It's very interesting indeed!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
The Sun is Out, the Sky is Blue, It's beautiful, and So is Coffee
On this beautiful Oregon day, I decided to stop watching Supernatural at 1:30 in the afternoon and go hang out with my sister. We walked around, bought a couple vinyls, and went to The Beanery and got some iced coffees, considering it was eighty-three degrees!
About the coffee, it was absolutely fitting for the weather. Allann Brothers' coffee iced is one of the best things about sunny, warm weather.
It's robust, refreshing, and soothing. I recommend it!
About the coffee, it was absolutely fitting for the weather. Allann Brothers' coffee iced is one of the best things about sunny, warm weather.
It's robust, refreshing, and soothing. I recommend it!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Returned From the Grave
I've been putting this blog off for a little bit. I was sick throughout my spring break last week, and I was just too lazy to research and rant on about my love.
As of this morning, I brewed a bold Peruvian blend from a local market here in town. Obviously they didn't roast and grind the beans in the store, but it was most likely done in their warehouse in Massachusetts or somewhere far off the grid.
Back to my point, this Peruvian blend is different. I've had many different types of coffees ranging from South and Central America to the depths of Asia. This blend is nutty and very strong. Not to mention it is finely ground, so the freshness can wear off quickly.
This is the type of blend that goes great with muffins. If you have a bold, strong cup of Joe, it tastes great with pastries, but not over-powering pastries like doughnuts and strudels. It's not a smart idea to drink these kinds of strong blends on an empty stomach, so muffins should definitely be paired with it! I'm eating a poppy seed muffin and it just brings out the ultimate nuttiness in the coffee.
Since this blend is very powerful, be careful in your proportions when brewing! If you add too much coffee compared to the amount of water, it could end up stronger than you'd like. Finer ground coffees are usually more potent and easily brewed out of whack. So use caution! And if worst case happens, just add half and half and brown sugar! Then pair it with a poppy seed muffin!
As of this morning, I brewed a bold Peruvian blend from a local market here in town. Obviously they didn't roast and grind the beans in the store, but it was most likely done in their warehouse in Massachusetts or somewhere far off the grid.Back to my point, this Peruvian blend is different. I've had many different types of coffees ranging from South and Central America to the depths of Asia. This blend is nutty and very strong. Not to mention it is finely ground, so the freshness can wear off quickly.
This is the type of blend that goes great with muffins. If you have a bold, strong cup of Joe, it tastes great with pastries, but not over-powering pastries like doughnuts and strudels. It's not a smart idea to drink these kinds of strong blends on an empty stomach, so muffins should definitely be paired with it! I'm eating a poppy seed muffin and it just brings out the ultimate nuttiness in the coffee.
Since this blend is very powerful, be careful in your proportions when brewing! If you add too much coffee compared to the amount of water, it could end up stronger than you'd like. Finer ground coffees are usually more potent and easily brewed out of whack. So use caution! And if worst case happens, just add half and half and brown sugar! Then pair it with a poppy seed muffin!
Monday, March 26, 2012
For Cinnamon Lovers Only
The yummiest mixed coffee drink can be concocted from the ingredients in your kitchen. That sounds really cheesy and sounds like I'm in a commercial, but I'm definitely serious!
All it takes is freshly brewed coffee, cream (half & half, whipping cream, whole milk, etc), brown sugar, and cinnamon.
After my lunch date with my sister I decided to have another cup of coffee, regardless of the time in the afternoon. I decided to add some cinnamon to my coffee. It had been a while since I put cinnamon in it, and I was very pleased with the outcome!
What you have to do FIRST though, is put the brown sugar and cinnamon in your cup BEFORE putting in the cream and coffee. This allows the cinnamon to be evenly distributed among the hot coffee and sugar. Otherwise all of the added cinnamon won't mix as well if you put it into the poured coffee.
There's my advice for the day. May your next cup of coffee be delicious!
All it takes is freshly brewed coffee, cream (half & half, whipping cream, whole milk, etc), brown sugar, and cinnamon.
After my lunch date with my sister I decided to have another cup of coffee, regardless of the time in the afternoon. I decided to add some cinnamon to my coffee. It had been a while since I put cinnamon in it, and I was very pleased with the outcome!
What you have to do FIRST though, is put the brown sugar and cinnamon in your cup BEFORE putting in the cream and coffee. This allows the cinnamon to be evenly distributed among the hot coffee and sugar. Otherwise all of the added cinnamon won't mix as well if you put it into the poured coffee.
There's my advice for the day. May your next cup of coffee be delicious!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Roast, Roast, Roasted
There are several different types of roasts for coffee. I used to think that that darker the roast was not as good as lighter roasts. Turns out I was wrong!
Light coffee roasts are much more acidic, whereas dark roasts are strong and more flavorful. As the roast gets darker, the amount of caffeine decreases. Not every single bean will taste the same if they're the same roast. A bean from Ethiopia will taste different than a bean from India even if they're both French roast
Cinnamon: This is a light brown bean and the bean is very dry. Most likely, this blend will be more sour than others and doesn't have much body.
New England: Very common in the East Coast in the United States! It's darker than the cinnamon roast, so it won't have any grainy flavor to it, yet it will still have some sourness to it.
American, Light: These beans are medium light brown. This is most commonly used for cupping or professional tasting.
City, Medium: A bit darker, more like a chocolate color. Common in the western parts of the Unites States, and is very good for tasting between other varieties.
Full City: Medium dark brown beans and will have a caramel or chocolate undertone. Oil on the beans will be more visible.
French, Espresso: The beans are getting a darker brown, and French roasted beans are oilier, so they appear more shiny. There is less acidity, but with more of a burned undertone. This roast is often used for Espresso. People think that this is the darkest roast of all, but that's definitely not true!
Italian, Dark French: Darker and oilier, is stronger than the regular French roast.
Spanish: THIS is the darkest roast. It has charcoal undertones and is generally pretty flat.
So there you have it: a list of the roasts and their colors and general flavors!
Now, if you'll excuse me, my freshly brewed coffee is waiting for me upstairs.
Light coffee roasts are much more acidic, whereas dark roasts are strong and more flavorful. As the roast gets darker, the amount of caffeine decreases. Not every single bean will taste the same if they're the same roast. A bean from Ethiopia will taste different than a bean from India even if they're both French roast
Cinnamon: This is a light brown bean and the bean is very dry. Most likely, this blend will be more sour than others and doesn't have much body.
New England: Very common in the East Coast in the United States! It's darker than the cinnamon roast, so it won't have any grainy flavor to it, yet it will still have some sourness to it.
American, Light: These beans are medium light brown. This is most commonly used for cupping or professional tasting.
City, Medium: A bit darker, more like a chocolate color. Common in the western parts of the Unites States, and is very good for tasting between other varieties.
Full City: Medium dark brown beans and will have a caramel or chocolate undertone. Oil on the beans will be more visible.
French, Espresso: The beans are getting a darker brown, and French roasted beans are oilier, so they appear more shiny. There is less acidity, but with more of a burned undertone. This roast is often used for Espresso. People think that this is the darkest roast of all, but that's definitely not true!
Italian, Dark French: Darker and oilier, is stronger than the regular French roast.
Spanish: THIS is the darkest roast. It has charcoal undertones and is generally pretty flat.
So there you have it: a list of the roasts and their colors and general flavors!
Now, if you'll excuse me, my freshly brewed coffee is waiting for me upstairs.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
The Perks of Being a Coffee Lover
I ended up receiving a Starbucks gist card in the mail as a belated birthday gift. There were other things, but they're irrelevant. Anywho, I got to order my favorite latte today before choir: a double-tall caramel macchiato. My mom used to order a caramel macchiato every time we went to Starbucks. It ended up being my favorite drink!
I love the way the caramel and the rich espresso collide with each other. It forms a rich, strong, and salty sweetness in your mouth which makes it extremely satisfying. There's more of a milky, caramel taste without the extra shot, but I love the way the espresso combines with the caramel, so that's pretty much why I like getting the extra espresso.
I encourage anyone to add more espresso to those sweeter drinks. Like the caramel brulee, peppermint, eggnog, pumpkin spice, and pretty much any sweet latte. There's my two cents!
Have a wonderful coffee-filled day!
I love the way the caramel and the rich espresso collide with each other. It forms a rich, strong, and salty sweetness in your mouth which makes it extremely satisfying. There's more of a milky, caramel taste without the extra shot, but I love the way the espresso combines with the caramel, so that's pretty much why I like getting the extra espresso.
I encourage anyone to add more espresso to those sweeter drinks. Like the caramel brulee, peppermint, eggnog, pumpkin spice, and pretty much any sweet latte. There's my two cents!
Have a wonderful coffee-filled day!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
I Dream of Coffee with a Side of Solitude
I like to sit alone. It has nothing to do with being introverted or shy, I just like spending time alone. I'm a very extroverted person, in fact. That doesn't mean I won't have introverted qualities.
My favorite thing to do is just hang out, read, watch films, and listen to music with a cup of coffee accompanying me. I don't think I ever have a down moment without coffee. It's kind of sad, but at the same time it's quite comforting. Coffee eases me. I don't get highly interactive after having caffeine unless I'm doing something and I'm around people. If I'm by myself doing homework, I actually become relaxed from the caffeine; plus the warmth that's sitting in my belly.
As of now I'm sitting in The Beanery working on my online homework while my two great friends are quizzing each other on vocabulary. Sometimes I like to think that we're really cool. But most of the time I find that we're just as normal as everyone else in this town.
My favorite thing to do is just hang out, read, watch films, and listen to music with a cup of coffee accompanying me. I don't think I ever have a down moment without coffee. It's kind of sad, but at the same time it's quite comforting. Coffee eases me. I don't get highly interactive after having caffeine unless I'm doing something and I'm around people. If I'm by myself doing homework, I actually become relaxed from the caffeine; plus the warmth that's sitting in my belly.
As of now I'm sitting in The Beanery working on my online homework while my two great friends are quizzing each other on vocabulary. Sometimes I like to think that we're really cool. But most of the time I find that we're just as normal as everyone else in this town.
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