Professional Recipes Blog » Gourmet Beverages

Coffee Cupping

Chef Jeff — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 01:07:40 +0000

I’ll admit, I’ve never heard of this type of thing before; Coffee Cupping. It’s a lot like a wine tasting only with coffee as different aspects of coffee such as aroma, taste, body and such are judged and critiqued. Although the highly talented Barista would be very interested in a coffee cupping event, why not the average Joe who enjoys a good cup of gourmet coffee?

A lot of us enjoy a good latte every once in a while right? Why not host your own Coffee Cupping event? It’s easy, check out the article link below from our site for some ideas and tips on how to do such a thing and impress your friends. I’m thinking of hosting one myself – my family and friends are coffee connoisseurs!

Coffee Cupping Your Way to a More Discriminating Palate

Enjoy!

Secrets of a Good Latte

Chef Jeff — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 14:47:17 +0000

We’ve all seen those fancy little designs that some coffee brewers or barista’s make in their lattes right? Often you’ll see a heart, or some nice little leaves or other fancy designs in the milk? Well, wonder no more and check out this article on Latte Art Secrets for Beginners.

As with anything gourmet, attention to detail is important, but having the right tools and know-how is even more important.

Find more articles and how-to’s on Professional Recipes here: Gourmet Cooking Articles

Mastered the Art of Cooking? Try Mastering the Art of the Barista

Chef Jeff — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:54:09 +0000

With the advent of Starbucks® and the popularity of coffee shops that offer wi-fi, we sometimes take our coffee for granted. Walk into a coffee shop and order up a Mocha Latte and you’re out of there in a few minutes. Places like these can often make some really good drinks, from specialty coffees and all kinds of cappuccino drinks. Only a few make a really good espresso.

It’s a challenge to recreate many of those drinks for most of us. Some of us may have a decent espresso machine and can whip something up relatively quickly, no doubt, but nothing like what we can get from a decent coffee shop. Often we lack the knowledge of what flavors blend well with different kinds of coffee beans. What happens if you were hosting a cocktail party at your restaurant or a dinner party for clients and friends at your home? If one of your guests asks for an espresso during dessert, what would you serve?

Your food was a hit and your best friend devoured the hors d’oeuvres, but what now? Have no fear, you’ve studied the art of the Barista. What is a Barista you ask? A trained professional in making espresso and related drinks. They take their art very seriously as pairing the right flavors of a particular coffee bean (Columbian vs. Brazilian for example), is not an easy task with the complexity of flavors found in food.

The variety of coffee beans from around the globe produces an entire world of different flavors and textures that most of us don’t get to experience. Have you ever had coffee from Uganda or Ethiopia? They’re both coffee producing countries each with distinct qualities which vary from region to region. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is a bean sought after by the U.S. consumers that has a fruity aroma, light and elegant body, and an almost menthol taste.

It would seem that with all the different flavors of coffee, only one as skilled as a Barista could truly pair a coffee with the main course, much as a gourmet chef would pair a fine wine. Read more about the Art of the Barista here:

Art of the Barista: A Brief Guide for the Gourmet Chef

Enjoy!