Bone Broth—It's What's for Breakfast

by Linda

"Good bone broth will resurrect the dead." —A South American Proverb

Mark enjoys a cup of steaming bone broth on a cold January morning.

   I recently heard it said that bone broth is the new coffee. It gives me hope to think this adage might be true—or could be true anyway. Emerging on the subject is lots of new information to support what ancient cultures have always known—bone broth provides a solid foundation for good health.
   A healthy body requires specific nutrition that is difficult to find in one's diet otherwise. Broth made from bones is full of trace minerals, gelatin, collagen, marrow, cartilage and glycine. Those nutrients in a soup form are easily absorbed into our bodies because they are leached out into the liquid. We need these nutrients because our bodies are built of the same materials—like it or not. A slow-cooked bone broth is the traditional and easy way to get these essential nutrients into our bodies. Pressure cookers can assist in this process for those of us who need to make it quickly.

  Our American addiction to coffee and the considerable daily dose of caffeine this habit provides is a crutch that many of us use to fuel our insanely busy lives, and is generally considered harmless by most people. It is something that we laugh at in an offhand manner. "Don't even talk to me until I have had my coffee"—is our national mantra. It's a habit that supports a Starbucks or Pete's on every street corner and in every strip mall. Many people arrive at work with the large cup of coffee in hand, and then keep drinking it all day long. It's even worse that their coffee it is often spiked with lots of sugar or truly horrific artificial sweeteners. Our coffee is also doctored up with things like chemically-laden powdered creamers and artificial flavorings. Consider this—many of us already have stressed out adrenal glands and high cortisol (the stress hormone) levels. This causes a myriad of health problems and makes us more susceptible to insomnia, colds and flu, allergies, hair loss, belly fat and low sex drive. Our national addiction to coffee helps raise our already sky-high cortisol levels.

   If you are looking to change some bad habits this year, and have a healthier diet in 2015—giving up coffee as your daily kickstart might be something to consider. Have it occasionally, on your weekend perhaps, when you are really have the time to notice and enjoy that caffeine induced euphoria. I know I do.

   Bone broth is also great to have in your freezer to use as a base for your soups and sauces. I love Pho. The flavor of homemade broth makes this delicious soup so much better than packaged or canned broths, and you control the ingredients—like sodium—which is used to disguise the taste of inferior ingredients in commercial products. Choose good quality bones for your broth and fresh organic vegetables if you are able. Happy Cooking in 2015 and Mazel Broth!

Mark's Bone Broth

   It is really worth the time and effort to make your own broth for many reasons. First, you can control the quality of your ingredients. Second is cost. Good quality broth at my supermarket (and I'm not talking about the canned or boxed stuff) runs about eight dollars per quart, Also, you want to purchase good quality bones. I buy mine at Whole Foods Market, but there are small local butcher shops popping up around the country ( I have one in my town). These shops are returning to whole animal butchery and source their animals from small local ranches. This would be a likely spot to purchase not only good quality bones, but calves' feet which are an excellent source of the aforementioned gelatin.

Equipment:

A large roasting pan

A large stock pot— remember the famous words of Julia Child, "Always start out with a larger pot than what you think you need."

Ingredients:

4 pounds of beef bones

4 ribs of celery cut into large dice

3 large carrots cut to 1/2 inch rounds

2 medium white onions plus skins, cut into large dice

8 cloves of garlic—crush but leave the skins on

1 cup unpacked parsley leaves

3-4 bay leaves

Dry or fresh thyme

1 Tbsp whole black pepper corns

Celtic sea salt

Filtered water

Procedure:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F.

2. Add beef bones to a roasting pan large enough for them to be spread out to a single layer. Add onion skins, garlic cloves, half of one onion, one carrot, and one celery rib; all pre-cut. Add a small pinch or two of sea salt to the bones.

3. Place roasting pan with bones and vegetables into the oven for 30-40 minutes. Onion skins should char a bit and beef bones should show some browning. Note: the darker you let the bones get, the darker your stock will be. However, going too long can make your stock bitter.

4. When bones are roasted, place all roasting pan ingredients plus the bay leaves and peppercorns in the large stock pot and add 4 quarts of filtered water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a medium to slow boil once everything is bubbling.

The roasted bones and veggies.

5. For the next hour, remove scum and fat from the top layer of the stock.

6. At the end of one hour, add the rest of the carrots, onions, and celery plus the fresh parsley and the thyme. Stir and bring back to a moderate boil.

7. For the next 3 hours, allow the stock to boil gently and occasionally skim for fat that will rise to the top. You will lose some volume of water during this time. I like to add more pre-heated, filtered water to keep the volume constant. Pre-heating the water keeps the stock at a steady boil.

8. At the end of cooking, the vegetables will have given their all and the bones will look dry and porous when held up to the air. Turn off heat and allow the stock to sit for one half hour.

Deglazing the roasting pan with boiling water to capture all of the roasted flavor.

9. When the stock has cooled a bit, it is time to strain the broth into empty containers using a fine mesh sieve or a strainer lined with cheese cloth. I like to leave my stock in the refrigerator overnight to allow any remaining fat to separate and to rise to the top of the broth for easy removal.
10. Once cooled, the stock can be put into containers of your choice, or poured into ice cube trays. These can be frozen for use later and can keep up to six months for best flavor.

(This method involves roasted elements and fresh ingredients. The stock will take on the roasted flavors, but also have a clean, freshness that I also enjoy.)

Our frozen bone broth ready for breakfast or for making soup and stews.

Linda's Creamy,Yummy and Paleo-Friendly Coconut Oil Hot Chocolate for Weight Loss (Vitamix Method) and Her Thoughts on Gluten-Free vs Paleo Diets

by Linda

'Tis a lesson you should heed:

Try, try, try again.

If at first you don't succeed,

Try, try, try again. ~ William Edward Hickson

My new and very much improved (properly emulsified) Coconut Oil Hot Chocolate.
Delicious by anyone's standards.

As anyone knows who has spent a good deal of time cooking, much of the process is about experimentation. The same is true for me with my diet.
   When I try a recipe for the first time—often the subsequent times that I make it, I will choose alterations to improve the results. Such is the case with my previous Sugar-Free Coconut Hot Chocolate recipe that we published a couple of years ago, and such is the case with my ever changing thoughts on nutrition and diet to help me fight the battle of the bulge and stay healthy.
   In January of 2012, armed with new knowledge and the moral support of my friend and co-worker at the time, Misty, of Healthy Transisitons, I embarked on a gluten-free Paleo template diet. In four months I had lost 50 pounds, and I wasn't even going to the gym.
That's the good news. Not only did I lose weight, but the life-long asthma that all of us sisters have struggled with since we were babies improved dramatically for me. In the fall of that year just a few months later, the Sistercation of 2012 occurred. This was when Juliette, Michelle and I met up here in Sonoma County for our annual sisters' get together. During the days we spent enjoying ourselves, we talked at length about diet and my going gluten-free while we weren't at the beach or having dance party and cocktail time in my backyard.

Dance party in my backyard during Sistercation of 2012.

   Juliette is an expert at making wild yeast and long fermentation sourdough. She owns the regionally-recognized bakery—Guadalupe Baking Company in Bisbee, Arizona. During our visit, Juliette argued that I should be able to include wild yeast sourdough in my diet because there is accumulating evidence that the long cold fermentation process literally eats up the gluten. I read a blog post on Cheeseslave that Juliette sent me that made me consider reintroducing this artisan product back into my diet. According to what I read, when tested, the gluten parts per million in wild yeast long ferment sourdough are below what the FDA requirement is to label a product gluten-free (however FDA regulations do not allow for anything containing wheat to be labeled "gluten-free"). Although I am not the master researcher that Michelle is, when I am on the track of new knowledge, I start digging into things. This is good and this is bad, because you can end up making yourself really confused, which I managed to do in this case.
   Since I was still really missing bread on my new diet, I was persuaded to give baking my own artisan sourdough a try if it meant I could have delicious bread back in my life. Juliette had brought her sourdough starter dehydrated powder with her from Arizona, and she got the starter rehydrated and going for me here in California in the week she was at my house on vacation. When the girls were gone—with my new starter bubbling away—I set out to learn to make real sourdough. Not one to cautiously approach a new project, I enthusiastically threw myself into my new creative endeavor. I invested in brotforms, cambros, clay baking cloches, cast iron bread bakers, baguette pans, a lame, a good digital scale and a whole slew of other bread baking equipment that is needed to transform water, flour and salt into beautiful loaves of artisan sourdough.
   Michelle got into the act, too, and it wasn't long before the two of us were turning out gorgeous and really delicious boules, baguettes, rolls, bagels and pizza dough under the tutelage of the expert, Juliette. There were many telephone calls and emails between the three of us that were devoted to the subject. Michelle even won a blue ribbon at her local state fair that spring for her heavenly Guava-Coconut-Orange-Walnut Stuffed Baguette. The following photos are examples of the bread and pizza that Michelle and I began making:

                                                                                                                                                             

   But after about six months, not all was well for me in Sourdough Breadland.  The weight began to creep back on, and my asthma worsened, but I continued on baking bread in spite of these warning signs because not only do I really love eating bread, but now I really enjoyed the whole process of making and baking it as well. Bread is convenient (too busy to cook—you can always make a sandwich, right?), it is delicious, it is comforting, it is filling and it makes great gifts. I don't think anything smells quite as good as freshly baked bread just out of the oven. However, there is growing evidence to support that wheat isn't just addictive as in becoming habituated, but that it is actually an opiate that acts in our bodies to make us hungry.  William Davis, M.D., who is the author of Wheat Belly argues that:

"Wheat is addictive in the sense that it comes to dominate thoughts and behaviors. Wheat is addictive in the sense that, if you don’t have any for several hours, you start to get nervous, foggy, tremulous, and start desperately seeking out another “hit” of crackers, bagels, or bread, even if it’s the few stale 3-month old crackers at the bottom of the box. Wheat is addictive in the sense that there is a distinct withdrawal syndrome characterized by overwhelming fatigue, mental “fog,” inability to exercise, even depression that lasts several days, occasionally several weeks. Wheat is addictive in the sense that the withdrawal process can be provoked by administering an opiate-blocking drug such as naloxone or naltrexone. But the “high” of wheat is not like the high of heroine, morphine, or Oxycontin. This opiate, while it binds to the opiate receptors of the brain, doesn’t make us high. It makes us hungry."

 So it was with much sadness, lamentation and wailing on my part, I gave up wheat once more—fatter and wheezier—but much wiser. I have finally had to accept that I react to wheat, even if it is fermented, technically gluten-free and shaped with rice flour. In the following months I went back on a fairly strict gluten-free diet with only occasional indulgences, but I was still eating starch and sugar. I liked that gluten-free bun with my hamburger and my satisfying Duck Fat Oven Fries. There are some mighty tasty gluten-free cookies out there now in the marketplace. And guess what? The weight did not come off as it had before. Not even slowly. I found out that a gluten-free diet all by itself was not going to make the weight come off. Albeit that they are all gluten-free—sugar and gluten-free starch still make me fat.

Truly delicious—but my gluten-free Summer Pasta can't be part of my regular menu repertoire. I will be making it now now with Michelle's tasty and Paleo-friendly zucchini noodles.

   A month ago, I made the decision to return to the Paleo-template diet that Misty recommended to me in early 2012 when my excess weight dropped off rapidly. I am back to Misty's Coconut Milk, Whey Protein and Blueberry Smoothie for breakfast or my Coconut Oil Hot Chocolate, which I am now emulsifying properly in my Vitamix as a reader kindly pointed out that I should do in their comments about my previous post.
  Here is my slow to embrace realization—going gluten-free just doesn't cut it for weight loss for me. Going gluten-free is easy. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it's super easy. If one doesn't actually have Celiac Disease, there are an array of tasty gluten-free products in the present day marketplace to make the transition to a gluten-free diet a rather painless undertaking. Restaurants have caught on as well and are providing many gluten-free options. However, almost all of the "gluten-free" products replacing bread, pizza, cookies and desserts are loaded with starch and sugar which cause our blood sugar to elevate and we turn the excess calories into fat.
   I feel better in general on a gluten-free diet and my asthma is far less. I am able to take half the medication that I did previously, but I still remain overweight—so it's back to Paleo for me. Conversely, cutting out refined carbs—namely refined sugar and starches— at least for me, is very difficult. It requires real discipline and meal planning in my hectic life. I shouldn't complain being that I don't even have kids at home complaining about what I am putting in their lunch box or what I am preparing for dinner. I am back to making my Paleo breakfast, packing a Paleo lunch, and I have Nom Nom Paleo sitting out in my cookbook holder for inspiration for dinners. I had the great pleasure of meeting the authors of that book, Michelle Tam and Henry Fong, a few months back. They were on a summer book tour, and stopped in the Whole Foods Market® where I work to sign books and say hello. They were kind enough to share my blog post for my Honey Simple Syrup recipe on their Facebook page.

Henry Fong and Michelle Tam of Nom Nom Paleo at Whole Foods Market San Rafael.

   I am happy to report that although I am still craving starch and sugar, I have lost ten pounds in a month. I have noticed that the cravings are subsiding as the days pass, and my energy is increasing. I also notice that I am once again less hungry, but I do need to eat my meals on time because in general, I do not snack.
   We sisters are going to be having another Sistercation in the first week of December, and my goal is too have lost 25 pounds by then. I will most likely join in our holiday celebration by eating the delicious food that Michelle is already planning, and I will also most likely be eating some amazing sourdough bread—but only for a week. When I come home it will be back to strictly Paleo for me. And this time I have added insurance to get back on track quickly—this year I am already back at the gym lifting weights and doing some yoga, too.

Linda's Creamy, Yummy and Paleo-Friendly Coconut Oil Hot Chocolate for Weight Loss (Vitamix Method)

The Health Benefits of Honey and How to Make Honey Simple Syrup: Paleo Beverages 101

by Linda

"More than 30 years ago, there was a big push by the doctors and the government to get people to eat less fat. That was to help lower the rate of heart disease. Low fat they said means heart healthy. So, out went the fat, but in many foods, to keep them tasting food, in went more sugar. And so, here we are today, as you've heard me say over and over again, we as a nation are more  unhealthy than ever. Not to mention fatter. You've heard a lot of theories as to why, but one in particular is getting a much closer look. It's about sugar. Everybody knows too much is bad, but I have been surprised to see just how bad." ~ Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Good things to look for on a honey label: Organic, Raw and Unfiltered.

   A few months ago I was perusing through my feed on Facebook, and I ran across a post featuring a Paleo Margarita by Danielle Walker of Against All Grain. She was sharing a recipe from her brother, Joel, who has a blog called Worthybar. For Danielle's post click here. The information was exciting for me, because I am trying to keep refined sugar out of my diet. If you are one of the few who hasn't heard just how bad white sugar or HFCS is for you, here is some food for thought from a 60 Minutes segment from 2012. Sugar is known to be a toxin in the scientific/medical community, and studies link is not only to diabetes, but heart disease, cancer and other serious illnesses. Enter honey stage right ...
 

I focus on growing pollinator attracting plants in my garden each year, and lately bees have 
become a favorite subject of mine to photograph. Not as easy as you might think! 
There is a reason people say "busy as a bee".  Indeed, as I have discovered by 
following them around, they rarely stop moving.

   The good news to this sweet conundrum, is that raw honey, a product made from bees which is whole and unadulterated—not refined in any way—can be eaten safely. New research is proving what ancient wisdom has always known—raw honey from bees, consumed in moderation, is not only delicious, but good for you, too.
   Honey is alchemy of the highest order. Merriam-Webster defines alchemy in this way: a power or process of transforming something common into something special.
   Honey from our friend the bee is transformed from pollen, as we all know, and in a magical process, is converted into a sweet, thick and heavenly ambrosia. I can't think anything more mysterious, delicious or just bursting with the power of nature than honey.

   Michelle recently shared a great recipe for Curry Chicken Salad which is made with honey. In that post she linked to an article entitled, Does It Matter If a Sweetner Is Natural?, which I had shared with her from one of my favorite health professionals, Chris Kresser, L.Ac. In my opinion, which is based on 20 plus years of studying nutrition and herbal medicine, Chris Kresser's web page if full of the most cutting-edge and non-faddist information about nutrition and diet. I am definitely an advocate. Chris has this to say about honey (the link to the full article is highlighted above):

   "...honey has long been an important food in the human diet. Its fructose to glucose ratio is similar to that of high fructose corn syrup, with about 38% fructose and 31% glucose (the rest being primarily water). Honey also contains enzymes and other proteins, trace minerals, flavonoids and other polyphenols.
   Although honey is “Paleo” even in the strictest sense, it can be easy to think of it as just another source of sugar; better than table sugar, perhaps, but still an indulgence that should be kept to an absolute minimum. Sugar is sugar, right? On the contrary, increasing evidence indicates that honey is a functional food with uniquely beneficial physiological effects.
   For example, two human studies found that supplementing with 3-5 tbsp of honey per day (depending on body weight) increases serum antioxidant levels, including vitamin C and glutathione reductase. In another study, the same dose of honey lowered plasma prostaglandin levels by 48-63% after 15 days, signaling a reduction in inflammation.
   In overweight and obese patients, consumption of about 3.5 tbsp honey per day for a month resulted in lower LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and C-reactive protein (particularly in people with elevated values), and higher HDL cholesterol. In another study, honey also reduced levels of homocysteine and blood glucose.

   Honey also has antibacterial activity, and can shorten the duration of acute bacterial diarrhea in children. Honey might even be an effective treatment in some cases of h. pylori infection. Other potential benefits of honey include antiviral, anti-tumor, and anti-mutagenic effects, and reduction of IBD-associated inflammation, but these have yet to be tested on humans. So it would appear that honey has many benefits that outweigh the potential downsides of consuming a concentrated sweetener. I recommend using raw honey, which will have the most enzymes and nutrients when destructive heat has not been used."

This bee in my backyard garden is gathering nectar from a marjoram flower. If you want to attract bees, plant culinary herbs! Not only can you cook with them, but they have beautiful blooms and bees love all of them. This year my garden is planted with: oregano, marjoram, dill, several kinds of basil, many sages (salvias), cilantro, mint, rosemary, and lavender. Bees abound!

   So armed with this information and the realization that, "Wow, honey isn't just a more natural form of sugar—it actually promotes health and weight loss!", I resolved a few months back to make a more concerted effort to use honey in my diet and eliminate refined sugars as much as I possibly can. Stevia is another valid choice for a natural sweetener, but it has a bitter after taste for me, and regrettably, I am not a fan.
   The problem with honey though, is that I have found it to be inconvenient to use. It is gloppy, messy, and sticky and is hard to measure accurately. It also doesn't combine well into cold drinks. In addition, it crystallizes if is sits in your cupboard for too long, and high heat destroys its beneficial properties. What changed all that for me, however, was learning how to make simple syrup from honey, prompted by the Worthybar Paleo Margarita recipe. This little asterisked comment at the very bottom of the post caused a light bulb to turn on in my head:

* Honey syrup can be made by simply combining equal parts honey and filtered hot water (not boiling!), then stirring to incorporate the two. I suggest using a lighter honey, such as raw clover honey, as you don't want the flavor of the honey to overpower the drink. You can make 8 to 16+ ounces at a time and store in a sealed bottle or container in the fridge for up to a month.

A nose dive into a coriander, aka cilantro, bloom.

    Thus began my experimentation with simple syrup made from honey, and since then I have found it has solved all of the issuers that plagued me in the past with using honey straight from the jar. It makes measuring a breeze, adding it to cold drinks is no problem, and I now keep a container of it in the fridge at all times. I have discovered so many uses for it, that I think you will love it, too. Here's how to make your own:

Check out my visit to Heidrun Meadery and more information about bees and Colony Collapse Disorder.

Honey Simple Syrup

   I have found a multitude of uses for honey simple syrup since I began making it. I keep a jar in the fridge at all times. I use it when make my day off Mocha on Saturday morning. On this hot summer afternoon while I am writing this post, I am using it to sweeten my iced Chai. It is also great for cocktails (simply replace equal parts of simple syrup with honey simple syrup). It can also be used for  smoothies, vinaigrettes or anything else that would benefit from a touch of sweetness.

I have found that the squeeze bottle purchased at my local restaurant supply has been
a very handy dispenser for the honey simple syrup.

Ingredients:
Raw unprocessed honey (light honey will produce a more neutral flavor)
Filtered water

Procedure:
Use one part honey to one filtered water. In the simple syrup I am making in the photo, I scooped the honey from the one pound jar into the empty two pound jar. I then pour hot water (not boiling) in the just emptied small jar to the top. Stir the hot water in the jar to incorporate all the remaining honey, and then pour it over the honey which is now in the large jar. Do not stir. Place lid on jar and allow to sit for about 30 minutes. This will allow the hot water to slowly soften the honey, and it will become easy to mix. It also helps keep the honey cool, preserving all of the health benefits. When honey is softened, stir until the water is well mixed in, and then I usually finish off my simple syrup by giving it a good shake to make sure that all the honey is dissolved. Transfer honey simple syrup into a covered container and store in the refrigerator. It will last at least a month—most likely longer since honey is naturally antibacterial.

My Java Quest - Making Great Coffee and Espresso at Home

by Linda

"Forever: Time it takes to brew the first pot of coffee in the morning." ~Author Unknown

      My earliest memories of seeing coffee made at home was at my grandparent's house when I was just a little girl. My own Mom and Dad did not drink coffee or tea as a part of their daily routine, but at my Nana's and Papa's house, coffee was very much part of the morning ritual. Preparations were always made the night before, just after the dinner clean up was complete. The 1960's vintage Faberware electric percolator was filled with water by Nana, and then the little metal basket was filled with ground Folgers coffee from a can. The coffee basket was topped with the metal lid and inserted into the pot. Finally, the shiny lid of the percolator with glass knob on top was snapped into place.

   The next morning the first grandparent into the kitchen (usually Papa) would plug in the pot, and it wasn't long before coffee was visibly bubbling into that glass knob on top, and the kitchen was filled with the heavenly aroma of coffee brewing. Just smelling the brewing coffee while I munched on my morning treat (another perk of staying at Nana's and Papa's) made my morning complete. Then, snuggled up with my grandparents, who often drank their morning coffee in bed, their hair still tousled, we welcomed the new day together with their steaming cups of coffee on the night stands beside the bed. How could life get any better?

   
   As an adult I didn't really start drinking coffee as a regular part of my daily routine until the early 1980's. Since then I have managed to explore the gamut of coffees and coffee-making equipment. In truth, I have spent a small fortune purchasing all of my coffee accoutrements over the years in the quest to make great coffee and espresso at home. The assemblage of coffee making paraphernalia in the photo represents just my purchases over the past six years.

   My past is littered with coffee makers of all kinds, which eventually broke or were discarded for the hottest new thing. In about 1982 my then husband Danny and I purchased a fancy Toshiba automatic drip coffee maker that would grind the coffee and then brew it immediately. It was also programmable, but I found that this feature was not great for a household with small children and a mother who desperately needed sleep. Having a coffee grinder go off at 5:00am was jarring to say the least.

   
   We also experimented with buying gourmet coffee beans for the first time. This was the advent (in California anyway) when small shops started opening that would sell good quality beans from all over the world. I continued to experiment with various coffee makers of all kinds up until 2004, when I bought my first real espresso maker, a Saeco that was made in Italy. It made really good espresso.

   Later, I bought a fancier model, a Breville that foams milk a whole lot better, but in truth didn't make any better espresso than the Saeco. Later, I experimented with using a French Press for making coffee, which is definitely the way to go for brewing coffee at home. A simple French Press out performs any electric coffee maker that I have ever used...and there have been many. The flavor of French Press coffee is terrific, and the coffee is served really hot - a must in my book, and cannot be achieved with an automatic drip machine.

   
   My espresso drink of choice over the years has become a mocha piled high with milk foam instead of whipped cream. And, in the last two years I have scrapped the more complicated production method required in using my espresso machine in favor of using a stove top Bialetti espresso maker for preparing the espresso, and a sauce pan and immersion blender to foam the milk. There is a small sacrifice of flavor. The espresso produced by the Bialetti is not as rich and pronounced as made by an espresso machine, but the ease and quickness in making, as well requiring much less clean up, makes it a winner for me.
   I remember my friend Richard singing the praises of this simple espresso maker from his days of living in Paris, as well as it being the choice to bring along on backpacking trips, but it took me twenty years to try it, and turns out, he was right. It makes a quality portion of what I would call a cross between coffee and espresso, just perfect for coffee drinks, or a nice strong cup of coffee.

  
   If you like to drink your shots of espresso neat, then the stove top Bialetti is not the technique for you, but if you enjoy starting your morning with a latte or mocha, you can have a delicious drink at home in a jiff. Oh, and a thanks to my Food Network "boyfriend", Tyler Florence who featured this method on one of his "Ultimate Breakfast" shows. This method is a much easier way to fix coffee drinks for more than one. You can foam all of the milk at once, as well as brew a larger quantity of espresso, and the drinks are ready at the same time, instead of having to make them one by one.
   Don't have time to enjoy coffee at home most mornings? I don't know about you, but shelling out $5 for my coffee drink at a Peet's or Starbucks and having to stop on my way to work is not only inconvenient, but really expensive as well. It just isn't in my monthly budget, so I have found a great solution. Bodum makes a nifty French Press Travel Mug in which I can brew my coffee, add chocolate and a splash of half and half, depress the plunger, and I am good to go.

   
   One last observation. I have found grinding my own coffee to be time consuming and very messy. After purchasing an expensive burr grinder because my other Food Network crush, Alton Brown insisted it was necessary to have great coffee at home, I found it took up too much space on my kitchen counter, and I found myself greatly irritated after I used it. As careful as I tried to be, I found that I had ground coffee all over my counter and kitchen floor every single time. In addition, honestly, I was never able to discern that great of a difference in the taste of the coffee or espresso. For this reason I buy Peet's or Illy's ground coffee. It saves me time, mess and frustration. I am partial to French or Italian roast. I use the Illy canisters to store the ground coffee of any brand because they are air-tight, and compact.
   As for me, I switched to decaf coffee quite some time ago. Caffeine is a stimulant, which should be used with caution and with reverence. Caffeine increases cortisol (the stress hormone) in the body, and I don't know about you, but I have enough stress without taxing my body with more. So I made the switch to decaf, and I can say with certainty that don't miss the heart palpitations, jittery hands, or afternoon headaches one bit.

Linda's Mocha

Espresso preparation:
1. Fill the bottom carafe of the Bialetti espresso maker with filtered water to the line indicated inside the carafe.
2. Place the metal coffee filter on top of the carafe filled with water. Add coffee, roughly 2 tablespoons, leaving space for expansion.
3. Screw the lid onto the carafe base. Place on burner and turn flame to medium.

Milk preparation:
4. Pour amount of milk to be used into a sauce pan. Heat milk. When milk is hot
reduce the flame and blend with an immersion hand blender until there is an
abundant amount of foam. Turn off heat.

Mocha preparation:
5. When you do not hear coffee percolating out of the spout into the holding chamber of the espresso pot, the espresso is ready. The top will be full.
6. Add chocolate mix to the bottom of your cup. I prefer Traditional Hot Cocoa Mix by Lake Champlain, but Ghiradelli makes a mocha mix that is very good, also.
7. Pour the hot espresso into the mug. Stir well, I add a couple squeezes of Agave nectar and then I pour in the hot milk, topping with a huge mound of the milk foam that I sprinkle liberally with cinnamon.