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Ginger Cashew Shake–A Work in Progress

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About a month ago, I was visiting Keyla and she took me to Java Green in DC. She ordered a cold ginger latte and asked if I wanted one. Because she was treating and I didn’t want to look greedy, I declined. Biggest mistake of my life (o.k., not really, but it makes the story better). We left. Went to run an errand. She got out. I stayed in the car. And stole a sip. And then another. And then another. Frantically, I put it down–afraid that she’d notice. But I was already hooked. Just one more sip, I told myself. I picked up the cup again. This time my sip was long and slow. I wanted to feel and taste each molecule of that sip. I wanted to savor that sip. I wanted that sip to linger. She got back in the car. I fessed up, “I took a sip of your drink … and it was damn good!”

When I got back to Durham, I couldn’t stop talking about the drink. I even described it to one friend as, “One of the best three things that I’ve ever put in my mouth.”

This is my (first) attempt at recreating it. It is tasty, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not the same. 1. It’s not ginger-y enough and 2. It wasn’t sweet enough. (If you like subtle ginger flavor, this version is for you). I’m going to keep playing with it, so expect to see modifications over the next few weeks. I totally know that I could just ask Java Green what they do, but that takes all of the fun out of self-discovery.

Ginger Cashew Shake–Take 1

1 handful of raw cashews
4 ice cubes
1 to 1.5 cups of water
1/4 cup ginger simple syrup
ginger pieces from ginger simple syrup

*Blend

Ginger Simple Syrup
2.5 cups water
1/2 cup raw sugar
5 inches of fresh ginger–peeled and sliced

*Heat water, sugar, and ginger on medium low until sugar is dissolved
*Reduce to low for 1/2 hour (to steep ginger flavor)
*Increase heat to medium/medium high; reduce liquid by at least half

Note: The day after I made this version, I made another version–I added 1/3 of a banana and a scoop of vanilla protein powder (I drank it after a work out). It was super yummy and the banana added some extra sweetness, which I think the shake needed. More soon!

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Tiffany M. Griffin is the woman behind Como Water, Washington DC’s premiere veg-centric cuisine consulting company. Through cooking classes, demonstrations, catering, and consultations, Como Water gives people the opportunity to learn how to prepare veg-centric cuisine that boasts maximum flavor, with minimal effort. Tiffany is quickly becoming a go-to expert on the future of veg-centric cuisine, and is a regular contributor to Como Water, the blog, as well as to vegetarian and vegan sites across the Internet. For over a decade, this self-taught, entrepreneurial expert has developed a set of tried and true techniques for making simple, delicious, and sometimes decadent veg-centric dishes. Featured on the Steve Harvey Show and other leading media outlets, Tiffany was born and raised in Springfield, MA. She then earned Bachelors degrees in Psychology and Communications from Boston College and a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan. She now resides in Washington DC, where she has worked in the US Senate and at a federal agency on issues around health, food, nutrition, and international food aid/development, and of course, as the owner of Como Water. Tiffany gets culinary inspiration from the food she grew up eating, and from her travels throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa. She is dedicated to sharing her wealth of knowledge on veg-centric cuisine with others and to help others live by her mantra—love life, live long, and eat veg-centric cuisine!

Comments

  1. Anonymous

    Tiffany this looks soooo tasty! I'll have to try it one day. Great blog! My twin and I have a decor blog. Check it out https://twinsintwocities.wordpress.com/

    September 23, 2010
  2. Tiffany and Keyla

    Thanks so much for the comment!!!!! How are you???!!! You're blog is super cute (I heart the name). And, I of course, love the sister love!

    September 23, 2010