coffee for health

COFFEE IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH….

“At least there is some good news for you - Do you know that coffee is good for your health?”

“Who told you?”

“Never mind who told me. Why do you always have to ask ‘Who told you?’ whenever I tell you something which you didn’t know? ­”

“Who told you that I didn’t know? ­”

“Oh God! Not again”

“OK, sorry. But I do know that coffee is good for my health”.

­Now I was flat.

I couldn’t proceed further in the direction in which I originally intended to.

Here I was, with a very useful and exciting piece of information, published after years of research, but had to stop short of proclaiming the truth to the gullible audience.

So I tried another approach. I had to, since I felt that such valuable facts should not die without circulation.

“OK then. If you know it already let me hear your side of it”.

“I­ have already told you my side. I just know that coffee is good for my health”.

“I want to know on what basis?”

“You mean the scientific basis?”

“Of course. What else!”

It was my suspicion that he had some other basis or no basis at all. It was not possible for him to have come into contact with the research findings which I had access to, thanks to a professor friend of mine who had worked on it and just published it to a very selected group of enthusiasts (such as myself) who had encouraged him all along during the research.

His reply was simple enough.

“Whatever proof you want is right in front of you. Look at me. I am healthy. I have been drinking coffee all my life 3 to 4 cups a day. Some days even more, if I happened to visit relatives or friends at the right time.”­

What a scientific basis indeed. The proof of the pudding is in the eating!

I didn’t want to discourage my friend by saying that there were a lot of people who were not so healthy and were regular coffee drinkers.

The latest information that is in my possession regarding the usefulness of coffee had to be shelved. It was of no use to my friend who already knew it beyond question. No further convincing was necessary. So now I am looking for some other coffee addicts who drink this black stuff with guilt — that it is something harmful and so they shouldn’t be drinking it, but keep drinking it anyway — if you are one of those please contact me immediately. It will be my pleasure to share with you this exciting piece of information which will alleviate your fears once and for all (until the next research report, that is).

In the mean while here the recipe for making good coffee:

Way to heaven through good coffee

- using an 'espresso' home machine + coffee grinder (not the drip type machine but the espresso -pressure extraction type which is far superior)

[This is advice given to a close friend as he asked for it -and I thought it may be useful even to my pals at large, so I am posting it on the web - don't be shy to bombard me with your comments. I am married for 35 yrs and can field it without burning my head]

[1] Get equal quantities of Arabica and Peaberry coffee seeds roasted to dark brown but not black (if it is oozing oil know that it is already over-roasted and not the best even though it will smell very nice. If the shop keeper is not willing to give you roasted seeds but will only give powder - (as most of the guys do, fearing that we will take away their business or perhaps worried that we will find out that they are mixing chicory without our permission) - don't give up, keep trying and you will find some guy who will pity you and oblige. If you still don't find one I can recommend some in Chennai who will be glad to supply you as they do for me, for the past 6 years.

Actually chicory is not bad but it is generally added to make the coffee strong. But coffee tastes better without chicory.

Once you get the roasted seeds, keep them in airtight glass containers so the flavour will last at least two weeks. You can keep them mixed or separate as you prefer. I keep them separate so I can mix different ratios as per my taste.

Equal quantities may be ok to start with. Later you may find that 2 parts Peaberry and one part Arabica will be tastier. This is very subjective and so l leave it at that.

Now comes the actual process. First grind the coffee in the electric coffee grinder to get about 3 or 4 heaped teaspoons per cup of coffee. If you are making for your wife also - [better do - otherwise you will be left with no food for the day] - you will need about 6 or 7 teaspoons of freshly ground powder. Fill it in the extractor-cup provided. Press it with a cylindrical wooden or plastic or stainless steel compactor piece that comes with the machine. That will ensure strong extract [not watery].

Pour a glass of water into the Espresso machine reservoir. Fit the coffee powder magazine into the slot and switch on after placing the glass or cup to collect the decoction which comes through within a couple of minutes. Watch out to switch it off in time (if it is not automatic) as it will pour down more than you need and make it messy and diluted. Best coffee is always made with the first extract.

While the brewing is in progress you can heat a small quantity of milk in a cup by steaming it at the spout provided, until it is very hot and foamy. This is the milk which is to be added to the decoction after you pour it into two cups and add sugar to taste. It is better to keep the sugar low at just one spoon so that the coffee taste comes through.

Also the trick of making the best tasting coffee lies in keeping the quantity of milk to just enough. Too much milk makes it suitable only for babies and too less makes it taste like the inside of a burnt bitter-gourd. (Don't add cold or fresh milk to coffee - that is an insult to coffee. The only exception may be when you make cold coffee which I don't and so I can't advice you on that)

Serve it hot and make sure you drink it slowly sip by sip looking at the nice trees or flowers that appear through the window.

Don't drink coffee reading the newspaper or watching the idiot box. That is the greatest insult to good coffee. It is heavenly if you taste it with full attention without thinking about what will happen at work or whether the share market will nose dive at this all-time -high level.

Life is too short, so enjoy your coffee to make it at least worth living to that extent. And make coffee for your wife even if she refuses to drink it initially for fear that it may make her sick. Slowly she will enjoy it, feel a lot of love for you and stop finding you a pest.

Note: There will always be some extra decoction coming through after the first extract. Don't keep it - throw it away , it will not be as tasty and it will spoil your name if you give it to anybody , particularly friends like me - if and when we come to visit you and stay a little longer than you expect.

After trying it for a few days let me know whatever happens and I will do my best to save you.

keep in touch and keep laughing.

-Hasyananda

DAD UNDERGROUND

EMBARRASSING SITUATIONS

I have a friend in Libya, who is always jovial and makes things light for all people around. His name is Salah Assker. He is an Instrument Technician by profession and uncomfortably fat by appearance, though not by preference.

He has a very nice way of putting off things which he doesn’t want to do.

In some uneasy situations when someone is trying to force him to say ‘Yes’ he will respond “Look, my friend, I usually consult my father before I decide on such important issues. So I can’t say yes, just now. Please give me time­”. With that he will escape.

If the guy asks him again after a few days he will reply, “Oh! Not yet. I have to talk to my dad­”.

Once we were in the midst of a discussion about the way people sometimes take advantage of good friends even to the point of unintentionally risking a souring in the relationship. One of his friends came in, said ‘Hi’[ ‘kif halak’ in Arabic ] and asked him whether he would be kind enough to allow him to use his car for a couple of hours.

I could see from Salah’s face that he was not inclined to give the car. But with amazing ease he excused himself saying “Oh! You know I really can’t allow it without my father’s approval. So you have to excuse me. If you want me to drop you somewhere urgently, please tell me. I will”­. The friend wasn’t offended. He went away mumbling that he will try with someone else.

I complimented Salah for the nice and tactful way he said no. I added that not many people had such reverence and respect for their father and asked him where his father was working. He said his father was not working anymore.

I generally do not like to ask questions of personal nature even with close friends. I believe that everyone is entitled to the privacy of his own self. There are some personal matters which we don’t like to discuss with others.

So I was almost violating my own self-proclaimed code of conduct when I asked the next question without thinking of the consequences. Sometimes we are off guard in moments of empathy and I was no exception.

“Is he retired?” ­ I asked.

He said “He retired long back. He lived well. He is now underground­”.

I asked him “Excuse me! What do you mean, underground?­”

He said “Oh? You know, he is no more. He died when I was very young”.­

I was speechless.

I didn’t know how to proceed and he saw my hesitation.

He said “You are wondering how I could consult my dad. Well he is always with me in my memory. I put the matter which needs his attention in that part of my mind and leave it there. I will get a guidance soon enough.”

I asked “How will you know when it comes?”

“That comes with practice. And I am well versed with it from my early childhood.”

I still think that it is a very clever way to manage a situation from going out of hand and to keep friendships in tact in spite of uncomfortable situations such as these.

May god give us all such guidance at times when we face a tight corner.