phaelon56

Cooking and Dining Good Coffee in Expensive Restaurants - why not? Espresso and Haute Cuisine - is espresso taken seriously? Hard Coffee Drinks - what do you add? Return to Coffee Topics Master Index

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Grinders Best coffee grinders - what and where? Inexpensive grinders - blade or burr? Return to Coffee Topics Master Index

Home Roasting Green Coffee Beans Buying Co-op Fat Guy's Home Roasting Part 1 Fat Guy's Home Roasting Part 2 Fat Guy's Home Roasting Part 3 Fat Guy's Home Roasting Part 4 Fat Guy's Home Roasting Part 5 Dog Bowl - Heat Gun Roasting General Discussion of Home Roasting Blending beans Return to Coffee Topics Master Index

Coffee Beans Great bean types and brands In Search of Master Roasters Decaf Coffee Storage - freezer, fridge or cupboard? Return to Coffee Topics Master Index

Brewing Techniques Drip Makers Least expensive machine for decent espresso? French Press brewing Moka Pots Vacuum Brewing Return to Coffee Topics Master Index

I'm ready to do some more roasting this week and would like to use up some of my green bean stock. Any ideas here on how to approximate the contents of these two popular commercialy avilable espresso blends?

I should clarify that the Pollo Loco restaurant that used to be on NYC's Upper East Side was a Peruvian restaurant, operated by Peruvians and not affiliated in any way with the chain that is also being discussed here. The Pollo Loco recipe that I referenced in my earlier reply is in fact derived from the NYC restaurant's style of preparation - not the chain. It calls for lemon juice - no pineapple. Theirs is served with an incredibly fiery green hot sauce served on the side. Other sides includes sliced tomatoes and lettuce with an oil & vinegar dressing and fried yucca. They also served another side dish that you won't find in Mexican restaurants - it's French Fries with some sort of hot dog like sausage grilled and served atop the fries in diagonal slices.

Although some of the specific source items you're using for your daily meals may not be readily available here in the US (at least in many cities, such as where I live), high quality foodstuffs, specialty bakeries, fish vendors and butchers are in fact accessible even in smaller and more remote markets such as Syracuse. This begs the question: have you ever cooked this way when living elsewhere and can you make a cost comparison? Economic and plotical pundits love top throw around the factoid that the average consumer in the US spends a lower percentage of their net income on food than people in other developed countries do. I have no faith in statistics of that sort as they are ridiculously skewed and rife with inaccuracies but do you have a reference point that might shed light on this topic? Did you ever cook like this when you were living in the US, Switzerland or elsewhere? In relative terms, do you find the food products in France to be comparable in cost to those you've seen or used elsewhere?

You're correct but it's even worse to keep pre-ground coffee in the freezer if you're going to open and close it and then return the container to the freezer. The greatly increased surface area of ground coffee should (at least in theory) increase the amount of moisture absorbed in a very significant way. When it comes to sotring a vac sealed can or bage of pre-ground coffee prior to opening it, the freezer is a good choice.

You're welcome. The same point has been made about meats - that frozen will never match fresh in terms of tase but more specifically in termsa of texture. With coffee I think we have and advantage - if it's frozen properly and soon enoug after roasting, there's a good chance of getting a cup (or an espresso shot) that's pretty darn close to fresh (i.e. not frozen) within reason. The costs of shipping makes buying fresh roasted beans by Internet or mail order a costly proposition fro most if us - a useful practice to counteract this cost issue is to buy in larger quantities, thereby distributing the cost more effectively. There are also folks who really like certain Italian bar brands, such as some of the LaVazza selections, which are typically sold only in one kilo or two kilo bags. It's crucial to portion and freeze such coffee immediately after opening the large vac sealed bag. Somewhat on topic is the eG discussion that took place recently about the practice of freezing fish to kill parasites before it is thawed and served as sushi (which most people assume is raw and has never been frozen). There are special "flash freezers" that accomplish this in a manner that our ordinary home freezers cannot. So.... as soon as Ronco introduces that Nuclear Home Freezer, count me in and I'll begin experimenting with coffee freezing again.

The Pollo Loco recipe that was refeenced uses lemon juice - no pineapple. I'm guessing that pineapples are not abundant in Peru but lemons are probably far more common. Just a guess.

So did I - then I proceeded to get a few mnore out of the way and a whole passel of 'em after that. I'd need a thread longer than this blog to offer upt he details (as IF that would ever happen!). It's a good thing that no pictures were taken and there's a statute of limitations There aren't many employer subsidized meal programs like that in the US. There is, of course, the subsidized dining room at the TIAA-CREF retirement fund headquarters in NYC. I'm told that a lunch which would be $30 elsewhere in NY costs about $6 for those fortunate enough to eat there. I don't have that privilege as I'm just a fund contributer who pays for it hidden in the management fees. But.... I digress. Just curious - are working hours and your commute times manageable enough that you can prepare some of these fairly elaborate meals quite regularly or do you on occasion rely on preparing larger amounts and then freezing/reheatign as many if us do here in the US?

Perhaps I missed something? The Forbes article actually points out exactly why Wegman's is NOT like Wal Mart. The fact that they both a have enormous stores with a large selection is just about the only thing they have in common. I'm no Wegman's cheerleader but I find myself shopping there because they do so much better a job than any of their competitors. The article does mention an interesting approach that Wegman's is particularly strong on and has huge appeal for families with two working parents (not to mention busy single people who don't want to cook) - that is the "meals ready to heat" department. I've heard estimates that as much as 40% of their net profits come from this area and by all counts they do a good job with it (never having purchased one I'm in no position to comment personally). I have a retired acquaintance who works for them specifically so that he'll have health insurance. As a twenty hour per week employee he receives full medical benefits, an employer match 401K plan and (noyt that he needs it) even tuition benefits for ongoing education. In central NY state, a region where the payscale is relatively low and employers are leaving in droves, they represent a bit of a bright spot. They also get elected to the "100 best Companies to Work For" list every year (can't recall who does that list - probably Forbes or Fortune). When they expanded and began offering their bigger, deeper more upscale selection in Syracuse they weren't putting small specialty retailers out of business - they were offering products and selection that simply weren't available before in the area. They also have a virtually transparent system that seems to put more cashiers on duty in tandem with increases in customer traffic. I rarely if ever have waited for more than five minutes in line with my groceries, even at busy times. Furthermore, I don't recall ever having seen anyone have to do a "price check". That can hardly be said about places like Wal Mart or Home depot, where "price checks" tie up lines for inordinate amounts of time. I hardly believe that bigger is better but I give them credit for running a tight ship and figuring out what the market needs. Comparisons to Wal Mart are not simply unfair - they're irrelevant.

Lucy - I continue to be amazed by your blog. I'll only hope I can attempt to duplicate the lighting in some future food shots of my own but you know how the light is in Syracuse - the occasions are rare. By the way - one of my preconceived notions is now in disarray - I was convinced that no one who once lived on Circle Road would ever join the Army Your sharing about the experiences your husband has when he's working on a problem brought forth some fond memories of my uncle, who passed recently, the first of my parents siblings to go. He related tales of the many times he literally lay awake all night, stared into space for hours or even awoke in the middle of the night with a revelation that solved the problem he was working on at the time (tell Loic it's Jim Early of the physics law known as the "Early Effect" - he may well have known of him). Like many, you blog has actually inspired me to eat better and cook better. Sourcing of as varied a range ingredients will be a challenge but we have far more options in this area now than ever before. About the coffee - all I can determine is that the roaster is based in Grenoble and "Alpine Roast" is a dark French Roast. I've had many people tell me how much they enjoyed the coffee in France but have yet to determine if one particular varietal or blend is predominant. Longer, slower roast times do have a tendency to produce a deep, rich, flavor and a full bodied cup. A darker roast produce by a smaller roaster who uses traditional style drum roasters will tend to have this quality. Large commercial roaster these days (and even some microroasters) use fluid bed roasters (hot air moving and roasting the beans rather than a drum moving them and cooking them partly by contact with hot metal and partly by hot air). Fluid bed roasters lend themselves to faster roasting (brighter flavor notes but a bit more acidic and less mellow) and are also poular because they can easily be automated. Drum roasters, even the larger ones, still require an artisan to monitor and sheperd the beans through the roast.

My jar says "Best before 16Dec00" but not a word about it ever going bad. "Best" is relative, of course, since it's pretty horrid stuff when it's in its prime. I'll save mine figuring that ny guest who's crazy enough to request it can't tell the difference. We have a jar at work from BJ's Wholesale Club - their house brand. It's such a versatile food product. There are directions on the back for making your own delicious whipped topping with it - just like real whipped cream! Should I copy them and post them for you?

I live smack dab in the middle of Wegman's country - their Syracuse flagship store is ten minutes from my house. Even at their biggest stores (the one here is probably exceeded in size and selection only by the main flagship store near their Rochester headquarters. It's absolutely correct that their Internationaql section is lacking but that doesn't appear to be what they target. They're shrewd enough to realize that people who are cooking specific to a cultural or ethnic cuisine wil not only have some loyalty to specialty markets for certain items but will inevitably want some obscure brands that will sell in limited volume. That said - their produce department continues to amaze me with the quality and selection. They're well known for responding to customer requests - if they get a fair number of request by phone, email or tree mail for tasso ham or any other item - they WILL start stocking it. As for gourmet items.... expect them to get into that gradually as they see what the demands are. They're good at advance demographics when choosing store locations but they're also conservative on certain fronts. I still go to a smaller, easier to access and quicker to browse store for basic staple items but Weggie's is on my "must go once a week" list.

Why should I settle for a lousy doubling of pay (what's 2x0?) when the lure of a grander title is dangling out there in the future? Yes, it would be a daunting task in most of the other forums due not only to the breadth of their discussions but also sheer number of archived posts. Coffee & Tea is only at a paltry six pages thus far - it was a simple task to dig through the threads and pull out the most pertinent stuff. I believe I'll be splitting it into two sections - one for pinned and locked informational/tutorial type threads and the other for discussion related topics.

A recent discussion with Fat Guy about ways in which the Coffee & Tea forum might be elevated, promoted and imbued with a unique character of its own has prompted introduction of a forum index. Many topics that have fallen to lower pages have worthwhile information for both eGullet newcomers researching coffee topics and long time forum regulars looking for previous discussions. Additional content will be added in the future, some of it in the form of lockedtopics that will be mini-tutorials, but most of the threads will remain as is for additional replies. Any suggestions for subjects that should be referenced in the index will be appreciated - just PM me with the details or feel free to reply to this thread for open discussion. I'll also add a Tea section to the index in the near future. As always, thanks for your support of eGullet in general and our little caffeinated corner in particular!

Coffee Topics Coffee Beans Brewing Techniques Cold Coffee Coffee Cupping and Assessment Espresso Techniques Espresso Machines Home Roasting Grinders Cooking and Dining

Just curious - how much is an arm and a leg in your area relative to OJ pricing? The gorcery stores up here regularly run 2 for $5 sales on the half gallon Tropicana products. On occasion it drops to 2 for $4.

You might want to Google and look for information on Peruvian cooking in general - the marinade is likely used on more than just chicken. I used to get used to get chicken at an independent restaurant that was also called Pollo Loco on the Upper East Side in NYC. It was Peruvian and had this very style of chicken that you describe. They went under and were replaced by another Peruvian place, Pio Pio, whose chicken is just as good. I enjoy and on occasion buy Dominican and Puerto Rican rotisserie grilled chicken but it never matches the Peruvian style. I suggest starting with this Epicurious Peruvian Grilled Chicken thread be sure to read through to the final reply on the thread. The recipe listed is supposedly the one from Pollo Loco in NYC but there are apparently a couple of crucial spices/herbs not listed in the recipe but quite possibly used. The final part of the thread has information on these two items.

I have no idea whether it's a valid approach or not but I never cook or eat a mussel (or clam) that is already open before cooking and I never eat any that don't open during cooking. And I used to work for a guy named Harry Mussel. His parents should have given more thought to the choice of name.

I've been staying out of this discussion but I have to take issue with this statement. Do you really believe that people who routinely purchase such food items as those referenced are going to stop buying from a quality local butcher and start getting their meat at the Wal-Mart Super Center when it opens? That's just ludicrous. Independent butchers have been disappearing for decades by virtue of competition from large grocery store meat departments. The same phenomenon has occurred with other product categories but I prefer to keep the discussion focused more or less on food. The peopel who are truly artisans and maintain a toight focus on the quality of their offerings will always have a niche but they're not selling "beautiful racks of lamb" and the like to the average working class or lower middle class family who shops at Wal Mart to save money The implication that cashiers at Wal Mart might well be people who were once the owners or proprietors of local business but who can now do no better than getting a job running a cash register at Wal Mart? Also laughable. The floks who once ran small local business that are now gone may be doing other things but not working as cashiers. Yes, many small sole proprietors are driven out of business but in many communities, such as the one where I live, such small businesses long ago faced their real test against chains stores in general, long before Wal Mart became the titan that they are now. The loss of neighborhood stores, "downtown" shopping and the trend towards larger and larger chain stores is a social, economic and cultural trend in which Wal Mart is just one player. I think it's their particular brand of politics that pisses people off more than anything. It would almost appear that they look for an environmentally sensitive area and then intentionally choose to build on it just to piss people off. It's really not that simple. They have a cost formula for acquiring square footage for stores and parking. Marshy lands that have long been considered marginal for building and less desirable than other land because they're tougher to build on tend to be priced lower than other properties. In many cases these specific tracts of land tend to be in ideal locations on terms of traffic patterns and access to growing suburban development. Do you realize that there are absolutely no Wal Marts in North Jersey? That area has the highest overall population density per square mile of any area in the country (I exclude dense city areas such as Manhattan from this discussion). The land costs too much and the large enough tracts are difficult to find. I doubt that Wal Mart will ever appear there. I lived in Ithaca NY for four years back in the '90's. Ithaca successfully warded off two separate attempts by Wal Mart to build a store in the community. Despite their failure to become entrenched there, a few of the small local businesses that were held up as examples of places that might not survive if Wal Mart opened (a downtown men's clothing store and a small downtown Woolworth's) closed anyway becuase people's shopping habits have changed. Since that time, Ithaca has now become home to a Lowe's store, Home Depot, Target, an enormously expanded Wegmans grocery store, and a few other big box places. The reaility is that the fight against Wal Mart in that progressive and fairly liberal community was really about politics - not about traffic and impact on other merchants. I personally have no issue with that. I have an intense disdain for the sort of ramrod push it through at any cost initiatives that places like Wal Mart undertake but I feel obliged to point out that they are only one of many. Also - have you ever check out the food selection at a Wal Mart Super Center? It sucks! They focus on a limited selection of key staple items in a very narrow choice of brands - I have yet to find anythign of interest there in the few times that I've browsed through one. Oh well.... have to go.... I'm off to my local farmers market to buy better produce cheaper than I can get it at Wal Mart or a grocery store

I won't be using it for hot coffee. I'm trying to develop a really good blend for making iced Vietnamese style coffee at home.