Shake it Baby

Although the chocolate we buy today is sweet, the Aztec translation is actually “bitter water”. The reason our chocolate is sweet today is because of the way it’s now processed. The Aztecs and Mayans knew chocolate was a liquid made from crushed cacao beans containing alkaloids which have a bitter taste.

Despite its bitterness, these ancient cultures considered it as ‘food for the gods’. Who knows why. Maybe is has something to do with Theobromine which is similar to caffeine. Or maybe they had a little too much and felt the effects of the Anandamide, a compound similar to that found in marijuana. It could even be the amphetamine-like compound Phenethylamine.

The Theobroma cacao plant grows to about 20 ft high in equatorial regions and is evergreen. It produces bean pods which are treated in a similar way to coffee beans – they are dried, roasted and ground. The end result is chocolate liquor which is squeezed, producing cocoa butter and cocoa solids. When the cocoa solids are ground even further you end up with cocoa powder.

Note the similarity of the words ‘cacao’ and ‘cocoa’. No accident, but one refers to the tree or bean, the other to the product after processing.

When you mix it together with sugar you get conch. By heating and cooling (a process called tempering) you have the chocolate that we all know and love today.
Whether it’s in the form of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate, or even white chocolate that is chiefly cocoa butter with no cocoa solids, it is creamy, tasty and highly satisfying. Milk chocolate, the most popular variety falls somewhere in between, as a mixture of cocoa solids, milk solids and sugar.

Whatever type of chocolate you choose to eat it can be, not only delicious, but also healthy. Many active people such as athletes and walkers eat chocolate for an energy boost. Although chocolate making is a simple process, it can take many years to perfect the art.

It makes its way into recipes as diverse as chocolate ice cream, chili and chocolate martinis. Whether eaten in small chunks, or spread as a sauce on pork chops, chocolate is a much-loved ingredient of chefs around the globe. As a hot cocoa brew, it’s unbeatable.

You can even eat raw chocolate in the form of organic ‘power’ bars.

It’s a small wonder, given how chocolate can lift the mood of anyone feeling the blues. When we feel down and need a lift chocolate is often the food we reach for. We even reach for it to celebrate the good times.

It makes for the perfect dessert standing alone, and adds a touch of elegance when combined with a fine glass of wine.

No one needs to encourage anyone to try some fine chocolate cookie recipes. The trick is keeping them away from your stash. Hide some today.

No Comments » Posted by April / Food and Drink

Coffee roasters are available in all various styles and sizes and are priced at about £150 although can rise to a couple of thousand. Price however doesn’t always correlate to quality. Other than looking for a good brand, here’s some tips for buying a coffee roaster.

How “Hands On” Do You Want To Be?

Experimenter - Some people love to experiment with finding the perfect roasted coffee. They like to mix and stir, whir and measure. Some simple stove top models are basically just a sauce pan with a tight lid and a special handle.

The machines allow the beans to be stirred during the process to prevent the beans at the bottom from burning. It also helps the hot air circulate through evenly.

When comparing models of roasters ensure that the one you buy has a thermometer in the lid as controlling the temperature is important.

Laid Back – Other people prefer to let the machines do all the hard work instead. Simply place the desired amount of green beans in, close the lid and let it do the business for a few minutes.

These deluxe models have inbuilt thermometers, thermostatically controlled heating mechanisms, clever air-flow control geometry and rotating canisters and a timer to automatically shut off the device at the proper time.

At the upper end of the price range, these roasters do everything but eliminate the smoke that invariably accompanies the process.

How Effectively do they heat and Circulate Air?

Most of the roasters available work in a similar manner to popcorn poppers. Hot air circulates round the coffee beans giving them a consistent roast. You may find some models can filter out the chaff caused by the beans bursting from their skins.

With most models you’ll be able to watch the beans roast so you can judge the desired amount. They often have pre-set amounts on the dial ranging from light to dark.

As mentioned already, even heat distribution is very important for an even roast. If your roaster has the heating source at the bottom and air is restricted, you’ll have disappointing results.

Drum Roasters – You can overcome this problem by buying a drum roaster which uses gravity to move the beans rather than a stirrer at the bottom.

Beware, though. Many don’t have windows for observing the roasting process – a must for those who like to experiment and fine-tune the roast. And, not surprisingly, with the greater quantity of bean comes a larger volume of smoke. Be prepared to ventilate well.

Roasters used to be purely for professional use however they can more readily available for home use. Useful for those large dinner parties where you want the freshest possible coffee. And who doesn’t want that?

No Comments » Posted by April / Food and Drink

Although you may only think of coffee makers as modern gadgets for swish penthouse apartments you’d be wrong. They’ve been around almost as long as coffee itself and originally came in the form of a Turkish Ibrik. This is a copper container with a long handle and a grooved tongue. You’ll still find it being used in the Middle East but be careful; it has no filter so produces a very strong brew of coffee.

For those more interested in drinking a beverage than eating coffee grounds, a wide variety of types are available from the plain to the esoteric. Here’s a simple buyers guide.

Most coffee makers you’ll see in the shops are the affordable drip type. You pour the water in the top, it’s then heated by an electric coil, the water then passes through the coffee grounds and into a glass pot sitting on a heating plate.

That’s the very basics covered, now you should be aware of some features available to you.

Coffee makers can have so many controls on them you’d think they were a HiFi. LCD screens can display the time, temperature, timer and various other bits of info.

Auto Shut-Off - Having control over the degree of the brew is essential. If you’re in the habit of forgetting to turn things off then an auto-shutoff is essential. Most people these days are too busy to wait for the brewing process to complete, so they remove the pot before the water has finished draining. Without this feature water would continue to drip and splash onto the heating plate.

The illuminated displays also help on those dark mornings when you can’t find the light switch and haven’t yet had your coffee to get your eyes completely open.

Cleaning your Coffee Maker – Cleaning can be a hassle so if this is something you hate doing then coffee “pods” is the answer. They are pre-measured paper containers of coffee through which the water flows. They’re also very good for filtering grounds. When your coffee has been brewed simply check the pods in the bid. Not very good for the eco-minded however.

Water Filters – Several models are available with water filters, essential for the urban dweller where the water supply tastes more like the water the local swimming baths use. The filters are pricey but a good cup of coffee is priceless.

Permanent coffee filter styles can be had, but with the pods they’re much less important. Debates rage over the environmental impact and the taste effect of the paper from the pods. Vote your conscience.

In-Built Grinder – You can even find makers with in-built grinder however most people prefer to buy them separately for easier cleaning.

No Comments » Posted by April / Food and Drink