OkraLogic . A Girl Cook: Is Coffee Food? I Say..."Heck, Yeah!"

food

1. Material, usually of plant or animal origin, that contains or consists of essential body nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals, and is ingested and assimilated by an organism to produce energy, stimulate growth, and maintain life.

2. A specified kind of nourishment:

3. Nourishment eaten in solid form:

4. Something that nourishes or sustains in a way suggestive of physical nourishment:

Is coffee food? Hmmm, well I'm gonna go with no. 4 and say, "Heck yeah! Coffee Is food!"

Now here's some interesting information. Did you know?....Coffee was introduced in Brazil by Francisco de Mello Palheta in 1721 from Cayenne, French Guiana. Today, Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer and is becoming a key player in the specialty coffee industry. Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer and produces approximately 25% of the world's supply of coffee. There are several distinct coffee growing regions in Brazil, each large enough to be their own country and distinct enough to be considered so. Isn't that amazing?!? We're talking coffee regions large enough to be their own c-o-u-n-t-r-y!!

Keep reading! I used to live in Brazil! I'm here to tell ya there is NO picture that captures those beyond beautiful coffee fields as they appear "live and in person." They are magnificently divine.

I was not your ordinary child. At age five I cried and cried and cried and cried (well, you get the picture) until my Mother took me to have my long, beautiful hair cut into a style that was comparable to the Ken doll. I apparently was not interested in looking like a girl. When we left I was so,so excited! My Mom - not so much. I think my haircut permanently scarred her. I mean, the woman took all my hair and carried it out in a plastic sandwich bag where it was immediately placed in a photo album when we got home. Really Mom?

I not only made mud pies - I ate some too.

I did not want a big, beautiful red Schwinn bicycle with a white basket and shiny horn (although I was given one) - no, I wanted a big girl's Big Wheel. Yes, I know they did not, and do not make them but, no matter, I wanted one anyway.

I did play with Barbies but only when I was removing their heads and trying to fill them up, via their small neck hole, with water to see if they'd float in our swimming pool. By the way, Barbie heads DO float. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

I was not an ordinary child and I did not have a normal childhood. Period. It's just that simple!

I was born in, and lived in, Pennsylvania until I was five. My love affair with lobster began in Pennsylvania due to my extra special dinner dates at "The Red Lobster" with my Pappy. I was also introduced to the taco by my mother - she had a favorite taco joint she visited at least 3x a week - I can still see that place in my head! Sliced ham sandwiches on white bread with mustard only also became a large part of my life as this was the lunch my Mom packed for me every day in my Scooby Doo lunch box. To this day, that is how I eat my ham sandwiches. Ham, white bread, mustard. And boy oh boy, I still love Scooby Doo!

At age six we moved to Iowa for one year. I learned to spell Mississippi (naturally) and fell in love with sloppy joes and pancakes. There was a local sloppy joe joint I got to go to if I was good (which wasn't often) and the pancakes lived at Sambo's. I loved Sambos! I had the Sambos t-shirt. I was a member of the Sambo's birthday club. And boy oh boy did I love my Sambo's pancakes!! (with extra, extra syrup of course!)

At age seven my Dad, who was a CFO for ALCOA, was transferred to their overseas division and we moved to Suriname, South America. In Suriname I fell in love with plantain chips and mangoes and Chinese food. We had a mango tree in our backyard I climbed every day. I pretty much lived on mangoes and plantain chips. I was a skinny-as-a-rail tomboy and boy oh boy was I happy!

At age 8 we moved to Pocos de Caldas Brazil. I'm sure it's not hard for you imagine how my love of coffee began since I lived in Brazil! My parents' best friends owned an ice cream company there and guess what their most popular flavor was?? ...and quickly became mine!!... You guessed it my friends ....coffee!! I drank coffee. I ate coffee ice cream. I made coffee milkshakes. I made coffee fudge pops. I put coffee ice cream on my cereal. (yes, really I did) I didn't want a Coke or ice tea - I wanted iced coffee! Did I mention I was eight years old? Boy oh boy did I love my coffee!

So, of COURSE I think coffee is food! Am I a coffee snob? Well, let me put it to you this way ...I don't drink coffee from fast food restaurants. We'll just leave it at that. We grind organic beans for our guests at our Bed & Breakfast and that is what Chris and I drink as well. Can I tell a difference in taste between our coffee and other coffee? Absolutely! Do these things make me a coffee snob? Well, I guess so. I guess it does.

Now before I get some haters, let me tell you this - I ..HAVE....tried the coffee at fast food restaurants. I tried it. I took one sip and threw it away. So don't judge me too harshly - I was ready and willing to give it a whirl!

My Dad was transferred from the overseas division of ALCOA when I was in the 6th grade and we moved to Mobile, Alabama. In Alabama I fell in love with oysters & Chuck E. Cheese's pizza. On the weekends my best friend Lisa and I would walk from our houses to Chuck E. Cheese (about 2 miles away) and spend all night there playing games and, well, eating pizza! Boy oh boy did I love their pizza!

We landed in Little Rock, Arkansas when I was in the 10th grade and I lived there until Chris I moved to our quaint town nestled in the Ozark mountains that is referred to as "Little Switzerland." In Arkansas I fell in love with the good 'ole cheeseburger. There was a locally owned joint, "Minute Man", that sadly is no longer there. Boy oh boy did they know how to make a cheeseburger! Meat, mustard, lettuce, crispy pickle slices & diced onion bay-bee! In my opinion, this is the ONLY way to eat a cheeseburger bay-bee!

So back to the coffee. Do you cook with coffee? Have you cooked with coffee? I do and I have! Below is my recipe for a slap-yo-mama good coffee sauce to slather on ribs or steaks or chicken - grill baby grill! Don't forget to bring extra napkins to the table!! I hope you like it!

Always "Push The Parsley!"

~ A Girl Cook

LISA's COFFEE SAUCE

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salt - 2 to 3 good sprinkles

fresh cracked pepper - 5-6 turns

extra light olive oil - 3-4 good shakes

dry white wine - 1 glass

a cup of coffee - extra strong

large yellow onion - diced

pineapple juice - 1 extra small can

orange juice - 1 small pour