Copper for your thoughts?
I love copper!
It is such a versatile metal and incredibly helpful in so many respects. In fact, I have been incorporating it into my designs for years, but the uptick in popularity has made me realize that not many understand why this metal is so useful. So, I have for you the top three things I love about copper. Read until the end and I'll even include my favorite recipe for an infused whipped cream!
1. It's antibacterial!
Our nation has been obsessed with all things antibacterial for the past few decades, but as often happens, they overlooked the obvious. There are ways to keep your home healthy without going overboard with harsh chemicals. According to an article from the American Society for Microbiology, "Bacteria, yeasts, and viruses are rapidly killed on metallic copper surfaces, and the term 'contact killing' has been coined for this process." This ability makes copper sinks perfect for areas known to have a high rate of bacteria, like the kitchen and bathroom (or basically anywhere you'd actually want a sink). So just remember, while we know more than our ancestors, we don't necessarily know better. Your parents are often smarter than you think. If you want to find out more about this phenomenon, you can find the article here.
2. It's even tempered!
This sounds like a joke, but it is well known among culinary experts that copper allows you
the greatest control over heat. Copper is a great conductor, translating into even temperatures when using copper cookware. It not only heats up quickly, but it also cools quickly, so you don't have to worry about the food continuing to cook when taken from the heat. If you really think about it, it makes sense. Copper is essential to wiring because of it's conductivity. Why wouldn't it apply to heat as well? Check out this consumer reports article if you want to read more about the various cookware options.
3. It's always changing!
This may seem like a strange thing to enjoy, but I love how copper changes the more it is used. It reacts to it's surroundings, particularly the people who own and use it. Copper reacts to oxygen and transitions to a blue-green color, referred to as it's patina. Many don't like that idea. That's okay, not everyone has to. To me, copper is a material touched by human hands. It changes and ages with you. It doesn't remain frozen in time and neither do we. I love that connection between the project and it's owner. And, for a metal, copper is terribly organic!
That's not all!
There are so many other interesting facts about copper, but these were the ones that I chose to concentrate on. If you want to read more about my thoughts on the subject, check out this interview I did with Thompson Traders.
And now for the best part! Recipes!
Thanksgiving is coming up, so I decided to give you my favorite whipped cream recipe in the entire world! You can use pretty much any tea for this, but the recipe I use calls for camomile.
Tea Infused Whipped Cream
1 c whipping cream, divided
2 bags of camomile tea
2 Tbs sugar
Take 1/2 c whipping cream and heat it in a saucepan until cream is scalded. Remove from heat. Add tea bags and let steep for 30 minutes. Remove tea bags and chill whipping cream in refrigerator for 1 hr. Combine flavored and unflavored whipping creams in a large, chilled metal bowl (perhaps a copper one?) Add sugar. Beat with chilled whisk until stiff peaks form.
There you go! It's an easy recipe and one that you can change by switching out the tea used. I, personally, enjoy chai whipped cream with chocolate silk pie, but I'll let you make your own decisions about that.
Enjoy!
