Coffee by Claudia Roden
Coffee is a fleeting moment and a fragrance.
1989, in a Didsbury back street treasure trove book store, I saw this little book called "Coffee" by Claudia Roden. It was hard to resist, full of the history of coffee, anecdotes and tips on storing, roasting, brewing. Her description of the flavor of different coffees is surprisingly accurate; there are also recipes for coffee-flavoured desserts and little "to be served with the demitasse" sweets like apricot balls stuffed with pistachios. Irrestible!
The Coffee Trader by David Liss
Hannah offered him a smile, slight and sweet. may the Holy One, blessed be he, forgive me for unleashing coffee upon mankind, he thought. This drink will turn the world upside down.
Set in Amsterdam in 1659, this, for me, was a surprisingly good suspense thriller. The story of a fallen merchant, a poor, but crafty Portuguese Jewish merchant. Subterfuge, danger, repressed longings, mingle with with hidden agendas, friendship, betrayal, all at the time when coffee was a new commodity. What amazed me was the similarity to the modern stock exchanges.
The Food of Love by Anthony Capella
They had agreed to meet at Gennaro’s before setting off. This was partly because it was necessary to fortify themselves for the trip with several coffees and a croissant or two, but also because Gennaro had removed the fuel pump from the old van’s engine to see if it would improve the performance of his Gaggia, and they had to wait while it was returned to the vehicle.
I've read this on holiday and twice since. Rome, Italian men, seduction, love, la dolce vita, food and comedy. This is a ‘Cyrano’ story with food instead of poetry, and so delicious it is that you can taste it. Running alongside all this is the tale of Gennaro, the barista, who is determined to make the best cup of coffee in Rome no matter what. Truly mouth watering!
The various flavours of coffee by Anthony Capella
And when Fikre dares to slip Wallis a single coffee bean, everything he thought he knew – about coffee, about love, about himself – starts to unravel…..
Set in the late-Victorian era, this story of a dandy who gets sent to Africa to start a coffee plantation, the (suffragette) girl he fell for , her father who sent him packing, tells about the arrival of coffee in London, the travels and leanings whilst in Africa. Throw in some amazing descriptions of coffee from all over the world, some sex, and sex and coffee together. A great read.
