Start Me Up

I like the idea of coffee: putting on a pot of coffee before getting to the paperwork; sitting around the kitchen table with cups of coffee.

But I’m not really a coffee drinker. I have gone through phases of coffee addiction and abstention. I’m currently in a phase of the occasional cup with Sunday brunch.

I recently had an americano at the Cafecito Organico stand at the Hollywood Farmers Market. This is an espresso with extra hot water. Apparently it has less caffeine than brewed coffee. It tasted good and warmed my hands in the early morning chill.

Coffee stimulates an adrenaline rush that can be tough on the body. Some people are better off avoiding it. Most can drink it in moderation.

It is a natural food. Coffee beans are roasted, ground and infused with hot water. The grounds are great on the compost heap or sprinkled around acid-loving plants in the garden.

How can that be bad?

But then I see ads for International Coffee and non-dairy creamers, or I stand in Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and see their menu of coffees with powders in them. Have you looked at the ingredients? Corn syrup, flavorings - natural or artificial, they are not food.

In fact, I would argue they’re not coffee. They are chemical-laden milkshakes for grown-ups.

If you drink coffee, make it organic. Your liver has enough work breaking down the chemicals in coffee without adding pesticide and fertilizer residue. Add milk (or soy milk) if desired. Don’t add chemical sweeteners or whiteners. They’re not food; why add more strain to your liver?

If you want sweet flavored coffee, try this recipe from the Mexico the Beautiful cookbook.

Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Lower the heat and add 1/2 cup coarsely ground dark-roasted coffee, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, a 4-inch piece of cinnamon, 5 whole cloves and the peel from 1/4 orange. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup cold water, remove from heat and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes. Strain before serving. It’s not traditional to add milk, but I do.

(Or squeeze a piece of orange zest into your regular mug of coffee, drop the zest in too, and stir in brown sugar and milk to taste. No corn syrup or flavors required.)