Just black thanks – hold the eggs

/ Pete Denison / Leave a comment
Bulletproof Coffee!

Bulletproof Coffee! (Photo credit: estebanuribe)

What am I talking about here? Why coffee of course. You’re telling me you have never heard of whisking your eggs into your morning brew? No – neither have I. Am I likely to try this and write a tasting review? No, sorry, for that one you are on your own.

So why even discuss this here? Probably because a recipe for the above concoction landed in my inbox this morning via Mark’s Daily Apple, a regular newsletter to which I subscribe, written by Mark Sisson, of the The Primal Blueprint fame.

There is a thriving industry associated with the Paleo diet and overall ‘Primal’ lifestyle, of which Sisson is at the forefront. To dip your toe into this realm, a quick read here will just break the surface. To delve even deeper, and go further into the science of the Paleo diet, Robb Wolf’s site is also great resource. Wolf, a former research biochemist, is also an author, with further details on his books available on the site. I have read both books, however will not go into any further detail here, perhaps in another post.

Back to the coffee, or eggs, or …however it should be described. I would encourage you to read the full article, as the following recipes look even stranger than the concept itself:

Egg yolk coffee
* 1 1/2 cup (350 ml) coffee
* 3 pastured egg yolks
* 1 tsp sugar
* 1/4 tsp of salt

or

Whole egg coffee
* 1 cup (240 ml) coffee
* 2 pastured eggs
* 1 tsp sugar
* Pinch of salt

Read more at Mark’s Daily Apple

I will let you make up your own mind on this, however, as Sisson indicated in the original article, the genesis for adding eggs to coffee came about given the widespread success of adding butter to your morning brew. Don’t believe me? Then check out Bulletproof coffee, or do a quick Internet search to see how big this is.

Anyway, as I said above, certainly no tasting review to follow from me. Am I missing out? Perhaps, however this is one I will let slide by as I search for the next great single origin to roast.

 

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What’s Brewing #3 – El Salvador Finca El Capulin

/ Pete Denison / 2 Comments
Coffee in El Salvador

Coffee in El Salvador (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Since the What’s Roasting #3 post a couple of weeks ago, I have roasted a further batch each of the El Salvador and Colombian bean varieties in an attempt to fine tune and unlock their best characteristics. Acknowledgement must go to Neil Atwood from Ministry Grounds, my green bean supplier for some great ‘real time’ twitter advice whilst the second batch was roasting.

The remainder of this post will concentrate on the El Salvador varietal, with the Colombian coming in the future.

The reason for the second roast so soon? Probably due to my expectations being fairly high as to the likely quality and flavour profile, and whilst the results of the initial batch were good, the second certainly was an improvement (lighter roast). Also, my tasting was done (as it often is) both via the Aeropress and a one shot 160 ml latte, both of which undersold the quality a little. Neil also advised he expected the El Salvador would struggle through milk.

Anyway, on with The Whack:

What: El Salvador Finca El Capulin

  • Origin: El Salvador
  • Region: Cerro Verde
  • Altitude: 1498m
  • Processing: Fully washed, patio dried

How: Latte, Aeropress, Espresso

Assessment:
Dry Aroma – notes of citrus and a little spice

Milk Course – Although it fights hard to be noticed, using this blend in your morning latte definitely does not do it justice. Just not enough body to hold your attention. Definitely a good example of horses for courses.

Aeropress – Definitely better here. The notable acidity pushes forward the citrus flavours, with syrupy undertones on the finish. As usual, the flavours are foremost as the brew cools.

Espresso – Of the three tasting methods here, this is where this variety does its best work (depending on your body vs acidity preference – read further on this below). Extracting this through an espresso machine will give you the best example of the smooth, subtle flavours. The notable acidity brings through citrus type flavours, with a syrup like finish. Given the variety is quite subtle, the concentrated form of an Espresso seems to be the sweet spot.

Photo 21-07-13 8 00 49 AM

Be warned however, if you are after a punch of body, it still won’t be found here – for some this may be a negative, however I don’t see this as necessarily the case if your tastes are not crying out for this. Personally, I like it, though can see when used in a blend with a variety providing more body (which is what I plan to do), may appeal to those who find it a little wanting on its own. My favourite barista (herself Italian) who taste tested, called it as she saw it – needing more body:

…you know, like a good Italian woman, she’s got the curves…, she’s strong, she’s got a lot to offer. Not skinny and light, she’s got the body. She’s got real…

I can’t remember the rest as my mind wandered somewhere else – but you get the picture. Some will just like more body in their Espresso. And evidently their women?

Thinking more on this, I would refer you to an excellent article on A History of Acidity in Coffee, which is also featured in this months issue of BeanScene Magazine. Here it is recommended we should acknowledge and embrace the different flavour profiles in coffee, both the more recent trend towards higher acidity espresso and the more traditional full-bodied, low acid type:

Personally, I’m not against this as a style of espresso as some people may think, but it really demonstrates just one style of espresso.

Conclusion; Know This:
Upon review, the El Salvador is definitely a reminder on the merits of a wide range of tasting methods. As I outlined in a very early post on my reviewing system, the assessment of my roasting results is not based on the standard ‘cupping’ methods used to formally assess taste quality by those more expert than myself. This is a conscious decision, as taste for me will always be a result of how I brew and drink each variety on a day-to-day basis.

Despite recent trends in my coffee drinking habits, future reviews will include as many brewing varieties as I have available to me to avoid missing a method that may showcase the full potential of a particular origin. So, as far as this El Salvador lot is concerned, as an origin, it is certainly made for drinking on its own, in a shorter rather than a longer brew. I am looking forward to experimenting with this variety in some blending to achieve a greater balance between the acidity on offer whilst adding some body to the mix.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Riding the Upgrade Cycle

/ Pete Denison / Leave a comment
English: Apple iPad 2 launch.

Apple product launch. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Technology moves at a rapid pace these days, and reflection on the various ways we use it is often bypassed in the search for, or acquisition of, the next ‘big’ or ‘shiny new’ thing.

As far as Apple technology is concerned, we are all supposedly waiting on the retina iPad Mini 2; iPad 5, and iPhone 5s (or however Apple specifically choose to name them). Even greater hype surrounds the possibility of an iWatch (again, whether or not this would be the name of such a product or if it even exists).

Why should we reflect on what we have, rather than what we may want to get? Simply because it is well worth considering whether upgrading will, in reality, better serve your needs. In posing this question, you may genuinely believe a newer model will enhance your productivity or be more useful to you, over and above upgrading merely for the sake of it.

There is no doubting the amazing power and capability of the current products on the market, which will become more so with even further technological advancement in the future.

However, it is worth remembering, if you are not using what you currently have to its full potential, a newer tool will not automatically bridge that gap for you.

 

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A Cold Brew Experiment

/ Pete Denison / 1 Comment
Coffee

Coffee (Photo credit: @Doug88888)

The tipping point. Another afternoon of weekday drudgery that could be picked up by the perfect brew.

The cafe that knows your name, your order and seemingly your every need is closed (and good luck to them having been there since 5am). Internally you would try yourself for treason if you go to another. What next? Why is this such an issue? Surely one cup of the instant stuff supplied in the office kitchen won’t kill you will it?

The answer is no but it sure almost felt like it. I have nothing against a large multinational making cheap instant coffee, it is just that in recent years I have not been able to stomach this brand. I’m not even sure why. Instant coffee is instant coffee and you may say its all bad, and I don’t necessarily disagree, however typically I am fine with most brands when that is all that’s on offer – just not the blend ending in 43.

So, I tempted fate and made a cup, consuming half. An uneasy feeling came ever me and the rest of the afternoon was spent feeling slightly ill. Rather than a little boost to my productivity, an afternoon of endless spreadsheets and a full inbox would now be dealt with on a background of vague nausea.

Thus, the tipping point. If you wish to complain then do something about it, or if you choose to do nothing, then shut up and stop complaining – oh and it’s also advisable to never make another cup of that stuff. Complaining done. The action? A task entered into Omnifocus to investigate cold brew concentrates, as a number of articles had also come through my feed reader recently about cold drip brewing and concentrates. Time to fight back!

Cold Brew Techniques

Though numerous techniques and equipment exist, I was looking for a simple way to have a cold brew concentrate made for the next day. A quick search revealed a few recipes:

The increase in recent articles on this topic such as those above, are largely due to the northern hemisphere summer, as many of the recipes focus on using the resulting brew in iced coffee mixes of varying types. However, the concentrate can be used equally well as a hot drink when mixed with boiling water.

My Method

The articles above list varying types of measures in determining the water to ground coffee ratio, which can be a little confusing when comparing articles (particularly whether the weight referred to is fluid ounces – a volume measure, or the actual dry weight). In view of this I went with the simplest recipe from the New York Times article as follows:

  • 1/3 cup coarsely ground coffee in a bowl
  • Stir in 1 and a half cups water (I used filtered)
  • Cover and let stand for 12 hours at room temperature (I refrigerated the mix)
  • Strain (I used an Aeropress) and serve
  • 1:1 with cold milk for iced coffee or the same ratio hot water (and a little more heat by microwave) for a hot coffee

As I have noted above, the exact technique I used varied a little from the original article, however the main starting point being the ratio of coffee to water. Using the Aeropress to strain and filter the resulting mix worked well as the liquid dripped through the filter over about 45 minutes or so, with the plunger only used to push through the last 10% as the amount of sediment increased on the filter paper. Any fine cloth sieve technique would work equally as well.

The Taste?

Though not perfect. For what I wanted? Absolutely spot on.

The first thing you will notice upon tasting a cold brewed coffee is the absence of acidity, irrespective of whether you are consuming it as a hot or cold drink. This particular element of the flavour profile is generated by heating ground coffee in the usual types of brewing. Some people would therefore consider this as a little bland, or “missing something” in the cup. Obviously they are correct, the acidity is the missing element.

The brew is one of the smoothest you will have tasted, and those looking for more ‘punch’, may need to play around a little with bean types, roast level and overall soaking or steeping times, which I plan to do in future brews to assess the results. The varietal used for the current brew was a light to medium roasted Central American origin from El Salvador. I have found with other brewing methods this is a subtle origin with notable acidity, and I am therefore looking to experiment with some South American origins that will provide a little more body for future cold brews.

The method I have outlined above provided 3 cups of hot coffee brewed at 1:1 ratio of water to concentrate and is certainly a technique I plan on continuing to use, because as we all know, few afternoons go by that could not be improved by a decent cup of coffee.

Do I feel smug making my ‘instant’ brew this way? Only when in the office kitchen adding hot water and I see the jar with the dreaded number on it out of the corner of my eye. It may say 43, but I give mine at least an 86–90 out of 100 and definitely think you should give it try.

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My Everyday Carry

/ Pete Denison / 5 Comments

Untitled

My initial post on this site introduced a passion for the various tools (both digital and analogue) I enjoy using to either plan, or get the job done. Whatever the particular “job” may be.

I have previously written about some of my “digital tools” in the form of the apps Day One and Byword, however an overview of the devices on which I use them, and some other “analogue” tools is best described in the style of post featured on sites such as the Everyday Carry; who also define this term as:

Everyday Carry, or EDC, generally refers to small items or gadgets worn, carried, or made available in pockets, holsters, or bags on a daily basis to manage common tasks or for use in unexpected situations or emergencies. In a broader sense, it is a lifestyle, discipline, or philosophy of preparedness.

Though the above sentiment is a valid one, you won’t find any knives, multi tools, torches or the like here. Thinking of a killer blog post idea (though you may argue that hasn’t happened yet!) and not having the tools on hand to record it is about as dangerous as my day gets. However, as someone who prefers to travel lightly on my daily commute, this is reflected in the tools I choose to work with. To and from work I use an Oroton black leather messenger bag in a similar style to this one.

Digital Carry

Both the iPhone and iPad undergo reasonably heavy use on a daily basis. The iPad is mainly used for early morning writing of blog posts or drafting reports for work, checking email, catching up on RSS feeds and reading magazines or ebooks. The iPad also fills the hour-long commute home, which is when I watch my favourite TV shows.

The iPhone usage is scattered throughout the day, heaviest on the commute to work, which invariably involves listening to podcasts and/or drafting or outlining posts for this site. Intermittently throughout the day it will also be used for Twitter and App.net, checking email, jotting down quick notes and getting tasks into Omnifocus. A few phone calls and text messages complete the picture.

Though two sets of ear phones may seem unnecessary, I use the TDK noise cancelling version for watching TV shows on the commute home, whereas the ear pods are for listening to podcasts or music in the mornings. The reason being I often continue listening during the 10 minute walk to work once off the bus, and walking around with the noise cancelling ones can be annoying due to the battery unit hanging part way down the audio lead.

Analogue Carry

  1. Oroton slim credit card holder
  2. Kaweco Sport Classic Ballpoint Pen
  3. Retro 51 Stealth Tornado Ballpoint Pen
  4. Montblanc Meisterstuck Fountain Pen
  5. Moleskine Cahier (Navy blue) Extra Large Notebook

The analogue tools – where to begin?

The slim credit card sleeve functions as my wallet and generally contains two credit cards, a couple of notes, my driver’s license and Medicare card. Anything more and it begins to feel not so “slim”. I don’t usually carry any coins if I can help it.

The pens and paper are generally used during my lunch break, to brain storm ideas for work projects or to generate or flesh out ideas for the next post on this site. My choice of the Moleskine cahier extra-large is dictated by needing a lightweight but reasonably sized notebook to carry to and from work (it is not required to fit in my pocket); pages that cope with all my pen types (fountain pen included); has a pocket for storage of note cards and other scraps of paper (a mobile “inbox” of sorts); and fits my iPad (perfectly) inside the back cover, so everything is easily held whilst walking around.

My current everyday pen is the Kaweco, after using the Retro 51 for approximately 12 months (both of which were purchased subsequent to becoming a listener of the Pen Addict podcast, a fact that would not surprise regular listeners of the show). The compact size and light weight of the Kaweco make it an ideal pen to carry. The Mont Blanc fountain pen is now 16 years old, and was a gift from my wife on our wedding day, therefore having value over and above anything else I own. I simply love writing with this pen (and I simply love my wife….even more than the pen).

What Next?

I plan on downsizing to an iPad mini later in the year (after the model upgrade), and am looking forward to the smaller size and weight which will further satisfy my relatively minimalist tendencies. Despite the fairly heavy reliance on the iPad for much of my writing workflow, I don’t believe I will lose any functionality with the smaller screen, given it still contains two-thirds the real estate of the regular iPad. An iPad mini will also fit into the back pocket of the cahier notebook, rather than merely sitting inside the back cover.

No upcoming pen changes on the horizon, though always a substantial number of options are presented via the podcast indicated above (which for that matter also applies to notebooks and other stationery items – Field Notes Night Sky edition currently on its way).

A little research is also planned in relation to altering the nib size on the Mont Blanc (towards a finer nib size), however I am yet to look into cost and how this may be done.

Conclusion

The above set up allows me to achieve everything I set out to on a day-to-day basis, with other physical items such as chargers etc remaining at my office desk for the times I need to top things up. As my iPad is a 16GB WiFi model, I set up the personal hotspot through my phone when out of the office, and email anything back to my desk I may be working on if it is required later in the day. Draft blog posts and updates in Byword sync via Dropbox and can be further edited on my phone whilst commuting home if required. There are a number of iOS apps I use to mesh things with my office work (a soul crushing Windows corporate network), however that is for another post.

I will be sure to provide an update to this post as things change in the future.

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