Food...and Other Things

Slideshow is Up

2008-08-13T19:20:00.001-07:00

Well, I updated the template and added a slide show of a bunch of photos of meals that myself, friends and my wife have eaten while on vacation. I also added pics of some of the meals I've cooked at home. The blog is still a work in progress, and I haven't really updated it in, oh, two years or so, but changes are on the way. I'll be adding captions to the photos soon, and likely some recipes as well.

Long Time No Blogging...

2008-08-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I started this blog a couple of years ago intending to actually post on a regular basis, but obviously that hasn't happened. Anyway, I'm going to start posting here again, hopefully more often than not. I'll also be adding pictures to the blog within the next day or so.

LOTS of Persian Food...

2006-03-30T18:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, so my other computer is STILL being worked on, so pictures coming pretty soon but not today. Anyway, last weekend myself, significant other, friends and my sister got together to make Persian meal. There's a pretty large Iranian community in Southern California, actually, and just a couple of weeks ago they had a celebration for Persian new year, Now Ruz. As I hadn't had Persian food in a long time, and a co-worker wanted to experience a new cuisine, I decided to try my hand at some traditional recipes. Personally, I have no idea whether this meal is anything like what they eat today in Iran, but the food turned out pretty good nonetheless.

My first exposure to Persian food happened during my college years wherein some friends and an acquaintance, who happened to be Iranian, took us to a Persian restaurant. I remember the food being good, but as I had no idea what was what at the time, I stuck with chicken kebabs...which was pretty unadventerous, I know. Since then, though, I've been to a few Persian restaurants in Orange County, specifically Darya and Caspian. Both are good, though Caspian is the more affordable of the two, though Darya has more of that "fine dining" vibe.

So, what did we have at our meal? The dishes we made were Fesenjan, which was poultry (duck is apparently traditional, but we used chicken) and rice in a pomegranate and walnut sauce; a small salad with cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, garlic, lemon, and olive oil; borani, or a mashed eggplant and yogurt mixture; "jeweled rice," which consisted of basmati, various types of dried fruit (apricots, golden raisins, sour cherries, barberries and dates), saffron and chicken; onion-and-tomato marinated lamb kebabs; a yogurt sauce with garlic, cucumber, and mint; and an awesome chewy-yet-fluffy bread called Sangak that we bought at Wholesome Choice a Middle Eastern market in Irvine. By the way, the Sangak came in a...vast is the only word to describe it...sheet about 14 inches wide by 36 inches long, all for just bit more than $2. I also bought the majority of the ingredients I used at this market, too. For example, it's pretty tough to find pomegranate syrup in regular markets, and Wholesome Choice specializes in Middle Eastern ingredients. By the way, Wholesome Choice has an extensive food court serving Persian, Indian, Chinese, Mexican and American food, just in case you're in the area and are looking for something fast and a little different.

The Fesenjan was probably the most impressive dish I made, largely because the sauce, which is key to making this dish work, was far easier to make than I thought it would be. The Jeweled Rice also turned out far better than I expected, as I managed to get the crispy crust (called tah dig) on the bottom. Last time I tried to produce the crust the rice didn't turn out so well.

There will be pictures coming soon illustrating the steps, but in the meantime, here's the recipe for Fesenjan that I took from Claudia Roden's cookbook, The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, and modified:

Rice:
2 cups of basmati rice
Enough water to fully cover the rice
A couple teaspoons of salt for the cooking water
A small pinch of saffron boiled in about 1/4 cup of water

Chicken:
2 lbs. of boneless chicken thighs, chopped into 2- to 3-inch pieces
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil to fry the seasoned chicken in

Pomegranate Sauce:
1 whole onion, diced
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
6 to 8 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 cup chicken stock

This recipe requires decent timing, as you don't want the sauce finished before the rice and chicken. The rice is pretty simple though I actually made it the traditional way, which is more labor intensive than just cooking the rice in twice as much water until it's the right texture.

For the rice, first rinse the rice 2 or 3 times in lukewarm water. A collander with a fine mesh works the best for this step and later in the process. Next, salt a large pot full of water and bring it to a boil. Add the rice. Cook the rice until it's almost done (you need to eat a couple of grains yourself to test it), just slightly underdone. While the rice is cooking, put the pinch of saffrod threads in the 1/4 of water and microwave it for about 1 minute. Next, drain the rice back into the collander in the sink and shake out the excess water. Using the now-empty pot, put it back on the stove, melt about a tablespoon of butter in it over low heat, and add the rice. Pour the saffron-infused water (threads and all) over the rice and put the lid on. Now, you let the rice steam itself (the liquid left in the rice will accomplish this) for 20-30 minutes.

If you're using a non-stick pan, the crust shouldn't stick when you're ready to take the rice out. However, if you're using a regular pot/pan, to get the rice crust (the tah dig) to unstick itself, run cold water over the bottom of the pan. That will loosen the crust and allow you to remove it without totally destroying it.

The chicken is very basic. First, chop up the chicken thighs into 2- 3-inch chunks. Season them with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Note that the above seasoning amounts are just suggestions. I found that although you could taste the seasonings a bit, the chicken flavor did come through, which is what I was going for. I didn't want the garlic and onion flavor to class too much with the sauce. Next, pour some olive oil in a large pan and turn the heat to medium low. When the pan and oil are hot, add the chicken and cook until the juices run clear.

For the sauce, saute the chopped onion in a little olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat until they are somewhat caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Next, toss in the chopped walnuts. Cook the walnuts with the onions for a couple more minutes and then add the chicken stock. To this mixture you want to add the pomegranate molasses and the sugar. You'll end up cooking this until the sauce coats a spoon, which on medium low heat on my stove took about 15 minutes. Be careful not to reduce it too much; you want a sauce, not some sort of pomegranate onion candy.

Okay, assembly and plating is pretty basic. First, get a platter big enough for all the rice and put the rice down as a base. Next, place the chicken on top of the rice. Put the sauce in a bowl on the side with a serving spoon. Let people help themselves to the chicken, rice and sauce. That's it. Enjoy. This recipe will serve about 4-6 people if you're not eating anything else with it, though I'd suggest a salad of some sort.

O.K. Computer?

2006-03-17T15:57:00.000-08:00

Posting real fast from work. I'm not dead, but my computer still is. Will actually put new stuff up once I get the thing back (and functional).

Camera, but No Computer...

2006-02-21T14:41:00.000-08:00

So I got an Olympus PowerShot 4.0 megapixel camera now, but my computer blew up last week. From what I was able to find out, a transformer in the area caught on fire and the resulting power surge fried something in my computer. Very odd, because it was plugged into a surge protector and everything else (the monitor, speakers, etc.) was fine. At any rate, I'm posting a short update from work. Pictures of cooking-related stuff and more posts to come in the near future (the computer should be fixed by Wednesday).

Robusta vs. Arabica...

2006-02-02T12:11:00.000-08:00

I found this article online today. Interesting topic, as I always assumed that robusta beans always produced inferior coffee to arabica beans. Admittedly, my opinions is that of someone who has read (mostly) read articles in food magazines and from sources such as Peet's, Starbucks and Coffee Bean.

In other news, a digital camera is on the way, so there will actually be pictures up here soon. Yeah, I know I've sucked at updating this blog lately, but that's mainly because I enjoy posting recipes and cooking experiences more than anything else, and without some photos, the posts just don't do the recipes and the cooking process justice. Anyway, stay tuned, and as we say in the publishing industry, photos tk.

Coffee Conversation

2006-01-10T13:40:00.000-08:00

There's an interesting conversation about weak vs. strong coffee and perceptions of the beverage in various parts of the world going on over at eGullet. Lots of agreement that Starbucks makes "burnt" not "strong" coffee.

Here's thelink.

Interesting stuff. eGullet's a great site for all kinds of food-related converation, by the way.

Oh yeah, wacky ad hoc lamb recipe I made the other night still to come.

Belated Cookie Recipe

2006-01-06T15:02:00.000-08:00

Well, now that I've returned from the almost dead I have a couple of recipes to post. The first one is the classic "snowball cookie." I know that they show up on cookie platters everywhere around the holidays, but I figured I'd post this one here just because my family has been making them my entire life.

Snowball Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups of flour
2 sticks of unsalted butter (1 cup)
2 cups of chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup of sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Powdered sugar (however much you need to coat all the cookies)

Makes about 48 small cookies

Directions:

Okay, this recipe looks really simple, but a lot of online and print recipes I've read don't get the steps right. First, pre-heat the oven to about 350 degrees F. Next, use a mixer to cream combine the butter, sugar (not the powdered sugar; the regular sugar) and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl. I typically use a stainless-steel bowl. THEN you add the flour and chopped nuts to the butter/sugar/vanilla mixture.
After it's all combined into a dough, you use a round tablespoon measure (about the size of a melon baller) to measure out the amount of dough you'll need for each cookie. You'll need to round each cookie with your fingers, by the way.
Next, put the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet. You'll probably end up using about four, maybe five, cookie sheets overall. I can usually fit two sheets in the oven at a time. The butter in the cookies keeps them from sticking.
Put them in the oven for about 10-12 minutes (sometimes 15, depends on whether your oven has been pre-heated long enough). Take them out and let them sit for about 10 minutes or so. They have to set so they don't fall apart when you roll them in the powdered sugar.
Once they're cool, gently roll each cookie in the powdered sugar. After your're done rolling all of them, eat!

In the next installment, I'll be writing about a meal I nearly destroyed and then salvaged. Smoky times in the kitchen and all that.

Bleargh...

2005-12-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

Rather ill at the moment. Made some cookies this weekend with my girlfriend. Will post recipe once I'm feeling somewhat less awful.

How about some coffee in my Coca Cola...

2005-12-07T12:31:00.000-08:00

Not sure who thought this one up, but apparently Coke is planning on putting coffee extract into Coca Cola. They're going to call it Cola Blak. I think I hate the name more than anything else about this new beverage. Cola Black? Just freaking call it Cola Black. Why the lame-ass attempt at being "edgy?"

I'm also not entirely sure what the point of this drink is. If you want more caffeine, there are plenty of beverages out there (Jolt, Mountain Dew, any of the "energy drinks") that can keep you awake for 48 hours straight. I guess the Coke execs thought adding coffee extract would somehow enhance the soda's flavor?

Anyway, I doubt this will catch on. I'm not much of a soda drinker, though, so maybe it'll attract a small, hyperactive following.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE:KO - news), the world's No. 1 soft drink company, on Wednesday said it will launch a coffee-infused soft drink called Coca-Cola Blak in various markets around the world in 2006.

The news of the launch came hours before Coke Chief Executive Neville Isdell was scheduled to address financial analysts and investors in New York.

The new drink, a combination of Coca-Cola Classic and coffee extracts, will be first launched in France in January before being rolled out in the United States and other markets during 2006.

A Coke spokesperson said Coca-Cola Blak will be a mid-calorie drink, similar to Coca-Cola C2, which was launched in April 2004 and contains half the sugar, calories and carbohydrates of regular colas. The formula for the new beverage is expected to vary based on local tastes.

Analysts have said one of the keys to the company's future is capturing more consumers who have moved away from sugary soft drinks to diet versions, or to healthier low- or no-calorie beverages.

La Mill Coffee

2005-12-03T22:10:00.000-08:00

I'm considering ordering some coffee from La Mill Coffee in Alhambra, California. They've apparently won the Taste Maker award in Food & Wine and were also featured in Los Angeles magazine. They definitely have a slick website.

Anyway, not sure what I'm going to order at this point. I'm leaning toward the La Mill Espress roast. I'm a fan of Segafredo's Espresso Mocha blend, so I'm interested in finding out how La Mill's Espress blend compares. I'll report on my findings sometime in the near future.

Coffee News

2005-12-02T17:20:00.000-08:00

Looks like Peet's roasting center is moving. Check out the press release below. Not sure how this will affect the company, but hopefully it'll mean some interesting blends of coffee. It's also a sign of the company's financial health, which is a good thing because Peet's produces pretty decent coffee overall.

Peet's Coffee and Tea, Inc. to Build New Roasting Facility in Alameda, California
Tuesday November 29, 4:00 pm ET

Company announces contract for development of new roasting facility to meet long term growth plans

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. (Nasdaq: PEET - News), a specialty coffee roaster and marketer, announced today that it has selected The Waterfront at Harbor Bay Business Park in Alameda, California, as the site of its new 135,000 square foot coffee roasting and distribution facility. The new facility is intended to support the company's long term growth plans by helping to meet the growing customer demand for Peet's distinctive quality coffees and teas.

"We look forward to calling Alameda the home of our new roasting facility and making a positive contribution to the community," said Patrick O'Dea, President and Chief Executive Officer of Peet's Coffee & Tea. "We are excited to build a facility that we believe can meet our Western U.S. growth needs for the foreseeable future and feel comforted in doing so just six miles from our existing roasting plant, which will allow us to retain our dedicated Peet's employees."

Alameda Mayor Beverly Johnson said, "We welcome Peet's to our community. We're proud to add them to the growing list of companies that are choosing to locate in Alameda. Our central Bay Area location, attractive neighborhoods and quality schools support our position as a very competitive business location for a wide range of businesses."

Peet's will work in partnership with leading Bay Area developer, SRM Associates and Pacific Coast Capital Partners to develop the new roasting facility. Construction is scheduled to begin April 2006 with completion December 2006. Relocation of Peet's roasting and distribution operations to the new facility is expected to be completed by the end of March 2007. The cost of this phase of the project, which includes both land and construction related costs, is estimated at just over $17 million, with total costs once completed, of approximately $24 million.

"We are pleased to be working with Peet's to develop their new custom facility," said Joe Ernst, development manager for SRM Associates. "Peet's Bay Area roots, valuable staff and reputation for producing coffees and teas of uncompromising quality and freshness will complement the existing businesses located at The Waterfront at Harbor Bay."

Thanksgiving

2005-11-26T16:09:00.000-08:00

So, 42 pounds of turkey (two turkeys, one 20 pounder and another 22 pounder), three kinds of stuffing, and five pies later (and no, that's not counting the vegetables, salad, fruit salad, Jell-O molds, etc.), a food-filled Thanksgiving was had by all. Thankfully, there were enough of us there that we made a dent in all the food, 12 people or so, but mostly we ended up taking about a week's worth of leftovers home.

So, what did I make for Thanksgiving? This year I tried some more...experimental dishes, except for the sweet potato pie I made, which everyone liked last year. Oh yeah, pictures to come soon, too, once my sister e-mails them to me.

Starting with the maple bourbon sweet potato pie, here's the first recipe:

Maple Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie, based on Food Network's recipe by Karen Barker

1 9-inch pie crust (Trader Joe's brand in my case)
1 15-ounce can of pureed sweet potatoes (yes, you can cook and puree them yourself, but the can I bought for the pie worked fine)
3 tablespoons of butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp dark maple syrup
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
A few grinds of black pepper

So, first preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Next, combine all the ingredients into a bowl and mix them well. Let the pie crust thaw for about 15 minutes but before putting it into the glass pie dish, wet the outer edge of the dish with water. This will help keep the pie crust from sticking. If you think the crust may stick, spray a little bit of nonstick coating (I'd use a canola spray over olive oil one) onto the dish before laying the pie crust down. Pour the filling into the pie crust (I used a Trader Joe's pie crust, which doesn't call for blind baking). I did use a "pie shield," and it did keep the pie crust from over browning. Let it cook for about 45-50 minutes or so. Take the pie out and let it sit for at least 30 minutes so it can set. Serve with whipped cream, or whatever sort of dessert topping you and your guests prefer. Serves about 8.

Next, I tried a sort of cornbread "pudding," which came out a bit more like a savory cornbread cake than anything else. Part of the problem with my recipe was that I used a crusty sourdough bread, which, although it had decent flavor, made the slices of the pie that had the pieces of bread with crust on them somewhat chewy. I determined that next time I really need to use French, or some other kind of softer bread, like the recipe says. At any rate, here's the recipe, courtesy of Alton Brown's show Good Eats. Mine is slightly modified, and I've substituted the type of bread I plan to use next time in the recipe over what I actually used.

Sweet Cornbread Pudding

1/2 medium onion, diced fine
1-ounce of unsalted butter
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 15-ounce can of creamed corn
1 cup of heavy cream (I actually used fat-free half and half and 1/2 cup of cream)
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup of yellow cornmeal, whole grain, stone ground
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (you can choose any kind of cheese, really, though I would avoid particularly sharp cheeses, such as bleu cheese)
1 tsp kosher salt
Ground pepper to taste (3-4 turns)
2 cups cubed French bread (if the crust is too tough, remove it before mixing it in; trust me)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice bread into 1-inch cubes. Next, combine corn, cream, half and half, eggs, baking powder, cheese, salt, cornmeal, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Make sure you have enough room to add 2 cups of 1-inch cubes of bread to the mixture without it overflowing. Fold in the bread cubes and let it soak while you sweat the onions.

Next, sweat onions with butter and herbs in an oven-safe skillet over low heat until they're translucent. Pour the batter into the skillet, on top of the onion mixture. Bake for 50 minutes or until set. Cool slightly before serving. Makes 6-8 servings.

With those two dishes out of the way, I made creamed spinach, which everyone seemed to like. I kind of just made it up as I went along, but it turned out well enough, so here it is.

Creamed Spinach

2 bags of frozen spinach
1/2 medium onion, diced fine
4 medium cloves of garlic, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp sage
2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp melted butter
Salt and ground pepper to taste

First, cook the frozen spinach in a separate pot (the package directions said to cover it with 1/4-inch of water, bring it to a boil and then cook it for about 5 minutes). Drain the spinach and squeeze the water out. The less water you have left, the better. Next, sweat the onions, garlic and herbs in the olive oil for about 3-5 minutes over low heat, or until they're translucent. Next, add the spinach, milk, melted butter, half and half, heavy cream and nutmeg. Cook this mixture for about 15-20 minutes or so over medium low heat. You want some of the liquid to have evaporated but if there's some left, it's not a big deal. The key, again, is to make sure you've squeezed as much liquid out of your cooked spinach before start cooking all of this. Serves 10-12 people who like spinach.

I also made a cranberry sauce recipe, but I'll leave that for the next post. Stay tuned for some pictures.

Fall Breakfast

2005-11-19T14:57:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of recent blog postings. I'm going to make more of an effort to post on at least a bi-weekly schedule starting after Thanksgiving. I'll also post my sweet potato pie recipe that I'll be making for Thanksgiving right after the holiday as well.

In the meantime, here's something I made for breakfast last week. It turned out really well, actually.

Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes, (Original recipe Bon Appetit, 2000, modified my me)

1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp vanilla paste (better flavor than the liquid stuff)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups whole milk
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin (I used an organic brand from Wild Oats market; ended up being good stuff)
4 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegetable oil
Maple syrup (Log Cabin is okay, but I'd recommend using the real stuff)

Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Whisk milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla in medium bowl to blend well. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just until smooth (batter will be thick). Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in 2 additions. Brush large nonstick skillet with oil; heat over medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles form on surface of pancakes and bottoms are brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with oil between batches. Serve with syrup.

Makes about 12.

More Coffee...

2005-10-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

So still no digital camera yet. I'll have to bug my sister about it, but hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on it in the near future. That said, I'm going to talk about one of my favorite topics that doesn't require pictures (although they would be cool): coffee.

At work a small group of us started something called a "coffee club," wherein we each bring a pound of good coffee, go through them in order and then replace the bag each of us brought when it's gone. We started this coffee-sharing group because the free coffee at work is...the opposite of good.

The system for who buys coffee when works pretty well, although there has been some shuffling of coffee bags, which means some people may end up buying more coffee than others. It's not that big of a deal because there are only about six people in the club. Right now we go through about one bag every two to three weeks.

The group brews a variety of coffee types, though some favorites seem to be Starbucks' Gold Coast Blend and Starbucks' Sumatra. Unfortunately, the Gold Coast Blend isn't that great. The Sumatra was actually decent. Sadly, I also bough a pound of Gloria Jean's Italian Dark Roast blend that just wasn't good at all. At the time, I thought, "How bad can it be?" Here's a little more info about each.

Starbucks' Gold Coast Blend: Ah, Starbucks. With a reputation for overzealous roasting, their lighter blends are often equivalent to other companies' dark roasts. Well, with this blend at least Starbucks is willing to call a dark roast a dark roast. I've had dark roast coffees before, though, and this blend leans more towards burnt than dark roast. It has a "smokier" flavor than other Starbucks blends that I've tried. Overall, not awful but too harsh for my tastes.

Gloria Jean's Italian Dark Roast: Not a great blend. Something about it just tasts sorta...off. I'm not entirely sure what the problem is, but it has a somewhat "flat" taste. The overall flavors are muted and don't resemble other Italian dark roast coffees that I've had (espresso blends or otherwise).

Starbucks' Sumatra: Not a bad coffee blend. Definitely a dark roast, but the longer roasting time complements the earthy/herbal flavors of the coffee better. It's also not too astringent, which keeps the coffee under control.

More coffee-related stuff to come.

Digital camera possibly on the way...

2005-10-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

Still waiting on a digital camera. Yes, anyone reading this will probably tell me to just go out and 'freaking buy one!!!' but I've got a shot at a decent free one. Once I get the camera, posting will resume with more regularity. Oh, I'm going to focus most of this on my humble home cooking efforts. Restaurant reviews are helpful. I personally read a number of blogs that review restaurants on a regular basis. The only thing is many people do restaurant reviews better than I do, so I'd rather focus on what I do understand fairly well (cooking). Anyway, more focused content and pictures on the way in the next few weeks.

More recipes on the way...

2005-09-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

Short update: Been lax with the blog, partially because I still don't have a digital camera. At any rate I'll have a few more recipes up this week and next week.

Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya

2005-09-02T22:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, here's the recipe I promised earlier. FYI, this is a Creole recipe moreso than a Cajun one. Creole dishes typically have tomatoes or tomato sauce added whereas Cajun dishes usually don't.

Creole Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 or 1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 small or 1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 28-ounce can tomato puree
1 pound andouille pork sausage cut into medium slices
5 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound cooked bay shrimp

Seasonings:
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp paprika
1 bay leaves
1 tbsp cayenne pepper (this gives dish its heat, although the andouille should also impart some as well; use more if you want it spicier, less if you want a milder dish)
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning (optional)
Salt (optional; season to taste with it, though the chicken stock will likely make the dish salty enough for most people)

Mix the seasonings together before you start cooking so you can add them at one time. If you know more about layering flavors than I do, feel free to add them to the dish in the order you feel is best.

Directions:
Combine olive oil and flour in a large, stainless-steel pot. Cook over low hear until the oil and flour mixture turns light brown in color. This is your roux. You can also buy roux at some groceries, and I know that my take on a roux here is a weaker (lower calorie) version of the kind of roux used in Louisiana households that make jambalaya. Anyway, add the onions, garlic, bell pepper and celery. The celery, onions and bell pepper make up the "Cajun trinity," or Louisiana equivalent to French mirepoix (which is carrots, onions and celery). Continue cooking the mixture over low heat for about five minutes or so. Add the seasoning mixture to the vegetables and roux and stir until all the seasonings are incorporated. Cook for another couple of minutes before going on to the next step.

Next, add the sausage, chicken stock, tomato puree and chopped tomatoes. Turn the heat up and bring the whole mixture to a boil, then add the cup of long-grain white rice. Bring the mixture back to a boil, turn the heat down to low and cook it for about 20 minutes (until the rice is cooked, basically; I'd suggest that you not use instant rice; if you do, the flavors won't meld as well as it won't have as much time to cook). When the rice is done, add the cooked shrimp. Cook for about another 2 minutes or until the shrimp has pretty much reached the temperature of the rest of the jambalaya. Take the jambalaya off the heat and serve.

Servings depend on how hungry, and how tolerant of spicy food, the diners are. Usually makes about 5-8 servings in my household. We tend to serve the jambalaya with homemade garlic bread and often a glass of milk to cool off.

New Orleans

2005-09-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

New Orleans is a city I've always wanted to visit but never had the opportunity to do so. Sadly, now that Lake Ponchartrain has flowed into the city, I'm not sure when, or even if, I'll have a chance to visit that city. Of course for me, one of the big attractions to that city is/was the food.

The first time I ever had Cajun and Creole food was years ago, when my dad found a recipe for jambalaya in a cookbook. Ever since the first time I helped my dad make that dish more more than 15 years ago, I've been tinkering with variations on that recipe and recipes for gumbo. Right now I have a version I like, and I'll be posting it later in the day.

For now, here's a topic that has long been of interest to me and definitely falls in the "other things" category on this blog: environmental and economic sustainability. There's a great site that I visit just about daily called WorldChanging.com. Today's article is a plan for rebuilding the city of New Orleans in a way that takes advantage of New Orleans history, arts scene and unique character and incorporates sustainable environmental and economic design principles. Here's the link. Take a read. You might find something interesting in there. There are also a million sites out there that you can donate something for hurricane and flood relief to. If you can spare the cash, make a donation. Network for Good features tons of charities that anyone interested in donating can choose from, from religion-based charities to organizations like the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity.

Stay tuned for some Cajun and Creole recipes later today.

Cooking: Lentil Soup With Tomatoes

2005-08-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

Like many working adults, I don't have that much time to cook meals during the week, so when I do, I make sure I can get a few meals out of whatever it is that I decide to make. I do this partly to avoid spending money on lunch at work, and also to give other people a chance to taste (usually) non-traditional foods. Most of my co-workers have pretty middle-American palates (Jonathan, I'm talking to you) but are willing to try new stuff once in a while, especially when I give them a hard time about it at work. :)

Anyway, tonight I made lentil soup bases on a recipe from a good Jewish cookbook I own (The Book of Jewish Food, by Claudia Roden), which has a huge number of recipes (800-plus) along with Jewish culinary history and photographs. Given that "Jewish" food is actually made up of food from just about every Diaspora country Jews have ever lived in, I felt I could take some liberties with the recipe and still be fairly "traditional" in regard to the flavors and culinary influences in the dish I was making.

First, the lentil soup recipe was based on a Sephardic Jewish recipe (the Sephardim are the Jews of Spain, Portugal, North Africa and the Middle East) and has more Spanish and Middle Eastern influence than anything else, though I added a couple of modern American twists of my own. Here's what I came up with:

Lentil Soup With Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 medium brown onion, diced
1 large heirloom tomato, cut into eights and sliced into thin triangles
1 cup of "brown" lentils (the greenish brown kind)
6 cups of chicken broth (I actually used 6 cups of water and 6 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon paste)
5 cloves of garlic, diced fine
3 slices of smoked turkey bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
7 or 8 strands of saffron
Olive oil
Ground pepper, to taste

Directions: First, in a heavy-bottomed pot big enough to hold 6 cups of water and other sundry ingredients, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium low heat. Add diced onions and garlic to pot and cook over low heat until onions become translucent (i.e. start to sweat), about 5 to 7 minutes. Be careful the heat isn't too high or you'll burn the garlic and give the whole dish a bitter flavor.

Once the garlic and onion is cooked somewhat, add the chicken broth, tomatoes, turkey bacon, cumin, ground pepper (to taste; I added about a teaspoon) and cup of lentils. Cover the pot with a lid and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, put the saffron strands into about 2 tablespoons of water in a small cup and microwave the mixture for about 30 seconds on high. Once it's done, add the saffron water, strands and all, to the soup. Once the soup begins to boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and let it cook, mostly covered but with some room for steam to boil off, for about 40 minutes, basically until the lentils are the right texture, i.e. slightly softer than al dente. Serve with dark bread, such as rye, squaw or pumpernickel.

Serves 4 medium-hungry people, 2-3 very hungry people.

Coming to a blog near you...

2005-08-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the lack of recent posting. I've been busier than expected lately, though I do have two entries in the works (a restaurant review and some recipes that I made up the other night). With some luck I'll get them up by the end of the week.

Coffee Mornings: A Few More Cups

2005-07-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

Anyone following this blog knows that I'm a coffee drinker. See Coffee Mornings entry number one to see what I'm referring to. I've recently purchased a few half-pound bags from Peet's and bought an "old favorite" (read: bought it about four months ago when I first started learning about coffee types and origins), La Minita Tarrazu from Coffee Bean. I also brought out a bag of Coffee Bean's Tierra Natural (the company's organic blend) to compare with the other coffees I've had recently. So, here are my taste observations on two coffees I've tried recently along with some related commentary.

Peet's Arabian Mocha Java: Good, medium roast coffee. Mellower than Peet's Colombian and Las Hermanas. Peet's offers a free guide to their coffee (as does Coffee Bean; I think Starbucks does but I'll have to check) and I basically agree with their assessment of this blend as having "chocolate" overtones. Arabian Mocha Java is a blend, or mixture of two types of coffee beans, in this case Arabian mocha beans and Indonesian beans from Java. The two beans complement each other well, as they should considering the fact that this blend has been around for more than 200 years. The Pacific beans mellow the stronger "wine-like" flavors of the Arabian mocha beans. Apparently, Arabian Mocha Sanani (which are the mocha beans that Peet's uses) make for pretty full-bodied, strong coffee.
Interesting fact: Anyone who orders drinks at Starbucks, Peet's, Diedrich's, Coffee Bean, et al, knows that a mocha is coffee with chocolate and milk added, and by the same token if you want plain coffee you wouldn't order a mocha. According to Peet's, when coffee was first served in Europe back in the day, when people thought of a mocha, they thought of coffee from Yemen, not chocolate. Once chocolate was refined and sold in Europe people thought it reminded them of coffee, thus the two tastes were linked.
I think the term "blended mocha" is the origin of the modern coffee drinker's misuse of the term mocha. The original blended mocha was Arabian Mocha Sanani or Mocha Java blend coffee mixed with chocolate and milk (probably because the chocolate and coffee tastes complemented each other, possibly because of the long association of mocha coffees with chocolate flavors). People shortened the name to "mocha" instead of blended mocha, and the name came to mean what most Americans assume it means today: a coffee, chocolate and milk drink.

Coffee Bean's Tierra Natural Organic: The first thing I noticed about this coffee is that you can actually see the difference in the color of the coffee grounds. They're much lighter than Peet's Mocha Java and have a sweeter, more subtle scent to them when freshly ground. Tierra Natural is, according to Coffee Bean, a blend of beans from the Andes and Mexico. It makes a light, almost sweet cup with pretty low acidity. Personally, I prefer Coffee Bean's La Minita Tarrazu over this blend, but for organic certified coffee it's pretty good. Leaps in quality better than what you'd get at most diners.
I admit that part of the reason I bought the coffee was due to the "organic" label. What does this label really mean? Well, according to Coffee Bean, the coffee is certified by the Organic Crop Improvement Association, which is " a member-owned, nonprofit organization, provides research, education and certification services to thousands of organic growers, processors and handlers in North, Central and South America, Africa, Europe and Pacific Rim" according to the site. It's somewhat tough to tell how legit this certification is, but the fact that it's a third party conducting the certification is a good sign.
That said, I'm going to get up on my soapbox about a coffee-related issue. Something I've heard is that coffee retailers have a tough time finding coffees that are organic and Fair Trade certified that meet their quality standards. Although I understand that running a business is tough, the push for more certified products (that are actually certified by third parties and aren't just slapping a label on to get attention from coffee buyers) is a good thing. People often scoff at the concept of sustainable development, often because they view it as a pointless or unreasonable goal (read: more expensive, despite the eventual economies of scale that could result), but if the entire world is moving toward a capitalist system, I'm going to exercise my right to influence manufacturers to do what I believe is the right thing via my purchasing power. Okay, I'm off my soapbox now.

Oh yeah, I bought another pound of Coffee Bean's La Minita Tarrazu. It's a limited edition so I figured I'd drink the brew while I've got the chance. If anyone reading this has any comments regarding coffee recommendations or educational info, let me know via the comments button below.

Peace out.

Photos, or the Current Lack Thereof...

2005-07-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

Just in case people are wondering why I don't have more photos here, I don't have a digital camera yet. I'm planning on purchasing one by the beginning of August, though, because any self-respecting food blogger has to at least post the occasional photo (though I plan to post a whole lot once I get a dang camera). The photos from the 4th of July entry were taken by my sister, FYI.

Eating Out: La Creperie Cafe and Bakery, Long Beach

2005-07-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

So a week ago on Friday night and for lunch last Saturday my girlfriend and I ate at a French "creperie" (a restaurant specializing in crepes, apparently, though I'm not sure there are actual creperies in France) in the Belmont Shore area of Long Beach called, appropriately enough, La Creperie Cafe and Bakery.

For readers who don't know Long Beach all that well, Belmont Shore is a long stretch of upscale stores and restaurants that goes down 2nd St. and is only a couple of blocks north of the harbor. It has a variety of restaurants, from Middle Eastern and Thai to French and Italian. My girlfriend and I have spent more time there now that we're in Long Beach, and so far we've had nothing but good dining experiences there.

First things first, I'm a novice when it comes to French food, classical or otherwise. My family background is mostly a hodge-podge of Southern- and Eastern-European cultures with some Irish thrown in for good measure, and my parents' families grew up mainly in the Midwest (my parents grew up largely in California). As a result, I ate meat-and-potatoes, Italian and the occasional Chinese or Mexican meal growing up. Until I actually visited France, in the way of French food I think I made a so-so Coq Au Vin during my sophomore year of high school and probably ate at least one other "French" meal somewhere during those first 16 years of my life.

Thankfully, my family, especially my mom, has always encouraged trying food from other cultures, so by the time I actually visited France I wasn't one of those Americans who spent my time looking for the nearest McDonalds'. Still, although I spent about a week in France when I was in college, I was eating on a student's budget and didn't get all that much exposure to "classic" French cuisine. I was lucky enough to be invited along for dinner with a family in Paris who were family friends of my friend, Seth (who was studying in Paris at the time). Dinner was steak tartare, and actually pretty good, and a fantastic warm vegetable salad with some sort of vinaigrette dressing. It was a memorable experience.

The other "memorable" experience I had with French food was in Grenoble. After finishing off a crepe bolognese I ended up with food poisoning. Unfortunately, I didn't really sleep the night I got food poisoning and the next day my girlfriend and I were supposed to be leaving Grenoble to return to Paris. I wasn't in any condition to travel, but friends in the area, and my girlfriend, helped me make it through the day.

Needless to say, my opinions of French food have been somewhat favorable though mixed. I haven't gone out of my way to seek out meals or restaurants from this cuisine, which, after having visited La Creperie Cafe and Bakery, is my loss.

So, the first meal I ate there was the Rive Gauche panini (Rive Gauche, i.e. "left bank"). What exactly does that have to do with a sandwich? I'm not entirely sure, but the sandwich was good. It was filled with sliced turkey, melted brie and cranberry relish. The panini bread was light, crusty but not tough, and fresh. The brie was melted and had a great creamy flavor but wasn't rubbery. The cranberry relish added a slight sweet-and-sour tang to the sandwich that gave it the extra flavor that pushed it beyond a good sandwich to a great sandwich. The sandwich came with garlic and parsley-seasoned fries that had actual pieces of chopped garlic hiding among them. The fries were crisp but not greasy and were, like the bread, fresh. The salad was a simple one, with tomatoes, cucumbers, dark greens, red onions and chopped tomatoes in a balsamic vinaigrette. I was impressed with my first meal there, as I wasn't expecting a sandwich and fries to be as good as they were.

My girlfriend got the Assiette de Charcuterie et Fromage, which basically means a plate with meat and cheese on it, but oh what a plate of meat and cheese it was. The plate came with three types of cheese (Roquefert, brie and some other kind of medium-sharp cheese with a hard rind), two types of pate, a basket of fresh slices of baguette bread and dark rye, small pickles, kalamata olives and dijon mustard on the side. All of it was good and there was more than enough for one person. My girlfriend doesn't eat huge amounts so for $11.50 we ended up taking about 1/3rd of the cheese and pate home.

For dessert (and we were overdoing it at this point, though it was still good) we had the crepe Tatin, a sweet crepe filled with sliced apples and topped with fresh whipped cream and cinnamon. We had decaf coffee to go with the crepe and we managed to roll ourselves out of the place.

The second meal we had there was much simpler, though I didn't enjoy it quite as much. I decided to try a crepe bolognese and conquer my seven-year-old fear of that meal. Although I successfully conquered my fear of that particular meal, the crepe was...decent but not spectacular. It had a somewhat sweet-and-sour flavor that seemed a little odd. Maybe it wasn't what I was expecting.

My girlfriend ordered a sandwich with mozzarella and a basil and tomato spread. She enjoyed it and we decided to quit while we were ahead. All in all, a good first meal and a relatively decent second one.

La Creperie Cafe and Bakery
4911 E. 2nd St.
Long Beach, CA 90803
(562) 434-8499
www.lacreperiecafe.net

Condolences and Prayers...

2005-07-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

This definitely falls into the "...and Other Things" category, and might seem a bit odd on a food blog, but I'd like to offer my condolences and prayers to all the people who lost friends and family in London today.

I was a resident of the U.K. for a year during college, and I met many good-hearted, kind people over there. In the world we live in today, terrorism is a reality, but every time a new incident occurs it's somewhat of a shock. I've been down those streets and in those subway tunnels and stations in London before. I always thought of that country as safer than my own, and it's unsettling to see what happened there today.

I doubt anyone from the U.K. is reading this but the more support out there the better, I think. Hopefully the people responsible for this terrible act will be brought to justice.

Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Peace out.

Fourth of July Food

2005-07-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, I did end up going to a few restaurants recently, but no, I'm not going to write about them yet. This entry is about the meal I helped prepare at my parents' house on the 4th. Holidays are pretty important in my family, as is food on said holidays. On past 4th of Julys, me and my dad typically fired up the gas grill and cooked hamburgers or hot dogs. We probably did that every year until I was 15 or so. During college I spent at least one July 4th with family, though I ended up spending more time with friends, for example one memorable 4th being with my friends Wil and Seth in Santa Barbara the summer after Sophmore year (I think).

The last five July 4ths or so, since I started working, have been spent at my parents' house. I've tried to vary the traditional "hot dogs and hamburgers" menu, though, and I've made slow-cooked pork ribs (and boneless pork loin cuts) for dinner.

This year I deciced to try pork again, but I saw a decent-looking recipe in Cook's Country magazine, a new publication by the people who make Cook's Illustrated. For those who don't know, Cook's Illustrated is a 32-page black-and-white magazine that has no advertising, offers recipes with photos and detailed instructions and reviews various food products and cooking utensils/appliances.

Cook's Country focuses on "traditional" American food and, so far, has more of a focus on food from the Midwest. So, this 4th I went with a "Ranch Chili" recipe. I made a few alterations, though I stuck close to the original recipe (well, close for me at least).

Here's the original recipe:

3 1/2 pounds boneless Boston butt roast (it's actually the shoulder roast, though they call it Boston butt for some weird reason-the cut doesn't look like a butt or anything...whatever) trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes.
Salt and pepper
8 slices bacon, chopped fine
1 large onion, minced
3 large jalapenos chiles (about 2 1/2-inches long), seeded and minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
5 medium garlic cloves
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 cups water
2 (16-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Now, here's my take on the above recipe:

3 pounds of pork shoulder roast (Boston butt, if you really like that term or something), w/fat trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped fine
2 small onions, reserve 1/2 of one for garnish, if desired
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped fine
2 tablespoons chili powder
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
5 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 large shallot, also minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 (12-ounce) can of tomato paste
5 medium hothouse tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 cups water
2 (16-ounce) cans of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Some notes: First, this recipe took about 3 hours total prep and cooking time. It took about 1 hour just to chop everything up.

Instructions:

First, chop up the shoulder roast. This took me about 20 minutes. Salt and pepper the diced pork then add the paprika, onion powder and garlic powder to it. Toss it until it's evenly coated. Set the pork aside.

Cutting up the meat...

Post-seasoning pork, ready for browning.

Next, cook the bacon over medium-low heat in a stainless-steel pan until it's browned and crunchy, then set it aside on paper towels to absorb some of the grease. Reserve the rendered pork fat (a.k.a. grease) and pour it into a small bowl. You'll be using it again. No, this recipe is not low-fat.

You'd be amazed at how much bacon fat we had left over for cooking the rest of the meat and vegetables.

Now, get out a big stew pot, add 2 tablespoons of rendered pork fat and toss in half the diced pork. Take the meat out and put it on a clean plate. Cook it until it's browned and then repeat the same process with the other half of the meat. Take the rest of the meat out of the pot and add it to the pile of meat already on the plate.

Okay, now put 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat into the stew pot and add the chopped jalapeno, onion, garlic, shallot, cumin, oregano and chili powder. Cook it on medium-low heat until the vegetables start to brown. Next, throw in the diced tomatoes, bacon, browned pork and water. Mix it all up, then turn the heat up to medium until the mixture starts to simmer. Cook it uncovered for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Vegetables on the chopping block...er, cutting board.

After the first hour, add the half-can of tomato paste to the chili. Stir it in and continue to cook it for another 45 minutes or so. Stir it a bit more frequently during this 45-minute period. At the 45-minute mark, rinse and drain the two cans of kidney beans and mix the beans into the chili. Cook the chili for about another 15 minutes, stirring often. You don't want the sauce to be too watery.

Adding the tomato paste to thicken the chili.

The two cans of kidney beans go in last.

Finally, take the pot off the stovetop, bring it to the table and serve. For garnish, we used diced red bell pepper, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped scallions (green onions) and chopped white onions. Grated cheddar would also make a decent topping (maybe a little sour cream, too). This recipe makes about 8 medium-bowl servings or about 5 large-bowl servings, probably with a bit left over.

We used diced red bell pepper, chopped onions, green onions and cilantro (not shown) for garnish.

To go with all this my mom made potato salad. We also made grilled zucchini. We chopped up a very large zucchini, tossed the pieces in olive oil and lemon juice and then seasoned them with salt and pepper. We put them on the grill for about 25 minutes or so. We also had reduced-fat Hebrew National hot dogs to with the chili. My dad turned his hot dog into a chili dog and said it was pretty good.

For dessert, we made a fast, 4th of July family favorite: Cool Whip and Yogurt pie with a Keebler graham cracker crust. No, this isn't gourmet; we got the original recipe years ago off of a Keebler pie crust label. I think this recipe became a tradition because my family usually puts the most effort into the main entree as opposed to desserts or sides on the 4th. I know that all of my time went into the chili, so it was great to have a dessert that took about 5 minutes of actual prep time.

The Cool Whip Yogurt Pie recipe is simple: Mix half a tub of Cool Whip with 2 single-serving containers of yogurt, your choice of flavor. This year we went with lemon chiffon. Fold the Cool Whip into the yogurt. Spoon the mixture into pie crust and refrigerate it for about 3-4 hours. From what I can tell, a diet version that sets well is hard to make. We use the regular (i.e., not low- or non-fat) yogurt and regular Cool Whip. This year we also toasted some coconut and put it on top.

Dessert ready for the fridge. It didn't look too different from this after it had set.

So, after all was said and done, we had a good, food-filled 4th of July. Plenty of illegal fireworks in my parents' neighborhood ended the evening rather spectacularly. Well, spectacular by local standards anyway.

Happy 4th of July, everyone, and I hope the people out there reading this had a good holiday surrounded by friends, family or both.

Peace out.

Coffee Mornings

2005-06-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, to kick things off, I'm going to write about something near and dear to the hearts of many people worldwide, a beverage that keeps the American workforce in an almost permanent state of caffeine-enhanced productivity: coffee.

I'm what most people would call a regular coffee drinker. I drink it three to five mornings a week, though I usually limit myself to about a cup a day. I also enjoy coffee on Saturday nights because it's nice after dinner and it doesn't matter if I stay up until 2:00 in the morning. That said, I'm not a "pot a day" kind of guy. Any more than two decent-sized cups in my system and I start talking even faster than usual (which, for the Homestar Runner fans out there, makes me like Strong Sad on a caffeine bender) and become unintelligible.

One memorable coffee experience occurred when I was in college. I went into a Peet's one morning. I hadn't eaten breakfast yet so, being 19 with a young person's circulatory system, bought a small mocha-flavored Scharffen-Berger chocolate bar to go with my cafe mocha (though I asked the barista put a double-shot of espresso in it). About 15 minutes into my coffee, with the chocolate eaten, I thought I was going to have a stroke. I decided I'd made a mistake by not eating and figured I'd head back to my apartment, eat something or...well, crawl into bed and wait until my blood pressure dropped to non-tremor-inducing levels.

On the way back, a weird sort of caffeine high/paranoia set in, and to my coffee-addled senses, every irregular automotive sound on the road heralded an oncoming accident. I felt like Adam Sandler's character at the beginning of Punch Drunk Love, wherein he flees into the warehouse he works in after watching an SUV sail through the air, spin a couple of times and crash into the ground at about 40 miles an hour. I made it home and right after walking through the door I ate a bowl of cereral to hopefully dull the effects of the caffeine with digestion. Eventually, after two classes and dinner, my chemical balance returned to normal. The whole coffee/chocolate/no food experience was pretty surreal in retrospect, and I try to avoid caffeine in large doses. Back in those days I never needed No Doze to pull an all-nighter; three cups of coffee worked just fine. So, that anecdote out of way, let me get to the (hopefully) "educational-yet-entertaining" part of this entry.

I still go to Peet's (and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, occasionally Starbucks-though I usually avoid it, Diedrich's and Seattle's Best once in a great while) and enjoy buying coffee. The more coffee I've had, though, the more I've noticed pronounced differences in the flavors of different coffees. I mean, I'd heard people in food mags and online articles talk about coffee being "like fine wine." I didn't really believe it before, and I still don't take coffee as seriously as wine connoisseurs take their beverage of choice, but there is a big difference between a good cup and a bad cup of coffee as well as between different varieties of good coffee.

First, some specifics about the coffee-brewing devices I use. At home, my girlfriend and I have a Bosh 12-cup drip coffee maker. We use a Swiss gold mesh filter to save trees and get better flavor (no paper flavors) in our coffee. At work, I use unbleached Miletta #2 filters in a plastic, Melitta one-cup drip coffee maker ($2.99, top of the page from the link) so I can make my own coffee and avoid scorched office drek.

Most coffees (if not all) I drink are of the Arabica type as opposed to Robusta. There's an entertaining explanation on Chez Pim, one of many great food blogs out there, about the differences between the coffee bean types. Now on to seven coffees I've tried along with my opinion of each.

Coffee Bean's Chocolate Flavored Coffee: Overall, Coffee Bean usually produces a decent cup of coffee. Their chocolate coffee is decent, but you have to be in the mood for a flavored coffee. You can smell a chocolate-like aroma from the grounds, and the flavor usually ends up being sort of mocha-like. I wouldn't say it's anything like actually putting chocolate in coffee, but it's a decent imitation and the coffee has a good, very sweet for coffee, flavor. It's a pretty light and smooth coffee, not too dark a roast. I'm not sure what the coffee origins are, and the company website and packaging aren't helpful either. I'll ask about coffee origins of flavored coffees next time I'm in a Coffee Bean store.

Coffee Bean's La Minita Tarrazu: Very good coffee. I couldn't get enough of this stuff a few weeks agom when I still had it. According to this site for Hacienda La Minita, the coffee is produced at elevations between 4,000 and 6,000 feet. To me, the coffee has a fairly sweet (coffee sweet, not candy or sugar sweet) flavor, moderate acidity and a pretty clean aftertaste. The coffee has a great aroma freshly ground, too. I recommend the stuff, although I think Coffee Bean is only selling it in limited quantities. By now they're probably on to some other blend. The coffee producer sells the blend worldwide, though, so it's worth checking out if you can get your hands on some.

Coffee Bean's Hazelnut Flavored Coffee: Another flavored coffee, the hazelnut notes are definitely noticeable in the grounds and when you take a sip. This coffee is pretty mild, but if you like a nutty, light coffee, this is a decent choice. Again, not sure what the country of origin is for this coffee.

Peet's new Las Hermanas Organic: Whoa. Strong coffee. It's made by a co-op of women growers in Nicaragua who have helped improve living conditions and education in the communities the women live in. Check out Peet's site for more info. I found the aroma of the fresh grounds somewhat unappealing, but on the whole the coffee tastes pretty good. It seems to be about a medium roast, but it has a very "bright," somewhat sweet flavor and a high level of acidity (well, to me at least). If you have a problem with acid levels, you probably want to mix this coffee with another, smoother kind...or just choose another coffee. It has a bit of an aftertaste but nothing that ruins the cup.

Peet's Colombian Blend: Much smoother than Las Hermanas, the Colombian blend is a medium roast and I noticed a smoother, more subtle flavor. It has a fuller body, though I have to admit I'm still trying to quantify that term in my head.

Segafredo's Espresso Mocha: Good, full-bodied (still working on it) dark roast coffee, though not as dark and burnt as French Roast, with a bit of a nutty flavor. Although I've heard people say that this coffee is good after dinner because it's a dark roast, I like it on Sunday mornings with a light breakfast.

Don Francisco's Colombian Decaf: Although not as good as some of the other blends, it's still way better than Yuban or Folgers instant. It's another smooth, medium roast coffee that doesn't have too much of an aftertaste. My girlfriend and I like this coffee with dessert because it won't keep us up all night.

Well, that's it for my first entry. Next time I blog it'll probably be about a restaurant. Stay tuned.

2005-06-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is just placeholder text. I'll actually write something more exciting when I get a chance.