Archive for July, 2008

July 23, 2008
Posted by admin on Drinks

How To Make The Best Fresh Coffee

This article about Fresh Coffee, hopes to give you the knowledge you need, to feel that you have a firm grasp on the subject.

There’s nothing like a fresh cup of coffee in the morning. Millions of people all over the world enjoy this morning ritual. When we wake up, we need a little time to orient ourselves to the new day, shake off our slumber and prepare for the day’s work. For some people, a cup of instant will do the trick. For others, nothing but a freshly brewed cup will do. For those of us of the more picky persuasion, fresh coffee entails more than opening a can of pre-ground coffee or worse yet, a pre-made packet you drop in the basket.

The gourmet coffee drinker knows there’s more to fresh coffee than meets the eye. This coffee drinker puts emphasis on the fresh when speaking of fresh coffee.

What an exciting way to begin this article, now let us take a look at what else we can learn about this topic!

There are really only two components of importance in producing a cup of truly fresh coffee: the coffee and the water. Well, so what, you say. Combine the two and drink. Not so, says the gourmet.

First, you have the coffee. The quality must be superior. This means the coffee beans must be 100% Arabica. The other species of coffee is called Robusta and is most often used in cheaper coffees and at best, contains a mix of Robusta and Arabica. Robusta beans lack the complexity of flavor afforded by Arabica and often has bitter or flat notes.

Once you have your 100% Arabica, you must decide between whole beans you grind yourself at home, or a bag that’s purchased already ground. Which is better? You guessed it. Whole beans retain flavor best.

Even the bag containing the beans matters. Like spices, coffee quickly loses its essential oils, which contain both flavor and aroma, when exposed to air. Therefore, choose a bag which is airtight, made of foil with a shiny surface, over a paper bag with waxed lining.

Storage of the beans is also important in flavor retention. Store the bag in the freezer. Heat causes loss of the essential oils, sabotaging your quest for a cup of fresh coffee.

Now we’re ready to proceed to making that fresh coffee. Start with very cold water in the pot. Grind just enough coffee for the pot. Brew as usual. This method is simple and produces a cup of fresh coffee that will please the gourmet.

Or will it? It depends on just how hard core a gourmet you are. Some people disdain even airtight, foil bags of beans, claiming that just a couple of days after roasting, the coffee has deteriorated. The bag at the store was probably roasted at least two weeks ago and therefore is no longer up to snuff. Can you imagine? This is not fresh coffee!

This connoisseur insists on buying unroasted beans and roasting them at home in quantities sufficient for a few days. Only then is it deemed fresh coffee. Some people just can’t be pleased!

If you thoroughly examine each part that we have discussed about Fresh Coffee, you will see a common thread of which to explore.

Tags: coffee beans, coffee drinker, coffees, cup of coffee, fresh coffee, gourmet coffee

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July 21, 2008
Posted by admin on Food And Recipes

How To Make The Best Potato Salad

We have numerous other articles written on this very subject. Each one tackles a different aspect of Potato Salad.

Most people are familiar with potato salad because it has long been a standard at family picnics and other summer activities. Everyone has their own idea of how to make it though, and if you look through cookbooks and through recipe sites online, you are going to find hundreds of different recipes from which to choose. Some like a very simple salad, and others like to have something with a bit more work involved. Its been around for a long time, and will probably always be popular for summer meals.

The basics of potato salad are potatoes, of course, mayonnaise, and onion. However, when I make it, there is no onion added. I think it ruins the taste of the salad, but just about everyone disagrees with me on that point. If I make it for a picnic, I bring a bowl of onions with me so if someone wants them, all they have to do is sprinkle them on their portion. I also like to add boiled and chopped eggs to my potato salad, and most say that they think it adds a great taste. If my husband has his way, he adds some Miracle Whip, but I usually stop him before he can get that far.

What an exciting way to begin this article, now let us take a look at what else we can learn about this topic!

Others like to use more inspired recipes for potato salad, and I think it often depends on how someone was raised. We often like foods the way we grew up with them, and that means trying something new, like a different tasting potato salad, is a bit daunting. Some dive in and find something new to love, and others will avoid anything that they aren’t familiar with. I’m afraid that I am one of the avoiders, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think people should make and share whatever recipe they love and know well.

If you are looking for new ways to enjoy potato salad, you only have to look as far as your computer. Recipe sites have thousands of recipes to share, and there are always quite a few for potato salad. Some even make a great low carb salad using cauliflower instead of the white potato so they can enjoy the same foods as everyone else when out at a picnic. There are also cookbooks out there that have tons of different ideas for this salad, and some that are even dedicated to the summer meals that might include this and other traditional fare.

When we begin to bring this information together about Potato Salad, it starts to form the main idea.

Tags: cookbooks, potato salad, recipes, recipes for potato salad

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