by: Gary Gresham
When you enter a coffee house, you have a multitude of drink choices like latté, cappuccino, straight shot and caffé mocha just to name a few.
Sometimes knowing what to order can be overwhelming unless you know what you are getting. After all, who wants to pay an outrageous amount of money for a mystery drink that you may not even like?
So http://www.perfectcoffees.com has come to the rescue, and after you read this, you'll have a basic understanding of how the most popular coffee drinks are made and what they are made of.
Most coffee drinks start with espresso and espresso is just coffee that is brewed a certain way. It is finely ground to almost a powder then very hot water is forced through the grounds under intense pressure.
The brewing process is timed so that the flavorful and aromatic oils are extracted from the coffee and not the bitter components. This produces a strong flavored, but not bitter, concentrated shot of coffee.
Straight Shot
The straight shot refers to espresso coffee and the secret to good espresso is the extraction time, volume, and golden crema which is a thick light brown layer of frothed coffee oils that float on top of a properly extracted espresso.
The short shot or ristretto is extracted to a volume of three-quarters of an ounce. The shorter restricted pour magnifies the essence of the coffee and the chance of any bitter elements being extracted is minimized. If you have ever ordered an espresso shot in Europe they usually serve the ristretto.
The long shot or lungo is extracted to a volume of one and one-half ounces.
The double shot is a 2 ounce shot using twice as much coffee in the portafilter.
The correct way to serve a straight shot is to extract it directly into a warmed demitasse cup. The warm demitasse cup will keep the straight shot warm and prolong the crema. A straight shot is best enjoyed immediately after brewing.
It is rare to see people drinking straight shots of espresso in the US. Most people here drink variations using steamed milk mixed with the shots to make the different coffee drinks listed here.
Espresso Macchiato
The Espresso Macchiato starts with a shot of espresso and then a small amount of foamed milk is spooned over the shot. Macchiato in Italian means "marked," as the espresso is marked with foam.
Espresso Con Panna
This is an Espresso Macchiato using whipped cream in place of the foamed milk. The drink gets its name Con Panna which means "with cream."
Caffé Americano
The Caffé Americano is a drink similar to American brewed coffee. It is made with a single or double shot of espresso combined with 6 to 8 ounces of hot water out of an espresso machine. The result is a very smooth cup of coffee that is much hotter than brewed coffee.
Cappuccino
Cappuccino is made with a fluffy, wet foam, mixed with espresso coffee upon the pour to create a blend of the two flavors. Cold milk is essential, as is expertise in the foaming process. Cappuccino has a large volume of foam making it a light weight drink and less filling.
Caffé Latté
Caffé Latté is similar to the cappuccino but with much less foam and more steamed milk. A latté is made by holding back the foam with a spoon while pouring the frothed milk from the steaming pitcher. The caffé latté is completed by being topped with a small amount of the held back foam.
Caffé latté gets its name from the addition of coffee to milk. For an iced latté, cold milk is combined with the espresso and then the ice is added.
Caffé Mocha
A caffé mocha is made by adding powdered or chocolate syrup to a hot shot of espresso and blended. Steamed milk is then be added to the espresso-chocolate mixture and usually it is topped with whipped cream.
Iced mochas are made with cold milk and the ice added after the coffee and chocolate have been blended.
Flavored Coffee Drinks
Some popular coffee flavors are: vanilla, Irish creme, almond, hazelnut, caramel and fruit flavors such as orange and raspberry. These drinks usually start with a flavored syrup that is mixed with hot espresso and stirred. Then steamed milk is stirred in like in a latté.
An iced version of these flavored coffees made with cold milk instead of steamed makes a delicious cold drink in the summer months.
So now that you know what's in the basic coffee drinks, try one you haven't tasted yet. Who knows, you might find a new favorite.
Copyright © 2004 Perfect Coffees.com. All Rights Reserved.
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This article may be re-published "as is" (unedited) as long as the author's bio paragraph (resource box) and copyright information is included. The URLs in the resource box should be set as hyperlinks if used on a web page.
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About the author:
Gary Gresham is the webmaster for www.perfectcoffees.comwhere you can purchase quality coffee, tea, cups & mugs, coffee gifts and delicious desserts online. He offers a free monthly coffee newsletter with interesting coffee articles, brewing tips, coffee trivia and recipes at http://www.perfectcoffees.com/newsletter.html
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Submitted by Dr.Shoukath ND
Make Money Affiliate
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Spanish Food - How To Prepare Boquerones
by: Linda Plummer
Whilst on your travels in
site-seeing, you have surely experimented with "tapas" at a
welcoming bar.
If this is the case, it is more than likely that you have come
across the small, tasty filleted fish, preserved in olive oil,
sliced garlic and chopped parsley, and highly popular throughout
Spain. This delectable dish is usually known as "boquerones" but,
depending on the area, can also be called "anchoas".
Boquerones are small, fresh anchovies. Accompanied by crisp,
fresh Spanish bread, a glass of ruby-red wine or refreshing
Asturian cider, they are a delight to eat. Moreover - as with
many traditional Spanish dishes which comprise the renowned
Mediterranean Diet - they are extremely healthy.
Like its friend the sardine, the anchovy is an oily fish, packed
full of proteins and minerals, protecting against heart disease,
and "good" for cholesterol. What´s more, in many areas of
in particular the
extremely cheap.
On first coming to
boquerones, completely unaware of one fact ... all those little
anchovies I had eaten were not cooked! For a moment, I deeply
regretted asking my Spanish neighbor, Carmen, how to make them!
Fortunately, Carmen went into immediate action and saved the day!
She frog-marched me to the local fishmongers, bought a kilo of the
little fish, took me home and showed me "her way" of preparing
them. They were so delicious that I quickly recovered my passion
for boquerones and have been enjoying them ever since!
Methods for preparing boquerones tend to vary slightly from family
to family. However, the basic principles are always the same.
You first have to clean and fillet the fish, which is simple
enough, but rather tedious until you get the hang of it.
Next, you soak the fillets, either in white wine vinegar or a
mixture of half vinegar and half water. The vinegar will clean
and bleach the fish and also soften any remaining little bones.
Some people sprinkle the fish with salt; others (myself included)
feel that the fish is salty enough already.
The fish has to be left for a good few hours soaking in the
vinegar. Again, this tends to vary, with some Spaniards leaving
them overnight in the fridge and others just waiting a couple of
hours. Also, some families change the vinegar/water-and-vinegar
mixture once during this process, whilst others don´t bother.
Once you have thrown away the vinegar, the bleached fillets are
covered with a good quality virgin olive oil, which will preserve
them. You can add as much, or as little, sliced garlic as you
wish, plus freshly chopped parsley.
So ... here is the actual recipe.
BOQUERONES
Ingrediants:
- 1 kilo fresh anchovies.
- White wine vinegar.
- Virgin olive oil.
- Garlic.
- Parsley.
- Salt (optional).
Method:
1. Top and tail anchovies.
2. Slit along underside and discard innards.
3. Open out fish.
4. Remove central bone by lifting from tail end upwards.
5. Rinse well.
6. Place a layer of anchovy fillets in a shallow dish.
7. Sprinkle with salt (optional) and pour on plenty of vinegar.
8. Repeat with another layer, changing direction.
9. Leave to soak in vinegar for a few hours or overnight.
10. Pour off vinegar.
11. Very gently rinse fillets.
12. Cover fillets in virgin olive oil.
13. Add slices of garlic and chopped parsley.
It is so pleasant to find something in life that is a delight to
the senses, affordable, healthy and does nobody any harm
(apologies to any vegetarians out there and, also, the little
anchovies ...). So ... do make the most of fresh anchovies
whilst you are in
About the author:
After living in
to compile the information-rich website:
http://www.top-tour-of-spain.com
with its FREE monthly newsletter, "The Magic of Spain".
circulated by Article Emporium
Submitted by
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Spanish Food - How To Make The Perfect Paella
by: Linda Plummer
Looking for a traditional Spanish recipe? Without doubt, the
best-known is going to be the prodigious paella ... that tasty,
adaptable, gregarious dish famed throughout Spain and the World.
And, what an impressive choice of recipes exist for a pleasurable
paella: seafood, chicken, rabbit ... or a mixture of all three!
Perhaps you are non-meat eating ... well, just opt for one of the
several vegetarian paella recipes. Bit of a health fanatic?
Then substitute white rice for whole-grain rice or wild rice.
Got a large family and not much money to feed them on? Use
plenty of rice and imagination along with a tasty stock, plus
whatever you can find in the cupboard! I have certainly enjoyed
many paellas where there have been more bones/shells than meat/
seafood! And, very tasty they have been too, the richness of
the company more than compensating for any paucity in the
ingrediants.
So ... how do you go about making the perfect paella? First of
all, you need to choose your rice. The short-grained rice from
Valencia - where most Spanish rice originates - is fine for
making paellas. However, the "bomba" rice grown in the
neighboring region of Murcia, is the "king" of paella rice: again,
short-grained, it has the ability to absorb the stock whilst
remaining firm.
Another "must" is to use saffron ("azafrán") to create the gentle,
yellow color for which this delectable dish is renowned. Yes, it
is possible to buy cheaper, artificial colorings but ... go for
the traditional - it will bestow a wonderful aroma and unique
flavor.
Many Spaniards swear a perfect paella can only be achieved when
using a tasty, home-made stock. Whatever you decide, allow at
least double the amount of liquid to rice. If, during cooking,
the dish becomes a little dry, just add a dash more water or
stock.
Another tip I have been told, on more than one occasion, is to
gently fry the rice for a few minutes before adding the stock,
ensuring that it is well-coated in oil. I think all Spaniards
would agree that, once cooked, it is best to leave your paella to
stand for a good five minutes before serving.
Perhaps the most important ingrediant for making that perfect
paella, is to use lashings and lashings of love whilst preparing
it - for surely, that is something we can all afford - and to
enjoy to the full the marvellous company of those who will share
it with you.
I shall now have to choose a paella recipe to offer you as an
example! I think I will opt for a seafood paella, typical of the
region of Valencia, where I live. The ingrediants are for a
hearty four servings. If you are not a hefty eater, or on a diet,
then reduce the amount of rice/stock slightly.
Paella Valenciana - Paella From Valencia
Ingrediants:
- 4 cups rice.
- 8 cups fish stock.
- 8 king-sized prawns/langoustines.
- 8 mussels.
- 200 gr shrimps.
- 200 gr peas (fresh or frozen).
- 2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped.
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced.
- 3 strands saffron, crumbled.
- Olive oil for frying.
Method:
1. Sauté garlic in a paella-type pan.
2. Add tomatoes, peas, shrimps and saffron.
3. Cook for a few minutes.
4. Add rice and stock.
5. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.
6. Decorate with prawns and mussels.
7. Cover paella with a lid.
8. Poach the seafood for a few minutes.
9. Decorate paella with lemon quarters.
10. Enjoy!
About the author:
After living in Spain for 20 years, Linda Plummer
decided to compile her information-rich site:
http://www.top-tour-of-spain.com
with its FREE monthly newsletter, "The Magic of Spain".
circulated by Article Emporium
Submitted by Dr.Shoukath ND
http://earn-2.com
Looking for a traditional Spanish recipe? Without doubt, the
best-known is going to be the prodigious paella ... that tasty,
adaptable, gregarious dish famed throughout Spain and the World.
And, what an impressive choice of recipes exist for a pleasurable
paella: seafood, chicken, rabbit ... or a mixture of all three!
Perhaps you are non-meat eating ... well, just opt for one of the
several vegetarian paella recipes. Bit of a health fanatic?
Then substitute white rice for whole-grain rice or wild rice.
Got a large family and not much money to feed them on? Use
plenty of rice and imagination along with a tasty stock, plus
whatever you can find in the cupboard! I have certainly enjoyed
many paellas where there have been more bones/shells than meat/
seafood! And, very tasty they have been too, the richness of
the company more than compensating for any paucity in the
ingrediants.
So ... how do you go about making the perfect paella? First of
all, you need to choose your rice. The short-grained rice from
Valencia - where most Spanish rice originates - is fine for
making paellas. However, the "bomba" rice grown in the
neighboring region of Murcia, is the "king" of paella rice: again,
short-grained, it has the ability to absorb the stock whilst
remaining firm.
Another "must" is to use saffron ("azafrán") to create the gentle,
yellow color for which this delectable dish is renowned. Yes, it
is possible to buy cheaper, artificial colorings but ... go for
the traditional - it will bestow a wonderful aroma and unique
flavor.
Many Spaniards swear a perfect paella can only be achieved when
using a tasty, home-made stock. Whatever you decide, allow at
least double the amount of liquid to rice. If, during cooking,
the dish becomes a little dry, just add a dash more water or
stock.
Another tip I have been told, on more than one occasion, is to
gently fry the rice for a few minutes before adding the stock,
ensuring that it is well-coated in oil. I think all Spaniards
would agree that, once cooked, it is best to leave your paella to
stand for a good five minutes before serving.
Perhaps the most important ingrediant for making that perfect
paella, is to use lashings and lashings of love whilst preparing
it - for surely, that is something we can all afford - and to
enjoy to the full the marvellous company of those who will share
it with you.
I shall now have to choose a paella recipe to offer you as an
example! I think I will opt for a seafood paella, typical of the
region of Valencia, where I live. The ingrediants are for a
hearty four servings. If you are not a hefty eater, or on a diet,
then reduce the amount of rice/stock slightly.
Paella Valenciana - Paella From Valencia
Ingrediants:
- 4 cups rice.
- 8 cups fish stock.
- 8 king-sized prawns/langoustines.
- 8 mussels.
- 200 gr shrimps.
- 200 gr peas (fresh or frozen).
- 2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped.
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced.
- 3 strands saffron, crumbled.
- Olive oil for frying.
Method:
1. Sauté garlic in a paella-type pan.
2. Add tomatoes, peas, shrimps and saffron.
3. Cook for a few minutes.
4. Add rice and stock.
5. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.
6. Decorate with prawns and mussels.
7. Cover paella with a lid.
8. Poach the seafood for a few minutes.
9. Decorate paella with lemon quarters.
10. Enjoy!
About the author:
After living in Spain for 20 years, Linda Plummer
decided to compile her information-rich site:
http://www.top-tour-of-spain.com
with its FREE monthly newsletter, "The Magic of Spain".
circulated by Article Emporium
Submitted by Dr.Shoukath ND
http://earn-2.com
