Hot Buttered Soul

. . . is the name of a great album by Isaac Hayes, better known for his soundtrack for the blaxploitation film Shaft. The last song on this album, "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," is an 18+ minute epic song about the woman who done him wrong, and it's one of my favorite songs ever!


Here's a couple more things to keep your soul hot and buttered this winter. Serve with hot buttered cakes! (okay, that might be overkill)

Hot Buttered Rum

It snowed yesterday for the first time this fall/winter season, so I made this tasty drink to stave off the encroaching cold. Of course, Boston weather being as erratic as it is, the temperature's back to 60 degrees today.

2 measures / 3 tbsp dark rum
1-2 tsp raw or brown sugar
1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp butter

Put the ingredients in a mug and stir together. Fill the mug with boiling water and stir to dissolve. Enjoy!

Hot Buttered Tea (Poecha)

The infamous Tibetan buttered tea! According to the Tibetan cookbook The Lhasa Moon Tibetan Cookbook that I just got from Dinner (thanks!), the slightly salty tea is "consumed in large amounts as people sip it all day to keep warm and avoid dehydration in the high altitude ... the salt provides a correct electrolyte balance." It's a bit of an acquired taste ... a taste I have yet to acquire, to be honest.

4 black tea bags
1 1/2 c. milk
2-4 tbsp butter
3/4 tsp. salt

Pour 2 c. boiling water over the tea bags and steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add the remaining ingredients to the concentrated tea. Boil another kettle of water. Pour 1/3 of the concentrated tea into a blender. Add 2 1/3 c. boiling water, blend briefly, and serve immediately. For refills, repeat for two more batches.