Vertical align text in block element

Question

I know vertical alignment is always asked about, but I don\'t seem to be able to find a solution for this particular example. I\'d like the text centered within the element,

Answer 1

Would using padding be OK for your needs?: http://jsfiddle.net/sm8jy/:

li {
    background: red;
    text-align:center;
}
li a {
    padding: 4em 0;
    display: block;
}