Espresso coffee pods make brewing easy

Those of us that love coffee or espresso based drinks there is a revolution going on to make it a whole lot easier. No one likes rushing to your local coffee house when you want an espresso, not to mention the expense builds pretty quickly as well. How ever making the drinks at home might be cheaper, but it's pretty darn messy and the clean up takes some time. Measuring out the right amount of espresso, getting it into the machine, then washing it all after the fact. Whew getting tired just thinking about it all.

Good news, there is a happy medium between heading to your local barista and making a flavorful drink at home. Espresso coffee pods are a new technological break threw in the coffee world that allows you to create wonderful espresso and coffee based drinks without the prep work or the clean up. Not to mention it won't have you breaking into your piggy bank each time you want one.

What Is An Espresso Coffee Pod?

Like a pre-packaged coffee filter with the grounds already inside an espresso pod is two pieces of filter paper, with espresso or coffee grounds sandwiched between them. Approximately 2 inches around they are used in your home coffee or espresso machine to reduce the need for messy coffee grounds every where or paper filters. You drop in your espresso or coffee pod and your ready to brew. Clean up is even easier, without any paper filters full of grounds to dispose of you just take the pod out toss it away and rinse out the machine.

Equipment

If you have an espresso maker already you're set. Most espresso pods are designed to work with pre-existing equipment so there's no need to go out and purchase anything new. Using a pod just makes the whole work up and brewing process a lot faster. If you're just shopping for an espresso maker, but didn't like the looks of how much work went into making a drink each time worry not. Using espresso pods makes it ten times easier and faster. Owning an espresso machine is now both cost and time efficient.

As popularity increases around coffee pods you should find that most of your favorite brands and flavors are available in pod form. Starbucks to nestle coffee are beginning to package coffee and espresso this way. They save you time, and ensure top quality. Wondering how much grounds or coffee beans to use will be no more, reduce the questioning in brewing a good cup of espresso and get into coffee pods the wave of coffee future.

Coffee hot and fast with an automatic espresso machine

For the passionate coffee lover – those who love their coffee pure and rich and strong - not much rivals the automatic espresso machine in terms of convenience. Whether you visit your local coffee shop where the air comes alive with the hiss and heat of steam or you invest in an at-home automatic espresso machine where you’re free to tinker with the perfect coffee recipe, the results are the same – the perfect cup of coffee and a very, very happy coffee lover.

The automatic espresso machine comes in two varieties; semi automatic and full automatic. Using a semi automatic espresso machine requires partial participation on the part of the user. Whoever is operating the machine must start it at which point the automatic espresso machine takes over. When the brewing process is complete, the user then shuts down the machine. The full automatic espresso machine does not require any operator participation. This is usually a larger and pricier automatic espresso machine due to its heightened complexity; but it brews completely on its own coordinating a system of water, grinders, and extractors.

Deciding which automatic espresso machine would best suit your needs depends on its intended use. For commercial use, a full automatic espresso machine makes more sense; there’s more space for a larger machine and the demand for multiple cups of espresso would make the need for heavy operator participation inefficient.

For at home use, a semi automatic espresso machine would be sufficient for private brewing. Its smaller size takes space issues into consideration and it is normally less pricey than its larger counterpart.

To find the model that works best for you, start your research on the Internet. You will be able to access thousands of consumer report records that will tell you which of the machines you are interested are performing the best.

Whether it’s in the local coffee shop – or in your home - an automatic espresso machine can readily brew the highest quality cup of coffee available.

4 facts you never knew about absinthe

1) Absinthe was invented at the end of the eighteenth century. Absinthe was actually invented by a French doctor named Pierre Ordinaire. He invented absinthe by distilling wormwood and several other herbs into an alcoholic base. Although this may seem strange in today’s modern world of medicine, at the time it was considered a viable remedy for patients with various ailments.

2) Although it contains special properties that other alcoholic drinks do not, absinthe actually contains an extremely high amount of alcohol. To put it in perspective, most brands of gin, whiskey and vodka contain approximately forty percent alcohol. Depending on the brand of absinthe, it can contain anywhere from fifty to seventy percent alcohol. Therefore, although you should enjoy any absinthe experience you have to the fullest, make sure you enjoy it responsibly and do not attempt to drive a car after spending an extended amount of time with the Green Fairy.

3) Absinthe has been associated with the Green Fairy since the nineteenth century. The French originally gave absinthe the nickname La Fee Verte, which the English later translated into the Green Fairy. However, Green Fairy is not the only nickname that has been given to absinthe over the years. Aleister Crowley gave absinthe the nickname Green Goddess, while many artists and poets coined the term Green Muse for absinthe.

4) Modern science has actually attempted to take a stab at explaining exactly how the Green Fairy works. In 2000, scientists studied the effects of the wormwood herb on the human brain. The study was conducted by a variety of researchers at Berkeley, the University of California and Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. After extensive research, the scientists found that wormwood (along with other components of absinthe) cause "CNS cholinergic receptor binding activity." In laymen’s terms, absinthe actually improves the cognitive functions of the brain!

Dazzling birthday cakes look as good as they taste

What makes a birthday cake special? It’s got to taste great, no doubt, but visual appeal makes a cake truly dazzle. In Portland, Oregon, Papa Haydn’s is famous for incomparable birthday cakes that look as fabulous as they taste, so we asked co-owner Evelyn Franz to share a few of her secrets for cake decorating success.

Evelyn helped her sister and brother-in-law Heidi and Jeff Van Dyke, who founded Papa Haydn’s in the late 1970s, create their legendary dessert menu. Since then, Papa Haydn’s has become Portland’s dessert destination, consistently winning awards and accolades from food lovers and restaurant critics alike.

With an MFA in sculpture and a lifelong love of baking, Evelyn guides her pastry staff in combining visual appeal with exceptional flavor and texture. “I think it’s as important to pay attention to looks as it is to flavor,” she says. “The looks can make a huge difference in terms of what you actually taste on your palate. I don’t think it’s a successful dessert unless it looks as good as it tastes.”

If you want to try your hand at creating spectacular cakes for the birthdays, anniversaries and weddings in your life, consider these helpful hints from Evelyn.

Tie a yellow ribbon: An easy and elegant way to jazz up birthday cakes is by tying a colorful ribbon around the bottom of the cake. “You can use chiffon or just a French ribbon to really doll up any cake,” says Evelyn. Just remember to remove the ribbon before serving.

More terrific toppers: Check out cake decorating stores for ideas, says Evelyn, who likes to adorn birthday cakes with dragees or candy pearls. Silk or edible flowers also make elegant cake toppers, turning an ordinary layer cake in to a birthday cake to remember.

Fabulously frosted: With a little practice, you can turn frosting into an intricate birthday cake design. By alternating vertical and horizontal ribbons of frosting, for example, you’ll create a delicate woven pattern that dazzles the eye. Even simpler designs can be achieved by creating swirls or peaks with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

Wrap it up: For the more advanced pastry chef, wrapping a cake in a thin layer of another cake can add an elaborate touch that dazzles even after a birthday cake or anniversary cake is sliced. Papa Haydn features such delicacies as White Chocolate Mint Truffle Torte, wrapped in a patterned chocolate sponge cake, Hazelnut Mousse Torte, wrapped in a striped almond sponge cake, and Georgian Peanut Butter Mousse Cake, wrapped in a polka dot sponge cake and topped with ground peanuts. It takes some practice, but the effect is well worth the effort.

The fine art of chocolate: Evelyn and her crew are well-practiced in the art of decorating with chocolate, too. Simply spread a thin layer of melted chocolate on a cooled marble slab or baking sheet, then carefully make curls or ribbons with a metal spatula to decorate your special cakes. For birthday cakes, you can cut out rectangular banners of dark chocolate, write a “Happy Birthday” message with white chocolate or frosting, then place the banner upright on the cake for an edible birthday greeting. This, too, takes practice, but once you’ve mastered the technique, you’ll be a cake decorating star.

Designing from the ground up: Another way to create dazzling birthday cakes is to layer different cakes and fillings for a variety of flavors and textures. “We’ll do a cake that has meringue in it as well as chiffon and maybe a flourless chocolate cake,” says Evelyn, “to give it a nice texture and a little crunch.” Using cakes and fillings of different colors adds to the visual appeal as well as the taste.

If you approach cake baking and cake decorating as Evelyn Franz does – like a true artist – your birthday cakes, anniversary cakes and even wedding cakes will dazzle your guests before, during and after they enjoy the delicious taste!

Difference between decaf and espresso coffee

When a blind taste test is conducted, it suggests that mostly people cannot make a difference between a decaf and a regular cup of espresso coffee if both the varieties are well brewed and processed properly. However, what about those who can make the difference?

One of the methods of getting rid of caffeine from the coffee is to treat coffee with hot water, subsequently followed by methylene chloride rinse.

You may be totally unaware of the fact that the coffee you get has already been processed with water previously in an espresso maker, on several occasions. Coffee berries after picking are rinsed properly for removal of their outer fruit covering. This softens the outer fruit, which is constantly washed, to purge the residual pulp.

Warming of green unroasted beans in hot water or steam, which opens the pores of the beans, is the initialization of chemical removal of caffeine. Subsequently, the beans are washed with methylene chloride that binds to caffeine to flush it away.

On the other hand, beans soaked for several hours in hot water percolates caffeine into the bath. Addition of methylene chloride is followed by the removal of the beans from the hot water. It only bonds with caffeine without flushing the flavored components of the beans and then they are re-soaked, where re-absorption of the flavored components is accomplished.

There is another method known as Swiss Method, in which the beans are soaked in hot water without the use of methylene chloride. On the other hand, caffeine is removed through activated charcoal by filtering the water. Relatively pure carbon, which is the altered molecular structure of activated charcoal, provides large surface area for other molecules to stick to it.

Most manufactures prefer the first method as it is less expensive but there are constant debates on the issue that the same method degrades the taste of the coffee beans. Major difference among the beans is made by quality control, but obvious. However, even other techniques are present for caffeine reduction.

As a result of roasting process, the dark, less acidic roasts contents less caffeine. For those who must reduce blends of decaf and regular have yet other options.

For the issue concerning taste, chemical differences are by and large overwhelmed by individual preferences. Many people can detect absence or presence of caffeine owing to it intrinsically bitter taste. It a matter of taste whether caffeine makes coffee good or bad.

Red grapes are not just for jelly

As a continuation to, “White Grapes are as Different as Apples and Oranges,” red grapes are very much the same. Sometimes it is hard to believe that one small piece of fruit can vary so much. Even though there are dozens upon dozens of varieties of red grape, the following is a short list of what I feel are the major red varieties.

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir originates in Burgundy but can also call places such as Tasmania and New Zealand home and is often considered to be the lightest of all the red grape varieties. Flavours and aromas again can vary but usually are reminiscent of raspberry and strawberry while having spicy and earthy aromas. Because of the variety of flavours and aromas that can be produced from Pinot Noir, it is important to ask a retailer when first getting involved in this variety because as easy it is to have a stunning bottle it is just as easy to have a bottle that would give you nightmares. It is also important to keep in mind that although Pinot Noir is a low yielding variety it is not always necessary to spend a lot of money to get a nice bottle of wine you just need to know what to look for (which is where asking comes into play if you are unsure of a particular region or vineyard).

Shiraz/Syrah

Just as Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are essentially the same, Shiraz and Syrah are essentially the same with the differences lying only in their styles and origins. Syrah has much more spice and be a leaner and elegant Old World style grape while its brother Shiraz is a fruitier and more oaky New World star. Syrah has characteristics that range from plum to redcurrants with a lot of spice while Shiraz is a rich and intense wine that will remind you of raspberry, cedar and earth. Both are quite intense in their own right and sometimes need an acquired taste for strong, powerful fruity and spicy wines to be fully appreciated.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is a native to France’s Bordeaux region and aside from being one of the best established in grape growing regions around the world, it is also considered by many (including myself) the ruler of red wines. This is also in part due to their thick skins and high acidity having created some of the best and oldest red wines around. Having an amazing universal appeal, Cabernet Sauvignon has a variety of flavours and aromas. These aromas can vary from leather and mint to fruity such as cherry and plum and contribute to the “full body” feeling that this wine is known for.

Merlot

A well known wine, Merlot often runs neck in neck with that of Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot is grown all over the world including countries such as Australia and America with it’s origins in France. With flavours that can be on the fence between lightweight and medium bodied, Merlots flavours tend to be full of plum fruit flavours with little tannin. One of the more drinkable varieties, Merlot is a quick favourite with people who are just started to acquire a taste for red wine.

Zinfandel

Perhaps not as big in many parts of the world it can definitely be said that Zinfandel (also known as Zin) has found it’s calling in the United States where in the Napa Valley it has had huge success in creating some amazing wines. Zinfandels are known to create wines varying from light bodied to full on power houses to sweet dessert wines and ports. A fact that many people are starting to become aware of is that Zinfandel and Primitivo from Italy are not different varieties but in fact are twins.

While there are many more varieties of red grape that were not touched upon such as Tempranillo, Grenache and Pinot Meunier, the above list hopefully will shed some light on the many varieties of red grapes that are used to produce wine as even a basic knowledge of grapes will greatly enhance your ability to understand and appreciate a bottle of wine.