesn’t taste burnt (sometimes I think I’m the only person on the planet who notices that black Starbucks coffee tastes like tar. The rest of you must be addicted to the double amount of caffeine)! Second thought: this tastes familiar…

If you haven’t experienced Peet’s Coffee, you have all my sympathy. It’s delightful. It’s strong enough (sorry, Dunkin’, I love it, but you’re not putting hair on anyone’s chest) without tasting overbrewed (see angry parentheses previous). And actually, it’s Starbucks’ long lost brother. Back in the day, Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegel, and Gordon Bowker began in the company of Alfred Peet, owner of Peet’s Coffee. Eventually, Baldwin bought Peet’s and the others went big time with the brand we all know and love/hate.

Peet’s remained somewhat local. I tried it while in San Francisco and seriously considered ordering it online. It was Starbucks strength minus fierce bitter. It was Dunkin’ Donuts plus more manliness. In short, it was delightful. If you can’t make it out to the West Coast, go for the Pike Place brew. I give it a thumbs up.

A Caffeinated Conversation Starter

Alicia de los Reyes — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 20:19:32 +0000

Next time you’re taking up the tables at a tea house or sipping a cup at home with friends, here’s something to talk about: the history of tea. Check out the timeline at 2bAsnob.com. Not to worry about the title–with this knowledge, you are more likely to be dubbed a tea geek than anything else. You’ll find some fun characters in tea’s history, including a Chinese emperor who was so in the zone while drinking his tea that legend has it he missed the Mongol invasion. There’s also a lot to be learned about nutrition debates; tea’s benefits were questioned by the Germans and the French, and it was thought to lead to moral decay by some Brits! Lucky for me we’ve moved on since then…

Drinkable Pie

Alicia de los Reyes — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 06:00:48 +0000

I visited an exhibit at the Penn Museum recently called “River of Gold” about a pre-Colombian society that lived by a golden-laden river. I believe I have discovered a modern day river of gold: drinkable pumpkin pie.

I’m having trouble deciding on a name for this delightfully golden and incredibly healthy beverage. Liquid Pie? Fall-in-a-Mug? Hot Spiced Pumpkin? Elixir of Youth? Call it what you will, I think it’s lovely. Try it on a crisp day with a little whipped cream on top and you will never, ever forget to buy pumpkin puree at the grocery store again.

How to make drinkable gold:

1. Fill a mug halfway with pumpkin puree (or, if you like your drinks less hearty, a third of the way). Stir in two spoonfuls of sugar (a teaspoon of maple syrup would change your life) and about a quarter teaspoon each of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have the latter, use a little nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. Stir in a dash of salt; otherwise, the pumpkin will be a little bland.

2. Fill the mug to the top with your milk of choice and stir slowly until the pumpkin is blended in.

3. Heat in the microwave for two to two-and-a-half minutes, or pour into a small pan and heat over medium-high heat until piping.

A Creamier Creamer

Alicia de los Reyes — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:00:37 +0000

While visiting some friends and drinking their coffee I discovered a lovely coffee mix-in: Trader Joe’s Soy Milk Creamer. Usually I stay away from soy in my coffee unless I’ve been watching PETA videos, but I decided to try it. Guess what? Deliciousness. Not soy-like at all. It was quite sweet, though, and that’s what inspired me to try it in my other favorite morning beverage, English Breakfast tea. Shazam! I was a convert. It reminded me of the kind of tea made with boiling leaves and milk and water in a big pot with about sixteen cups of sugar. The tea was strong enough to hold up to the sweetness; herbal and more delicate black teas would taste like flavored milk with this stuff stirred in. Chai would be excellent.

So, next time you’re entertaining vegan guests, consider pouring a bit of the soy stuff in your own cuppa. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Cook’s Illustrated does Tea

Alicia de los Reyes — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 09:00:40 +0000

Everybody’s favorite perfectionist foodie magazine tasted twenty teas (wish I worked there…) to find out if el cheap-o (relatively speaking) varieties held up to the latest, hippest, and most expensive varieties. Despite the plethora of pyramid-shaped and nylon mesh tea bags, good old Twinings English Breakfast still takes the cake. Cook’s Illustrated tasters tried the loose tea, which comes in a shmancy tin and costs about ten smackers. PG Tips, which our Nice Cuppa editor wrote up a little while back, won second place. Why is this interesting? PG Tips costs a whopping 47 cents per ounce (a box is about $12).

The review was a bit quirky in that it compared black teas with and without milk. I would have thought with and without sugar or lemon might be more to America’s taste. But since my favorite black tea, Tazo Awake, won the medal for best tasting with milk, I’m going to have to try that out now, too!

No Mate Lattés for Me, Thank You.

Alicia de los Reyes — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 06:00:07 +0000

Guayakí Yerba Mate’s Organic Chai Spice Mate comes in a very hip and eco-friendly-looking packet. “A fusion of yerba mate and chai spices to warm the soul” it claims, and on the back there’s a whole blurb about Guayakí’s dedication to reforestation and maintaining a living wage for its farmers. The full name of the company even makes you feel good: Guayakí Sustainable Rainforest Products, Inc.

I should have been a little nervous when I read the ingredients list — in addition to organic mate, cinnamon, licorice and a host of other spices, there was organic vanilla chai extract. Could you please tell me where to find my organic vanilla chai plant, please?

At any rate, the packet made me think that what I tasted would be eco-friendly and delicious. But alas, a mate convert I am not. I like my chai sweet and spicy, though I’m up for a twist every now and again. But chai mate was sweet and sweet alone. It reminded me a lot of Good Earth tea, which is just too darn sweet for me to put down. The licorice made the mate interesting but not in a good way; in a way that makes you realize why no one puts licorice in chai.

At any rate, the mate was a departure from the usual tea experience, but one I am not sure I’m ready to explore any more. It was like green tea–not bitter, but definitely not black–and left me with a funky taste in my mouth. Ah, well. At least now I don’t have to start carrying around a gourd.

Chill Out… It’s Only Cocoa

Alicia de los Reyes — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 09:00:55 +0000

The frozen hot chocolate thing has been done fifty times over, but just in case you didn’t catch that wave, here’s the secret: it’s a sham. All you need is a packet of hot cocoa mix, a cup of milk, and some ice cubes.

The craze was actually somewhat legitimate. I crave hot cocoa at all times of the year, but feel a little silly drinking it when my face is red from sunburn, not sledding. The fierce sales of Serendipity 3’s frozen hot cocoa mix indicates that others share my quandary. But the fact of the matter is, frozen hot chocolate is too easy to warrant a mix (like so many other things…). I tried out the recipe on a bonified cocoa drinker and recieved the stamp of approval.

Ridiculously Easy “Recipe”

Heat up a cup of milk and stir in 1.5 packets of cocoa mix. Pour over ice in a tall glass. Stir. Sip. Try not to feel like you’re a sucker for going gaga over glorified chocolate milk.

Sweet Cream Tea

Alicia de los Reyes — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 15:40:23 +0000

With summer winding up and the cool weather fast approaching, I’d say there’s just enough light left in the evening to make a batch of tea-flavored ice cream. I came across a recipe for tea-flavored ice cream in BHG magazine. It’s got an interesting base–evaporated milk and heavy cream–whose richness reminds me of tres leches, that Cuban rice pudding delight. My first round included cinnamon, which I would strongly recommend with chai tea.

BHG’s Ice Cream to a Tea
taken from BHG August 2007
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 tea bags
1/2 pint whipping (heavy) cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

In medium saucepan cook while stirring evaporated milk and sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Continue heating mixture just until it simmers. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes (or longer, if you would like more than just a hint of tea flavor). Remove tea bags, squeezing liquid from bags. Cover and refridgerate for two hours. Stir in whipping cream and vanilla. Freeze in 1-quart ice cream freezer as directed. Allow to set in freezer (2-4 hours) before serving.

If you don’t have a ice cream maker yet, this is the perfect opportunity to begin your X-mas list. In the meantime, may I suggest Stoneyfield Farm’s Vanilla Chai ice cream? In the vast world of funky desserts, this is definitely going to be your favorite. It’s quite spicy; it actually tastes like Oregon Chai mix, which is my mix of choice. I would serve it plain, with whipped cream, or in a sugar cone–you really shouldn’t fuss with it too much. Just like that last weekend of summer.

Iced Coffee: An Alternative Press

Alicia de los Reyes — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 06:00:57 +0000

Last week’s Dining In/Dining Out section of the New York Times featured a short and sweet article about iced coffee. Turns out you can brew coffee cold. Who knew? Cindy Price writes that “without the bitterness produced by hot water, the cold-brewed coffee had hints of chocolate, even caramel.” And who couldn’t use a little caramel in the morning? Her recipe says to use a jar and a sieve, but really, those are the building blocks of a French press. Perhaps Cindy hasn’t found out the most wonderful way of making coffee yet.

Cold-French-Pressed Coffee
(borrowed from the Times)

The night before, measure out your usual amount of coarsely ground coffee–about 1/8 to 1/4 cup–and put in the bottom of your favorite single-serving French press. Fill to the line with cold water and stir with a plastic spoon. Allow to sit overnight.

In the morning, stir again and press. Dilute with water in a 1-1 ratio. Serve over ice. Perfect for a hazy, hot, and humid morning.

(picture from ehow.com)

Sweetie, that’s Chai

Alicia de los Reyes — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 06:00:03 +0000

It was a summer afternoon when I was out on my bike in the hip town next to mine with a chai-fiend friend. I was really, really overwarm. I asked for a chai at the hip coffee shop and a very hip-looking man gave it to me. Looking back, he was probably gangly and about 17 years old, but I thought he was awesome. He almost flirted with me (cradle robber! I must have been twelve years old. The novelty of going places on my bike had not yet worn off). I sipped, and I wanted to die. I remember I could barely drink the whole thing, it was so sweet. So sweet, so milky and delightful, I found it hard to believe I hadn’t drunken it sooner.

Every chai has not been an attempt to get back to that one, thankfully. I don’t know if I could, and if I did, I don’t think I would like it very much. I’ve come to appreciate the less sugared chais, the tea that has blackness and pepper mixed in with the milk. I like the chai I make in my own kitchen on a hot afternoon as much as the fru-fru one I can get from any one of a dozen places. I also know that it’s ok that I’m no chai wallah. I don’t run a chai stall–I just use my mom’s teapot and some teabags from the grocery store. I can’t recreate a dusty main street in southeast Asia any more than I can make a real Indian chai. But despite my ignorance of both the coffee shop’s and the chai stall’s secret recipes, I have still managed to make a decent drink. At least, it tastes good on a hot afternoon. And I don’t have to feign hipness to get it. I offer its iced form to you.

Iced Chai Tea (for two normal or one thirsty person/s)
Boil two cups of water. Pour over two bags of chai tea, any variety; I prefer the strong black Tazo chai–rather peppery. And it’s a fact that strong hot tea makes for better iced tea.

Allow tea to steep for five minutes. Remove tea bags and stir in about a quarter cup of milk and, if you like, a tablespoon of sugar. Fill two mugs or one tall glass with ice and pour the tea over. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Drink and read the tea bag tags; that’s where I learned what a “wallah” is.