A page of miscellany

Have you seen today's poem at Poem-A-Day? I've put it over in the sidebar, and I just love it. I especially like the garden metaphor, because I'm in garden mode.

Today, our community garden is having a group activity day. This one is about making mason bee houses, whatever they are. I guess I'll find out in a couple of hours. There's a vegetarian potluck lunch. Hmmm. Time to think of something to take. Maybe a cous-cous salad. My mouth is watering, so I guess that's what it will be!

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I wandered over to one of my other blogs, Turtle Afloat, this morning (I can't remember why) and was shocked to find that several people had left comments. I have no idea how long the comments have been sitting there, neglected. So I answered a couple of them, and now I'm filled with guilt. When I get home from England, I put away Turtle Afloat and go on my way. Somehow it has never occurred to me that other people are still clicking there. Shame on me.

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When I posted, a few days ago, that I put cardamom in my coffee "to take away the anger", Reya thought that I meant my anger, but I actually meant the coffee's anger. I promised I would explain, so here goes. Here in Canada we have a charming chef named Michael Smith. He has several shows - Chef at Home, Chef at Large, and just recently a new one called Chef Abroad. I watched what was apparently the fifth episode of Chef Abroad. Michael was out in the middle of the
desert in Jordan, the guest of a prince, if I remember correctly. They joined a group of Bedouins, who brewed coffee for them. They had an enormous mortar and pestle in which they ground the coffee, and they added cardamom - as they told Michael - to take away the anger. Michael's comment was that he would never again make a cup of coffee without putting cardamom in it.

When I saw the show, I remembered that many years ago, I used to put cardamom in my coffee, and I had forgotten about it. I went right out and got me some cardamom. The spice just takes the edge off (the anger, I think), and it gives the coffee a dreamy fragrance.

At first, I was putting two or three pods of green cardamom into my grinder with two small handfuls of coffee (I use half decaf, half dark roast) - but I've since found out that one pod is plenty. This quantity is right for my French press, which makes two mugs of coffee. I've posted a link to show you which cardamom I'm talking about - but I get mine at the superstore. I imagine any cardamom would work, but the green ones are just the right (coffee-bean) size,which appeals to me.

Be warned, though. My husband can't stand it. Everybody else to whom I've served it says it's fabulous. You can't please all the people all the time.