Dec 4, 2007
Where Does Coffee Come From? From Bean to Cup! by Linden Walhard
The coffee bean is my favorite variety of bean! It's grown on a tree which is grown in over 70 different countries. Considering the number of countries this tree is grown in, it's amazing how picky it is when it's growing! It needs very specific conditions to produce high quality beans.
Now the swat among you will point out that what we know as a coffee bean isn't actually a bean, it's a seed. But I'm sorry if you know that you should go out more! It's like the people that tell you a tomato is a fruit, does it matter?!
The coffee bean is actually the seed contained in a fruit which grows on very tall trees, these trees can grow higher than twenty feet quite easily. There are a number of wild varieties that will grow even higher. There are many different types of coffee tree all producing a different seed/bean.
Coffee production is at its most intensive around the equator as these provide the ideal conditions to grow perfect crops. Ideal temperatures for coffee are between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and rainfall should be over six inches a month.
The trees also require quick draining soil and humidity helps to produce good crops. This is why coffee is commonly grown in elevated locations over 3000 ft to get the best crop possible. However coffee grown at these levels will be more expensive because there is less oxygen, which means the coffee takes longer to mature.
There are a number of different trees used to grow coffee, however the cultivated coffea canephora is the one in biggest use. This is because it can grow at lower heights above sea level, and it is also much more hardy. However if you are a bit of a coffee nut and have the anorak to prove it then you might enjoy the gourmet coffea arabica variety which is grown at higher altitudes.
Indirect light and light winds are beneficial and so sometimes these conditions are created by planting the trees in a sheltered area.
Once a tree is planted it takes around five years before it will yield its first fruit, then you can expect to get a crop for around 1kg of coffee per tree, that's nothing!
Two pounds worth of coffee is around 2,000 beans all of which are normally picked completely by hand. This is hard manual labor, however that does not mean it's easy. Harvesting coffee is a bit of a science as they have to know which beans they should discard, they do this looking at each one in turn. This is the reason why coffee is so darn expensive!
Coffee trees have large wide green leaves and have beautiful flowers that look a little like Jasmine. If the tree is grown along the equator then it can have ripe beans and unripe beans at the same time, this can make harvesting the crop much more difficult.
From flowering to being able to harvest can take up to nine months, but this does depend on the weather and where the tree is located. This will happen every year until the tree dies, it normally lives for 20-25 years. The best crop you can expect will be about 3,000kg to 4,000kg per hectare of land (1 hectare = 2.47 acres if you wanted to know)
The trees are often grown in very inaccessible locations and so the berries (which contain the beans) are brought down by hand to be processed. Coffee is believe it or not the worlds second largest commodity.
Coffee takes a long time to get into your cup, give it some thought next time you sit down for your cuppa! It is expensive, but hopefully it's worth it.
The coffee bean is my favorite variety of bean! It's grown on a tree which is grown in over 70 different countries. Considering the number of countries this tree is grown in, it's amazing how picky it is when it's growing! It needs very specific conditions to produce high quality beans.
Now the swat among you will point out that what we know as a coffee bean isn't actually a bean, it's a seed. But I'm sorry if you know that you should go out more! It's like the people that tell you a tomato is a fruit, does it matter?!
The coffee bean is actually the seed contained in a fruit which grows on very tall trees, these trees can grow higher than twenty feet quite easily. There are a number of wild varieties that will grow even higher. There are many different types of coffee tree all producing a different seed/bean.
Coffee production is at its most intensive around the equator as these provide the ideal conditions to grow perfect crops. Ideal temperatures for coffee are between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and rainfall should be over six inches a month.
The trees also require quick draining soil and humidity helps to produce good crops. This is why coffee is commonly grown in elevated locations over 3000 ft to get the best crop possible. However coffee grown at these levels will be more expensive because there is less oxygen, which means the coffee takes longer to mature.
There are a number of different trees used to grow coffee, however the cultivated coffea canephora is the one in biggest use. This is because it can grow at lower heights above sea level, and it is also much more hardy. However if you are a bit of a coffee nut and have the anorak to prove it then you might enjoy the gourmet coffea arabica variety which is grown at higher altitudes.
Indirect light and light winds are beneficial and so sometimes these conditions are created by planting the trees in a sheltered area.
Once a tree is planted it takes around five years before it will yield its first fruit, then you can expect to get a crop for around 1kg of coffee per tree, that's nothing!
Two pounds worth of coffee is around 2,000 beans all of which are normally picked completely by hand. This is hard manual labor, however that does not mean it's easy. Harvesting coffee is a bit of a science as they have to know which beans they should discard, they do this looking at each one in turn. This is the reason why coffee is so darn expensive!
Coffee trees have large wide green leaves and have beautiful flowers that look a little like Jasmine. If the tree is grown along the equator then it can have ripe beans and unripe beans at the same time, this can make harvesting the crop much more difficult.
From flowering to being able to harvest can take up to nine months, but this does depend on the weather and where the tree is located. This will happen every year until the tree dies, it normally lives for 20-25 years. The best crop you can expect will be about 3,000kg to 4,000kg per hectare of land (1 hectare = 2.47 acres if you wanted to know)
The trees are often grown in very inaccessible locations and so the berries (which contain the beans) are brought down by hand to be processed. Coffee is believe it or not the worlds second largest commodity.
Coffee takes a long time to get into your cup, give it some thought next time you sit down for your cuppa! It is expensive, but hopefully it's worth it.
How to Prepare Excellent Soup by Jimmy Cox
Most good soups require a very long time to prepare. There are, however, a number of things one can do to already prepared soups to make them much better, and there are several ways of combining two or more commercial soups which will make the final product a thing of beauty and, if not a joy forever, at least a joy every time you taste it.
Cheese Soup - Serves 6
This is a rich, thick, full-bodied soup, ideal for luncheon on cold days, or for supper following an afternoon's skating or other cold-weather sport. It is also a fine dish to serve after a late party when the host, hostess, and a few favored guests sit down to rest and to a little snack before closing up the affair finally. If you wish to use it as a cream soup preceding a meal rather than as a meal itself, dilute it just before serving with a little hot milk. This soup is not for calorie counters.
3 pints mil 2 cloves garlic 4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour 4 egg yolks 1/4 cup whipping cream 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 cups dry white wine 2 cups sharp cheese, grated
Scald the milk and gash the garlic. Melt the butter in the top of a double boiler, stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and blend into a roux, cooking over a low fire for about five minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually add the scalded milk to the roux, blending it well to avoid lumps. Add the garlic. Have the water boiling in the lower half of the double boiler, place the top half over it, and cook covered for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally.
Beat the egg yolks lightly with the cream or mix in a swirl mixer. Remove the garlic. Add salt, pepper, cumin, the white wine, and the grated cheese. Stir constantly until the cheese has melted. Add the egg yolks and cream, and continue to cook and stir for three or four minutes. Serve in soup cups, each garnished with a small sprig of parsley.
French bread, a little dark as to crust, or crusty hot rolls should be served with the soup.
Clam Mongole - Serves 4
This recipe is a variation of and, I think, an improvement on a very well-known soup: Puree Mongole. Recipes for Puree Mongole vary but little, and are based on combining tomato and green pea soups in equal quantities. The use of condensed cream of tomato and cream of pea makes this a quick and easy dish for the harassed chef, or for one who is not. The combination is usually diluted by the addition of water, or water and consomme.
The result is a rich, filling, and pleasant brew which can be served as part of an elaborate meal, or will make, with the addition of a salad, an acceptable light luncheon. Clam Mongole is even better suited to the latter purpose, and is, at the same time, an unusual and appealing soup course for a dinner. The use of milk in the following recipe will give you a thicker and richer blend. You may, of course, control the consistency of the final product by varying the quantity of milk or water.
1 tin condensed cream of tomato soup 1 tin condensed pea soup 1 tin minced clams 1 cup water or milk 4 dashes scotch bonnet
Place the two soups in a saucepan, drain the clams, and add the juice to the soups. Over a low fire and using a wire whisk, stir the mixture until it is smooth. Gradually add the other liquid, stirring all the while. When the soup has reached the consistency you like, add the clams and bring to a boil, but do not let boil. Add the Scotch Bonnet, stir well, and serve at once, very hot. Carr's Table Water Biscuits make an ideal accompaniment.
Either of these soups will be a welcome addition to your table.
Most good soups require a very long time to prepare. There are, however, a number of things one can do to already prepared soups to make them much better, and there are several ways of combining two or more commercial soups which will make the final product a thing of beauty and, if not a joy forever, at least a joy every time you taste it.
Cheese Soup - Serves 6
This is a rich, thick, full-bodied soup, ideal for luncheon on cold days, or for supper following an afternoon's skating or other cold-weather sport. It is also a fine dish to serve after a late party when the host, hostess, and a few favored guests sit down to rest and to a little snack before closing up the affair finally. If you wish to use it as a cream soup preceding a meal rather than as a meal itself, dilute it just before serving with a little hot milk. This soup is not for calorie counters.
3 pints mil 2 cloves garlic 4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour 4 egg yolks 1/4 cup whipping cream 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 cups dry white wine 2 cups sharp cheese, grated
Scald the milk and gash the garlic. Melt the butter in the top of a double boiler, stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and blend into a roux, cooking over a low fire for about five minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually add the scalded milk to the roux, blending it well to avoid lumps. Add the garlic. Have the water boiling in the lower half of the double boiler, place the top half over it, and cook covered for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally.
Beat the egg yolks lightly with the cream or mix in a swirl mixer. Remove the garlic. Add salt, pepper, cumin, the white wine, and the grated cheese. Stir constantly until the cheese has melted. Add the egg yolks and cream, and continue to cook and stir for three or four minutes. Serve in soup cups, each garnished with a small sprig of parsley.
French bread, a little dark as to crust, or crusty hot rolls should be served with the soup.
Clam Mongole - Serves 4
This recipe is a variation of and, I think, an improvement on a very well-known soup: Puree Mongole. Recipes for Puree Mongole vary but little, and are based on combining tomato and green pea soups in equal quantities. The use of condensed cream of tomato and cream of pea makes this a quick and easy dish for the harassed chef, or for one who is not. The combination is usually diluted by the addition of water, or water and consomme.
The result is a rich, filling, and pleasant brew which can be served as part of an elaborate meal, or will make, with the addition of a salad, an acceptable light luncheon. Clam Mongole is even better suited to the latter purpose, and is, at the same time, an unusual and appealing soup course for a dinner. The use of milk in the following recipe will give you a thicker and richer blend. You may, of course, control the consistency of the final product by varying the quantity of milk or water.
1 tin condensed cream of tomato soup 1 tin condensed pea soup 1 tin minced clams 1 cup water or milk 4 dashes scotch bonnet
Place the two soups in a saucepan, drain the clams, and add the juice to the soups. Over a low fire and using a wire whisk, stir the mixture until it is smooth. Gradually add the other liquid, stirring all the while. When the soup has reached the consistency you like, add the clams and bring to a boil, but do not let boil. Add the Scotch Bonnet, stir well, and serve at once, very hot. Carr's Table Water Biscuits make an ideal accompaniment.
Either of these soups will be a welcome addition to your table.
Vegetarian Recipes - A Way To Eating Healthy by Kelvin Hall
More and more people are choosing to eat a vegetarian diet because they know that veggies are healthful food. Using low calorie and vegetarian recipes is one of the most important things you can do to protect your heath and the health of your family since obesity is now an epidemic in the United States and other developed countries. Cooking them is still better than the alternatives to a vegetarian lifestyle or a vegan lifestyle, but we receive the most nutritional benefit from ingesting whole and organic raw foods. They will often include many of the vitamins, minerals, and sources of nutrition that every body needs. These low calorie recipes, usually high in fiber, protect against digestive disorders such as diverticulosis and may offer protection from colon and lung cancers. Many low calorie and vegetarian recipes use soy, tofu, dried beans and peas to add protein to meals. Using low calorie recipes will provide a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes, adding high amounts of all the essential vitamins and minerals. Subscribing to vegetarian magazines, scouring newspaper food sections, and visiting veggie websites will bring you a respectable number of recipes, but it's more convenient to have hundreds and hundreds in one place.
Including a few vegetarian recipes into your diet can quickly improve how you feel and can be part of an overall health plan that will improve your life. And contrary to popular belief, these recipes are full of the taste and enjoyment of many other foods you eat. Incorporating vegetarian recipes into any diet will bring variety and give healthy eating options. Plus, vegetarian cuisine is chockfull of dishes that are robust and flavorful, and a match for any standard meat dish. Such treats as squash with tofu, vegetarian paella, and baked figs with dried fruit and anisette may well convert some confirmed carnivores to part-time vegetarians. Many of these recipes cook faster than those made with meat.
As more people juggle trying to eat healthier with their busy lifestyles, they may find that Vegetarian slow cooking provides an answer. What I like best about slow cooker Vegetarian recipes is that the long, slow-cooking process enriches the flavor of the dish in a way that other cooking methods can't match. The gentle slow-cooking process actually draws more flavor out of the ingredients. In addition to convenience, slow cooking also scores high marks for taste and nutrition since the long cooking time allows both flavors and nutrients to concentrate in the food. While the slow cooker was once synonymous with cooking pot roasts and other meat dishes, just as my friend discovered, the Vegetarian cook will find a vast number of ways to use it.
Exploring vegetarian recipes is great simply to spice up the kitchen with something new. Whether you are choosing to eat vegetarian dishes as a permanent diet or as part of a healthier lifestyle, Vegetarian Recipes is packed with ideas to tempt the most committed carnivore.
More and more people are choosing to eat a vegetarian diet because they know that veggies are healthful food. Using low calorie and vegetarian recipes is one of the most important things you can do to protect your heath and the health of your family since obesity is now an epidemic in the United States and other developed countries. Cooking them is still better than the alternatives to a vegetarian lifestyle or a vegan lifestyle, but we receive the most nutritional benefit from ingesting whole and organic raw foods. They will often include many of the vitamins, minerals, and sources of nutrition that every body needs. These low calorie recipes, usually high in fiber, protect against digestive disorders such as diverticulosis and may offer protection from colon and lung cancers. Many low calorie and vegetarian recipes use soy, tofu, dried beans and peas to add protein to meals. Using low calorie recipes will provide a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes, adding high amounts of all the essential vitamins and minerals. Subscribing to vegetarian magazines, scouring newspaper food sections, and visiting veggie websites will bring you a respectable number of recipes, but it's more convenient to have hundreds and hundreds in one place.
Including a few vegetarian recipes into your diet can quickly improve how you feel and can be part of an overall health plan that will improve your life. And contrary to popular belief, these recipes are full of the taste and enjoyment of many other foods you eat. Incorporating vegetarian recipes into any diet will bring variety and give healthy eating options. Plus, vegetarian cuisine is chockfull of dishes that are robust and flavorful, and a match for any standard meat dish. Such treats as squash with tofu, vegetarian paella, and baked figs with dried fruit and anisette may well convert some confirmed carnivores to part-time vegetarians. Many of these recipes cook faster than those made with meat.
As more people juggle trying to eat healthier with their busy lifestyles, they may find that Vegetarian slow cooking provides an answer. What I like best about slow cooker Vegetarian recipes is that the long, slow-cooking process enriches the flavor of the dish in a way that other cooking methods can't match. The gentle slow-cooking process actually draws more flavor out of the ingredients. In addition to convenience, slow cooking also scores high marks for taste and nutrition since the long cooking time allows both flavors and nutrients to concentrate in the food. While the slow cooker was once synonymous with cooking pot roasts and other meat dishes, just as my friend discovered, the Vegetarian cook will find a vast number of ways to use it.
Exploring vegetarian recipes is great simply to spice up the kitchen with something new. Whether you are choosing to eat vegetarian dishes as a permanent diet or as part of a healthier lifestyle, Vegetarian Recipes is packed with ideas to tempt the most committed carnivore.
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