I can still hear the clunk of the wood, the ripping of the newspaper and strike of the match. The sounds of my childhood as dad started the fire in the wood stove. It wouldn’t be long and the coffee would be burbling in the glass percolator. The cast iron pan would hold frying eggs and the day was off to a great start.
I wouldn’t drink coffee until I was an adult but as a child I noticed that there was something about it that seemed to draw people together. Our house seemed to have a revolving door. The coffee pot was on… every time. Conversation flowed, sometimes quieter, sometimes loud, but always with the warmth of friendship.
I never resented always having people around, drinking coffee and probably eating something tasty that mom made. In fact, I thought it was quite normal. It’s just what was done. It wasn’t analyzed, organized or psychologized. No one talked about what country the coffee came from, whether it was organic or fair trade. It was just perked, poured and then it provided the background for conversation.
Through the years of visiting with neighbours, relatives, Edmonton Eskimo players, hunters and whomever else stepped over the threshold of our home, coffee was there.
Fast forward to today and the oodles of Tims, Second Cups, Starbucks and now unique little shops with their own roasteries, the coffee is still being brewed. I’ve lost count of all the brewing techniques, acidity and flavor profiles, hot or cold and the oodles of coffee creations. Dare I say Pumpkin Spice Latte?
My son purchased a small roaster and began to roast green coffee beans. My coffee world expanded and I admit to becoming a bit of a coffee snob. I’ve taken over doing the roasting and have begun to learn the intricacies of the coffee world. It’s oodles of fun. A family trip to Maui, a visit to a coffee plantation and too many taste tests are memories that I treasure. Who knows what the future holds for me and coffee?
This one thing I do know. It will always contain memories of that glass coffee percolator, family, friends and visiting.
Consider this your invitation to come for coffee. I look forward to our conversation and you might just get a piece of pie to go with it.
Apple Pie
6 cups peeled, sliced apples
3/4-1 cup sugar
1 tbsp flour
1-2 tsp cinnamon
Mix the above ingredients together and place in an unbaked pie shell. Top with another layer of rolled out pastry. Trim the edges and flute. (We use our thumbs and press them onto the edge of the pie crust, moving around the edge of the pie like we were finger printing). Using a knife, cut a star shaped pattern into the top crust.
Brush the top crust with beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar. This helps your crust brown nicely and makes your crust shiny and sparkly.
Bake at 375°F for 45-60 minutes. The apple filling should be bubbling in the slits. You can also insert a knife to check the doneness of the apples.