Eunice Choi/Staff

Previously, Eating Berkeley praised the flavor of and gave tips on what to do with the almond, a popular type of nut that can be found in many places, from Hershey’s chocolate bars to the pantries of nut lovers. The trend has only been growing as the dairy aisle experiences the battle of dairy alternative products among soy milk, almond milk and coconut milk. The current king? Almond milk.

Relatively low in calories (30 to 40 per cup), void of saturated fats, delicately nutty and wonderfully satisfying, this creamy and mellow “milk” is the favorite choice of many. We could continue prattling on about all almond milk’s health benefits, but wouldn’t it be best to know how anyone can easily make almond milk in his or her own kitchen?

This has to be one of the easiest DIY projects — you only need five ingredients, no special equipment and barely any time investment. While Almond Breeze, Silk and other great brands offer fantastic almond milk, let’s face it: When has homemade ever lost to store-bought?

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of uncooked, unsalted raw almonds
• 4 cups of filtered water
• Separate water for soaking almonds
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or essence
• Optional: honey, agave nectar, sliced dates, etc. as sweetener

Equipment:

• Blender
• Large bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Fine sieve or strainer OR several layers of cheesecloth/muslin (not just one)
• Storage jar with lid

Directions:

• Soak the almonds for at least 8 hours, preferably 12 (overnight). The water softens the almonds so they are easier to blend and make into almond pulp. The longer you soak your almonds, the creamier the result will be, so you can even consider soaking almonds for up to 2 days.
• Drain the water from the almonds.
• Place the soaked almonds and 4 cups of filtered water in a blender. Add the vanilla extract and optional sweetener(s). Continue blending until the mixture is no longer gritty.
• Prepare the cheesecloth/muslin/sieve/strainer and place it above the storage jar. Slowly pour the blended liquid through the strainer. This ensures that you leave the almond pulp out of the almond milk. (You can save the almond meal for additions to foods such as cookies and gluten-free casserole bread crumbs.)
• Refrigerate. Almond milk will last 4 to 7 days. Shake and drink away before that deadline! You can also use the milk for savory dishes such as Food&Wine’s Almond-Milk Creamed Spinach or all kinds of desserts (homemade banana ice cream, smoothies and rice pudding, to name a few).

We weren’t lying when we said this would be outrageously simple. Starting off with 1 cup of almonds to 2 cups of water results in almond milk that is similar to 2% cow’s milk. Change it up if you want thicker or thinner consistency. Also, make small batches, because the milk does not last very long and requires minimal labor.

Things can’t get better than this for almond milk enthusiasts, vegans and poor college students, right? So go to the nearest local grocery store and start shopping for those raw almonds in bulk!

Recipe was adapted from WikiHow and theKitchn.

Contact Eunice Choi at echoi@dailycal.org.

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Josh Escobar/Senior Staff

1. It’s the evening before a midterm, and you need to get through the last episodes of “Breaking Bad” before you can focus and really study. So you go down the street and order a cup of coffee.

2. It’s a grand sunny morning in Tuscany. After brushing your teeth you sit down at the kitchen table with your home-stay family. Breakfast is a croissant stuffed with orange jelly. On the stove, in an upright metal pot boils the espresso, enough for everybody.

3. It’s late afternoon and you’re done with classes. You’re half-tired, half-awake, which is good because you have so much work due tomorrow. “I always have work, yet I always get so much done,” you think while sipping a mocha cappuccino.

4. Iced coffee – better than chocolate milk, anytime, any day.

5. It’s still too cool and dusky outside until you have that first full drink of coffee before class at 8 AM. Then it’s a brisk, resplendent morning on October.

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Mai Truong/Staff

What contains enough caffeine to help you plow through the midterms but also keeps your brain relaxed in a meditating state? Tea.

Tea contains theanine, which reduces mental stress and boosts cognitive functioning. But forget all that boring chemistry! Just ditch your coffee, drink tea and see for yourself how surprisingly happy you feel despite the stacking number of days you run on two hours of sleep. The next important question is this: Where in Berkeley should you get tea?

Sure, every cafe offers a few kinds of tea bags. You pour in hot water, close the lid and run to class, but comparing that to real tea — i.e., whole tea leaves in a teapot — is like comparing instant noodles to a hearty bowl of chashu ramen: There’s just no comparison. As of today, Berkeley has four tea houses that serve real tea: Asha, Far Leaves, Imperial Tea Court and Teance.

What makes them real tea houses as opposed to bagged-tea houses? Simple: They don’t serve instant tea in a bag. They also have printed tea menus, unlike tea houses that have no menu or place it on the overhead board next to croissants and bagels (no offense to croissants and bagels, but those pastries are not quite tea snacks). Their tea menus are sectioned into White, Green, Oolong, Red (or Black) and Puer. They also have someone who can explain to you what each category of tea is.

Of those four, which tea house is the best? Well, it depends on what you’re looking for. For your convenience, we have tabulated our experience as follows:

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Josh Escobar/Staff

Warm nights, yellow leaves and cloudy days mark the beginning of fall in the Bay Area — a time of windy nights, midterms and football games. What better way to wind down in the evening than with a cup of Eating Berkeley’s very own concoction?

Autumn Spike is a brew of cinnamon, anise and rooibos tea with a brilliant amber color. It’s easy to make, affordable, nearly caffeine-free, and its sweet, warm scent fills your kitchen as it brews. Regardless of whether you’re making it for a large gathering or just for yourself, it’s a soothing experience.

Ingredients

• 4 cups of water
• 3 sticks of cinnamon
• 3 stars of anise
• 4 tablespoons of rooibos tea, loose leaf
• 1 shot of Jagermeister (optional)

Directions

• Combine water, cinnamon, anise and rooibos tea in a medium-sized pot.
• Set the flame to high and maintain a lightly rolling simmer for 6 to 10 minutes with varying heat or time depending on how strong you want it.
• Serve.

Autumn Spike can be enjoyed just as tea or with a shot of Jagermeister for a smooth black-licorice finish.

Tips
Now that you have the basic formula for Autumn Spike, we encourage you to play around with the proportions and cooking time until you find what works best for you.

Enjoy.

Contact Josh Escobar at jescobar@dailycal.org.

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Annie Chang/Staff

My parents bought a Nespresso machine a couple of years ago. The coffee is packed into small capsules, and the capsules come in a variety of 16 different flavors, which are called Grand Crus. The grand crus have exotic names, ranging from a lighter Cosi to a stronger and darker Arpeggio. I could never imagine that espresso from a normal household machine could be so delicious. Before winter break, I had narrowed my favorites down to a well-balanced Livanto and a lighter Volutto. Then, during break, I tried the darker and stronger Ristretto and immediately fell in love with it. Ever since, I knew it was an espresso match made in heaven.

In January, I found Nespresso Boutique Bar in San Francisco near Union Square. Housed in an expensive area of San Francisco, the sleek, modern and classy design of the store created quite a trendy vibe with its simple lines. Being Nespresso, however, the delicious coffee and treats did not come at an affordable price. I ordered a Ristretto latte ($6.50) and a rosabaya de Colombia creme brulee ($8), which cost the same as all of their other desserts. The 16 capsule flavors can be applied to any type of coffee, from macchiatos to espressos. The menu also recommends which Grand Cru goes best with which dessert, but I just wanted the Ristretto.

The Ristretto came, I took a sip and closed my eyes in awe, allowing the flavors to envelop my taste buds. It was the perfect cup. Ristretto is a blend of South American and East African Arabicas with a subtle fruity note. This flavor is the most intense of the 16 and is rated a 10 on a scale from one to 10. The beans for Ristretto are roasted separately and slowly to bring out the fruity, acidic and roasted notes; it reminded me of the pure, rich and full-bodied Italian coffee. Nespresso’s website describes Ristretto as “strong roasted notes softened by notes of chocolate (with a) subtle contrast between strength and bitterness, acidic and fruity notes.” For me, Nespresso is a dream come true because the coffee remains the star of the show instead of being overpowered by milk or other flavorings.

Pairing the coffee with a rosabaya de Colombia creme brulee was also perfect. Rosabaya de Colombia is one of the Grand Crus, so the dessert has a unique coffee flavor. The creme brulee came with a chocolate mousse on the side and three pieces of almond wafers. The wafers were subtly nutty, but I couldn’t have known that it was almond if had I not been told. The chocolate mousse was not too sugary or too rich but instead sided more in the category of dark chocolate with a slight hint of milk chocolate. The deeper and darker flavor of the mousse combined with the Ristretto produced a beautiful dark blend of chocolate and coffee. The creme brulee was a little milkier and sweeter than the Ristretto because the coffee in the dessert was not as intense. The top layer of the creme brulee was covered with a thin layer of brown sugar, which produced a darker and slightly burnt acidic taste to balance the sweetness. The combination reminded me of a latte with a bit of caramel.

This cafe is definitely a place for a high-end coffee experience with the quality to match. The store decor embodies the feel of the coffee; whenever I drink it, I think of a classy afternoon in a fashionable Italian cafe. Nespresso keeps me loyal to truly delicious coffee in general and to espresso in particular. I will definitely be back for more.

Nespresso Boutique Bar is located at 90 Grant Ave., San Francisco, CA 94108.

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Annie Chang/Staff

Being an avid coffee drinker, my goal is to try coffee from every country I visit, and international coffees in the States also easily grab my attention. When Semih, a dear Turkish friend of mine, asked me if I wanted to experience Turkish coffee one night at 11 p.m., I desperately wished I could — but, of course, that would mean no sleep that night. A couple of days later, I headed over to try the coffee that was constantly on my mind. Little did I know, drinking Turkish coffee had its own little ritual.

Semih began to make the coffee as soon as I entered his apartment, and I immediately started snapping photos. I was very interested, and everything grabbed my attention. He added a pure powdery coffee into hot water that was sitting in a cezve, a small copper Turkish coffee pot that makes about two espresso-sized cups of coffee. Traditionally, the cezve is held over flames and embers, but because his apartment only had an electric stove, he just rested the cezve on that. After a couple of minutes, Semih added some sugar into the coffee. He told me that it depends on personal preference: Some people drink it black, and some like it with sugar. He heated the mixture of coffee and hot water until it boiled and said that if it was done perfectly and taken off the stove the second it started to boil, there would be delicious coffee foam at the top of the cup. No cream or flavoring was added after the coffee was poured into the cup, and it was an intense, dark color characteristic of a perfect cup of pure coffee. The taste was deliciously bitter, with an almost grassy or charcoal-like note that differed greatly from regular black coffee in the United States. The bitterness was so unique that to add more sugar or cream would have overpowered the coffee taste. After drinking the coffee, we ate pieces of Turkish dessert, a type of starch gel and sugar with different flavors and pistachios or fruit jelly inside.

Then it was time for fortune-telling, in which the saucer is turned upside down and placed on top of the coffee cup. This combination is circled clockwise three times and then flipped over, so that the saucer faces up and the cup is upside-down on the saucer. A coin is placed on the cup to make it cool faster. The point is to leave the coffee residue in the cup so that it forms ambiguous patterns. My intrigued self could barely wait to see my fortune. Here’s what Semih told me:

-  There was a large part of the cup that was white: I had a pure and innocent heart.
- He saw the figure of a bird: Someone would come visit me soon.
- There was something not so pretty in the shape of a dead fish: Something would scare me.
- A bit of leftover coffee would not stop running although we were not moving the cup, which was quite strange: I was easily led by others and convinced by them, and my opinions were easily swayed.

After the fortune-telling from the cup, it was the plate’s turn. He told me to make a wish before the fortune telling started, then allow one drop of coffee to run down the back of the plate. The speed of the drop represented how fast the wish would come true, and the closer it got to the middle of the plate, the more likely it would come true. Unfortunately, my wish would start to look like it was coming true, but it would not. Reminding myself that I am not superstitious, I was fascinated by the ritual and did not let the wish bother me. Many things were revealed, and I am waiting to see whether anything comes true.

Contact Annie Chang at achang@dailycal.org

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Berkeley foodies have plenty to be excited about, from fine dining on Fourth Street to cheap eats in the Asian Ghetto. But they really go gaga over the slightest mention of secret menu items, even ones at big chains. Who wouldn’t? Around Berkeley, Starbucks, CREAM and Jamba Juice have sweet secret beverages to try, so here’s an inside look at some of these hidden treats.

At Starbucks, there are the “red tux mocha” and the “cinnamon roll frappuccino.” The red tux mocha is half white chocolate mocha and half regular mocha with raspberry syrup. The mocha’s flavors were beautifully layered in a reddish-brown concoction reminiscent of one of my favorite desserts, red velvet cake. At first sip, the raspberry flavor excites the taste buds, and after a couple of seconds, the subtle white chocolate mocha flavor comes through. I usually dislike mochas because their heavy chocolate flavoring drowns out the taste of the coffee, but this drink balanced the mocha with different layers of flavors that pop at the exact right moments. Meanwhile, the cinnamon roll frappuccino is vanilla bean frappuccino with cinnamon dolce syrup, and it tasted like I had just taken a bite out of a warm and delicious cinnamon roll. The best part: It leaves a pleasant creme brulee aftertaste. While the flavors in this drink were also layered, the effect was more subtle. The entire experience was like eating two desserts in one go, except in smoothie form.

CREAM is famous for its ice cream cookie sandwiches, and it also offers an expansive milkshake menu. But you can be creative and ask for the cookie shake, which is a blend of your choice of ice cream and cookie. Just a heads-up: Not all employees recognize the cookie shake by name, so be prepared to describe it if you order one. As expected, picking the right combination of cookie and ice cream is crucial. Not looking to get too wild and crazy, I picked a chocolate chip cookie and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, and the shake ended up tasting exactly like if I had eaten the ice cream cookie sandwich version of this combination. The finished product was way too sweet, and it was very difficult for me to finish. The cookie chunks sank down to the bottom and were impossible to get without a spoon, so I ended up drinking a vanilla shake with some chocolate pieces here and there then eating cookie pieces afterwards. In hindsight, I should have chosen a coffee ice cream and chocolate chip cookie; the roasted bitter flavor of coffee would counter the sugar in the chocolate for a better balance.

To round out my secret-menu beverage run, I hit up Jamba Juice and ordered a Fruity Rocks smoothie, which was supposed to taste like Fruity Pebbles cereal. When I took my first sip of the purple, berry-color drink, my mind went to cherry Skittles. After about half the cup, the taste became increasingly familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Finally, 20 minutes later, I realized that it tasted exactly like Smarties candy, which always makes my mouth feel a little dry. This effect was not too enjoyable, but I continued to walk down Telegraph Avenue, sipping on my thick, fruity smoothie because, as a kid, Smarties were among the few nonchocolate candies that I really liked. The nostalgia made the experience worthwhile.

My friends always say that I’m adventurous when it comes to food. You know that feeling of an adrenaline rush when you’re on a roller coaster when the wind charges at you? That’s the feeling I get when I eat something I’ve never tried before. Squealing and screaming occur with both food and roller coasters, and taking the pass less traveled with cuisine usually comes with rewarding surprises. Secret menus exist to be dug out, and the adventures are definitely worthwhile.

Image source: Jed Schmidt under Creative Commons

Contact Annie Chang at achang@dailycal.org

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Sangria is a great drink for summer because it rivals good beer and pairs well with any dinner. It’s delicious and very hard to mess up. One bottle of wine can make enough for 8 to 12 servings, depending on the sweetness desired. Also, you can make really good Sangria with $4 wine. Live a little! (We recommend not using Two-Buck Chuck for Sangria because each bottle is just a bit too tart and dry.) Here’s a recipe that is cheap, quick and delicious.

Ingredients:
1 bottle of red wine
1/3 cup of brandy
1/3 cup of lemon juice
1/3 cup of orange juice
1/3 cup to 1 bottle of lemon-lime soda or sparkling water (depending on sweetness)
2 lemons, sliced
2 oranges, sliced
1 lime, sliced
Sliced fruit of your choice (we highly recommend peaches, cubes of watermelon or both)

Directions:
1. Pour wine into a large container.
2. Combine with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Stir twice.
4. Cover container.
5. Refrigerate for two hours.

Tips:
Use seasonal summer fruits, and cut into bite-size pieces.
The longer the fruit sits in the Sangria, the soggier it gets, so don’t let it sit for more than 24 hours.
There is not a significance difference in taste between $4 wine and more expensive varieties, given that most of us college students are used to Tw0-Buck Chuck. We find that Blue Fin at Trader Joe’s works wonders.
If preferred, you can make a bitter batch of Sangria and let your friends add more soda or brandy to their own servings.
Experiment with sweeteners! Use coconut rum instead of brandy or honey and mint lemonade instead of soda.

Have any suggestions or secrets for the ultimate sangria? Post them below!

Image source: Kevin H under Creative Commons

Contact Josh Escobar at jescobar@dailycal.org.

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It’s Friday night, and after a nice warm day in Berkeley, what better way is there to cool down than with a margarita? One of our favorites is the Cadillac margarita, which is as easy to make as it is to drink.

Cadillac Margarita

1-2 shots tequila
1 lime, squeezed
1 shot triple sec

Shake, pour over ice and enjoy. If you want it to truly be the “Cadillac of margaritas,” use good tequila and Grand Marnier instead of triple sec. But if you’re an average college student, you’ll do just fine without.

If you want a nicer margarita this evening, Comal on Shattuck Avenue is the place to go. With an open patio and a fire pit, it’s the perfect place to relax on a warm evening. It specializes in a variety of fine tequilas and have fantastically elegant margaritas (among other tequila cocktails, such as its famous swizzle) for $9. The eatery uses Cimarron Blanco tequila, orange-scented agave syrup and lime.

Image source: basykes under Creative Commons.

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