* "It is amazing how much better coffee grows when sung to by birds...."
Wake Up and Smell the Coffee!
Aroma of fresh brewed coffee can actually stimulate brain function, whether you drink it...or not.
Morning has opened...."Coffee and Oranges in a Sunny Chair~" I read lines in my head from a poem of long ago, the words stayed with me. Why?
I am thinking of images and memories of coffee, all at once!
* I open a book and see a woodcut illustration of a woman savoring the aroma of a steaming cup of coffee. Scent clouds drift upward and surround her whole being. Her eyes are closed. She smiles. Meditation and Memories greet the day.
Rewinding my own timeline, I feel, see, and smell my earliest coffee memories. Little Child.... preschool....
Steaming exotic scent of coffee brewing filled our small kitchen. The dining room was filled with muted morning light filtering through filmy curtains. My parents sat at the mahogany dining room table where I would, in the future, learn to draw, paint, write, and type on my Dad's old typewriter.
But Now:
"Can I have some coffee?"
"Coffee is an adult drink, it has caffeine in it, a stimulant. You can have just a Tablespoon. Here is some cream."
I pretended I was a cat and lapped it up out of the saucer!
Another morning, I was allowed to dunk a small piece of powdered sugar donut in a cup of coffee with cream, just one piece of donut and one dunk. The sugary cake melted in my mouth! However, I liked plain coffee better, black actually.
Fast Forward
Into a Barnes & Noble Cafe where the book, Silver Butterfly, was preparing for takeoff. Joanna and I met for steaming coffee and evolving conversations. I enjoyed my coffee with lots of real cream and no sugar in our monthly meetings. When I forgot my note paper, I scribbled Johanna's teachings on paper napkins. A book was born!
Recently I smelled steaming coffee again in my imagination. *** It has been years since I went caffeine free, the extra stimulant is no longer needed after Tai Chi and Qigong practice entered my life.
** One day I watched a program on Dr. Mehmet Oz's show about the nutritious benefits of coffee. The man interviewed researched coffee drinking habits, especially in Greece where, in the morning, people boil coffee. Greek coffee is made from a very fine grind and foams on the top when boiled. Arabica Beans are used in the grind. Boiling morning coffee releases nutrients! My ears pricked up.
Various techniques of drip or perk coffee may enhance caffeine but may not encourage nutrients in the brew, according to the interview. I know coffee brewing machines may be difficult to clean or leave a residue build up to affect flavor over time. Some coffee filters may use bleach or other chemicals.
Then I remembered!
My Mom and Grandma BOILED coffee. Later they got a percolator, but the taste was never the same! I hurried to the store and picked up a bag of coffee "just like old times," the same brand my mother preferred. I excitedly poured a cup of cold pure water into my Mom's small old stainless steel saucepan.
Boiled Coffee: Time 15 minutes for one cup
1 cup cold pure water prefer stainless steel saucepan, not aluminum or plastic coated
1T (or more to taste per cup) of whole coffee beans
I decided not to grind the beans. I love opening the coffee bag and inhaling the rich aroma of the whole bean experience! I love connecting to the whole coffee bean, bringing me closer to coffee plants and the Earth. Jump starting me into focus is fun!
Bring water into a rolling boil (4 minutes for one cup).
Scatter the whole beans over the coffee and stir occasionally. Boil vigorously for 5 minutes. Adjust the boil to slightly less if needed and boil/simmer another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now the whole kitchen and living-dining room is bursting with coffee aroma!
Turn off heat and pour immediately (use strainer if needed) into a coffee cup, mug, or heavy glass cup. I separate liquid and beans. Scooping out the beans quickly with a spoon lessens the contact with the stainless steel pan/strainer, and the pure flavor is better. Coffee left in a stainless steel pan will pick up a metal taste over time.
Taste and Enjoy! I take just a sip, not needing the caffeine. I keep the beans in a small glass dish for awhile. The aroma lasts for hours, coffee aroma therapy is here! This boiled coffee is nutrient rich. The color can be amber to a bit darker, depending on the strength of the bean-water ratio. It is free from the "black/brown" look of typical restaurant coffee. Coffee lives and breathes!
I hear a cat purring....
Good Morning!
Resources:
* A Cafecito Story by Julia Alvarez, vivid woodcuts by Belkis Ramirez bring story to life.
** http://www.doctoroz.com Dr Oz Show, April 2013, boiled Greek coffee, article and video online
*** http://www.taichiforhealthinstitute.org Paul Lam, M.D. Tai Chi for Health. As you practice Tai Chi, your body and mind improve in strength and stamina. Change your life with Tai Chi and Qigong.
Cat's Purr Cd by Chet Day, Lucy, a real cat, purrs accompanied by nature sounds, binaural beats for relaxation. Cat's Purr is in the frequency of 50-70Hz.
www.eightoclockcoffee.com
Coffee's Aroma Stirs the Brain, article June 13, 2008 at Web MD
dahlis.roy@gmail.com Visionary Artist, Author, and Tai Chi Instructor
Photos by Dahlis
Wake Up!
Good Morning, Coffee and Cat
