coffee
There's no substitute for good coffee. To me, that means a good cup of coffee has to be made from organic, fair-trade, and artisan-roasted beans.
![Whole coffee beans in mortar with pestle](/img/coffee/.thumb/beans_whole.png)
I grind the beans by hand in a ceramic mortar and pestle. I used to use a machine to grind them but grew to like the ritual after a period of making coffee with no electricity and limited tools (a tin ladle and bowl works in a pinch). This method also gives you precise visuals on the coarseness of your grind, so you can adjust it depending on your brewing method. A mortar and pestle are also much easier to clean than any other coffee grinding apparatus.
![Ground beans with cinnamon in mortar with pestle](/img/coffee/.thumb/beans_ground_with_cinnamon.png)
When the beans are ground, I mix in organic cinnamon.
![Vietnamese-style steel coffee filter with ground coffee beans](/img/coffee/.thumb/filter_with_beans.png)
![Vietnamese-style steel coffee filter with plunger screwed tight](/img/coffee/.thumb/filter_closed.png)
Currently I make one cup of coffee at a time with a Vietnamese-style steel coffee filter. They typically have a metal plate at the bottom to keep it above the rim of your cup, but I use this one without. It allows the coffee to brew more as the filter sits in the water once you pour enough. The preferred coarseness for this brewing method is a happy medium, and I tighten the plunger as much as I can. If I grind it too fine, the grounds clump together and the flow is suboptimal. Too coarse and it runs through too quickly.
![Coffee brewing, ie water filtering through vietnamese steel coffee filter full of beans](/img/coffee/.thumb/brewing.png)
After the filter drains a couple times and I have a full cup, I let the filter sit in the coffee for anywhere between five and ten minutes before removing it.
![A brewed cup of really good coffee](/img/coffee/.thumb/coffee.png)
The flavor of coffee prepared this way is exquisite and unparalleled. If, however, you want to add a little something-something to it, here are my recommendations (only add one at a time, and only a wee bit!):
- maple syrup
- macadamia milk
- salt and chile powder
- butter and/or coconut oil