MikeHartnett
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Posts posted by MikeHartnett
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Agree on Land of Plenty. Even if there are some suggested substitutions, ignoring them leads to delicious food.
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I'm sure I'm just accustomed to weak coffee, but what has been consistent about all of my experimentation is that I require far more cream and sugar -- just to make it drinkable -- than I typically do for a cup of coffee of equal volume.
Perhaps that's because I'm now measuring more precisely. In the past, I would buy a bag of ground coffee -- invariably Dunkin' Donuts -- and measure out a scoop for every cup of water, plus one for good measure, as my parents used to do. Who knows what size scoop? Over the years, it may have been the one accompanying the coffee machine, or the coffee can, or just a measuring spoon. I never weighed coffee before two weeks ago. From what I can gather, my 50 grams of coffee-to-1 liter of water ratio -- by most standards, a weak to average strength cup -- is somewhat stronger than the the higher end of Technivorm's suggestion of 5 to 6 scoops (theirs) per 1.25 liters of water. That's about 40 to 48 grams of coffee per liter.
This is a great demonstration of why it's important to note the difference between "strong" and "bitter." The "strength" of your cup of coffee, i.e., how "watery" it is, is very different from how bitter it is. As I noted above, if your coffee is too bitter, the first variable you should address is grind coarseness. If your coffee is consistently too bitter, a coarser grind will lead to a less overextracted brew, and will remove some bitterness. This is, of course, dependent on other variables, but I believe using the grind as a control, as it seems you have done, is a mistake. The issue with an automatic brewer like a Technivorm is that it doesn't (to my knowledge) allow tinkering with the brew time. As a result, a coarser grind, while removing some bitterness, will also be less fully extracted due to your inability to extend the brew time to compensate for less exposed surface area with the coarser grind.
Also, it might just be that the coffee is roasted darker than you prefer. I roast my own coffee, and I generally try to avoid "roast taste" as much as is reasonably possible. Maybe you just need a coffee that's roasted very lightly, in which case I'd recommend a roaster like Ritual in San Francisco, which is well known for very light roasts.
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Maybe I missed it, but have you experimented with changing the coarseness of your grind? It seems like you've changed most other variables, but that one is of crucial importance. If it's too bitter, it's probably overextracted, meaning you need to make your grind more coarse. If it's insipid, you should grind finer.
I am a bit curious about what you mean by "strong and insipid at the same time" though. Could you elaborate on how you're using "strong?" I find that many people use that descriptor to describe many different attributes of coffee, from caffeine content to amount of flavor.
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David Tanis's recipe for a quasi-Provençal potato salad with green beans, anchovies and eggs, from this week's Times.
Mmm. That looks fantastic. That one'll have to go in my to do list.
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Lately I've been an Ottolenghi kick.
Great looking dishes Franci. I have been eyeing Plenty. Are you cooking from one of the books or just web recipes?
Many of the recipes are online, but if you are fond of cookbooks, buy it. One of the best I own.
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Awesome! I need to get to Vietnam soon!
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The curious thing to me, though, is that the amount of water I use appears to be on the high end, and it's rather humid in New Orleans. Not sure how to explain that.
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I've always done just under 2:1, and though I've yet to buy one, my rice has been favorably compared to a rice cooker. Perhaps what works for you is impacted by the conditions where you are, such as sea level, humidity, etc?
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That looks delicious, seabream!
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Awesome. Looking forward to it.
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Did you ever get a chance to make that Mussaman curry, seabream?
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I never really got into this one because I got distracted by the authors' other books, and then by Thompson's Thai Food. Chris Amirault, what does this book have to offer over Thai Food?
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It's a good book. I don't think you'll regret it.
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I think I may have to order this book. Quick question: is the recipe for the Momofuku Ssam Bar sprouts dish included? I've been telling people about that dish since I first sampled it, and I'd love to be able to show them what I'm talking about.
If you're referring to the dish with kimchi puree and bacon, yes, that's in there.
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rarerollingobject, that fennel looks unbelievable. How'd it taste?
It tasted unbelievable! It really was incredible, in the way that anything involving lots of butter, sugar and garlic will. Here's the recipe (not my blog); highly recommend it.
Excellent! I own Ottolenghi's Plenty (I actually made the cucumber salad with garlic and ginger last night), so I'll have to get to that recipe soon.
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C. sapidus, that fish curry looks delicious. Where's the recipe from, if you don't mind?
Thank you very much, Mike, I don't mind at all. The recipe is "spicy fish curry with coconut sauce (masaladar nariyal-macchi kari)" from Neelam Batra's 1,000 Indian Recipes.
Awesome. Thanks!
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C. sapidus, that fish curry looks delicious. Where's the recipe from, if you don't mind?
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Mmm... octo vin.
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rarerollingobject, that fennel looks unbelievable. How'd it taste?
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Sorry... Just re-read your post and saw you did taste it. But let us know what it's like tomorrow. Usually, you need a good rest period before it reaches its peak.
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Very cool. Haven't been able to find them here, either. Actually, I haven't found brined here. Just dried.
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Were you able to find fresh green peppercorns?
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Let us know what you think after tasting it!
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You'll get it eventually! Just keep at it. Thai food is endlessly fascinating, and really, unlike any other cuisine. Definitely worth the effort.
Sweet Maria's: Roasting successes and failures
in Coffee & Tea
Posted
Just to clarify - are you looking for "darker tones" and the "sheen" of the Eight O'Clock beans? A sheen is not a desirable quality in coffee beans. It means they're overroasted (see https://www.sweetmarias.com/library/content/using-sight-determine-degree-roast). And if you have a problem with bitterness in your coffee, it's not going to help to roast darker. Roasts on the darker end of the spectrum are going to have more roast qualities in the taste, and express more bitterness.