ABOUT THE BOOK As the worlds most used (and abused) substance, coffee is a drink most people have indulged in. In fact, for many people, drinking coffee is a daily ritual; quite often, we do not stop to think about what we are drinking. While you might not wish to rise to the level of coffee snob, you might be curious to know more about the gourmet coffee you drink: how to find the best gourmet coffee, brew and taste the perfect cup, or even how to roast your own beans. While almost anyone recognizes roasted beans, very few people know where they come from, or what processes go into creating them. Coffee comes from a coffee tree; cherries grow on the trees branches, and each cherry holds two beans. You might have noticed the word arabica or robusta on a bag of coffee; these words refer to the type of tree from which the beans come. From the tree, the berries are harvested and dried. Any defective beans are removed. Certain types of beans, like peaberry beans, are viewed as defects, but are also harvested for particular styles of coffee. MEET THE AUTHOR Cara Batema holds a Bachelor's degree in music and creative writing. Cara composes scores and performs for films in addition to writing and editing children's novels and other publications. Cara loves food, wine, fashion, bike riding, and other general artsy diversions. Subscribe to Cara's Los Angeles Coffee Examiner page or follow on Twitter @indiesmitty. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK The history of coffee begins with a legend from the Ethiopian highlands. Kaldi, a goat-herder, discovered that he would feed certain berries to his goats, and they became restless and would not sleep. Kaldi brought the berries to a local monastery, and the monks made a drink from the berries that allowed them to stay awake for long hours of prayer. The power of the berries spread towards the East and finally around the globe. Even todays coffee is traced back to the original coffee trees from the Ethiopian highland region. As early as the fifteenth century, coffee was grown in Arabia, and by the sixteenth century, they were trading with nearby areas such as Egypt, Turkey, Syria, and Persia. Coffee was consumed in homes and coffee houses alike. These cafes were much like they are today; they served as the locale for public events, social gatherings, and live music performances. Since Muslims did not drink alcohol, coffee was known as wine of the Araby. Word of coffee spread to Europe by the seventeenth century. Critics called it the bitter invention of Satan, but Pope Clement VIII gave it the papal seal of approval after trying it. Coffee houses in England, Germany, Austria, Holland, and France held a similar significance as those in Arabia, and by the mid-1600s, the love of coffee was brought to America. CHAPTER OUTLINE Guide to Gourmet Coffee and Coffee Making + Background + History of Gourmet Coffee + The Roasting Process + The Right Grind + ...and much more
ABOUT THE BOOK The story of IPA beer starts, as most tales of good beer usually do, in a British pub. The term “India Pale Ale” is a bit misleading because the beer is not brewed in India, but rather originates in Britain previously destined for the Indian marketplace. IPA beers originated as “October ales,” named so because they were typically brewed during that month to accompany British sailors on their trips to the East Indies. The long journey proved problematic for darker beers; although often preferred by the British public, these beers would spoil by the end of the journey. The creation of the IPA solved the challenges of traveling for months by boat through extreme temperatures. IPAs in particular incorporate more hops, which contribute to the bitter, flowery, or citrusy flavors. The term “hops” refers to the flower of a particular vine, a quintessential aspect of beer-making. Historically, the production of IPA used hops to help stabilize beer on its journey to the Indies. Hops act as a natural preservative, so the beer would travel better with more hops during the days before modern refrigeration techniques. IPAs eventually gained popularity in Britain and other parts of the world (the American Pale Ale is a variation using American hops) as brewers served the beer in pubs, and consumers began to like and even prefer the flavor. MEET THE AUTHOR Cara Batema holds a Bachelor's degree in music and creative writing. Cara composes scores and performs for films in addition to writing and editing children's novels and other publications. Cara loves food, wine, fashion, bike riding, and other general artsy diversions. Subscribe to Cara's Los Angeles Coffee Examiner page or follow on Twitter @indiesmitty. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Try contrasting or complementing flavors. For example, couple a spicy pale ale with a spicy Thai or Indian dish. The spice and robustness of the beer works well with the bite of the food. On the flipside, pick a dry, bitter IPA to work with sweet fish like oysters. If you are into wine, think about lagers as white wine and ales as red wine. The heavy hops in the IPA act like acidity in wine, so an IPA might be more akin to a Zinfandel or Chianti. Most IPAs have medium body, so they work well in many dishes, but nothing too heavy or too light. In general, pair lighter beers with lighter food and heavy beers with heavier food. Try an IPA with rich vegetables like avocados, onion, or mushrooms. Beef and chicken, especially those with a little spice to them, also fare well with IPAs. At the end of the day, if you enjoy a good IPA, you will like it with almost any dish... Buy a copy to keep reading!
ABOUT THE BOOK As the worlds most used (and abused) substance, coffee is a drink most people have indulged in. In fact, for many people, drinking coffee is a daily ritual; quite often, we do not stop to think about what we are drinking. While you might not wish to rise to the level of coffee snob, you might be curious to know more about the gourmet coffee you drink: how to find the best gourmet coffee, brew and taste the perfect cup, or even how to roast your own beans. While almost anyone recognizes roasted beans, very few people know where they come from, or what processes go into creating them. Coffee comes from a coffee tree; cherries grow on the trees branches, and each cherry holds two beans. You might have noticed the word arabica or robusta on a bag of coffee; these words refer to the type of tree from which the beans come. From the tree, the berries are harvested and dried. Any defective beans are removed. Certain types of beans, like peaberry beans, are viewed as defects, but are also harvested for particular styles of coffee. MEET THE AUTHOR Cara Batema holds a Bachelor's degree in music and creative writing. Cara composes scores and performs for films in addition to writing and editing children's novels and other publications. Cara loves food, wine, fashion, bike riding, and other general artsy diversions. Subscribe to Cara's Los Angeles Coffee Examiner page or follow on Twitter @indiesmitty. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK The history of coffee begins with a legend from the Ethiopian highlands. Kaldi, a goat-herder, discovered that he would feed certain berries to his goats, and they became restless and would not sleep. Kaldi brought the berries to a local monastery, and the monks made a drink from the berries that allowed them to stay awake for long hours of prayer. The power of the berries spread towards the East and finally around the globe. Even todays coffee is traced back to the original coffee trees from the Ethiopian highland region. As early as the fifteenth century, coffee was grown in Arabia, and by the sixteenth century, they were trading with nearby areas such as Egypt, Turkey, Syria, and Persia. Coffee was consumed in homes and coffee houses alike. These cafes were much like they are today; they served as the locale for public events, social gatherings, and live music performances. Since Muslims did not drink alcohol, coffee was known as wine of the Araby. Word of coffee spread to Europe by the seventeenth century. Critics called it the bitter invention of Satan, but Pope Clement VIII gave it the papal seal of approval after trying it. Coffee houses in England, Germany, Austria, Holland, and France held a similar significance as those in Arabia, and by the mid-1600s, the love of coffee was brought to America. CHAPTER OUTLINE Guide to Gourmet Coffee and Coffee Making + Background + History of Gourmet Coffee + The Roasting Process + The Right Grind + ...and much more
ABOUT THE BOOK The story of IPA beer starts, as most tales of good beer usually do, in a British pub. The term “India Pale Ale” is a bit misleading because the beer is not brewed in India, but rather originates in Britain previously destined for the Indian marketplace. IPA beers originated as “October ales,” named so because they were typically brewed during that month to accompany British sailors on their trips to the East Indies. The long journey proved problematic for darker beers; although often preferred by the British public, these beers would spoil by the end of the journey. The creation of the IPA solved the challenges of traveling for months by boat through extreme temperatures. IPAs in particular incorporate more hops, which contribute to the bitter, flowery, or citrusy flavors. The term “hops” refers to the flower of a particular vine, a quintessential aspect of beer-making. Historically, the production of IPA used hops to help stabilize beer on its journey to the Indies. Hops act as a natural preservative, so the beer would travel better with more hops during the days before modern refrigeration techniques. IPAs eventually gained popularity in Britain and other parts of the world (the American Pale Ale is a variation using American hops) as brewers served the beer in pubs, and consumers began to like and even prefer the flavor. MEET THE AUTHOR Cara Batema holds a Bachelor's degree in music and creative writing. Cara composes scores and performs for films in addition to writing and editing children's novels and other publications. Cara loves food, wine, fashion, bike riding, and other general artsy diversions. Subscribe to Cara's Los Angeles Coffee Examiner page or follow on Twitter @indiesmitty. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Try contrasting or complementing flavors. For example, couple a spicy pale ale with a spicy Thai or Indian dish. The spice and robustness of the beer works well with the bite of the food. On the flipside, pick a dry, bitter IPA to work with sweet fish like oysters. If you are into wine, think about lagers as white wine and ales as red wine. The heavy hops in the IPA act like acidity in wine, so an IPA might be more akin to a Zinfandel or Chianti. Most IPAs have medium body, so they work well in many dishes, but nothing too heavy or too light. In general, pair lighter beers with lighter food and heavy beers with heavier food. Try an IPA with rich vegetables like avocados, onion, or mushrooms. Beef and chicken, especially those with a little spice to them, also fare well with IPAs. At the end of the day, if you enjoy a good IPA, you will like it with almost any dish... Buy a copy to keep reading!
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