I'm sitting here this evening considering how I do things and how fortunate I am to have the time to do things the way I want to. I'm having a rare third cup of coffee, and I know that I will pay for it. But it is so good! This
morning my first cup was a Brazil Cerrado DP Fazenda Aurea, which I had roasted yesterday to a Full City+ roast. It was a bit fruity and had a creamy mouth feel. Later in the day I made a cup from a Honduras Organic bean from the Marcala-Cocosam Co-op, Marcala
being a region of Honduras and Cocosam the actual Co-op. I roasted this yesterday as well. It was bright and sweet. This evening I have mixed the two roasted beans in a roughly 50/50 mix with maybe the edge going to the Brazilian bean. This is a very good
cup of coffee. It's quite well rounded, sweet but not cloying. Pre-cream it had a wonderful floral and fruit note that nearly convinced me to go without the cream.
I don't know much about the various coffee regions, but I have learned that I prefer the very coffees that I originally thought I would hate. I do prefer the Central American beans for their brightness and clean flavors. Some
African beans are also quite good, but most of the Indonesian coffees seem to have a funky earthy/dirt flavor to them. Coffee is a taste that you develop a liking for. I don't know too many people that simply like coffee the first time they try it. I would
argue vehemently that I am not a coffee snob. Yes, I do like good coffee, but I can drink instant in a pinch. It's just that, when I shell out good money for coffee, I want the coffee to be very good. Roasting green coffee beans gives me a level of control
over the quality of the bean and the roasting process.
Tomorrow I plan on seeing if this blend I have made will make a good espresso. I sure hope so. I haven't made espresso at home in a long while, and I'd like to give it a go. I wonder where She Who Must Be Obeyed hid the machine?
Late this morning I made a second batch of Ricotta Cavatelli. I wanted to see if a bit more flour and 15 minutes of kneading would make the dough a bit more like it's supposed to be: soft, not sticky, and smooth. I added all
the flour I dared and it still never got to the soft but smooth stage. I shaped the Cavatelli on a pastry cloth, which did help the process quite a bit. The Cavatelli just weren't shaped quite right. I'm going to try making it without Ricotta cheese next time.
Also, according to most sources, I should be using half semolina and half AP flour.
A few months back I made some apple cider. I don't drink much anymore, but I love making my own cider, mead and beer. Truthfully, I haven't made beer in ages. I stopped when I had little ones running around the kitchen. The thought
of 5 gallons of sticky, boiling liquid falling on an inquisitive child made me rethink brewing. That stuff is like napalm! One year I even freeze distilled some of the mead. Then I found out that it was illegal to do that. Been clean ever since! By the way,
it was the most wonderful tasting stuff ever! Think honey brandy.
I can't help myself. I've always been like this. If there is a harder way to do something, chances are you'll see me toiling away at it. Why go to the produce market when you can grow your own perfectly good vegetables? Why not
make your own beer? Coffee? If I can figure out how to do it, I would grown my own coffee! If I ever get my acreage I am going to grow, not only hops (easy to grow!) but also the barley. Why not? I want to start learning to make cheese as well. I already do
some fermented vegetables, but maybe I should try making yogurt as well. It is so simple to do. I haven't made sausage in a while, nor bacon. Next year one of my projects is going to be building a small cold smoker. Small is a relative term seeing as it will
still be a walk-in smoker!
I think it was sometime last year I started to think about making my own ink, and quill. My wife is pretty sure it is a disease or mental illness that I have, but she loves me anyway.
