Turkish Coffee - Legal Drama.

[Mister Moo]

Drama is now forbidden in some parts of the country, but no such rule in Turkish Coffee zones. The stuff is just to die for, easy to make and... jeepers, it's good.

If you do not have a killer grinder then you have to go to a coffeeshop and buy some freshroasted anything and ask them to grind it for turkish. It oughta have a fineness like talcum powder. If you're not already a turkish coffee lover then you soon will be but, be safe - just have 1/4 pound ground this way for a trial run. No point in having a sawbucks worth of coffee ground fine and discover turkish isn't for you or, worse, it sits around and goes stale between brews.

Ibrik (or cerve) is nice but not essential - any smallish pot will do.

Add a demitasse of water (3 ounces, maybe) and a teaspoon of sugar to the pot for each cup you want to make. Boil the water and sugar.

Remove from heat and add one teaspoon of coffee for each cup. Some cardamon, 1/8t per cup (a pinch) of the ground stuff from the spice cabinet is, is an option. To my taste cardamon makes the coffee "turkish" and I prefer "with". Stir it all up.

Reboil slowly - allow at least five minutes but don't be scared to slow-heat for 10-15 minutes. As the mess boils it will foam up (quickly!) so watch it to prevent a fullish pot from bubbling over. Remove from heat as it foams and let the mess settle down; some reboil quickly to make foam again and some don't. Whatever. Either way, add some foam to each cup with a spoon (the foam is the reason for making turkish coffee according to the passionate) and then top up with the brew. Grounds will settle in the cups after a few minutes. Sip to almost the bottom. The sludge will warn you when it's time to quit but it isn't hardly yuckkie if you get a mouthful (which is hard to do with a demitasse).

Flavor is really spectacular - the stuff is a treat but it's easy - no trick - to brew. Order it after shish-kebob along with your baklava at any middle-eastern restaurant or brew your own. Prepackaged turkish grind from specialty stores is good to use; some of it comes pre-cardomon'ed, too.