Sweets & Libations
I think stress level worldwide be greatly reduced if we made sweets and libations something to enjoy and savor in between EACH meal instead of just at the end of the day. Okay, so much for my diet! I’m not much of a baker (honestly I’m just not that great at baking) so most of my sweets are frozen concoctions and easy-to-whip-up desserts.
Life is Sweet! (and sometimes highly caloric, but that's okay, right?!)
Asian Pear Frozen Yogurt
This frozen yogurt flavor is a tribute to a Korean dessert called “Baesuk”, which is Asian pears poached in a sweet, gingery soup. The pears are studded with black peppercorns and it’s a wonderful, cooling dessert after a full Korean feast. Inspiration for this creation came from Jon, author of the blog, Evil Jungle Prince. Jon’s blog is full of Korean recipes, especially homemade kimchi recipes. Instead of black peppercorns, I’ve used the pink variety. But in fact, the two are not related at all! The pink pepper-corn is a berry and it’s delicately sweet with a berrylike taste on the tip of your tongue and a faint peppery finish at the end. Sheesh. I sound like I’m describing wine!
The best way to describe Asian pears is that it’s like a cross between an apple and a pear. But if you can’t find it in the stores, substitute with one pear of any variety and one firm, crisp apple, like a fuji apple.
MAKES 1 1/ 2 PINTS (430 G)
2 large Asian pears
1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (make sure you use a microplane grater, see page 33)
1 1/2 cups (375 g) Greek-style plain yogurt, store-bought or homemade (page 146)
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
Generous pinch of fine sea salt
1 tablespoon pink peppercorns, crushed
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Ice cream maker (remember to freeze your insert if you have one)
1 Peel and chop the pears into small 1/2-inch (1.25-cm) chunks. Toss with the lemon juice to prevent browning. In a blender, combine the pears and ginger and puree until smooth. You may have to use a tablespoon of water to get the pears moving.
2 In a large bowl, combine the pear-ginger puree with the yogurt, sugar and salt. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3 Churn the mixture in your ice cream maker, following manufacturer’s instructions.
4 Top the frozen yogurt with the crushed pink peppercorns.
NOTE: Because the pears are watery, if you’re making homemade Greek-style yogurt, make sure that the yogurt is drained well. When drained, the yogurt should be the consistency of very thick sour cream.
Tapioca Pearls with Sweet Coconut and Honeydew
Mom makes this cool, coco-nutty and soothing treat during the summer, when it’s sticky-hot outside. It’s a restorative and refreshing dessert after a big meal. But sometimes, we’ll eat this during the middle of the afternoon for a cool-me-down treat!
Tapioca pearls are dried tapioca balls found at Asian markets. There are many different sizes. For this dessert, I like using the smallest size, about 1.5 millimeters in diameter. The larger ones are great in Bubble “Boba” Tea (page 149). Serve this chilled. Mango and papaya are also great in this dessert.
SERVES 8
3 cups (750 ml) water
1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
2 cups (500 ml) unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup (115 g) small dried tapioca pearls 2 cups (320 g) 1/2-in (1.25-cm)-cubed honeydew melon
1 In a medium pot, bring the water and sugar to a boil. When boiling, turn the heat to low and stir in the milk. When the mixture returns to a boil, turn off the heat and stir in the coconut milk. Make sure that you are not boiling the coconut milk (which would make it oily). Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
2 Soak the tapioca pearls in cold water for 20 minutes exactly. The pearls will expand and turn bright white. Drain. In a medium pot, add about 4 cups (1 liter) of water and bring to a boil. In the meantime, have a fine-meshed sieve ready at the sink. When the water boils, turn off the heat and add the drained tapioca pearls and stir constantly for 1 1/2 minutes. If you are using pearls larger than 1 millimeter, cook an additional 30 seconds or until the pearls are translucent with a very small white center. Bite into a tapioca pearl; it should be soft but not goopy.
3 Immediately drain the tapioca in the fine-mesh sieve and run cold water through the sieve to stop the tapioca pearls from cooking further. Swish with your hands to make sure that the pearls at the bottom of the sieve have a chance to cool down. Drain and add to coconut milk mixture. Chill the entire mixture for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
4 To serve, ladle the sweet coconut milk into a bowl and spoon in the cubed, fresh honeydew.
NOTE: Do not combine the honeydew and the coconut milk until just before serving. Storing the honeydew and the coconut milk together in the same container makes the honeydew bitter.
Grilled Pineapple with Chocolate Coconut Rum Sauce
The only time I let Scott be in charge of dessert is when MY pineapple is grilled on HIS barbecue grill. And, like our marriage, what results is smoky, juicy, tangy and sexy. Okay, I snuck the sexy in. But wait! If you drizzle chocolate coconut rum on that pineapple....now THAT’S SEXY!!
SERVES 4 (2 SKEWERS PER PERSON)
1/2 cup (75 g) sweetened coconut flakes
1 whole fresh pineapple, cored, peeled and cut into 8 long wedges
8 long bamboo skewers, soaked in water at least 30 minutes
CHOCOLATE COCONUT RUM SAUCE
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 oz (125 g) milk or dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
1/4 cup (65 ml) coconut milk (or substitute with whole or skim milk)
2 tablespoons coconut rum
Pinch of sea salt
1 To make the Chocolate Coconut Rum Sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add the chocolate pieces and whisk continuously until melted. Add the coconut milk and whisk until combined. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum and sea salt.
2 In a dry, nonstick frying pan over medium heat, add the coconut flakes and toast until just golden brown at the edges, stirring constantly. Remove to a plate to cool.
3 Skewer the pineapple wedges on the bamboo skewers.
4 Preheat a grill, griddle pan or large fry-ing pan on high heat. When hot, grill the pineapple wedges for 5 to 6 minutes until nicely caramelized, flipping once halfway. Serve with some drizzled Chocolate Coconut Rum Sauce and a sprinkling of the toasted coconut.
Fresh Starfruit and Mango with Chilli and Mint
I’m not big on sweets after dinner (mid-day sugar craving is another story). Asians generally eat fresh fruit that’s cleansing and refreshing for the body. If you’ve never had fruit with sea salt, you’ve just gotta try it. The sea salt lets the sweetness of the fruit really sing, especially on tropical fruits!
I love using my mortar and pestle to make the chilli salt— pounding and releasing the oils of the chilli flavor the sea salt. If you enjoy the heat, use more intense chillies, like Thai bird's eye or Serrano, but if you prefer the incredible flavor and just a slight zing, remove the seeds and the ribs of the chilli before pounding . . . or go for a bigger, milder chilli like Anaheim. Start with a little bit of fresh chilli in your mortar—taste—and you can always add more.
Normally when choosing mangoes, I’ll go for the ripe ones, but in this case, green is good too. It’s slightly sour and crunchy, perfect with salt. The star fruit is juicy, light and so pretty on a plate. Garnish the dessert with a chiffonade of fresh mint.
Definitely use good sea salt. Regular table salt is too harsh and salty. You could use kosher salt too, if you don’t have sea salt. But I much rather prefer the freshness oceany taste of sea salt for fruit. If you don’t have a mortar, you can chop your chilli finely and just mix with the salt, using the back of the spoon to crush and release the oils as your mix.
SERVES 4
1 tablespoon sea salt (use less if your sea salt is very fine)
1/2 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh chilli of your choice (or more)
1 to 2 starfruits
1 mango (you can use either ripe or unripened)
2 sprigs fresh mint, leaves torn or very thinly sliced
1 In a mortar, add the salt and the chopped chilli. Pound, grind and smash away until the chilli pepper has released its oils. Your salt should be a pretty shade, now that it’s been in contact with the chilli. Taste, and add more chopped chilli, if needed.
2 Slice the starfruit into 1/4-inch (6-mm)-thick slices. Peel the mango and slice it into 1/4-inch (6-mm)-thick slices. Toss with just a teaspoon of the fresh chilli salt (less if you are using very fine sea salt).
3 Arrange the fruit on 4 plates and sprinkle the rest of the chilli salt directly on the plates, so that each person can dip his or her fruit into more salt if desired. Top with the sliced fresh mint.
More Option
Try the chilli salt on watermelon, cantaloupe, Asian pear . . .really any type of fruit!
Grilled Bananas with Chocolate and Toasted Coconut Flakes
My friend, Andreea Gulacsi, of Glorious Food and Wine blog, recently took a trip to Champagne, France, and had the most awesome dessert ever. Chocolate grilled bananas. I’ve added my favorite flavors to the technique—chocolate and toasted coconut. It’s deceptively simple, yet a show stopper on the table!
SERVES 4
4 bananas (leave peel on)
3 oz (85 g) dark or milk chocolate bar, broken into pieces
1/2 cup (40 g) sweetened coconut flakes (or other toppings of your choice like chopped nuts or chopped fruit)
1 Lay the bananas sideways. Carefully slice the bananas open (cut through the skin and through the banana itself) without cutting through the bottoms or through the ends. You’re creating a pocket for the chocolate.
2 Tuck the chocolate inside the banana.
3 Set them on a grill preheated to low heat and grill for 5 to 7 minutes, until the bot-toms start to turn black and the chocolate has melted.
4 While bananas are grilling, heat a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the coco-nut flakes and stir continuously until golden brown at the edges. Immediately pour onto a plate to stop the cooking.
5 When the bananas are done, top them with some toasted coconut or other topping of your choice.
I’d never have known how good homemade frozen yogurt could be if it weren’t for the king of ice cream, David Lebovitz (www.davidlebovitz.com). You can find Greek-style yogurt at most health food stores or large markets. If you can’t find Greek style yogurt, I provide you with a easy method for making it yourself.
MAKES 1/ 2 PINTS (430 G)
3 1/2 cups (875 kg) Greek-style plain yogurt, store-bought or homemade (see below)
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 cup (75 g) sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup (110 g) diced papaya
1/2 cup (110 g) diced mango
1/4 cup (80 g) diced kiwi
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Ice cream maker (remember to freeze your insert if you have one)
1 Mix the yogurt with the sugar and coconut extract. Let the mixture chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to let the sugar dissolve. Churn the mixture in your ice cream maker, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
2 Set a dry frying pan over medium heat. When the frying pan is just getting hot, add the coconut flakes. Stir constantly until the flakes toast to a golden brown. Dish out onto a plate immediately to stop the coconut flakes from toasting further.
3 In a small bowl, combine the papaya, mango and kiwi.
4 To serve, divide the frozen yogurt into dessert bowls. Spoon the fruit on top and sprinkle with the toasted coconut flakes.
TIP: To make homemade Greek-style yogurt, take 5 cups(1.25 kg) of whole milk plain yogurt and strain in a cheesecloth-lined fine-meshed sieve (set over a bowl!) for 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Discard the whey (the water). You should end up with about 3 to 4 cups (750 g to 1 kg) of strained yogurt (depends on brand of yogurt) with a rich and creamy consistency similar to Greek-style yogurt.
Thai Coffee Ice Cream
This is the type of ice cream that I eat straight out of the tub. Under the table, in a dark closet or hiding under the bed covers. So I don’t have to share. Need I say more?
MAKES 1 1/ 2 PINTS (430 G)
5 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon finely ground French or espresso roast coffee
2 teaspoons plus 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup (250 ml) water (for brewing coffee)
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup (125 ml) heavy cream
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Ice cream maker (remember to freeze your insert if you have one)
Brew the coffee with just 5 tablespoons of the French or espresso roast coffee grounds and just 2 teaspoons of the ground cardamom with the water. Transfer the brewed coffee to a heatproof bowl. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of finely ground coffee and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Churn the mixture in your ice cream maker, following manufacturer’s instructions.
This is a type of dessert that will make little girls giggle and squeal with delight and little boys get down with a little disco dance. My kids will pout if I don’t save a few wrappers after I make wontons (see recipe on pages 60/61) so that they can make a batch of these warm, gooey Chocolate Wontons for dessert. It’s so easy, too. Just add a chunk of your favorite chocolate to the middle, seal and fry.
Don’t be too greedy, though. A small piece of chocolate for each wonton is fine. If the chocolate nugget is too big, the wonton won’t seal properly and the chocolate oozes out when frying. No chocolate = no happy kids.
MAKES 12 CHOCOLATE WONTONS
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
12 wonton wrappers, defrosted (keep wrappers covered with damp towel)
12 pieces or nuggets of chocolate
High-heat oil for frying
Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling
1 In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water to make an egg wash.
2 On a clean, dry surface, lay 1 wrapper down with a point toward you, like a diamond. Place 1 piece of chocolate near the top end of the wrapper. Brush a very thin layer of the egg wash on the edges of the wrapper. Fold the bottom corner of the wrapper up to create a triangle and gently press to remove all air from the middle. Press the edges to adhere the sides. Make sure the wrapper is sealed completely. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and chocolate pieces. Keep the folded chocolate wontons covered under plastic wrap or a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying.
3 In a wok or medium pot, pour in 2 inches (5 cm) of high-heat oil. Heat the oil to 350°F (180°C) and gently slide a few of the chocolate wontons into the hot oil. Make sure you don’t crowd the chocolate wontons too much. Fry 1 1/2 minutes, then flip and fry another minute until both sides are golden brown and crisp.
Matcha Crepes with Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream
I can eat crepes any time of the day—breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. I love how the edges can crisp up and curl. Of course I justify to myself that crepes have less sugar than a big slice of cake, so therefore I can have two of them. And top each off with a full scoop of ice cream too. Sigh….I love my world!
Matcha or maccha is Japanese green tea powder made from the highest quality of green tea leaves. The powder is a stunning mossy color and it’s incredibly healthy. Now make sure you get “matcha”—you can’t just substitute with green tea leaves! If you can’t get the matcha powder, you can leave it out and make coconut crepes instead—just add 1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract to the batter mix.
You can make the batter and the ice cream in advance, which makes it a great dinner party dessert.
MAKES 8 TO 10 CREPES
1 tablespoon butter, melted (for sautéing the crepes)
MATCHA CREPES
1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 ml) milk
1/4 cup (65 ml) cold water
2 eggs
1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
Generous pinch of salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted
CHERRY CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1/2 lb (250 g) pitted fresh cherries, chopped
8 oz (250 g) chopped dark chocolate
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
Ice cream maker (remember to freeze your insert if you have one)
1 Blend the Matcha Crepes ingredients in a blender on medium speed for 20 seconds until the batter is smooth. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
2 Make the Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream by heating the cream, milk and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. When the mixture is hot, but not boiling, remove from the heat and add the cherries. Let steep for 10 minutes. Cool the mixture in the refrigerator.
3 When the ice cream mixture is fully chilled, stir in the dark chocolate. Churn the mixture in your ice cream maker, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
4 Before sautéing the crepes, stir the batter. Set an 8-inch (20-cm) nonstick frying pan over medium heat. When it’s hot, brush with a little of the melted butter. When the butter is bubbling, pour in 1/4 cup (65 ml) of the batter and swirl the pan so the batter covers the bottom evenly.
5 Cook 30 for seconds. Use a rubber spatula to loosen the edges, flip the crepe and cook another 30 seconds. Slide onto a plate and cover with a towel to prevent drying. Continue making more crepes with the rest of the batter.
6 To serve, fold a crepe into quarters and place a scoop of ice cream on top.
Bubble Tea is one of Taiwan’s most famous food imports. There are Bubble Tea shops popping up everywhere there is a large population of young Chinese students. The large, chewy, translucent tapioca, or “boba”, look like bubbles through the glass—thus the name for the drink. One note of caution: don’t try to suck up the boba too fast through the straw. You might shoot it down the wrong way— ahem—warning based on experience.
MAKES ONE 8-OZ (250-ML) SERVING
4 tablespoons boba (tapioca)
6 oz (175 ml) very strong-brewed black tea
1 tablespoon honey (or more to taste)
2 tablespoons milk
2 handfuls of ice cubes
1 Cook and drain the boba. To cook the boba, follow the instructions on your package, as the boiling times really depend on the size of the tapioca. Spoon the cooked boba into a 8-oz (250-ml) glass.
2 In a cocktail shaker, add the tea, honey, milk and ice cubes. Shake vigorously until chilled. Strain into the glass with the boba.
Avocado Milkshake
One of my dearest friends, Irene, taught me this Indonesian drink. One morning I was feeling ugly and sluggish and so she zipped to the kitchen and blended a couple shots of espresso, candy-sweet condensed milk and a ripe avocado. I would have never guessed that this combination of ingredients would transform into something so luscious, velvety and sweet. I added the rum to the recipe, of course!
SERVES 1
1/2 ripe avocado
4 oz (125 ml) sweetened condensed milk
2 oz (60 ml) brewed espresso (or strong coffee)
3 to 4 ice cubes
1 tablespoon rum (optional)
Ground espresso beans, for garnish
In a blender, add all the ingredients. Blend until smooth. Garnish with a sprinkle of the ground espresso beans.
Mango Julius
Remember the Orange Julius stores that were so popular in the ’80s? Here’s my version, only with mango instead of orange. This drink is rich, creamy and cold, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream makes it perfect for dessert (okay, I’m lying, I have it for breakfast too).
SERVES 1
8 oz (250 ml) mango juice
2 oz (60 ml) milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 scoop vanilla ice cream or mango sorbet
Combine all the ingredients except for the ice cream in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a tall glass and top with the ice cream or sorbet.
Passionfruit Chilli Martini
On a recent trip to Club Med Ixtapa, Mexico, with my friend Diane and my brother Jay, I fell in love with a martini. It was my first love for a martini ever. I’m not a big martini fan, even when Sex and the City made the drink hip. While all my friends were ordering “chocolate martinis” I would stick to my boring but affordable house wine. Until, I met Basti, the super-star bartender at Club Med. He created a chilli martini that tickled my tongue and had me madly, crazily lusting after his shaker. Basti made his martini with peach juice, but I love my version with passion fruit juice.
SERVES 1
1 fresh chilli, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
1/2 oz (15 ml) Simple Syrup (see below)
1 1/2 oz (45 ml) vodka
2 oz (60 ml) passion fruit juice
SIMPLE SYRUP
1 cup (250 ml) water
1 cup (250 g) sugar
1 To make the Simple Syrup, combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and let cool. Store the syrup in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
2 In a mixing glass or cocktail shaker, crush one of the chilli halves with just 1 tablespoon of the Simple Syrup—you can use a spoon or a muddler. The more you crush, the hotter the drink will be. Fill with ice and add the rest of the Simple Syrup, vodka and juice. Shake 30 seconds until chilled then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with the remaining chilli half.
Apple Ginger Mint Iced Tea
Here in tropical Florida, everyone drinks iced tea! The sweetened stuff that’s typical in the South is just uugggghhhhh....gag....much too sweet for my taste. So, I’ve created an ice tea infused with fresh apples, fresh ginger and fresh mint. Instead of sugar, how about syrupy honey?
MAKE FOUR 8-OZ (250-ML) SERVINGS (WITH ICE)
2 to 3 bags of green tea
One 2-in (5-cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled
1/4 apple, cut into matchsticks
1 to 2 sprigs fresh mint
2 cups (500 ml) boiling hot water
An ice-filled pitcher
1/2 cup (125 ml) apple cider
Honey, as desired
Combine the tea bags, ginger, apple matchsticks and mint in a teapot. Fill with boiling hot water and steep for 5 minutes. Pour and strain into the ice-filled pitcher. Add the apple cider and honey, as desired. Fill individual glasses with ice and serve.
Pomegranate and Soda
When we were little, my brother and I would love to eat pomegranate seeds! Mom would open a pomegranate in her biggest bowl and break apart the jeweled sections for us. Of course, the juices stain everything it touches, so our shirts, lips, teeth and tongues were painted ruby red.
This is one of the prettiest drinks, pomegranate juice or liqueur mixed with club soda and ice. Add a spoonful of ruby red pomegranate seeds to each glass. My favorite pomegranate liqueur is Pama—it’s a perfect balance of sweet and tart.
SERVES 1
Spoonful of pomegranate seeds Ice
2 oz (65 ml) pomegranate juice or liqueur
4 oz (125 ml) club soda
1 sprig of fresh mint for garnish
Spoon the pomegranate seeds in a tall glass and fill with ice. Pour in the pomegranate juice or liqueur and club soda. Stir briefly. Garnish with the sprig of fresh mint.
Vietnamese Iced Coffee
Stop! If you’re scanning or browsing for recipes in this book, stop right here. If you haven’t had Vietnamese Iced Coffee before, you gotta just go to the store, buy some French roast coffee and condensed milk. Yes, baby, it’s *that* good! It’s rich, strong and luscious. Just how I like my men.
The Vietnamese coffee is usually made with a metal coffee press found at most Asian markets (less than $4.00) but you don’t even need that. Use your regular coffee maker and brew a triple-strength French roast coffee or espresso. If you don’t have a coffee maker, go to your local store and get a $2 plastic single-brew coffee maker (Melitta makes a good one) that drip brews directly in a cup.
SERVES 1
2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
1 small heat-proof glass
1 Vietnamese metal coffee maker
2 tablespoons strong French roast coffee, coarsely ground
1/3 cup (80 ml) boiling hot water
1 tall 8-oz (250-ml) glass filled to brim with ice
Pour the sweetened condensed milk in the small heat-proof glass (it’s best that you use glass so you can watch the coffee drip down). Take the metal coffee maker and unscrew the metal filter from the base. Spoon the ground coffee into the base, screw the filter back on tightly, packing in the coffee. Place the coffee maker on top of the small glass and pour hot, boiling water into the coffee maker, filling it to the top. You can use the tip of a spoon to tighten the screw of the filter more (if coffee is dripping too quickly) or loosen it (if coffee is not dripping at all). The slower the drip, the stronger the coffee. You should see 3 to 4 drips at a time. Be patient! The entire process should take about 3 minutes and the result should look like espresso. You can add more water if you want. When the coffee is done, remove the coffee maker and stir the coffee and condensed milk together. Pour this over a tall glass filled with ice. Enjoy!
Hong Kong Yinyeung Tea-Coffee
This is the perfect drink for those who are indecisive . . . coffee? tea? Well, how about both!
As a kid, we’d use to go back to Hong Kong every summer to visit our family. Back then, I didn’t care too much for tea and I wasn’t old enough to have a cup of coffee. But Mom let me order Yinyeung, a delicious harmony of coffee, tea, evaporated milk (Black & White brand of evaporated milk is preferred) and sugar.
It’s not as simple as sticking a tea bag in your coffee, though on lazy afternoons I’ve been known to do just that. This drink is silky, smooth and hits that sweet spot just perfectly. You can use any type of good quality black teas, like English Breakfast. But I prefer my Assam tea from Upton Tea Imports or the Lychee Black Tea (also used in Smoked Tea Salmon, page 80).
If you don’t have canned evaporated milk, you can use sweetened condensed milk (just omit the sugar in the recipe) or whatever you normally use to dress your coffee with—milk or unflavored half and half.
SERVES YOU + 3 OF YOUR FRIENDS FOR AFTERNOON TEA
4 tablespoons evaporated milk, plus more for the table
4 teaspoons sugar, plus more for the table
TEA FIXINGS
4 cups (1 liter) boiling hot water
4 teaspoons black loose-leaf tea
COFFEE FIXINGS
4 cups (1 liter) water
5 tablespoons coffee grounds
1 To make the tea, let the boiling water cool for 1 minute. Steep the tea leaves in the hot water for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea. I like mine strong! But don’t let it sit for longer than 5 minutes or it might become bitter. Strain the tea and discard the leaves.
2 To make the coffee, follow the instructions for your coffee maker to brew a good strong cup of coffee.
3 Pour each cup halfway with tea, half-way with coffee. Add 1 tablespoon of evaporated milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Of course, you can add more or less of milk and sugar depending on your tastes.
