Have you ever discovered a forgotten treasure?...this weekend I was organizing my "baking" shelf...the place I keep food baking essentials...a long overdue chore for which I was handsomely rewarded...with a canister containing very special contents...something I was sure I had seen the last of more than two years ago...
It was like finding a real French macaron hiding in a cookie jar full or oreos, except that this was something truly special...hand-blended Chai spices lovingly collected...creatively combined...packaged by my friend Michaelene under her brand Auntie M's...I had given them as holiday presents a few years ago along with her special cocoa...keeping some for myself that I meted out in tablespoons, only on special occasions, until the day there was none left...
I could hardly contain my delight at finding the one that had escaped to the back of the shelf...hidden behind the sugars...powdered, golden brown, turbinado...behind the flours...barley, wheat, all purpose...behind even the guar gum...I knew exactly what it was the moment my fingers coaxed it from the farthest back corner...
Still redolent of exotic spices...the canister had been sitting...waiting quietly, patiently for me to rediscover it...which I did on a perfect fall evening...just the right time to appreciate the deeply delicious, satisfying flavors and aroma of real Chai...rich and comforting...
Being the purist she is, had Michaelene been here, she would undoubtedly have cautioned me that the spices were too old to use...she might even have encouraged me to toss them out...but the cool crisp feeling of fall beckoned...and I had the perfect black tea on hand...
As I sipped my Chai, my mind drifted to thoughts of Michaelene...to how much she must be enjoying her time in Italy...to how much, now that she lives in the Pacific Northwest, I miss meeting her at Tupelo's for a Bowl of Soul...to how much better her Chai tastes than that, outdated as the spices might be...like heaven in a cup...
Mostly, I thought about how in awe I am that one person can master so many creative talents...best-selling author...humorist...cook...pastry chef...chocolatier...gardener...mother...and about how great, good fortune has blessed me with her friendship...the biggest treasure of all...