Food for Thought: My French Press

 Friday morning welcomes me with the twitter of mockingbirds, the scampering of squirrels, and the wind rustling through the trees. I linger in my tent longer than I would in my bed at home. Although my watch reads 8am, it is really 9 am Eastern standard time. Therefore it is long beyond my normal get-up and go-time, even on weekends. That is one of my camping perks.

  Another perk is the long drawn out breakfast making and eating.  I've backpacked sections of the AT to know that what we are doing here, car camping is a luxury. Backpacking was work all the time althoug it yielded plenty of moments to remember. Lingering at my picnic table, however, with my coffee and newspaper is perfect, made perfect for me with my French press. 

  I didn't know what I was missing in my camping experience until 2004 when several hurricanes ripped thru central Fl. With the power out for miles, there was no coffee to be found. (Yes- in the midst of catastrophe small comforts matter!). I realized then and there that I could rectify that situation and bought a blue speckled enamelware percolator. It seemed obvious and that's what my friend used. 

  The percolator didn't last long on our adventures. It seemed to take too long. I would run out of gas or the coffee would be too weak or the water just boiled away. I never quite mastered it. I thought long about what to try next. My Cuban roommate in college always made espresso on the stove with his tiny pot. I, however, have another coffee drinker to think of so the espresso stovetop was out of the question. Then I remembered the French Press. Boiling water is always accessible and sometimes an important step in camping and catastrophe. Hence an ideal way for me to brew a pot. It requires patience, but butter, bread, eggs, cream, and coffee, my ideal way to start my camping day!