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17 February 2004 - It's Warm and it's Wet "No one can understand the truth until he drinks of coffee's frothy goodness." -- Sheik Abd-al-Kadir For me Coffee has always represented a species of dark mystery. When I was young it was because I was not “allowed” to drink this bitter warm beverage that the adults in my life sipped after dinner or with breakfast as though it were the nectar of the Gods. I recall at quite a young age, my grandfather making me toast sticks (toast with peanut butter, cut into narrow sticks that somehow tasted better than just toast with peanut butter) at the breakfast table in his kitchen; him sipping coffee and me sitting right up close to him, sniffing his coffee and wanting, more than anything to be allowed just one taste. As I grew up I think that wine was offered to me before coffee was – probably because the one doing the offering was my mother and besides having the heady smell of coffee fill her kitchen, as a beverage she has never been its biggest fan. That is another thing about coffee. Some people love to drink it, some don’t – but I don’t know that I have ever met anyone who didn’t at least appreciate the smell of it, wafting around them on almost any occasion. It definitely holds some sort of mystifying dominance over many people. But, I digress. Every morning starts for me with this lovely, supple, brunette cup of bitter yet sweet, searing yet calming, beverage…yet feast that I was finally allowed to taste for myself in high school. There were times when I gave up coffee, when my blood pressure was sky rocketing or when I was so sick the idea of drinking something as stimulating as it is was unbearable. Those times, thank goodness, never lasted for long and I haven’t had to swear off this beverage for an extended period of time. Speaking of which, I think I might indulge in a second cup right now. What will it be? Coffee…cappuccino…espresso (con panna?), latte…iced versions of any of them? There are so many options. That is one of the beauties of this drink…it can appeal to so many people with its varieties. And it goes so well with sweets…speaking of which I think I might have the last slice of the Caramel Nut Tart I made on the weekend to take to my parents’ for dessert. Ah…perfection. |