Recipe for success: Chai wallah!*

Not only will you love to curl up to this hot cup of chai on a cold night, but steeping the ginger and spices makes the house smell fan-freakin-tastic. Our friend Todd came over one night last winter to share this recipe and I have been hooked ever since. Making this homemade chai is such a treat that I have a little space in the kitchen where I store all my chai making goodies and a mortar and pestle dedicated for these spices. A little tip when buying the ingredients - make a side trip to a speciality Asian or Indian store to find all the ingredients and save some serious cash.

1. Assemble the ingredients:
   

   Fresh ginger Water Whole milkloose leaf black tea sugar

   Spices are all per serving: 4 cloves4 peppercorns 6 cardamom pods1/8 stick of cinnamon

2. Place a few slices of ginger or minced ginger in the water and bring to a boil.
3. Crush the cloves, peppercorns, cardamom pods and cinnamon together and place in the boiling water. Let these steep in the simmering water, the longer the steep the spicier the chai. This step can be from 5 minutes to 30 minutes.
4. Add milk (equal to half the amount of water) and bring the temperature back up to a gentle boil.
5. Add a few teaspoons of tea and steep for a few minutes.
6. Strain the mixture.
7. Add sugar to taste.

* Up until 2008's surprise sweetheart movie, Slumdog Millionaire, I had never heard of a chai wallah. This profession is held by the protagonist and is apparently a person who sells or serves chai. Try screaming 'chai wallah' at the top of your lungs when serving the drink and really hope that my internet research is correct...and it isn't a horribly offensive word.