hortus conclusus

In Salman Rushdie’s Moor’s Last Sigh , a spice heiress and a manager succumb to their passion for one another and make love on sacks of pepper. This scene won Rushdie the award for bad sex writing . I guess the line that seems to especially offend people’s sensitivities is the admittedly very stupid-sounding: “For ever they sweated pepper n’ spice sweat.” Ok, fair enough, that sounds pretty mojo-killing. But I remember the first time I read this novel (when it came out. I admit to being a Rushdie fan), and I remember that I thought this scene was pretty hot. not the terrible n’,  but the scene in general. Reader, what do you think: link to this page of the The Moor’s Last Sigh I found myself thinking of it again, dear readers, when I spritzed on The Different Company’s Rose Poivrée —after the inevitable sneeze, I thought, what a sexy scent, with its pepper, civet, rose, cumin, and coriander, and then all these images of sexy Indian heiresses and their str...

I make all sorts of different chais-it is said that nearly every part of India serves a different sort of chai (the name just means tea—c.f. Japanese ‘cha’) and so do I. Some kinds I make are cinnamon-heavy. Others are garam masala based. others utilize fresh ginger. Still others are a blend of all the spices I can get my hands on. But one of my favorites, the one I recommend your making for your pepper adventure , is my pepper-cardamom-nutmeg chai. This is very piquant, and quite lovely, if I do say so myself. Give it a try, and tell me what you think. Pepper Cardamom Chai bring 4 c. water, one ground nutmeg, a teaspoon of ground cardamom, and a teaspoon of pepper to a boil in a large pot. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, then add tea of choice (I usePG Tips), three tbsp, sugar or to taste, and 3 c. milk. When chai is almost at a boil, strain or serve with mate straws. Enjoy!