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National Gourmet Coffee Day
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HelenFern
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Beverage,Informational |
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Ah coffee – that dark, rich beverage so many of us drink every morning. Some like it hot – some like it cold – some like it plain – and some like it fancy. But how did coffee become such a popular beverage? And what makes some of it gourmet?
Where did Coffee come from?
Who was that first person to see the coffee tree and figure out that the fruits (called cherries) were consumable?
These tall trees can be traced back centuries to Ethiopia. The story has it that a shepherd noticed that his sheep had a lot of energy after eating the cherries of a particular tree. After making himself a beverage from the berries, they had a similar effect on him!
Word traveled to the Arabian peninsula and by the 1600s it was grown and consumed regularly in homes and coffee houses throughout Persia, Turkey, Egypt and Syria. By the 17th century it made its way to Europe and, although it was considered the invention of the devil by some, Pope Clement VIII took a taste and gave it his approval.
It reached the new world in the mid-16oos – and by the late 1700s, it was declared “the favorite drink of the civilized world” by Thomas Jefferson.
And the rest is history.
How are coffee beans processed?
Coffee beans aren’t just picked and roasted. There is a process required to bring these gems to our tables.
It takes 3 to 5 years for the trees to produce the beans, which are actually seeds. The cherries are harvested, one at a time, either by hand or by machine. They are harvested daily for a week or two until all the ripe cherries are picked. It takes 100 to 200 pounds of cherries to make 20 to 40 pounds of ground coffee.
Next they are processed either by air drying in the sun, or by the wet process where the pulp is stripped off and they are fermented.
Now they must be totally dried. The parchment is removed from the outside and the beans are polished, sorted and graded – a process that take days to weeks.Then off to the market they go.
From here they go to the tasters where experts go through “cupping”, they they categorize the beans by flavor and quality.
The beans are then roasted. Machines keep them moving through a 500 degree oven that browns them and brings all those amazing oils to the surface.
And the rest we know – it’s ground and then brewed.
What makes coffee gourmet?
The primary difference between “regular” coffee and gourmet is the beans. Gourmet coffee uses pure Arabica beans where as cheaper coffees use a faster growing, less flavorful variety. The gourmet versions also focus on flavor before the caffeine content and pay attention to where the beans are sourced. Where the beans come from makes a big difference in the finished product.
In the 1960s and 70s, these flavorful beans really gained popularity and became the gourmet drink we think of today.
Which coffee company made coffee drinks mainstream?
Many people immediately think of Starbucks when gourmet or specialty coffee is mentioned, but they did not start the party!
Albert Peet came to the U.S. in the 1950s. At that time there were no specialty coffees available. In fact, the coffee that people drank was pretty bad! So in 1966, he opened a coffee shop in Berkeley, California on the UC Berkeley campus. His coffee was always sourced from high quality beans and used the dark roasting method that brings out all the richness and flavor notes of the coffee we love.
Then, in 1971, the first Starbucks store was opened at Pike’s Place Market in Seattle, Washington. With some great marketing, Starbucks quickly became a National sensation.
And so today we celebrate National Gourmet Coffee Day. Lets rind up some beans and brew a cup[1] of total pleasure..
I have several kinds of herbs in my garden. Some are for cooking and some are for teas. I love to put together my own flavors and, as summer comes to a close, what better time to create those delicious herbal teas to sip on when the weather calls for something warm to drink!
Making your own tea
Herbal tea blends are really a matter of what you like. You can use a single herb, like chamomile or mint, or you can blend two or three herbs together. Adding dried fruit also adds a little extra flavor.
I dry my herbs on the top rack of my indoor greenhouse, no lights. You need dark, dry air with some circulation.
Rubber band the ends, then hang the bundles upside down. How long it takes depends on the density of the herb. Lemon verbena[5] or mint will take less time than thicker herbs like lavender or sage. Let them dry until the crumble but are not so dry there is not flavor left.
I use my dehydrator to dry different fruits – strawberries, orange peels, apple pieces – all make great additions to tea.
Cut them into thin slices, then dry until they have very little moisture left in them. You can do this in the oven at about 180 degrees for a few hours, or in a dehydrating machine, like I have.
Once they are dried enough, chop them up to mix into the herbs.
If you’re looking for a little darker tea, add some of the dried fruits to some loose black tea.
Making the Essence of Summer herbal tea
This tea is made of lemon verbena, lavender and strawberries. It’s light and naturally sweet. Like any tea, the longer you steep it, the stronger the flavor will be.
Start by adding the ingredients to a mortar or clean coffee grinder. The grinder will make a finer blend but will need to be put into tea bags. The mortar and pestle will make a coarse grind that will work in a tea diffuser.
After the herbs are blended, put a couple of teaspoon into tea bags. Close and store in a sealed plastic bag to keep it fresh.
If you are not using tea bags, an air tight container will keep it for a few month.
This tea is made of lemon verbena, lavender and strawberries. It's light and naturally sweet. Like any tea, the longer you steep it, the stronger the flavor will be.
Start by adding the ingredients to a mortar or clean coffee grinder. The grinder will make a finer blend but will need to be put into tea bags. The mortar and pestle will make a coarse grind that will work in a tea diffuser.
After the herbs are blended, put a couple of teaspoon into tea bags. Close and store in a sealed plastic bag to keep it fresh.
If you are not using tea bags, an air tight container will keep it for a few months.
Posted By
HelenFern
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Beverage,Cold - alcohol free |
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Hot summer days call for cold drinks on the deck. Sangria is a refreshing and delicious way to cool off! Don’t want the alcohol? Then you’ve come to the right place!
What is sangria?
Sangria comes from Spain and Portugal and dates all the way back to the middle ages, when wine was safer to drink than water! Fruit and sweetener was added, and sometimes alcohol.
It was introduced in the U.S. during the 1964 World’s Fair in New York.
Since then it’s evolved into a variety of different wine punches – but it always has fruit and sparkling water or wine.
And now, with more and more people drinking less alcohol, there is a trend to the sober cocktails[10]. And this one hits the spot!
Making Sober Sangria
This drink is so simple to make!!
Mix all the fruit juices in a pitcher and stir. Refrigerate to chill.
Slice up the fruit for garnish and store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Serve by filling a glass half way with the juices and the other half with the sparkling water.
Garnish with frozen cranberries and sliced fruit. Add ice (I like the giant cubes – they chill the drink with less dilution).
Mix all the fruit juices in a pitcher and stir. Refrigerate to chill.
Slice up the fruit for garnish and store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Serve by filling a glass half way with the juices and the other half with the sparkling water.
Garnish with frozen cranberries and sliced fruit. Add ice (I like the giant cubes -they chill the drink with less dilution).
Now go sit on the deck and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
I like to use Trader Joe's cranberry juice. It's less expensive and we drink it straight in wine glasses. It's very dry like a red wine - delicious! (No, this isn't a paid advertisement, just my own opinion).
International Harry Potter Day – Raise a Toast with Butterbeer!
Posted By
HelenFern
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Beverage,Cold - alcohol free |
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I love Harry Potter. I’ve read all the books and seen all the movies. The creativity of the stories and the characters are wonderful! There is so much in these magical stories, but what did they eat at Hogwarts?
Some of mentions are shepherd’s pie[15], Molly’s meat pies, pumpkin juice, Harry’s favorite – treacle tarts, and, of course, butterbeer!
I wasn’t entirely sure how this would be, but it’s basically a butterscotch soda – and it’s delicious!! Harry can come to my house any time!
Making Harry Potter Butterbeer:
Start by making the butterscotch base. Add the brown sugar and water to a pan, and gently simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Stir in the butter, syrup, and salt and mix well. Set aside and allow to cool.
You can refrigerate it for a couple days, but bring to room temperature before using. It will be very thick!
Next, prepare whipped cream. Add all the ingredients into a bowl,
and whip with either a mixer or immersion blender.
Whip until the cream is thick with stiff peaks.
And now you’re ready to make the butterbeer –
(Check out this fun mug!)
In a 16 oz mug, mix 1/4 of the brown sugar butterscotch
with cold cream soda.
Stir until it’s well blended.
Top with whipped cream and enjoy! But I bet you won’t drink just one glass!
Start by making the butterscotch base. Add the brown sugar and water to a pan, and gently simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved. Stir in the butter, syrup, and salt and mix well. Set aside and allow to cool. You can refrigerate it for a couple days, but bring to room temperature before using. It will be very thick!
Next, prepare whipped cream. Add all the ingredients into a bowl, and whip with either a mixer or immersion blender. Whip until the cream is thick with stiff peaks.
And now you're ready to make the butterbeer!
In a 16 oz mug, mix 1/4 of the brown sugar butterscotch with cold cream soda. Stir until it's well blended. Top with whipped cream and enjoy! But I bet you won't drink just one glass!
Posted By
HelenFern
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Cold - alcohol free |
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Ever heard of a Michelada? My husband used to make them and we called them Beery-Marys. Similar to a bloody Mary[20], this tomato based cocktail usually calls for a Mexican lager, but my husband no longer drinks, so we experimented.
We chose not to use alcohol-free beer because it actually has a small amount of alcohol that develops during the process. But some breweries are starting to make “hop tea”. It is an alcohol free beverage made with carbonated water and flavored with hops. It’s not fermented and doesn’t use yeast to the alcohol never develops. But it tastes a bit like an IPA. So we used that. And we call it – Success!
Here’s how to make an alcohol-free Michelada:
I like to gather up all my ingredients first.
Start with the base. You can make a pitcher of it and mix the cocktail as you go. This base will work with beer or hop tea.
Mix the vegetable juice with the lime, jalapeño brine (the liquid from a can of pickled peppers), salt, lemon pepper and 1 teaspoon tajin.
Blend it together with an immersion blender and refrigerate at least three hours.
When it’s time to enjoy the drink, rub the rim of a 16 oz. glass with a lime wedge, then coat it with tajin powder. Drop the lime into the glass.
Pour the glass half way up with the tomato base
and top it off with some hop tea. Garnish with a lime wedge and jalapeño ring.
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