Coffee may become the next health food craze. Some articles touting the antioxidants in coffee put it up there with green tea, whole grains and cruciferous vegetables. But, a recent article in the Wall Street Journal notes, “While there has been a splash of positive news about coffee lately, there may still be grounds for concern.”

Coffee contains traces of hundreds of substances, including potassium, magnesium and vitamin E, as well as chlorogenic acids that are thought to have antioxidant properties. These may protect against cell damage and inflammation that can be precursors to cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders and cardiovascular disease.

Have another espresso—it may be
good for you. Photo courtesy SXC.

COFFEE IS GOOD FOR YOU

• Osteoporosis: Caffeine lowers bone density, but adding milk can balance out the risk.
• Alzheimer’s: Moderate coffee drinking appears to be protective.
• Cancer: Earlier studies implicating coffee in causing cancer have been disproven; it may instead lower the risk of colon, mouth, throat and other cancers.
• Diabetes: Many studies find that coffee—decaf or regular—lowers the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes; however, caffeine raises blood sugar in people who already have diabetes.
• Heart disease: Long-term coffee drinking does not appear to raise the risk and may provide some protection.
• Mood: Moderate caffeine boosts energy and cuts depression, but excess amounts can cause anxiety. 

  And more good news: Coffee is ubiquitous, affordable, calorie-free and beloved by many. Some 54% of American adults drink coffee regularly—an estimated 400 million cups per day.

  COFFEE IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU

   

   

• Cholesterol: Some coffee—especially decaf—raises LDL, the bad kind of cholesterol.
• Pregnancy: Caffeine intake may increase the risk of miscarriage and low birth-weight babies.
• Sleep: Effects are highly variable, but avoiding coffee after 3PM can avert insomnia.
• Hypertension: Caffeine raises blood pressure, so sufferers should be wary.More bad news: Coffee can aggravate anxiety, irritability, heartburn and sleeplessness; caffeine has also been linked to benign breast lumps and bone loss in elderly women.

  So, coffee may or may not be your personal “health food.” But if you don’t fall into any of the risk groups, enjoy that double espresso.

   

Roquefort mustard Laurent du Clos is one
of our passions.

Flavored mustards can transform a dish, adding almost no calories but intense notes of tarragon, basil, Roquefort or lemon to your sandwich, vinaigrette, potato salad or charcuterie. Or create a delicious crust on chicken, fish, beef, lamb or pork.

Think of classic Dijon as “plain vanilla” and start to expand your mustard horizons. We love the Laurent du Clos line of French mustards, and the Anton Kozlik line from Canada is a truly eye-opening experience as to the heights mustard can ascend.

The alarming trend we’ve been noticing lately, though, is that some fancy flavors include sugar. (We’ve tasted them—sugar mustard is yuck!) We don’t even have to mention (but we will) that this adds calories—45 calories a teaspoon instead of 5 calories, not to mention more hidden sugar in our diet.

Check the label: Unless it’s a honey mustard, a fruit mustard or a mustard dip/sauce, shun the sugar.

• Find reviews of our favorite mustards.

1. Cardamom. Intensely aromatic with a strong flavor, cardamom will find a home in more than just ethnic fare. Cosmic Chocolate recently launched a chocolate bar flavored with cardamom and oranges. (Hmm…not exactly news to chocolatiers. We’ve been enjoying Donnelly Chocolates’ Five Spice chocolate bar with cardamom—and other chocolatiers—for years. And, along with lots of people, we’ve been baking cookies with cardamom—not exactly “ethnic fare.”)

2. Sweet Potato. Candied, fried, baked or boiled, sweet potatoes are not just a delicious snack or side dish. Mintel predicts that they will become known as the new functional food: rich in dietary fiber, beta carotene and vitamins C and B6. (Is this news? Can we have another bag of North Fork Sweet Potato Chips, please?)

3. Hibiscus. The USDA has said that consuming hibiscus tea can lower blood pressure. In the future, expect to see it become a common ingredient in the beverage market. Premium Essence Water from Hint now offers Hibiscus-Vanilla flavored water. [A couple of beverages, including the OOBA line of hibiscus-flavored sodas, do not a galloping trend make. The real hibiscus is very tart; bottled beverages use a bit of hibiscus and round it out with other red fruit flavors. With the small amount of real hibiscus in any popular drink, it’s best to stick with the teas as a remedy.]

Honeydew-hibiscus unsweetened water
from Hint. Will hibiscus be the next pomegranate?

5. Rose Water. Rose water is no longer just a fragrance. You can look forward to finding it as a common flavor in ethnic foods or, like Ghalia Organic Desserts in Los Angeles discovered, you can add it to your brownie recipe for a subtle rose water flavor. [Not news: rose water is a very popular ingredient in Middle Eastern and Indian foods, and has been adopted by fine pastry chefs and chocolatiers for quite some time.]

6. Latin Flavors. Latin spices will be heating up our palates next year, and you won’t have to dine out to get these exciting flavors. Whole Foods Market now offers a Mayan Ceviche; meanwhile, Icelandic Salsa Shrimp Cocktail features a spice packet loaded with the popular Latin flavor of cilantro. [Hasn’t Latin food been the biggest trend of the decade? Peruvian food—predicted by Mintel a few years back, hasn’t quite made it to the forefront, though.]

We wish you many gustatory adventures in the new year.

Bot Enhanced Water is a great-tasting sweetened water without artificial sweeteners. Photo by Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

Bot water makes it easy for adults and kids who prefer a sweet drink to drink more water. It’s made in family-friendly flavors—grape, berry, orange and lemon—with cartoon mascots to bring out the kid in all of us.

• THE PRIZE: One winner will receive a case of Bot Enhanced Water that includes all four flavors: grape, berry, orange and lemon. Stick ’em in your bag or briefcase and never be without a great-tasting beverage.
• To Enter This Gourmet Giveaway: Go to the box at the bottom of our Natural Soda & Energy Drinks Section and enter your email address for the prize drawing. Approximate retail value: $18.00. This contest closes on Monday, January 11th at noon, Eastern Time. Good luck!

• Learn more about Bot Water. 

Even the heat of cracked red pepper fizzles
as the spice sits on the shelf.
Photo colurtesy SXC.

After jars are opened, ground spices and dried herbs lose their potency—that’s why those jumbo jars are rarely a bargain.

• Buy only what you use regularly. If you rarely use mace, e.g., wait to buy it until you need it for a recipe. Even unopened jars of spices and herbs will degrade on the shelf after a couple of years.
• If exposed to heat or light, they deteriorate even faster. Store your herbs and spices away from the stove and oven, and avoid countertop spice carousels. The spices may look pretty, but the light destroys their potency.
• Whenever you can, buy whole spices and grind them in a spice mill as needed. We use a peppermill, a nutmeg grinder and a multipurpose spice and herb grinder.

Here’s what you need to know about checking the freshness of your spices, courtesy of McCormick.