There is nothing more New York than a coffee. From tall latte’s to cold brew and everything in between, it all screams NY and for most New Yorkers, is like daily fuel.
In my line of work for example grabbing a coffee with a fellow diplomat is the most everyday thing and usually is a ruse to get the scoop on something, get to know someone or most importantly, get away from a very dull meeting!
After a couple of coffee dates I realized that my body could not keep up with NY coffee consumption levels… it literally felt like I was jump starting my body with a coffee jumper cable several times a day… I was shot and ready to find another vice (lol).
So I moved on and reserved that extra strong coffee for really rough weeks… like the High – level week of the UN General Assembly.
On a daily basis however, I live for a honey lemon ginger tea… just the right amount of vitamin C and ginger to make me feel like a fitness guru who’s in touch with the right parts of the universe. After being forced to stay home because of the pandemic, I had serious withdrawal and I got to work re-engineering the recipe, which as it turns out is pretty basic:
All you need is some tea of your choice (I personally prefer Rooibos tea or a green tea), some lemon juice, lemon slices, chopped ginger, honey and boiling water. Throw all the ingredients into your mug or carafe, add the boiling water, let it steep and voila! Honey – lemon – ginger tea! In the summer time, I let it cool down or add some ice and it becomes iced honey-lemon-ginger tea.
On my more indulgent days, and I mean really indulgent, I go to Starbucks! Yes sue me! I’m no gourmet coffee aficionado and I will not apologize for my Starbucks loving palette! But darling, a Caramel Frappuccino from Starbucks? With whipped cream? Oh it’s delicious! In an effort to keep it healthy I switched from the Venti to the Grande (wink wink) and I reserve the whipped creme for special occasions.
And on days where I am feeling very extra, and I mean E-X-T-R-A, I get a rose latte. Caffeine free and pretty to look at, it’s like the unicorn of hot beverages and I am obsessed! Rose water which is the base of this drink supposedly has lots of health benefits, but I don’t drink it for my health (or my wallet)’s benefit…I drink it because it is so so good. I discovered it when I came across one of the prettiest coffee shops near my office, Remi Flower and Coffee (yes, a flower shop and coffee shop in one visually appealing space!) and maybe it was all the flowers surrounding me but when I saw it on the menu, I couldn’t resist.
