As I was pondering this, I sat down at Gillet dining room to enjoy an open faced, toasted peanut butter-banana sandwich when I realized something was missing. I jumped up to refill my coffee mug with a splash of almond milk and steaming coffee. I had already completed this ritual before sinking into my morning bowl of granola drenched fruit and oatmeal, and before the consumption of my soup and salad for lunch. That was the moment in which I realized:
Coffee is my ketchup.
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| Me, at age 16 about to enjoy what would be the first of many perfect combinations: a dirty chai cupcake and an almond milk latté with an extra shot. |
Ever since I began drinking it, coffee has delivered me comfort, energy, flavor, warmth, and a sense of completion on a daily basis. These five qualities are combine flawlessly to deliver the perfect accompaniment to any meal--similar to how ketchup delivers the perfect combination of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. There is nothing more perfect than dipping a chocolate biscuit into a robust, frothy mug of freshly brewed coffee. In fact, I like to substitute coffee for half the water called for in many baked good recipes, because of the depth of flavor it adds to any sweet. Eating baked goods without a mugful of coffee, or enjoying a chocolate cupcake that isn't laced with coffee aroma, is my equivalent of devouring a plate of fries without ketchup.
It would just be wrong.
It's not just baked goods, however, that coffee mingles with to give me that deep sense of enjoyment. A toasted sandwich and mug of coffee go just as well. A strong, silky sip of coffee, followed by a crunchy, layered bite of sandwich is amongst my favorite of food-related sensations.
If there are any coffee lovers on this blog, please help me out in facilitating the accompaniment of the delicious baked goods people have been making with a container of coffee for the class!
We must have been on the same wavelength (coffee posts....). I am not as much of a coffee lover as you are, but I so appreciate that you recognize it as your ketchup. What a fun analogy!
ReplyDeleteYes! I agree that when eating breakfast baked goods, I feel lost without coffee or tea. Dipping Greek cookies into my coffee was how I was introduced to the ritual.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great comparison. Do you have a staple brand of coffee like the staple of Heinz as a ketchup brand for many people?
ReplyDeleteWhen the weather is warm enough, my husband roasts coffee beans in our garage. The aroma is almost too much to handle sometimes, it's so good--and the fresh-roasted beans make the BEST coffee. I'll have to figure out how to bring some in for you, once spring actually happens.
ReplyDeleteI most definitely agree! My favorite pairing is usually a plain baked donut. Not the most exciting or sweetest thing, but I swear the coffee just elevates this seemingly simple and boring donut when it's dipped in a steaming hot and strongly brewed cup of joe.
ReplyDeleteI am a huge coffee lover also!! I do however have a small guilty feeling every time I drink a cup because it takes such hard work to grow coffee, process it and then ship it all the way over here to the US for me to savor every morning. Why o why can't I just enjoy something without an attachment??
ReplyDeleteWould you consider yourself a coffee addict/multiple cups a day type person or are you just a coffee enthusiast in terms of quality?
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of substituting water for coffee when baking.
I love the taste of coffee so much. It's a frequent inconvenience that I crave it for the taste when my body cannot handle another caffeine dose (i.e. close to bed or whatever.)
ReplyDelete