Eric Burkett

A Really Good Brownie Recipe

Few flavor combinations are as compelling as that of orange and chocolate. Mexican chocolate and cayenne add additional flavor notes without taking this too far outside the range of a traditional brownie, but the overall flavor is sophisticated and, probably, a little too good. You can find Mexican drinking chocolate in the Hispanic foods section of your grocery store.

2 sticks unsalted butter
6 oz bittersweet chocolate
2 oz Mexican chocolate (such as Ibarra or Abuelita brands)
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Zest of one medium orange

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.
• Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler or in a medium heat-safe bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir mixture occasionally until completely melted and blended. You'll know the chocolate is ready when it's smooth and has a bright sheen.
• Sift flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt together into a small bowl.
• In a large mixing bowl, using an electric beater or whisk, blend sugar, eggs, orange zest, and vanilla together until thoroughly combined. Add chocolate mixture, blending thoroughly, and then stir in flour mixture. Pour batter into baking pan.
• Place pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until the top forms a shiny crust and the sides have begun to pull away from the edges of the pan. If you like your brownies fudgy and goopy, bake for about 40 minutes. For a more cake-like texture, bake for about an hour, or until a knife or toothpick comes out clean.

Dream Tea

For years now, I’ve been drinking a concoction of my own a friend once dubbed “Dream Tea” for its propensity to promote lucid dreams. Relaxing and soothing, it’s made from three ingredients: chamomile, peppermint, and catnip. Catnip? Stay with me here.

Unlike its effect on Thomas, catnip (Nepeta cataria) has a very different effect on human beings. As Mrs. M. Grieve notes rather colorfully in A Modern Herbal: “It is good in restlessness, colic, insanity and nervousness” in addition to its ability to induce sleep. Who doesn’t need a good antidote to insanity?

Catnip is a member of the mint family and has a refreshing, astringent flavor. Chamomile, of course, enjoys an ancient reputation as a soothing herb, and peppermint, in addition to simply tasting good, is known for its anesthetic properties. Steeped together, you have a very relaxing beverage and – nicer than buying premixed, prebagged herbal teas – something you’ve made yourself. You’ll find all these ingredients at your local co-op, herbal shop, or health food store.

        1 oz dried catnip
        1 oz dried chamomile
        1 oz dried peppermint

Mix the herbs together and store in an airtight container, preferably out of direct sunlight. When it’s time to make yourself a cup, place one heaping tablespoon of the mixture into a tea strainer, and steep in a cup of not-quite boiling water. Let steep for about 3 to 5 minutes. Occasionally, I’ll add honey but I like it unsweetened, too.