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Richard Kilgore

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Posts posted by Richard Kilgore

    What Tea Are You Drinking Today? (Part 1)

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    The last few days I have been enjoying the Norbu Lao Mansa Sheng Pu-erh and the Sencha Select featured in two current Tea Tasting & Discussions.

    Today, after two infusions of the Lao Mansa Pu-erh from yesterday, I am brewing gong fu cha in a Yixing tea pot a 1999 Shu Pu-erh "Old Tree" Ripe brick from Yunnan Sourcing.

    Tea Tasting: 2009 Spring Norbu - Lao Mansa Sheng Pu-Erh Tea

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Although I usually brew any pu-erh gong fu cha style, I brewed with Western style leaf:water ratio today to see how that would go with this 2009 Spring Norbu - Lao Mansa Sheng: 2.3 g leaf to 6 ounces of water.

    Britta filtered water brought to a boil in a Capresso electric water kettle, then let the temp drop over 3 1/2 minutes to 190 F. Flash rinsed the leaves in a Brown Betty tea pot then brewed for 2 minutes. This produces a very nice first infusion, medium body, fruity with a little smokiness in the background. I expect to get another one or two infusions out of the leaf.

    Cooking with Paula Wolfert's Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Thanks for the detailed report, Peter. Sounds like a delicious dinner!

    Saffron: It's in the tagine. Does it really do much? Did I perhaps not use enough? Or is just supposed to make the dish wonderful without diners really knowing why?

    I would be interested in knowing more about saffron and its effects, too. it has been fairly subtle when I have used it.

    Hummus: I like making home-made hummus. I am amazed that people pay money for prepared hummus. It's so easy to toss it together. I usually use a lot more olive oil, but her recipe specifies cooking water from the chick peas. I need to do that more. I'm so astonished by how good the Tuscan beans were that I need to try making hummus from dried chick peas.

    While I will use canned chickpeas when I am in a hurry or have decided on the spur of the moment to do a dish that needs them, soaking dried chickpeas over night makes a noticeable difference. It's worth taking the time to do it for me.

    Paula's in New York this week taping for a Martha Stewart Show, which is expected to air on this coming Monday, November 9th. She'll pop in here soon after that.

    The art and science of the smoothie

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Thanks for all the info and opinions. I was drifting in Sam's direction already and agree that if you're going to spend that much on a blender, why not spend a little more and get the better one. I returned the 2 hp consumer model (which is identical to the 2 hp commercial model) and ordered the 3hp VitaPrep 3 1005 off eBay...for $469 shipped, and that's only $44 more.

    What's my downside? The consumer model comes with a larger recipe book aimed at home cooking and a DVD, while the 3 hp model comes with a commercial recipe book much smaller than the other one. And...the vendor who did the demo has a free recipe website which you access only with your serial number -- much more content than the Vita-Mix company site. I can't access it, of course. All this counts for something, but not enough to keep me away from the 3 hp model. This thing should last for at least 10 - 12 years. That's a cost of a little less than $4/month spread over ten years.

    I think one of the best tips I got during the demo was to freeze fruits and vegetables that were in danger of going off and then turn them into smoothie ingredients as needed. This really appeals to me, since throwing produce out seems like such a waste.

    Tea Tasting: 2009 Spring Norbu - Lao Mansa Sheng Pu-Erh Tea

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    I have brewed this young green pu-erh a few times and had good results for my taste buds. I need to play with it Western style agin, though the first time was okay.

    Gong fu style twice, the first time posted above. Yesterday, I brewed it again with 7.5 g in a 120 ml gaiwan at 190 F. The infusions ran 10 sec, 17 sec (was aiming for 10 and missed it), 15 sec, 20 sec, 20 sec, 30 sec, 45 sec. This leaf:water ratio was fine, but next time I'll keep the first three infusions a little shorter. The second one was long enough to produce generate more than noticeable bitterness, but that was my timing error. A little astringency adds a nice balance to the creamy mouthfeel and the sweetness and fruitiness that grows increasingly with each infusion. The leaves still had more to give when I stopped. This higher leaf:water ratio is my preference. It's richer. You just have to do short infusions and tweak the brewing to your taste. That said, if you are like WmC and particularly sensitive to astringency and bitterness, a lower ratio may be more your cup of tea.

    I bought a little more of this tea from Greg at Norbutea last week, so I'll brew it a couple of times Western style to see how it brews with, say, a 2.0 - 2.5 g: 6 ounces water ratio.

    The art and science of the smoothie

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Regarding heat from the motor vs from friction: my understanding is that the 3 hp unit does not heat the contents and it has to be creating as much friction as the 2 hp unit. Can anyone clarify whether the 3 hp unit gets hot?

    The differences in warranties are interesting, but I'm not sure I would be very worried about the commercial 3 hp unit breaking down in home use.

    I may not have been clear. He was blending and then running the Vita-Mix full-tilt for 4 - 5 minutes until the heat from the motor warmed the soup. While there would be times this would be useful, I have to wonder what running it hard and long enough to heat the container and the soup is doing to the motor. While I was not referring to cooking the ingredients first, there certainly would be many times I would want to saute or otherwise cook ingredients before adding them to a soup.

    My take on the difference between the 2 hp VitaMix unit and the 3 hp VitaPro 3 1005 unit is that the former can heat soup, while the latter runs cool so it can't heat soup, but will make a finer puree. I think I may be tilting toward the latter, but have not yet decided.

    At the Costco demos, they do hot soup w/ the 2hp 5200 model. I believe the heat doesn't come from the motor because the motor doesn't get more than warm. I think the heat is generated by friction - not an efficient way to heat your soup.

    I can't imagine needing more than 2hp for home use - kinda like buying a car - do I want my Honda with 300hp instead of 200hp?

    Here's the warranty on the Vita-Prep:

    • MOTOR BASE
    • Vita-Mix® warrants that:
    • * if the motor base fails within thirty (30) days from the date of purchase, Vita Mix will replace the motor base without charge.
    • * if the motor base fails after thirty (30) days but within one year from the date of purchase, due to a defect in materials or workmanship, Vita-Mix® will assume the cost of all parts and labor necessary to repair the motor base.
    • * if the motor base fails after one year but within three (3) years from the date of purchase due to a defect in materials or workmanship, Vita-Mix® will assume the cost of the parts deemed necessary to repair the base.
    • CONTAINER, LID, BLADE ASSEMBLY, DRIVE SOCKET AND SOUND ENCLOSURE (if included)
    • The container, lid, blade assembly, drive socket and where included a Vita-Mix® manufactured sound enclosure, are warranted against defects in material and workmanship for one year from the date of purchase.

    Here's the warranty on the 2hp 5200:

    This Warranty is extended by Vitamix to the owner of this machine for personal household use only. This Warranty does not apply to products used for commercial, rental or re-sale purposes. Should ownership of the machine change during the 7-year period, please update the owner information at www.vitamix.com/warranty.

    # Scope of Warranty.

    Vitamix warrants to owners that if this machine fails within 7 years from the date of purchase due to a defect in material or workmanship or wear and tear from ordinary household use, Vitamix will within 30 days of receipt of the returned product, assume the cost of the parts and labor deemed necessary by Vitamix to repair the failed machine. If the failed machine cannot be repaired, Vitamix will either (A) replace the machine or (B) refund the full purchase price, at Vitamix’s sole discretion, unless prior written notice of customer’s preference is received.

    I'm not a fan of bananas in my smoothies - I use OJ or yogurt, plus frozen mangos or strawbs, plus 3-mix berries (all frozen from Costco).

    What Tea Are You Drinking Today? (Part 1)

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Yesterday and today I enjoyed the Ceylon Vithanakanda Estate, Extra Special from Tea Source in the mornings. Today I also have been drinking the 2009 spring Norbu - Lao Mansa Sheng Pu-erh featured in one of the current Tea Tasting & Discussions here. Todays gong fu cha infusions were the best I have brewed so far. Delicious, and I'll post about the tweaks on that topic later.

    The art and science of the smoothie

    in Cooking

    Posted

    But making soup with one seems to be more of a parlor trick. You can do it, but why not do the heating on the range top or in the microwave?

    From what I remember of the demo I saw, it wasn't just used for heating the soup, but you put all the ingredients in, blended it and heated it at the same time.

    It's much more efficient than cooking all the ingredients, then transferring them to the blender, then putting them back in the pot to heat again (if necessary).

    I may not have been clear. He was blending and then running the Vita-Mix full-tilt for 4 - 5 minutes until the heat from the motor warmed the soup. While there would be times this would be useful, I have to wonder what running it hard and long enough to heat the container and the soup is doing to the motor. While I was not referring to cooking the ingredients first, there certainly would be many times I would want to saute or otherwise cook ingredients before adding them to a soup.

    My take on the difference between the 2 hp VitaMix unit and the 3 hp VitaPro 3 1005 unit is that the former can heat soup, while the latter runs cool so it can't heat soup, but will make a finer puree. I think I may be tilting toward the latter, but have not yet decided.

    About adding vegetables--should you cook them first? Or cook some but not others?

    While you could cook the veggies first for a particular effect, the vendor used raw vegetables for the smoothies.

    Tea Tasting: 2009 Spring Norbu - Lao Mansa Sheng Pu-Erh Tea

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Thanks for the additional info, jpr54_. The more the better.

    Have you used all the sample or do you have a little left to play with?

    In general, if a tea brews astringent or bitter at first, it may well brew just as bitter or astringent or more so, when brewed longer on subsequent steeps. So with this one, whether brewed western style or gong fu cha style, my suggestion would be to cut back on the timing and/or the temperature. If you are using boiling water, you could try the 185 - 195 F range next time. I have had good luck at 190 F. If you don't have a thermometer, just bring your water to a boil and then let it sit for about 2 minutes before pouring it over the leaves. Then, if still bitter on the first steep, cut back on the time on the second infusion.

    Playing with the brewing parameters has really payed off for me on this one, since it is easy to get the bitterness you found when brewed too long or too hot. It's really pleasant and sweet when you get it right, and very little adjusting is required.

    The art and science of the smoothie

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Having only had wimpy blenders, I was seduced into buying a Vita-Mix at a Costco demo with this smoothie topic in mind. I watched the demo yesterday for at least 30 minutes and left to think about it. Went back tonight and took it home. But I may return it and order the Vita Pro 3 1005 on eBay, as Sam suggested, since it's about the same money from the lowest price eBay vendors and about $65 more at the highest, after accounting for sales tax and shipping.

    BTW, a check of the Vita-Mix website indicates that the Vita Pro 3 1005 is the only one with 3 horsepower. The other Vita Pro 3 models are 2 horsepower like the Vita-Mix.

    Even the Vita-Mix is impressive. The frozen bananas are no problem. Frozen fruit of any sort just means you can use less ice. But making soup with one seems to be more of a parlor trick. You can do it, but why not do the heating on the range top or in the microwave?

    Cooking with Paula Wolfert's Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking

    in Cooking

    Posted

    What all have you cooked, Peterh? Did you make any changes to the recipes?

    I expect you can cook just about all the recipes in what you already have without buying anything new. A crockpot should cover a lot of Paula's recipes. That said, I have noticed that there are quite a few used Romertopf clay roasters on eBay right now at good prices. I've had mine for several years and mostly used it for pork loins and chicken, but they're good for soups, stews and other dishes, too.

    Tea Tasting: 2009 Spring Norbu - Lao Mansa Sheng Pu-Erh Tea

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    I brewed this tea 3 times-

    I found the tea to be smoky and had an unpleasant bitter taste-

    there was little or no aroma of brewed tea/

    The color of liquid was golden-

    wet leaves were broken-

    i used a jenaer teapot and glass gaiwan

    Thanks. Can you tell us more about how you brewed it each time? Leaf:water ratio and how much of each? Water temp. How many infusions each brewing session and how long for each infusion?

    Tea Tasting: 2009 Spring Norbu - Lao Mansa Sheng Pu-Erh Tea

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    I brewed this norbutea.com sheng for the first time today. Gong fu cha in a tiny 55 ml gaiwan. 2g of leaf, at about 210 F for each of four infusions at 10, 10, 20, 30 after a 10 sec rinse. The wet leaf has that young sheng vegetal aroma and the infusions show that in the aroma and flavor. There is a mild astringency, a creamy mouth feel and sweetness, with a spicy component showing in the third infusion and dried fruit note - almost raisin - in the fourth.

    Only time for four infusions right now, so I'll play with this some more and followup.

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