Fancifying Tastes

Joshua, you're preaching to the choir:

Coffee Snobs Unite

Unlike Joshua, however, I avoid the "specialty" coffee drinks. I'll take a piping hot cup of coffee, a cafe americano (espresso & hot water), or espresso shot over a Vanilla Nut Cappuccino, a White Chocolate Coconut Mocha (with whipped cream), an Iced Caramel Macchiato, or a Chocolate Malt Frappacinno. How can anyone taste the coffee through all the syrupy flavors? A friend of mine once said, "Coffee tastes like dirt." I responded, without missing a beat, "You have an unsophisticated palate." Dirt indeed.

One last thing: two nights ago a friend served me a cup of Folgers or Maxwell House. With milk instead of half & half. I can't tell the difference between the bulk U.S. American coffees--they all taste equally horrible. There's no such thing as a "good" cup of bulk coffee. I took two sips of the wretched brew and couldn't stomach any more ::gag:: When offered a refill, I muttered something about having had to much coffee throughout the day. It's my firm belief that one can never have too much coffee. The next time we're invited over for dinner, I'll bring a bag of gourmet coffee beans and a pint of organic half and half as a "gift." As Joshua's article suggests, we all need to do our part and help cultivate a culture of sophisticated coffee drinkers.