mamculuna | Cold weather goodies

Here's something I especially love on cold winter days:

REAL CHAI

The stuff called “chai” in most groceries stores and tea bars is not the real thing—usually very heavy on cloves, light on ginger, and just not the right mix of tea and herbs. This is pretty close to the way my Indo-Tibetan teachers make it, though they get tea in little pellets from the Indian store, and they boil it for a while after adding milk. If anyone has different suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

For two cups of chai:

2 T whole cardamom seed (not pods, not ground)
5 whole cloves
3 whole allspice
2 cinnamon sticks
2-3 star anise
vanilla bean (optional--they're expensive!)
1 T whole black pepper
1 t whole Sichuan pepper (also called Tibetan pepper—not really pepper--and also optional)
3 T coarsely chopped fresh ginger root (don’t need to peel)
2 cups of water
Black tea, preferably Indian (enough for two cups of strong tea)
1 cup milk
Sugar to taste (traditionally it’s pretty sweet)

Put spices in water and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 20 minutes until water is reduced by half. Turn water off and add tea, and steep for 5 minutes. If using tea bags, remove them. Add milk and sugar, and reheat to boiling. Pour through strainer into mugs.

Variations: decaf tea, skim or soy milk, artificial sweetener.

CARAMEL APPLE CHEESECAKE BARS WITH STREUSEL TOPPING

This is something I will never make, but it sounds heavenly.

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 sticks butter softened

Combine with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly, then press into a 13x8x2 inch baking pan lined with heavy alum foil or parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 15 mins

Filling:

2 8-oz pack cream cheese softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 apples, sliced and peeled
l,/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp sugar

Mix first four ingredients well and pour into the warm crust. Top with apples; mix last three ingredient and sprinkle over apples.

Topping

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 stick butter
Caramel ice-cream topping (in jar)

Mix first four ingredients well and spoon over the apples evenly. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until filling is set. Drizzle caramel topping when done.