In talking to some friends and tasting their brew, I’ve learned about a new affordable luxury… roasting coffee beans. As I listened and tasted, it is inspiring enough for me to want to embark upon this journey. With this new found interest I’d like to connect you to some informative sites that offer expert advice on the topic in addition to all that’s needed to become a master roaster. Coffee experts say that coffee is meant to be ground and brewed within three days of roasting. That’s a far cry from the roasting dates I see on packages of whole beans in stores and coffee boutiques. This kind of freshness seems hard to obtain unless you roast your own beans, a much simpler process than you might imagine.
The integrity of green coffee beans can be preserved for two years when stored in cool, dark, dry conditions. That’s a HUGE difference in shelf life compared to top quality, store bought beans! Other bonuses to home roasting are the cost of raw beans and roasting to meet your household's consumption. Unroasted coffee beans cost much less; in fact, they are about half the cost of pre-roasted beans. The home roaster also has the advantage of experimenting with beans that have been picked from around the world. This includes a wide variety of certified fair trade beans. The possibilities of creating personalized roasts are endless. What a unique gift to give to a friend or party host, one that is sure to stir up an interesting topic of conversation!
Coffee roasting units range in price but are a wise investment if you take your coffee seriously. And hey, let’s face it, many of us relish and even depend upon that fist cup to get us going in the morning. Why not make that boost the best cup of coffee it can be? After all, working in today’s hustle and bustle, don’t you deserve the best?
I’ve found that people who roast their own beans speak a language similar to that of a wine connoisseur. They talk about the complexity of a brew’s flavor along with its relationship to the bean’s origin, and the soil and climate they’ve been grown in. Many start to favor certain beans which are described in detail by the seller. One Award Winner, Bella Visa, was given the El Salvador 2007 Cup of Excellence, a very distinguished award among cuppers. The bean is described as having: a bright sweetness with detectable notes of almond, hazelnut, orange and a hint of brown sugar. It is also noted that it has a slight winey note as it cools. See the correlation to that of wine tasting?
A basic roaster is reasonably priced and can be purchased and shipped for under $100.00. A roasting unit consists of a heat element, fan, timer and a chaff filter. The roasting process is short and simple. As the beans roast the water content begins to escape, in turn, causing an audible first crack, similar to that of the pop of popcorn. Then, as the internal temperature of the bean rises, the woody, cellulous matrix of the beans caramelizes which then produces a second crack. When beans are roasted too long however, there is a third crack, which is a bad sign. In short when the beans begin to char, around the time of the third crack, they should be used for nothing more than compost.
Other methods of roasting include H.G.D.B. roasting, the acronym for; heat gun, dog bowl roasting; a very basic but affordable way to process your beans. There are pros and cons to this method so here is a link for your perusal. http://homeroaster.com/heatgun.html
Another somewhat primitive but highly effective and somewhat aerobic method is the skillet or wok roasting which is covered in detail, here at; http://www.sweetmarias.com/skilletmethod.html
Whatever method you choose; I’ll say... for people who usually take cream and/or sugar in their coffee, you might be surprised to find yourself savoring the complex coffee flavors without the addition of anything. To get you started I’ll simply direct you to the expert’s source on coffee roasting which includes a ton of equipment and bean buying options. This is the most popular web based source for home roasters, Sweet Maria’s. http://www.sweetmarias.com/
I’d like to give special thanks to Phil and Kristine Vuncanon for sharing their freshly roasted coffee and expert advice. In addition I want to thank Spencer of Ann Arbor, a fellow 365 member and flickrist with photos at: http://flickr.com/search/?w=73275216%40N00&q=coffeeroasting&m=tags for his additional imput. Spencer has a coffee roasting site which gives details on his roasting experience: http://homeroastnbrew.info/coffee/roaster/
tristanstephenson, another flickrist, offers up an interesting visual trip though the life of coffee beans at http://www.flickr.com/photos/21124304@N03/
Lots to see, so enjoy the view and happy roasting! I’d love to hear about your coffee adventures and favorite brews! Please send me your feedback at www.isimmer.com Oh! And by the way cheers to you who use travel mugs instead of disposable coffee cups! Thanks for stopping by!!
These little gems are easy to peel, sweet to eat and seedless. They're great for a snack or to pack in lunches, and what's not to love about their natural wrapper. Get them now, the price is right and ths season's short!
Ripen mandarins at room temperature.Test the fruit for ripeness by gently pressing the center or the mandrin's bottom, it should yeild to the pressure. (the stem end being the top ;0}-) Once ripe, be sure to refrigerate so the fruit's juice doesn't begin to ferment.
What are you serving for the holidays and what drink will you be pairing with it ?
MMMMMM, Butter Cookies!
People have asked me for this butter cookie recipe so many times that I thought I better add it to the blog. You can use any kind of cookie cutter you want. For bite sized cookies I've used the floral shaped cutteres used by sushi chefs for garnish making. People especially like the bite sized cookies, which are perfect for parties.
Two quick tips: Make sure your butter is softened and dip your cookie cutter into some flour so it doesn't stick to the dough.
Butter Cookie Recipe
Yield: 30 medium sized cookies or around 60 + bite sized morsels.
Ingredients:
1 cup of room temperature salted butter at about 80-85 degrees 1 cup of super fine granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 2/3 cups of sifted all purpose flour Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together until pale yellow then add vanilla. Gently mix in flour. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Gather the dough together and press into a ball with the warmth of your hands. Roll out on a clean, floured surface into a ¼ inch thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters then place on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Leave ½ inch between each cookie. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes then turn temperature up to 350 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes or until they begin to turn golden brown in color. Once cool ice with a layer of the icing recipe which follows. Icing 1 ½ cup confectionary sugar 1 tablespoon water or milk plus--add just enough liquid and stir until smooth food coloring as needed
These Anaheim peppers are great toasted on the grill over medium heat! First drizzle the peppers, tomatoes, garlic and onions with vegetable oil along with a sprinkle of kosher salt. Char the garlic and onions, cooking until the onions become translucent. Set aside.
Blacken the skin of tomatoes and peppers, place in a plastic bag for 5 minutes, then peel. Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and salt to taste, in a blender, then puree. Seed and dice the chilies then fold into the puree. Add chopped cilantro, which is optional. Serve with grilled steak, chicken, chips or sauteed zucchini and garbanzo beans. Garnish with lime wedges.
These chilies are medium to hot. Use gloves to peel and seed them if you are sensitive to caspacin, the oil based molecule, which contains the spiciness or "heat".
I started eating warm cherry tomatoes straight from
our
garden when I was just two. One day I wandered into
the row next to the tomatoes and started to graze. The problem was these were not tomatoes, they were hot cherry peppers. My parents heard the scream first, and came running only to find me rubbing my eyes and stomping my feet. I pointed accusingly at the pepper plant and said "Yucky! Not tamaters Mommy". I honestly can't say I recollect that incident. It's my parents that have
told me the story often enough that it comes to mind each year when I get my first taste of, summer's, sun ripened tomatoes.
Review by Susan Beach
What a great read for those who love food and cooking! Readers will enjoy the personal insight into Julia Child's life and how she was whisk through a thrilling, yet challenging life. Alex Prud'homme did a lovely job of sharing the details of Julia's life. In gaining this insight I have the utmost respect for what she accomplished in her life, the kind of person she was, and what an impact she had on both professional and gourmet cooking alike. Her passion and curiosity spurred her through life with a zest for cooking, food, wine, and entertaining. she had such a knack for educating others, with an attention to detail that set the standard for "cookery bookery", as we know it today. My Life in France is a must read for anyone who has an interest in America's Culinary French revolution lead by Ms. Child herself. Bon Appetit!
Over the course of a year, Alex Prud'homme sat with Julia Child, then ninety-one, and listened to her stories, read family letters and ask Julia questions about her life in France with her husband Paul Child from 1948-1954. This is a love story of Julia and Paul's life together in France where Julia discovered her other love, eating and cooking everything from snails to wild boar and how to market for the best food products. In the introduction by Julia, she writes,'Those early years in France were among the best of my life". Paul Child had originally suggested that Julia write of their years in France, but Julia kept putting this "French book" off until Alex Prud'homme offered to collaborate with Julia on this project. Julia died two days before her ninety-second birthday before the book was finished, but he had enough material to complete the book.
On the east coast it may not be soup weather, but here on the west coast a hearty bowl of lentil soup does the trick to warm the soul. It's May and there is still a chill in the air, and damp of course! This soup is on the spicy side.
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups lentils
2 cups of water
3-14 ½ ounce cans chicken broth
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 medium carrot diced (1/2 cup)
1 ribs of celery trimmed and
diced (1/2 cup)
1 small onion about 8 ounces
diced (1 cup)
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon tumeric
¼ teaspoon black pepper or to
taste
1 to 2 chipotle peppers chopped +
1 teaspoon of adobo sauce
½ cup tomato paste
1-28 ounce can of pureed fire
roasted tomatoes with juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro or
green onion—optional
1 teaspoons salt
Preparation:
Sort and rinse lentils then place
in a 6-quart stockpot. Add the water;
stock and garlic then place over high heat.
Bring to a boil and turn down to a low simmer, stir then cover. Allow lentils to cook for 20 minutes.
Prepare vegetables as directed
then add to lentils along with spices, chopped chipotle pepper, adobo sauce,
tomato paste and fire roasted tomatoes.
Stir then simmer for 40 minutes, uncovered. Salt, taste and adjust
seasonings. Stir cilantro into soup just before serving. Serves 6
*Vegetable stock may be used in
place of chicken stock, modify the addition of salt according to stock’s salt
content.
Carrot Ginger Salad
Increase the beauty of this dish by adding spring time asparagus. Quickly blanch the asparagus just as you do with the carrots, then cool down in ice water. Here you have a healthy salad that’s great for pot lucks, picnics and barbecues. Serves 6
Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds carrots,
peeled
Slice carrots on the bias
into 1/4-inch pieces. Blanch carrots in boiling salted water for 2 minutes,
then chill in cold water, drain, and place in a bowl.
Sesame Vinaigrette Dressing:
1 tablespoon fresh ginger,
peeled and chopped
1/4 cup seasoned rice wine
vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons vegetable
oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
Garnish:
2 scallions, trimmed, then
sliced on the bias, including most of the green tops
1 tablespoon sesame seeds,
toasted
Mix all vinaigrette
dressing ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour dressing over the carrots and
marinate for 1/2 hour. Mix the salad before serving and garnish with sesame
seeds and scallions.
Curried Spinach and Tofu simmered in Coconut Milk
This is a
great vegan recipe that is terrific over brown, basmati, wild or jasmine
rice. This dish ranks high among vegetarians and is simple to prepare. Serves 4
Ingredients:
2
tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
4
shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 garlic
cloves minced
1
tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 sliced
serrano pepper (optional)
2 teaspoons yellow curry
½
teaspoon ground mustard
¼
teaspoon white pepper
1/3 cup
water
2 packs
frozen chopped spinach (10 ounce size)
1 ¼
teaspoon salt
2
teaspoons brown sugar or to taste
1 pack
firm tofu, drained and diced
2 cans
coconut milk
Pour oil into a 10-inch sauté pan with lid. Place pan over medium high heat then add shallots, garlic, ginger and serrano pepper. When the shallots become translucent add the curry, mustard, and white pepper. Stir for one minute then add water, and spinach; cover and lower heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes. As the spinach thaws, gently stir in salt, sugar and tofu. When the spinach is completely thawed, pour in coconut milk and continue cooking, uncovered over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve piping hot over grains or rice.
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