HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Caffeine May Prevent Against Parkinson's disease

The study led by Dr. Ross at the Vet. Administration Medical Center in Honolulu found that men who didn't drink coffee were five times more likely to develop Parkinson's than those who drink 4-5 cups a day. Research suggests benefits are likely due to caffeine and may protect against nerve cell destruction.

Happy Holidays!
The Rooster's Ever Expanding Web Site

Just like my clutch... my web page keeps growing. Check out The History of Kona Coffee by Mike Craig on my stories page. New recipe on my brew page. My updated and expanded links page: Your connection to Hawaiian Styles Jewelry, Arthur Schwartz - The Food Maven, Glenna Farms Pure Maple syrup and The Organic Wine Company. Then be sure to check out our new guest book with a letter of thanks from Bob Hope.

Macadamia Nuts:
The Good for You Nut!

An article in our West Hawaii Today, written by Paula Helfric "...Recent scientific research on macadamia nut nutrition has dispelled the notion of macadamia nuts as a high-fat product. Research shows that adding macadamia nuts or macadamia nut oil to the diet can actually lower total blood cholesterol, and most importantly, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Macadamia nuts and cooking oil are 80 percent monounsaturated fats, 6 percentage points higher than ---and thus, more healthy than-- olive oil."

Mele Kalikimaka

This year The Roosters' Holiday special is... 1 - 3 cup (1mug) French press stuffed with our delicious dark roast coffee beans. Gift card and shipping to your recipient is included... $19.95 (A printable order form is available through our web site). Click here for special printable Holiday Order Form!

Coffee Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Fraud

The owner of a Berkeley Coffee Company who allegedly sold more than $5million worth of cheap beans falsely labeled as ``Pure Kona Coffee'' pleaded guilty in July to wire fraud and tax evasion.

Michael Norton, owner of Kona Kai Coffee, was charged in a scheme in which prosecutors said he defrauded consumers who thought they were buying authentic Kona coffee from Hawaii - when it really came from Central America.

From 1993 to 1996, Norton bought 3.6 million pounds of Central American coffee, sorted it to size and rebagged it as ``Pure Kona Coffee,'' authorities said. In 1995 and 1996, Norton diverted about $1.3 million of his fraudulent coffee-sale proceeds to a personal Swiss bank account, prosecutors allege, and failed to report the proceeds on his 1995 income-tax return.

Ask Chef Ney -
Is Buying Organic Foods Worth the Money?

The lowdown on organic food. Yes, organic food is better -- and better for you. In addition, organic growing practices are better for the earth and the people who grow your food. If you suspect you are going to get less chemicals and more good food on your plate with organically grown fruits and vegetables, you're absolutely right. But it goes deeper than that. Down deep in the soil, where plant roots absorb nutrients from the dirt, organic soil is alive with beneficial microorganisms. This teeming underground life is what counts nutritionally; it's what nourishes the plant and, therefore, the fruit or vegetable that ends up on your plate. These nutrients are the beneficial components of foods that keep you healthy and vibrant. Chemically farmed ground is just dead dirt with chemicals flowing through it to the plant roots; a mechanism for growing plants using "intravenous" feeding techniques. Consequently, nourishment of the plant is superficial. In fact, the chemicals used barely keep the plants alive. Essentially, chemical fertilizers and pesticides kill the soil in the long-term. There are other, larger, environmental considerations of using organic products. First, an organically farmed field is as close to nature as agriculture can get. Soil that is alive is healthy soil. Healthy soil drains rainwater and snow melt more easily. It also stays put in the field, where it belongs. Dead, spent topsoil erodes and runs off with the slightest downpour, often ending up in a silt dam hundreds of miles downstream from its growing field. This dead dirt does no one any good, least of all the earth and future generations. Moreover, if a farmer's field is natural, it provides a safe living environment for the farmer's family and neighbors. Finally, organic food is better because it is a product of a more labor-intensive way of growing food. Organic growers care for the health of other people and the health of the earth. They toil harder because they are proud of their work and the great-tasting organic food they produce. To me, the pride makes the difference: Not only is this food safe, it is of a better quality because the grower, the shipper and the retailer treat it with a good dose of tender loving care.