The New Complete Coffee Book: A Gourmet Guide to Buying, Brewing, and Cooking
I am almost done with the book I have been reading for the past week so I thought it was time to search for some new interesting reads. I ran across this book on Google Book Search (as usual – I just love this Book Search!) and from what I have read in the preview, it looks like a good buy.
The book is quite short – a little over a hundred pages – and has 5 main chapters (introduction not included). The chapters are:
History
The Bean
The Roast
The Brew
Recipes
I think that The New Complete Coffee Book: A Gourmet Guide to Buying, Brewing, and Cooking would be perfect for your coffee table – something to browse through on a lazy Sunday morning as you sip your cup of joe while watching TV or whatever else it is that you do on lazy Sunday mornings. There is a lot of information on coffee within the pages of the book and you can get a lot of ideas for unique meals using coffee.
On the other hand, I felt that something was lacking. Sorely missing were the most basic of information, like, how to make cappuccino, latter, and the like. I know, perhaps the authors purposely left information out in order to focus on the more advanced aspects of coffee but it would have been nice to have it in the book as well.
Anyhow, I am still thinking of whether or not to buy the book – we’ll see this weekend.
The Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony
We’re all familiar with the English tea ceremony but have you heard of the Ethiopian coffee ceremony? You probably already know that Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. Naturally, they have some sort of ceremony to celebrate the wonders of this brew.
The Ethiopian coffee ceremony is part of their culture. In fact, whenever they entertain visitors, the ceremony is required. So how does it go?
Emily Doyle explains the ceremony:
The ceremony is usually conducted by one young woman, dressed in the traditional Ethiopian costume of a white dress with coloured woven borders. The long involved process starts with the ceremonial apparatus being arranged upon a bed of long scented grasses. The roasting of the coffee beans is done in a flat pan over a tiny charcoal stove, the pungent smell mingling with the heady scent of incense that is always burned during the ceremony. The lady who is conducting the ceremony gently washes a handful of coffee beans on the heated pan, then stirs and shakes the husks away.
When the coffee beans have turned black and shining and the aromatic oil is coaxed out of them, they are ground by a pestle and a long handled mortar. The ground coffee is slowly stirred into the black clay coffee pot locally known as ‘jebena’, which is round at the bottom with a straw lid. Due to the archaic method used by Ethiopians, the ground result can be called anything but even, so the coffee is strained through a fine sieve several times.
The youngest child is then sent out to announce when it is to be served and stands ready to bring a cup of coffee first to the eldest in the room and then to the others, connecting all the generations. The lady finally serves the coffee in tiny china cups to her family, friends and neighbours who have waited and watched the procedure for the past half-hour.
I have never experienced such a ceremony but just the thought of being part of one makes me want to go to Ethiopia.
Book Review: The Joy Of Coffee
How does one even begin to describe the joys associated with this bean, this brew? I honestly don’t know! Perhaps the best way would to be go ahead and concoct your own brew and share it with friends as you lounge around on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Or maybe, you can get this book by Corby Kummer and give it as a gift!
The Joy Of Coffee: The Essential Guide to Buying, Brewing, and Enjoying has been around for quite some time now. It has been recently updated and revised, though, to keep up with the changing landscape of the world of coffee. This book is an easy read with roundabouts 300 pages. From the growing of the beans to buying to roasting, storing, and brewing – all of these things are presented by Kummer.
I like how Kummer pays attention to the minutest details in his book as he recounts his experiences over the past several decades. I think it is his unique and authentic experience and knowledge that gives his book an edge over the countless other printed materials on coffee available in the market today. In the book, Kummer also shares tons of recipes which the average person – like you and me – can try out at home. For me, that is one of the best aspects of The Joy of Coffee.
So what are you waiting for? You can get a copy on Amazon for only about $10. Alternatively, if you want a preview before getting your own copy, you can check out Google Book Search.
Fight Dementia With Coffee
Coffee is good for you - why can’t people seem to get that? Though coffee does have its adverse effects, it does have good benefits! Yeah, I am biased, but this new research adds more proof to the concept that coffee can be good for the health.
According to research carried out by scientists from the North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, a coffee a day keeps dementia away. The findings of the research were published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation and showed that daily doses of caffeine prevents the destructive effects of high cholesterol levels, which have been linked to occurrences of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form.
The scientists used rabbits in their study and gave the little critters 3 mg of caffeine daily. This is roundabouts a cup of coffee. The rabbits were also given a very rich cholesterol diet during the course of the study. The indicator used was the blood brain barrier – which was more significantly intact in the rabbits that were dosed with caffeine.
According to the report published by the Press Assocation:
Jonathan Geiger, of the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, said: “For the first time we have shown that chronic ingestion of caffeine protects the blood brain barrier from cholesterol-induced leakage.”
He added: “Caffeine is a safe and readily available drug and its ability to stabilise the blood-brain barrier means it could have an important part to play in therapies against neurological disorders.”
The research confirms earlier studies showing that caffeine intake protects against memory loss in ageing and in Alzheimer’s disease.
I have always thought that coffee was good for my sanity – and I was right all along!
Coffee Fest in Washington DC
Here’s a piece of news for (professional) coffee lovers out there. I discovered this through Chris O’Brien’s blog, Bean Activist.
From February 15 to February 17, the Washington DC Coffee Fest will be held in the Convention Center. Mind you, before you get too excited, Chris was quick to point out that the event is targeted towards “coffee professionals and not just casual coffee drinkers.” Hmm, I don’t think I can qualify.
Still, there are quite a lot of free informational classes that I think would be interesting – at least from a professional’s point of view. You never know, you just might want to open a coffee shop of your own! Tickets come at $30 a piece and will entitle you to enter the trade show premises wherein you will find a hundred exhibits featuring all sorts of tea and coffee – even hot chocolate! Of course, as it’s a trade show, you’ll find a lot of commercial machinery and supplies as well as trade magazines.
From the Coffee Fest web site itself:
Coffee Fest is dedicated to the growth and proliferation of the specialty coffee, gourmet tea and alternative beverage industries. With a strong emphasis on independent retail, Coffee Fest features a complete industry wide trade show, invaluable educational programming, Free-Pour Latte Art Competition, New Product Showcase, Opening Night Reception, incredible Special Attractions and tremendous Networking Opportunities.
I think the competition alone would be worth a visit. Shall we go?
Gourmet Coffee Secrets: Soil and Altitude
Gourmet coffee beans originate from proper care and selection in the harvesting process. The secret behind their fine quality manufacturing lies heavily in their environmental surroundings. It has been proven that the processing of such fine coffee beans owe it a lot towards where it comes from, that of which is usually in the slopes of volcanic mountains that offer high elevation and fertile and rich soil.
The high elevations is good for coffee beans since it offers a more moist surrounding coming from the cloudy attributes that the atmosphere provides at such elevated levels. This also minimized the need for excessive sunlight rays that may ruin the quality of the coffee beans if they are not placed in the right amount of temperature.
The fertile soil where coffee beans are laid comes from the hot lave that are emitted from the earth�s core, full of nutrients from centuries before being brought to the surface. If there is one thing that should be taken into consideration, it is the fact that quality does have a price. In this case, having to harvest them from steep slopes of volcanic structures is a hard effort on the part of the people who would have to farm them out of their locations.
Technorati Tags: gourmet, coffee, blends, brewed coffee
Preserving the Quality of Coffee Beans
The quality of coffee beans depends on how people would store them and be sensitive to the various forces that would allow it to lose its fine quality after harvesting. A good thing to note is that exposing these beans to open air contributes to losing its actual quality. This is why it has been a practice to keep coffee in tightly sealed containers so that people can consume them at any time they would wish.
Storing them as well in cold temperatures, help retain its level of freshness. Freezing them is a good practice especially for coffee beans that are not immediately consumed and are meant for storing. This allows people to consume them at any time they wish wherever they are.
It should also be good to note not to place them beside aromatic food such as garlic and onions. Coffee beans absorb odors and once placed beside high aromatic elements, chances are that the coffee beans would solicit their smell.
Technorati Tags: coffee, storage, aroma, quality
Coffee at the Right Time
Drowsy eyes, tired minds and fatigued body are normal for people who work their butt off trying to finish the never ending duties and responsibilities that they should finish to meet deadlines and such. Sleep is something that will naturally suffer but the recourse to stay awake always points to the good old fashioned coffee to keep the eyes open but the mind slowly sinking fast.
Coffee has earned this distinction, a lot of which has to do with the caffeine that they contain that stimulates the body in keeping it awake. Most doctors would say that excessive intake of caffeine is bad for the body since it affects the blood stream and is really a form of abusing the body in its regular working clock.
But in these times, such has been a choice. Either to sleep and be content or work until you can to be able to maintain their level of proficiency. Some would call it unfair but looking at todays people, such has been a common picture of people wanting to save their name in the face of efficiency and reliability.
Technorati Tags: coffee, caffeine, brews, work, overtime
Coffee Vending Machines: Mixing Technology and Coffee Cups
For employees or people always outside and on the go, the urge to drink coffee without having to wait will be something to think about. Time to prepare, the proper mixture and speed at which they can be gotten are the immediate things that come into a persons mind.
Coffee vending machines have tried to answer this call. With the proper tweaking and right amount of supplies to stir, these machines are available in most offices or public places for people to be able to get coffee instantly. The exchange is done through bills and quarters, an innovation that arouses the curiosity of people who become flabbergasted and amazed at such machines anywhere.
But of course, with innovation comes some sacrifice in terms of quality preparation. It should be remembered that quality coffee is prepared with time constraints and rushing it would diminish the quality of the preferred beverage. In the same way, vending machines can prepare the said concoction but do not expect the quality to meet the usual standards that quality coffee brews often carry with it.
Technorati Tags: vending machines, instant coffee, quality brew
Choosing Between Espresso and Infused Coffee Brewing
For the coffee veterans, the manner of preparation of their brewed coffee means a lot. Brewed coffee is entirely different compared to the usual concoction that people consume from the manufactured coffee powder anyone can buy in the nearby stores and supermarkets. Espresso and infusion of quality roasted coffee beans offers a more delightful experience for the top tasting coffee that every coffee addict is looking for.
The beauty of espresso is that aside from it regular preparation, it can be combined with other drink such as latte and cappuccino. Espresso preparation pressures the heated water through the coffee grounds and producing the said espresso brewed coffee drink.
Infusion is where the coffee grounds are saturated with fine water to produce the soluble flavors that brewed coffee preparation has today. Infusion caters more to the standard manner of preparation where coffee maker machines are used to produce the quality coffee drink in most homes and some establishments as demanded by the avid coffee drinker today.
Technorati Tags: espresso, infusion, coffee, coffee preparation
