Chai x 2

One of my favorite things about Corvallis comes from the First Alternative Natural Foods Co-op: vegan chai cupcakes (and I'm not vegan). I've paired this with a cup of homemade chai to get me through tonight's articles.
I'd list the recipe for my chai, but it's a continuous work in progress. All I can say is that it contains, in varying amounts: loose black tea, fennel, cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, black peppercorns, and milk. Sometimes I hit the amounts on the nose and it's really good; sometimes I screw up and it tastes like steamed milk. My friend Deep, the source of my chai obsession, used to make it by bringing everything to a boil, but I try to avoid the resulting skin on the top by simmering it until it begins to steam.
If I ever work out the perfect proportions, I'll let you know. Until then, this is still pretty good.