Project Foodie - From the Coffee Roaster

Holiday Coffee Drinks

Save Recipe: Eggnoggin

Save Recipe: Gingerbread Mocha

Save Recipe: Eggnog Latte

Last month I presented some Specialty Coffee drinks for the cool weather using espresso and drip coffee with flavored syrups. Today, I’m continuing on that theme with some recipes to get you started on a great holiday season. Don’t forget the sprinkles!

Eggnoggin

2 oz Crème de Cacao

4 oz strong brewed coffee
6 oz Eggnog

Combine eggnog, Crème de Cacao and coffee, heat to 150F , pour into a mug and top with whip cream.

Eggnog Latte

1 oz eggnog syrup
2 oz espresso or strong brewed coffee
9 oz milk

Heat milk to 150F and pour over syrup and coffee.

Gingerbread Mocha

1 oz Gingerbread Syrup
1 oz Chocolate Syrup
1 oz espresso or strong brewed coffee

Heat milk to 150F and pour over syrup and coffee, top with whip cream and cinnamon.

But don’t just try these drinks – be adventurous and dress up your favorite coffee for the Holidays!

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Giving Thanks for the Holidays

The Holidays are within sight and so it is time to give thanks for all that we have as Americans. I am not usually one to preach, but I find myself at a crossroads when I consider the food and beverage industry and all that they make available to me. The mantra of marketing on the Food Network, recent cook books and various food blogs is always the same, simple…fresh…easy. Sure the preparation of our favorite meals is in fact much easier than one would expect. Brewing a great cup of coffee in one’s home is certainly not impossible and having a “gourmet meal” at home can be accomplished with a quick search on the internet for the perfect recipe. It is the ingredients, and the process that brings them to our kitchens that is many times misunderstood and taken for granted. Many of us in the food and beverage industry are quick to be pretentious in our marketing of high end products, touting our love for the environment and our ability to sort through complicated social issues that affect the producers of our products. We market products as fairly traded, environmentally sustainable and socially friendly but are we looking above and beyond these marketing schemes and truly putting a face on our products. Do we honestly care about the producer and the realities of bringing ingredients to our tables?

There is no question that the fair trade and environmental movements have become economically viable options in the marketplace. My question to the industry and consumers is; are we truly uplifting the producer and creating a better standard of living or are we paying lip service and using marketing schemes to pad our own pockets while keeping the producers in third world countries in their place. It has become very common for roasters in the industry to visit origin farms and begin the process of telling them how to grow, harvest and produce their products. In the short term, the roaster reaps the benefits of helping to create a better coffee for their own needs and the producer may get a higher price for a portion of their crop. In the long term, it can create an imperialistic attitude of creating better profits for ourselves while never truly helping the producer to overcome the realities of the market when looking at the entire crop. It does not address the issues of lower grade coffee that are inevitably part of any crop. This can be said for many of the ingredients that we commonly take for granted. How many times have we heard a television chef flippantly say “simple ingredients” or “a regular cup of coffee” or the ever present “a dash of fresh ground pepper”. Where does the food and drink that we consume come from? As we sit and enjoy our holiday meals with friends and family, take a moment while sipping that fresh after dinner coffee and embrace the complicated. Put a face and a place on your ingredients and their origin and share it with those around you. Give thanks to the intricate web of people and processes that allow us to not only sustain ourselves but keeps us connected with the world around us. By embracing the complicated we better understand the true cost of great food and beverages not only elevating our taste buds but elevating the people and places where great food truly comes from.

Great places for information and ways to educate and get involved:

www.rainforest-alliance.org The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior.
www.scaa.org Specialty Coffee Association of America; trade organization for Specialty coffee.
www.oxfamamerica.org Oxfam America works on the scene, helping people gain the hope, skills, and direction to create a new future. They are also active in the global arena, addressing social injustice through advocacy, public education, and emergency assistance programs.
http://transfairusa.org TransFair USA enables sustainable development and community empowerment by cultivating a more equitable global trade model that benefits farmers, workers, consumers, industry and the earth. They achieve our mission by certifying and promoting Fair Trade products.
http://www.cafefemeninofoundation.org Supports woman in coffee.
http://www.coffeekids.org Coffee Kids has helped thousands of children, women, and men in coffee-producing regions around the world to improve the quality of their lives and build more sustainable communities.

There are many more great organizations out there providing aid and education in regards to all of the many ingredients and foods that come to our plates, so hit the net, do some research, learn and share!

The truth is in the cup.

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Specialty Coffee Drinks

Save Recipe: Chilly Day Latte

Save Recipe: Nutty Fudge Mocha

Fall is here and winter is quickly approaching. What better way to embrace the cold weather than with a hot specialty drink made with espresso or drip coffee and flavored syrups? Not only do these drinks taste great and take off the chill, they are also a great way to add pizzazz and a touch of elegance to any celebration. When making specialty coffee drinks at home, remember that a fresh distinct drip coffee can work just as well as espresso and if you are unable to froth milk, you can warm it up on the stove and still create great tasting results. Portable milk frothers are also available for those who do not want to invest in a home espresso maker but still want froth. Flavored syrups are a staple in coffee shops, local grocers and retailers throughout the United States. At one point, flavored syrups were limited to hazelnut and vanilla but that is no longer the case. In fact, these days one is only limited by their imagination when choosing and combining flavors. For those worried about excess sugar, many types of syrup are available in sugar free form. And if you are worried about not using up all of the syrup - don't be. When you are finished creating the perfect specialty drink, you can also use the syrups in cocktails, baking and deserts.

Here are some recipes to get you started on specialty drinks. I have used syrups from Entner-Stuart in these recipes; however there are many terrific brands available with a wide selection of flavors. Be adventurous and dress up your favorite coffee!

Chilly Day Latte

½ oz Peppermint Syrup
½ oz Vanilla Syrup
2 oz of your favorite coffee (chilled)
10 oz milk

Combine milk, syrups and coffee, pour over ice and top with milk foam.

Nutty Fudge Mocha

¼ oz Crème de Cacao
¼ oz Hazelnut Syrup
¼ oz Almond Syrup
1 oz Chocolate Syrup
2 oz of espresso or strong brewed coffee

Combine milk and chocolate, heat to 150F then pour over syrups and coffee.
Top with whipped cream and sprinkles.

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The misunderstood and much maligned cup of decaf

Decaffeinated coffees are often overlooked or made fun of in today's coffee culture, but the truth is that what was once a marginal brown liquid for the retired scene now accounts for 25 to 30% of the specialty coffee market. The quality of a cup has improved drastically, making decaf a great choice for those who want a high quality taste without the jolt. I have personally been to blind cuppings where the decaf on the table was rated as the best cup. When roasted and prepared properly the complexity and taste of a great decaf can impress even the most educated coffee taster's pallet. One only needs to open their mind and realize that a cup of coffee is truly about the taste. A great decaf can also be paired with a terrific dinner and desert completing a great dish without keeping you up the rest of the night.

The first commercially successful decaffeination process was invented by Ludwig Roselius and Karl Wimmer in 1903. It involved steaming coffee beans with a brine (salt water) solution and then using benzene as a solvent to remove the caffeine. It is said that they encountered a shipment of Nicaraguan coffee that had been damaged by water. They dried the coffee and found the coffee to be slightly different in taste and lacking the caffeine boost. From here a new product was born.

Coffee decaffeination is a large industrial process. There are two general methods, indirect and direct. In the direct method the coffee beans are first steamed for 30 minutes and then repeatedly rinsed with either methylene chloride or ethyl acetate for about 10 hours. The solvent is then drained away and the beans steamed for an additional 10 hours to remove any residual solvent. Sometimes coffees decaffeinated using ethyl acetate are referred to as naturally processed because ethyl acetate is a natural byproduct of fruits and vegetables. However for the purpose of decaffeination it is not generally possible to create such a large quantity of ethyl acetate, thus the chemical is synthetically derived.

In the indirect method, beans are first soaked in hot water for several hours. Then the beans are removed and either methylene chloride or ethyl acetate is used to extract the caffeine from the water-as in other methods, the caffeine can then be separated from the organic solvent by simple evaporation. The same water is recycled through this two-step process with new batches of beans. An equilibrium is reached after several cycles, where the water and the beans have a similar composition except for the caffeine. After this point, the caffeine is the only material removed from the beans, so no coffee strength or other flavorings are lost. Because water is used in the initial phase of this process, sometimes the indirect method of decaffeination is referred to as "water processed" even though chemicals are used. Other decaffeination processes include CO2, Triglyceride and Swiss Water Process.

It is important to note that decaffeinated coffees, regardless of process, have trace amounts of caffeine and therefore can cause issues with those that have an intolerance or allergy. It has also been found that coffee served at restaurants and coffee houses have been found to have small amounts of caffeine, in some cases up to 10 milligrams per cup. This may be due to brewing and cleaning procedures at the point of sale.

There are two crucial factors for the specialty coffee roaster when handling decaf coffees. The first is to be sure that high grade and cup quality beans have been used for the process, insuring a good head start. The second is to be very observant when roasting and creating a roast and flavor profile. Decafs have been through a very invasive process and will be more sensitive during roasting. The biggest mistake is to apply too much heat and go too long in the roast cycle producing a bland, baked and sometimes burnt undeveloped flavor. When handled correctly however, the end result is a complex and great tasting cup with little or no caffeine.

Be adventuress at your next dinner party and test the tasting capabilities of yourself and your friends. Purchase a decaf and a regular of your favorite origin. Be sure that the coffee is fresh and from your local roaster. Brew and serve each coffee blind and see what the results are when you and your guests are unaware. You may be surprised and come one step closer to finding the perfect flavor profile, regardless of caffeine content. The truth is in the cup!

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The Espresso Phenomena

Many of us have become accustomed to ordering our "double, non-fat, caramel, vanilla latte's" at our local coffee shops or possibly we are making specialty espresso drinks at home. It has become part of our culture, language and every day pattern, expanding the definition of specialty coffee and coffee in general. We have seen enormous growth of independent coffee houses and coffee roasters as well as new and improved products from the large commercial coffee companies that have joined in on the trend of better quality and diversified coffee products. High quality Coffee has never been more popular in the United States and around the world, but what is it that started this phenomena?

In 1822, the first espresso machine was made in France. In 1933, Dr. Ernest Illy invented the first automatic espresso machine. However, the modern-day espresso machine was created by Italian Achilles Gaggia in 1946. Gaggia invented a high pressure espresso machine by using a spring powered lever system. The first pump driven espresso machine was produced in 1960 by the Faema Company. Both the spring powered lever machine and the pump driven machines are still in use today. These machines offer a fast way to brew coffee or "Espresso" which means fast in Italian. This fast method produces a small concentrated beverage that, because of its strength, was married with milk. The milk is heated with excess steam from the machines boiler. When added to the espresso in varied amounts it adds to the beverage without cooling the coffee. The result of the espresso method of brewing is what we of course call espresso.

Espresso is from 1 to 1 1/2 ounces of dark, heavy-bodied, bitter-sweet coffee topped with a reddish-brown mantle of crema. This crema is actually the emulsified coffee oils, which are forced out under high pressure (8-10 bar) generated by commercial and high-quality home espresso machines. These oils normally don't mix with water as coffee does, and this emulsification under pressure is what distinguishes espresso from strong coffee. In the espresso extraction process, water-soluble substances are dissolved from the ground coffee, the same as in regular coffee brewing. The extraction of espresso transforms the properties of the bean in terms of its mouth feel, density, viscosity, aroma and taste. The more finely the coffee is ground, the slower the espresso comes out. Generally, for the best shot of espresso, it should take about 25 to 30 seconds for the water to pass through the coffee. The consistency of the grind is adjusted to control the brewing time based on humidity and barometric pressure. Those of us that bake will know that the weather can play a key roll in how the ingredients interact with each other and espresso is a great example of this.

When making espresso, it is important not to over-extract it. Espresso can become like a religion to some people. And there certainly is a big difference between a good espresso and a not-so-good one. How much we spend in terms of money or energy in seeking out the best bean is one of those lifestyle choices we all make for ourselves or our business. Espresso is the foundation of cappuccino and café latte. A good espresso is less obvious under a head of frothed milk, but the quality of the espresso underneath is still the most important factor.

We should have standards in roast, blend and preparation. There is an infinite amount of espresso blends and roasts on the market and with the advent of organizations such as the Specialty Coffee Association of America, The Roasters Guild of America and the Baristas Guild of America we have seen many innovations and variations on the basic theme. It is common to see a variety of espresso blends, signature drinks, roast styles, preparations and latte' art all in one retailer. This new awareness has raised espresso and origin coffees to new heights in our culture. It is the basic standard however that creates a consistency of quality. Many roasters are gradually moving away from the Southern Italian style of dark roasts to the Northern Italian style of lighter roasts tailored to the particular coffee. The Northern method allows for the character of each coffee to show through rather than the taste of the roast.

In conclusion, it will always be our own taste that counts the most, but basic standards must be met to create a quality beverage. From a single shot of espresso to the specialty café latte or cappuccino with a beautiful rosette of latte art the truth will always be in the cup.

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Coffee - something to think about

Coffee is an integral part of our daily lives. It can make or break a great meal. It can be an essential part of a great recipe. Coffee can remind us of a great experience on vacation or with friends and family. Coffee can also bridge cultures, religions and politics bringing people together in ways that many of us may never consider when buying our morning cup of joe.

From the person preparing your morning coffee to the picker in the field, the coffee industry employs over 25 million people worldwide. The second most traded product in dollars next to petroleum, coffee is the economic back bone of many countries around the world. There are many pioneers within this important industry that have made every effort to bring this product to consumers in the most ethical, socially responsible, and environmental friendly way. It is important to know that although the coffee industry is far from perfect, I personally have not seen an industry so aware of it's situation and working closely with all involved to improve itself on a daily basis.

In a day and age when many of us are unsure where our food comes from, what its ingredients are and how it is processed, the coffee industry is truly a leader in transparency. Cup of Excellence, FairTrade, Farm Direct, Coffee Kids, Bird Friendly, USDA Organic Certified and Utz Kapeh are just a few of the Organizations and terms that are currently available for consumers to know exactly how and where their cup of coffee comes from and how it is produced. These organizations are important tools for the coffee roaster as well, insuring environmental, economic and social benefits throughout the process of getting coffee to the consumer. The coffee industry as a whole is quickly moving away from cause related products to methods and standards that are part of daily business. The industry as a whole is improving the overall process while building sound and ethical business relationships that benefit all involved, from tree to cup. In the current "Specialty" coffee industry the relationship with the product and the people that produce it has become paramount creating a vanguard for change.

As one can see, there are many different ways that a roaster can insure that he or she is operating an ethical business. It is for this reason that the consumer must be aware that the small independent coffee roaster can not afford to be involved in every organization. Be sure to ask your coffee shop what their buying practices are. Most roasters are more than happy to explain why they choose one organization, term or label over another.

At the end of the day, the coffee must be of superior quality and taste to be considered "Specialty", But taste alone does not make a coffee special. The culture, heritage, processing, business practices and most importantly the over 25 million people from around the world, make this magical drink truly special. The truth is in the cup.

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Iced coffee for hot summer days!

Summer is here and for many of us that means we still want our coffee but we want it to be a cool and refreshing boost. There are several ways of preparing iced coffee. Many coffee shops use a cold brewing technique. Some coffee shops prepare iced coffee by freezing coffee, making coffee "ice" cubes, rather than using water ice cubes. Others brew the coffee stronger than hot coffee and pour it over ice. Without a stronger brew, the iced coffee quickly becomes weak and watery. In our shop we prefer to make iced Americano; freshly brewed espresso poured over ice and water. The customer can then add cream, sweetener or flavoring to their liking. The strength and body of the espresso holds up well to the water and ice making a full flavored cool coffee.

Companies such as Caribou Coffee and Starbucks in the past few years have produced ready to drink iced espresso and chilled blended beverages that have opened up a whole new market for Specialty Coffee, allowing the customer to enjoy a high quality coffee beverage on the run. For purists in the coffee industry this kind of coffee beverage is frowned upon as being inferior to high quality coffees and looked upon as low grade. My philosophy is that the only wrong way to prepare or enjoy great coffee is to not drink it at all! The more customers are aware of great coffee the better we all are as producers, roasters and consumers.

Iced coffee is nothing new to the industry having been served since the turn of the century in many countries around the world. Often served with ice cream and or flavored milk, iced coffee has been a favorite beverage in Australia, Britain, Greece, and even in Italy. In Thailand, iced coffee is brewed using strong black coffee, sweetened with sugar, heavy cream (or half-and-half) and cardamom, and quickly cooled and served over ice. Some variations are brewed using espresso. Thai iced coffee can be served with whipped cream on top for a layered effect, and garnished with cinnamon, vanilla and/or anise. It is a common menu item at Thai restaurants and works well after a spicy Asian meal. In Japan iced coffee has been drunk since the Taisho period (around the 1920's) in coffee shops. It is served with gum syrup and milk. Cold tea was already popular, so it was natural to drink cold coffee. In 1969 UCC Ueshima Coffee released canned coffee, which made coffee available everywhere. Today, Japanese canned coffee is drunk both cold and hot, but it was usually drunk cold when first introduced. I had the pleasure of working with Asahi Brewing and Kauai coffee to produce Hawaiian Ice, a canned Hawaiian coffee produced for the Hawaiian and Japanese market. What great fun.

For those who are unable to travel to an exotic location for a cool refreshing coffee, you can prepare iced coffee easily at home. Fresh brew a full bodied coffee from your favorite local roaster. Transfer the coffee to a carafe or pitcher and chill it in the refrigerator for about two hours. Fill your favorite glass to the top with ice and pour the chilled coffee or espresso over the top. Stir to equalize the temperature and then add milk, cream and sweetener. You can also add your favorite flavored syrup to create any flavor profile you would like. Most local roasters and coffee shops make their syrups available for retail so be sure to ask for your favorite brand and flavor to give your iced coffee that extra touch!

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