A Taste of Ethiopia.

Recently, my friend told me about a wonderful dining experience she had at Tiffin's. This is a new restaurant in Disney's Animal Kingdom.  The part of her meal that perked my interest was how she went on about the delicious Ethiopian coffee. I have never had a cup as far as I knew; now I want it!

On our last trip to Starbucks, my husband and I saw a small bag of beans by the register. I noticed it because it was different from the others, not just smaller. It was Ethiopia Yirgacheffee™ Chelba Small-Lot Coffee. When I saw that the half pound bag was $17.50, I looked away. Too rich for my blood! But my darling husband picked it up and said, "buy it, anything for the blog!"  My honey is a keeper!

Ethiopia just happens to be where all this coffee craziness began. The coffee plant was discovered in the 11th century in Ethiopia The plant has a white blossom that smells like jasmine and a red, cherry-like fruit. Back then the leaves were boiled and thought to have medicinal properties. Coffee did not reach Europe and America until the 1600's, but thank God it finally arrived!

I could not wait to get my hands on this bag of java gold and take it home to brew! After dinner we did just that. Upon opening the bag, the aroma of a rich brew mixed with cherries and a touch of lavender filled my senses. I have never smelled beans quite like these. I carefully ground the beans and boiled fresh water adding both to my French press.

I poured that first cup of Ethiopian gold into a delicate bone china cup. A coffee this special deserved a very special cup. After I poured in a touch of cream, the visual of the cup brought me back to my very first coffee drinking days in my grandmother's kitchen in Brooklyn. Ahh, but now to tasting the brew. I slowly sipped and my mouth was filled with a slightly sweet aromatic flavor.  But was it coffee? It absolutely smelled like a marvelous cup of coffee. As it lingered in my mouth, the rich flavor of java developed and mingled with the aromatics of cherries and ended with a chase of lavender!

This was quite the cup of coffee. I enjoyed it immensely;  but would I want to drink it every day?
The answer to that is no, but for a couple of reasons. For me, the price point is way to high for a my daily jolt of java. Second, as pleasant as the bean was, it is not something I would want every day. I prefer my coffee a little more earthy and a little less fruity. But again, it was a fabulous cup of coffee. I could walk around all day with my nose in this little bag of beans. The aroma is unparalleled.
I will enjoy the rest of this bag in "small lots" just as it was intended by those farmers in Chelba. I look forward to trying more "small lot" coffees in the future as I continue to search for my perfect cup!

Summer Means Iced Coffee Time!

Every morning I crave that first cup of steamy brew as do most coffee drinkers. But as those lazy days of summer come upon us, my desire changes quickly to the need for iced coffee. I seem to wake up not just wanting my caffeine, but thirsty too! Nothing quenches my thirst on summer mornings quite like iced coffee.

There are so many ways to make iced coffee, as long as it's strong, I'll drink it! Sunday, my husband and I stopped at Starbucks for an iced coffee. I used to add a splash of milk but now I like it black with one packet of Stevia. Unfortunately Starbucks doesn't carry any form of Stevia. I hope you are hearing this Starbucks because you need to get with the times!  :)  My favorite way is to add whipped cream on top of the black coffee. That is iced coffee perfection.

Starbucks Iced Coffee

While in Starbucks we saw a new small-lot coffee  from Ethiopia that intrigued us. We purchased it and I will be reviewing that next week. I will have a lot of catching up to do with you next week.

My house is in party planning mode.  Saturday evening my husband and I will be renewing our vows in celebration of 25 years together. We've turned our home into a bit of a wedding hall! We are hosting an intimate dinner for about 25 people. I can't wait to taste the coffee I bought for the big urn! See you next time!

Church Coffee

Sunday has always been a day for family. The day starts out with church. We attend a wonderful small church filled with the most loving caring people. From the day we first walked in three years ago, these people have made me feel loved. In all my years of attending church, this is the first place I've ever felt this way. This a very special way to start the week. Worshiping the Lord surrounded by sincere people.

Following service, we head over to the fellowship hall where bagels and coffee are set up. I've heard
 it said that more ministering goes on at those tables which really shows the heart of this church! The bagels are the best, but let's get to the coffee. When you you make coffee for over 100 people, how good can it be? Well, it's church coffee. Sometimes it's very weak, sometimes it has a little body.

I don't know what brand they use, but it doesn't matter. Church coffee is probably the sweetest cup of coffee I have all week. I may not always like the taste of it, but I don't care. What goes with the coffee makes it oh so special, and I'm not talking about the bagels. The conversation, care, love and concern that flow out of the lips of all those coffee drinkers just infuse this coffee with a flavor that cannot be compared.

I look forward to this wonderful cup of not the best but sweetest cup of coffee each and every week. My heart and soul are filled to the brim, and I take it home with me to give me the best start possible to my week.  "All I need today is a little bit of coffee and whole lot of Jesus."

Brunch!

Thursday morning my friend Lynn came over for brunch. I love brunch; I love everything about it.

I love cooking it, eating it, setting the table, and just the whole preparation! I feel that it is one of the most relaxing meals to have. This one was rather simple as my friend was doing low carb. All I did was make a frittata, and of course we tried out a new bag of beans!

When I was very young, my mother had dishes we always used as the "good" dishes  for holidays and special occasions. I unpacked them a few years ago thinking I might get rid of them. I didn't realize that they were china. In the 1950's,  my mom bought a powdered soap called  "Duz". Each box of "Duz" would contain a white piece of china with the golden wheat pattern and gold edging.  Eventually my mother collected a large set, which I use as my brunch plates.  I realized how sentimentally attached I was to this pretty china.                           

I made a simple frittata consisting of eggs, Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, and mushrooms. I can't tell you how much of anything, other than six eggs, because I don't measure!  It was delicious. It was fluffy and the cheese and vegetables blended together perfectly. I love anything with caramelized onions; or for that matter mushrooms! Most of this frittata was consumed as you can see.

Next up, the guest of honor; a new bag of beans. They smelled

wonderful, quite aromatic. They were a combination of dull and slightly oily. But this was a milder coffee blend so I wasn't surprised. Now only for the taste and the smell to match.   

Breeze Blend

Once again, I made French press. and once again I was disappointed. First sip I tasted a very thin flavor of a coffee that was screaming to be heard. As if it wanted to rear it's head and say, "I taste good".  But the little bean just couldn't do it. The body of this blend was so thin, it was like drinking coffee flavored water.

To be fair, I made a second pot in a good old fashioned electric percolator. Sadly, the results were exactly the same as the French press. Never one to give up, I pulled out the big guns and poured the beans into my DeLonghi Magnifico coffee machine. This machine makes bad coffee taste good. It did add crema to the top, but it still struggled for body. It just couldn't get there.  Why did I give it three attempts?  Because it was from one of the best roasters on Long Island. I just seem to buy the wrong beans I guess! I have had some really good cups of coffee at Tend. I will not give up until I find a Tend bean I love.

Lattè Time!

On Monday, my son and I drove to our local coffee house. It is an exciting place to go because they roast their own beans on the premises. When you walk in you are greeted by the aroma of a thousand different blends of beans. There are burlap sacks of beans lining the wall just waiting to go into the roaster which holds center stage in the shop.

We went in for a cold brew. We ordered iced sugar-free French vanilla coconut milk lattès. Here is where the trouble started. As I was perusing the beans for my next tasting, the Barista was at work on our drinks. The cashier called me over to pay, and pay I did!  We all know how pricey these fancy drinks can be, but I was more than a little surprised when I was handed just one drink.  The Barista said she heard me ask for only one. Nope, I asked for two. I was in a bit of a hurry and she said to wait, she'd make it.  We waited a couple of minutes. I was getting antsy as I had places to go. Anyway she handed me the lattè. Silly me; I thought it would be on the house because she heard me wrong and I was in a rush. Nope! Full price. No harm, no foul!

With all this being said, let's talk about the actual lattè. The coffee was strong, full bodied and bold! The coconut milk was unsweetened; as it should be considering there are a variety of sweeteners to add. This is one of the only shops I've been to that actually has unsweetened alternatives to milk. The ice was precise as it didn't weaken the coffee. It just made it perfectly chilled. Honestly it was perfect. No, not my perfect "cup of coffee",  but a perfect coffee drink.

A Satisfied Customer!

I am going to give credit where credit is due.  I have been to Tend Coffee many times.  I will chalk this faux pas up to a bad day at the shop. The girls just did not look happy. The Baristas are usually very happy and friendly. This is my go to place for coffee on the go. They are certified organic coffee roasters; one of the only on our island. They have over 20 varieties of beans to choose from. Their beans are always fresh.

Why haven't I found my perfect cup of coffee at Tend? I purchased a one pound bag once, and it just wasn't to my liking; they have so many varieties to choose. But wait for my next review!

Until then...Cheers!  And a Great Big Shout Out to Tend Coffee of Shirley, NY! You do your neighborhood proud by serving excellent coffee!

The First Cup

We celebrated my husband's birthday Friday evening. What better way to enjoy a slice of cake then with a fresh pot of decaf French Press!  I had just recently signed up with a company to review products which I could purchase at a discounted price. I had just received a pound of decaffeinated coffee beans that I was anxious to try.

Cake was presented, Happy Birthday was sung, wishes were made; hopefully for a good cup of coffee. So now it was time for a jolt of java.  Stone Street Coffee Company are the beans that we were anticipating to enjoy with hubby's birthday cake.  I opened the bag and joy filled my senses!

I thought to myself, is this it, in a bag of decaf? Could I have found perfection in the first bag I am testing for  "The Coffee Chase"? Would Nirvana be in a simple bag of beans from Brooklyn? The very same place my story began; that would just be too poetic for words! But that was just the aroma, now to see the beans.

I poured the lovely brown beans into my hand and was delighted that they weren't dull. Now I know that saying dull beans are old beans is a bit of a myth. The shine or lack of shine has to do with the roasting process. I prefer a slightly darker roast with low acidity, so the shiny bean is definitely for me! These beans were not as shiny as I would have liked, but they were definitely a contender.

First the beans went into my coffee grinder  for a loose grind. Then into the French Press, and we waited. If you would like to know how to properly make French Press, go to our Jolt of Java: A Guide to Specialty Coffees page.

The timer went off and now it was time to sample Stone Street Coffee Company European Fancy Decaf! My anticipation was mounting as I plunged the French Press down. The coffee was poured and the moment of truth arrived.  I brought the cup to my lips and took that first sip, and I almost spit it out. Yes, it was that bad! This was one of the worst cups of coffee I have ever tasted. It was weak, it had no body and it was bitter. What a great disappointment.

"A picture is worth a thousand words"

I forged ahead and drank that cup. Maybe not to the last drop, but who can eat cake without a cup of coffee?
And as we say here at The Coffee Chase: "Even bad coffee is better than no coffee".

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The Chase Begins

I like coffee. No, I love coffee. Actually, I have a like, love, hate relationship with coffee. I know that makes no sense, but hear me out. I love coffee so much that some nights I go to bed craving that first morning cuppa joe only to be grossly disappointed by the weak, bitter, burnt or just plain bleh cup of coffee.  So very disappointing!

I love coffee so much, that when I turned 30 and was still living at home, my parents gave me coffee beans and my first coffee grinder. The insanity actually started when I was about three years old. We were living in my Grandparent's house in Brooklyn.  Like all good Italian grandmother's, my Nanny poured me that first delicious cup of brew mixed with milk and sugar. It was the start of a love story!

As the years went by and my taste buds matured, I preferred to drink my coffee without sugar. I enjoy the smell of coffee and the taste of it with just a touch of milk or cream to smooth it out. The more I drink coffee and the more I love it, the more I have found, it is so hard to find a good cup of coffee. Hence this blog. The perfect coffee bean to brew that elusive cup of coffee is at the top of my bucket list! Yup, that's how much I love my coffee! I judge a restaurant by how good their coffee is.

I am constantly purchasing different beans in search of my dream cup, only to continually be disappointed. Don't get me wrong, they are not all bad. I just have not found perfection. The closest I ever came to a perfect cup was at a visit to Oheka Castle two year's ago. Their's was Douwe Egbert's Coffee. Thinking I had found my Caffeine Nirvana, I purchased a bag of beans on Amazon. Upon opening the bag, I knew dissapointment awaited me when I saw dull beans. I poured the beans into my coffee machine anyway, and pressed the button Anticipating the sound of the grind and the smell of the brew, I took the cup with the lovely crema on top, only to drink what tasted like old beans. That bag went right back to Amazon! I have contacted Douwe Egbert to let them know my experience, and am still waiting for a response.

So hear I am today starting this blog on my search for that elusive cup of coffee. I will be reporting to you about all the coffees I buy and all the coffee houses I frequent, the chains as well as the privately owned cafes. Sit tight, grab your favorite cup of Joe, and join me as we travel the world of coffee together as I report on this wondorous bean.