"You always offer chai. It doesn't matter what time of day it is or if it is 100° out."

I don't remember exactly when I first started hearing about chai or when it became so ubiquitous but I did know that I initially did not enjoy it. There - I admitted it. However, my confession is not without reason. I want to say that the first time I had something "chai," it was astringent on my tongue, positively sharp and strong in aroma, and yet felt saturated in sugar. The scent of cinnamon was pervasive, and it just left a bad taste in my mouth overall. I'm not even sure where I first tasted it but it was not a pleasant first experience.

Then I started working for the couture events company I did a few years ago which had a basis in Indian weddings and celebratory events. Chai was everywhere, and I fell in love with the taste. Cast off your thoughts of "chai tea lattes" and "pumpkin chai Frappaccinos." Real chai is extraordinary with strong cultural significance to boot. We were extremely excited for the unique opportunity to join Chef Shachi Mehra of ADYA in Anaheim back in her kitchen to learn how to make masala chai the way she serves and drinks it. In addition to getting a behind-the-scenes look into how the drink is made, we then became privy to just how important chai is to the Indian culture and heard Chef Shachi's many memories surrounding the soul- and heart-warming tea.

I have to credit Savory Spice Shop for this recipe as it was labeled on the side of my bottle of chai spices from them which contains crystalized ginger nibs, Saigon cinnamon chips, green cardamom pods, star anise, cloves, black peppercorns, and bay leaves. Duc absolutely adores chai but had never asked for any; to surprise him, I brewed up a batch using this recipe and created an instant hit. It's actually much simpler than I expected so I hope you can make use of it yourself as well.

It may feel like it's blazing hot outside but soon enough, the autumnal chill will be upon us (if it isn't already for you). Better prepare yourself with some recipes up your sleeve for those cooler nights. Our last Test Kitchen ingredient was whole cloves so there were a handful of options to think about. When someone suggested clove orange tea, I wondered what other drinks incorporated the fragrant dried flower bud. We decided to go with some mulled cranberry cider which gives a very seasonal feel and takes little of your time. Give it a try yourself and cozy on up with a good book once autumn and winter hit!

It's summertime! You know what that means. Abundant fruits and a whole lot of watermelon to dig your face into. Sure, you can chomp on some slices and let the juices run down your chin and fingers...or you can puree the heck out of it to make yourself a cool refresher. We had plenty of strawberries and homegrown basil to go through so I threw a bunch into a blender real quick for this thirst quenching drink. Try out this recipe - you shan't be disappointed!

Lookee here - a recipe for a hazelnut coffee cocktail! It's been a cocktail-filled past few weeks of events, and we're starting to feel the effects of going back into drinking again. After all, the two wine bottles a week days are a little past us now that we're too busy to even sit down and drink (how do people do it?). I remember that I used to be the designated bartender in college when I cooked dinner for friends because I loved experimenting with flavors. My go-to on stay-at-home nights was easily a concoction (occasionally changing) made with bases of soymilk, Kahlua, and Bailey's; the other go-to consisted of gin, ginger ale, and some kind of citrus. Shoot, I even thought of picking up a license at one point but I failed to commit time to it. Ah well. I'll just make stuff at home like this cocktail, I thought...and so I have. I brought up the story of my previous default drinks because, well, this one was a little similar. Our Test Kitchen ingredient was some hazelnut syrup from Torani, and after some hemming and hawing, we decided on a cocktail. A tasty, tasty cocktail. Make some yourself! It is delish.

Step 1: Ingredients (yields 1 drink)

• 1 1/2 oz rum
• 1/2 oz coffee liqueur
• 1/4 oz hazelnut syrup
• ice
• dash heavy cream (or half and half)

Step 2: Mixing the drink
In a shaker, mix all ingredients except cream very well. Strain and pour over ice. Finish with a dash of cream. Stir if desired!


This week's Test Kitchen ingredient: celery seed, ground
Well ladies and gents - it is what it sounds like it is. Our Test Kitchen ingredient this week shall be ground celery seed which is, after tasting, very much like super concentrated celery. We'd love your suggestions once the picture goes up on Facebook!


Photography by Duc Duong.

Every once in a while, I like to take a step outside of the normal framework of recipe-making. These Test Kitchen posts have really given me a chance to play around with ingredients and try to find out alternative ways of using items that still produce delicious food. Last week's Test Kitchen ingredient was probably a stumper for everyone because honestly, who really thinks about how they can use elderberry balsamic vinegar? We had a small bottle from Enfuso and wanted to find a fun way to use it. After some thinking, I decided that I hadn't made cocktails in a while so we played with shaking it up for a sweet dram of bubbly danger. This cocktail recipe produces a holiday-like drink that is revitalizing in its herb-heavy scent and beautiful to stare at. It looks best served in a lowball glass as pictured and the measurements are only exact for a portion of it.

Step 1: Ingredients (yields one cocktail)

• 1.5 oz vodka (1 jigger)
• 3-4 large sweet basil leaves
• .75 oz elderberry balsamic vinegar (1/2 jigger)
• ice
• ginger ale

Step 2: Making the drink
In terms of preparation, cocktails are generally easy to write out instructions for; it's the balancing of ingredients and flavors that take time. Muddle sweet basil leaves with vodka at the bottom of the shaker. Add in vinegar. Pour in ice until about 75% full. Cover and shake heartily until shaker frosts up. Strain into a lowball glass. Fill remainder to top with ginger ale and enjoy!


This week's Test Kitchen ingredient: polenta
Yes, I realize that I can make my own polenta simply with the raw ingredients but we found this on hand and decided it would be time to use it. For those of you familiar with polenta, suggest on Facebook when this picture goes up on what we should do with it. For those of you unfamiliar with polenta, read the description below and then go contribute on Facebook! Thanks for your thoughts everyone.

"Polenta is cornmeal boiled into a porridge and eaten directly or baked, fried or grilled. The term is of Italian origin, derived from the Latin for hulled and crushed grain (especially barley-meal). Maize was not cultivated in Europe until the early 16th century. It comes from the same base as "pollen"." [Wikipedia]


Photography by Duc Duong.

I think alcohol was on the minds of the suggesters when the green cactus pear came up as the Test Kitchen ingredient last week. Margaritas were suggestions but we didn't have the ingredients on hand for those. Additionally, a lot of cactus pear drink users take advantage of the red cactus pears (also known as prickly pears) for their gorgeous, deep fuschia color inside but ours was of the green variety.  A brilliant color wasn't available through these to shine through in a margarita but...what about a refreshing glass of agua fresca? It's been hot enough to warrant a pulpy glass of "cool." Try your hand at the recipe below. If you want more than one serving, scale upward in ingredients accordingly.

Step 1: Ingredients (yields 1 serving)

• 3 ripe green cactus pears (also called prickly pear)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 lime, juice only
• water

Step 2: Prepping ingredients
If you bought the pears from somewhere, they should have already removed the prickly parts on the skin. If not, be careful! The skin is easy to peel off once you slice the pear open - just pull it off and discard.


Step 3: Pulsing
Puree the pear together with sugar. You may need to do it in batches depending on your quantity and size of the food processor. For this particular recipe, I only made enough for one so one go in a small processor was fine but for larger quantities, make sure to combine accordingly.


Step 4: Finishing
If you don't like seeds, strain juice through a fine mesh sieve. If you don't mind, have it altogether! We suggest chilling the agua fresca before consuming for best experience. Enjoy the natural sweetness of the pears.


This week's Test Kitchen ingredient: fresh homegrown Thai basil
Duc's Thai basil is almost ready for a small harvest! We're so excited for this one because it has a different type of fragrance from typical sweet basil that we love as well. The funny story about this plant is that we started it from one of those sprigs offered with the meal in a pho restaurant. We took it home, started the rooting, and then planted it. Voila - a full plant of our own! So let us know what you think we should do with our basil baby next week. Comment when the picture comes up on Facebook. Thanks!


Photography by Duc Duong and Minerva Thai.

Funny thing when I picked last week's Test Kitchen ingredient of basil seed - I told myself that I wouldn't use it for a drink. After all, that's the only way I knew it was used, and I figured the point was to go out of my comfort zone whenever I pick a Test Kitchen ingredient. However, after much research, I discovered that unfortunately, that's just about how people use the seed in culinary creations. I had always seen it in cans at Vietnamese supermarkets when I was younger (and also tricked my younger brother into thinking they were the eyes of children who misbehaved...yeah I was a bully) but never desired to eat them. They looked like frog spawn! Now, though, it seems like they have some health benefits so people are picking them up again as they are with chia seeds. They still look weird and the texture takes some getting used to but perhaps you'll be brave and make this recipe below!

Step 1: Ingredients (yields 2 drinks)

• 1 tsp basil seed
• 2 cups water, divided
• 1 chunk ginger, peeled and sliced
• 1.5 tbsps sugar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup rosewater

Step 2: Prepping ingredients
This is an easy drink. In a small saucepan, heat up all but 1/4 cup of the water. Combine with ginger, sugar, and honey until everything dissolves. Turn off heat to let cool. Rinse basil seed in a fine strainer before placing into 1/4 cup of water. Let sit for several minutes while it puffs up with its gelatinous material. Forgive my picture of the saucepan - I had used a lavender vanilla bean sugar instead of granulated so there were stray matters.


Step 3: Finishing
Either divide evenly between two cups or combine into one large container to split later the rosewater, seeds, and honey mixture. Stir well and chill before serving. If you wish to drink immediately, add crushed ice. Enjoy!


This week's Test Kitchen ingredient: cannellini beans
I feel like there are way too many beans out there to potentially cook with. That much was made glaringly apparent when we visited a farm that had dozens of varieties that we hadn't even heard of. This week, we'll need to do something with cannellini beans, these Italian white kidney beans that you might have eaten before. Tell us what your thoughts are by commenting on the picture when it goes up!


Photography by Minerva Thai.

I feel like I've been on a cold drink kick lately with my recipes. I'm betting it's the summertime heat that's getting to me. I mean, I'm pretty thirsty in general but when the sun bears down on you, you kind of have to fight back somehow since thirst increases. As I've mentioned before, Duc has been growing an herb garden in his apartment and the pineapple sage has been prolific. I had done a smoothie with it before as well as putting it in butter to make a sage butter for dishes. This time, it was a chance to go back to the basic recipe that most people claim to use pineapple sage for - tea. I did an iced tea due to the heat but you can have this hot too! It has nice citrus notes and a natural sweetness.

Step 1: Ingredients (yields 2-3 cups)

• 1 cup fresh pineapple sage leaves, tightly packed
• 3 cups hot water
• 1-2 lemons, juice only
• 2 tbsps honey

Step 2: Prepping ingredients
I boiled water in a kettle first while washing the leaves and placing them in a 2-quart saucepan. When the water is just below boiling hot, take it off the heat and pour over the leaves.


Step 3: Steeping
Steep the leaves for 20 minutes. Then add in lemon juice and honey.


Step 4: Finishing
When the tea has cooled enough, chill in the fridge. When ready to enjoy, pour over ice. If you'd like to amp up the citrus notes in the tea, you can make pineapple juice ice cubes to use.


Photography by Minerva Thai.

Summertime calls for refreshing drinks and enjoying the sunshine with that cold glass in hand. Duc had to harvest his first batch of sweet basil the other day, and I was not prepared at all to use it in anything savory! However, with the large number of limes we for some reason had and two cucumbers in the fridge, I decided to whip together a drink for the heat and boy was it tasty. Give it a try - you won't be disappointed!

Step 1: Ingredients (yields 1/2 gallon)

 Base
• 3 limes, juice only
• 2 large cucumbers, peeled
• 6-8 cups water

 Simple Syrup
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 12-15 large sweet basil leaves

Step 3: Finishing
Puree peeled cucumbers and squeeze in lime juice. If you'd prefer not to have cucumber "pulp," strain it out before adding to a large pitcher. Remove basil leaves from simple syrup (if desired) and pour into pitcher. Fill remainder of pitcher with water to the half gallon mark. Chill and enjoy! I also like to throw in some whole lime and cucumber slices into the pitcher for more flavor.


If you want to keep it non-alcoholic but make it a little more fun, try adding in soda water, lemon-lime soda, or even ginger ale. If you want to turn it into a cocktail (pictured above), muddle 2-3 large basil leaves with 4-5 thin slices of cucumber before adding in simple syrup, 1 oz lime juice, 3 oz gin, and ice into a shaker. Strain and enjoy!

Photography by Minerva Thai.

Last week when I posted up the Test Kitchen ingredient for the week, I had promised that I would tell the story of how I came upon choosing fresh pineapple sage. Yes, the pineapple sage is fresh and actually from a plant that Duc started growing from a cutting he got. I had walked by it one day while we were in Home Depot and noticed the very distinct pineapple-y smell that emanated from its leaves. It definitely is named after its apparent scent of the tropical fruit and curious, we had researched on the spot on our phones on if we should buy the cutting; the answer was yes. The plant grew very quickly so it was time to cut it down to size not too long after purchasing. I took quite a bit of it off to play with in the kitchen. As for why we were in Home Depot, well, Duc decided that he was going to grow me an herb garden (cue the "awwwwww" sound effects!) after I told him I didn't like getting flowers but would prefer something that wouldn't die right away and was useful to me. Ever the romantic, he dove into the practice of tending to seedlings in hopes of tasty greens for me and my love for cooking. It may be just the barest hints of a full garden now but it's becoming one of his prides and joys. Seriously, ask him about it if you dare - he'll start gushing and telling stories of each sprout's growth.

Pineapple sage itself is not a very commonly used herb, at least from what I've seen. I think people tend to keep it around more for its fragrance in the garden and the beautiful red flowers that bloom from it. It seemed that online, most people used it for drinks and at the time of my putting together a recipe, I only had time to do something similar. I adapted a recipe from this page, and it came out deliciously! I also really loved the green flecks in the drink from the sage and the light, citrusy flavor in the smoothie.

Step 1: Ingredients (yields one 16oz. smoothie)

• 1 large banana, ripe
• 3/4 cup honey yogurt
• 1/3 cup soymilk, unsweetened
• 1 tbsp pineapple sage, chopped + more for garnish

Step 2: Prepping the ingredients
There isn't very much prep in making a smoothie. Peel the banana and break into the appropriate size for your blender container. Wash pineapple sage, chop leaves only, and add to container. Add yogurt and milk.


Step 3: Finishing
Blend. Serve chilled and use smaller pineapple sage leaves for a garnish if wanted. To highlight the pineapple scent even more, consider adding actual pineapple to the blend.


This week's Test Kitchen ingredient: fine grind bulgur
"Bulgur is a quick-cooking form of whole wheat that has been cleaned, parboiled, dried, ground into particles and sifted into distinct sizes...The result is a nutritious, versatile wheat product with a pleasant, nut-like flavor and an extended shelf-life that allows it to be stored for long periods. Bulgur is high in fiber and rich in B vitamins, iron, phosphorus and manganese...In contrast to cracked wheat, bulgur is ready to eat with minimal cooking or, after soaking in water or broth, can be mixed with other ingredients without further cooking." [Sunnyland Mills]

I have a fine grind version of bulgur. Let me know what you think I should make with it or would like to see bulgur used in/for by commenting on its picture on Facebook later today.


Photography by Minerva Thai.

Merry Christmas to you! Happy birthday to my blog! It's now a saucy two years old. Don't people refer to this time as the Terrible Twos? Maybe I should start making all the posts overly punny and full of lame jokes. Hah. Anyhow, I can't let down my Test Kitchen trend now and today's recipe comes from using last week's ingredient which was brandy. Duc and I worked with some from his coffers (he's working on building an Armagnac and Cognac collection) on our adjustment to the Sorted Food recipe for eggnog shakes. It's in the holiday spirit and oh so delicious. Give it a whirl yourself!

Step 1: Ingredients (yields 6 servings)

• 1 vanilla bean pod (I used Madagascar vanilla)
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
• 4 cups (1 qt) whole milk
• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup castor sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup brandy
• cocoa powder

Step 2: Preparing ingredients
Using a sharp paring knife, slice into vanilla bean pod  and scrape out into a saucepan. Add both pod and beans. Turn on medium-high heat. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until frothy.


Step 3: Mixing ingredients
Stir saucepan frequently until the milk is hot. Remove from heat and pour slowly into egg mixture. A slow pour and constant, but slow stirring will prevent eggs from cooking. When both have been thoroughly incorporated, pour back into saucepan, now on low heat. Keep stirring.


Step 4: Finishing
When the liquid is thick enough to coat your spoon  and you can draw an apparent line through it (see picture), it is thick enough. Remove from heat and let cool for about 1 minute before adding brandy and cream, remembering to continue stirring. Pour into a jug to chill in a refrigerator. When ready to drink, serve in a tall glass and top with cocoa powder.


This week's Test Kitchen ingredient: seaweed
"Seaweed is also known as sea vegetables. While seaweed is low in both saturated fats and cholesterol, it has high concentrations of some vitamins and very high concentrations of many minerals. Claims have been made that seaweed reduces cancer risk and promotes weight loss. Perhaps you would like to add seaweed to your diet." [WikiHow]

Tell me on Facebook what you'd like to see me do with the seaweed!



Photography by Duc Duong.

Test Kitchen! This is the first drink for the "series," if you will call it that. I am listening to your suggestions and two people told me on Instagram (follow me at minervathai) that I should include alcohol with the orange marmalade. So be it! A marmalade cocktail for you all! By the way, this has become just about one of my favorite cocktails already - isn't that strange? So delicious. Let me know what y'all think of it when you try making it!

Step 1: Ingredients (yields one drink)

• ice
• 2 oz. gin (I used Bombay Sapphire)
• 1/2 large lemon, juice
• lemon peel
• 4 oz. orange marmalade

Step 2: Making
Fill your cocktail shaker almost to the top with clean, untainted ice. Squeeze 1/2 large lemon's juice into the shaker and 2 oz. of gin. Save 1/2 lemon for the peel. Add in orange marmalade.

Step 3: Finishing
Using a paring knife (or any garnish tool you have), slice off a part of the lemon's peel to place as garnish; if you have the right tool, making a corkscrew swirl of this would look beautiful. Close cocktail shaker top and shake thoroughly. Pour through strainer and serve! I actually chewed on the garnish too since the zest is so tasty.

This week's test kitchen ingredient: brandy
Actually the brandy of choice for the week is the Chateau de Laubade VSOP Armagnac. It is brandy from a French region called Armagnac, which is smaller than Cognac (the most well-known type of brandy). Armagnac typically is made in smaller-batch productions and also has a richer taste profile than cognac. It is distributed by smaller companies as well. What should I do with the brandy then? Tell me on Facebook!


Photography by Duc Duong.