Cold Brew Coffee

As a coffee enthusiast (a term I prefer over "junkie"), I am always on the lookout for various ways to brew coffee, new things to put in coffee, unique ways to serve coffee, recipes that call for coffee, etc... In fact, more often than I would like to admit, my last thought before falling asleep is "I can't wait to wake up and have coffee!" 

Of course one of the favorite pastimes of a "coffee enthusiast" is to find that perfect little coffee shop- the one saturated with the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans, good music selections playing at a pleasant volume, and the artsy regulars who have selected this particular venue to be the catalyst for their creativity. This is the place of Mac Books and sketchpads, brainstorming and first dates; a small pocket of Utopia in the midst of this chaotic world. 

Though atmosphere is crucial, so is the taste of the coffee. Countless times, excitement and anticipation have been quenched quickly and harshly by one bitter, acrid gulp of poor, overpriced coffee. 

All this to say, it is perfectly reasonable to assume that the best coffee should be produced and consumed in the comforts of your own kitchen! 


I remember being about twelve years old (pre-coffee drinker); my family was visiting some old friends in Colorado Springs. I remember distinctly my dad reaction over breakfast: looking at his coffee cup with a slight frown of disbelief, he took another sip before  exclaiming that it was THE BEST coffee he'd ever had. He, of course, peppered our hostess with questions about how such an exceptional beverage came into existence...

I didn't think much of it at the time, but he and my mom searched high and low for this mysterious "Coffee Toddy"(it was before the days of Google and Amazon... dark days indeed!) At last, they found the illusive Toddy at a little coffee shop in the Woodlands. Since that day, our home has never been the same...countless guests walked through our doors, and left with their hearts touched and lives transformed by the experience of "good coffee".  

I did not fully appreciate the miracle that is the cold brewing technique until I was a bit older. Coffee was coffee was coffee..But after a youth ski trip and McDonalds coffee day in and day out, coming home and drinking the dark, savory elixir of home, I was sold. 


So.. Here we go.. prepare to be amazed. 


It begins with the brewing and filtering. I use the Coffee Toddy available now through Amazon.. http://www.amazon.com/Toddy-T2N-Cold-Brew-System/dp/B0006H0JVW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365607959&sr=8-1&keywords=coffee+toddy

Put the small rubber stopper in the bottom from underneath, and soak the filter in cold water and put it snugly inside. 

Then pick your coffee- the lovely thing about cold brew, is that even store-brand coffee tastes GREAT: since it is not "hot brew", it isn't bitter! 

For those who like to know HOW a process works, an article in the New York Times said this:

"As water moves into the coffee particles or tea leaves, it dissolves or suspends hundreds of different substances and extracts them from the solids. If the water is hot, it extracts more rapidly and completely. Hot water also cooks as it extracts, forcing chemical reactions that transform some of the extracted substances into other things, and driving some aroma substances out of the liquid. Cold water, in contrast, extracts more slowly and selectively, produces a simpler extract, and doesn’t change the original flavor substances as much.

...

The hot-brew argument sounded convincing to me, and I’d be happy not to need any special kit or forethought. But when I compared a 12-hour cold brew of freshly roasted Ethiopian coffee side by side with double-strength pour-overs brewed onto ice, each was good, and it was the cold brew that consistently tasted fruitier and more refreshing. That experiment made me a fan of cold-brewed coffee."

See the entire post here http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/dining/cold-brewing-coffee-and-tea-the-curious-cook.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Ratio is double water to coffee: I used two cups of coffee and four cups of COLD water. DO NOT STIR! I live out in the country and have a well- if you are in city limits and using city water, you may want to filter it depending on how your water tastes...

Let the cold brew sit for 6-8 hours (I usually make it in the evening and by morning, *drum roll* COFFEE!

Pull the rubber stopper out of the bottom and place filter on top of the carafe (glass decanter). 

Pour 1/4 cup of coffee concentrate into your favorite mug (more if you want it stronger)

Add hot water from your tea kettle

And prepare to your liking!

Coffee concentrate is great for iced coffee as well... just add ice, milk/cream and your favorite flavoring. Iced Coffee Recipe click here: http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/recipes/homemade-cold-brew-coffee/

Natalia's Unorthodox Bruschetta

Something about the colorful, aromatic blend of vegetables make this appetizer a tempting, tantalizing treat for the palate. I like a little added heat in my bruschetta so I will typically include any sort of hot pepper I have on hand.. today it happened to be a jalapeño, but banana peppers also made a lovely addition. 

Begin with whatever vegetables you have on hand; bell peppers, hot peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic- you can add spinach or basil- even zucchini. 

Coarsely chop vegetables

Either finely mince garlic cloves, or cheat like me and run them through a garlic press

Choose your seasonings- I am partial to Penzeys "Tuscan Sunset", salt, pepper, 

a pinch of crushed red pepper... 

and the secret ingredient.. a wee dash of soy sauce. 

When vegetables are soft but not soggy, remove them from heat. I like to use the same pan to toast the bread... I like to take an extra clove of garlic, cut it in half, and rub both sides of the bread. 

Once bread is lovely and toasted on both sides, remove from pan, spoon the delicious vegetable mixture over top, and sprinkle with  Pecorino or Parmigiano cheese.

.... and enjoy!!

Natalia's Un-Orthodox Bruschetta

1/2 of an Orange Bell Pepper

1/2 of a Yellow Bell Pepper

1/2 of a Red (or green) Bell Pepper 

1/2 of a jalapeño 

1/3 of a yellow onion

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

2 TBSP Olive Oil

1 TBSP of Penzey's "Tuscan Sunset" seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/3 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

1 TBSP Soy Sauce

loaf of ciabatta bread or French bread, cut into pieces

Pecorino or Parmigiano cheese

1). Coarsely chop all vegetables. Sauté in pan over medium heat. Add garlic and seasonings

2). When vegetables are slightly soft (and onions are glassy) add soy sauce

3). Remove vegetable mixture from heat

4). Add a little more olive oil to pan. Heat oil and add pieces of bread, cooking for 20-40 seconds on each side over medium heat. 

5). Spoon vegetable mixture over bread

6). Garnish with cheese

Serve immediately while vegetables are warm and bread is crunchy

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Comforts of Home Cooking

In my humble opinion, few things come close to the comfort of a bowl of homemade soup on a cool day. Something about the way the aroma greets you as you walk in the door- perhaps the way the fragrance seems to carry further when it's cold- whatever it is, I have a weakness for soups.

  Paired with salad or bread, soups make a lovely lunch or light dinner- or even a post-appetizer/pre entree course, if you wish to be fancy. 

This dish is relatively easy to prepare- it is wonderful served as is, but I also use it as a supplement in other recipes which call for canned "cream of mushroom soup". 

Mushrooms have a wonderfully earthy, meaty quality to them. They have a subtly robust attribute that allows them to be the prima donna of a dish, or simply add a new dimension of flavor to other types of cuisine. 

 Cream of Mushroom Soup

Serves 4 as appetizer

Ingredients:
 4 cups fresh mushrooms - cleaned and chopped finely- I like to leave some larger pieces for more texture (I used Baby Portobellos but you can also use a mix of Monterey Mushrooms and Swiss Brown)
2 tbsp olive oil
5-7 cloves garlic - minced
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tbsp dried thyme
 2 bay leaves
 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cup chicken or vegetable stock (I use Better than Bouillon)
2 tbsp flour dissolved in 2 tbsp water 
Salt to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk (skim milk is fine)
Dash of nutmeg

                                      Dash of white wine

Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fresh parsley or thyme for garnish

  

1). Heat olive oil in saucepan. 

                                      2). Add butter and garlic

3). Add in mushrooms, thyme, bay leaves and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the moisture from the mushrooms disappears.

4) Add in chicken broth. Stir occasionally and bring to boils, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

5).Add diluted flour in, and stir constantly (while simmering) until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and nutmeg. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

6). Finally, add milk, wine and heavy cream, and bring to a simmer. Turn heat off.

6. Serve hot in your soup bowl. Add freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with fresh Thyme.