Coffee 2 Tea

Although I’m now an outspoken advocate of organic espresso coffee, I certainly didn’t start out that way.  The newfound coffee snob in me tells me to say I started out with a refined palate, but I actually started out drinking Folgers. I thought what the heck, it’s cheap and I could drink it everyday at a minimal cost.

Then my coffee tastes started to kick in and I began drinking more and more coffee outside of the house. That’s when I realized that coffee wasn’t just about caffeine; there was an amazing depth of flavor to take into consideration. I began to research the various coffee options available to me and I haven’t looked back since.

When it comes to coffee, we all want the finest beans fresh ground for that rich flavor. Most people wake up with their coffee, and overall, it sets the tone for the whole day. Thus, the morning coffee can be the most essential part of the day, and the best coffee to drink in the morning is organic coffee. Coffee that is certified organic comes from natural beans grown with no pesticides or chemicals, and no matter what the roast, it just tastes better than commercial coffee.

Perhaps the best part about organic espresso coffee is the fact that purchasing it is not condoning acts that ravage the environment and companies that use pesticides and chemicals. Organic food not only tastes better, but it’s better for humans and better for the environment. Give up those commercially grown beans and drink coffee with organic coffee beans; the way it was meant to taste!

Espresso may sound like an up class, sophisticated beverage, but it is fairly similar to traditional coffee. An espresso is made using the same beans as traditional coffee, the only difference being in the brewing process. Instead of drip brewing, espresso coffee is made by using pressure to push the water through the coffee grounds.

This process results in a more concentrated beverage, giving a richer, truer coffee flavor. Since the beverage is has more of the grounds in the final product, it also has a thicker consistency than a standard cup of coffee. People drink espresso as is and it is used in a variety of other beverages, such as cappuccinos.

How many of us having just finished our thanksgiving meal has vowed never to over do it again next year, over eating that is. It’s hard to do, the joy of family, friends the festive holiday we can’t help our selves, and why should we.

This year have your guest talking not so much about the meal instead more about the coffee you served. Here are a simple and easy to make coffee recipe that is sure to do just that.

Café Disaronno
¾ ounce Amaretto Disaronno liqueur

5 oz brewed coffee

1 oz whipped cream

1 tsp brown sugar (white will do)

Garnish with an Espresso bean

Add the liqueur and sugar into a coffee mug. Add the fresh brewed coffee. Put a dollop on the whipped cream on top and garnish with the Espresso bean.

Serve with a heart felt warm smile.

Café Grande

1 part Kahlua

1part dark crème de cacao

1 part Grand Marnier orange liqueur

5 ounces fresh brewed coffee

Whipped cream

Maraschino cherry

Pour liqueurs into a clear glass mug. Add freshly brewed coffee. Top with heavy scoop of whipped cream and garnish with a cherry.

Serve with a heart felt warm smile.

COWBOY COFFEE: Ground coffee steeped in hot water then strained to separate rounds from brew. Legend has it that the separation method often called for a clean sock into which the ground coffee was spooned before being immersed in water. (Also called hobo, campfire or open-pot coffee.)

CHLOROGENIC ACID: One of the principal acids in green coffee beans, unpleasantly astringent by itself. As the roast progresses much of the chlorogenic acid disappears and other flavourful acids form, more thank making up for its loss.

CINNAMON ROAST: The lightest roast commercially available, with no oil on the surface. Large manufacturers often incorporate very light roasted coffee into their b lends, because roasting for a short time both saves money and adds bulk. A cinnamon roast rarely appears in specialty shops, though, because it is so high in chlorogenic acid and low in body and flavour.

CITY ROAST: A roasting term controversial for its impression but in wide use. Today a city roast is barely darker than a cinnamon roast. “Full –city” is used for a l medium roast, more or less dark cinnamon in color and with no oil on the surface; this is the fullest development of a bean before oils appear. The next stage is usually called a Vienna roast.

CLEAN CUP: A term professional tasters use to indicate a brewed coffee that is free, of virtually free, of taste defects. A clean coffee is not the same as a great coffee, but it will bring the grower or broker a higher price.

CREMA: A golden foam made up of oil and colloids, which floats atop the surface of a perfectly brewed cup of espresso. Achieving crema depends on a number of factors, including kind of coffee used, its freshness and the degree of pressure used in brewing; achieving it is tricky when not using a professional espresso machine.

CUPPING: The process by which professional tasters evaluate a sample of beans, Roasted and ground coffee is steeped in hot water, like tea, and the liquid is stasted both warm and as it cools.

CAFFEINE: The chief mood altering substance in coffee, with an average of 1.1 percent in Arabica and 2.2 percent in Robusta beans, the tow main coffee species. When extracted, as in the decaffeination process, caffeine is a pure white crystal, bitter to taste. Caffeine is the world’s most widely used psychoactive drug, appearing naurallin in tea leaves and, in very small quantities in cocoa beans.

CAFFEINE WITHDRAWL: Not yet an official diagnosis, but a syndrome currently under research for possible inclusion in psychiatric manuals . its symptoms include headache, sleepiness or drowsiness, impaired concentration, difficulty working, precession, anxiety, irritability, nausea and vomiting, and muscle aches or stiffness.

CAPPUCCINO: A espresso based drink classically made with one third espresso steamed milk and one third foamed milk. The king of Italian espresso drinks.

CARAMELIZATION: Beans are naturally high in carbohydrates, which must be heated to develop toasty, sweat flavours. Caramelized sugars give body and mouth-feel to darker roast: the darker the bean, the higher the degree of caramelization. When caramelization is taken to far, coffee tastes burnt.

CEZEV: More commonly called an ibrik, this is the correct term for the long handled brass or copper pot, tinned on the interior that lopes inward at the top and is used to make Middle Eastern coffee.

CHERRY: Coffee beans are seeds of a berry, called cherry for the shape and for the deep crimson color of the fully ripe fruit. The even, ovoid shape resembles a plump holly berry or cranberry.

CAFÉ au LAIT: A French breakfast drink made up about one third strong brewed coffee, as in coffee for a café filter or Napolitana pot or the stovetop moka brewer, and two-thirds scalded or steamed milk. Virtually identical to the Italian family version of a caffé latte.

CAFÉ FILTER: The metal flip-drip pot not more commonly called by its Italian name, Neapolitana, used in French households. The Italians like to claim credit for it, but in fact the French invented the device I the early nineteenth century.

CAFÉ AMERICANO: In Italy, usually a thin drink made with instant coffee. In America, an espresso lengthened with plain hot water after brewing (not by brewing for a long time), so that the body is the same as that of a filter brewed coffee, A good way to spread out the taste of espresso over a longer sipping time without adding cups of milk.

CAFFÉ LATTÉ: In Italy (where it is spelled caffe latte), this is a family drink made in the morning with coffee brewed in the napoletana or moka and milk scalded on the stove, in proportion of 1 part coffee to 3 parts milk. Italian espresso bars use genuine espresso and sometimes add more steamed milk, but not as much as is used in the United States. Also, Italians don’t add foamed milk, as Americans usually do. The drink served as a “latte” in American coffee bars is really giant sized cappuccino.

CAFFÉ MACCHIATO: An espresso “stained” with about two tablespoons of foamed milk.

The Italians simply call their espresso “caffe” and actually it doesn’t matter if you prepare it with a professional machine or the traditional stovetop maker. Espresso is the essence of coffee and the basis for many drinks, such as cappuccino and latte macchiato. Espresso is famous for being small, strong and black. Its okay to sweeten it with sugar, but milk is a no-no.

All you need to make the basic espresso recipe is freshly ground dark roast espresso coffee (Arabica is ideal) and really hot water.

• Unscrew espresso maker and pour in the right amount of water (do not cover valve).

• Place one spoonful of the ground coffee in the filter basket per cup and spread smooth – don’t tamp it down. Then insert the basket in the lower section of the pot.

• Heat pot on the stove at the highest setting. As soon as espresso starts to hiss in the tube remove from the stove.

• Stir finished espresso once in the pot and then pout it into the cups (preferably use prewarmed). If desired, add sugar to taste.

Brewing the Perfect Shot

Contributor

By Lindsay Champion

Espresso is like regular coffee in that it is brewed from coffee beans, but making the perfect shot of espresso requires much more than a regular coffee maker. Espresso is brewed by forcing a small amount of hot water under high pressure through a finely ground selection of espresso beans.

When brewing or “pulling” a shot of espresso, the steady stream of brewed espresso should come out evenly, hot and without any grounds. If you brew a shot of espresso correctly, light and creamy froth should float just on the top. Espresso is used in many coffee drinks including Americano, macchiato, latte and cappuccino.