06.13.06
Gastro Interruptus
With compulsive fervour every morning I have coffee by the carafe courtesy of my Bodum vacuum brewer. I so look forward to it everyday especially if I’ve lined up a treat for myself like a fruity Ethiopian, a berryful Kenya, a really plummy Indonesian, or a sweet Central American.
Sometimes I dream about it the night before.
A lot of folks have wine with their dinner, and the pairing of wine and food is always a promise. It can get quite involved. It can yield dinner table alchemy or a convolution of gastro interruptus.
Sadly no romantic rigmarole exists for the humble breakfast. Which isn’t quite right. After all it IS the first meal of the day, and the promise of a perfect match between breakfast and coffee can be just as fascinating.
To take a few examples (I refuse to get all wanky about this, but I won’t stop those who want to invoke creme fraiche, beurre and satsuma):
- Toasted english muffins drizzled with fresh honey - becomes a treat when washed down with some light roast Kenya. The currants in the Kenya play with the musky accents of the honey.
- Baked beans on toast - a stodgy favourite gets some slick with a floral Ethiopia Yirgacheffe. Uplifting jasmine or coffee blossom lifts the stodge and give the beans a measure of sophistication. Is it a contrast? Or a complement? Lines are blurred and I don’t care. It’s nice.
- Pancakes with maple syrup - now this has to be citrus territory. A snappy Strictly High Grown Nicaragua with overtones of either lemon or orange peel makes the pancakes more than just a sweet treat. Just imagine the heavy eggy steam of the pancakes and the deep woody sweetness of maple syrup, now underscore this with wafts of citrus peel from the Nicaragua…life is good!
- Plain toast - is this a challenge? Not necessarily. It can be a blank canvas to splash whatever hue one feels like throwing. Excellent for a powerful solo act. Enter an Indonesian, Kenyan, Ethiopian, Guatemalan, or a Papua New Guinean. Long live the toast!
I live a stone’s throw away from Vietnamese convenient shops and they always have these freshly made coconut sticky rice and bean pudding. I wonder which coffee I can have with this…
It’s also winter time and sometimes I’ve a hankering for good ol’ porridge. Now, what shall I roast up for a porridge match…
Hmmm…