Juicy Pakistan Gossip, Ashes Drama and Moroccan Tea

Waking up to some nice gossip is always a good thing.  Cricket gossip and a good cup of coffee are beautiful together.  So here's the deal:  a friend of mine from Multan informed me that Shahid Afridi is apparently going to be the T20 opening batsman for Pakistan when they tour New Zealand!  His opening partner might be Mohammed Hafeez or Umar Akmal.  Well, good on Shahid Afridi.  Let's hope he's in his best form and scores a ridiculous amount of runs!  Furthermore, I want Umar Akmal to unleash his famous Green Lipstick Power!  YEAAAH!  Rock on, and let's have a spectacular T20 series!

And other quick gossips:  Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik wanted to play league cricket in Bangladesh but the PCB won't allow them to leave the country, saying they should stay in Pakistan and play domestic cricket "just in case" they get called back to the national team.  I got this info from the Pakistan Cricket facebook page.  I don't know what their source is, so this is truly just gossip at this point.  As you may know, I'm not a fan of Kamran Akmal or Shoaib Malik, but come on.  These two guys need to make a living and have families to support.  They're not playing on the international side, so just let them make the most of the situation and earn some money!

And here's the Ashes drama:  Australia has axed Dougie Bollinger, Marcus North, and Xavier Doherty, and has replaced them with  Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Johnson and Micheal Beer.  Ok, this musical chairs business is a bit silly to say the least, but who in the heck is Michael Beer?  Is he even a test guy?  Where's Hauritz, who's been positively smashing his way back into form in domestic cricket?  Where's Tim Paine, the wicket-keeper?  Where's Steven Smith, the all-rounder?  Are the Australia selectors trying to save the series by simply confusing the opposition?  I am baffled.  

"Turning and turning in the widening gyre
    The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
    Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
    Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world," TS Elliot, The Second Coming

 

 

 

With all this bafflement, I need to restore my sanity.  A good cup of Moroccan tea should do the trick, and I'm going to show you how to make it today.  In fact, we'll learn two varieties of "atay" (darija for tea); one for hot weather, and one for cold weather.  Go get your kettle, a cast-iron tea pot if you have it, or just a plain pot. 
Hot weather version :  Moroccan Mint Tea: Atay bil Na'a Na'a ( pronounced : a TIE bill NAna)
Ingredients
Gunpowder tea
1 bunch fresh mint (use lots)
sugar
water

Put 1 spoonfull of the gunpowder tea and one bunch of mint in your cast-iron teapot.  You can use a cooking  pot if you don't have one.
Pour boiling water on top of the tea and mint, enough to barely cover, and swish it around for 2 or 3 seconds, then pour out the water.  Do this another 2 times.  This is called "washing the tea" and removes the dusty flavour of the gunpowder tea-leaves.  Do not ignore this step as it makes a huge difference to the final result.
After washing the tea, pour several cups of boiling water over the tea and mint. 
Put the cast iron teapot directly on the stove (or your pot ), on the heating element, and boil the tea for about ten minutes.
While the tea is boiling, add sugar; about 2 teaspoons for every cup.  Moroccan tea is supposed to be sweet.
Reduce the tea a bit, making sure that all the sugar is melted.  You should have a beautiful amber coloured liquid at this point.
At this point, the tea is ready to serve.  Pour directly from the cast-iron teapot into a small glass cup or small teacup.  You want to hold the teapot up high, at least one meter from the cup, when you're pouring it.  This will cool the tea down slightly and oxygenate it, adding another level of flavour.  The tea should slightly foam up in the glass or cup.  This is a sign you've made the atay expertly! 

Cold Weather Version:  Moroccan Saffron Tea : Atay bil Zafran
Ingredients
Gunpowder tea
1 pinch of saffron threads
sugar

Prepare the same way as above:  but do not add the saffron until after you've washed the tea.
Add the sugar and the saffron at the same time, and slightly reduce the amount of liquid.  Pour the exact same way as described above.

Mint tea is served in the hot weather in Morocco because it's believed that mint cools down your body temperature.  Saffron tea is a winter drink because saffron increased your body temperature, making you feel all warm.  Just don't go crazy with saffron, fewer than 10 strands will do the trick.  Saffron tastes like bleach if you over-do it.  And on a medicinal note, according to Moroccans, saffron is good if you suffer from back pain, and it's good for women when we get cramps!  And it tastes great!

So there you go; you've learned how to make English style tea, Pakistani style milk tea and chai, and 2 varieties of Moroccan Atay. Along with restoring your sanity after such bafflement at the Ashes, you are now a Tea Expert!  Ain't life grand?

Happy Tea-Time, and Happy Bafflement at the Ashes!