Hot chocolate and salabat

During the holidays my lola makes hot chocolate and salabat, or a spicy-tasting, sweet ginger tea. Winter in SD this year feels colder than usual, more like a Bay Area winter.

For hot chocolate:
8 oz good-quality dark or milk chocolate (cocoa that wasn't processed with alkali)
2 cups milk
2 cups water
1-2 pinches chili powder
1 pinch cardamom
1 pinch cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium pot, heat milk and water over medium heat until the milk begins to bubble. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Break the chocolate into bite-sized pieces and add to the pot. Add spices and vanilla extract. Stir until all the chocolate melts, and let simmer for at least 10 minutes or until you can't stand the wait any longer and simply must have a sip. Serve in mugs.

For salabat:
1 palm-sized piece of fresh ginger (fresh is important--powdered lacks juices)
Brown sugar to taste (I used 1/4 cup + 1 T Splenda--my lola uses 1 cup brown sugar)
4 cups water

In a medium pot, bring water to a boil. Meanwhile, peel and slice ginger. Smash each piece with a mortar and pestle or the back of a spoon to release the flavorful juices and add to water. Stir in sugar until it dissolves. Let simmer over medium heat for at least 10 minutes. The longer you let the ginger steep, the stronger the flavor will be. This stuff will warm you up inside and out.

Mulled wine

When torrents of rain start pounding my window, I like to watch French movies and drink mulled wine.

You will need:

1 bottle Charles Shaw chardonnay, or any fruity wine (e.g. merlot)

For the sugar syrup, you can substitute 2 cups of port, brandy, or sherry. Any sweet fortified wine will do.
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 T vanilla extract

These spice measurements are approximate. I usually season to taste.
1 1/2 T cinnamon, or 2 cinnamon sticks + 1/2 T ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp black peppercorns

Slice the following into 1/4"-thick circles:
2 oranges
1 lemon

1. Start off by making a simple syrup:
   Bring water to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan. Add sugar and vanilla, then stir to dissolve sugar. Once the sugar dissolves, boil the mixture until it thickens, about 1 minute. If you're using fortified wine instead, bring it to a simmer over medium heat, stirring carefully. Do not boil it, as you will wreck the flavors in the wine.
   
2. While the water is coming to a boil, toast the spices in a dry pan. They're done when you see a little steam come off the pan. They should be quite fragrant.
3. After the syrup thickens (or the fortified wine comes to a simmer), add the spices to it.
4. Add wine to syrup, then bring to a simmer over medium to medium-low heat.
5. Add fruit slices one by one so that they don't stick to each other, then reduce heat to medium-low to low.
6. Simmer 1 hour.
7. Garnish with an orange slice and a cinnamon stick, then serve.