The Best of 2009: Tea

[I'm participating in Gwen Bell's Best of 2009 Blog Challenge, in case you're all like, what's with the theme?]

Tea of the year. Lemongrass.

I’m a coffee drinker addict. (It keeps me from hitting the harder stuff, like cocaine stalking Nick Cave.) But I do love tea, and all its accoutrements. That said, this tea of the year is really more the tea of my life. (And if the purists are right, it’s not even really tea, but tisane. Whatevs.)

When I was growing up, my mom made lemongrass tea for us all the time. Hot, with a little sugar, it’s delicious and soothing. Cold, it’s terrifically refreshing. Instructions: rip off a small handful of the leaves. Rinse. Throw into boiling water. Turn off heat, cover leaves and let steep about 5 minutes. If you want the tea to turn a brighter green, add a little cold water while it’s steeping. The end.