I could spend all day browsing in a bookstore. Surrounded by worlds awaiting discovery, jazz music playing in the background, the toasty aromas of lattes and muffins thick in the air, I slink into a trance…

On a recent vacation morning where the kids’ activities all thankfully aligned and I was left with a few hours to myself, I stopped by Explore Booksellers, a charming bookshop in a Victorian townhouse, the only one in Aspen that has managed to endure against all odds. Of course, I bee-lined for the cookbook section. Curling up into a corner labeled Food Writing, I delved into Molly Wizenberg’s A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table and Secret Ingredients: The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink. Two hours later, I emerged from my bookstore bliss, newly inspired.

It was hard not to be overwhelmed by the shelves of books that I will probably never have time to read. But even one revelatory passage or breakthrough idea makes the trip worthwhile. Especially when it comes in the form of a memorable recipe. Here is one that still makes me drool. It is the most enticing recipe for hot chocolate that I have ever read. And it comes from a book I frequently give to friends as a luscious gift of love, compassion, and food all in one. If you are looking for a delicious adventure, pick up a copy of The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister. In the meantime, whip up a steaming cup of Abuelita’s magic.

Note: The instructions are quoted directly from the book. They are a departure from my usual format, but to turn them into standard recipe-speak would be to deprive you of the author’s distinctly beautiful writing. Enjoy!

(adapted from The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister)

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* In the book, the narrator probably used a wooden spindle called a molinillo, a traditional Spanish utensil used to froth hot chocolate. Generally hand-carved and lovely to look at, the molinillo functioned as a whisk, which today does a similar job but not nearly with the same finesse.

My magic wand is the BonJour Primo Frother, which makes super foamy milk for coffee drinks and hot chocolate.

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