Horchata

I first had horchata when I was in Mexico City visiting a certain Bengali gentleman while he was doing some research there.  Ever since, I've been totally hooked.  It's a cinnamon-spiced almond and rice milk, that is nutty and delicious.  It is rich and creamy and a delicious addition to coffee in place of regular milk.  The process is time (but not labor) intensive, since you have to soak the rice and almonds for at least 6 hours, but I promise, it's worth it.  This recipe is courtesy of the fine folks over at the NYT, who published a recipe by Rick Bayless.

Ingredients:
 - 6 tbsp. white rice
 - 1 1/4 c. blanched almonds
 - 1 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick, or a teaspoon of ground cinnamon
 - 1/2 to 1 c. sugar, depending on your taste
 - about 5 c. of water

Directions:
 - Combine rice, almonds and cinnamon in a bowl or large jar.  Pour 2 1/2 c. of warm water over the mixture.  Allow it to sit for at least 6 hours.
 - After soaking pour the mixture into a blender and blend for 4-5 minutes until everything is well mixed and it is no longer gritty.
 - Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve, or a colander  lined with cheese cloth.  Make sure to squeeze the liquid out of the solids that are left behind in the strainer.
 - Add 2 c. cold water (or more, to your taste) to the almond/rice milk.  Stir in sugar, also to taste.
 - If you store it in the fridge before serving, make sure to stir it up before serving because it tends to separate.

Enjoy!
ceh.