SPICY CHAI LATTE

Sprouted Kitchen is a vegetable heavy blog started by a super creative couple: she's the cook. he's the photographer. Some would say it's a match made in blogosphere heaven. They don't post as often as I'd like (5 times a day would be optimal), but when they do it is always beautiful and always something I am dying to make. From the Spiced Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas (it was the first thing devoured at my Passover Sedar) to the Deconstructed Beet Stack, all of the recipes are simple, delicious, and clean (local/unprocessed/whole foods).

A few months ago on a Brooklyn shopping excursion with my friend Doug, I had my first sip of a chai soy latte. I've always been a coffee drinker, and I had no idea what a chai soy latte was, but when I was offered I figured I'd give it a go. I took a sip, and like any good drug, I was hooked and wanted more. Suffice it to say, I have nearly kicked my coffee drinking habit and now I am spending all of my time and unemployment money searching for the best chai's in my neighborhood. Lucky for me, and my wallet, my favorite blog posted a step by step guide on how to make a chai soy latte at home. Enjoy!

SPICY CHAI LATTE// Makes 4 small cups

4 Bags of Black Tea (English/Irish Breakfast, Darjeeling, etc.)

1 Cup Milk

2 inch Piece Fresh Ginger, cut into pieces

1 tsp. Cloves

1 tsp. Cardamom Seeds

1 tsp. Black Peppercorns

3 Cinnamon Sticks

1 tsp. Ground Nutmeg

Star Anise (optional)

Brown Sugar/Honey

• 1. In a small plastic bag, combine the peppercorns, cloves and cardamom. Use a heavy mallet or skillet to crush the spices into coarse pieces.
• 2. In a saucepan on medium heat, combine the milk, crushed spices, cinnamon sticks, ginger pieces, and fresh ground nutmeg. Allow the milk to come to a gentle boil, then cover and turn off heat. Allow everything to steep for about 15 minutes.
• 3. While the spicy milk steeps, bring water to a boil. Combine the 4 tea bags with two cups of boiling water. Allow the tea to steep for about 4 minutes and discard the tea bags. Add the tea to the warm spicy milk.
• 4. Put a fine mesh sieve or coffee filter over a pitcher, and strain the spice chunks out of the tea. Put one Tbsp. of brown sugar or honey in each cup and pour the tea latte on top. Stir and enjoy warm (or refrigerate and serve over ice).

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