The Caffeine Hype

OK, I’ll admit it, I am hooked. I can’t seem to function well in the morning with my coffee. But as history has it, I am not first and it looks like I am not alone. Coffee has been lauded as a medicine, condemned as a poison, banned by Kings, and spies have smuggled it. Caffeinated beverages have been enjoyed since ancient times as far back as 2700 B.C., the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung sipped hot brewed tea. Coffee originated in Africa around 575 A.D. using the beans as money and as food. Eleventh century Arabians had coffee beverages. Aztec Emperor Montezuma treated Spanish conquistadors to a chocolate drink in 1519.

The first coffeehouse opened in 1650 in England and then in 1672 in France. By 1843 thousands of coffeehouses in Europe and the American colonies had sprang up. Italian priests asked Pope Clement VIII to forbid coffee; the Pope, finding delicious, endorsed it. Frederick the Great of Prussia, condemned the increase in coffee and urged his subjects to drink beer instead. Women in England, annoyed that their husbands spent many hours at the coffeehouses rather than at home, circulated a protest petition in 1674.
In the beginning of America’s love affair with coffee small amounts were initially imported to the colonies. As Dutch and French smugglers introduced it in great quantity coffeehouses opened in major colonial cities. Most were like taverns, serving coffee, chocolate, ales, beers, and wines. One famous coffeehouse in New England was the Green Dragon in Boston with it’s popularity of British officers, it came to be the gathering place of John Adams, Paul Revere and other revolutionaries plotting against England. Tea remained the favorite drink of colonists, until Britain's King George insisted on taxing its importation so heavily that it led to the Boston Tea Party.

Civil War soldiers received coffee in their food rations. In the 1880s, it was common to stir in eggs and boil them along with the grounds. In the Wild West, coffee had to simmer for days before being drinkable. The pot it was made in was never washed to keep the entire accumulated flavor and aroma. Usually coffee was strong enough to get up on its own hind legs and walk.

During Prohibition, Americans drank as much coffee as they once drank beer. By 1932, coffee imports had risen 250 million pounds yearly. With Prohibition repealed, coffee consumption continued to rise. The first caffeinated soft drinks were created in the 1880's. In 1958, the FDA declared caffeine as being safe.

Caffeine is a natural substance found in the leaves, seeds or fruits of more than 60 plants. Caffeine processing camouflages the natural bitterness. Coffee and cocoa beans, kola nuts and tea leaves are used to make beverages such as coffee, tea, cola drinks, chocolate, and a flavor in a variety of beverages. Today caffeine can be found in a variety of beverages and foods. Caffeine is a stimulant that raises blood pressure with effects ranging from mild alertness to heightened anxiety and body tension.

It can produce "coffee jitters", headaches, disorientation, and insomnia. Regular caffeine consumers regularly develop a reduced sensitivity and require higher doses of caffeine. The more caffeine consumed, the more caffeine is needed to feel the same effects. Regular users who suddenly stop consuming caffeine may experience withdrawal symptoms including drowsiness, headaches, irritability, nausea and vomiting and depression. The amounts of caffeine needed to affect each person differ. Health risks include possibly aggravating heart problems or nervous disorders, and diuretic effects.

We have various different types of caffeinated beverages. Espresso, which is a concentrated coffee drink, made by forcing a measured amount of hot water under high pressure through freshly ground and tightly packed coffee. Cappuccino is Espresso with foamed milk spooned on top. Often prepared with some liquid milk mixed with the espresso. Café Latte is Espresso with steamed milk often topped with foamed milk. Coffees are now flavored in practically every flavor imaginable on the grocery shelf.

Effects of caffeine vary from one person to the next and it is recommended that people follow the premise of consumption in moderation.

Making Backyard kitchens A Hot Safe Commodity

Turning a patio into an outdoor living area, complete with a full kitchen is very popular which can include an elaborate grill, mini refrigerator, ice makers, power burners, granite counter tops, wooden drawers and cabinets hold utensils and plates. Summer time is perfect grilling time. Home entertaining has seen a boost, and people are turning to their decks and patios for mealtime and meal preparation that often includes everything to make a picture perfect meal. When enjoying the outside and the summer, it is important to remember points for safe grilling and food safety when you fire up the grill.

When shopping, choose meat and poultry last, and don't put them in the trunk. The temperature there is too hot and bacteria will grow rapidly. Don't let meat set out for longer than one hour during warm weather. If meat sets out too long, bacteria can produce toxins that can cause illness and stay active even during cooking. Refrigerate meat and poultry immediately upon arriving home. Buy ground meat or poultry no more than a day or two before you plan to grill it. Otherwise, freeze them. Grill larger cuts of meat, such as steaks, within 4 days of purchase or freeze them.

Completely thaw meat and poultry in the refrigerator or just prior to cooking in a microwave. Frozen foods do not grill evenly and may be unsafe. Never defrost on the counter—bacteria will begin to grow. It takes about 24 hours to thaw 5 pounds of meat in the refrigerator.
Clean up juice spills immediately. Juice spills should be cleaned with a paper towel. If using a dishcloth to wipe up raw meat or poultry juices, wash it in hot soapy water before using it again.
Marinate meat and poultry in the refrigerator. Sauce can be brushed on these foods while cooking, but never use the same sauce after cooking that has touched the raw product.
Make ground beef patties about ½-inch thick by 4 inches in diameter (4 ounces or 4 patties per pound). This size cooks thoroughly and evenly, taking 11 to 13 minutes to cook to a safe temperature of 160 degrees F.

Unwashed hands are a prime cause of food-borne illness. Whenever possible, wash your hands with hot, soapy water for 20 seconds before handling food. Keep meat and poultry cold with ice or frozen gel packs. If leaving home pack food and cooler. Avoid frequently opening the cooler. Pack beverages in one cooler and perishables in another. Keep the cooler in an air-conditioned vehicle for transporting and then keep in the shade or shelter at the picnic site. Remove at one time only the amount of food that will fit on the grill. Be sure to keep raw meat and poultry wrapped separately from cooked foods, or foods meant to be eaten raw such as fruits and vegetables.

Cooking is key to meat and poultry safety. Scrape the grill before grilling and heat it to kill microorganisms before placing meat or poultry on it. Cook ground beef patties until brown in the middle and juices are clearish with no pink in them when you cut into the meat (160 degrees F). A hamburger can be brown in the middle and still be undercooked. The most accurate way to determine doneness is with an instant-read thermometer. Ground meats should be heated to 160 degrees F to kill microorganisms, the temperature for a steak can be 145 degrees F for "medium rare." A "medium" steak is cooked to 160 degrees F and a "well done" steak is cooked to 170 degrees F. Use a tongs or spatula to turn steaks rather than a fork which punctures the meat and introduces surface bacteria into the interior of the meat. Whole poultry should be cooked to 180 degrees F in the thigh. Breast meat should be cooked to 170 degrees F. When poultry is done cooking, juices will run clear with no pink when you cut into the meat.

Use a food thermometer. Keep your family safe. Be a better cook.