Experiments

Last night I went to Plate with my cousins.  The menu is eclectic but the food is under impressive.  We ended up ordering soup and assortment of appetizers, the best being Korean skewers but the kimchi was more like a spicy sauerkraut.  We are a difficult crowd to please because we are accustomed to good food.

This morning I was quite hungry when I woke up from a dream about hamburgers.  I went to the kitchen and noticed that my husband had marinated a london broil with what smelled like tamari, garlic, and some miscellaneous seasonings.  I took that out of the refrigerator and heated up the oven.  I made homefries and spinach (with ginger and garlic) to go with it. 

The highlight of my morning was the coffee.  There's a bogus Folgers commercial about a guy coming home from Africa and being so excited to finally get coffee.  Every time I see that commercial, I think - doesn't Folgers know the history of coffee - that it was discovered in Ethiopia and cultivated throughout Arabia before being spread to Europe along trade routes?  Then I got analytical, perhaps the commercial is a subtle way to promote the narrative of an uncivilized population.  Doesn't everyone at least know that coffee is produced in the global south and that the coffeehouse tradition in those countries are more third places than Starbucks could ever be. 

I love the taste of coffee and most often do decaf to avoid jitters.  I have a Cuisinart that grinds the beans just before brewing the coffee (I don't have the high end burr model  which is actually more of a grinder than a chopper - I was afraid that I would become addicted).  I like smooth and mellow coffee so I generally go with blends.  I think I had the best cups of coffee in the UAE, at Bab al Shams and Sheikah Fatima's house.

Arabic coffee has a wonderful aroma and flavor (almost like a chai); it is brewed strong, hence it is served in 4oz cups.  I decided to give it a go.  I added cardamon pods and cinnamon sticks to the beans, and brewed.  It was fantastic - didn't require cream or sugar...I saved my husband a few sips and he can't stop talking about it. 

I think I'll make another pot, this time I might add cloves and saffron as well.