A Tale of Two Beverages
Current status:
Trash TV episodes watched: 2.5.
Hours spent trying to come up with a punny name for an IM Ultimate Frisbee team: 0.83.
Research progress made: "typed up" ideas that I had sketched out months ago.
Status: actively looking for a way to avoid doing real work.
The solution:
Make a caffeinated beverage that requires multiple steps. Then, write a blog post about it.
Since I'm unable to think about encrypted databases and the weird edge cases of the algorithm I'm trying to re-design, let's talk coffee and tea instead. I don't know about you guys, but I always go through phases where I only want to drink coffee and then phases where I only want to drink tea. For those days when I can't decide, there is a great drink that doesn't require me to choose. The dirty chai latte. And yes, it's just as scandalous as the name suggests, because it involves mixing two beverages together in a way that will make coffee/tea purists shudder.
A dirty chai latte is essentially a chai latte with a shot of espresso in it. The flavors go surprisingly well together, and because I find that most store bought chai lattes are too milky or sweet, the extra bitterness from the espresso helps to balance the flavors out.
What you'll need:
To make the chai latte, place one tea bag in a mug and fill about half way with boiling water. Follow the brewing instructions on the box for details. While the tea is brewing, place about half a cup of milk in a small pot and heat, being careful to not burn the milk. Once it's been sufficiently heated, use the handheld milk frother until the milk is frothy and to your liking. Add the milk to the mug with the chai tea.
The espresso:
There are a few different ways to go about making an espresso at home. I've experimented with this a lot in the past, and the best way is to use my beloved nespresso machine. I realize not everyone has a nespresso machine on hand, so here are all the options:
Ok, so once you have your shot of espresso, add it to the chai latte, et voilà!
Overall, this is a great pick-me-up alternative to getting a double or triple shot of espresso. It's also a nice change from the usual afternoon tea I have. Besides, dirty chai lattes are even better iced, and it's basically spring, so I don't need to fear the judgmental looks that I get for drinking iced beverages in -10 F weather. Until next time!
Trash TV episodes watched: 2.5.
Hours spent trying to come up with a punny name for an IM Ultimate Frisbee team: 0.83.
Research progress made: "typed up" ideas that I had sketched out months ago.
Status: actively looking for a way to avoid doing real work.
The solution:
Make a caffeinated beverage that requires multiple steps. Then, write a blog post about it.
Since I'm unable to think about encrypted databases and the weird edge cases of the algorithm I'm trying to re-design, let's talk coffee and tea instead. I don't know about you guys, but I always go through phases where I only want to drink coffee and then phases where I only want to drink tea. For those days when I can't decide, there is a great drink that doesn't require me to choose. The dirty chai latte. And yes, it's just as scandalous as the name suggests, because it involves mixing two beverages together in a way that will make coffee/tea purists shudder.
A dirty chai latte is essentially a chai latte with a shot of espresso in it. The flavors go surprisingly well together, and because I find that most store bought chai lattes are too milky or sweet, the extra bitterness from the espresso helps to balance the flavors out.
What you'll need:
- Milk of your choice
- Gadget for frothing milk
- Chai (loose leaf and tea sachets are both fine)
- Boiling water
- Shot of espresso
- Sweetener (ex. maple syrup, vanilla syrup, sugar, etc.)
To make the chai latte, place one tea bag in a mug and fill about half way with boiling water. Follow the brewing instructions on the box for details. While the tea is brewing, place about half a cup of milk in a small pot and heat, being careful to not burn the milk. Once it's been sufficiently heated, use the handheld milk frother until the milk is frothy and to your liking. Add the milk to the mug with the chai tea.
The espresso:
- Espresso powder (budget friendly, no fancy coffee paraphernalia required, taste is...palatable) - $4
- Moka Pot (cheap, takes up little space, easily purchased from Bed, Bath, and Beyond or Amazon, pretty to look at. Makes a decent tasting espresso-like beverage and is probably the biggest bang for the buck) - $24.99
- Nespresso machine (comparably priced to a Keurig, consistently produces a nice crema, comes with soooo many flavor options) - $99.95 to $199.95
- DeLonghi espresso machine [1] [2] (I've used them before, and it's surprisingly difficult to extract the shot of espresso properly. If you happen to be blessed with barista skills and access to a proper espresso machine, this would be the ideal choice.) - $80 to $600+
- Bugatti espresso machine (perhaps one day, in my dreams, along with my non-existent barista skills. I'm willing to trade a car in to own one of these. My priorities are obviously in place.) - Priceless...apparently
If none of these are available, then a small, strongly brewed cup of coffee can be substituted.
Overall, this is a great pick-me-up alternative to getting a double or triple shot of espresso. It's also a nice change from the usual afternoon tea I have. Besides, dirty chai lattes are even better iced, and it's basically spring, so I don't need to fear the judgmental looks that I get for drinking iced beverages in -10 F weather. Until next time!
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