A cure for the common Warcraft addiction.

I've been so busy in my kitchen the last couple of days I've all but forgotten about World of Warcraft. I couldn't even tell you right now what level my night elf druid is. Instead, I could ramble on about homemade cheese and yogurt, Creole food, and (hold your breath) Thai iced tea. The last is my proudest accomplishment this weekend. Forget that I made half a gallon of the creamiest, most delicious yogurt you've ever tasted. Never mind that there's a vat of red beans and rice, Leah Chase style, waiting in the fridge for tomorrow night's supper. And that jambalaya? A thing of the past. Sure, it's GOOD, but I have not been waiting ages to taste some only to find it's even better than I ever could have remembered.

Now the Thai tea - that's a whole other story. Thai iced tea has been my favorite iced drink ever since my first sip at Lemongrass in Las Cruces over 8 years ago (yeah, I actually remember when and where. It's that freaking good). I couldn't get enough. The tea is lightly and sweetly spiced with cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, and most notably (but not noticeably) star anise. It's rather heavily sweetened and usually tinted with a touch of red food coloring to give that signature reddish orange hue. Then it is poured over ice and topped with a generous amount of either half and half or evaporated milk, and is usually a rich sunset of pale peach to deep, burnt brown-orange when served (the trick is pouring in the milk very slowly so it stays mostly on top, tea on bottom. Sadly, you stir up this work of art before drinking). I once saw a beautiful glass of fresh Thai tea sitting on the shelf of a small Buddhist altar in my favorite Thai restaurant, Dodge City's little-known Thai Angel (no idea if it's still around, but they serve the best Thai food I have ever eaten. Two words: Angel Wings). My only gripe with Thai tea is that no cokbook I've ever come across will tell me how to brew the tea itself; they all simply give instructions for assembling the finished beverage. The closest I ever came was in Victor Sodsook's True Thai, which gave a vague mention of it being spiced mainly with star anise. This is, to this day, the only reason that spice resides in my kitchen.

Anyway, while surfing CHOW during a random bout of insomnia and yogurt-making tonight, I came across a recipe for Thai- and Vietnamese-style iced coffee, and it got me to wondering if they had a recipe for Thai tea. They did, and I immediately rushed to the kitchen and made some in my spiffy Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker. I don't actually use this appliance for iced tea all that often - generally I just brew hot in it, as it makes a really lovely pot of strong hot tea without my needing to attend to anything. Anyway, I brewed it hot and stuck the pitcher in the fridge to chill, but not before I thoroughly spoiled myself with a fresh glass over ice, topped with that customary rich, creamy swirl of half and half. It was better than I could have imagined. The black teas I had on hand worked perfectly with the blend of spices, and I was immediatey transported to another galaxy. Fellow Thai tea lovers, you know what I'm talking about. This is not the kind of beverage you can enjoy halfheartedly. For those of you who have never had the pleasure, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! Make some now. You can thank me later.

NOTE: All recipes linked to in this post are gluten-free. If making the Creole jambalaya or red beans linked above, be sure to check your sausage and ham labels for gluten!