Decaf

Decaffeinated coffee was always the stuff that garnered sneers from aficionados, but decaf drinkers now can feel vindicated, because a rich, flavorful - even exciting - cup of decaf is realizable. "People are regularly astounded," says Peter Giuliano, director of coffee for Durham, N.C.-based Counter Culture Coffee and board member of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, who conducts weekly consumer tastings and often includes decaf. "They always say, `I can't believe that it's decaf.

I have a yoga class scheduled for my one free weekday morning, and yet I always find myself rushing out the door at the last minute with my coat unbuttoned and my shoelaces untied in order to get there on time. This is obviously antithetical to the yoga experience, and precisely why I need to take yoga. But because it is my one free day, I tend to linger over my coffee a bit longer in the morning. Then I might phone my parents in Florida, dash off an overdue thank-you note or break down some Costco boxes for recycling.

What it is -- A new ultra-dark brew from Caribou Coffee What we like about it --Obsidian impressed us with its robustness as well as its smooth finish. Have to bypass caffeine? We also enjoyed the pure flavor of Caribou's decaf feinated varieties, which are all processed with a chemical-free water system. What it costs --$13 per pound Where to buy --Available at Caribou outlets and at cari boucoffee.com

It seems like no matter what the original topic on my blog at Dining@Large, sooner or later the readers commenting get back to the same things they want to talk about. Here are the 10 topics we've dissected, examined, rehashed and argued over more times than I can count: 1 Children misbehaving in restaurants 2 Whose fault poor service is - the restaurant's or the customer's 3 Which restaurant has the best crab cakes. Why they are terrible because they are made with alien crab meat 4 Everything tastes better in New York (bagels, reubens, pizza, etc.)

Most people aren't concerned about the caffeine in their coffee. At least that's what callers to The Evening Sun's survey on SUNDIAL believe. A major new study published yesterday concluded that caffeinated coffee is almost certainly harmless to your heart, although decaf may be another story.Our "It's Your Call" question yesterday asked readers four questions about their coffee-drinking habits. Most callers (212) said they drink coffee; 57 said they don't. One hundred-seventy-nine callers said they drink caffeinated coffee; 96 said they don't.

It seems like no matter what the original topic on my blog at Dining@Large, sooner or later the readers commenting get back to the same things they want to talk about. Here are the 10 topics we've dissected, examined, rehashed and argued over more times than I can count: 1 Children misbehaving in restaurants 2 Whose fault poor service is - the restaurant's or the customer's 3 Which restaurant has the best crab cakes. Why they are terrible because they are made with alien crab meat 4 Everything tastes better in New York (bagels, reubens, pizza, etc.)

Because I have sensitive breasts, my doctor has advised me to take vitamin E (400 IU) daily and to switch to decaffeinated coffee. I have started buying naturally decaffeinated coffee, but I can't find out what type of beans it contains.I've heard decaf coffee is supposed to be bad for you because of the stronger Robusta beans used to make it. Is this true? Should I stop drinking it?Any connection between caffeine and lumpy, painful breasts remains controversial because studies have been inconclusive.

Summertime is picnic time, but what to put in the basket? Eddie's of Roland Park owner Nancy Cohen suggests cold soup, Salad Nicoise and sun-dried capellini with sun-dried tomatoes. Toss in some crab cakes and lemonade, and there you have it, a perfect meal for al fresco dining. Cohen, a 50-something mother of four -- including Michael, 22, who has just started working in the family business -- lives in Pikesville with her husband, Randy. Lastly, she says don't forget the yellow cake with chocolate fudge icing -- it's Cohen's favorite.

Unhealthy press coverageSensational stories seem to be newspaper editors' favorites when it comes to reporting health news. This is confirmed in a study by Gideon Koren, of the Ontario Ministry of Health, and his colleague Naomi Klein. They looked at how newspapers covered two back-to-back stories published in the March 20, 1991, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). One of the reports showed that radiation exposure causes higher cancer rates; the other showed no radiation effect on cancer risk.

DREAM TEAM UPDATE -- USA edges Puerto Rico 345-19 despite controversial last-minute tactic of opposing coach, who called out to referees "next basket wins, OK?"Future Hoodlums of America (FHA) inductee Charles Barkley involved in shoving match with P.R. forward Luiz Gomez, accusing Gomez, an asthmatic, of "breathing funny."LOOK ALIKES -- Lena Horne-Carl Lewis, Larry Bird-Frank Perdue, Mary Lou Retton-Ernie from "Sesame Street."BAD LUCK -- USA's Scott Maslett disqualified from table tennis finals after ball hit lit Marlboro he had left on edge of table between points.

Is it too late to bring back the old days? I ask because there was a time when people celebrated the holidays with full-throttle eating and drinking. Now booze is a no-no and everyone seems to have a food issue of some sort, making holiday entertaining about as much fun as cocktails with Rod and Patti Blagojevich. This year, for example, we're having a dozen family members over for Christmas dinner. Here is a partial list of the "concerns" that have been made known to us: One person is on a low-sodium diet.

Summertime is picnic time, but what to put in the basket? Eddie's of Roland Park owner Nancy Cohen suggests cold soup, Salad Nicoise and sun-dried capellini with sun-dried tomatoes. Toss in some crab cakes and lemonade, and there you have it, a perfect meal for al fresco dining. Cohen, a 50-something mother of four -- including Michael, 22, who has just started working in the family business -- lives in Pikesville with her husband, Randy. Lastly, she says don't forget the yellow cake with chocolate fudge icing -- it's Cohen's favorite.

Decaffeinated coffee was always the stuff that garnered sneers from aficionados, but decaf drinkers now can feel vindicated, because a rich, flavorful - even exciting - cup of decaf is realizable. "People are regularly astounded," says Peter Giuliano, director of coffee for Durham, N.C.-based Counter Culture Coffee and board member of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, who conducts weekly consumer tastings and often includes decaf. "They always say, `I can't believe that it's decaf.

What it is -- A new ultra-dark brew from Caribou Coffee What we like about it --Obsidian impressed us with its robustness as well as its smooth finish. Have to bypass caffeine? We also enjoyed the pure flavor of Caribou's decaf feinated varieties, which are all processed with a chemical-free water system. What it costs --$13 per pound Where to buy --Available at Caribou outlets and at cari boucoffee.com

Does that cup of decaffeinated coffee give you a jolt? It may, because almost all decaf coffee contains some caffeine, a new University of Florida study shows. The results could have implications for people told to avoid caffeine because of certain medical conditions such as high blood pressure, kidney disease or anxiety disorders, according to the study reported in this month's Journal of Analytical Toxicology. "If someone drinks five to 10 cups of decaffeinated coffee a day, the dose of caffeine could easily reach the level in a cup or two of caffeinated coffee," said co-author Dr. Bruce Goldberger.

Here's something to go with your morning cup of joe: A new, 11-year study has found yet another potential benefit for coffee. Researchers said this week that women who drank six or more cups of decaffeinated coffee a day were 33 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, a disease that affects more than 18 million Americans. But while the findings sound encouraging for avid coffee drinkers, the American Diabetes Association is warning against reading too much into the data. "I think it's intriguing and it suggests [that]

Is it too late to bring back the old days? I ask because there was a time when people celebrated the holidays with full-throttle eating and drinking. Now booze is a no-no and everyone seems to have a food issue of some sort, making holiday entertaining about as much fun as cocktails with Rod and Patti Blagojevich. This year, for example, we're having a dozen family members over for Christmas dinner. Here is a partial list of the "concerns" that have been made known to us: One person is on a low-sodium diet.

I have a yoga class scheduled for my one free weekday morning, and yet I always find myself rushing out the door at the last minute with my coat unbuttoned and my shoelaces untied in order to get there on time. This is obviously antithetical to the yoga experience, and precisely why I need to take yoga. But because it is my one free day, I tend to linger over my coffee a bit longer in the morning. Then I might phone my parents in Florida, dash off an overdue thank-you note or break down some Costco boxes for recycling.

A meal at the new tea room in Ellicott City, Tea on the Tiber, can be a lovely experience, as long as you follow the rules. The small space, on the ground floor of an interior decorating shop in the historic downtown, is charming, from the crackling fireplace in the front hall to the deep eggplant walls and elaborate china place settings on highly polished wood tables. Classical music plays, and servers drift about in black dresses with white ruffled pinafores. But patrons who think they can just wander in for a meal will be disappointed.