Thomas Jefferson said that coffee is the favorite drink of the civilized world, and we in this java loving nation have proven his point in spades.
Though coffee houses were wildly popular in continental Europe beginning in the early 1600s, it wasn’t until 1773 that the drink gained popularity here. It was the Boston Tea Party that turned the beverage tide, morphing us from a tea drinking nation to a coffee drinking one.
These days, over 80% of adult Americans consume coffee, and we drink more of it than any beverage other than water.
In 2016, a whooping 88.8 gallons of the beloved brew was guzzled per capita in the United States, and consumption has only grown since.
Compare that with the next highest category, carbonated beverages (including things like soda and sparkling water), which registered only 39.5 gallons per person, less than half of the coffee tally.
Its acclaim is worldwide, going far beyond our shores. Coffee is one of the most valuable legally traded commodities in the world, second only to crude oil.
If the proliferation of coffee businesses throughout our lovely county is any indication, we here in Lake County are consuming our fair share.
A complex espresso drink or a simple cup of Joe can be found in coffee shops in nearly every one of our communities, from Middletown to Upper Lake, some with drive-through service and others offering food beyond croissants and muffins.
I recently learned that an enterprising Lake County woman has begun a different sort of coffee business — a portable espresso cart — which I happened upon on a balmy June evening at the Friday night farmers’ market in Middletown.
As I strolled the shaded paths lined with vendors in Middletown Square (the large green lawn in front of the library and senior center complex), I discovered the “Kates Out the Bag” cart nestled near the end of the southernmost path. Intrigued, I ordered a honey-oat milk latte for myself and a fresh lemonade for a friend.
It was a treat to have such interesting potables options at the market.
One of the first things one notices about this cart is its feline theme. The name is a play on “the cat’s out of the bag” and the phrase “PURR-FECT COFFEE” graces the banner above the cart.
It turns out the purveyor, Katelyn Rubio, loves cats as much as she loves coffee and decided to combine her passions in this business.
Her custom blended coffees include names like Black Cat Decaf and Nine Lives Breakfast Blend. Other products are named after her two rescue cats, Freddy and Fannie.
Rubio, a Hidden Valley Lake resident, is a 2005 graduate of Middletown High School. She’s been hooked on the taste of coffee since the first time she was given a sip of it as a child.
While in college she honed her espresso pulling skills at the drive-through coffee hut (now Mugshots) at the Highway 29 Shell station near Hidden Valley Lake, as well as at the Mugshots outpost at Harbin Hot Springs near Middletown.
She fell in love with the technique of making coffee at those jobs — she feels it’s an art form. Learning how to make the perfect shot and steaming the milk just right was satisfying work. She also enjoyed interaction with customers and getting to know the regulars.
After forays into a couple of other careers (phlebotomy and office administration), she’s returned to her first love, coffee. She says it’s a great business for a mother with four children at home aged from 6 to 16.
The coffee she serves is custom roasted, with blends created and curated by her with assistance from the roasting company. The espresso she serves contains six different beans from around the world — Indonesia, Africa, and Central and South America.
Her espresso cart (as well as her packaged coffee blends) can be found at farmers’ markets in the county on Friday nights in Middletown and Tuesdays and Saturdays in Lakeport. She hopes to expand her business to include weddings and special events.
Kates Out the Bag Coffee Co. products can also be purchased online at www.katesoutthebag.com and the business can be found on Instagram. To book her cart for events, Rubio can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
It turns out that research has shown coffee to be beneficial in a variety of ways, so there are plenty of reasons to drink it aside from the taste.
Some obvious benefits are heightened energy, increased metabolism and improved workout performance. Other positive effects are more surprising.
According to what I’ve read, research has shown that:
Coffee is an antioxidant that has been proven to increase longevity and to reduce the risk of heart failure, stroke, diabetes and some cancers. It contains a variety of essential nutrients like riboflavin, pantothenic acid, manganese, potassium, magnesium and niacin.
It may also be an effective treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Studies showed that those who drank two or more cups of coffee a day had less liver damage than those who drank little or no coffee.
The chlorogenic acid found in coffee can aid in reducing blood sugar, lowering blood pressure, improving mood and reducing inflammation in the body. It also acts as an antimicrobial against a wide range of organisms.
Coffee contains substances that have heavy metal chelation properties, binding to heavy metals like lead, mercury or copper and extracting them from the body via the kidneys.
Other studies link coffee with improved brain function, including reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia, lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, and staving off depression.
Does this make you want to go make a cup of coffee as it does me?
Or we could eat our coffee. There are many ways to use it in cuisine.
Coffee’s roasted notes and its bitter, acidic qualities compliment sweet, bold, earthy or nutty ingredients, from desserts (think mocha brownies or espresso-laden tiramisu) to meats (like ham with red eye gravy or coffee rubs on beef or pork).
As to meats, coffee not only infuses flavor, it also has tenderizing qualities.
A specialty of the southern U.S. is ham with red-eye gravy, made simply by cooking ham in a skillet and then deglazing the pan with about ½ cup of boiling hot coffee. It should be simmered to reduce by half, which takes about five minutes. Butter or oil may be added to the pan to ensure there are enough drippings if the ham is lean.
Some add sugar, broth or a little extra butter to round out the intense and bitter coffee flavor, but this isn’t a traditional preparation.
I ran across an interesting recipe that includes marinating bite-sized pieces of chicken overnight in brewed espresso with pink peppercorns, cardamom and cinnamon, which shows that there can be a great deal of creativity when using coffee in the kitchen.
The flavors of roasted or grilled pork and beef can be enhanced with a rub that includes coffee. In addition to ground coffee, common ingredients include sugar (typically brown), coarse pepper, paprika and garlic in fresh or powder form.
Today’s recipe is for an all-purpose coffee rub which can be used on almost any protein as well as on most veggies. Unlike some rubs, it’s relatively low in salt and sugar, so there's no overpowering sweet or salty overtones.
Cayenne pepper can be added for some heat if desired, and the level of any of the spices can be adjusted according to your taste. This makes a generous amount and can be stored for quick use in a tightly sealed container. Be sure to store away from sunlight to prevent deterioration of flavors.
Enjoy!
All-purpose coffee rub
2 tablespoons each of:
Garlic powder
Ground coffee (medium grind)
Paprika
Onion powder or dried onion flakes
Ground cumin
1 tablespoon each of
Salt
Brown sugar
Combine all ingredients.
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper if heat is desired.
Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa. She lives in Middletown, California.
"drink" - Google News
July 18, 2021 at 04:40PM
https://ift.tt/3kuZ5s9
Mensam Mundum — World Table: Red, white and brew — coffee, America's favorite drink - Lake County News
"drink" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2STbaKe
https://ift.tt/2VWmZ3q
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Mensam Mundum — World Table: Red, white and brew — coffee, America's favorite drink - Lake County News"
Post a Comment