Instant Coffee

During a recent stop at Cleveland, I was offered a cup of coffee. The sweet and creamy serving threw me back two decades into the era when we were simply called 'children', since the term 'tweens' had not yet been coined.
As kids, my brother and I were rarely presented with any beverage except milk, mixed with Bournvita, Complan, Boost, or if it was a special day, then Cadbury's Drinking Chocolate.

Ergo, on visits to a relatives house, while the parents would be served piping cups of masala chai, we got cups of a beige blend. This was the funnest part of the excursion, since I got to see them brewing it too. And the decoct prepared by my host in Cleveland made me all sappy. In case you have never had the good fortune to have tasted this mnemonic of a coffee, follow instructions below.

Take one cup milk, and bring it to boil. Add one tablespoon sugar (you can add more if you are sure nobody is watching your weight). Steep it for five minutes. Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Instant Coffee (Bru or Nescafe). Pour from a height into a cup so that it froths up at the rim, like the guy in the adjoining picture.

Sit back in a cushy chair, and enjoy!

Latte Liabilities

A few weeks ago I posted about the FDA being up in arms against Four Loko for creating a lethal beer and Java concoction.
While assaying a volunteer position at Volunteer Match today, I was dismayed to learn of Caffeine Awareness Alliance (CAA), an anti-brigade which counsels people to stay away from cafés. The organization is a

non-profit grassroots organization committed to educating consumers about the dangers caffeine intoxication and dependency

Not someone who simply dismisses adversaries for their disagreeable beliefs, I went on to read details of their cause. Turns out, there are lots of foolish ones out there misuse, abuse and get addicted to comforting coffea.
And its not just coffee; your intake of caffeine accounts the chocolate, soft drink, functional energy drink, beauty products, caffeinated water, frozen dessert and over-the-counter drugs you consume each day. I am pleased to report that I used the Caffeine Calculator, and came with under 200mgs of caffeine in a day.

I knew a colleague during my client servicing days at a JWT who was a caffeine addict. She had given standing instructions to the server in our section of the office to bring her a cup of black coffee every hour after 9am, with a break for lunch, and then continue onwards till she left. Clients can sometimes be very demanding on ad agencies; so staying back till 9-10pm was not uncommon. It boggles me to imagine the measure of stimulants she was retaining!

Basic Terminology

A few days ago, I was discussing my fascination with coffee makers which was initiated by Croma's selection of personal coffee machines. Although I can't visit the stores anymore, the place hasn't stopped fascinating me. So, I was browsing through their website, and came across this cheat sheet called Basic of Coffee maker Terminology. 

Pleased to learn that I knew all these basic terminology, I figured that if you are a filtered coffee novice, this will be a helpful guide when you prod around to master the brewing techniques.