Tacchinella ai Chicchi d’uva

Una ricetta veloce, semplice ma deliziosa e, visto che ci siamo quasi... di buon augurio!

Perché questo 2012 vi sia genuino e facile come questa ricetta.

Carica di energia positiva, come chi me l'ha regalata.









Auguro a tutti voi che, durante questo nuovo anno, siate circondati dagli affetti più cari, che la cura, la passione e l'entusiasmo per le piccole cose non vi lascino mai, a

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El Chupacabra - HAPPYROCK Coffee Roastery - Gladstone, Oregon

 

Preparation:  Aero Press

Scores:  Scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being excellent

Aroma:   10
Balance:   10
Flavor:     10
Smoothness:  10

Likes:  Roasted Hazelnut
            Toffee
            Hint of Chocolate
            Sweet
            Savory 
           Very Flavorful

Dislikes: 

Summary:   It doesn't happen very often that I give a "10" rating, but today El Chupacabra easily made it to the top of my list in all categories.  With Danny's help, a new Burr coffee grinder (Thank you Branden, Kathleen, Ramona and Danny) and an infrared thermometer, Danny and I were able to taste test these beans with various degrees of grinds and temperatures. 

The cup of El Chupacabra that was made with the #1 grind (espresso fine) and a water temperature of 145* was much better tasting than the same beans with a #4 grind and water temperature of 170*.  I think that the higher hot water temperature did not allow all the flavor to be expelled fully coupled with a coarser grind.  It had a bit of a bitter taste.  The lower temperature and finer grind produced a more consistent flavor without any bitterness.  Who would have thought????

Danny putting some muscle into the Aero Press

Burr!!!

El Chupacabra is a medium roast that is sure to ignite your taste buds.  These beans are also excellent for espresso......... if you dare!!!


Overall score:    10

HAPPYROCK!!!

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Panettone glassato

Eccomi di nuovo a scrivere nel blog, anche se faccio fatica a dire qualcosa, dopo così tanto tempo. Ma non avrei potuto non augurarvi un meraviglioso Natale se non con la ricetta di un panettone, un panettone da fare rapidamente in un giorno, e non per questo meno buono di uno tradizionale. Anche se è possibile farlo col solo lievito madre.




Ma sarà comunque utile a chi a sempre fretta, basta

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Ethiopia Yircacheffe - Intelligentsia Coffee Roasters - Manic Coffee - Toronto, Canada

Preparation:  Aero Press

Scores:  Scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being excellent

Aroma:     8
Balance:   7
Flavor:     7
Smoothness:  8

Likes:   Flavorful
             Salty
             Savory
             Honey
             Tea like

Dislikes:   Lots of acidity
                 Slightly Sour


Summary:   We were visiting Danny in Toronto last month when Danny suggested we walk on over to Manic Coffee in the Kensington Market neighborhood to get a cup of coffee and for me to buy some great beans.  Manic is not a coffee roaster, but they pride themselves on brewing and serving a perfectly delicious cup of coffee.  The cafe itself was small and crowded with youngish people coming in from the cold.  I ordered the coffee of the day and also purchased whole beans called Ethiopia Yirgacheffe from Intelligentsia Coffee Roasters.  It was a bit spendy, but I decided to go for it.

Ethiopia Yirgacheffe is a very vibrant and flavorful coffee.  It will appeal to those of you who like a lighter roast with citrus notes and a little acidic punch.  I made my cup strong with the Aero Press and am glad I did.  The flavors were wild and interesting.  The ending flavors of jasmine and lemon on the palate fooled me in to thinking I was drinking some kind of exotic tea.  It definitely tasted more like a tea than a traditional coffee.  I liked it, but didn't love it. 


Overall score:   8

 

A Beautiful Sunny, Cold and Windy Day in Toronto

                     

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Around The World - Ideal Coffee Roasters - Toronto, Canada

Preparation:   Aero Press

Scores:  Scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being excellent

Aroma:  10
Balance:  9
Flavor:   9
Smoothness: 10

Likes:   Smokey
              Low acid
              Dark flavors of chocolate
              Rich
              Flavorful
              Almonds
              Complex

Dislikes:


Summary:    Great coffee!!  Awesome space!!!  Ideal coffee rocks!  It is located in Toronto, Canada and quite the find.  I bought several bags of coffee beans to try and first up is Around The World.  This coffee is, in my opinion, a coffee that will appeal to everyone.  It is a blend of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, El Salvador (lightly roasted) and dark Sumatran beans.  It will tantalize all your taste buds!  The dark Sumatra ensures that the ending notes do not fall flat.  The lighter roast will captivate your interest and the richness of the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe will ensure that you will come back for more.  I tasted chocolate and almonds with a slightly smokey edge.  I will definitely get this coffee again!

Danny lives within walking distance of Ideal Coffee.  It was fun meeting him there.  It is a small, warm and friendly place where seating is limited.  I think it is a place where you come in from the cold and get a cup to go.  It really is all about great coffee!  We sat inside and each ordered a coffee drink.  Danny had their coffee of the day and I had the most flavorful Macchiato I have ever had.   

 Lindsey was very helpful and friendly!

Couldn't resist taking this picture

Today's batch of roasted coffee

Overall score:  9

* Ideal Coffee roasts small amounts of beans and sells it within one day - you'll never get stale beans here!!!

 

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Black Tiger - Coffee People @ PDX Airport - Portland, Oregon

Preparation:  Cuisinart Drip

Scores:  Scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being excellent

Aroma:    9
Balance:   9
Flavor:   9
Smoothness:  9

Likes:
    Dark
    Full Bodied
    Bold
    Low acidity

Dislikes:

Summary:   Coffee People are located at the Portland International Airport past security.  I personally have frequented the one near the "C" gates.   Fortunately for me, that is where I fly in and out of the most.  I almost always buy a cup of their great tasting coffee (100 times better than Starbucks).  Also, I usually buy a pound of whole beans to take home and enjoy.  I have not tried their milkshakes or the Velvet Hammer, but I have read rave reviews and may have to order one to find out what all the excitement is about.


I did a little research and found that the airport Coffee People were never sold to Starbucks like almost all of their other locations.  A company named Diedrich owned them up until 2009 when another company named Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. out bid PEETS and agreed to buy Diedrich for a mere sum of $290 million.  Now that's talking whole lotta beans!

Hey, go for the Black Tiger coffee beans!  As the Coffee People say "GOOD COFFEE.....NO BACK TALK"!


Overall score:  9

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Best Single Serve Brewed Coffee - Aero Press Coffee Maker!!!

Cool Coffee Mug From Jane

 In my humble opinion, the Aero Press is an amazing invention!!!  It makes the best single cup of coffee or espresso imaginable.  The clean rich robust flavor is captured from fresh coffee beans in the Aero Press in just a matter of seconds.  No fuss or watching the clock.  It is a quick brew.  And, clean up is simple -  a quick rinse.  There is no doubt, if you just want/need one cup of great tasting coffee, the Aero Press is for you.  It is affordable and can be found online or in stores near you.  Thanks to Danny T.  for this great birthday present.  I didn't know what I was missing.  Now I use the Aero Press almost every day and I take it with me on all my travels.

So, you ask, how does this work?  Well, first you grind some fresh high quality coffee beans and put them in the cylinder.  Then you add very hot water and fill to the top.  Take your stirrer and gently mix up the grounds and water.  It should be foaming at this point.  Then, put on the plunger at the top of the cylinder and push slowly.  The air will push the brewed coffee through the filter.


 Then, Whaa Laa!!!  A great cup of coffee awaits you.  Nifty!  You can push as fast or as slow as you want to create different strengths of coffee and there won't be any grounds at the bottom of your cup or sludge floating around.  So here it is in bullet form:

• Put Aero Press on top of coffee cup
• Add freshly ground coffee beans up to the number 1
• Pour in hot water- I like mine real hot, but everyone is different.  Experiment!
• Gently stir for a few short seconds and let it sit for a few seconds - let it foam and bubble
• Next put the plunger on the top
• Then push very slowly- the air will push the brew through the filter
• Remove Aero Press
• Enjoy an AWESOME cup of coffee!

Who invented the Aero Press.....you ask? 

A Stanford University mechanical engineer named Alan Adler spent many years of research in perfecting the Aero Press.  (He is also the inventor of the Aerobie flying disk)

Factoid:  Aero Press coffee is micro-filtered. It so pure and particle-free that it can be stored for days as a concentrate.  You can cook with it or get creative and use it in other beverages.

Another Factoid:  Long steeping times (french press) extract bitterness from coffee beans.  By the way, French presses cannot make espresso or lattes.

Summary:  It has been said that the Aero Press delivers the fastest, richest and purest cup of coffee anywhere and I have to agree with that!

It takes 30 seconds from start to finish to make a cup of the best coffee ever with an Aero Press!

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