Cold-Pressed Coffee

For the best, not to mention easiest, iced coffee, stir 1 cup of coarsely ground coffee together with 6 cups of cold water in a large jar. Cover the jar and let the mixture steep overnight at room temperature.

The next day, strain the mixture through a coffee filter or a sieve lined with cheesecloth into a bowl or another jar. Fill a glass with plenty of ice and pour over the strained coffee mixture. Add frothed milk, if you’d like. The strained coffee mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a few days.

 

Staff Masala Chai

When powerful Hurricane Sandy hit New York in 2012, Buvette, like the rest of downtown Manhattan, lost power. One of the first things I did was make big vats of this chai on our gas stove for the staff to drink in an effort to use up our milk. Just a little spicy and totally warming (literally and figuratively), it was just what we needed to get us through the beginning of some unexpectedly daunting days.

[SERVES 4]

4 whole cloves

6 cardamom pods

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons loose Assam black tea (or contents from 4 teabags)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch coarse salt

¼ cup sugar

2 cups whole milk

2 cups water

Place the cloves, cardamom, peppercorns, bay leaves, and tea into a mortar and gently crush with the pestle. Alternatively, you can pulse the ingredients in a food processor or a coffee grinder.

Place the mixture into a saucepan and stir in the ginger, cinnamon, salt, sugar, and milk. Add the water and set the pot over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the chai and serve hot.

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The Perfect Cup

Patience is one ingredient that is necessary, but often elusive, in cooking. Patience can produce nuanced flavors in a slowly cooked soup and can make brioche light and airy. Patience can even make a simple cup of tea perfect. Teas, like coffee and chocolate, are greatly affected by their soil, elevation, and harvest. I prefer a good-quality, loose tea like golden Assam from Northern India.

For perfect tea:

  1. Use 1 teaspoon of tea leaves for every cup of water.
  2. Always bring the water to a rolling boil; a full 212°F.
  3. Warm your teacups and teapot by rinsing them with a splash of boiling water before steeping.
  4. Let the tea steep in a teapot for 3 to 5 minutes.
  5. Strain the tea into your warmed teacups.
  6. Add cold milk to your hot tea and let rest for 2 minutes before stirring together and enjoying. Milk brings out the toffee aromas and sweetness in the tea.

Collecting with the Table in Mind

I enjoy flea markets and yard sales, looking at history through others’ belongings. In fact, I have been nicknamed “Rust and Dust.” Seriously! I think it’s incredible how you can find spoons from the Civil War, ashtrays from bygone hotels, baskets that were woven a hundred years ago—and all those things can have a place at the table.

Found objects add stories to a meal. They make guests curious and inspire playful, energetic dialogue. If an object speaks to you, even if it doesn’t have an obvious purpose, buy it. It will find its way somewhere unexpected—an old trophy can become a vase for flowers, a pedestal candy dish can add height to your table and hold a plate of something delicious, a funky chair can be reserved for the guest of honor, a willow basket can become the perfect place to store your corks.

Some of my favorite antiques markets:

image Brimfeld Antique Show, Brimfeld, Massachusetts: May, July, and August

image Brookyln Flea, Brooklyn, New York: Every Saturday and Sunday

image Sparks Flea Market, Sparks, Kansas: May and September

image Pasadena City College Flea Market, Pasadena, California: First Sunday of every month

image Rose Bowl Flea Market, Pasadena, California: Second Sunday of every month

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