I'm an author and journalist specializing in food and cooking. Caffeine Basics is my ninth book. I've written about the U.S. wine industry, international foods, shrinking your "cookprint," and cooking with kids. Great Bar Food at Home was a James Beard Award finalist, and Cooking Green: Reducing … More
Buzz
5 Ways Coffee Fights Cancer
Will coffee help keep you cancer-free? Possibly. Coffee reduces the risk of certain cancers, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. Of course, there's no guarantee that a coffee habit will ensure a cancer-free life: cancers are complex and for that matter, coffee's got its own mysteries. But mounting evidence suggests moderate coffee drinking may help reduce the risks of these cancers: Basal Cell Carcinoma (the most common form of skin cancer) Colorectal Cancer Prostate Cancer Kidney Cancer Liver Cancer Oral Cancer What's in coffee that prevents … More
Today’s Recipe
Nutella Truffles
Bite into one of these truffles and what a surprise – a caramelised hazelnut in the centre! Makes 15 truffles Preparation: 20 min. Cooking: 5 min. Chilling: 30 min. 30 g (2 tbsp) caster/superfine sugar 15 whole hazelnuts 50 g (2 oz) plain chocolate 150 g (1/2 cup) Nutella 2 tbsp single/light cream 30 g (1 oz) hazelnuts, toasted and chopped 1. In a … More
Tea
Sparkling Moroccan Mint Tea
For Sparkling Moroccan Mint Tea, just add carbonated water (see below). I've made this with green, black, and flavored teas, and all are good. So pick your favorite tea as a base, then embellish from there. For stronger flavor, increase the loose tea to 3 tablespoons. Moroccan Mint Tea Syrup By Kate Heyhoe Makes about 1-1/3 cups 3/4 cup sugar (5.5 oz/157g) 1/4 cup turbinado sugar (2 … More
Caffeine Basics
Caffeine: Are You Addicted?
If you consume caffeine every day, in a regular fashion, you've either got a habit or are addicted – pick the term you prefer. Experts quibble over whether to call caffeine addictive or just habit-forming. The difference is somewhat a matter of semantics, but not entirely. An addiction suggests self-destructive behavior, one that poses a threat to individuals or society, as in a heroin or cocaine addiction. For most of us, caffeine doesn't match that type of downward spiral. Caffeine's … More
Focus
Why We Love Caffeine
People Love Caffeine, But Why? Japanese pachinko machines work like regular pinball machines, except instead of playing one large steel ball at a time, they shoot off dozens of smaller balls, clattering loudly through the playing field, bouncing, racing and ricocheting into obstacles, bumpers and rabbit holes. Lights flash, whistles blow, bells ding, all the while the balls are in play. Until they gradually exit the playing space and everything stops. Kind of like your body on … More
Caffeine Effects
Cheating Death: Do Coffee Drinkers Live Longer?
Death is inevitable, but a major study shows... "Coffee drinkers have a lower risk of death." I read this twice and still wondered: What exactly does this mean? "Older adults who drank coffee, both caffeinated or decaffeinated, had a lower risk of death overall than people who did not drink coffee," says a study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI, a division of the National Institutes of Health) and AARP. Coffee drinkers aren't immortal – and they didn't necessarily live … More