Ode to the Coffee Bean

Is there anything on this earth that smells better than a cup of steaming fresh coffee?  As much as I enjoy a Cup o’ Joe, I think it definitely smells better than it tastes.  The richness and depth of the aroma wafts on the air quite unlike any other odor…enticing, entrancing and promising. 

There’s some amount of ritual that goes with the morning cup of coffee that is soothing in it’s rhythm and monotony.  The grinding of the beans, the splashing of the water into the pot, the sound of the percolating, the rhythmic drip into the carafe….then the intoxicating, mouth-watering aroma of the beans as they give forth their dark brown goodness!  I ready my mug…I have a few favorite mugs….and some fancy cups as well.  I tend to prefer my hefty mugs to my delicate teacups for serving up my morning brew.  My delicate tea cups are too dainty, don’t hold enough and are so thin that the coffee cools too quickly for my tastes.  I like to drink my coffee from one of 3 substantial mugs that I keep in my kitchen cabinets.  Mug #1 is my Food Network Mug.  I like the shape of the cup, the height of the cut and the larger size of the handle.  My Mug #2 is my earthenware mug that’s shades of blue and mocha…and it’s my largest and heaviest mug.  This mug is reserved for mornings when I require a “BIG GULP” of coffee to get me going.  I like to use this mug on lazy Saturdays when I am just lounging on the couch, sipping coffee while watching mindless morning TV with my husband and puppy.  My Mug #3 is a recent acquisition…it’s actually a Bistro mug that I got from my employer….has our logo right on the front!  It’s not employee pride that prompts me to favor this mug though…..it’s the perfect shape of the mug and the ratio of handle to mug that makes this mug feel snug and just right in my hand.  I know it’s crazy to obsess over which mug I drink from….but I actually do enjoy my coffee more when I drink it from these 3 mugs!!!  (It might be a sign of OCD or other general neurosis/psychosis….but I’m going to pretend that it’s just my personal preference and I know what I like!) J

Once I have the correct mug….and usually while the coffee is still brewing, I like to pour my creamer into the mug first.  I like to tell the story about how the English put milk in their tea cups before they pour the tea….because it keeps the tea from staining the delicate china cups…but that’s not my reasoning for milk-first. I like my milk-in-first so that I don’t have to stir the final cup!  (Lazy? I suppose so.)  I like to pour my creamer into the cup and then give it about 15-30 seconds in the microwave to heat through!  Then the creamer doesn’t cool down my coffee too much right away…and it tends to slightly caramelize the sugars in the milk and give it a delicate sweetness.  Don’t put it in for TOO long….else you’ll have scalded milk and a mess in your microwave and you’ll be hunting me down with pitchforks and torches for making such a messy suggestion.  No more than 30 seconds is all it really takes.  NEVER, NEVER, NEVER use powdered creamer.  EVER.  NEVER.  It’s gritty, nasty and disgusting.  I have NO idea what it’s made from….supposedly dehydrated milk…but who can be sure??? I’m pretty sure it’s made from ashes and sand….that’s how it tastes in my cup anyway.  I will use the liquid nondairy creamer (and typically do…in the “Fat-Free” formulation) but when I simply want to splurge and get “the good stuff” nothing tastes better than half and half or if I REALLY feel decadent, real heavy cream. I don’t use flavoring or sugar in my coffee….but I do like to lighten the brew with cream…from a dark clear brown to a nice mellow chocolate-color…and that does it for me!  Sometimes, if the coffee is stronger (like with a Chicory blend) I’ll use milk and make a Café au Lait type blend.  Of course, the best Café au Lait in the WORLD is from the French Market in New Orleans….and even when I buy their beans and brew them up at home, it takes away the magic and it doesn’t taste EXACTLY like theirs.  Must have something to do with some French Quarter Voo-doo or something.

Once I have the coffee in the cup and mixed with the creamer, then I like to sit and sip.  I don’t like to gulp coffee….I don’t think coffee was created for gulping.  I think it was made for leisurely sipping and enjoyment.  There are few things better than a hot cup of steaming coffee early on cold morning when the first birds begin to chirp and the world starts to come to life again after a sleepy dark night.  It’s these little quiet moments in life that we should slow down and savor, take pleasure and revel in.  These moments make the rest of the hectic day more bearable.  Ahhhhhh.  Coffee!!