Food to Live By, the Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook by Myra Goodman, is one of my favorite resources. I cook out of it often, and several of my favorite recipes can be found between its covers. The Homemade Chai, for example, as well as the California Salad, are just two of the recipes I love.

So, I bet you’re interested in getting a FREE copy of Food to Live By, and here’s how you can do just that. Earthbound Farm just launched a series of videos on its website. In the videos, you can watch Myra Goodman demonstrate how to make Lemon Vinaigrette, Maple Almond Granola, and even a version of that California Salad I was telling you about. Go check out the videos (there’s four shorts in all, and all can be found by clicking here ), then come back here and comment on this post. That’s all there is to it. A random number generator will determine the winner, and the winner will receive Earthbound Farm coupons and a copy of Food to Live By. Get your comment in before November 20th! The winner will be announced at the end of the comments thread on Friday, November 21st.

Swoon. That’s right. If I had to use one word, and one word only, for this post, I’d choose swoon. This chai is that good. I’ve always liked the flavors used in chai, but I usually find it too sweet, too spicy, or, worst of all, too milky. This recipe, however, is spot on. I did make two simple changes—I used soy milk instead of whole milk, and I steeped my tea bags longer, as I like that richer, borderline bitter, flavor of the tea. Other than that, I followed Earthbound’s recipe exactly, and WOW. I was blown away by the results. Instead of throwing out more adjectives to describe this recipe, however, let’s talk chai instead.

Chai is simply the generic word for tea in many languages, including Hindi. In India, what we in the United States call chai, is referred to as masala chai. In any event, it is a spiced milk tea that is known for its warming effect. As chai contains ginger, it is also a natural digestive aid. While the spices in chai vary, chai should always contains black tea, milk, sweetener, cardamom, ginger, and black peppercorns. Cinnamon is used in almost all recipes as well, as are cloves. Other spices and flavors that are used include nutmeg, star anise, saffron, vanilla, and chocolate, though vanilla and chocolate especially are untraditional. There is a green tea version of chai that I find interesting, but no little about.

In Earthbound Farm’s cookbook, Food to Live By, the authors use a combination of whole black peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, whole cardamom pods, fresh ginger, and orange zest, along with the black tea, milk, and sugar, in their recipe. I like the orange zest touch. It seems to brighten the flavors.

I won’t reprint the recipe here, as I believe in copyright protection, even if recipe ingredients are fair use. Please purchase the cookbook. It has many other delicious recipes in addition to Homemade Chai. You won’t be disappointed. Click here to visit Earthbound’s site and order. And if you’re in the Carmel, California area, take advantage of their cooking demonstration, luncheon, and signing on March 29th. Details are on the site.