Top 100 Coffee Recipes: a Cookbook for Coffee Lovers Page 2

  1) BY THE COUNTRY OF GROWTH. (Sometimes part of the name will indicate the area in which the coffee is grown, such as “Costa Rica Tarrazu.” Other times, the name might indicate where on the mountain range the coffee was grown, such as “Guatemalan Antigua” or “sumatra Lintong.”)

  2) BY THE DARKNESS OF ROAST. (Italian and French refer to the darker roasts. Other names, such as city roast or European roast vary greatly from one region in the U.S. to another.)

  Coffee is grown in Central and South America, India, Africa, Hawaii, Indonesia, New Guinea, the Caribbean, and in Arab countries.

  CHART 1

  BRAZILIAN:

  medium-bodied, moderately acidic, pleasant earthiness

  COLOMBIAN:

  full-bodied, richly flavored, slightly winey

  COSTA RICAN TARRAZU:

  aromatic, heavy-bodied, hearty

  ETHIOPIAN HARRAR:

  unusual, very aromatic, winey, wild grown

  GUATEMALAN ANTIGUA:

  highly acidic, spicy, smokey flavor, very aromatic

  INDIAN MYSORE:

  aromatic, light-bodied, slightly acidic, mellow, scarce

  JAMAICA BLUE MOUNTAIN:

  aromatic, light body, mellow, mildly winey, very scarce

  JAVA:

  full-bodied, rich, acidic, slightly smokey, spicy

  KENYA AA:

  full-bodied, dry, winey aftertaste, acidic

  KONA:

  medium-bodied, mildly winey, sweet, aromatic, nutty aftertaste

  MEXICAN:

  aromatic, mild-bodied, mildly acidic

  SUMATRAN:

  dry and heavy-bodied, low acidity, mellow, rich

  TANZANIAN PEABERRY:

  sharp, winey acidity, medium-bodied, rich

  YEMEN MOCHA:

  haunting chocolate aftertaste, winey acidity, sharp, grown wild

  Sources: Timothy J. Castle, Michael P. Caruso

  CAFFEINE

  Coffee contains up to 2 percent caffeine. An average cup of coffee contains approximately 160 milligrams of caffeine. Caffeine enlarges blood vessels, in effect, stimulating the cerebral cortex. After drinking two or more cups of coffee, one might feel a “speed-up” of the thought process, an increase in the association of ideas, a sense of euphoria, or an increased ability to learn and memorize numbers, concepts, and thought sequences.

  caffeine contributes to coffee’s flavor. But, for some individuals, caffeine in coffee causes the “jitters.” For this reason, we have included a chart (page 28) which notes the differences in caffeine levels. Most medical authorities find three hundred milligrams (mg) of caffeine to be a “safe” level. Note that just one cup of robusta coffee (the more inferior coffee) will provide that level of caffeine.

  The quantity of caffeine in any given coffee will be reduced as that coffee is roasted to a darker version. A dark, waxy espresso, for example, will have less caffeine than a light Colombian.

  CHART 2

  how much caffeine is in a 6 ounce cup of coffee?

  COFFEE VARIETY MILLIGRAMS

  Ethiopian Mocha 160 mg

  Santos 160 mg

  Minas 163 mg

  Peruvian 170 mg

  Mexican 170 mg

  Costa Rican 170 mg

  Kive Arabican 177 mg

  Nicaraguan 180 mg

  Cameroon 180 mg

  Guatemalan 187 mg

  Salvador 187 mg

  Java Arabican 187 mg

  Venezuelan 192 mg

  Colombian 195 mg

  Cuban 195 mg

  India Malabar 195 mg

  Haitian 201 mg

  Robusta Congo 327 mg

  Robusta Uganda 327 mg

  Source: Kenneth Anderson

  Leading health organizations have studied the effects of caffeine on health. Their findings indicate that caffeinated coffee, when consumed in moderation, does not pose a threat to health. However, if you have a history of heart arrhythmias, stomach ulcers, fibrocystic disease, or if you are pregnant, you should be especially cautious of the amount you drink or… drink decaffeinated coffee.

  DECAFFEINATED COFFEE

  until the mid-’90s, decaffeinated coffee was considered to be flavorless, bitter and a poor substitute for regular coffee. As the process of decaffeination has improved, so has its market share with nearly 30 percent of the specialty and gourmet coffees being decaffeinated.

  When coffee is decaffeinated, the solvent used may be either water or a chemical. These methods differ slightly but the process is the same: the beans are first softened by steaming. As they swell to twice their size, they are placed in a chemical solvent bath for decaffeination. Successful decaffeination depends on removing as much caffeine as possible while, at the same time, removing as little flavor as possible. It has never been demonstrated, however, that any of the chemically processed coffees expose consumers to any health risks whatsoever.

  In Swiss Water process decaffeination, hot water, not chemicals, dissolves caffeine while leaving in as much of the flavor of coffee as possible. The water is filtered through activated charcoal where caffeine is filtered out. More expensive than chemical removal of caffeine, this process is preferred by the many specialty coffee roasters.

  In coffee taste tests, the average American may be able to detect a difference between Colombian Supremo, for example, and Guatemalan coffee. However, the same individuals often are hard-pressed to detect a difference between Colombian Supremo and Colombian Supremo DeCaf.

  If you are concerned about your level of caffeine, you may want to try several other options: 50/50 blends; and Cafe au Lait, Cafe Latte, or Café con Leche. In these recipes, you’ll have only one-half the caffeine of regular coffee. Also, evidence shows that your body will absorb only three hundred milligrams of caffeine at any given time. Additional caffeine will provide no additional stimulation. So…after those two morning cups of coffee (or whenever you’ve had three hundred milligrams of caffeine), try a decaf blend or one of the great hot coffee recipes in this book made with decaffeinated coffee.

  WHAT’S BREWING?

  In the remainder of this book, I’ll present a complete description on brewing and serving a perfect cup of coffee. Then, we’ll go on to more than one hundred recipes. They are well-tested and should inspire your imagination and spark your creativity.

  as a coffee lover, I guarantee if you read this book, you’ll start to brew a great cup of coffee. You’ll impress your friends and business associates with delicious recipes from this book, and you’ll find that you’ll make Every Cup of Coffee Count.

  “take time to

  smell the

  coffee.”

  Afternoon Sweet Snack with Coffee

  Afternoon break: perfectly brewed French press coffee with Marzipan sweets.

  PHOTO CREDITS

  China pieces, Rosenthal, courtesy of Mary Ward. French press coffee maker from Bodun; hand crocheted pieces from Maruine Steinmetz’s collection. Cutlery courtesy of Potter and Mellen, Cleveland, Ohio. Marzipan from Piccolo Mondo, Cleveland, Ohio.

  RECIPE CREDITS

  Café Au Lait, page 69

  BREWING AND SERVING

  THE PERFECT CUP OF COFFEE

  for me, the perfect cup of coffee comes from seven scoops of fine grind, dark-roasted blend of Mexican and Costa Rican coffee per ten, five-ounce cups of cold water and brewed at two hundred degrees for eight minutes. Pour this hot brew into my favorite white, warmed ceramic coffee mug, add a little hot milk, and that’s the perfect cup of coffee! When I brew this, my husband Joe has been known to comment, “The coffee tasted a little strong today.” Joe likes a lightly roasted, 100 percent Colombian Coffee. Our daughter, Wendy, on the other hand, is a young wife, mother, and director of a day care center. She enjoys the economy of this week’s whole bean specials. In other words, coffee taste and preference are personal: my favorite coffee may not be your favorite even if brewed perfectly. Economy and value play a big part in decisions about coffee brewing.

  When
I conduct coffee taste tests on television or in malls, I’ll find celebrities as well as consumers preferring the taste of a familiar coffee over that of a more exotic one. Recently, at The Gallery Mall in Philadelphia, up to 50 percent of the consumers preferred the taste of the $3.29 a pound supermarket coffee over that of the $32 a pound, properly brewed Blue Mountain Jamaican Coffee.

  If you follow all six of the following rules, you’ll have the perfect cup every time you brew coffee. And, it will be a coffee to your liking. The perfect cup of coffee includes these elements:

  1) CLEANLINESS: Daily and monthly routine to keep the equipment sparkling clean.

  2) COFFEE: A coffee roasted (and possibly blended) to your taste.

  3) TASTE OF THE WATER: Choose cold tap or bottled spring water.

  4) THE EQUIPMENT: Consider the various types of coffee makers.

  5) STORAGE OF THE HOT BREW: Pour brewed coffee into a thermos to keep it hot and fresh.

  6) PRESENTATION / SERVING THE COFFEE: From disposable cups to elegant glassware.

  CLEANLINESS

  The perfect cup of coffee starts with equipment which is scrupulously clean. From coffee filter to carafe to interior pipes, each part of your coffee maker needs to be kept clean on a regular basis.

  Before you fill your coffee maker with water, clean it well. (I use a solution of baking soda and water because soap leaves a film and an aftertaste.) A clean coffee maker will brew great coffee because it will not impart the flavors of yesterday’s coffee. So whether using a drip coffee maker, a percolator, an open-pot system, or an exotic Cona vacuum system, first scrub all interior glass, stainless, or aluminum equipment with baking soda and water.

  here’s what I do: I keep a box of baking soda under my sink. In the morning, I simply wet a paper towel, scrub the interior of the carafe, then rinse it until the carafe shines. Once a week or so, I attack the exterior of the carafe with a stiff brush and the baking soda-water solution. This will clean out any residue of finely ground coffee from around the handle.

  don’t forget to clean out the coffee filter with a good baking soda-water scrub. The filter picks up residues and stains from the coffee. When you remove these stains with baking soda and water, you’ll let the fresh coffee brew through. Rinse the filter well to remove any tiny grinds of coffee that may be lodged inside. This will enable it to work more efficiently and speed up the brewing process.

  every thirty brewings (or once a month for most coffee maker owners), clean the interior of the coffee maker with a solution of one teaspoon white vinegar to a quart of water. You want to actually brew this mixture through the coffee maker. The vinegar will remove chemical deposits and buildup from the interior tubes of the coffee maker. This clean-up procedure will allow the water to pass through the coffee maker faster so that your equipment will work as efficiently as it did when it was new! Follow the vinegar rinse by brewing a cycle with clear, cold water.

  In certain regions of the country, the chemical residues from water include iron, sulphur, lime, and other minerals. In those areas, ask your hardware store for a coffee maker cleaner-solvent.

  Coffee ‘n Cake

  Flavored coffee is the perfect accompaniment to these elegant petit fours.

  PHOTO CREDITS

  Lenox coffee set courtesy of Al’s Pottery, Cleveland, Ohio; silver coffee service from International Silver; hand crocheted tablecloth by Maurine Steinmetz; iced petit fours from Piccolo Mondo, Cleveland, Ohio.

  RECIPE CREDITS

  Chocolate Mint Coffee, page 99

  When your coffee maker is spotlessly clean inside and outside, you’ll be well on the way to brewing that perfect cup of coffee.

  THE COFFEE

  my twenty-six-year-old son, Jonathan, takes the art of brewing and drinking coffee seriously. A financial consultant based in Chicago, Jon tells me that the criteria for judging good coffee is as follows: swish the hot coffee far back into your mouth…past the sweet and salty taste buds on the tip of your tongue to those finely tuned taste buds on the sides of your tongue. Now, swallow the coffee. Count to ten. If you can still savor the lively and bright flavor of the coffee you’ve consumed, you’ve had a memorable cup of coffee!

  Selecting the right coffee bean for your palate is essential. A local gourmet shop I frequent has sixty-four different blends and roasts of coffee beans. That’s a different coffee every morning for two months. But with that kind of selection, how do you start to choose the right one? In my coffee taste tests, I’ve found that most Americans are conditioned to drinking lightly roasted coffee. So, I’d recommend that you start off with the light city roast and work through the darker roasts and blends as you begin to savor the bright and heavier-bodied coffees.

  To make sure the coffee is fresh, I’d recommend you buy it whole bean instead of ground. To tell whether it’s been freshly roasted, look for a date on the package. Most packaged bean coffees are dated. Purchase the most recent roast, as bag bean coffees go stale quickly after roasting. Some of the new bag bean coffees, however, are vacuum packed and have a longer shelf life, but I still wouldn’t purchase a bag of whole bean coffee if it looks as if the product turnover is low (if the bag is dusty, for example).

  If you are buying your coffee from a bin in a gourmet store or supermarket, ask “When was this coffee roasted?” The sales person should be able to give you a roast date even if it was roasted off the premises. Insist on this information, or don’t buy it. Also, look around and determine how the gourmet coffee looks. For example, is it uniform in color and size? Is it free from external matter such as stones and twigs? Also find out how the coffee is being stored. Is it in an airtight container to protect it from air and moisture?

  as you proceed through your coffee drinking adventure, you may want to start ordering coffee from a specialty coffee company. These dependable companies are master roasters who send their coffees to you quickly after they are roasted so you know they are fresh. For a discussion on thirty-six different American roasters, I recommend you read The Perfect Cup by Timothy J. Castle (Addison Wesley, 1991).

  another way to judge freshness of the roast is to ask for a “one bean sample” of the coffee. Now, bite the bean. If it has a crisp bite and a strong, mellow aftertaste, you’ll know it is fresh. If it is rubbery and bitter, don’t buy it! Or, you might want to purchase one-fourth pound of several coffees… a 100 percent Colombian, a Kenya AA, and a House Blend. Then, perform your own coffee taste test.

  after you’ve made a selection the next step is the grind. If you do not have a grinder, you’ll need to grind your coffee at the store. Before grinding, allow the grinder to run for ten or fifteen seconds to rid itself of residues from the last batch of coffee. Next, grind your coffee to the finest grind possible without its going through holes in your coffee filter (fine grind if you are using paper filter liners). Then get it right home and into a well-sealed, air-tight, clean glass container. Store in a cool, dark place or in the coldest part of the freezer. For freshest flavor, I recommend grinding no more than one week’s coffee at a time.

  You may want to invest in a coffee grinder. There are two popular kinds: the blade coffee grinder and the burr coffee grinder. The least expensive coffee grinders are the blade types. The blades rotate much like a food processor or a blender. They are sharp and will pulverize your coffee beans to a coarse, medium, or fine grind. With a little experience, you’ll know exactly the grind for your coffee maker. The advantage of the blade grinder is that you can add almonds, cinnamon sticks, roasted figs, and other additives to your coffee beans for new and different flavors. The disadvantage is the blade grinder does not grind coffee to the same consistency. In the same batch, some coffee may be very finely ground while some may be more coarsely ground. Many coffee purists insist that the blade grinder beats the coffee too much and this results in off-tasting coffee.

  The burr grinder sends the coffee beans through two rotating wheels or burrs. This grinds your coffee to an even grind. Although more expensive
, the burr type of grinder will grind coffee evenly and at several different grind settings. Some burr grinders have as many as eight settings from coarse to XX fine grind or espresso grind. Also, the capacity of these grinders is greater than for the blade grinder: you grind up to one cup of coffee at a time. The disadvantage is that burr grinders are designed to grind coffees, and you cannot use them for grinding almonds, cinnamon sticks, roasted figs, and those other additives.

  There is some feeling among coffee purists that grinding coffee electrically will add heat to the grind and, thus, destroy some delicate coffee flavors.

  So, many people still like to grind their coffee in an antique or other hand coffee grinder…or in a Turkish grinder. Although time consuming, coffee ground by hand is delicious!

  In vacuum-canned coffees, the coffee is first ground, then packed in a can or bag. All air is removed. So, after grinding, the vacuum packing should prevent further deterioration of the ground coffee. However, vacuum-packed coffees often start with the more inferior blends that contain a high percentage of robusta beans. Whole bean gourmet coffees, on the other hand, are generally the higher quality arabica bean. In addition, because you are purchasing the coffee already ground, you’ll have no way to ascertain the quality and uniformity of the coffee beans before grinding. In some vacuum-packed, ground coffees, the beans are burned, and malformed. Some even contain foreign objects such as sticks and twigs. All of these result in off-tasting coffees. When you purchase whole beans, you see what you are getting.

  Still, having said all that, in my coffee taste tests, I oftentimes use a vacuum-packed ground coffee. Sometimes it is the least expensive coffee on the grocer’s shelf. Time after time, up to 50 percent of the consumers will prefer the taste of the vacuum-packed coffees. Since coffee selection is a matter of personal taste, if you enjoy vacuum-packed coffees and appreciate supermarket savings, purchase it that way. Just remember, after opening, seal the can well and store it in a cool, dry place or in the freezer and brew it right for the finest flavor.