Java-Joe

It's so true. My only trip to a coffee producing country had the same results. We were staying at the finest hotel in Guatemala City. The coffee was wretched! (Is that a word?) They ship out all the quality stuff. The rest stays behind for the locals and the tourists, etc... Yech! Joe

I know Barry, and you could do a lot worse. I tasted one of his espressos at this years Roaster's Guild Retreat in Colorado. Good $hit, man! There are lots of good roasters out there. My espresso is very good, as well. Look into Intellegensia (sp?) in Chicago. There's a big following on their Black Cat Blend. Check out CounterCulture's espresso. They're in North Carolina. Go to www.roastersguild.org. You don't need to register. You can check out the websites of RG members. Maybe you'll find something you'd like to try. We'd appreciate it! Joe

What about Juan's Flying Buritto on Carrollton near Canal or on Magazine Street in the Irish Channel? The one in the Channel always reminds me of a Sandanista guerilla hide-out. I don't know why....maybe cuz it looks so...so anti-estastablishmentarianism-ish. Can we have a New Orleans Board here on eGullet? There are issues with the TF/FT board. Don't tell TF I said that!

Boy, I feel silly asking this question, but is the cookie produced with these recipes the same as the stroopwafel? I enjoyed reading the stroopwafel thread recently on this board. I checked out all the pizelle makers on eBay. Wow! Anyway........just curious Joe

Couldn't read the article unless I sign on with the NYTimes. No time for that! Was in Lafayette this weekend. With all the talk about the good restaurants in Abbeville, I thought I'd check it out. The wife and I went to Shucks. Shucks was good overall, but not great. Generic building and design (yawn...) Got a dozen oysters for $4.50! Wow, that's cheap! My wife got onion rings and seafood gumbos. The gumbo was ok. It had enough seafood, but there was nothing in the soup part. Pure broth, no chopped up garlic, bell pepper, nuthin. Seasoning was fine. I got a half order of fried catfish and half order of pan-broiled shrimp. Both were excellent. Fried catfish couldn't really be done any better. The shrimp were very good, and seasoned well. It came with a generous portion of fries (I think they were Sysco brand like the onion rings, if ya know what I mean!) and a salad with some shrimp in it. Service was very good. They said it was kinda slow that night. The 2 of us ate for under $40.00 before tip, including 2 glasses of wine. Good value, I'd say. Family friendly, but for crying out loud, do they have to let people smoke in the restaurant? There's plenty of seating outside for that! Joe

I saw that Saturday morning. Was desperate for something cold and frosty, so I went to starbuks on my way to the mall. What a crock of poo! Yes, I work for wholesale/retail coffee roaster. I AM the roaster. Been in the biz 16 years. Kona is Kona is Kona, (except when it's Kona Kai, but that's another lawsuit....er...story.) We sell Kona @ $20 bucks retail. We buy from one of the best farms. The ratings on Kona are as such: Extra Fancy= top grade, all large beans. Fancy = next grade, mostly large beans. Prime = more mixed and more defects per bag. You'd never see that retail anyway. There are other coffees from Hawaii, like Kona Kauai. It's half the price of Kona XF, but I can't stand it. Grown off of Brazilian coffee root stock. The green coffee (before it's roasted, for the uninitiated) looks very similar to Brazil coffees. Taste like it, too. Ick! Good Kona has a nutty aroma, good full body, medium acidity, smooth aftertaste. Want a poor....er...frugal man's Kona? Colombian Supremo, believe it or not! Joe

Hi, Two things....real quick. First, I want to thank those of you that responded to my questions. I appreciate it. Secondly, what if I want to make just caramel SAUCE? Ya know, like they offer in coffeehouses to go in your latte or some froo froo drink. Can I use my same great recipe and cook it for a shorter period of time (or to a lower temperature)? You can see I'm trying to look at this logically, but I'll probably miss something. I made another batch of caramel last night. Ya'll should all give me your addresses and I'll send you all some. Oh sure...if you're reading this, you can likely make your own, eh? Don't forget my question.....how do I properly make sauce? Thanks! Bob

Two things....... One....JanKK, where can I buy the pre cut wax paper. That's cool. Two.....what do you called twice boiled, a little burned, a little chewy, a little hard, a little brittle caramel? TOFFEE?? Whatever you call it.......that's what I've got. The wife said she could run it through the food processor and put it over ice cream. Anyway, I'm working on it right now. It's still good, just not carame. If it were thin as paper, it would really be good. So what have I got? Joe

Tarek, That's the hardest part of making caramel. Leave it alone. Once I turn the fire off, I let it sit for 3 minutes or so. That's what the recipe said to do. I see it as letting some of the bubbles pop and let the whole mess settle down. Once its in the pan, I put the pan in the oven, but leave the door ajar. That way it's on a flat surface and out of the way. I moved my first batch while it was cooling and it got wrinkles on the surface. Not pretty. Joe

Jan, Sorry I missed your comments the first time around. I took forever to respond to Kevin. Yes, I'm just using a $2.50 candy thermometer. My wife was helping me with the first 2 batches and did some cold water test. Is there a "proper" way of conducting that test. I'm the type that has to do everything just right, proper and correct. Just trying to learn to do it right, ya know! By the looks of the caramel left in the pot from re-heating it, it ain't gonna be good! We'll see. Fortunately, it's a cheap candy to make. Joe

Bode.......... I want to know how that experiment works out. Be sure to let us know how much coffee you use in this test. Don't fergit to wear yer goggles and gloves! Just kidding! No, cold-dripped coffee does not a good HOT beverage make! That's why man discovered fire. Or was it electricity? Joe

Hi Kevin, Thanks for your quick, and insightful response. I took a minute to check out your linked website. It's very good! You did a great job with your son's Communion cake! Your response may very well be correct. You surely have the experience to come to the conclusion that you did. Unless Santa get's me a copper Caramel Pot, I'll continue to use the wife's pressure cooker pot. It's a Fagor brand pot with vitro-induction, (and super-hydro warp drive with semi-conductors). Just kidding about that part! It's a very sturdy and heavy pot. Oh, and I have a gas stove. I made all 5 batches in that pot. After I added the butter and cream, when I have to get the caramel back up to 248 degrees; perhaps I need to boil it a little slower and longer as well as look for a thicker consistency. I can't see going to a wider pot. What do you think? Just let it reduce more?

Hi, I know that my topic isn't baking or pastry, so if you redirect me elswhere, I won't be offended. I've made caramel at home 5 times in the last 3 weeks. I'm having fun. I found some recipes from the Food Network archives. I've tried 3 different recipes, and one has worked perfectly 2 times. Last night, I made a double batch using the good recipe. The cooking process went perfectly. I let it sit overnight as directed. Upon removing it from the pan this evening, I could see that it was too soft. I tried to cut it once it was out of the pan, but it quickly lost it's structure. Upon someone's recommendation, I plopped it all back in a pot on medium-low heat until it melted again, and boiled it for a while. I did manage to get it back to 248 degrees. I figured all I can hope for is to cook some moisture out of the caramel. Well, it IS darker now that it was originally. Go figure. My questions are: Do you have any ideas at to what caused it not to be firm? Any predictions on how my caramel will set up and taste like when I start cutting it tomorrow? Too bad you couldn't taste my last batch! Killer stuff! Joe

Drago's flagship item IS their char-broiled oysters. It is considered (by some, like me) as THE BEST one bite of food in New Orleans. My wife and I have made them at home. What a sight. I'm shucking the oysters, putting them on the grill. She puts the butter-garlic-parma. cheese, etc..mixture on the oysers. They cook, they bubble, they sizzle. I take them off and let them cool a bit and eat them on the spot. We get a little assembly line going and the fun never stops. We can't take them in the house for dinner, cuz they all get eaten at the grill! I love living here! Joe

Alacarte, your iced coffee will not lose it's caffeine content. Joe