El Salvador: Cinnamon-Ginger Rice-Shake

In Monterey once, my mother and I were thrift-storing. In one particularly moldy, ill-ventilated hole-in-the-wall, we came upon a battered tube of metal. My mother practically turned cartwheels with glee at the sight.

"It's just a blender, Mom."

"No no no! It's a Vit-a-Mixer!"

"It's ugly."

"Is not."

She bought it for $10 and "to Vit-a-Mix" became a verb in our household. We Vit-a-Mixed up some soup for a quick snack. Strawberries were Vit-a-Mixed for sauces. Rice was Vit-a-Mixed into rice flour. When I started graduate school, my mom bought me a new Vit-a-Mixer, no longer the ugly tube of metal but a lovely, enormous blending demon.

Today I Vit-a-Mixed up some El Salvadorian cinnamon-ginger rice drink. I tell the Vit-a-Mix story because it's really the only one for this recipe, which is nice but not particularly worth repeating.

El Salvador: Cinnamon-Ginger Rice-Shake
Serves 2

3 cups water
2 Tbsp rice
1 large pepper (I'm a wimp – I left this out)
1 Tbsp sugar
Small piece of ginger
Dash o' Cinnamon

Heat the water, rice, cinnamon, pepper, and ginger. Cook for 1 hour on low heat, allow to cool, add some of the water, the rice, and the sugar to a blender. Blend. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve warm and frothy.