Reunited at last

February 5, 2010

I have been reunited with my lost love, coffee. The game has ended and I can rejoice in the most delicious Le Gourmand French Roast that I have ever had. My roommate, who –as described in the F.L.A.B.B. entry – has been reunited with her long lost love of Pepsi, described her experience and enjoyment of her first drink. I mentioned that at least my favourite beverage has some health benefits – although all I couldn't come up with any off the top of my head. Today’s question is: what are the health benefits of coffee?

A: Many of coffee's health benefits come from it's antioxidants. Here are five health related facts about my fav hot beverage:

1) At least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's.

2) Alcohol drinkers who also drink coffee regularly have a lower chance of developing cirrhosis of the liver.

3) A 12-year study on Japanese women found that drinking 3 or more cups of coffee per day may actually halve the risk of developing colon cancer.

4) After a hard workout, a cup or two of coffee has been shown to reduce muscle soreness in women, more effectively than naproxen, aspirin and ibuprofen.

5) Roasted coffee has some antibacterial properties, particularly against Streptococcus mutans, one of the major causes of cavities.

Sources:

http://www.positivelycoffee.org/topic_performance_statement.aspx
http://men.webmd.com/features/coffee-new-health-food
http://www.ecosalon.com/20-surprising-facts-about-coffee/

Day Off

January 13, 2010



Today is my day off from The Game. The point is to relax from the strict eating schedule and rigid rules of The Game; the theory is that the day off prevents plateauing. So this morning, I fell back into my usual routine of rushing to get ready, putting on my make-up, running out the door, purchasing a bagel with cream cheese and a large coffee, and getting into work late. As I have described in a number of previous posts, coffee is something that I truly love, and having the freedom to drink it today caused a sense of euphoria. I'm high on caffeine, dizzy with the rich aroma and engulfed in the delicious bitterness of my first cup this week. Obviously, as this magical beverage is such a passion, I suppose you can guess that today's question will be related... Today's question is: which countries are the top 10 producers of coffee?



A: I thought that this would be an easy one; find the list, research the countries and voila! Little did I realize that each organization and website has different figures. I chose to base my research on the statistics provided by the International Coffee Organization's total production data.


I was also really surprised by the list of countries - I have drank Costa Rican, Kenyan and Jamaican varieties, but was shocked that they did not make the top 10 list. Although, I was quite proud that the Guatemalan's are there; perhaps I come from a long line of coffee farmers! Regardless, here is the list:

Statistics are based on 2008/2009 crop production.


Brazil (45 992 000 bags)

Brazil is the largest coffee producing country, supplying 1/3 of the world's coffee. Brazil produces both arabica and robusta beans, although notable varieties include Bahia and Bourbon Santos. Brazilian coffee is usually distinguished by a clear, sweet, mild to medium flavour.

Vietnam (16 000 000 bags)

Coffee production in Vietnam is considered to be the most rapid growing industry in the country. Vietnam specializes in robsuta production, but also grows arabica beans which were brought to the country by French missionaries in the 1860s. Vietnamese coffee is characterized by a light acidity and mild body, it is frequently used for blending.

Colombia (10 500 000 bags)

The best known coffee producer in the world, much of Colombia's economy relies on the production of coffee. Colombia’s coffee grows in the moist, temperate foothills of the Andes, which result in consistently good, mild coffees. The delicate, aromatic sweetness can be found in the notable Supremo.


Indonesia (8 638 000 bags)

Indonesia produces well known robusta beans from it's islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi. Indonesia's traditional process of warehousing the beans - aging them in it's warm, damp climate - produces a deep bodied flavour that cannot be matched by technology.

Ethiopia (6 133 000 bags)

Ethiopia is the origin of the arabica tree and is the top exporter of that variety of bean. One of the main growing areas is Kaffa, which is said to be where the name coffee derived. Ethiopian coffee tends to offer a bold, full flavoured, earthy cup.


Mexico (4 650 000 bags)

Although one of the top producers, Mexican coffee tends to be grown on small farms rather than large plantations. Mexico is the largest supplier of coffee to the United States. A cup of Mexican coffee can offer a wonderful aroma and a depth of flavor. It is a good bean for dark roasts and is sometimes used for blending.


India (4 372 000 bags)

Coffee production in India is strictly controlled by the Indian Coffee Board, which some claim reduces economic incentive and lowers quality. Indian coffee can be distinguished by complex aroma and sweet finish with undertones of fruit and earthiness.


Peru (3 868 000 bags)

Peruvian coffee is a sweet, fruity tasting coffee with a complex yet delicate aroma that is alive with floral scents and fruit notes. Many importers have focused on fair-trade beans from Peru as it operates many small farms.


Honduras (3 373 000 bags)
Honduras mainly grows arabica beans and retailers tend to use it as a blending coffee. Due to the rich soil, high altitude and temperate climate, Honduran coffee has a low acidity and a sweet flavour likened to that of caramel.

Guatemala (3 370 000 bags)

Guatemalan coffee has a very distinct flavour due to the volcanic soil and high altitude of the coffee plantations. Guatemalan coffee is medium to full bodied, with a spicy flavour and chocolaty undertones.

Sources:

National Coffee Association of U.S.A.

National Geographic: Coffee

Cake

January 10, 2010

Day three of The Game and I feel quite good. The lack of coffee is still on my mind, but I sufficiently caffeinated myself by having an afternoon cuppa tea and spent my "free calories" by putting a splash of milk in. As I sat to enjoy my tea, I picked up the President's Choice Insider Report magazine - essentially a flyer touting all of the new food products that President's Choice puts out. Turning the pages, my mouth began to water. I turned to the dessert page and my head nearly exploded with the gorgeous looking cakes, particularly the cream puffs (profiteroles). It's been ages since I've had a profiterole and I would have loved to have one with my tea - but why stop at one, I would have loved to have a whole pile of them! A whole pile of cream puffs, with spun sugar on them! A whole croquembouche for myself! But since I am committed to winning The Game, I decided that I would blog about a croquembouche instead of indulging in one. Today's question is: how does one make a croquembouche?


A: Croquembouche is from the French 'croque en bouche' meaning a crunch in the mouth. A croquembouche is a fancy, edible, structure made of choux pastry, filled with chantilly cream, held together by caramel and decorated with cheveux d'ange (spun sugar). The croquembouche was displayed on the medieval tables of French royalty and nobility, and is now a traditional cake for weddings, baptisms and communions.



As the answer to this question is in recipe form, it is difficult to research and summarize. So I have copied Laura Calder's recipe for croquembouche - Laura Calder hosts a cooking show called French Food at Home on the Food Network. I have never made one, so I cannot vouch for how good this recipe is. However, I have decided that as a celebration for completing The Game, I will make one for all of the participants and have them over for COFFEE and dessert!

Laura Calder's Croquembouche
Ingredients
Pastry
1 1/2 cups water
Pinch salt
3/4 cup butter
4 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Milk for glaze

Pastry Cream
2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped

Croquembouche
1 recipe pastry cream
1 recipe baked choux balls
3 cups sugar

Directions
Pastry
1.Heat the oven to 375 F/190 C.
2.Put the water, salt, butter, and sugar in a roomy saucepan, bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the flour all at once, beating until it forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Return the pan to the heat for a minute or two and beat to dry it out a little. (Removing moisture will allow the paste to absorb more egg, which will ultimately make the puffs lighter.)
3.Remove the pan from the heat. Beat in the eggs, the equivalent of one at a time, until fully incorporated. (Do not try to add them at once because they can’t be incorporated quickly enough, it makes a total mess, and furthermore you may not need all of them.) After the third addition of egg, add only enough to make dough that will fall, glossy and heavy, from the spoon. Beat in the vanilla. Spoon the dough into a piping bag.
4.Mix a bit of milk into any remaining egg (if no egg left, use only milk). Have at the ready with a pastry brush for glazing. Pipe the dough into evenly-sized (about 1-inch/2.5 cm) balls on a non-stick baking sheet, leaving a good 2-inches/5 cm between them so they have room to expand. Brush the tops with the glaze and press the snouts down with a fingertip. Bake until puffed up, light, dry, and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, so they can breathe all around and will keep their shape and not go soggy.

Pastry Cream
1.Put the milk in a saucepan. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the milk and throw in the pod. Bring just to a boil, remove from the heat, cover, and set aside to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes.
2.Beat the yolks and sugar to pale thick ribbons. Gradually beat in the flour. Whisk the milk into the egg mixture in a thin stream. Add the flavouring and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Strain and set aside to cool with a buttered piece of waxed paper on top to prevent a skin from forming. When cool, fold in the whipped cream.

Croquembouche
1.Put the pastry cream in a piping bag with a sharp tip. Poke the tip into the choux balls and fill with pastry cream.
2.Put the sugar with 1/2 water in a saucepan, dissolve, and boil to caramel (340°F). Dip the choux balls into the caramel and arrange in a circle. Continue dipping and build the balls up like a stone wall, preferable around an oiled cone (or flowerpot) to make a big tree. Spin some of the extra caramel around the tree. Set aside until ready to serve.

Sources:

Croquembouche Patisserie - Toronto French Pastry

The Food Network: Laura Calder French Food at Home

Coffee please!

January 9, 2010

It is the second day of The Game and I have spent the whole day planning, preparing and eating my healthy meals. I have also not had coffee in two whole days! If you know me, I LOVE coffee. If I had children, I'd give up my first born for a gorgeous, steaming, flavourful cup of that beautiful brown elixir. There is something about the smell and taste of a freshly brewed cup of coffee that makes me so happy - and perky. I am experiencing withdrawal symptoms - headache, fatigue and irritability (or stroppines) - which have made me declare that this game sucks! Which in turn, makes me, my teammates, and my opponents suckers. As I sent an e-mail to one of the other participants this morning, I ended it with "Enjoy your water, Sucker!" (How is that for some friendly trash talk?!) This had me wondering where that word came from; could it actually be from what I thought? Today's question is: what is the origin of the word sucker?

A: The word sucker first shows up in the 14th century as the word souker, meaning a 'young mammal that has yet to be weaned'. It was not until the 1830's that the word developed the meaning of someone who is easily deceived.

The word presumably arose by likening a naive person to a newborn animal, which is weak and defenceless.

I suppose my mind was really in gutter... I thought it would have been derived from something more derogatory. Well, I'm happy to hear it wasn't!

Sources
Take Our Word For It: Issue 13
The Mavens' Word of the Day