The Book Of Chai

The ritual of chai offers a moment to stop, to inhale, to feel awakened by the heady concoction of tea leaves and spices, to look out of the window and observe, to sit and let thoughts waft into thin air like the steam from the chai, a moment to breathe and sigh, to feel the heat of the spices absorb into the body, to feel the senses awaken from the tea, and for the sweetness to send a rush of energy to the brain. This book is a celebration of chai, the delicious, spicy drink that is woven into the fabric of life in India, now rapidly growing in popularity and enjoyed across the world. The Book of Chai presents 65 delicious recipes for chai, including recipes using chai spices and dishes to accompany chai. As well as explaining the health benefits and different techniques for making chai, this book contains chais for different seasons, times of day and moods. There are chais to wake you up, chais to soothe you after a stressful day and chais to help you sleep, as well as dirty chai, chocolate chai, and chais mixed with citrus and rosewater. More delicious recipes include lassis, chai spiced carrot cake, crispy pakoras and warming crumbles. The Book of Chai also explores the fascinating history of the beverage and its role in Indian life and culture. Evocative 'chai stories' of the author's personal chai memories are blended throughout, bringing to life the importance of this drink and the way it brings family, history and culture together.

If India has always beckoned, but something held you back -- or if you have traveled to India and feel a longing in your heart to return -- make the Chai Pilgrimage through the pages of this book. Patrick Shaw and Jenny Kostecki-Shaw spent four months in northern India, steeping themselves in chai culture. They kept journals, made paintings and took pictures. Using chai as their compass, they also made friends, worshiped at remote temples, and drank a lot of chai. Firsthand, they learned from the extraordinary hospitality of the Indian people that "Guest is God," being treated as family members in many homes. Inspired by the pungent spice palette, they returned to their northern New Mexico home and created this ecstatic book of art. Every page is a song of praise to the Indian people and the Hindu gods, to the healing chai spices, to the small farmers who grow tea, to every chai wallah in every stand along their journey. Patrick and Jenny captured and translated not just the Hindi language and the sweetness of the people but the spirit of love itself. Every word, painting and recipe is suffused with the pure flavor of devotion.

"A sweet story of finding love where you least expected to. A romp through New York City with fresh immigrant eyes. Kiran and Nash's journey to learning to see themselves and others across boundaries and preconceived notions will warm your heart."—Sonali Dev, author of Recipe for Persuasion She's determined to be the perfect daughter, until she meets the perfect guy... Kiran Mathur knows firsthand how dangerous love can be. After all, her sister's marriage in India nearly destroyed Kiran's family. So she's decided to redeem romance herself—by not falling for anyone who might disappoint her parents. That is, until she meets her new neighbor Nash Hawthorne. Nash is a dedicated doctor and committed to being alone. His family life has taught him the inevitability of abandonment, and he isn't ready to question his beliefs. But in spending time with Kiran, he starts to experience emotion he's never felt before. For both, love feels like a risk. But when the future only starts to make sense with each other, it might be time to follow their hearts... Praise for Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words: "LOVE, CHAI, AND OTHER FOUR LETTER WORDS is a delight... As warm and comforting as perfect masala chai."—Farah Heron, author of Accidentally Engaged "Captivating."—Library Journal, STARRED Review "Not-to-be-missed."—Booklist, STARRED Review

Time Magazine: 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time · World Fantasy, British Fantasy, & Crawford Award winner Jevick, the pepper merchant's son, has been raised on stories of Olondria, a distant land where books are as common as they are rare in his home. When his father dies and Jevick takes his place on the yearly selling trip to Olondria, Jevick's life is as close to perfect as he can imagine. But just as he revels in Olondria's Rabelaisian Feast of Birds, he is pulled drastically off course and becomes haunted by the ghost of an illiterate young girl. In desperation, Jevick seeks the aid of Olondrian priests and quickly becomes a pawn in the struggle between the empire's two most powerful cults. Yet even as the country shimmers on the cusp of war, he must face his ghost and learn her story before he has any chance of becoming free by setting her free: an ordeal that challenges his understanding of art and life, home and exile, and the limits of that seductive necromancy, reading. A Stranger in Olondria is a skillful and immersive debut fantasy novel that pulls the reader in deeper and deeper with twists and turns reminiscent of George R. R. Martin and Joe Hill.

Amira Khan has no plans to break her no-dating rule. Thirty-year-old engineer Amira Khan has set one rule for herself: no dating until her grad-school thesis is done. Nothing can distract her from completing a paper that is so good her boss will give her the promotion she deserves when she returns to work in the city. Amira leaves campus early, planning to work in the quiet basement apartment of her family’s house. But she arrives home to find that her grandmother has rented the basement to . . . a barbershop quartet. Seriously? The living situation is awkward: Amira needs silence; the quartet needs to rehearse for a competition; and Duncan, the small-town baritone with the flannel shirts, is driving her up the wall. As Amira and Duncan clash, she is surprised to feel a simmering attraction for him. How can she be interested in someone who doesn’t get her, or her family’s culture? This is not a complication she needs when her future is at stake. But when intolerance rears its ugly head and people who are close to Amira get hurt, she learns that there is more to Duncan than meets the eye. Now she must decide what she is willing to fight for. In the end, it may be that this small-town singer is the only person who sees her at all.

A sensory celebration of family, food, and culture

Experience the cultural history of Indian tea production; journey across this rich and fascinating country, to discover ancient landscapes, the natural environments of tea cultivation, the passions and the human story behind one of the most celebrated and sought after beverages.

Swati has spent her entire life trying to live up to her family's expectations of her. She has learned it is easiest to just do what is asked of her, without resistance; a skill that has helped her survive in the early years of the Knights, an authoritarian regime. When her mother has a request for Swati, she agrees to it as it is the only way to help her young niece have some sort of future. An emotional page turner, The Chai House explores the complexity of the desire to be true to yourself in a world where familial, societal, and political values guide you towards staying small and staying silent.