hello and a latte from a graduate

Well, it’s official! I’ve made it through thirteen years of compulsory, New York state education and to show for it, I have a piece of paper and a funny set of dress robes and a hat. (Oh wow, that Harry Potter just slipped right in there, didn’t it?) I’m going to wax cheesy here for a second and say that I cannot believe that I’ve grown from an awkward kindergarten-er into an infinitely more awkward high school graduate! And now I’m sorting through my sparse AP credits, it hits me that I’m heading off to Cornell to study some food science in a mere two months.

I’m also sweating like a pig right now because it’s kind of warm brain-meltingly hot here, I just squashed three little bugs, and I’m drinking a green tea latte. I know what you’re thinking, “Joyce? Really? A latte in the midst of summer?!” Sorry! I can’t help myself! I’ve become addicted to the taste, and more importantly, the pretty pastel green of matcha when I mix it with milk. Serious matcha enthusiasts probably want to reach out and slap me, but the wonders of cyberspace are protecting me, haha!

I guess the matcha latte isn’t the exciting part, but rather the foam! Oh foam, glorious foam that I previously thought was only achievable by scary-intense espresso machines in Starbucks or maybe somewhere more local. (I just slapped myself in the face to kill a fifth bug.) But, oh I was wrong! You can make that coffee-house foam with just milk and…a glass jar.

A let-down, isn’t it? I almost wanted to stand over my counter and whisk a bowl up milk for hours on end, but alas my ambitions were thwarted by the molecular structure of milk proteins and how they really love to bubble up and stay bubbly. When I scooped that stuff out with a spoon, it was a real workout! Definitely justified my drinking the latte at almost midnight.

Green Tea Latte (with foam!)

1/2 tsp of matcha green tea powder, and some to garnish (optional)
1 cup boiling hot water
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup milk (skim, 2%, your preference)

Pour the hot water into your cup of choice. I prefer a glass mug to I can see the foam when I drink it! Sprinkle your matcha powder and sugar in and whisk or stir until it’s thoroughly combined and looks kind of like swamp water.

Pour milk into a glass jar, making sure that the jar is less than half full. Shake, shake, shake that jar! (See, it’s like a workout! Totally good for you.) Once the milk has doubled in volume from foaminess, uncap and place in the microwave for 30 or so seconds until the milk is warm.

Then pour the warm milk into your green water while the foam floats weirdly on top. Use a small spoon to scoop that foam out and arrange it prettily on top. Sprinkle with matcha and serve immediately.

About these ads