Monica Bhide 
I have been so immersed in Spice & Ice (Chronicle Books, 2009) by Kara Newman that I forgot to schedule this post to go up yesterday! It is a fantastic little treasure of a book filled with recipes for those who love a little spice with their libations. Doesn't it sound like it was tailor-made for me! I have read the book cover to cover and tried several recipes all of which are a hit in our house. Specifically what I love about them is that Kara has taken utmost care that the drinks taste like drinks and not science experiments! After all the joy of a cocktail is that it should be fun and satisfying and yet have a bit of a surprise in each sip and her drinks fall under that category.
Spiced Ice Tea (from SPICE & ICE by Kara Newman (Chronicle Books, 2009)
Yield 1 drink
A flash fusion of orange-spiked tea and hot peppers adds heat and a bright flavor in a hurry. (Monica's note – I tried this with an Indian ginger tea and it was really spectacular).
1 tea bag ( Constant Comment or other orange-flavored tea recommended)
4 ounces vodka
1 Thai chile or serrano pepper sliced
2 ounces Triple Sec
1 whole pepper for garnish
Immerse the tea bag in hot water for 10 seconds. Then remove it and immerse it in the vodka. Allow to steep for 5 minutes. During the last minute, add the sliced chile pepper. Remove the tea bag before proceeding.
In a shaker filled with ice, shake the infused vodka and the triple sec. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with the whole pepper.
Drink and repeat!! (One apology – I had only one chili at home which I used to season the drink and then had nothing for garnish!. Still tasted great :-))
