Addicted to Coffee Beans
The coffee bean is the seed of the coffee tree, which are a group of trees belonging to the genus Coffea. The most commonly grown and cultivated is Coffea arabica, from which we get our beloved Arabica coffee. The fruits of the coffee tree are commonly called coffee “cherries” or “berries” and within each fruit is two coffee beans, with the flat sides in contact with each other. The endosperm of each seed contains 0.8-2.5 percent caffeine…and this is a very good thing indeed.
Cultivation of the coffee tree began in Ethiopa in approximately 850 AD. The word “coffee” comes from the Ethiopian region of Kaffa. When the coffee beans are harvested they are initially a dull green color. To develop the flavor, and maximize caffeine extractions, the beans must be roasted, and this can be done to a variety of levels:
Coffee berries (left) contains the green coffee beans (right) which are then roasted to develop flavor and extract caffeine
A light roast is often called a New England Roast and these beans have a very light brown hue with no visible oily residue. Moving up the chain is the American Roast, Espresso, and then the double roast French Roast. At the French roast stage, the beans begin to smoke slightly and some of the sugars turn to carbon. The result in an intensely (but delightfully) bitter coffee with slight smokiness.
The French mastered the roast for a cup of brewed coffee but the ultimate coffee award must go to Italians for sheer ingenuity. Yes, of course, I’m speaking of espresso. No other drink is so ubiquitous in this modern world of double foam mocha caffe latte whip caramel-chinos than espresso. This intense drink is fantastic on it’s own and can create a myriad of other classic drinks including the latte (espresso and steamed milk), the cappuccino (espresso and foamed milk), and the cafe Americano (espresso and hot water). To make espresso, the beans are roasted dark then ground fine. The grounds are then pressed into a puck in a special espresso maker. Hot water is then pressed through the espresso puck, creating an intensely rich coffee drink with a thin layer of foam called the crema.
Not only is espresso great for creating coffee drinks, but it’s a major inspiration for a classic Italian dessert: Tiramisu. Please stay tuned to Garrett’s Table this week for a unique take on one of the world’s favorite desserts!
As a side note, coffee is indeed a cash crop and has resulted in the exploitation of workers in numerous countries, especially Central and South America. Coffee that is labeled as “fair trade” means that the operation of the coffee plantation is sustainable and humane both for workers and the environment. Fair trade coffee is more expensive, but the small increase in price assures the support of the movement and a trend toward revolutionizing the coffee industry.
February 21, 2010 4 Comments
Red Pepper Gazpacho with Goat Cheese Sorbet
This is a Franken-recipe inspired by two of the greatest chefs in the world: Heston Blumenthal and Thomas Keller.
Months ago when I first looked through Keller’s Under Pressure, a book completely about cooking sous vide, I noticed a recipe for goat cheese sorbet. The sorbet was part of a fresh berry soup but I was enticed by it’s savory potential and bookmarked the recipe in my memory so it could resurface at a later, more appropriate time.
Recently, while reading through Blumenthal’s epic Big Fat Duck Cookbook, I had an intense desire to try his red cabbage gazpacho. A refreshing but rich cold soup made with raw red cabbage, Blumenthal’s gazpacho was incredibly flavor and easy to make. I immediately thought, “what other vegetables could be used to make a raw gazpacho?” The obvious answer, to me, was red peppers.
The result was a refreshing and colorful cold soup. The red pepper gazpacho has a vibrant flavor punctuated with fresh capsicum aromas. The sorbet is both rich and cleansing. The final element of the dish is a spoonful of chopped, roasted pistachios, which add texture and little explosions of saltiness.
Red Pepper Gazpacho:
- 1 egg yolk
- 50 g balsamic vinegar
- 200 g vegetable oil
- 50 g extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Kosher salt, to taste
Juice cleaned, seeded red peppers to yield 450 g juice. Add the bread to the juice and allow to soak in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
To make the balsamic vinegar mayonnaise combine the egg yolk and vinegar. Slowly whisk in the oil to create and emulsion or blend in the oil using a stick blender or food processor. Adjust seasoning.
Strain the red pepper juice through a fine mesh strainer or chinois, pressing on the bread to extract all the liquid. Combine the juice and 40 g mayonnaise in a blender. Blend until smooth and adjust seasoning with kosher salt.
Goat Cheese Sorbet:
- 100 g water
- 75 g sugar
- 50 g powdered glucose*
- 25 g lemon juice
- 1 log goat cheese (about 300 g)
Bring the water, sugar, and glucose (*if you don’t have or can’t find powdered glucose, substitute with 30 g sugar) in a small saucepan and heat over low heat. Add the lemon juice as it heats (Keller instructs to add the lemon juice when the water reaches 122° F). Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Chill thoroughly.
Combine the cooled syrup in a blender with the goat cheese. Blend for 1 minute or until well combined and very smooth. Freeze in an ice cream freezer according to manufacturer’s instructions. After freezing, transfer to a pre-chilled container and place layer of plastic wrap directly on top of the sorbet. Freeze thoroughly.
To Assemble and Serve:
- Roasted, chopped pistachios
- Goat cheese sorbet, scooped or quennelled
- Red pepper gazpacho
Place a spoonful of chopped pistachios into the center of a well chilled bowl. Lay a portion of goat cheese gazpacho on top of the pistachios. Pour the chilled gazpacho over the garnishes at the table.
These stunning photographs were taken by Mike Boehmer.
Mike is a Chicago-based photographer and a regular contributor to The Windy Pixel. Please visit www.mikeboehmer.com for more fantastic photography!
February 18, 2010 2 Comments
FancyFastFood.com
I recently stumbled upon the fantastic food blog Fancy Fast Food. In each entry the author Erik, and occasionally guest authors, showcase their stunning fine-dining creations that are made from nothing but fast food. The picture above is “Seared Pollock Cake with Southwest Ramalan Sauce” made from one McDonald’s filet ‘o fish sandwich and one premium southwest salad.
“Honey Apple Glazed Christmas Holiday Ham” made from Burger King Quad Stackers and breakfast Croissanwiches
“Chick-sat-A:” Chicken satay made from various Chick Fil-A items
February 16, 2010 No Comments
Valentine’s Day Confections
Valentine’s Day weekend is upon us. Why not treat your significant other to some hand made candies? Here are some Garrett’s Table confections, complete with links and recipes. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Spicy Salted Caramel Chocolates
Key Lime Ice Cream Bon Bons
Multi-Flavored Filled Macarons
Handmade Orange Gummy Candies
Chocolate Covered Potato Chips
Orange and Fennel Páte de Fruit
Blood Orange and Grand Marnier Popsicles
Peanut Butter and Jelly Marshmallows
Almond Macarons Filled With Espresso Ganache
All of these photographs were taken by Justin Kern.
February 12, 2010 1 Comment
My Heart Will Go On…..To Your Plate: Have a Heart for Valentine’s Day
Have a heart this Valentine’s day…literally. Perhaps the most uncommonly used organ meat, heart can be delicious when carefully prepared. Here are a few photos of heart dishes, along with links and recipes, from around the internet. So return that box of chocolates and grab a heart from your local butcher!
Grilled beef heart with basil vinaigrette, roasted tomatoes, and poblano-brie grits from foodtease.com.
Lamb’s heart sandwich with rocket and wild garlic mayonnaise from Jason Lowe at The Independent.
Russian chicken heart stew from Russia Now
Peruvian grilled veal heart from Piolyn Restaurant
Beef heart shepherd’s pie from The Worldwide Gourmet.
“Hearts of Palm” from Chicago’s Alinea. I thought I’d throw this option in for vegetarians!
February 10, 2010 2 Comments
