Starting out with a tough one.

Recipe 1 - Beverages - The Perfect Cup of Coffee

Usually when I brew coffee, I'm bleary eyed, unhappy to be awake, and even more unhappy about heading off to work, which is where I'm usually headed. All this sleepiness and unhappiness doesn't provide a lot of motivation for measuring, a key ingredient to the perfect cup of coffee. In fact, I tend to pour some water into the coffee maker until it looks right, in other words how many cups I'll need to make it through the day in a coherent manner. The next step is to pour ground coffee into the filter until it also looks right. According to the trusty Guide, though, this is not the way to end up with a consistent and tasty cuppa joe.

And it's true, sometimes it doesn't end up tasty. Sometimes, it ends up so thick that I have to chew and other times it ends up so thin it doesn't do the job. Yet, on special mornings, the planets align and my guesstimation results in the perfect blend, which is all the more meaningful because it occurs as if by chance and as a result of my wherewithal. Those are the days that I know will be great.

This morning, though, I measured. I gave away my daily magic eight ball out of dedication to this project. For those also new to this whole measuring thing, the ideal ratio is 1 tablespoon ground coffee per 6 oz. water. A perfect and consistent brew every time. Maybe overrated, maybe less interesting than rolling the dice, but tasty reliability nonetheless.