sweet vices

Apparently I can no longer function without coffee in the morning.

I blame it on my husband-- he bent to my whim and bought me a Keurig coffee maker for Christmas. I suppose I did twist his arm pretty hard, ohhing and ahhing every time the commercial came on tv. To be able to make one cup at a time (because we never needed more than two on a random Sunday), to have all those different flavors and brews there waiting, trying something new every time....

I do love coffee. I fell in love with it when we were living in London; the stuff over there in Europe, like most everything else, is so much better. So much more real and natural and flavorful. Why do Americans water down and pasteurize and muck up everything? Don't even mention American cheese to me. I'll take a French brie or an English Roquefort any day. And bread? We make "Wonder;" they make fresh loafs of ciabatta and foccacia and rye. The saddest part is that most Americans have no idea what they're missing.

There's a coffee shop on Charing Cross Road down near Leicester Square in London, Caffe Vergnano 1882. It's been almost 5 years, but in my mind's eye I could lead you there, down the windy road, past the Tesco, several theaters, and used book stores. You can smell it as you walk, the bitter richness of coffee mixed with the sweet smell of chocolate and cream. They pour their brews into large glass mugs or squat ceramic cups, an inch of froth on the top of each, from the giant chrome dome-shaped brewer on their counter. Order a mocha or a hot chocolate and they stencil 1882 in chocolate powder across the foam. What I wouldn't give for one of those right now.

I started ordering my coffee black then and continue to drink it black even though until my Keurig I couldn't find a decent tasting coffee to save my life. Even the Starbucks over there tasted better than anything you can get here, or so I thought. The Keurig has reminded me what good coffee should taste like-- rich, strong, slightly bitter but also smooth, smoky or chocolaty depending on the brew. Today I had a Kona extra-bold blend, which was very smooth and light, lighter than what I would usually pick, but good for a change. My favorites so far have been the Green Mountain French Roast and the Caribou Mahogany. I'm almost out and plan on shopping for some more varieties tonight.

The last few days I have been tired at work after lunch, and I think it's because I was refraining from a cup of coffee in the morning. Today I had a cup and am feeling much more awake. I'm torn between worrying that I should cut back (I don't like to be on anything, from caffeine to alcohol to medicine-- it's a control issue) and thinking that I don't allow myself much, so I should at least allow myself to indulge in one relatively harmless thing I enjoy-- a good, rich, dark cup of black coffee.