Back in the late 70's you could still find four or fivegenerations of Greek families living in triple deckers in my neighborhood in Cambridge, MA.
Now, about 30 years later, most of the big Greek families have been replaced by yuppies in condos. But I still make coffee, sometimes on a Saturday, like the little old Greek ladies used to make for me.
This isn't really Greek coffee, which is probably more than a lot of people might want to tackle on a daily basis. But it's a great way to make brewed coffee a little special.
I make coffee in a small French press. 3T of coffee, 2T of sugar, and a 1/2t of ground cardamon go in the bottom of the press, followed by about 20oz of boiling water. I use a plastic chopstick to stir the coffee into the water, and dissolve the sugar. Wait a few minutes, plunge, and serve with half and half.
I don't usually like coffee with cream and sugar, but there is something about the cardomon that makes this just right.
Cardamon is an often overlooked sweet spice, delicate and a little musky. It's the secret ingredient that makes Dunkin Donuts what they are (much as, oddly enough, bergamot is what makes both Earl Grey tea and Fruit Loops what they are!).
You tell me -- is it just the memory of neighbors long gone, or is this coffee really special?
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