Let Food be Your Medicine
Coffee Granita
Coffee gets a bad rep, but in the last few years even nutritional science has
admitted that in fact, coffee has many health benefits:
Coffee improves various aspects of brain function. This includes memory,
mood, vigilance, energy levels, reaction times and general cognitive function
I should know, because I can’t even speak in the morning until I have had
my little cup of black with a spot of milk!
Coffee helps speed up metabolism and burn fat.
Homeopathic Coffee is a great remedy for, guess what? Insomnia!
Even the fact that coffee is bad for your heart has been contradicted by
recent studies. This doesn’t mean that we can guzzle ten cups a day with
impunity: as always, moderation in all things is a must!
Just a word of caution: instant coffee should really be avoided. This is
because it is usually made from the Robusta variety, which is inferior in
quality to the Arabica variety and contains more caffeine. Caffeine is actually
a defence mechanism of the coffee plant against parasites. Therefore, a
healthy coffee plant has less caffeine and is therefore, healthier for us!
Why am I going on about coffee this month? Because we have had a long
heat wave recently and my granny’s recipe of coffee granita is a great
antidote to heat and drowsiness that comes with too much sun! My granny
used to make it all the time during the summer months and it’s so easy! All
you need is:
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freshly made coffee from a moka stove pot or caffetiere
a bit of sugar (optional)
a shallow tray
Make the coffee, add the sugar while
still hot, then pour in the tray and leave
until cool, then put the whole thing in
the freezer. Before it’s frozen solid,
remember to break it up with a fork, so
you get the “slush” consistency.
Once it’s ready to serve, pour into a
glass or cup and the best way to serve it is with a lot of whipped cream!
Believe it or not, in Sicily they have this for breakfast, with a fresh brioche!
Oh, this takes me back…But in a hot afternoon, when you are feeling to hot
and sleepy to do anything, a coffee granita is the kick you need to revive
yourself!
Giovanna Franklin
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