Salty Cumin Lassi

You may notice that this post is tagged "work snacks" and wonder what kind of tricked-out office kitchens we have. But seriously, you can do this--Hannah does happen to have a tricked-out office kitchen, but all you need is a glass, a water cooler, yogurt, salt, and a fork. If you keep a 32-ounce container of plain yogurt in your office fridge, you can enjoy lassis all week, either with your lunch or as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. You can even leave out the cumin and it's still delicious. And while everyone else is microwaving a soggy burrito, you'll be dreaming of India.

These measurements are approximations--just eyeball it if you're at the office with no measuring cup, since what really matters is texture.

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1/3 cup cold water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Whisk. Enjoy.

Lemon-Turmeric Malaise Deterrent

Barack Obama has a sore throat, and it's too bad he's all the way in New Hampshire, or we'd give him some of this turmeric-glow elixir and fix him right up. Since the New Hampshire primaries are upon us and it's general cough-cold-yuckiness season anyway, we thought we'd share this concoction, passed on to us by my sister. It's great for clearing your sinuses, zapping hoarseness, getting up the phlegm, or just giving you a sweet-tart cayenne jolt. (Blah blah, these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and this product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease).

More cocktail party trivia for you to bring up at whatever New-Hampshire-returns-watching soiree you'll be attending: did you know that turmeric is actually a rhizome, like ginger? We have some whole turmeric lovingly brought back from India by a friend and have been grinding them up whenever we want to make this drink.


2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey (or more, to taste)
1/2 tablespoon turmeric
1/8 tablespoon cayenne
1 tablespoon warm water

Combine all ingredients and stir well to dissolve the honey. We take shots of this whenever we need it, but Barack and anyone else who might be drinking this in public, you can dilute with a cup of hot water so you don't grimace on camera while you're sipping it.

Sierra's Raw Kale Smoothie

*Note to you Bloglines subscribers: we're reposting this recipe to enter into Ingrid's Green Leafy Recipe Contest in hopes of scoring a free juicer!*

Our niece Sierra is only one year old and she already hearts kale, especially in the form of this smoothie recipe from her mama. But this green concoction isn't just for babies--it's a great morning pick-me-up or post-workout snack for fully grown people, too.

Apple juice, peach and banana are sweet enough to balance out the bitterness of raw kale--you should try to get a sweet purple or red kale (like Red Russian or karinata). The original recipe made enough for a hungry baby, so we scaled this up to feed a grown-up. If you're making this for a baby, use 4 ounces apple juice, 2 slices peach, 1.5 leaves raw kale and 2 tablespoons of banana.

6 ounces apple juice
4 slices fresh or frozen peach
2 large leaves raw kale, stems removed and chopped finely
1 ripe banana, sliced

Blend. Drink. Eat some solid food afterwards if you're ready for that kind of thing.

Spiced Persian Lime Brew

Bone-chilling rainy evenings have arrived in the Bay Area, and here's our latest defense. Dried Persian limes are a thrilling addition to your pantry and can be found in Middle Eastern grocery stores--they're hard as a rock, filled with delicious black pulp, and have a smokier and more complex flavor than fresh lime. Sure, you could buy the Numi Dry Desert Lime tea for an arm and a leg...or you could make this and let your DIY pride keep you warm at night.

Hasn't Anyone Ever Heard of Central Heating?

2 dried Persian limes
a 2-inch hunk of ginger, peeled and sliced in thirds
8 green cardamom pods
6 cups water
2-3 teaspoons honey or agave, to taste

If I Put On Any More Layers, I'll Be Wearing My Whole Closet

Position limes on a cutting board and smash with a jar or a hammer until they break open.


And while you're smashing things, whack the cardamom pods so they open just a little. Place lime halves, ginger, cardamom and water in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for about 20-30 minutes, until tea is dark and deeply flavored. Strain, sweeten & drink.

Tart Basil Iced Tea

Last week, we went to the free-cone one-year-anniversary extravaganza at Ici and tried the basil ice cream. It was delicious, and really got us thinking about the versatility of basil. So, in the spirit of giving basil the freedom to break from its eternal pairing with tomatoes, we made this tea last night as a hot beverage and came back to it this afternoon as a refreshing cold drink. Think basil-infused lemonade, with a hint of mint.

The Inputs

6 cups boiling water
4 sprigs basil
1 sprig mint
1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
Liquid sweetener (honey/agave) or sugar to taste

The Output

Place mint and basil in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Steep for about half an hour, then remove herbs, stir in tamarind and sweeten to taste (which, in Phoebe's case, is no sweetener at all--I like a generous glug of agave). Have a cup while it's hot, then transfer to a pitcher or clean glass jar and refrigerate.