Bacon and Cake as Fast as You Can!

My four year old niece, Emily, has said some of the most fantastic things.

Last week she asked me to make her some breakfast.

"What would you like me to make you, my dear?" I asked.

Without hesitation she exclaimed, "your special eggs with butter and love!"

I melted, quicker than butter in a hot skillet. Then I opened the fridge and pulled out the eggs.

Emily is also the one who came up with my favorite version of pat-a-cake.

Pat-a-cake! Pat-a-cake! Bacon man!
Bacon and cake as fast as you can!

Emergency Brownies, for when Mercury Retrogrades

Yesterday was an odd day.

It took me three hours to upload some photos from my digital camera (which usually takes about three minutes). I burned the bacon.l My friend Erin's power went out. My brother-in-law took the waffle maker out of the cabinet and it promptly fell apart right in his hands.

And then I heard someone say, "Mercury is headed to retrograde."

I'm not saying I believe that's why it was such an odd day, but I am saying that the world as we know it stretches far beyond my kitchen, and many, many things are beyond my control.

But some things are not beyond my control.

Like making brownies.

And in case of emergencies such as the occasional everything-seems-to-be-going-wrong day, it is nice to have an ace in the hole.

My ace in the hole...these chocolate brownies.

This recipe uses ingredients that are most likely in your kitchen right now. They are easy, delicious, and practically foolproof.

Even when Mercury is retrograde.

Emergency Chocolate Brownies

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut up one stick (1/2 cup) butter and melt it in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat before butter starts to foam. Off heat, add 1-1/4 cups sugar and mix well with a spatula or wooden spoon. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1/3 cup all purpose flour, and 1/8 tsp baking powder. Fold gently until combined.

Pour batter into a lightly greased 8"x8" square pan. Place pan into preheated oven, then reduce heat to 330 degrees F. Bake 30-35 minutes (do not overbake!). Remove from oven and cover loosely with aluminum foil and allow to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting.

Roasted Kale, for Elizabeth

This story begins with a tale of two children.

One child is picky to a fault, mostly because her father is picky. He turns his nose up at new foods. He is incredibly vocal about the foods he does not like. "Ewwww! This is terrible!" he exclaimed last Thanksgiving. "What's in this stuffing?" It was made from scratch, rather than from the Stove Top box. He did not like it AT ALL. He let everyone know. Right there at the dinner table. I felt very embarrassed for him, and very sad for his in-laws who made the dinner.

But most of all I felt sad for his daughter. She adores her father and wants desperately to please him. And so, without even trying the stuffing, she exclaimed, "ewww! That's gross!"

She misses out on lots of tasty things.

A food educator I know teaches a great phrase to the kids in her program: "Don't yuck my yum!" I hope some day this young girl is smart enough and brave enough to say that to her dad.

The second child eats just about everything. Her mom is a vegetarian and her dad is not. This little girl eats cucumbers and avocados and tofu and kiwi as eagerly as hot dogs and pancakes and pizza. And she is very open trying new foods.

I think a big part of this little girl's delight in tasting and eating new foods is the openness of her parents to eating a variety of different foods.

So when I mentioned making roasted kale for dinner one night and her mom asked me how to make it, I promised I'd post it on the blog.

This roasted kale is one of my favorite things. I got the recipe from a vegetarian friend who lives in Gloucester, MA. She tears the kale into bite size pieces before roasting and calls it "kale chips," eating it instead of popcorn on movie nights. Her 3 year old son LOVES it. I hope you like it, too!

Roasted Kale

Ingredients:


Fresh kale (younger/smaller leaves are better)
Olive oil
Fine salt (not iodized)


Method:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2) Tear kale leaves off of stems (tear into bite sized pieces if you want kale chips). Discard or compost stems. Wash leaves, then dry well in a salad spinner or with a tea towel.

3) Place kale on a baking sheet with a raised edge (use about one baking sheet per bunch of kale). Drizzle lightly with oil, then toss gently by hand to evenly distribute the oil. Sprinkle lightly with fine salt to your taste.

4) Place in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until kale is crisp and edges just begin to brown, stirring the kale at least once during roasting (tongs work well). If you are roasting more than one pan, you may need to rotate the pans after about 6-8 minutes. (Younger, more tender kale roasts quicker than older, thicker kale--adjust cooking times accordingly.)

5) Remove from oven and serve hot. Kale will stay crisp for about an hour if you want to enjoy it instead of popcorn on movie night.

Sunday Pot Roast

After enduring the longest, coldest, snowiest winter of my life, I finally made it back to Boston to visit my best friend.

The morning after I arrived, I woke up to snow. Snow falling. Snowy snow. Snow.

It didn't last long, and didn't stay long--just snowy snow for the day.

And snow makes me think of comfort food.

Today it made me think of Pot Roast.

I love making a good pot roast, but I rarely get to. There's no real point in making a pot roast just for myself.

So I offered to make on today for Sunday supper with my friend and her family.

Over the years, I've gotten to try many variations on pot roast. I've tried slow cooker pot roast, and low fat pot roast, and hurry-up pot roast.

But the recipe I like best is the one I made today. It is in the oven right now. Here is the recipe.

Sunday Supper Pot Roast

Ingredients:

bacon drippings

3 1/2 lb top round beef roast, patted dry and seasoned with salt and pepper

1 lb pearl onions, peeled

5 cloves garlic, peeled

3-4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2" pieces

2 stalks celery

3 tbsp flour

1 cup red wine

3 tbsp tomato paste

2 bay leaves

fresh thyme

2-3 cups beef stock

1 lb small red skin potatoes

bacon drippings

2-3 yellow onions, chopped

1 lb button or brown mushrooms, quartered

Preparation:

1) Preheat oven to 350 F.

2) In a large dutch oven, heat several tablespoons of bacon drippings over medium high heat. Sear the roast on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove roast from pan and set aside.

3) Cook pearl onions in dutch oven over medium high heat, swirling the pan as needed, until they begin to brown. Add carrots, celery, and garlic and continue to cook, swirling the pan as needed, until they brown, about three minutes.

4) Sprinkle vegetables with flour and stir to coat. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until flour begins to brown.

5) Add red wine and return to medium high heat. Stir to combine well. Bring liquid to a boil, then add tomato paste, thyme and bay leaf. Cook until mixture begins to thicken, about 2 minutes.

6) Return roast to dutch oven. Add beef broth and return to boil. Place potatoes around sides of roast. Cover and continue to cook in 350 F oven for about 2 hours.

7) About 30 minutes before roast is finished, saute chopped onions in a large pan until they are nicely browned. Deglaze pan with beef broth and add thyme. Simmer about 5 minutes, then remove from pan.

8) Return pan to stove and brown mushrooms in bacon drippings. Return onions to pan and heat through.

9) Remove roast from oven. Place mushrooms and onions on top of roast and let rest about 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Pie Crust Promises

Dear Vanessa,

Last November, I promised to make you a pumpkin pie. You love pumpkin pie.

November would have been a perfect month for it. But we had chocolate chip pumpkin cake for you birthday, and went to Uncle Bob's for Thanksgiving.

December came and went in a whirl.

Mother Nature covered us in snow in January and February.

And now here we are in March.

And still, no pumpkin pie.

I was going to make you a pumpkin pie today. I had all the ingredients assembled. But it was sunny and lovely outside. And it is the first day of Spring.

Alas, still no pie.

Mary Poppins warned of "pie crust promises"--easily made; easily broken. (And she didn't mention they are usually tasty promises, too.)

So my promise sits on the shelf, with the can of pumkin waiting to be a pie. Perhaps tomorrow.

Until then, here is the recipe I intend to use. It is adapted from my good old pal, Jim Beard. That man loved some pie.

I promise you'll like it, too. Soon.

Pumpkin Pie, as promised

Makes one 9" deep dish pie

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 cups half and half (slightly warmed or at room temperature)

5 eggs (at room temperature)

2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1-9" deep dish pie pan with gingersnap cookie crust*

Method:

1) Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat well by hand or on low to medium speed with a mixer until well combined.

2) Pour filling into prepared pie crust. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. Tap out any bubbles that may rise to the top.

3) Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for about 45-50 minutes, until the filling around the edges is set, but it is still a little loose in the middle.

4) Cool on a wire rack to room temperature--at least 2 hours.

5) Serve warm or chilled. Delightful with whipped cream.

*To make gingersnap cookie crust, crush about 8 oz of gingersnap cookies with a rolling pin, food processor or blender. Place in a mixing bowl and add enough melted butter to bind. Press inCto a 9" deep dish pie pan. Chill for 15 minutes before pouring in filling and baking.

New York Times Article: The Femivore's Dilemma

Peggy Orenstein wrote this article, posted on the New York Times online on March 11, 2010. It is worth the few minutes it takes to read. Here is a taste:


"Femivorism is grounded in the very principles of self-sufficiency, autonomy and personal fulfillment that drove women into the work force in the first place. Given how conscious (not to say obsessive) everyone has become about the source of their food — who these days can’t wax poetic about compost? — it also confers instant legitimacy. Rather than embodying the limits of one movement, femivores expand those of another: feeding their families clean, flavorful food; reducing their carbon footprints; producing sustainably instead of consuming rampantly. What could be more vital, more gratifying, more morally defensible?....Femivores suggest that knowing how to feed and clothe yourself regardless of circumstance, to turn paucity into plenty, is an equal — possibly greater — safety net. After all, who is better equipped to weather this economy, the high-earning woman who loses her job or the frugal homemaker who can count her chickens?"

FDA Recall--Flavoring Ingredient "HVP"

The United States Food and Drug Administration has issued a recall for products containing a common flavor enhancer--hydrolized vegetable protein, or HVP--manufactured and distributed by Basic Food Flavors, Inc. According to a press release dated March 4, 2010, HVP "is a common ingredient used most frequently as a flavor enhancer in many processed foods, including soups, sauces, chilis, stews, hot dogs, gravies, seasoned snack foods, dips and dressings."

An updated listing of recalled products can be viewed here on the FDA website.

This New York Times article dated March 4, 2010, refers to the recall as low risk with regard to public health and safety, but offers this recall as an example of the vulnerabilities of the current food safety system.

Dining Etiquette--When To Write, But Not Blog

This month, I had the worst fine dining experience of my life to date. The food that was edible was submediocre. The service was sloppy with hints of apathy. It was so bad, I went back again later that week, just to make sure I wasn't being punked. The second meal was worse than the first.

But you won't read details about it here.

I did spend some quality time reflecting on the experience, and typed up over nine pages recounting the the poor quality of the food, a long list of major points missed by the wait staff, and two or three "positive points" of which I had taken note (I'm a "silver lining" kind of person).

That little writing exercise was more about my venting than about reporting a dining experience, and it served its purpose. After writing it, I felt much better. But when I see writing of that type on a blog or a public comment site, I tend to discredit the writer rather than the restaurant. It is the written equivalent of a person making scene at a restaurant--yelling and carrying on because the soup wasn't hot, or the server forgot to bring more bread. The one making the scene like a child throwing a temper tantrum looks like the fool, even if everyone else in the restaurant noted that the soup wasn't hot.

Editorial of any kind fueled by rage with the intent to vent does not really serve anyone, although it may make the one venting feel better. Like the grown up throwing a temper tantrum in public, it is simply a breech of etiquette.

Instead of posting to the internet, I did what I know most restaurateurs would prefer: I contacted the restaurant directly, got the name of the manager, and drafted a letter to him with specific details of my experience for the purpose of providing a heaping dose of constructive criticism to him and his staff. I expressed my sincere hope that he would use the honest feedback to improve the service and the food. And I do sincerely hope they improve.

In a few months, I am very likely to return to the restaurant. And if I do, I will report my experience. If they have improved, I will be delighted. If they have not, I will have done my due diligence; my "shocked and appalled" will have subsided, and I will be able to recount (with emotion tempered by time and reason) for you, gentle reader, the broader scope of my dining experience with that particular establishment.

So please pause before you post about a poor dining experience and remember this: The food reader is NOT wanting to read about any one person's ire, but about the food. If one needs to vent angst, keep a journal, or call a friend, or spend some time on a couch talking to a trained professional. Anger is a valid emotional response, but the appropriate place for it is not necessarily the internet.

The Beard Awards Semi Finalists

Announced today by the James Beard Foundation, the list of Semi-Finalists for the annual Beard Awards. I tried to access their website several times today, but it was "unavailable." I suppose it is experiencing more traffic today than on possibly any other day of the year. If you are dying of suspense, you can view the full list here, courtesty of Eater.com.

Winter Comfort

It is Super Bowl Sunday, and most of the Mid-Atlantic states are under a thick blanket of snow. I've been snuggled in for the weekend with my sister and her family, mostly because I like to cook and it works out better when there are more people hanging around to help with the eating.

Three days later, we've had beef stew, butternut squash bisque, vanilla roasted almonds, blueberry muffins, french toast and cheese omlettes, fresh squeezed orange and tangerine juice, monte cristo sandwiches, and pizza. The streets have not yet been plowed and are still impassable. My sister did the big dig to get the kids and the dog out of the house, but there is at least one more day for me to indulge in the making of winter comfort food. If the snow-in lasts much longer, we'll have to eat our way out.

And the best part--the part that brings me the most comfort--is not just doing something I love for people who I love, or getting to eat the deliciousness that is best created with an abundance of time and cold weather; the best, most comforting part is sitting across the table from my four year old niece with her mouth full of blueberry muffin, beaming at me like I'm the magical winter muffin fairy. That, my friends, is the most soul warming comfort food there is.

Snow Day Blueberry Muffins

If you find yourself snug at home on a snow day, these muffins can easily be made with cooking staples already in your kitchen. Keep a package of organic wild blueberries in your freezer for just such an occasion.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Combine the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir well to combine: 2 cups all purpose flour, 2/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the zest of 1 orange (optional).

3. In a separate small mixing bowl, combine the following ingredients, mixing well to combine: 1 cup milk, 2/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 large egg.

4. Add 1 cup frozen blueberries to wet ingredients, stirring quickly to combine.

5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and fold gently just until mixture is combined. There may be some lumps. Spoon into a muffin pan sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with muffin cups.

6. Bake in a preheated 400 F oven for 20-25 minutes.

Back to Basics--Carrot Cake

Everyone should have a cake recipe that is like a best friend--reliable, easy to get along with, intimately familiar, and of whom one can be exceedingly proud.

For me, that recipe is for a carrot cake.

I have not always liked carrot cake. In my youth, I experienced a great many carrot cakes with ingredients like canned pineapple and wheat germ and bitter nuts that I did not care for. I tasted many with unctuous or cloying frostings. Early attempts to bake my own carrot cakes resulted in dry, crumbly cakes, or improperly seasoned cakes, or simply un-tasty cakes. It was disheartening.

In the late 1990's, I finally met the carrot cake recipe that was to become one of my best culinary friends. It was given to me by a lady, Inger, whose parents were from Denmark. The Danish people have a great love of pastries, cakes and desserts, and I have heard that, per capita, they eat more sweets than in any other country. (Of course, I cannot remember where I read this statistic, nor who determined it, but it is such a charming one that I cannot resist using it here.) The recipe was handwritten, and had notes written in Inger's mother's own hand--in Danish.

The recipe itself was simple enough--it called for the usual ingredients and even boasted the simplicity of the batter being made entirely in a food processor.

Unfortunately, I have never owned a food processor.

And so, this carrot cake recipe and I became acquainted by other means--with a grater, and a mixing bowl, and by spending some quality time together.

One thing that I learned immediately is that I actually LIKE the flavor of carrots in this cake. Most of the carrot cakes I could remember didn't taste much of carrot--they tasted of spices, or bitter nuts, or frosting. To let the delicately sweet flavor of carrots shine, I have found two things to be critical.

First, the carrots should be as fresh as possible, meaning freshly plucked from the ground, not a freshly plucked bag from the produce section of the local food mart. In lieu of growing one's own (or befriending someone who does), certified farmers markets or farm stands are the best places I've found to get the freshest carrots. Look for ones with their green tops still attached. The greens provide a foolproof indicator of just how fresh the carrots are. Unlike the carrot root, the greens will wilt and show signs of less-than-freshness within a few days of being picked. Carrots with the brightest, perkiest greens are the freshest you will find.

Second, carrot cake calls for the carrots to be grated, but I've never seen a recipe specify the size of the grate. I have found that carrots grated too finely become mush lost in the batter. Carrots grated too coarsely don't cook properly when baked and get stuck in one's teeth. A medium grate allows for a good texture and flavor in the finished cake.

Seasoning is a sensitive topic among carrot cake lovers. The recipe that I was originally given contained cinnamon as the only spice, which, in my opinion, is too uninteresting. After years of playing with different combinations, I have found that the addition of freshly grated ginger is a lovely compliment to the carrot and cinnamon, without saddling the cake with so many flavors that it experiences an identity crisis.

Fresh ginger can be successfully peeled with a simple teaspoon rather than a vegetable peeler, which takes a lot of useable ginger off with the peel. Simply scrape the edge of the teaspoon along the outside of the ginger, and the peel of the fresh ginger will come quite willingly.

Once the ginger is peeled, it can be wrapped in plastic, bagged and labeled, and kept in the freezer until needed for baking. Having the ginger frozen allows for easier grating, as fresh ginger tends to be rather fibrous and difficult to grate. Use a microplane to grate the frozen ginger, doing the grating just before mixing the ginger into the batter.

Another sensitive topic is the addition of raisins and nuts. Some people prefer nothing chunky in their cake. Others welcome the additional flavors and textures that raisins and nuts afford. My feelings on the topic are not strong enough to warrant an admonition to either include or eschew these ingredients, and in the recipe below I have preserved the original instruction that these additions are "optional."

For those of you who opt, I have some suggestions for your success.

Walnuts or pecans work well in this cake, and taste best when they are chopped. Rather than buying chopped nuts, which generally cost more and are more likely to be stale (the increased surface area invites oxidation of the nutmeat while it is sitting on your grocer's shelf), buy the largest size of shelled nut available. Lightly toast the nuts (to enhance the flavor) and let them cool. Chop them into evenly sized pieces about the size of an eraser on the end of a pencil. Then place them in a coarse sieve and shake out as much of the nut skins as possible. These skins become bitter in cooking and detract from the flavor of the cake, so keep them out of the batter as best you can.

As a note, one could start with the whole nut in the shell and take the time to crack and pick the nuts, but I am not so delusional as to expect only the very rare baker to have the time, patience and resources to do so. If you do happen to have a walnut or pecan tree at your disposal, count your blessing and put those nuts into your cake! (And feel free to send me some, too!)

Raisins, either golden or Thompson seedless, can work in this cake. Be sure to "plump" the raisins at least an hour and up to a day before using them. Place raisins in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Cover the bowl and let them sit at least an hour and up to a day. Drain the raisins (reserve the liquid to use when making sweet doughs like cinnamon rolls) and gently dry them with a lint-free towel before measuring them for the recipe.

This carrot cake is serious and sophisticated enough to stand on its own. Baked in a bundt pan, it is perfect for a light breakfast, for elevensies or tea. It travels well sliced and wrapped for lunches and picnics. Baked in a nine inch round pan, it can be sliced and served as a dessert with some fresh whipped cream. It can be made into a very fancy dessert by frosting it with a vanilla butter cream or cream cheese frosting.

So for all my friends who love a good carrot cake, especially Sherra, and Dawn and Steve, this recipe is for you. My great thanks to Inger for sharing the original with me, and to her mother, Ene Marie, who is an excellent baker, too.

Back to Basics--Carrot Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher or table salt (not iodized)
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon (depending on potency)
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 pound fresh carrots, grated
1-2 tablespoons finely grated fresh (frozen) ginger
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
3/4 cup plumped golden or Thompson raisins (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Prepare a 10" bundt pan by spraying with non-stick spray, or a 9"x3" round cake pan by lining with a greased parchment circle.

3. Sift together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine vegetable oil, sugar and eggs. Whisk by hand until well combined, about 2-3 minutes.

5. Add the carrots and the ginger, and the nuts and raisins if desired. Fold into the batter using a rubber spatula until well combined.

6. Add the dry ingredients and fold into the batter until well combined, being careful to not over mix. Pour the batter into prepared pan.

7. Bake immediately in preheated oven 400 F. After 30 minutes, reduce heat to 375 F and continue baking for a total of 50-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. (Note: if the top of the cake begins to brown prematurely, place a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over the top of the baking pan. Continue to bake as directed.)

8. Let the cake cool in the pan at least 30 minutes.

9. Remove cake from pan and let cool completely to room temperature (about 3 hours) either on a cooling rack or a large platter. Serve at room temperature.


Optional: Frosting the cake

The cake must be cooled completely to room temperature (about 3 hours) then chilled in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours before frosting. Failure to do so may result in the cake "tearing" when the frosting is spread. Attempts at frosting a warm cake will cause the frosting to melt. Word to the wise: do not skip or skimp on this step.

Because this carrot cake has a great deal of flavor on its own, it does not need to be split and filled with the frosting. Frost only the top and sides of the cake. For a fancy presentation, the sides of the cake may be coated with toasted crushed nuts tossed in cinnamon and powdered sugar, or simply combed with a cake comb. In lieu of a cake comb, get fancy with a dinner fork.

Cream Cheese Butter Cream Frosting for Carrot Cake

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (which is 4 oz, or 1 stick) butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl and beat at medium high speed until smooth, scraping down sides as needed.

2. Turn off the mixer. Add about half the powdered sugar and all of the vanilla extract. Turn the mixer onto the lowest speed, pulsing the mixer on and off if necessary, to begin to incorporate the powdered sugar without having it fly out of the bowl. Increase mixing speed and beat until well combined, scraping down the sides as necessary.

3. Reduce speed again and add remaining powdered sugar in two or three additions, beating well until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides as necessary.

4. If frosting is too stiff to spread easily, add 1 tablespoon milk or cream and beat well. Repeat if necessary until frosting is still stiff but spreadable.

The Coffee Drinker's Dilemma

There is a problem I address on a daily basis first thing in the morning. It can be summed up with one word:

Coffee.

If you are a coffee drinker, you are familiar with the dilemma.

How do you successfully make coffee when you have not yet had a cup of coffee?

I stand in the kitchen, bleary eyed, befuddled, clumsy, trying desperately to remember how to brew a pot of coffee.

And as I stand there, hapless and dim witted at the kitchen counter, I survey my options.

I could pour the dregs of yesterday's pot into a cup and reheat it. That would solve the brew-before-drinking problem. But then I start my day with old, mediocre coffee, when what I really want is a delicious and satisfying fresh cup .

If I'd thought ahead, I could have set up the coffee maker last night--ground the beans and set them in the basket, and poured the water into the resevoir. But that isn't ideal either, as the brew tastes best when the beans are freshly ground, rather than sitting out in the filter overnight.

I could go to the trouble of going out to get coffee. Surely there is a gourmet coffee shop or a gas station nearby. But then I have to get dressed, and find shoes, and keys, and money. And I have to navigate the outside world--before actually drinking the coffee. Again, problematic.

Most mornings, I fumble through the motions of placing a filter in the basket, filling it with ground coffee, pouring in the water, and turning on the pot. Then I stand solemnly, almost worshipfully, as the blessed beverage brews before me. Then, with a textbook Pavlovian response, I reach for the pot as soon as the indicator bell sounds and the coffee is ready.