Graduation

I am now officially an alumni of Biola University. Check out http://www.dankatie.com/photos/06/05-biolagrad/ for pictures of grad. It was truly a commencement ceremony to be remembered.

Thanks all of you who've known me over the past 5 years, I owe you all a huge thanks. I don't know how you put up with my... oddities. =)

Update on Chai

I hope you all have enjoyed my complete lack of postings. Hehe.

So I don't use that chai recipe anymore. The one I posted previously. The "Tea Masala" seasoning gets old after awhile, and doesn't allow for a high amount of customizability in the flavor. So I decided to buy the spices separately.

You can put any number of spices in, including, but not limited to....
Ginger
Cardamom
Cinnamon
Cloves
Black Pepper
Nutmeg

My favorite blend is to use fresh ginger root, available at Albertsons or Stater Bros., in addition to cardamom, available at Bombay Groceries. This store is at the Northeast corner of Beach Blvd. and Rosecrans Ave., at 14766 Beach Blvd. La Mirada, CA 90638. Phone number 714-522-7666.

Rather than using the tea masala, I substitute it with my favorite blend of spices that day. For instance, my all-time favorite is grating fresh ginger root in, about 1 or 2 strokes per cup, and then adding some split pods of cardamom, about 1 per cup. Then I add a tiny bit of fresh ground black pepper.

Hope you all have fun with that. If you want to add cloves, I should warn you that they have a very strong taste, and you should only use one clove for maybe 4-6 cups. Cinnamon is about the same.

Happy chai making! (detailed instructions are under the post labeled "chai!!!"