"The Mocha Pot" our new toy

When the smell of coffee brewing is wafting through your house it's morning.
Except when you don't drink coffee in the morning.
Or you shouldn't drink it at all.
Or you don't need caffeine to wake you up.
Or you're no longer dating someone who drinks coffee in the morning.
Because now you, the person for whom coffee is a treat, but otherwise a bad bad thing, are living alone.

Not even a roommate to make coffee in the morning.
To remind you it's morning.

How do you tell it's morning when the scent of coffee isn't wafting through the air?

When I moved into my little tree house I looked for a coffee contraption, just in case someone who drank coffee in the morning might sleep over and want their toasty black beverage in the A.M. But I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for, and anyway no one was staying over, so I gave up.

Two weeks ago I found myself in Sur La Table buying fun things for my pie dough class and came upon the Mocha Pot section. I knew I didn't want an aluminum one, and there were two choices for stainless. This one seemed the best. Heavy and striking.

 

To seal the deal I bought one of those little wands for frothing milk. At Manresa almost every cook has one planted on their station. Right before plating, sauces are often given a whirring hit to lighten them, give them a bit of body and a sense of "foam" without the annoying cannister. And then we bought the most chocolatey delicious smelling espresso grind coffee at Ritual. {Ethiopia Yirgacheffe.}

I still should not be drinking coffee. It makes me crazy. No, crazier than you. I don't need caffeine to wake up. I'm the annoying person you work with who, if he's gotten enough sleep, is even chipper on Saturday and Sunday when everyone else is hungover. I don't "call in sick" on those days, nope.

But how wonderful it is that now I have an excuse to make coffee for someone sometimes. Absolutely delicious strong coffee. And make the best foam ever.

For someone who's not afraid to then make me breakfast.

Comments

[Fatemeh]

Yummy post, as always.

And, erm, Shuna dear... decaf is quite good these days, if you don't want to go bonkers. I bought some from Blue Bottle recently as my mom has the same problem as you.

[shuna fish lydon]

She has the problem where she comes home and dusts the whole house because she drank a cup of blue bottle iced coffee?

yeah, well, decaf can only be 60% less caffeine in the most chemical-based scenerio... so if there's a little caffeine in all decafs, why not just have caffeinated... right?

[Tana]

If I have coffee, I feel like I'm being tailgated at my desk. Seriously.

Decaf is still half-caf (at least).

I go for tea, and finally wound up with a tea-drinking man. Our morning ritual for fifteen years is for one to make tea for us both, and bring it to the other. Or he'll put the water on, and I'll put it in the cups. Then whoever is less tired will put in the milk and sugar and bring the cups to bed. So tThere are three trips out of bed into the cold morning, and we take turns on all of them.

It's very civilizing, and one's breath is sweeter…less bitter.

As ever, thanks for another lovely and poetic post.

[Ron Sullivan]

Mmmmm, coffee.

Joe and I are about the same re: AM coffee. Maybe he's a little more functional without it, just maybe. Before he retired, he used to make sure I was awake enough to sit up and then hand me a cup as he was leaving for work. (I'm eliding the years I worked nightshift, etc.) Lately we sleep in till 7AM and sometimes I'm even the first one up.

Chicory, though. We use about 1 part chicory to 6 or 7 parts French roast, grind it all together. It's annoyingly hard to find, but so far Peerless in Oakland and Haig's on Clement in SF are reliable. Fortunately it keeps well in the freezer.

Takes the acid edge off but doesn't wimpify the brew. Now I'm wondering how it would work with that nice shiny gadget you have.

[Calichef]

OMG, I so very much understand how special it is to be dating someone who isn't afraid to cook for me. Especially when they aren't professional cooks. My last bf was a mediocre cook (at best) but he cooked breakfast for me every morning I was there. I ate it, thanked him and complimented the food no matter how bad it was. Believe me, eggs scrambled with hamburger and totally unseasoned is really bad. ;-)

[Sara]

I openly covet this.

Oh, and congratulations on finding someone to wake up with. I wish you continued joy. :)

[Jeanne]

Coffee, mmmm. Mocha - even better! Or bicerin when I'm feeling particularly indulgent. I don't need coffee to wake up, so I save my fix for weekends, just so I know it's not a schoolday. I have memories of drinking like 5 double espressos on the trot and then staying awake studying all night at university - and then going out to drink after the exam. It's a really interesting experience being on stimulants AND depressants at once!!

But you're way ahead of me on the "finding someone not afraid to make me breakfast" thing - and I'm married!! :o)

[Melissa in NYC]

As I write this, I await the return of my co-worker who has gone out to move her car and get breakfast - coffee for me and something else (?tea) for her. Here in the South Bronx the best coffee is "Spanish" coffee - strong Bustelo brand coffee with sugar and heated milk. Yum. I can't wait.

[garrett]

I only started to drink coffee when I worked as a coffee person (I despise the word "barista"). Even now though, I'll take tea any day over coffee.

*Try heating some coconut milk instead of water, put some dried mint in a wire mesh tea thingy, and have an excellent cup of "Thai Tea". Sweeten more with honey if you so desire. It's seriously sensual. I mean, come'on Shuna, you know you want too.
>^.^<

[Fatemeh]

Actually... she can't stop bouncing off the walls long enough to dust anything.

;-)

[shuna fish lydon]

Melissa,
mmmmmmmmmmm Spanish coffee! I do remember Cuban coffee sips on 1st avenue a few winters ago...

Ron,

I want to try your trick. Blue Bottle's "secret ingredient" in their iced coffee is chicory. They tell me I can get some at Rainbow-- thanks for the tip!

Calichef,

I laughed out loud here. Have you read Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking? She has some HYSTERICAL boyfriend breakfast stories in there!

Garrett,

Drinking coconut milk in the morning? No, dude, too hardcore for me. I reserve that stuff for sorbet!

Jeanne,

so nice to hear your voice from far far away! Maybe your husband needs som "drill sargeant" cooking lessons from Johanna!

Sara,

Look online-- I think you can get a way better price than I did at SLT...

Tana,
This: "If I have coffee, I feel like I'm being tailgated at my desk. Seriously." is way too funny.

I apologize in advance to co workers if I have had any caffeine before seeing them! They think it's funny until they get in my way or organizing...!

[Lori S.]

Thank you for this post! We have occasional overnight guests at our house, and none of my household drinks coffee, and my host heart breaks every time I see my bleary-eyed guests pine for their morning drink.

Especially when it's my sweetie's mom. She's staying with us this week.

Said sweetie does cook me breakfast, too. :)

[avocaboy]

oooh, what a beautiful toy. i like your plates too. you know, i think that blue bottle might even be too strong for me. their small cups do pack a wallop.

[athen]

Congrats on the biggest, bestest coffee maker yet. Those mochas look like they're worth waking up for.

[coffee maker]

Roasted beans come in many flavors. Cinnamon or light beans refer to the color only. They are very acidic and very high in caffeine. American roast or medium is fractionally darker and used by Folger and Yuban, but not the best quality. City roast or dark is a specialty item with less caffeine and the taste is acidic, but the final cup is not so bitter. It is an average type espresso. French roast is very dark and oily in appearance, but not burnt. They give a full-bodied flavor. Italian roast is used for the best espresso drinks. It is the darkest colour, a strong aroma, the least amount of acid, has the lowest caffeine and is much sweeter. This sweetness results from the carmelization of the beans' sugars during roasting. The lower caffeine levels result from being burned away during roasting. The result is a mellow cup of coffee.